Multimedia Sharing Sites

According to Wikipedia, social media "is online content created by people using highly accessible and scalable publishing technologies. Social media is a shift in how people discover, read and share news, information and content; it's a fusion of sociology and technology, transforming monologues (one to many) into dialogues (many to many) and is the democratization of information."


In a list of "10 Ways Universities Share Information Using Social Media," one of the ways mentioned is showcasing student and faculty work. This could easily be applied to a school setting (elementary, junior high, high school). The example posted on the site is that of two biology students rapping about regulating genes. This not only offers students the chance to apply what they know, but it also makes the learning fun, especially the fact that it can be shared easily with others (and will likely help the others in remembering the important information for exams).

Multimedia sharing sites could also easily be added to the library. Staff, patrons, and volunteers could create various multimedia files (eg. a video tour of the library, a song written by some children about their favorite books, etc) could all contribute to the file sharing site. It would be interesting to see the library set up its own file sharing site so that everyone could access the multimedia directly from the library's official website.

There is actually a helpful tutorial I found at Internet Tutorials that discusses the video, audio, and widgets that come along with multimedia on the Internet. Also discussed are the different multimedia types.

In terms of using multimedia sharing sites in schools, it is important that students acess sites that are appropriate for them. I found School WAX TV in my search for an appropriate site. This site offers resources to teachers, parents, and students as homework help or simply to enrich lessons. The website also claims that it can be used to research reports.

According to a Library Studies student enrolled in a Web 2.0 course, the two obstacles facing social media sharing in libraries are copyright and privacy. Because one cannot simply use images, media, or information without permission, this student suggests that librarians create their own media to use on a library website. This provides a way around using copyrighted materials. As for privacy, there is not much that one can do except be sure to get permission from anyone who may be starring in any social media or just avoid including anyone in the social media.

It seems to me that this sort of defeats the purpose of multimedia sharing sites. The librarians can create their own multimedia and offer it to the public but they can't in return use what others have created? I definitely agree that credit must be given when using other people's works, but doesn't sharing work both ways?

"Multimedia on the Internet." Internet Tutorials. 9 July 2009 http://www.internettutorials.net/multimedia.asp

Lavrusik, Vadim. "10 Ways Universities Share Information Using Social Media." Mashable: The Social Media Guide. 15 July 2009. 22 July 2009 http://mashable.com/2009/07/15/social-media-public-affairs/



"Obstacles to Media Sharing in Libraries." Library 246-11. 18 July 2009. 25 July 2009
http://inforshaerpas.com/libr256-11/node/1103

"Social media." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 21 July 2009 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media

Wiki Wiki World

A wiki is a "website in which the content can be created and edited by a community of users" (Courtney, p. 25). The most popular wiki on the Web is Wikipedia. There is a lot of controversy involving Wikipedia and using it as a source of information in an academic context. Will Richardson discusses the importance of teaching students how to use Wikipedia appropriately for this reason (p. 57).


Although there is some controversy in using Wikipedia in an academic setting, there are many ways that libraries and schools can use wikis. In libraries, wikis can be used for internal communication (Courtney, p. 26-27), to encourage collaboration within the community (Courtney, p. 27-28), or as a research guide (Courtney, p.28). Educause Learning Initiative states that "Educators and students, as well as amateurs and professionals (artists, writers, collectors), have found wikis useful in expanding community involvement and interest in their subjects and activities."


There are so many wiki websites out there, it is difficult to know where to start. I came across a website (WikiMatrix) where you can actually select certain wiki sites and compare them. It reveals information on data storage, text files, and security.


I set up a wiki at Zoho. The actual signing up process was simple. The actual creation of the wiki, however, was not as easy. I tried to navigate through the various menu items on the wiki after I had written some text on my wiki's home page, but the screen often froze and would not follow through to where it should have ended up. Then I attempted to edit my post, but it would not allow me to access my previous posts. I added a widget that I found that I didn't like, but once I had added it, I could not figure out how to remove it. It seems strange that I couldn't get rid of it. The best part of this wiki site was the choices for backgrounds and interfaces. As for the functionality of it, I would prefer to not use it. It is not very intuitive and I don't think that many people would spend the time reading through the "how-tos" of posting on the site. There are more user-friendly wikis out there, such as PBWorks (formerly known as PBWiki). I used it for another course two years ago (but my account has now been deleted).

I know that people, especially those in university, have used wikis to complete group projects. It allows group members to actively work on the project without having to meet up all at once, or have certain people assigned to particular aspects of the project. This is especially beneficial for those who live out of town, have kids, and /or have jobs.

In fact, in LIS 506, we actually had to create a wiki on a specific technology used in libraries. We had to create main pages, stubs, links, and also link to other groups' wikis in the project. We were able to make use of the discussion feature as well, which is a large part of "wiki-ing" because it lets others kow what is going on and ensures that two people aren't trying to work on the same thing (to save time). It was also helpful to discuss what remained to be done and what needed to be edited or fixed. I know that my group really enjoyed the flexibility of getting the project done. We only met once or twice and that was just to make sure that we were all on the same page. Other than that, we completed the entire project online.

It would be interesting to have students collaborate with students from other schools on a wiki to discuss various curricular topics. In libraries, wikis can be used for the staff, the patrons, and for both parties. Wikis could be used to set up topics of discussion for the staff, to coordinate events, volunteer schedules, and more. Wikis can also be used to address questions and concerns and announce upcoming events.

In order for more people to make use of the wiki, there needs to be more of an awareness of just what is out there. Many people would not be able to name a wiki other than Wikipedia. Although it is great that people have a general idea of what a wiki is, it is unfortunate that they immediately turn to it when there are so many other wiki sites out there. My advice would be to give students,patrons, and staff the chance to explore various wiki sites and see what they like best.

Courtney, Nancy, ed. 2007. Library 2.0 and Beyond: Innovative Technologies and Tomorrow's User. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.


Educause Learning Initiative. "7 Things You Should Know About Wikis." July 2005. 21 July 2009 http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7004.pdf


Richardson, Will. 2009. Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Information is “Virtually” at Your Fingertips

According to Public Works and Government Services Canada, "Virtual libraries are delocalized and universally accessible; instead of having a physical address, they are constructed on Internet sites, and bear evocative names like Alexandrie, Bibliotheca Universalis and Project Gutenberg. Individuals access them via a computer connected to the Internet, navigate from one site to another, and participate in discussion groups, seminars [sic] and conferences organized on these sites. They may also download documents to their own computers for later consultation."


There may be some confusion regarding the difference between virtual libraries and digital libraries. states that a digital library is "a library in which collections are stored in digital formats (as opposed to print, microform, or other media) and accessible by computers. The digital content may be stored locally, or accessed remotely via computer networks. A digital library is a type of information retrieval system." Many people consider virtual libraries to the same as digital libraries, and for the purpose of this blog, they will be considered synonymous.


When the term digital library is used, I immediately think of materials being digitized so that they can be made available online. The term virtual library, however, makes me think of some online virtual library where you are a character online and enter a library online. Virtual reality comes to mind - sort of like the holo-deck of Star Trek.


Probably one of the most commonly known and oldest virtual libraries in Project Gutenberg. It is the "first and largest single collection of free electronic books or eBooks" (About Us, Project Gutenberg). Michael Hart started the project in 1971 when he was provided with $100,000,000of computer time. He realized, a short time after he was placed in the position, that "the greatest value created by computers would not be computing, but would be the storage, retrieval, and searching of what was stored in our libraries."


I found Project Gutenberg quite easy to use. The user is given the option of browsing through the lusts of the top 100 authors and works or searching for a particular work in the online catalogue or through the advanced search feature. There is also a section particularly for audio books. Also available is the option of downloading various ebooks selected by Project Gutenberg for distribution. The aspect of Project Gutenberg that is the least appealing is the user interface. It resembles something that would have been commonly found on webpages in the 1990s. I am surprised that the interface hasn't been updated to match what current webpages look like.

A great virtual library is that of The National Science Digital Library (NSDL). It is geared towards educators and librarians and contains quality resources related to science and math. Various Web 2.0 applications are included within the site, such as blogs and wikis, and there is an opportunity to participate in the library (through recommendations and contributions). The great thing about this resource is that as a teacher, you can go to one place to find a variety of information on a certain science-related topic for yourself and for your students. As a librarian, this digital library is useful because you can recommend the library to anyone so that they may explore and see what they can find, as opposed to being limited to what is in the physical library.

I like the convenience of a virtual library. I like being able to access the information when and where it is good for me. I also like not having to go anywhere to get the information. Although, I must say that I am one of those people who LOVES the physical book, there are a lot of added benefits that come along with virtual library resources. For those who cannot easily get to the library, this offers a comparable alternative. A digital library also allows students to access information from home (provided they have a computer and an Internet connection).

Do you think there is any way to differentiate between virtual libraries and digital libraries, or do you consider them to be one and the same?


"Digital Library." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 1 July 2009. 18 July 2009 http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Digital_library&oldid=299697516



Public Works and Government Services Canada. "Tools for You." 2007. 18 July 2009 http://www.btb.gc.ca/btb.php?lang=eng&cont=699


"About Us." Project Gutenberg. 25 Nov 2006. 18 July 2009 http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Gutenberg:The_History_and_Philosophy_of_Project_Gutenberg_by_Michael_Hart

Radio Killed the Video Star?

Podcasting has been used for a while now, but it is amazing how popular it still is. When you think of all the ways in which it can be utilized, however, there is no question so as to why it is constantly being used in all areas of life (work, school, etc.).

Podcasting basically entails someone uploading an audio file to the Web so that others can access and listen to the file. Nancy Courtney's book actually mentions that podcasting first attracted attention in the library field (p. 35). It is surprising that although the library noticed podcasting first, more libraries are not joining "the podcast bandwagon" (if you will).

Schools have a much harder time with podcasting because of the hardware required to create a podcast. Many schools struggle to budget for regular supplies so there may not be any money left that can be allocated towards computer hardware. When you think about podcasting in schools, you might immediately think of students using it to present projects they have completed. Will Richardson explains that actually publishing thew students' recordings is the key to podcasting (p. 115). Podcasting can be seen as restrictive to those who are deaf or hard of hearing, so if podcasting is being done in schools (or in libraries for that matter), it is important to provide a transcript of the podcast episodes so that everyone can access the same information easily (Educause Learning Initiative).

Teachers can also use podcasting to benefit the students: "Podcasting has become an excellent way for students to get lecture materials whenever they need them. This helps for studying course material as well since students can get instant access to lectures whenever they need it" (Onlypodcasting.com). If a student is ill and can't make it to school, he or she can still access the lessons that they missed - and there will be no more excuses about losing the notes!

According to Educause Learning Initiative, "podcasting allows education to become more portable than ever before." Students can take lectures, interviews, and presentations anywhere they go and they can listen to the podcasts as they are completing other tasks.

I have done some podcasting before (although I do not enjoy listening to the sound of my voice). I like that it's a format different from the usual ones (like paper and Powerpoint). I think this is why student are drawn towards it as well. It makes learning fun for them and the students tend to become more passionate about what they are presenting.

I created a podcast last year for LIS 506 on a digital library. I remember that the actual recording of the file was not very complicated. Sometimes I had to go back and edit what I had said, but overall, it did not cause many problems. I have learned that it is best not to read from a script when creating podcasts, but I think it is difficult not to. When people throw a lot of "ah"s, "um"s, and "like"s into their speech, it drives me crazy. I tend to lose focus and then I can't follow what the speaker is saying. think tat kids would find it difficult to NOT follow some sort of script. Podcasting is a new technology for a lot of them, so most of them would probably be a bit nervous about using it the first few times.

In order to get younger children involved, they could pair up with older students and the older students could take care of the more technological steps required to create a podcast. Although, I always forget just how technologically savvy young children are, so they could surprise me and do it all on their own.

A video on TeacherTube explains how you can use podcasting in education. It guides you through, step-by-step, how to get started.It is a great resource for beginners. There are a ton of great resources available on podcasting for educators - so there is no excuse that you don't know how.

An examples of how podcasting is being used in libraries is that of the Cheshire Public Library in Connecticut. They have a podcast series directed at teens by teens (Sarah Long). Long discusses librarian and author Linda Barnes' opinion on podcasting, saying that podcasting can be used to create a community.

What innovative ways can you think of for libraries (and schools) to introduce podcasting to their users? Do you think it would be too complicated to have younger children involved in podcasting activities? What kinds of tasks could you assign to that young children have a voice too?

Courtney, Nancy, ed. 2007. Library 2.0 and Beyond: Innovative Technology and Tomorrow's User. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

"7 Things You Should Know About Podcasting." Educause Learning Initiative. June 2005. 18 July 2009 http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7003.pdf

Long, Sarah. "Podcasting Helps Bring Information to You." Library Beat. 21 April 2008. 18 July 2009 http://www.librarybeat.org/read/show/356

"Podcasting Changes Classrooms." Onlypodcasting.com: Learning to Podcast. 2009. 18 July 2009 http://www.onlypodcasting.com/podcasting-news/podcasting-classroom.php

Richardson, Will. 2009. Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

I Can't Find That Really Great Website I Found Yesterday...

How many times have you been reading a book and had to put it down suddenly and you don't have a bookmark handy? Essentially, social bookmarking acts as a "bookmark" for the websites that you want to remember only it marks it online. Although many people use the "Favorites" button within their web browser, social bookmarking allows you to access your bookmarked sites even when you are using a different computer. This is not only convenient, but it also eliminates worries about losing your bookmarks if something even happened to your computer (ie. virus, stolen, etc.).

I have not ever used social bookmarking myself, however, I do see the benefits of using it - especially in the classroom or in the library. It is a wonderful thing to share great resources with others and by doing that through social bookmarking, you are sharing them with more than just the people you interact with on a day-to-day basis. You are able to share your "favorites" with people all over the world who have the same interests.

Although social bookmarking can be useful, there are many issues attached to it that impact it's effectiveness. One of these issues is the fact that people may try to sabotage the system by creating meaningless tags for particular websites. Liz Lawley mentions in one of her blog posts, "Social Consequences of Social Tagging," that one of the people who had previously commented on a blog post said, "It's certain that some people will try to game the system, deliberately tagging their photos to misdirect people, make a political statement, or otherwise promote their own interests." This was proved to be true when I typed "social bookmarking sites" into Google and a couple of YouTube videos came up as results. I watched one of the results and it and all the other related videos had to do with marketing a business online through social bookmarking and social networking together. These businesses will tag anything just to make money, which is a scary thought.

On the other hand, social bookmarking in this way can be perceived as positive for libraries. If a business can use social bookmarking to make money and promote their goods and/or services, just imagine how libraries could be promoting themselves! Not only could individual librarians tag the websites that they are interested in, but they could also use this opportunity to tag events or programs or books that related directly to the library.

In a classroom context, it would be great to set up a class account on one of the social bookmarking websites and have students access the account through a username and password that is the same for everyone in the class. Then they could easily access various resources that their teachers have found for research projects or other such things. This could also give students the opportunity to locate reliable research. Students would also need to use critical thinking skills when deciding whether or not certain material should be tagged. This builds their information literacy skills.

Nancy Courtney's book contains a discussion of the many advantages of social bookmarking. Eric Schnell mentions that it is inclusive, it is current, it allows others (and yourself) to discover new things, it has a nonbinary nature, you moderate the tagging yourself, it is free, and it is easy to use (p. 94-98). At the same time, he notices the disadvantages: there is no synonym control, precision is lacking, hierarchies are lacking, and there is a strong chance that people will add tags that don't belong to particular items (p.98-99). I must say, though, that the advantages of using social bookmarking seem to outweigh the disadvantages immensely. Will Richardson writes that "the idea that we can now use social networks to tap into the work of others to support our own learning is an important concept to understand...[it is] changing the way we work and learn" (p.98). There will always be disadvantages to technologies, but that is no reason to avoid using them.

I signed up for Twine, a social bookmarking service that I had never heard of. It was so easy and straight forward to join and to set everything up. The website even has suggestions of groups you might like to join based on what you record as your interests. The account actually reminds me a bit of Facebook or Twitter in that you can upload a photo, you have a profile, and you have an inbox. There is a link provided so that you may "tweet" the items you find. Although, I attempted to "tweet" one of the items I added to my collection, but it would not go through because it said that I had too many characters. I am not sure how you could "tweet" anything now because a lot of websites have more than 150 characters. I also noticed that the name on my profile says "Ashley Foster." I'm not sure how that happened because when I chose a username, I chose "AshleyF." It doesn't seem right that the website just assumes a name.

The potential for social networking in libraries and classrooms is definitely there. Again, with all technologies, it is more important that someone learn about it and try to use it first before trying to teach and show others how to use it. I think that social bookmarking could benefit libraries and classrooms in many ways and it would definitely be worth the effort to implement this technology wherever and whenever possible.


Courtney, Nancy, ed. 2007. Library 2.0 and Beyond: Innovative Technologies and Tomorrow's User. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.

Lawley, Liz. Many 2 Many: A Group Weblog on Social Software. "Social Consequences of Social Tagging." 01/20/2005. Retrieved 07/14/2009 http://many.corante.com/archives/2005/01/20/social_consequences_of_social_tagging.php

Richardson, Will. 2009. Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Hey, Mom! I'm on TV!

At this point in time, I have not yet reached celebrity status. I have not only NOT been the star of a video that has been posted on the Web, but I have also not even posted a video of other people on the Web. I am not comfortable with the pseudo-celebrity status that I may gain from the posting of these videos for others to see.



I think that the same concerns apply to videosharing as to photosharing. Appearances made in videos must be given consent and I think that creating a video that is appropriate to the relevant users is also important. This applies to both a library context as well as a school context.



I was never a huge YouTube viewer; however, I recently have begun to use it to listen to music. It has become a convenient medium through which I can select songs that I like and can listen to and watch the videos for as many times as I would like.



I believe that YouTube and other videosharing websites can be quite educational, entertaining, or both, but the fact of the matter is that anyone can post anything and there is virtually nothing that anyone can do about it. Last year, one of my students at Sylvan Learning Centre told a couple of us teachers that her friends had posted a video of her on YouTube. She explained that she was dancing in the video and she told us how to find it. So, silly me, I found the video and I was shocked to find the incredibly quiet student that I knew to be dancing crazily and swearing. It really made me wonder about why she had told us that the video was there - and I also wondered if she was comfortable with having that video be publicly available to anyone.



I can see how videosharing would most definitely provide students with an authentic learning experience. Provided all of the FOIP paperwork is completed, it would be interesting to see how students would use the tool for class projects. It would even be interesting to share these with other students and schools. Will Richardson writes that videosharing with family and friends who live far away or who for some reason cannot make it to s school performance is an effective method for still having them be a part of the project. I think that many students would enjoy using this medium for projects and assignments because it allows them to express themselves and their ideas in unique ways. On an episode of the TLC show Little People Big World, one of the twins created a video reenacting the Battle of Gettysburg. Not only did his classmates enjoy the presentation, but the teacher gave him a good grade. Something like this often helps students to understand a particular concept more clearly.



In terms of using videosharing in the library, I think that it could have a huge impact on making the library more accessible to everyone. For those who cannot visit the library due to mobility issues (and provided they have a stable Internet connection at home), they could use videosharing websites to explore various aspects of the library. When authors granted permission, videos of their visits and readings could be posted to the Web so that no one has to miss out on the program. Videosharing could also be a great way to give tours of the library, especially for young children who have never been there. It can act as an introduction to the space before they actually physically visit.



Of course, along with videosharing come the issues of copyright and ownership. Authors may not agree to have their visits recorded and posted to the Web. And their may be some question as to who owns the video once it is posted. Most people would give the library credit, but then there are the questions regarding who is able to use it and for what purpose. These are not easy questions to answer and I can honestly say that copyright and ownership (as well as privacy) have been the major reasons that I have not posted videos to the Web. I don't want just anyone to come along and use my material for something without getting my permission. And most people don't think anything of taking something from a site like YouTube and using it for their own purposes.



I was looking forward to creating some sort of video and posting it to the blog; however, I do not have access to any sort of videorecording device and thus, had to pass on the opportunity. I did create a short slideshow with Windows Movie Maker, however. I must say that trying to post it to YouTube was quite frustrating. I created an account so that I could upload a video, but after I signed up, it wouldn't let me sign in. I tried asking for the username and password to be emailed to me, but it still didn't work. I have spent the past hour trying to figure out what is going on, but I still can't figure it out. I have completely given up. Instead, I tried to add the video to this blog, but there is some sort of error preventing me from doing so. So far, I haven't had a great experience with videosharing. I'll try to post the video on the blog a bit later...

It's still not working, so although I have a video no one will be able to view it. Sorry.

I tried to upload my video to Facebook, but apparently the format of my video is not currently being uploaded. So I still have no way of posting my video. I will keep trying on Blogger and hopefully, at some point, it will allow it to be posted.

To Photoshare or Not to Photoshare

I have never been very involved in sharing photos. Even after I went to Hawaii last summer, everyone kept asking me when I was going to post the pictures on Facebook. I never did post them...

Part of me doesn't like the idea of sharing photos. I don't mid people looking at them, but I continue to think about the people out there who would take the pictures and use them for their own agenda. Even Facebook's previous terms of agreement had mentioned that they would own anyone's pictures posted to the website (even after that person closed his or her Facebook account). That may have deterred me slightly in posting more pictures there.

I watched the Creative Commons video pertaining to photosharing and the point that they emphasize is that the best thing to do is make your photos public. They also say that the photos are safe, organized and findable once you upload them to the Web. I really like the idea of these three capabilities. I don;t have as much time to scrapbook, especially when I am in school, so it is a great way to keep all of my photos together and not worry about them getting lost or damaged. They also opened my eyes to the idea of choosing privacy settings. I had absolutely NO idea that you could choose who would be able to view your photos. This changed my perspective of posting photos on the Web a little bit.

I decided to try Webshots for the purpose of exploring photosharing websites. I wanted to try something that was not as popular as Flickr. I signed up and uploaded my photos and I have to say that I was not overly impressed. I didn't like the fact that I could only select "public" or "private" as settings. The "private" setting is not clarified so when I encountered this, I assumed that I would be the only one that could see the photos. So I selected "public" (because the Creative Commons video said that's the best), and now I have this nagging feeling that people are going to use my photos. Maybe that's selfish in a way, but I just can't help it. I didn't like the numerous tabs at the top of the screen because I had no idea what to do with them. I thought there were too many.

After some thought, I decided that I had to explore Flickr. The entire chapter of Will Richardson's book, Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, was focused on Flickr and I was quite impressed with the tools described and associated with that particular photosharing website. I signed up easily and in a matter of minutes I was uploading my photos.

I liked the set up of Flickr much more than Webshots. I found it easier to figure out where I should go, and I also liked that there were no ads (at least I didn't notice any). I liked the "plainness" (if you will) of the interface. It guarantees more of a focus on the photos as opposed to everything else on the site. I also liked that there were not nearly as many tabs at the top of the page.

I have been going over in my mind how students could use photosharing in the classroom. My immediate thought was "How do you deal with privacy issues?" Obviously, there will be some students who are not granted permission to put photos of themselves on the Web. This is understandable because of the issues revolving around potential predators. The more I think about it, though, the more I realize just how much students would benefit from using photosharing websites. Students would not necessarily need to post photos of themselves. Why not take photographs as part of a project and then share those photos with other schools and students on the other side of the world?

As I read Will Richardson's Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, I realized that the opportunities endless in regards to incorporating photosharing into the curriculum. I didn't realize that there was a way to integrate Google Earth with the photos posted on Flickr to teach students about geography (p. 101). And I thought that it was a great idea to use the photos in slideshows and to put together "pseudo-field trips."

I can definitely see the benefits of using photosharing in the library. It is a great way to promote the library as well as promote special events. It's even useful for those who can't make it to the event - they can look at the pictures to see how it went. In fact, when I was the Summer Programmer at the Stony Plain Library in 2007, there were some photos of our Harry Potter Day (to celebrate the release of the final book in the series) and an author visit were posted on Flickr. The author even thought that this was great because it gave him some publicity as well.

Although there are many benefits to using photosharing in a school or a library environment, I think a part of me still fears the obvious - people stealing what is not theirs and people being photographed without permission. I am willing to explore the idea further, however, because I do see the possibilities that extend from using photosharing programs.

I found a list of popular photosharing websites with a one sentence description of each by Fotohacker. I really thought the list was useful - it provided a bit of information about each program. Although one may like to research each of these more, it definitely gives a beginner a place to start (especially because links to each of the photosharing websites are provided). Arnold Zafra also focuses on a few popular photosharing websites and he describes the pros and cons of each in more depth. While some of these overlapped, there were a couple of new wesbsites mentioned. For example, Picasa Web Albums. Zafra actually mentions that Picasa works well with Blogger, but it is not a vary popular Google program. I had never before heard of Picasa, which goes along with what Zafra was saying about the lack of attention it has been given.

By far the most important thing to do when considering implementing photosharing websites into the library is to explore in order to see what is available. The photosharing programs would be more likely utilized if the librarian is comfortable using it and if the program supports the purposes and the goals of the library. I discovered the differences between Flickr and Webshots and those are only a couple of the possibilities that are actually out there. By looking at what type of program would best suit the library, the librarian is able to use the photosharing program more effectively, thus giving the users the most meaningful experiences with the program.

Here I Am!

Well, here I am! This is my first blog post for EDES 501.

My name is Ashley Fitt and I am in the middle of completing an MLIS degree at the University of Alberta.

I chose to set up my blog in Blogger because I have used it before in another course that I took while I was completing my Bachelor of Education degree. I found this tool to be quite easy to use and I thought that since I would be looking at a variety of new web tools, it might be a good idea for me to use something I am quite comfortable with for the duration of this course. It will allow me to instead take the time to concentrate on the selected web technologies rather than fight with a blogging tool I am not familiar with. (I also like the fact that I do not have to pay for the space or the domain name for the blog. As a student, it is not exactly feasible to pay for these things.)

I also found a blog called Problogger that has a lot of information about blogs for those who are just starting out in the blogging environment. There are tips, pros, and cons listed regarding various blogging tools, as well as examples of hosted blog sites for those who have absolutely no idea where to start. At the bottom of the blog post, there are numerous other resources provided where "newbies" can go to find out more about blogs.

I think that with a plethora of information on blogging available online, there is no reason for someone to NOT be able to start a blog. I think that the major reasons for people not having a blog is because they either don't want to or they don't have access to the Internet.

I have never had my own personal blog because I don't think I have ever considered my life exciting enough. I don't think I even know of enough people who would read the posts to be honest. I have friends who have been teaching over in Japan and it makes sense to me that they have blogs. They have immersed themselves in a new world and it's great that they want to share that with their family and friends.

Who knows? Maybe after this course I'll think that I have more to blog about...