The Sentient Search Engine

This is no less true for Learn & Play than it is for anything else. Our final “thing”, is to reflect on our experience.

I’ve enjoyed Learn & Play, and I feel that I come at it from a different perspective as well. For most staff, the stuff covered in this program was entirely new, whereas I had at least heard of it and usually was already up to my neck in it. This means I had to do things a little differently to make it interesting, so I focused on the reflective aspects, trying to decide how something could be used/useful.

I also used this as an oppertunity to develop better blogging habits. I have a tendency to ignore blogging for months at a time, so its been nice to have an incentive to keep up with it.

Learn & Play has also been the stew pot for some interesting thoughts. I’m planning on following up on my “Staff YouTube Booktalks embedded in the catalog” idea!

I would definitely participate in a similar program in the future. I love this sort of self-directed thing and the prize/time-limit is pretty effective at putting an fire under my but to get it done. Special Thanks to LibraryJoy, gerald2.0, and all the folks in CML Digital Services that made Learn & Play possible!

In the penultimate exercise for Learn & Play @CML, we were tasked with exploring the world of downloadables on MOLDI. For those among the uninitiated, that stands for the Mid-Ohio Library Digital Initiative a project that provides access to digital media to library patrons (learn more).

I found the system fairly easy to use, though I will say that I am used to purchasing things online and the experience is similar (if not identical). The only potential hiccup I can see for others is the possible need to install the Overdrive software, but that only needs to be done once!

I must say that the quality of the selection is much improved from the last several times I’ve looked at it, especially the eAudiobooks! The audiobook selection in sci-fi and fantasy is excellent and very current (previously a sore point with me)! The eBooks and Music have improved as well (I like classical music).

However, the improvement in the selection does not carry over into the “eFlicks”. There’s a mix of quirky retro stuff like old sci-fi B-flicks and silent films which is very nice. There are also some comedy specials (ex Howie Mandell & Bill Engval) and neat documentaries. What is lacking is anything that could remotely be called mainstream or blockbuster. Now, I understand that there is likely to be trouble getting Hollywood to give up there latest and greatest in this format! Sure! That’s unsurprising! What bothers me is that there are no older blockbusters or true classics (think AFI 100) on the list. It seems that if we’re going to offer such a service that we need to have more of what a general audience would want to see, especially if (as I’ve heard) libraries are expecting downloadable content to replace DVDs and CDs down the road. I’d also like to begin seeing high-definition offerings in the near future. I understand why there haven’t been any to this point and agree with the logic, but the market penetration for HD is growing quickly and price drops this holiday season are expected to increase it even more. For those folks who have their TVs hooked up to their PC (neither difficult or uncommon) or have the new widescreen HD laptops, this would be a great new feature!

Thing #21 for Learn & Play is dedicated to Podcasts. This is one thing that I never got into in the past, so the fact that I “have to” is actually a great thing.

I played around with the podcast directories made available and I have to say, the one in iTunes is the best. I tried to get something out of podfeed.net, Podcastalley.com, or Google Podcast Directory and I failed in large part. I used the keywords “library”, “library news”, and “public library” and found alarmingly few pertinent hits. I had a lot more luck with iTunes’s directory. I got better results that were more easily navigable.

I did see that there were several libraries that did podcasting. Lansing PL has a number of Podcasts that are, if not regular, at least ongoing. There were also a number of special libraries (like Pritzker Military Library in Chicago, IL).

I tried using Bloglines for my Podcasts, and I’m pretty sure I don’t like it. Not because of anything Bloglines did wrong, I just think iTunes will work better for me. I can sync my iPod and listen to them on the go that way. This also keeps them well organized and separate from my music.

Podcasting would be an excellent addition to CML’s website. People are what separates libraries from their “competitors”, especially for CML (if I say so myself). Podcasting would be a great way to tap the passion and energy of our staff. Imagine a Youth Services booktalk cast that goes to a different branch every month. Our Geneology, History, and Travel department could put on a weekly Geneology Tips cast.

Thinking bigger, CML (and libraries in general) should start to provide podcasting stations with tools to record, host, and maintain them. These could be added to the catalog and be searchable that way. This would be an excellent way to farm the intellectual capital of the community and disseminate it.

Thing #20 for Learn & Play is to play with YouTube and embed a video. Done.

I thought this was both amusing and timely.

Some Thoughts

I enjoy YouTube. I don’t obsessively explore it like some, but I think there’s a lot of cool stuff there (and a lot of total crap or worse, but that was bound to happen). Libraries as a whole need to get better at this. There’s so much stuff we could record (storytimes, programs) that we don’t really make an effort to do. It would also be a great way to share the library’s story. Imagine a series of videos shared with the world, telling the library’s story and selling it. Video book reviews are another possibility. How cool would it be to have them embeded in the catalog so that you could click a link and have a librarian booktalk that book for you, especially for Juv and Teen books! I can think of a couple colleagues that would be great at this!!!

For Thing #19 of CML’s Learn and Play initiative, I played around with the Library Toolbar. As a general rule, I am not a big fan of toolbars as they clutter the screen. Everyone seems to have one and push theirs, so that if one isn’t vigilant, you end up with a browser that is more toolbar that web page. Nevertheless, I find I am impressed with CML’s. It really puts all the high use material from our website within easy reach.

I love the fact that the search box:

• can be populated by highlighting text in the browser
• provides access to the premium resources
• provides access to other useful services like dictionary search and news search.

The other areas are great too! My only real gripe with it is that there is no way to get the toolbar to remember your card # and pin. This would make the “My Account” button really stand out as a tremendous convinience.

I’m not likely to leave this installed on my browser at home (I did say I hate screen clutter), but I’m very happy its a solid product for those inclined to use it. CML’s virtual users are likely to be able to get a lot of constructive use out of it!