Librarian by Day » Technology

What It Takes To Be a Digital Woman

Bobbi Newman — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 15:19:44 +0000

What it takes to be a digital woman: Review by TrendsSpotting

View more presentations from Taly Weiss.

found via Librarian in BlackSimilar Posts:

For Digital Natives There Is No Web 2.0

Bobbi Newman — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:36:19 +0000

From the New Canaan High School LibrarySimilar Posts:

Thinking Outloud About The Echo Chamber

Bobbi Newman — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:23:45 +0000

Last week while I was traveling Net Potter brought to my attention a discussion happening on Twitter about the echo chamber (#echolib). This is an incredibly important topic to be thinking about and discussion to have. I’ve been thinking heavily about the ideas of the Echo Chamber and the Bubble lately (well last longer actually).

Let’s talk about the Echo Chamber first – let’s face it most of us are preaching to the choir. Chances are if you didn’t believe in what I write and agree with me (most of the time) you wouldn’t be reading this blog. Chances are if I read your blog and/or follow you on Twitter I agree with you. I occasionally wonder if this is any different from a pack of high school aged “cool” kids, one of them says something and the others say “right on man”! We’re just puffing each other up. What about the unconverted? What if (gasp!) we’re wrong?

In December when I decided to take a two week break I quoted from What Matters Now: “The echo chamber we’re building is getting larger and louder.” – Connected, Howard Mann. I was thinking about and concerned that I am only preaching to the choir. That blogging and twitter are not making the difference I want (hope) to make.

When Seth Godin posted about libraries I loved watching the reaction that went across the web, I even wrote a long comment on Toby’s blog post*. But at the same time the little voice in the back of my mind said – “you are preaching to the choir” and indeed I got several “right on man”s from it. Not that I’m ungrateful for the words of encouragement and support from my colleagues, its always wonderful to hear they don’t think I’m an idiot. I do believe there are positives from the echo chamber – its good hear you are not alone, to have other like-minded people to share ideas with, this is important for motivation & inspiration. Just don’t forget there are others out there who don’t agree with you.

I’m worried though, that as Howard Mann, said “the echo chamber we’re building is getting larger and louder”. At the time I posted the comment I was just thrilled to put my 2 cents in. But later I wondered are the people who don’t agree with me hearing this? Chances are they don’t read blogs, or if they do they don’t read this one, or that they were out-of-town this week. Even if they did see it one of the disadvantages of the web is you don’t have to wait for the opposing viewpoint to finish speaking before you start your response and they don’t have to listen to your response. The web makes it easier to shout louder and longer. Shouting louder into the echo chamber provides support for what you’re yelling and diminishes the chance of hearing a dissenting view-point. Or engaging in real conversation.

Are we, the twittering, blogging, technology inclined shouting into the echo chamber? Are we only puffing each other up? Do we care that this defeats our purpose and goals? I guess it depends on your goals. (Some I’m sure, are just happy to have choir to preach to.) But for most of us, its not. If we’re too busy telling each other “right on man” who’s engaging in discussion with those who don’t agree with us? Because let’s face it, they aren’t reading your blog or following you on twitter.

*I want to be clear that I have the utmost respect for Toby and believe his post on his blog and The Huffington Post were appropriate and well thought out. I am not disparaging them in any way, it is a just a recent incident I could use to make a point. I was and am thrilled to see so many great people responding to and thinking about this issue. You’ll have to forgive me, but I have to say it to them -right on man! :-)Similar Posts:

10 Best Links from Twitter – Week in Review

Bobbi Newman — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 14:40:26 +0000

cc image used courtesy of Leo Reynolds on flickr

If you follow me on Twitter you know I share and retweet a lot of links. I don’t know how you treat Twitter but if I’m not paying attention when something is shared I miss it. So I’ve been thinking I need a way to share those links ones on the blog. I thought I’d try to blog a best of the best of Twitter blog post each Friday.

I really don’t want to do an automatic recap of my Twitter posts each week and force you to wade through all of my conversations, so I’ll be hand selecting the 10 best links each week. I hope this is useful. Please feel free to let me know of any links you think deserve to be in the list!

New Year’s Resolutions – four New Years resolutions all librarians should be making. yes, really, even you.
Trends and Technology Timeline 2010+
Because it’s that good: 10 Exciting Ways To Waste Your Training Dollars
Jenica’s IOLUG speaker’s notes on online identity – you’re online you should be thinking about your identity, Jenica offers some great tips and information.
XO-3 concept design is here! this looks so awesome how could you not want one?
5 Reasons Why RSS Readers Still Rock – even though I weeded mine during my break I still rely on it heavily, I just can’t be on Twitter every moment of every day.
10 Librarian Blogs To Read in 2010 – because we all need more blogs in our FeedReader
The Future of Reading: Don’t worry. It might be better than you think. – great article a must read. My favorite quote “Always deny the apocalypse, John. You’ll usually be right, and when you’re wrong, no one will be left to say, ‘I told you so.’”
8 Things Every Geek Needs to Do Before 2010 – I know it’s already 2010 but if you haven’t done these things you need to!
Quotable Facts About America’s Libraries - the new Quotable Facts from ALA is out. Did you know Americans spend more than twice as much on candy as they do on public libraries?

QMBJXWWWB9EPSimilar Posts:

How Using The Internet Is Changing Our Brains

Bobbi Newman — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:45:41 +0000

CC image used courtesy of Reigh LeBlanc on flickr

As with most things, the benefits from computers and technology is all about balance.

From an article in The Independent – What the web is teaching our brains, a list of activities and the benefits each provides.

Internet research: Boosts the ability to integrate and process information as well as enhancing decision-making skills.
General browsing: Encourages the use of continuous partial attention and multi-tasking, which can impair cognition and cause irritability
Playing computer games: May improve multi-tasking skills, memory and peripheral vision. Can lead to antisocial behaviour.
Building a blog or website: Building a blog or your own website improves frontal lobe function, reasoning and memory.
Sorting email: Boosts information-processing functions in the brain’s frontal lobe. Can also cause stress.
Using emoticons: Exercises brain centres linked to emotion and social connection; particularly beneficial to those who use computers for long periods.
Tweeting and chatrooms: Enhances peripheral attention, helps to boost self-esteem and protects the hippocampus.

The article includes more information on the “why” or how it works, and of course some negative aspects of internet & technology usage too.

Worth reading:

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Transliterate Divide – Working Definition

Bobbi Newman — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:19:59 +0000

CC Image courtesy of ElektraCute on Flickr

Transliterate Divide – The gap between people who have the skills to understand (read) and create (write) a message (information) and interact using a variety of tools across multiple media and platforms and the ability to apply those skills to new situations and formats and those who do not.

My interest in transliteracy is tied to the skills one needs to be transliterate and determining the role of libraries in the acquisition and development of such skills. Although the primary direction of my work and this blog is tied to the internet and digital content, transliteracy is not.

I’ve been reading. A lot. Reading about literacy and all the different types of literacies, technology, the digital divide and anything specifically written about transliteracy. My research and subsequent note-taking on a relatively new term (the practice is in no way new) has created a need for definitions. What about those who are not transliterate, un-transliterate, non-transliterate, transilliterate? I don’t know, I gave up on moved on leaving the decision, if any, to individuals wiser than me.

This lead to my next issue, since I’m more interested in the skills and the development of those skills, I am interested in the divide between those with the skills and those without them and what that divide represents. I need to talk about that divide and have a understanding of my meaning. Based on my knowledge of transliteracy, definitions of transliteracy, digital divide and literacy divide* I worked up the term transliterat divide and a definition. Is it needed? I don’t know. Will anyone other than me use it? I have no idea. Will I use? All signs point to yes. It is a working definition, not set in stone and certainly open to questions, suggestions and modifications .

Definitions accessed

Transliteracy is the ability to read, write and interact across a range of platforms, tools and media from signing and orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio and film, to digital social networks.
Literacy Divide – literacy divide of the 20th century distinguished between people who could functionally read and those who could not
Digital Divide refers to the gap between people with effective access to digital and information technology and those with very limited or no access at all. It includes the imbalances in physical access to technology as well as the imbalances in resources and skills needed to effectively participate as a digital citizen
Digital Divide – the gap between those individuals and communities that have, and do not have, access to the information technologies that are transforming our lives.
Digital Divide- the divide between those with access to new technologies and those without

What I was reading

*Although the term “literacy divide” is used frequently I had trouble finding a definition for it.Similar Posts:

Library 101: More Than Just a Pretty Face

Bobbi Newman — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:10:27 +0000

The newest video from David Lee King & Michael Porter debuted at Internet Librarian to a room full of people and a live remote audience thanks to streaming by the Shanachies.

Library 101 is more than just a video, it’s a project with a website that includes essays from libraryland leaders about what Library 101 means to them. It also has a great source page that lists 101 Things to Know.

Disclosure: I’m in the video and listed in the blogs on the Things to Know page (no pressure right?)

PS The video made Boing Boing!!!!Similar Posts:

Libraries and Transliteracy – the video version

Bobbi Newman — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:46:06 +0000

I took my slideshow on transliteracy and turned it into a video. I was curious about how easy it was to turn a slideshow into a video (its super easy!) so I thought I’d try it. Most of my presentations aren’t meant to stand alone and so don’t really translate well to video. When I was putting the transliteracy one together I wanted it to be able to stand alone, so I thought I’d give it a try. A little self indulgent I know But anyway here it is.

Learn more about transliteracySimilar Posts: