The Impact of Social Media in Review [R]

New Review of Information Networking

Today, the impact of social media (SM) and social network services are undeniable. Social web applications are particularly so pervasive that finding innovative ways to incorporate them into our everyday lives for profit or educational use is a constant activity for some. The purpose of this study is to identify best practices acknowledged through scholarly literature for professionals and to highlight the common ways to improve the use of social web tools. Through a comprehensive literature review, this study illustrates how an effective communication synergy can be developed through the use of various social mediums for sustainable user engagement online.

Jamal Cromity
pages 22-33
Available online: 10 May 2012

Click here to preview.

Post NCCU SLIS 2012 Spring Colloquium – Tips for grant writing [R]

The NCCU SLIS 2012 Spring Colloquium held this past Friday, April 27th, was a great event. At the 2012 Institute of Museum and Library Services Research Colloquium,  hosted by Dr. Irene Owens at North Carolina Central University, the keynote speaker Rebecca Renard spoke about her experiences while working with the youth at the DC Public library. Ms. Renard has been fortunate to have the opportunity to develop a number of outreach activities which she enables the youth to help develop programs they’re interested in maintaining.  As a skilled grant writer, Ms. Renard was successfully able to solicit funds to help keep these student programs going. Just recently #youth202 was named the official Twitter hashtag for following DC youth activities by the Mayor of the city.

Some very practical tips she gave for writing grants were:

• Be sure to name and clearly  state the problem that your program is intended to resolve
• Make sure that your outcome of the program is also clearly stated and it is measurable
• Take time to thoroughly put together your proposal.  Don’t rush it! Do the research as needed and be sure to explain in detail your ideas

While these tips are common sense bullet points, it is important to remember and apply.

Spectrum Scholars in the Technology Transforms Communities series: Smartphones in Libraries [SM]

Please save the date for the next free webinar for Spectrum Scholars in the Technology Transforms Communities series:

Smartphones in Libraries: How to Take Charge of Delivering Mobile Services to Your Patrons

Wednesday, February 15^th at Noon Central

Instructions for logging in will be sent in February, no pre-registration required

5 years ago Apple released the iPhone, dramatically changing the mobile technology landscape for the general public, and for library patrons. As the number of smartphone owners rises every year, libraries must increasingly deliver their services to mobile patrons. Participants in this webinar will receive an overview of the mobile landscape, focusing on the usage patterns of underserved populations. This session will provide a tutorial on helping you plan to implement mobile library services. All skill levels will be addressed, from adapting a mobile ILS plugin to writing your own mobile library app from scratch.  Participants will also be given a list of model libraries providing mobile services. Presented by Stephen X. Flynn and Jamal L. Cromity.  Stephen X. Flynn is a 2009 Spectrum Scholar and Emerging Technologies Librarian at the College of Wooster Andrews Library and Jamal L. Cromity is a 1998 Spectrum Scholar and UX Specialist of Platform Management at ProQuest Dialog.

About Technology Transforms Communities

The Office for Diversity, with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has initiated a new project, “Technology Transforms Communities.”  Through this project we plan to pilot enhancements to the Spectrum Scholarship Program that will better incorporate technology into Spectrum’s leadership development offerings.  We seek to develop a cohort of Spectrum alumni and new scholars with sophisticated technological skills and experience in leading technology policy and decision-making to serve as information technology trainers and advocates in traditionally underserved communities.  For the most part, we are relying on the expertise of our alumni community to develop our technology and advocacy training.  Special thanks to Stephen X. Flynn–2009 Spectrum Scholar, Gates Millennium Scholar and Emerging Technologies Librarian at the College of Wooster–for serving as the Curriculum Coordinator for the Technology Transforms Communities initiative.

Previously recorded webinars in this series:

Engaging Under-served Users With Your Digital Initiatives –  access the recording at: http://connectpro72403849.adobeconnect.com/p8wu80bcbwe/. Once you have watched the recorded session, please take a moment to complete a brief evaluation.  Access the evaluation at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TTCdigitalinitiatives

ECAR Report: Students have a clear preference for smart, mobile devices [SM]

If there is one resounding message about undergraduate perceptions about technology in higher education, it is this: Technology could be used much more strategically to engage students in academic life.

Students have a clear preference for smart, mobile devices (nearly nine in 10 students own laptops, more than half own smartphones, and one in 10 owns an iPad or other tablet).  There is a strong correlation between the technologies that students value most and the technologies their instructors use—and use effectively—to teach, mentor, and communicate.

The role of social networking tools for academic purposes is complicated. Many students say they are comfortable using social networking as a way to communicate and connect with other students, and even professors, about coursework. Some students draw a line between their academic and social lives, however, saying they like to keep them separate.

One consistent finding is that e-mail remains a potent form of communication, both widely and frequently used—and the tool students most wish instructors would use more often.

1. 90% of US students use Facebook, with frequent users (58%) logging in 13 times a day.
2. 55% of US students have a smartphone
3. 73% use a course management system
4. 51% use web-based citation or bibliography tools

For more, see:

ECAR National Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2011 Report

http://www.educause.edu/Resources/ECARNationalStudyofUndergradua/238012

Silo Persistence: It’s not the Technology, it’s the Culture! [NRIN]

Jamal Cromity & Ulla de Stricker
New Review of Information Networking (NRIN)
Routledge of Taylor & Francis
Volume 16, Issue 2, 2011 pages 167-184

Abstract

Our article acknowledges technologies and enterprise solutions as common tools for knowledge management deployed to help foster collaboration. Though the tools are made widely available by forward-thinking executives, and though there is a torrent of knowledge management thought as evidenced in the sample literature, knowledge workers continue to have difficulties transitioning to acting out the commonly accepted philosophy of sharing knowledge. The focus of our comments is a review to highlight some of the primary technical and behavior barriers hindering the use of collaborative technology. In this article a combination of content analysis and professional observation were used to provide practical insight concerning how enterprises, small and large can address the challenges of information silos, with or without technical KM or Web 2.0 solutions.

Analyses With A Purpose, J~venue is a Start Up that Seeks to Offer an Innovative Way for Publicizing Your Business [SM]

The newly launched Jvenu.com was developed with the intent to help a large number of information professionals share knowledge, discover new resources, learn about products, services, and so much more. With a focus on online search tools, social media/networking, and new technology, J~venue publishes analyses about services and technology having an impact on the information market.

Read More:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/9/prweb8768844.htm.

Finding construction codes and standards is easy with this online tool [R]

There is no question that the digitization of reference material has truly revolutionized the way people search for information. The AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) industry is no exception, and when you consider that most information has predominately been in print for years, the conversion of that content to an online format is no small achievement.

In an industry where knowledge of this reference information is not only necessary for professionals to do their jobs but also essential for the safety of a building’s inhabitants, the ability to research accurately and efficiently through large sets of reference information benefits everyone.

 Today, if you do an online search for reference materials for the AEC industry, you can find some sources and websites that supply construction codes online. However, the majority of content is provided in PDF format which has many limitations in usability — mainly the need to download files and search through them one by one. A product that you might want to consider using for finding a collection of construction codes and standards is  MADCAD.com.  This online subscription service provides content from major content providers in one, searchable online database, saving much hassle. I’ve found that Madcad.com is a great online resource.

MADCAD.com features:

• A library of 50K codes and standards from major publishers in one place
• An intuitive interface with easy tab navigation
• Filter and search tools to quickly narrow down results
• Links to referenced sections for fast browsing
• Automatic updates with new errata and visual cues to recognize which sections have been changed

For a quick tour, visit their site at www.madcad.com/tour.

Browse content on the online store at www.madcad.com/store.

Or sign up for a free trial at www.madcad.com/freetrial.

BizSugar: Another small business resource [R]

BizSugar offers entrepreneurs and small businesses a place to save and share their favorite web links, news, and tips. You can browse for free. The site is designed like dotnetshoutout.com, so you only need to register if you want to submit or comment on articles. However, there is a delay when registering which is somewhat confusing when you initially try to login. You can access BizSugar via addthis bookmarks widget.

Here are a few key aspects:

• When you upload a story, you can “tag” it appropriately
• Through tagging, you can build a repository of information
• You can comment and share using other popular social network tools as usual
• Navigate through the site using the top tabs available

StumbleUpon – Serendipitous searching with a purpose [R]

If you have sometime to randomly search your topics of interest, StumbleUpon can have some good use.  In less than a minute I stumbled across a great translator site which I plan to test with large amounts of data.

Yamli Translate http://su.pr/1FmBZ3

Other reasons to use StumbleUpon are:

• discovery or serendipitous searching new services
• browsing new gadgets
• prospecting new business by the product or interest
• connecting with other stumblers

Good article – 3 Guiding Principles to Technology Acceptance [SM]

While looking for an article on the rate of technology acceptance, I stumbled across a post by Brian T Watson, editor of CIO Insight called,  3 Guiding Principles to Technology Acceptance.

• Standardization
• Centralization
• Simplification

These are practical guides to consider when trying to set up new technology and acceptance within your enterprise. The principles are identified by Bob Otto who served as a programmer, security specialist and portfolio manager with the United States Postal Service before becoming CIO and CTO back in January 2001…Remember, people are the authority! We can continue to learn from the knowledge and the experience of others…

Read more

The cloud concept, sharing and storing [R]

By now most people have heard of the cloud concept of storing and sharing their documents in a space they can access through the Internet. This is a paradigm shift away from storing on your hard-drive or jump drive. Services such as Dropbox and box.net are becoming more popular.  These services present enormous value in how you can:

• access documents remotely
• do away with concerns of archiving
• offer ideal solutions for enterprise initiatives which can grow over time

These remote collaborative spaces are particularly good for non profit associations that do not have a physical location or a place to store documents.

The question that end users, researches, and knowledge professionals alike still wrestle with is security.  For Dropbox user, read the “DMCA” policy.  This should ease some of your concerns.  For box.net, read the Privacy Policy. These services are not like Facebook and their intent is to provide you with secure spaces which you can access from remote locations via the Internet. Through a password protected area you can easily upload documents of all formats and collaborate with colleagues as you would through any other enterprise solution.

Taking a poll — Has SharePoint and wikis/portals really changed the way you communicate at work? [SM]

5 common suggestions to monetize social media [SM]

Here are some great suggestions found within Carolyn M. Brown’s article at Inc. magazine:

1. The first step is to use traditional media or word-of-mouth advertising to drive awareness and traffic to your social tool
2. Engage your community, keep the conversation going – schedule the time to post
3. create great content or conversation that will raise awareness
4. Promote your offering
5. Use a variety of social mediums, not just to sell but also for customer retention

Read more here…

Comparing Social Widgets [R]

AddThis, ShareThis, and Shareaholic are all excellent widget services which allow users to share internet sites and services through popular social networks offered on the web today.  It would seem at a glance, Addthis and Sharethis offer are the same. They both offer primary features such as:

• Code for buttons
• Open using light layer within your webpage
• Customization
• An API for more development
• Analytics for statistical review
• Sharing for browser toolbars

However, as I mentioned in an earlier post Addthis authorizes shared connections to over 334 social services, while Sharethis links to 50.  It is important to note that Sharethis seems to concentrate on quality versus quantity, where as Addthis can can potentially open your business up to social services in markets that may not be so well known.

Shareaholic, is a browser tool developed for the Chrome, Firefox, IE, Safari, Opera, etc. It links to over 250 services and growing. The word “growing” is key here because Shareaholic offers an API for more site development and allows you to authorize your own social tool for content sharing.

Introducing Jvenu, LLC [SM]

Jvenu offers:

• Analyses about new technology and social tools having an impact on the information market
• Blog publishing for interested authors and contributors
• Peer review and research publishing for professionals and those writing for tenure
• Workshops about relevant collaborative web applications
• Advertising and consulting

Feel free to visit: www.jvenu.com.

› For strategic planning

› For due diligence and competitive intelligence

› To save time and money

› To understand security
risk of social tools

› To stay ahead of the curve

› To identify white space or improve an innovation

More about QR codes [R]

I read a few articles on this topic. However, this is one of the better ones by Marc Lyne about QR tagging from Search Engine Land.

According Lyne, key uses of the QR coding indicated from the article were:

• Business card
• Websites
• Articles in print and in electronic format, i.e. blog post, advertising, flyers, posters, invites, TV ads

Great for small businesses to quickly promote their services! Here is mine again…

This is a technology that will continue to grow in use. I am sure there will be more on this topic.

RIM warns of operating loss, layoffs to come [R]

RIM warns of operating loss, layoffs to come http://hmark.us/3817278C225

I think this outcome is inevitable. RIM has seen better days. Apple and Andriod are dominating the industry.

Collaboration to Build a Meaningful Connection Between Library Content and the Researcher [NRIN]

New Review of Information Networking

Europeana Libraries is an EU-funded project that brings together the key networks of CENL (Conference of European National Librarians), LIBER (Association of European Research Libraries), CERL (Consortium of European Research Libraries), and the Europeana Foundation.

Together, they are uniting to accomplish the following objectives:

• Build a platform capable of large-scale aggregation of national and research libraries’ collections;

• Feed this newly-aggregated content into a new website, specifically aimed at meeting the needs of digital humanities researchers, as well as to Europeana;

• Improve metadata quality, to address the need for better search results in both Europeana and the new portal;

• Offer digital collections where the text will be ready to be made fully searchable, making it possible to search inside books and other materials; and

• Develop an exploitation plan to prepare the service for its extension, initially to other libraries within the membership of LIBER, CERL, and CENL, as well as beyond the consortium partners

Susan  K. Reilly, Marian Lefferts & Martin Moyle
pages 34-42
Available online: 10 May 2012

Click here to preview.

Business Librarians and Entrepreneurship: Innovation Trends and Characteristics [NRIN]

New Review of Information Networking

This exploratory study combines quantitative and qualitative data on the innovative characteristics of business librarians and the organizational culture of their libraries. Because of the perceived connection between innovation and entrepreneurship, we surveyed business librarians from ten United States universities with top entrepreneurship programs. To gauge the innovative characteristics of organizational culture, we conducted interviews with managers from some of those libraries….

Read more

Elisabeth Leonard & Betsy Clementson
pages 1-21
Available online: 10 May 2012

Speaking engagement: NCCU SLIS 2012 Spring Colloquium [SM]

Come join me at North Carolina Central University, School of Library and Information Sciences 2012 Spring Colloquium on Friday, April 27, 2012 at 9am to 3pm

I will be one of several guest panelist talking about social media and other topics.

The event will take place at:
301 Whiting Criminal Justice Building

The keynote speaker will be:
Rebecca Renard
ALA 2011 Mover and Shaker National Award Recipient

Hosted by: IMLS Diversity Scholarship Recipients 2011-2012

Apple’s ‘iPad’ is the only tablet people know [SM]

Apple’s ‘iPad’ is the only tablet people know http://hmark.us/3703464C225

This is really an interesting article. I was recently gifted with a Nook. I must say the Nook is very nice. No, it is not an iPad, but it can compete very well since it is no longer fundamental an e-reader.

So far, from what I can tell, I am missing my Netfllix, Time Warner Cable, CNN, and ESPN apps among few others. However, the Nook’s Pocket Express app is sufficient for replacing news, sports and some entertainment aspects of content. Essentially, for consumption and minor document creation needs, the Nook (like the Kindle Fire I am sure) is comparable.

As an example of “life imitating art” and the productivity of the Nook, I created this blog post using a WordPress Nook app that is integrated with Pocket Express.

New css features added [R]

Good post…

WordPress.com News

Heads up, Custom Design users! The Custom CSS feature on WordPress.com now supports all of the new features of CSS3. This means that you can use gradients, animation, multiple backgrounds, @media queries, and manymorenewfeatures in your custom CSS.

If you want to make your images pop and tilt, give your post titles a polished letterpress embossed look, or add high-dpi graphics for retina displays—you can do that. If you’ve just got to have a Machu Picchu color palette complete with linear gradients to show off your lovely llama, you can do that too. CSS3 opens the doors to all the latest cutting edge things going on in the web design world today. If you can dream it, you can do it.^TM

The CSS editor itself has been upgraded too! Now that we’re using Ace, it’s just like having a desktop…

View original post 67 more words

Legitimately getting paid for post [SM]

Have you seen the video, How to Make Money from Social Media ?
A few good resources Lili Gil mentions:

• Affiliate Marketing
• Google adsense (blogger – “Monetize” feature)
• Paid per post
• Direct advertising

Social Search for Market Intelligence [SM]

In the Information Today’s, Online magazine, the article  “Social Search for Market Intelligence”,  by Kathryne Hawthorne and myself, we discuss the deficiencies of exploratory searching on the web.  We talk about the latest trends of personalization and shared authentication between social network sites. Essentially, we infer there is still a need for better ways to capture social opinions that make it easier to connect people, thoughts, and products.

http://www.infotoday.com/online/mar12/index.shtml

In regards to information professionals, we also reviewed some of the nontraditional opportunities of employment that are being made available through social media.  Some key points:

• There are new ways to leverage social media which adds another dimension to research capabilities, thus you can increase the value of their positions within organizations
• Information professionals can help tell enterprises on how to effectively carry out or improve their social media presence through engaging with the community their organization serve(s)