Guides to Reading - Is it more than recommending reading?

Social Networks

2008-12-27T16:29:00.000-08:00

Social Networks - what a great way to communicate and stay in touch with people with like interests and backgrounds - whether person or professional.
Old school friends, or existing and ex colleagues - a contact network can be created.
It is an easy was to keep in touch and keep people informed, whether if be an new activity, and change (whether personal or in a service area), to advise and inform. Social Networks also have the benefit of people choosing to be a contact or not.
Libraries can set up a social network of all existing and past colleagues for easy communication on reunions and get together's, changes, and departures.
Libraries could also set up social networks of participants who regularly attend specific activities to keep them informed, as one example.

Online applications and tools

2008-12-27T16:20:00.000-08:00

Online applications and tools such as Google docs and Zoho have the potential to expand the capability of staff and online users to manipulate documents and make them more accessible by a wider audience. As a current website developer I have had access to additional software that has allowed me to convert documents for more universal access across the web. With Zoho, more staff will now have this same capability without the necessary software being made available to them by their organisation.
Google docs has potential unlimited use, but will improve communication, feedback, interaction with, and contributions from a much wider audience, especially regional library and community users, in the discussion, development, and creation of many documents requiring wider input.
For meetings where not all participants can attend, this is one means of ensuring their input is included. Where contributions are sought from colleagues with similar interests or job responsibilities, input can be requested without everyone needing to meet and discuss. These are only a few of the potential uses.

Mushups - possible library use

2008-12-15T23:33:00.000-08:00

Mushups can have a use in the library - location maps (street and aerial) on the location of the libraries with images and information about opening hours, and directions to. Mushups could be used to show images of library development over time, or the building of a new library - including images, video footage, verbal commentary, with maps on new or existing location . . . Like other Library 2.0 technologies, for use of a better word, mushups use is limited only by the imagination of the user and the available technology / equipment.
Mashups take may and varied forms, they can be simple or extensive in their content, the example below is from BigHugeLabs where an image has been altered into a jigsaw.

Answer boards and social searching - Libraries definitely can play a role

2008-12-10T20:14:00.000-08:00

Librarians as information specialists are in the most advantageous position to provide concise and accurate answers to questions posted on answers boards, while at the same time raising the profile of librarians and the library profession to the public, and most especially the internet user. There is a role for any library in “slamming the boards” for this very reason. It can also be used as a professional development activity for staff, and provide the public with an insight into the value of their local public library, its staff, and the collection - but only if we participate and make it obvious that the answers provided are from librarians!

Podcasts and Audio - many applications

2008-12-10T20:02:00.000-08:00

Podcasts and Audio can have many applications in the library, the use is only limited by the imagination of the library staff, and the capabilities of the technology available to you.
Podcasts and audio can be used to video and record author talks, seminars, guest speakers, local and area history information, as well as instructional videos for training both the staff and the public. Podcasts and audio can be used for instructional videos on the use of the library and the catalogue, or simply videos introducing your library service.
For reading and guides to reading, Podcasts and audio of author talks, the reading of children's books, or instructional videos are all possible applications.

LibraryThing

2008-11-09T21:25:00.000-08:00

LibraryThing is an interesting tool for creating and editing booklists, keeping lists of reading material, seeing what other people are reading and how they have rated these books. Once you log in it is relatively simple to use, plus the review, those an expression of individual view points and not professional reviews, provide and intersting insight into books before you choose to read them. There is an extensive range of tags available and in use, proding you with a wide range of options for creating reaing lists. A LibraryThing Widget can be added into blogs.

Videos online

2008-10-30T00:14:00.000-07:00

There is such an enormous volume of unsolicited videos available online covering such a wide variety of subjects, that locating a video useful and specific for you Blog can be extremely time consuming. However, once that elusive video has been located, you will possibly find links to related videos that in themselves may also be useful. However, search techniques will influence your results, but have time is that all essential factor. After quite some time search, I located the following video, which when I viewed accessed other equally relevant clips.

A Love of Reading

Reading Guide wikis

2008-09-24T01:29:00.000-07:00

There are numerous wiki's already setup, both Australian and international, created and updated by librarians and people with an interest in reading. Wiki's have definitely provided an easier way to share information with anyone who is interested in that subject, at the one time, but like any website / blog / or online resource - the accuracy and reliability of the content is determined by the contributor, whom in some cases can not be easily identified.
Regardless, as a tool for sharing information, whether with a small group, inhouse, or universally, wiki's allow this flexibility and enable multiple people to contribute.

A few wiki's to look at that focus on books and reading:
Nancy Pearl Book Lust Wiki
Question Point Find a Book

Lexile Framework for Reading

2008-09-15T17:05:00.000-07:00

The U.S. uses a system for grading or measuring reading known as the "Lexile Framework for Reading".
The "Lexile Framework for Reading" is a scientific approach to reading and text measurement. There are two Lexile measures: the Lexile reader measure and the Lexile text measure. A Lexile reader measure represents a person’s reading ability on the Lexile scale. A Lexile text measure represents a text’s difficulty level on the Lexile scale. When used together, they can help a reader choose a book or other reading material that is at an appropriate difficulty level. The Lexile reader measure can also be used to monitor a reader’s growth in reading ability over time. More . . . http://www.lexile.com/

An EBSCO database - 'Novel List' allows the user to select books by genre, author, or subject and narrow the search down to Lexile Reading level.

In Australia, publisher Scholastic Books also provides a selection of books by Lexile reading level as a guide for beginner readers.

The New South Wales English School Syllabus for K-12 provides guides for early reading development, based on Early Reading Stages. Is there an Australian equivalent database that provides a guide to reading material that 'matches' these reading stages, or is the "Premiers Reading Challenge" the only resource listing suitable material, currently available?

Usefulness of non-fiction booklists

2008-03-18T00:21:00.000-07:00

I have created numerous non-fiction booklists over the years, but with deletions and additions to the collection, new technology and the availability of many resources online, non-fiction booklists are more oftern than not out-of-date soon after they are printed. So, do they really serve a purpose, or are there better and more useful alternatives for providing access to the full range of resources on a particular subject, other than the Library OPAC.