Having presented numerous issues to include in a virtual library, I'm left with a tough decision of what to include on my library blog. I don't want something too complex, as I am bridging the elementary and high school scenario. So it should be fun. I also want it to appeal to the staff so they can use it as a resource, professional development and collaboration. I also need to consider the parents in the community so they too can see the value in such a service. Decisions, decisions. Considering all the great possibilities, which one or two will I choose? I don't want to bombard the site with too many choices as to be confusing. Having done the research to see what's out there, now I need to see how others are implementing the virtual world. Next, it needs to be able to fit the needs of our users. Lastly, I'll apply it to the blog.
After all is said and done, here's my choice and my explanation why. These are the key components I'd like to see included for our school's purposes. These would be my must haves realizing that as needs change, so do the services offered.
· Podcasts/ Videos/ Tutorials
· Easy access searches linking to reference, online catalogues - pathfinders, public library
· Collaborative component - interactive - ask a librarian, Professional Development
· Databases - journals, periodicals, ebooks
· Online tools for Web services (Valenza, 2007)
With looking for the above traits, the virtual libraries I'll link to my blog could not be narrowed down to just one or two. I've included one virtual library in each level - elementary to address our Grade 7's, middle to address our Grade 8's, and high school for the Grade 9's.
Penn Wood Elementary School Virtual Library was selected because it met all but one of the criteria. There are Internet links and tutorials provided. A reference desk is available. A link to ask an expert gives the connective aspect. Ebooks are available from many points. The only missing component is the online approach.
· I love this acrostic poem posted on the site:
Linking
Ideas
Between
Readers
And
Resources
Informing
Enriching
Sharing
Virtual Middle School Library was chosen due to the wonderful resource it provides even though it is missing a couple of components. What it does consist of are: resources for students, teachers through Pro-D, and parents; there is a magazine rack offering periodicals and newspapers; and Internet search including Webpage design. The missing pieces are podcasts or videos and the collaborative interactive aspect.
Reynold's High School Library was included because it had a strong Web 2.0 component as well as covering all the criteria. It includes: podcasts and YouTube videos, local public library link, book blog, databases, and the Web 2.0 links.
I had to include this one as it's excellent. Springfield Township High School Virtual Library was mandatory. There are Instructional videos and podcasts, the reference desk offers general information. The pathfinders follow subject related searches. The collaborative aspect includes: links for teachers, a Teacher-Librarian Wiki, and ask a librarian. The databases component includes catalogues and databases. Online tools offers new tools workshop. Other libraries were also included; please have a look at the 'Library List' as well as the 'Virtual Libraries' sidebars.
In an ideal world this would be an excellent supplement to a wonderful library. Realistically though - will it create more headaches when things go wrong for clients? Will it raise questions about asking for more tools to be available? Will people rely upon this service and therefore funding will be cut even further for our school libraries? These and many more questions are still out there. Have you had success in implementing a virtual library to your clients?
Sources
Bertland, Linda. (2009, July 15). Virtual Middle School Library. Retrieved from http://www.sldirectory.com/virtual.html
Lindsay, Karen. (n.d.) Reynolds High School Library. Retrieved from http://reynoldslibrary.weebly.com/
Penn Wood Elementary School Virtual Library. (2008, August). Retrieved from http://schools.wcasd.net/PennWood/Staff/library/index.html
Valenza, Joyce. (2007, July 11). A WebQuest About School Library Websites. Retrieved from http://schoollibrarywebsites.wikispaces.com/.
Valenza, Joyce. (2009, June 10). Springfield Township High School Virtual Library. Retrieved from http://www.sdst.org/shs/library/
Thursday, July 23, 2009
If Virtual Libraries Are So Great, Why Aren't There More Of Them?
You have to agree that there is something wonderful happening out there in the virtual realm, but is there something that counters it in the real world? There always seems to be a balance. Here are some problems that I can see arise. I'm finding that through my searches for true virtual libraries, the funding is not being supplied to keep these libraries up and running. I know that my own school district has had funding cuts where our elementary librarians are employed only one day per week. At the middle school level we are up to three-quarter time, and only at the high school level are there full-time librarians. Due to this shortage in monies directed towards libraries, it does make sense to inform and educate educational personnel about virtual libraries. Why not have access to information and resources at all times? Why only when the school library is open?
This raises a concern about needing libraries at all if everything you need is available online. There is still something to be said about the handling real books - I don't think they will ever go away. I had a regular student who would come into the library to see what new books I had purchased. He would gingerly pick up the books, open the cover, and inhale deeply. He said there was nothing like the smell of a newly published book. It always put a smile on his face. You certainly can't get the senses involved in the virtual world.
That brings me to the next question - Are book publishers about to give up producing books for people to read just because e-books are available online? Why do all these questions revolve around money?
If I Don't Have the Funds to Travel the World, I'll Bring the World to Me.
To put this into perspective for use in my library, I narrowed down my focus to the usage of fiction that I'm highly sought after by my patrons. I turned to EduChoices to find online Libraries 25 Places to Read Free Books Online. Some of the favourites will be: Bibliomania (also offers student resources), Fiction.us (for novels), and Project Gutenberg (offers 125 000 titles). Although you will probably not find all the books you are looking for, there is certainly quite a selection provided covering numerous genres.
With a reference such as this attached to my library blog, I can entertain those students looking for that illustrious title. I will also suggest to students and staff, that these resources are available at all times and can be accessed from home as well to broaden the field of library use.
Source
Kahney, Melissa. (2008, August 21). EduChoices to find online Libraries - 25 Places to Read Free Books Online. Retrieved from http://educhoices.org/articles/Online_Libraries_-_25_Places_to_Read_Free_Books_Online.html
This raises a concern about needing libraries at all if everything you need is available online. There is still something to be said about the handling real books - I don't think they will ever go away. I had a regular student who would come into the library to see what new books I had purchased. He would gingerly pick up the books, open the cover, and inhale deeply. He said there was nothing like the smell of a newly published book. It always put a smile on his face. You certainly can't get the senses involved in the virtual world.
That brings me to the next question - Are book publishers about to give up producing books for people to read just because e-books are available online? Why do all these questions revolve around money?
If I Don't Have the Funds to Travel the World, I'll Bring the World to Me.
To put this into perspective for use in my library, I narrowed down my focus to the usage of fiction that I'm highly sought after by my patrons. I turned to EduChoices to find online Libraries 25 Places to Read Free Books Online. Some of the favourites will be: Bibliomania (also offers student resources), Fiction.us (for novels), and Project Gutenberg (offers 125 000 titles). Although you will probably not find all the books you are looking for, there is certainly quite a selection provided covering numerous genres.
With a reference such as this attached to my library blog, I can entertain those students looking for that illustrious title. I will also suggest to students and staff, that these resources are available at all times and can be accessed from home as well to broaden the field of library use.
Source
Kahney, Melissa. (2008, August 21). EduChoices to find online Libraries - 25 Places to Read Free Books Online. Retrieved from http://educhoices.org/articles/Online_Libraries_-_25_Places_to_Read_Free_Books_Online.html
How to Find the Best Virtual Library in the World?
The best virtual library has got to be out there somewhere. If not in the real world, perhaps in a virtual one. How will I go about finding one that I can share with you, my staff and students? Let's look at a marketing scheme of how to attract visitors. That's the idea! Did you see the light go on? After all it's about marketing to get the visitors hooked to come to your site and linger. Through the readings I've done, this article stood out for me because of the suggestions for inclusions for virtual libraries that I hadn't come across before. These are some of the great ideas that were presented in "Marketing the Virtual Library" by Jody Fagan. I'll offer some main ideas before going into detail about what was included.
· Maximize electronic resources. You'll be better able to meet the needs of larger numbers as long as these resources are easy to research.
· Include Web techniques to promote online resources. I'm not sure how many people will read a reference book cover to cover online; therefore it makes more sense to provide articles before books.
· Aesthetics does have a roll to play. If it's not appealing - one won't stay.
· To advertise or not to advertise - that is the question.
· Making connections is so important. How can this happen between the real world and the virtual one?
· Tailoring the virtual library to your needs should be at the forefront of your choice.
· Lastly, how do you evaluate if it's working?
Here are my specifics that would work for me - sometimes it's not just about everyone else. It has to work for the Teacher-Librarian too.
· As I do my own cataloguing, I could really use the MARC records that are available online.
· Sharing downloadable options with teachers would be beneficial - some examples are: posters, user guides, and templates. [Note - consider the time factor in downloading, I don't want to frustrate anyone with getting booted out because it's taking too long.]
· A huge plus would be online tutorials - who doesn't like the hands-on approach?
· E-books are also excellent for us to be exposed to. Wouldn't it be great to have some tools like highlighting, quick searches for looking up unknown words or even be able to bookmark?
· To advertising or not to advertise - there's a good question? Do you need the funding- they pay you? Do you have funding to pay for such services? Or are you just selling out? Here's a tidbit I learned about using the services of Facebook. "Facebook allows you to pay per click or per view." Wow! I know our school couldn't afford that.
· Making connections to match the physical library with the virtual library should be an easy sell using some of these tips. Try placing a 'book dummy' on the shelf beside something that would be a popular choice online. Create a poster at the end of the stacks to direct users to specific areas. Here's one I can apply right away - put up a sign by the newspaper stand to direct users to the online version to access the archives. This one is key for me to include - incorporate an orientation of the online site that can be accessed at all times.
· Tailoring traditional needs such as email capabilities. Don't forget to be creative with some quick and easy selling features like 'In 15 seconds I can show you how this resource can improve your life'.
· Finally, conducting surveys allows for the collection of important feedback - we can all gain from this type of evaluation.
With so many options to look for and use in a virtual library, I'm well on my way to making some great choices when deciding upon which sites to choose to add to my blog. I feel like my workload just got a lot lighter - I like that feeling as it will free me up to allow for more collaborating.
Source
Fagan, Jody. (2009, July). Marketing the VIRTUAL LIBRARY. Computers in Libraries, 29(7), 25-30. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 1796623291).
· Maximize electronic resources. You'll be better able to meet the needs of larger numbers as long as these resources are easy to research.
· Include Web techniques to promote online resources. I'm not sure how many people will read a reference book cover to cover online; therefore it makes more sense to provide articles before books.
· Aesthetics does have a roll to play. If it's not appealing - one won't stay.
· To advertise or not to advertise - that is the question.
· Making connections is so important. How can this happen between the real world and the virtual one?
· Tailoring the virtual library to your needs should be at the forefront of your choice.
· Lastly, how do you evaluate if it's working?
Here are my specifics that would work for me - sometimes it's not just about everyone else. It has to work for the Teacher-Librarian too.
· As I do my own cataloguing, I could really use the MARC records that are available online.
· Sharing downloadable options with teachers would be beneficial - some examples are: posters, user guides, and templates. [Note - consider the time factor in downloading, I don't want to frustrate anyone with getting booted out because it's taking too long.]
· A huge plus would be online tutorials - who doesn't like the hands-on approach?
· E-books are also excellent for us to be exposed to. Wouldn't it be great to have some tools like highlighting, quick searches for looking up unknown words or even be able to bookmark?
· To advertising or not to advertise - there's a good question? Do you need the funding- they pay you? Do you have funding to pay for such services? Or are you just selling out? Here's a tidbit I learned about using the services of Facebook. "Facebook allows you to pay per click or per view." Wow! I know our school couldn't afford that.
· Making connections to match the physical library with the virtual library should be an easy sell using some of these tips. Try placing a 'book dummy' on the shelf beside something that would be a popular choice online. Create a poster at the end of the stacks to direct users to specific areas. Here's one I can apply right away - put up a sign by the newspaper stand to direct users to the online version to access the archives. This one is key for me to include - incorporate an orientation of the online site that can be accessed at all times.
· Tailoring traditional needs such as email capabilities. Don't forget to be creative with some quick and easy selling features like 'In 15 seconds I can show you how this resource can improve your life'.
· Finally, conducting surveys allows for the collection of important feedback - we can all gain from this type of evaluation.
With so many options to look for and use in a virtual library, I'm well on my way to making some great choices when deciding upon which sites to choose to add to my blog. I feel like my workload just got a lot lighter - I like that feeling as it will free me up to allow for more collaborating.
Source
Fagan, Jody. (2009, July). Marketing the VIRTUAL LIBRARY. Computers in Libraries, 29(7), 25-30. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 1796623291).
Travelling Around the World and Beyond
Where is there a place where you can gather everything you could possibly imagine - within reason of course? Ah, to have the world at your fingertips. This could only be true in the virtual world - right? There are such things as virtual libraries in the virtual world of Second Life, but I'm talking about everyone being able to access resources anytime, anywhere by anyone - not just resident avatars. I personally don't have the extra time in my day to play in virtual worlds; I guess it's just not my thing although I'm sure it appeals to many Generation Xers. I do have to say I was curious about what is being offered in the virtual world of Second Life; if you are as well, check this out from YouTube SL Libraries - Info Island Archipelago Tour. There are many aspects covered like podcasts, rotating exhibits, and the offering of translations into many languages. The focus here will be on virtual libraries on the Internet not including Second Life.
In the world of physical libraries, I'd like to make the distinction between a school that has a website - blog, wiki, etc with catalogue searches/resources available and true virtual libraries (VL). The latter involves online interaction. A VL has: organization and access not physically present, are accessible at any time (not just when the school is open), comprises of audio and visual resources, allows for collaboration amongst users, provides tutorials, and offers online periodicals (Gunn, 2002). Wow - that sure is asking a lot of any one organizational entity. There are indeed some amazing compilations available.
While there are many subject specific virtual libraries available online, I will direct my findings of resources to school library use. I had viewed Springfield's Virtual Library previously but I had not realized that the emphasis of virtual libraries "is on organization and access, no on physical collections" as Gunn points out. I thought that copious quantities of server space was required to operate virtual sites, but it makes much more sense to be able to access the information through links.
If I were looking for the perfect virtual library I would be looking for certain characteristics. In "Excellence in Service in the Virtual Library", not only does Balas list virtual libraries to check out but also includes applying something new. The sites to check out are:
· Virtual Reference Shelf (Library of Congress) This site offers selected Web resources that have been complied by the Library of Congress and includes: an annotated list of reference Websites, a librarian's index to the Internet, and reference desk (Refdesk).
· Virtual Reference Library It is great to have a Canadian focus, Ontario based to research topics closer to home. Touted as "the best of the Library and the Internet brought to you by librarians". It is broken down into subject categories. It also links to other Library portals and digital collections.
· People's Network: Online services from public libraries. This provider offers three entry points: 'Enquire' for your questions answered in real-time by real people; 'Discover' has a mix of images, websites, news, etc; and 'Read' allows you to explore books to read and share with others. This has a clean, simple easy to follow appealing interface.
The new thing being introduced is the "LibraryH3Ip: A New Flexible Chat Reference System". Here's how it will work: it is "an integrated instant messaging and web chat system ... designed specifically for libraries offering virtual reference services". Granted this is still in infancy stages - but think of the endless possibilities!
These are just a few of the possibilities in the realm of virtual libraries. The wonderful part about them is that they have so much to offer that's only a click or two away.
Sources
Balas, Janet. (2009, January). Excellence in Service in the Virtual Library. Computers in Libraries, 29(1), 36. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 1624012291).
Gunn, Holly. (2002, July). Virtual Libraries Supporting Student Learning. Retrieved from http://trailfire.com/joannedegroot/marks/323817.
Kilara, Rosmairta. (2007, May 11). SL Libraries - Info Island Archipelago Tour. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8v3TZethQ0.
People's Network: Online services from public libraries. Retrieved from http://www.peoplesnetwork.gov.uk/
Valenza, Joyce. (2009, June 10). Springfield Township High School Virtual Library. Retrieved from http://www.sdst.org/shs/library/
Virtual Reference Library- Ontario. Retrieved from http://www.virtualreferencelibrary.ca/
Virtual Reference Shelf (Library of Congress). Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/virtualref.html
In the world of physical libraries, I'd like to make the distinction between a school that has a website - blog, wiki, etc with catalogue searches/resources available and true virtual libraries (VL). The latter involves online interaction. A VL has: organization and access not physically present, are accessible at any time (not just when the school is open), comprises of audio and visual resources, allows for collaboration amongst users, provides tutorials, and offers online periodicals (Gunn, 2002). Wow - that sure is asking a lot of any one organizational entity. There are indeed some amazing compilations available.
While there are many subject specific virtual libraries available online, I will direct my findings of resources to school library use. I had viewed Springfield's Virtual Library previously but I had not realized that the emphasis of virtual libraries "is on organization and access, no on physical collections" as Gunn points out. I thought that copious quantities of server space was required to operate virtual sites, but it makes much more sense to be able to access the information through links.
If I were looking for the perfect virtual library I would be looking for certain characteristics. In "Excellence in Service in the Virtual Library", not only does Balas list virtual libraries to check out but also includes applying something new. The sites to check out are:
· Virtual Reference Shelf (Library of Congress) This site offers selected Web resources that have been complied by the Library of Congress and includes: an annotated list of reference Websites, a librarian's index to the Internet, and reference desk (Refdesk).
· Virtual Reference Library It is great to have a Canadian focus, Ontario based to research topics closer to home. Touted as "the best of the Library and the Internet brought to you by librarians". It is broken down into subject categories. It also links to other Library portals and digital collections.
· People's Network: Online services from public libraries. This provider offers three entry points: 'Enquire' for your questions answered in real-time by real people; 'Discover' has a mix of images, websites, news, etc; and 'Read' allows you to explore books to read and share with others. This has a clean, simple easy to follow appealing interface.
The new thing being introduced is the "LibraryH3Ip: A New Flexible Chat Reference System". Here's how it will work: it is "an integrated instant messaging and web chat system ... designed specifically for libraries offering virtual reference services". Granted this is still in infancy stages - but think of the endless possibilities!
These are just a few of the possibilities in the realm of virtual libraries. The wonderful part about them is that they have so much to offer that's only a click or two away.
Sources
Balas, Janet. (2009, January). Excellence in Service in the Virtual Library. Computers in Libraries, 29(1), 36. Retrieved from ProQuest Education Journals. (Document ID: 1624012291).
Gunn, Holly. (2002, July). Virtual Libraries Supporting Student Learning. Retrieved from http://trailfire.com/joannedegroot/marks/323817.
Kilara, Rosmairta. (2007, May 11). SL Libraries - Info Island Archipelago Tour. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8v3TZethQ0.
People's Network: Online services from public libraries. Retrieved from http://www.peoplesnetwork.gov.uk/
Valenza, Joyce. (2009, June 10). Springfield Township High School Virtual Library. Retrieved from http://www.sdst.org/shs/library/
Virtual Reference Library- Ontario. Retrieved from http://www.virtualreferencelibrary.ca/
Virtual Reference Shelf (Library of Congress). Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/virtualref.html
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