The insane potential in QR codes

Watch this slide share from the daring librarian.  Packed full of ideas for using QR codes to promote stuff in your library.  The potential for engaging students is huge.  For public libraries, the ideas really rock - QR codes to link books on display straight into your catalogue where patrons can place a hold.  And that's just one example. 

The lone wolf librarian muses on the topic here, and this is a prezi on the topic.

The quickest way I can think to test it would be to pick a website you want to promote for a topic, go to a QR code generator - they seem to be everywhere - like this one http://goqr.me/ and follow the simple, simple, simple instructions to generate your qr code.  You can download the image, and print it off to display in the library or embed it like this on a blog or website.



And if you have a smart phone, and have downloaded the app (and that takes about 5 seconds) you, or your students/patrons can scan the QR code and get the link to some divinely inspired music.  If you can't be bothered with all that, you might also toddle off to TED Talks and watch the video clip here.  Not half as much fun, though.

BTW 15 minutes prior to writing this blog post, I knew absolutely nothing about QR codes.  Now I have found out what they are, how to generate them, how I can use them, and why I want to keep thinking about it. 

School Libraries Worldwide Journal

I thought this may be of interest for some of you. These articles could be good professional reading for your Professional Registration Journal.

School Libraries Worldwide is the official professional and research journal of the International Association of School Librarianship. It is a refereed, peer-reviewed journal, published twice yearly, in January and July and is available online only on the IASL web portal. http://iasl-online.org/pubs/slw/

School Libraries Worldwide publishes current research and scholarship on any aspect of school librarianship. Contributors are invited to submit new scholarly works, such as research reports and reviews of research.

Senga

Resistance is futile - Kent Fitch

I recently viewed this prezi and listened to the audio - on the future of libraries.  It is excellent, and very thought provoking.  Perhaps best understood by first skim reading the prezi, to get a sense of the flow of information, and then download the audio to listen while you watch the prezi for a second time. 

My thanks to both Miriam Tuohy and Bridget Schaumann for being the source(s) for this particular gem. 

Digital citizenship readings

The recent post from Libraries and Transliteracy provides a nice summary of the aspects of digital citizenship which should concern us.  The link to further reading http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/Publications.html is also worth following up.  Good professional reading for revalidation purposes.

A browse through the other blog posts will provide much fruit for those searching for meaningful professional reading. 

2010 Horizon Report is out

The 2010 edition of the Horizon Report is out, looking at the future trends, challenges, technologies to watch (including electronic books).  Produced by the New Media Consortium, a not-for-profit organisation of more than 280 learning-focused organisations dedicated to the exploration and use of new media technologies, this will provide food for thought for all of us.

eReaders article - pros and cons of various brands

http://education2x.otago.ac.nz/cinzs/mod/resource/view.php?id=74  The article appeared in the journal Computers in New Zealand schools, and discusses the writers own impressions of the advantages and disadvantages of various brands of e-readers.  The article provides valuable insight into the sorts of things we need to think about as we begin to delve into this burgeoning technology.

Cynthia from the public library, Bridget from Kings College in Dunedin (Otago SLANZA rep) and I are also in the very beginning stages of investigating a possible PD day to have a hands on look at e-books, e-readers, talk about technical issues, copyright issues and anything else that people express an interest in.  Please feed back to one of us with any thoughts you may have on the topic, and with ideas of segments that would be valuable to you.  It is planned that this PD be cross-sector, and perhaps opened to teachers and other interested parties also, so broad thinking please, but also consider your own specific needs.

See Sally research

We shared this article at our last revalidation meeting - well worth reading and considering where the staff in your library sit on this digital continuum.  http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/neverendingsearch/2010/08/02/see-sally-research-an-environmental-scan/.

A post from Judith Way - follow up and record your Professional Development!

Judith Way recently attended a professional development course with Alan November and in this post, she offers up some of the ways that we can help our patrons check and validate information found on the internet.  There are many links to follow up on, and things that we could try with our students or staff.  Reading the post, following up on the links, and putting into place some activities for staff or students - or amending your existing web training programme - would make a useful addition to BOK 7 (or maybe 2, or 6, depending on your approach). 

If you find something in this that increases your understanding of how the web works, and which you incorporate into your work with staff and students - a reflection on how that has improved or changed your practise, and/or student learning outcomes would be excellent.

Libraries and Trasliteracies reading list

A post today from the Libraries and Transliteracy group led me to an excellent reading list which, at first glance, seems relevant across the spectrum of libraries.  One example from the list is U.S. IMPACT Public Library Study which is described as a "research initiative describing the impact of free access to computers and the internet".  Another article is entitled To Read or Not To Read: A Question of National Consequence.  This link takes the reader to an overview of the report, and provides access to the full document in PDF form.  Most of us should be able to find something of interest here for our journals.

Advice from LIANZA in completing BOK 11

This appeared on the NZLibs listserv today, to support library staff struggling to achieve the professional development requirements of BOK 11 - http://bit.ly/d160zU  The list of readings sits on the LIANZA website, and will be useful to many of you, I hope.

Libraries using Twitter

In doing some research for a SLANZA magazine article I came across this article called Twitter for libraries (and librarians) which offers some how and why information on a range of libraries using Twitter.  Ask a Librarian is an example of Twitter use by librarians in the UK (you will need a twitter account to check that one out).  It immediately strikes me that Twitter would be a very simple way to announce new book arrivals in the Public Library environment, and you could even have separate Twitter accounts for special interest groups...  Food for thought maybe.

Personal opinion here - Twitter has been the best free professional development for me in the last 18 months with respect to Web 2.0 applications.  Twitter has ultimately led me to all of the applications I now use and promote, courtesy of the wonderful people I follow.

Libraries and Transliteracy

An excellent blog here for all sorts of libraries - called Libraries and Transliteracy.  One post, called Information Literacy and the role of public libraries may be of interest to public library staff in particular.  The categories are wide, organization of the blog is clean and simple.  Recommended if you are interested in the ongoing discussion around multiple literacies, transliteracy, digital literacy, and information literacy. 

You might also view a slide share presentation on School Libraries as sponsors of Transliteracy, courtesy of Buffy Hamilton.

Libraries and Transliteracy

View more presentations from Bobbi Newman.

Beginning the journey

We hope that this will become a space for sharing our professional journeys, cross-sector, and that it will lead to collaboration and best-practice for all.  Your thoughts and ponderings will be welcomed, as will your suggestions, advice and questions. 

In this digital world that we live in, we also believe that simply by joining the world of Web 2.0 in this way, we are beginning to demonstrate our commitment to meeting our current and future patrons on their own ground.  Do you think that that is a good thing?  Or is it just too scary for words...