Week 3: #5 Discover Flickr

If you aren't able to view the embedded video, click here.

Library Pirates
Originally uploaded by lcaroleb

Photo sharing websites have been around since the 90s, but it took a site called Flickr to catapult the idea of "sharing" into a full blown online community. Within the past year, Flickr has become the fastest growing photo sharing site on the web and is known as one of the first websites to use keyword "tags" to create associations and connections between photos and users of the site.

Discovery Resources

• Flickr tour


• Tagging - Popular Flickr tags

Discovery Exercises

The library uses Flickr for our branch photos. Flickr is also great for sharing personal photos with family and friends. This exercise should get you started:

• Create a free account in Flickr and upload a photo into your Flickr account, then post it to your blog. Make sure to tag any photos want to share for use in this exercise with "iHCPL2" and mark them public.

Be careful when titling or describing photos on Flickr, don't use real names or personal information or make them viewable only to family and friends.


Here are specific instructions on how to post a picture from Flickr on your blog.
- Log into Blogger
- Log into Flickr
- Find the photo you uploaded
- Get to the page where you can edit the picture (there are options just above the picture)
- Click Blog This
- If you don't have a blog connection, it will walk you through setting one up
- Now, go back to your photo, click Blog This again
- Select your blog name
- Enter the title & text for your post (if any) - remember the picture will post automatically
- Click Post Entry

Week 2: #4 Online Safety and Sharing

Participating in online communities and sharing requires understanding different expectations about privacy and safety. If you write a blog post about "The Most Humiliating Experience of my Life," please be aware that you are sharing this story with anyone who has an Internet connection. You must also be careful with sharing photos and personal or financial information.

Some things to think about when creating content and using online services include:

• Am I sharing appropriate details about my work or personal life?
• Do I have permission to post someone else's photo?
• Am I sharing financial information with an unprotected source?
• Is the person I'm communicating with who I think they are?
  

This is in no way meant to alarm anyone! Please just take a minute to look at a couple of resources that will make you feel more comfortable writing posts for your blog that you feel confident in sharing.

Discovery Resources:

• Think! Before You Post - with illuminating video.
• Guide to online privacy put together by the Center for Democracy & Technology.
• Free Range Librarian's ideas on blogging and work.
• Internet safety for everyone by HCPL.

Discovery Exercise:

• Create a blog post discussing your thoughts on online safety and privacy. How comfortable are you sharing online?

Week 2: #3 Grab Yourself a Blog in 3 Steps

If you aren't able to view the embedded video, click here.

Now that you understand how this program will work, it's time to set up your very own personal blog to begin recording your thoughts, discoveries and exercises. For this program, we recommend that you use Blogger *, a popular free online blog hosting service that is extremely easy to use.

Creating a blog using Blogger takes just three steps:

1. Create an account.
2. Name your blog.
3. Select your template.

Once you've created your blog here are two important things to know:

• To add posts: The maintenance interface that you will use to add posts, edit or change the set-up of your blog is accessed online at http://www.blogger.com/ . Be sure to write down your login and password.
• To view your blog: Your blog address is http://xxxx.blogspot.com/ , (xxxx)=the unique identifier you entered in Step 2. Be sure to also write down your blog address.

If you run into problems or would like more information about blogs and using Blogger here are some discovery resources you can use:

• Blogger tour
• Video Blogger tutorial

OK --- Now, it's your turn...

Discovery Exercise:

Each day is a new learning experience! Use the first post in your new blog to explore what is your own individual learning style.

1. Setup a blog for yourself using Blogger.
2. Add a test post or two. Use one of your posts to write about which learning habits from the tutorial are easiest for you, which are hardest and why.
3. If you wish, add your blog to the list of participants.
   
4. Have fun!!!

* Use of Blogger is only a recommendation. If there is another blog hosting site that you are more comfortable with, please feel free to use it.

Week 1: #2 Lifelong Learning - Motivate Yourself

Among libraries, lifelong learning is one of those core values we shelve our books by.

So, it makes sense that before we embark on this new online learning and discovery journey that we should take a few minutes to view this motivational slide show.

This short presentation will give you some tools to help you get moving and organized.

Discovery Exercise:

If you aren't able to view the slide show, click here.

For the first exercise, view this tutorial and write down which learning habits are easiest for you and which are hardest. Make a contract with yourself about your learning habits. You will use your personal blog (which you will set up next) to post your thoughts about lifelong learning.

Have fun! If you haven't jumped on board yet, it's never too late to become a lifelong learner.

Next Week: Creating your blog so you can begin tracking your journey.

Week 1: #1 Discovery has never been so much fun...

Welcome to iHCPL's learning program and blog. Chances are if you've found your way here you're interested in learning about and playing around (yes, playing is allowed in libraries) with some new Web 2.0 tools that will help you expand your information literacy toolbox.

iHCPL is an online learning program that encourages our customers to learn more about emerging technologies on the web that are changing the way people, society and libraries access information and communicate with each other. Our staff began this program three weeks ago and this blog is an adjunct to their program.

Over the course of the next nine weeks, this website will highlight different discovery exercises to help you become familiar with blogging, RSS news feeds, tagging, wikis, podcasting, online applications, and video and image hosting sites.

To familiarize yourself with this project, be sure to read our About page. The FAQs should answer most of your questions about this program.

So, fasten your seat belts, grab your mouse and get ready for a discovery adventure...and remember, its OK to play in the library and have fun!

Stay tuned for the next item up for discovery...or better yet, subscribe to the RSS feed.

Coming October 1...

If you aren't able to view the embedded video, click here. Note that the video is referring to the start date of the staff program and labs for staff.

On October 1, the iHCPL: A Learning Experience for Our Customers adventure begins. More of the tools we use in our jobs and personal lives are web based. Be prepared, learn about these new tools with iHCPL. Each week, for nine weeks, you'll learn about web 2.0 technologies through fun, self-paced, online exercises. Join our staff, who began their journey on September 10, in learning about these new tools.

List of Participants

Are you participating? We invite you to comment on this post and list your blog as a participant. To list yourself, click Post a Comment and enter the link to your blog. The link is the web address, for example, the address for iHCPL: A Learning Experience for Our Customers is http://ihcpl2.blogspot.com.