23 Things Cambridge

Cam23 2.0, 2011

2011-06-21T16:33:00.001+01:00

This is/was the blog for 23 Things Cambridge, the 2010 programme. If you are looking for the 2011 version, Cam23 2.0, please click here.

A Photo Finish

2010-09-08T09:57:00.008+01:00

A couple of photos from last Thursday's Grand Closing Ceremony...

'Bloscar' winners:

From L-R: Katie Birkwood, Sarah Fletcher & Helen Murphy
(Lesley Read and Christine Alexander not pictured)

All attendees:

With thanks to Sarah Stamford for the photos.

Congratulations!

2010-09-03T10:41:00.005+01:00

Congratulations to all 61 Cam23 finishers, many of whom picked up their certificates and vouchers last night at the Grand Closing Ceremony. Those finishers unable to attend will receive their certificate and vouchers by post next week. Thanks to everyone who came along last night. Photos will be posted here in due course.

Congrats also to the five winners of 'bloscars' during the Red Carpet blog awards section of the night. They were as follows:

Best Blog: Christine Alexander for 'Miss Crail's Ruminations'

Best Blog Post: Helen Murphy for 'Linkedin and the City'

Peer Support Award: Katie Birkwood ('Girl in the Moon')

Progress Award: Lesley Read ('Tales of 23 Things')

Best Blog Title: Sarah Fletcher for 'A Delve in the Shelves'

Finally another plug for the Cam23 feedback survey which has had few takers so far - please do tell us what you think.

Location of Grand Closing Ceremony

2010-09-02T11:21:00.003+01:00

Bit of confusion about the venue of tonight's Grand Closing Ceremony...

It is in the Watson Gallery beneath the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences. You access the Gallery through the door beneath the steps (pictured left).

See you all there at 5.30pm.

Stop posting

2010-08-31T11:04:00.004+01:00

OK, stop posting (about Cam23 at any rate). Your time is up! Cam23 is officially closed. The project team will now pass among you (well the blogosphere) to work out who has completed the course so we can prep for the Grand Closing Ceremony. Congrats to all finishers!

If you have not yet completed the feedback survey we'd be very grateful if you could please do so now.

You Can Do It!

2010-08-29T11:23:00.006+01:00

For all those people desperately trying to meet the Tuesday 10am deadline, this is just a quick post of encouragement to say in motivational speaker style-y: You Can Do It!

Yes everyone else might be enjoying the glorious Bank Holiday weekend weather (!) and you're sat inside tapping away, but think of the wonderful certificate or the voucher, and if that's not enough for you, consider the feelings of life-affirming marvellousness you'll experience when you cross the finishing line.

See you on Thursday...

Communication meeting - action points

2010-08-26T13:34:00.011+01:00

Thanks to everyone who attended the communication meeting at Selwyn College today and particular thanks to Sarah Stamford for hosting and preparing a draft document on current communication channels (which it is important to stress is not complete) which helped kick-start the meeting. Several people who could not attend in person, followed and contributed to the meeting via the chat-room on the CamTools Cambridge Librarians site. Your voices were heard thanks to Lyn Bailey's efforts on your behalf.

I don't propose to minute the meeting here, but instead relay the main action points that arose from discussion, but first a brief summary:

There was general agreement at the meeting that while Sarah's document confirms that many communication channels exist most of us are confused about what each are for, who can take part in them and where to find this information. The bottom line, as Libby put it, is: "Where do you go for key information in the Cambridge library world?" We were all particularly concerned about new starters in libraries or newly promoted personnel who don't currently receive the information they need. There was also agreement that library assistants often miss out on communication that would prove beneficial to them. There was also discussion about how protected the communication should be - with strong advocates of both password and non-password access. We also discussed: concern about reliance on blog/social media provision of information as these platforms aren't for everyone; the fact that 'bottom-up' intiaitives can be very valuable; issues of ownership and expectation, the value of multi-platform communication, the benefits of informal (and face-to-face contact) versus formal communication, the ongoing role of the Cam23 blog (agreed that it should remain as a reference source), the worth of the current CamTools site, and equality of access.

Action Points:

A digital version of the communication channels document will be made available to all Cambridge library staff via a centrally accessible Libraries@Cambridge page. This will include details of what each channel is for, how to access it, who is responsible for it etc. Action: libraries@cambridge team
Exploration of the possibility of instituting a mechanism whereby new library staff starters recieve a form pointing them to the information they need, or perhaps simply to one relevant URL. Action: Lyn
A new forum for communication could be a plenary session at the annual conference. Those unable to attend the whole event could hopefully attend at least this one session. Action: Ed and conference organisers.
Alternatively there could be an end of June event for ALL staff at which we'd get together to share/discuss developments across Cambridge. Action: This idea was raised as a possibility but no-one was assigned to take this forward at this stage.
The CamTools platform could be utilised more fully, but this is dependent on individual take-up and proactivity. Action: Everyone
Clarification is being sought on qualification for receipt of the LIB-LIST and UL-WARNING mailing lists. Action: libraries@cambridge team
Departmental/faculty librarians are considering meeting on a regular basis as the CCLF do. Action: Libby
The Libraries@Cambridge team want everyone's input on what should go on the Information for Librarians pages that are currently being updated and revised. Please contact the libraries@cambridge team with your ideas and suggestions. Action: Everyone.
A search box will be added to the libraries@cambridge pages to make it easier to find information. Action: libraries@cambridge team

Clearly these actions are just a starting point and they don't preclude other intiaitives from growing up such as special interest groups or the creation of wikis or blogs for specific events or programmes: Cam23 and TeachMeet being excellent examples of what can be achieved.

There is a definite will to improve communication but it requires everyone's input for it to succeed, so please pass on your ideas and support to all those people/bodies listed against the action points above.

Attendees: If I've missed something important, please do add it as a comment to this post.
Non-attendees: Feel free to add your thoughts too!

And now the end is near...

2010-08-25T15:41:00.005+01:00

If you have participated in the Cam23 programme (regardess of whether you have finished it) we would like you to provide your feedback via this Cam23 survey so that we can establish how well the programme has been received. Thank you!

N.B. If you have not already signed up to attend the Grand Closing Ceremony next Thursday then you need to do so before 10am tomorrow morning (26 August). If you miss this deadline please email Kirsty separately.

Communication meeting

2010-08-19T15:01:00.007+01:00

The communication meetin, referred to below, has now been arranged for Thursday 26th August at 11.00am in the Walters Room at Selwyn College.

Although the meeting time has now been fixed, if you've not already signed up for this via the Doodle poll (http://www.doodle.com/9qdtxh2a3h4ia8p3), it would still be useful to know (via that same mechanism) if others plan to attend.

Thank you and apologies to those of you unable to make it. Hopefully the outcome of this meeting will be communicated widely, if it isn't it would rather defeat the object of the event!

Stay of execution

2010-08-19T10:42:00.004+01:00

Here at Cam23 HQ (there isn't actually a HQ but I very much like the idea of one!) the project team have decided that it would make sense to extend the completion deadline to 10am on Tuesday 31st August, so that those who need it can use the long weekend to complete the programme. We hope this helps those trying to catch up. We need to be strict about this end time so that the project team has time to check that everyone has blogged about each Thing before the certificates are created.

If you haven't done so already please sign up for the Closing Ceremony here and vote in the Red Carpet Blog Awards here.

N.B. Our FAQ page on this blog previously gave an incorrect end date of 20 August - apologies if you've been frantically aiming for that! Also I've heard that some of you are working towards a November closing date which I'm afraid is a new one on me. Can you please email me if this applies to you?

[Executioner mage: Roel Cancio]

Communication problems?

2010-08-17T13:06:00.005+01:00

Last week I posted what was intended to be a rather innocent final Cam23 post to my blog, unaware of the strong reaction it would provoke, or the number of comments it would receive (currently 56!). A good dollop of controversy and difference of opinions aside, something potentially beneficial has come out of this blog discussion (and previous discussion over at Aidan's Blurtmetry blog): a shared will to get together for a non-proprietary meeting open to all CU library staff (regardless of rank) to talk about the communication problems and issues that currently cause each of us concern.

The meeting may enable those seen as 'in the know' to share the current avenues and options available, and for everyone to discuss possible ways forward (including evaluation of existing platforms and potential new ones). All anyone need bring to the meeting is an open mind and a willingness to see things from each others perspective. We also need to be realistic that this meeting cannot be a panacea, but simply a means of opening dialogue.

If you want to be a part of the conversation, then provide details of your availability here:
http://www.doodle.com/9qdtxh2a3h4ia8p3
N.B. its unlikely that we'll be able to get a time when everyone is free so we'll have to go for the best match. Can anyone volunteer a meeting room?

Red Carpet Blog Awards - Nominations needed!

2010-08-11T10:23:00.009+01:00

Voting is now open for the prestigious Cam23 'Red Carpet Blog Awards'! Nominations are sought for the:

1. Best blog name.
2. Most entertaining blog post.
3. The blog you've enjoyed reading the most.
4. The Cam23 participant who has provided the most peer support.
5. The Cam23 participant who you feel has 'been on the longest journey' i.e. learnt the most from the programme.

The voting form is available here. Get voting now! All nominations received will be considered by the Cam23 Project Team and the winners will be announced during the Grand Closing Ceremony on Thursday 2nd September. (If you haven't already signed up for the Grand Closing Ceremony, don't delay! The RSVP form is available here.)

We look forward to announcing the winners and celebrating the end of Cam23 in style with you all on the 2nd September!

Thing 23 - The last post

2010-08-09T12:00:00.002+01:00

Welcome to the final Thing!

It's almost time to wrap up 23 Things Cambridge, so now is your chance to reflect on the course.

After completing Thing 23

You will have .... finished! Time to party!

But first ...

We'd like you to check the list of 23 Things and make sure you have blogged about each one, preferably with evaluation of each Thing either for libraries or your personal and professional development.

Now think about the course overall...
Which Things did you find most useful, or thought-provoking?
Which didn't you find useful at all?
Which have you persisted with?
What about Web 2.0 and social media? How do you think they are shaping library services?

Gather your thoughts together make your last post - and in the spirit of Jerry Springer, please use the tag 'final thoughts' ...

Now for a bit of fun creating a word cloud with:

1. Go to Wordle and click on "Create".
2. Paste in the URL of your blog, click submit and watch for the result (this may take a few minutes, especially if you have posted lots). You can restrict the content to a single post if you prefer: just enter the specific URL of that post, rather than the general URL for your blog.
3. You can play with the display using the toolbar at the top until you are happy with it, but don't navigate away from the page or you will lose it. If this happens, just re-submit the copy.
4. When you are happy with your word cloud, simply take a screenshot of it, save it as an image format, and upload it to your blog.

What now?
The 'Grand Closing Ceremony' will take place in the Watson Gallery, below the Sidgwick Museum, on Thursday 2nd September at 5.30pm.

All Cam23ers are welcome regardless of whether you've finished, although there will only be certificates and vouchers for finishers. You will need to register your attendance

The prestigious 'Red Carpet Award' winners will also be announced at this event. These will be chosen by all of you - watch out for the survey later this week.

Congratulations
If you've survived the entire 12-week course - congrats. Only one blog post to go.

Next time

Nope...

Thing 22 - Wikis

2010-08-09T08:30:00.008+01:00

Welcome to Week 12 and Thing 22!
And so here we are at the penultimate Thing. Fear not if you are behind the game, as you have until 27 August to complete the programme. Plenty of time.

After completing Thing 22
You will have considered the value and applicability of wikis to library services.

What is a wiki?
Until I started researching for this post I had thought that wiki stood for 'What I Know Is...' but apparently it's a Hawaiian word for fast or quick. To use it in a sentence: 'that Hula Girl is really wiki'. The first wiki, the WikiWikiWeb created way back in 1994 was named after Honolulu airport's wiki wiki shuttle bus (opposite). The difference between WikiWikiWeb and other websites of the time was that it was the first one through which you could alter and comment upon someone else's text. Its creator Ward Cunnigham has said that wikis: 'invite all users to edit any page or to create new pages.. and involves the visitor in an ongoing process of creation'. In recent years, retaining this same basic premise, they have became widely adopted as collaborative tools used for information sharing and project work.
For much more on wikis visit Wikipedia, which is of course the most successful and best known wiki of them all. There is neither the time nor the space here to discuss the merits or otherwise of Wikipedia, but there can be no denying that part of its popularity and endurance is due to its wiki functionality.

Which wiki software?
In terms of wiki creation, PBWorks is widely regarded to be the best software currently available, for which basic workspaces are free to librarians. In the weeks leading up to this year's Business Librarians Association conference, the organising team (of which I was a member) used a PBWorks wiki to great advantage (the principle advantage being a vast reduction in email).

What are librarians using wikis for?
Librarians are currently using wikis for a variety of purposes: to produce staff manuals and subject guides, to manage projects, and as Intranets. For a list of library wikis and uses visit the Library Success Wiki. It's also well worth a look at LibraryWikis, a wiki all about wikis used in libraries. Another useful resource is Anna Laura Brown's Wikis for Libraries site.

If you're still not convinced about the value of wikis, or still don't understand why they're unique, once again I heartily recommend a video in the 'In Plain English' series:

The following PPT on Slideshare is also a useful resource:

Using wikis in library liaison work: overview & trends

View more presentations from Molly Knapp.

Cambridge Librarians TeachMeet Wiki
A wiki is currently being used to promote an excellent initiaive called TeachMeet which will be held on 27 September. This is an opportunity for librarians to share their experiences of teaching and technology. You can come along to this event to chat, meet new people, or give a seven minute talk, a two minute nano presentation or lead a conversation. Make sure you check out the wiki for more information and, better still, to sign up to present.

Library Routes Wiki
A very worthwhile wiki project which has caught the imagination of many librarians recently is the Library Routes wiki, which is an ever-updating list of librarians who have blogged about how they got into library work and how their careers have developed, providing links to their blog posts. One of the purposes of the project is to give some much needed information and context to new professionals. If you feel so inclined it would be great if some Cam23ers could contribute to this worthwhile project. My own contribution is here.

Completing Thing 22
To complete this Thing, blog about your own experience of wikis in library work. If you don't have any experience yet, blog about a wiki that you have seen and liked, the potential value of wikis, or a specific project for which you might consider employing a wiki.

Next Time
Hold on to the furniture, it's the final Thing..!

Thing 21 - Podcasting and YouTube

2010-08-02T12:00:00.000+01:00

Welcome to Thing 21!

After completing Thing 21
You will know more about podcasting, have viewed some fun library content on YouTube and considered the value of the audio-visual medium to librarians.

What is a podcast?
A podcast is a pre-recorded audio or video broadcast that has been published on the web which can be subscribed to and downloaded via RSS. Podcasts can take the form of interviews, discussions, comedy routines or one-person commentaries. Some are very professional, others less so. As everyone is making them these days they cover all genres and subject areas. If you have a long commute, regularly go to the gym or want something to listen to in your free time then you might want to think about downloading some podcasts.

The Common Craft Show's Plain English video clearly explains in 3 short minutes what podcasting is all about and is far more interesting than the additional paragraphs of text I could have written:

How do I listen to a podcast?
By downloading them to your iPod or MP3 player, or by listening to/viewing them directly on your PC. If you already use Apple's iTunes software go to the Podcasts section of the iTunes Music Store. Alternatively you might want to use a service like Odeo which allows you to play podcasts from their web pages without downloading.

Where else can I find podcasts?
The BBC, The Guardian and The Times all provide popular podcasts. You might also want to try searching some podcast directories, such as Podcast Alley, Podcast Ferret or Get a Podcast.

Library podcasts
Many libraries are now using podcasts to give their users audio tours of their libraries, regular radio show-style updates about new services and developments or as a way of reaching students who missed workshops or lectures. Library associations are also podcasting on the future of libraries and new technologies. Check out the following:

A useful, if US-centric, list of podcasting libraries is available on this Podcasting wiki

YouTube
Although not regarded as podcasting proper (even though podcasts can refer to video as well as audio, and you can subscribe to contributors) it felt wrong not to tie YouTube into this Thing, for a bit of light relief if nothing else. I'm sure I don't need to explain what it is, so instead I'm just going to point you to some of the best library-related videos out there at the moment - all of them funny and worth a look. There's a good chance you will have seen at lot of these before but hopefully some of them are new to you...

My Top 3:
1. Romance of the Living Book

2. Study like a scholar, scholar

3. A Plagiarism Adventure

Highly commended:
Tour the Library
Librarian Lays Down the Law
Goggle Vision
Ninja Librarian
Librarians Do Gaga
The L Team
Social Science Library Tour
The Librarian (music video)
Blogs, Twitter and Library newspages

If I've missed some that you like, why not add them as a comment to this post?

TED videos
Back on a more serious note, if you've not discovered them yet, a quick shout out for the fascinating range of video lectures on the TED website.

To complete Thing 21
Blog about what you thought of the library podcasts you listened to/viewed. Might you start subscribing to podcasts or consider podcasting yourself? Or alternatively have you got an idea for a library video to go on YouTube? What do you think about using the audio-visual medium to reach library users?

Optional extra: Creating your own podcast
One of the best known pieces of free software for recording and editing podcasts is Audacity. Audacity allows you to create some technically impressive audio recordings and you don't need anything more than an in-built PC/laptop microphone. However, if you really get into this podcasting lark you probably want to invest in some equipment. Why not give it a go and if you like the end results register it on iTunes or another podcasting service?

Further Reading
Podcasting in Academic Libraries

Acknowledgements
I crowdsourced some of this material via Twitter. Thanks to everyone who contributed.

Next Time
We'll be wooking at wikis...

Thing 20 - Create a Google Document and share it.

2010-08-02T08:30:00.000+01:00

Welcome to Week 11, Thing 20!

After completing Thing 20...
You will have created an online document and shared it with one or more of your Cam23 colleagues.
What are Google Documents and how are they relevant to libraries?
Google Documents (or Docs for short) is a tool that allows you to share work online. This work can be documents, spreadsheets, presentations and/or drawings, which you can upload from your PC or create from scratch within the tool. The benefits of using Google Docs are outlined in the following YouTube video:

Google Docs can therefore be useful to librarians for:

Collaborative working (e.g. on projects) with colleagues from other libraries.

File storage especially if they work across different sites and/or PCs.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Using the username and password for your Google account (the one you created when you signed up for Blogger) log on to Google Docs. (If you don't have a Google account, instructions on how to sign up for one are here)

2. Click on the 'Create New' button beneath the Google Docs logo and then decide whether you're going to create a document, spreadsheet, presentation or drawing.

3. Depending on your choice, you'll now be in a word-processing, spreadsheet, presentation or drawing area. Enter text or data as appropriate and use the formatting toolbar to format your work. N.B. Detailed support pages are available from Google.

4. When you have finished creating your masterpiece, click on 'File' and then 'Save'.

5. Now share this document/spreadsheet/presentation/drawing with another Cam23 colleague. Click on the 'Share' button in the top right hand corner of the screen and then select 'Sharing settings'. Enter the e-mail address of the person you would like to share this item with in the 'Add people' box and decide whether you're going to allow them to edit or simply view it. This person will then receive an e-mail containing a direct link to the item.

Optional extras

1. Google Docs can also be used to create forms (such as the one you filled in to register your Cam23 blog as part of Thing 3). Try building a form and send it out to your colleagues or students.

2. Take a look at some alternatives to Google Docs such as the Zoho Office Suite

Next time...
You'll be exploring podcasting...

Monday 2nd August: An opportunity to catch up!

2010-07-27T10:00:00.000+01:00

planetschwa on flickr

Need a place away from it all where you can spend an hour or so catching up with some of the Things? Then we have the solution!

Come along to the English Faculty Library on Monday 2nd August between 11.30am and 3pm where you will find:

computers - wifi is available if you want to bring your own lap tops

support from members of the Project Team

refreshments - a simple sandwich lunch will be provided!

For those of you who are up to date, well done! But if you have any queries about any of the Things, then do come along & talk to us.

Thing 19 - Marketing with social media

2010-07-26T12:00:00.003+01:00

Welcome to Thing 19

After completing Thing 19...
You will have considered how social media impacts on how we market our services and identify a social media tool (or tools) that you are going to use for marketing purposes.

What is marketing?
In many ways it's easier to describe what marketing isn't rather than what it is. Putting a logo on a pen is not marketing – it’s simply putting a logo on a pen, at best its advertising and advertising is only 10% of marketing (if that). Marketing is more broadly about how we position ourselves and what we do for our customers, especially how we anticipate and meet their needs. A marketing strategy should be at the very heart of your day-to-day library work and inform what services you offer and how they can best be optimised for delivery. Marketing should lead you to question what messages you are putting out there, how they are being received by customers, and whether you are communicating your library's value effectively. In my experience a lot of libarians offer brilliantly appropriate services or tools for their users, but they just don't wield the megaphone enough in order to get the message out there, so they are not used or appreciated as much as they should be.

From 4 Ps to to 4 Cs
Anyone who has ever studied, or dabbled, in marketing theory will know about 'the marketing mix' the combination of the 4 Ps -product, price, place and promotion - that contribute to successful marketing. Crucially however, social media has now changed the rules and many marketers are now talking about the importance of the 4 Cs as well: content, context, connections and conversations.

Content could include blog posts, podcasts, images or other forms of service expression. Context is all about where the content is to be shared e.g. a blog, Facebook Group, Twitter, Flickr, a wiki, a forum etc. Through sharing content via these contexts you will make Connections with people, including your users, which crucially can lead in turn to Conversations – interaction through social networking sites, blog comments, forums, LinkedIn messages etc. These conversations can also be considered as content as they can lead to the creation of new content and so the cycle continues...

Participation rather than broadcast
The important point is that social media now allows anyone to become a content producer as well as a consumer and, as a result, services and companies that were previously using traditional communication channels now have no choice but to participate rather than just broadcast. As this is the case service providers like ourselves need to have even clearer marketing goals – to know what we are going to say, what we offer, where and for what purpose. The barriers are down and we should see that as an opportunity.

Getting in the eyeline
In many ways social media is a whole other avenue for us to explore and exploit: a chance to get in the eyeline of our library users, and better still to start conversations. How many users do you see with their heads in their phones or permanently on Facebook? If we don’t have a presence there too we’re missing a trick.

Professional conversations
Its also worth mentioning the value of our creation of content that leads to more conversations and networking with other librarians, conversations which can make us more aware and engaged and offer a significant contribution to our approach to marketing our services.

So what's going on out there in Libraryland?
You might want to check out the social media cards being produced in Illinois libraries, the tweeting and facebooking going on in the Orkneys or what the Library of Congress is currently up to...

What do I need to do for Thing 19?
Blog about how you feel about the marketing opportunities that social media now offers and specifically about one tool or strategy you are going to adopt to promote your service as a result of your participation in Cam23.

Find out more
The following presentations on Slideshare on this subject are all worth a look:
- Marketing library services
- Social networking and promotion of library services
- Innovate library web marketing practices

Next time
You will be creating a Google document and sharing it. Laters...

Thing 18 - Zotero

2010-07-26T08:30:00.000+01:00

Welcome to Thing 18 in which you will have a look at Zotero for managing and sharing references.

After completing Thing 18....
You will be able to store and organise all the interesting articles that you have read in the course of 23 Things, and - if really keen and excited about this tool - share them with others. It is of course this sharing aspect that makes it a Web 2.0 tool, but if you know about it and then 'share' the idea with your library users I think it still qualifies!

Information about Zotero
Although very easy to start using there is a lot you can do with Zotero.
Firstly here is the basic info if you're not familiar with it:

It's an extension to the Mozilla Firefox browser. It enables you to capture references from catalogues, Google Scholar, or anywhere where bibliographic information can be recognized. You can archive webpages, store pdfs, images, files etc. It is a good way of managing your resources or references, great for creating bibliographies and easy to cite-while-you-write with word processor plugins. You can set up a Group Library and share resources with others, choosing to make your group open to the public, perhaps to target the student population, or restricting membership and access, for example with a distinct research group.

Oh - and it's free

So, hoping to have hooked you..........

Instructions for using Zotero
1. Installation

Install Firefox for free on your computer if you do not already have it available
Download Zotero - if you have downloaded Zotero before check that you have the latest version (currently 2.0.3 on July 15 2010)
Check your browser - the zotero icon should be installed
For a full description of how to use Zotero look at the video on their homepage

2. Getting stuff into Your Library

If you didn't bother to watch the video then there are two really important things you need to know! Firstly, your Zotero Library is always available in your web browser, normally at the bottom RH corner. Click on the icon to get your Library up. Secondly, when conducting a search, the little folder or icon that appears in the location bar of your browser is a good clue that there is downloadable information on that webpage.
Try a search in JSTOR or Newton or Google Scholar or any of the other sites that are compatable with Zotero
Click on the folder icon in your browser, select the items you want to download and they will pop into your Library
You can edit them, add notes, create new libraries, create a bibliography from them etc. All of the basics are very well covered by the Zotero QUICK START GUIDE which is usually installed in your Zotero Library or which you can easily access on their website. They also have a really useful support page

Zotero and Libraries?
How can we use Zotero in our own libraries? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Find out what Cambridge libraries/librarians have already done

2. Write a web tutorial for your users - or link to others if appropriate
3. Offer practical help for library users on Zotero
4. Recommend it on your website - see COPAC
5. Try using the 'Group Library' facility and gather reading lists information, add notes and other valuable information for your users. For more help on using the Group Library functionality have a look at the Zotero website - an example of a recent group set up below:

6. Any other ideas? Blog about them!

Optional Extras

Don't just leave it at Zotero! You might like to explore Mendeley or Bookends (for Mac users), and it's always useful to know something about Endnote and Endnote Web as both the latter are supported by the University.

Further Reading - for if you are really really keen (or just find the references and stash them in your Zotero Library for later.......)

The first six tools for practical Library 2.0
Superpower your browser with LibX and Zotero Open Source tools for research

Next Time
You will be thinking about how to market your service with social media...

Light at the end of the tunnel?

2010-07-22T16:13:00.010+01:00

This is just a quick heads up to ask you all to put Thursday 2nd September @ 5.30pm in your diaries as its the date and time of the Cam23 'Grand Closing Ceremony' at which 'vouchers will be dispensed and everything'. The Cam23 project team are currently planning a fly past from the Red Arrows, fire-eaters, trapeze artists and special guest appearances from the Princess Royal, Harry Hill, Mary Portas and Mr Tumble (all work committments permitting). Even if the budget doesn't stretch this far, this will be a great opportunity to wrap up Cam23 with drinks, nibbles and speeches (not too many speeches).

The last Things, 22 and 23, are due to be posted on 9th August. Between that date and Friday 27 August you will have a chance to catch up with all the Things. By this date you need to make sure that you have blogged about all 23 Things in order to be eligible for a voucher and completion certificate, which will be presented at this event.

In mid-August we will also be sending out a Cam23 'Red Carpet Blog Awards' survey in which you can vote on your favourite blog, favourite blog post etc. The winners will also be announced at the closing ceremony.

We always knew it was going to be a tough call covering 23 things in 12 weeks but we are almost there now. If you are finding it a struggle then you may want to attend our 2nd August drop-in, which will be less of a surgery and more of an opportunity to catch-up in peaceful surroundings.

Further details of that drop-in and the closing ceremony (including the venue) will be provided in due course.

In the meantime - keep on blogging. You can do it!

Thing 17 - Linkedin

2010-07-19T12:00:00.004+01:00

Welcome to Thing 17...

After completing Thing 17 you will have ...
a grasp of the possibilities offered by LinkedIn for professional development.

What is LinkedIn?
This is another social networking site which works in a similar way to Facebook in that individuals create a profile and form networks by linking with others, however it is largely used by the business community, especially for recruitment, sales and for maintaining contacts lists. It's benefits seem more long-term than immediately obvious, but may become more apparent in the current economic climate. So far librarians have a limited constituency here, but you may find it useful for current awareness and keeping in touch with others in the profession both inside and outside Cambridge.

Step by step instructions

1. View an individual's profile. Go to http://www.linkedin.com/ and by using the Search for someone by name box you can view the basic details of an individual's profile without creating an account yourself. Here are some examples of some profiles to search for:

Colin Higgins (St Catherine's College)
Clare Aitken (Information Specialist at Schlumberger)
Sarah Stamford (Selwyn College/ebooks@cambridge)
Libby Tilley (Faculty Librarian, University of Cambridge)
Andy Priestner (Head Librarian, Judge Business School)

However you won't be able to view the full details, and these include that person's connections and the groups to which they belong, unless you create a profile yourself. Now in case you are exhausted with creating accounts by now I have copied my own profile in here for you to peruse. It comes in two screenshots (click them to enlarge), here's the top bit

and here is the bottom bit:

I've included this screenshot in particular because I think LinkedIn comes into its own with its discussion groups.

2. If you don't already have a LinkedIn profile and would like one, you can set yourself up by following through the sign-up boxes (I guess you know how to do this now) and remember to check your privacy settings.

3. You can search for and send requests to link to people whom you know. You will see you will be asked to indicate how you know that person and, as with Facebook, you will have to wait for your request to be accepted.

4. Meanwhile you can search for groups (click on the Groups tab) with shared interests, why not start by searching for the Cambridge Library Group. Membership/support of groups such as this, CILIP etc are useful additions to your profile. If you are not sure what to look for, take a look at some existing LinkedIn profiles or use the Groups Directory. You'll notice that you will be able to contact people you find in LinkedIn groups without necessarily needing to know their email address.

Under More you can find a reading list option which links to Amazon. Here you can be updated with new publications in a field which interests you, or set up a list of books you have read yourself.

Optional extras

Check newsfeeds from groups
Create your own group
Add your Twitter feed to your LinkedIn profile
Add a recommendation for someone you know to their profile.

Further reading
The Economist ran a special report on A world of connections in Jan 2010 which is available online at their website but requires a free 14-day registration to read.

Also:
http://www.library.ohio.gov/marketing/Newsletters/TheNews/2010/February/LinkedIn
http://chris.pirillo.com/top-reasons-to-use-linkedin/

Now post to your blog ...

Thanks to Colin Higgins and Clare Aitken for their contribution to this post.

Next time...
We'll be exploring Zotero and Mendeley.

Thing 16 - Explore library Facebook pages

2010-07-19T08:30:00.000+01:00

Welcome to Week 9, Thing 16!

After completing Thing 16...
...you will have gained a better idea of some of the possibilities of using Facebook for libraries.

What is Facebook?
Facebook is one of the most popular social network services. With over 300 million profiles worldwide, its users build online communities by connecting with others who share interests and/0r activities ("friends"). It provides a variety of ways for users to interact, such as email, messaging services, status updates, comments, games and quizzes. And because it so widely used it is becoming embedded in our contemporary social, economic and political culture.

It is also used by companies to market their products, using the information which individuals add to their profiles. Libraries can take advantage of these opportunities; for example if your library has a Group Page or Business Page you have another channel for promoting your services to those who sign up to it. You can include your contact information, opening hours, the libraries@cambridge widgets and live messaging to increase readers' engagement with library services and those of other information providers.

Step by step instructions

If you already have a Facebook account or do not wish to set one up, go to Step 5. If you don't have an account you will still be able to complete this Thing but your experience of Facebook will be more limited. You can delete your account later if you wish.

1. Create a Facebook account. Go to http://www.facebook.com/ and enter your email address and password in the Sign up boxes. You also need to enter your gender and date of birth but (and I haven't told you this) it doesn't have to be truthful.

2. Follow the steps through for creating your profile. Bear in mind that minimal information is perfectly acceptable but do check your Account and establish your privacy settings. Personally I restrict everything to friends only and avoid email alerts. Join the Cambridge network in Account Settings, Networks.

3. Click on Profile to see your progress so far, don't worry if it doesn't look very exciting.

4. You will see a box at the top of your account called Search. In this box type 23 Things Cambridge and click on the Group result. You will see our group page here, which you can join. On the lefthand side you will see colleagues who have already joined. You can click on them to view their Facebook profiles and send Friend requests to them if you wish. (Facebook etiquette is that you only send a Friend request to someone whom you have already met or know personally). You can also search for people you know using the Search box.

5. Now take a look at some library pages, using the Search box again. I've listed some Cambridge examples but I am sure you will want to explore on your own. As you go along, see what information has been posted and how many people have signed up for their page.

Cambridge Libraries
Classical Faculty Library
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=124129957620197#%21/pages/ebookscambridge/73310615392
English Faculty Library
Jerwood Library, Trinity Hall
Judge Business School Library Services
The Marshall Library of Economics

Further reading

Libraries and Facebook - an interesting LSE case study
Facebook Group vs Facebook Fan page: what's better?
Marketing your business on Facebook: Group or Page?

Facebook has attracted criticism over its policies on privacy. We've already blogged about this generally, but you may like to take a look at these articles:

Facebook's privacy policy
Managing your privacy on Facebook
Facebook's culture problem may be fatal

Optional extras
If you already have a Facebook profile you might like to add applications (such as COPAC, the lib@cam widget) or set up a Group to reflect a personal interest.

Next time...
In Thing 17 we'll be looking at LinkedIn which is a different sort of social network.

Thing 15 - Create a library or personal LibraryThing account

2010-07-12T12:00:00.003+01:00

Welcome to Thing 15!

After completing Thing 15...
You will have created a LibraryThing account and added some books to your catalogue.

Step-by-step instructions
1. First of all decide whether you're going to create a personal LibraryThing account or one for your Library. (It's probably wise to consult with colleagues also on the Cam23 programme as to who will have the honour of creating your Library account otherwise you may end up with multiple LibraryThing personas!)

2. Go to the LibraryThing website and click on 'Join Now'. Enter the username (member name) and password you want to use and select either 'personal'or 'organization' as the type of account. Although it's optional, LibraryThing advises that you also enter an e-mail address as this makes it easier to retrieve your password if you forget it. (N.B. If you do enter an e-mail address you can edit your profile to hide this from view.) Click on 'Join Now' again.

3. On the next screen you'll see an image of a book cover and you'll be asked to enter some information from the cover to confirm that you're a real person and not a machine - a LibraryThing version of verification codes! Your LibraryThing account will now have been created and you should be on your 'Home' page.

4. Next edit your LibraryThing profile. Under 'About you' you could enter a mini biography, your location and your Twitter ID. You may also want to add a photo (under 'Pictures'), choose to hide your e-mail address and opt not to receive automated e-mails from LibraryThing (under 'Account settings'). All of the fields are optional so you can enter as much or as little information as you wish. N.B. Remember to click on 'Save changes' on each page ('About you', 'Account settings' etc) otherwise you'll lose the information you enter. Once you've finished editing, click on the 'profile' tab to see how it looks.

5. Now we're ready to add some books to your account. Click on the 'Add books' tab (beneath the LibraryThing logo in the top left of the screen). Enter a title, author or ISBN into the 'Search' box and then click on 'Search'. A list of matching books will appear on the right hand-side of the screen. Simply click on the title of the correct book to add it the library you're building. (N.B. If the book doesn't appear in the list, you'll need to enter it manually. Click on the 'Add the book manually' link beneath 'Other ways to add' and enter the information that you have.) Once you've added a few books to your library, click on the 'Your books' tab to see a list of them.

6. We'll now edit the books' information by adding tags (subjects), further bibliographic information, reviews etc. Click on the title of one of the books in your list and then on the 'Edit book' link on the left hand-side of the screen. Add any additional information that you wish to and click on 'Save'. Repeat for the other books in your library as appropriate.

7. Blog about LibraryThing! What are your thought on LibraryThing? Do you think it could be used in your library? Do you know any other libraries already using LibraryThing?

Further reading
A short introduction to LibraryThing
LibraryThing for Libraries

Optional extras
1) Set up collections within your LibraryThing catalogue to organise your books. There are six pre-defined collections (including 'Your Library', 'Wishlist' and 'Currently Reading') but you can also create a number of customised collections e.g. for a particular subject or author. You can create a collection from the 'Your books' page. Click on the arrow to the right of 'All Collections' and select 'Edit Collections' from the drop-down menu. In the 'Collection Manager' box, click on 'Add Collection' and give it a name. Click on 'Save'. To move books into the collection, click on the folder icon and select the relevant collection.

2) Create a LibraryThing blog widget and embed it in your blog.

3) Explore LibraryThing alternatives Shelfari and Goodreads.

Next time...
In Thing 16 you'll be exploring how Facebook can be used in libraries.

Thing 14 - Explore LibraryThing

2010-07-12T08:30:00.002+01:00

Welcome to Week 8, Thing 14!

After completing Thing 14...
You will have explored LibraryThing and understand how it can be used by libraries.

What is LibraryThing?
LibraryThing is an online resource, which allows users (libraries and/or individuals) to easily catalogue book collections, add reviews and interact with other users who have the same books and interests. LibraryThing was launched in August 2005 and currently has over a million users and over 49 million catalogued books. The resource is free to use for the first 200 books and then a small charge ($10 per year or £25 for life) is required.

How does it work?
You can add a book to your LibraryThing catalogue by entering the title, author or ISBN. LibraryThing then searches a number of online sources (including Library of Congress, 690 library catalogues and Amazon) and retrieves the book's data. This data can then be edited e.g. if you want to add your library's shelfmark number.

How can libraries use LibraryThing?

Small libraries can use LibraryThing to catalogue their collections removing the need to invest in a more expensive piece of cataloguing software.

Libraries can create a LibraryThing widget to display new or featured books on their website.

Libraries can integrate LibraryThing data (tags, recommendations, reviews etc) into their existing catalogues. (A list of libraries that have already integrated data is available here.)

Step-by-step instructions
1. Read Social networking for bookworms and LibraryThing and the library catalog: adding collective intelligence to the OPAC.

2. Look at the following examples of libraries using LibraryThing:
Central Science Library (Cambridge)
Nuffield College Library (Oxford)

Optional extras
1. Check out Thing-ology blog and The LibraryThing Blog.

2. Browse the Librarians' LibraryThing forum.

Next time...
You'll be registering for a LibraryThing account (either for your library or for yourself), adding books to your catalogue and editing data/tags as appropriate.

Thing 13 - Reflection

2010-07-05T08:30:00.001+01:00

Welcome to Week 7 and Thing 13

Reflection week...

Well done for getting this far!

We're half way through 23 Things and it's time to stop and reflect on how it's all going. Reflection is very useful in helping you to take stock and, if neccesary, make some changes to what you are doing or how you are tackling something. It's important to evaluate what you've learnt and reflect on the individual component parts of the course and the course as a whole.

From: islampoetry.wordpress.com

What you need to do

Take some time this week to look through all your blog posts so far and think about all the exploration you have done and the new things you may have learnt. Write a reflective post on this. There are some questions below to ask yourself that may help you to do this.

Questions to ask yourself when writing reflectively

1. And so what?
2. How have your skills/knowledge improved?
3. Have the 'Things' covered everything that you need to know, or think it relevant to know?
4. Have the activities suited your learning style? (If you're not sure what your learning style is you can complete a very short VARK questionnaire which gives an indication of your learning style. There are lots of other similar questionnaires on the internet)
5. Do you feel more competent and confident?
6. How can you apply this learning?
7. What would you do differently - and what might change about how you approach the next 12 Things?
8. Is there one (or more) Thing that you would be happy to recommend to a colleague? Why?

Further reading/Optional extras

Some reflections from the Oxford 23 Things blogs
To read is to voyage through time
Jane's 23 Things

Other blogs
Is it too late for blogging?
You might like to look at CILIP's 'The Conversation' - and especially the posts on qualifications and chartership. A lot of interesting reflection going on there........

Book to read
Watson, M. (2008) Building your portfolio: The CILIP guide. London: Facet.

Article to read
Sen, B.A. (2010) Reflective writing: a management skill, Library Management, 31 (1-2), pp. 79-93

Next time (next week) you'll be exploring LibraryThing...

Thing 12 - Explore Delicious

2010-06-28T12:00:00.002+01:00

Welcome to Thing 12!

A Wordle cloud of my Delicious tags ( www.wordle.com)

After completing Thing 12 you will have ...
... learned about an easy and convenient way to bookmark interesting websites, tag them, and share them with others.

What is Delicious?
Delicious is one of the most well-known social bookmarking services. It allows you to save interesting websites and organise them with tags. Because the bookmarked sites are saved on the web, they can be accessed them from any computer simply by going to the Delicious website and logging in. (Compare this with saving your bookmarks via the browser menu command, where you can only access them from the computer you saved them on.)

Even without creating an account, however, Delicious can be fun and enlightening to explore ...

What's in it for libraries and librarians?
Save it - Delicious is a great way to keep tabs on websites that your library or your students might find useful, and it's also excellent for seeing what sites others find valuable. Everything on Delicious is there because someone has thought it's worth saving: it can be nice having a human filter for the endless stream of web information!

Sort it: Know how when you save a bookmark in the 'Bookmarks' menu of your browser, you have to choose a folder to put it in? And it can only go into one folder (unless you want hideous duplication)? Irritating, isn't it ... With social bookmarking services you can attach as many tags as you like to each website you save, so that you have as many access points as you want.

When you save a website Delicious will tell you how many other users have saved it already - that's what the numbers on the right of each record above show. You'll also see what tags those other users have chosen, so you can use them or not as you wish - and that's how folksonomies are born.

Share it - you can visit other libraries' pages and see what they're saving. Have a look at some of the following:

The Judge Business School Library and the Casimir Lewy (Philosophy) Library each have a page: check out the way the tags have been 'bundled' on the latter.

Outside Cambridge, Stanford's Green Library has a great page, while MIT's Virtual Reference page is powered by Delicious feeds.

Step-by-step instructions
Simply click through to my bookmarks at http://delicious.com/LibrarianGoddess and start exploring.
Feel free to browse! Delicious offers the option to save links privately, so you won't get to see anything I don't want to share.

Further reading/watching:
Lisa Macmillan, 'Del.icio.us in the library' [SlideShare presentation]
Melissa L. Rethlefsen, 'Tags help make libraries Del.icio.us'

Optional extra:
If you like the look of Delicious, why not create your own account and start saving and tagging? You can even add a bookmarking widget to your blog that will display your recently added links and/or tags.

You can also choose to share bookmarks with specific tags - e.g. I've pulled in everything tagged with 'research skills' to my website.

Next time ...
Next week is reflection week with only one Thing - Thing 13 for which you'll be reflecting on the programme thus far.

Thing 11 - Explore Slideshare

2010-06-28T09:00:00.004+01:00

Welcome to Week 6, Thing 11!

After completing Thing 11...
You will have explored Slideshare and discovered its potential use within libraries. You will also have found some interesting PowerPoint presentations and shared these with other Cam23 participants via your blog.

What is Slideshare and is it relevant to libraries?
Slideshare is a tool you can use to share (publicly with the world or privately with colleagues) PowerPoint presentations, Word documents and PDFs. You can also add audio to your presentations to turn them into screencasts. A lot of librarians and libraries already use Slideshare so it's a great source of ideas, information and existing presentations. You can save time and effort by downloading existing presentations (remembering to cite the original source of course!) or just use it to find some inspiration for your own.

Let's explore Slideshare!
Click on the following links to see some library-related presentations:

Heriot-Watt University Library
OCLC Research
Phil Bradley
Andy Priestner

Take some time to look for other presentations or documents. Use the basic search box or the advanced search screen to search by keyword(s) (e.g. libraries, cambridge, social media). You can also browse by category (e.g. books).

Blog about Thing 11
Questions to consider when writing your blog post include:
* What are your thoughts about the tool?
* What particular benefits to your Library are there from using Slideshare?
* Did you find any interesting presentations that you would like to share?
* Did you find any other users from a Cambridge University or College library?
* Will you use Slideshare in the future?

Tip!
In order to embed a presentation into your blog post you'll need the 'embed HTML' code. If you're using Blogger you can simply copy the code which appears in the top right corner of the screen (highlighted below). If your blog is in WordPress, click on the Wordpress icon (also highlighted) to view the HTML code you need.

Further reading
1. 'Slideshare Quick Tour - Summary of features & capabilities'
2. JISC's Digital Media 'Using Slideshare to share presentations'

Optional extras
1. Sign up for a Slideshare account and upload your own presentations.
2. Explore other free screencasting software e.g. Screentoaster and Jing.

Next time...
In Thing 12, you'll be looking at a social bookmarking service called Delicious.

Drop-in session: Wednesday 30th June, 11-3

2010-06-24T14:34:00.004+01:00

Image from LiminalMike on Flickr

The project team have arranged a second drop-in session for next Wednesday (30th June) between 11am and 3pm. The session will be taking place in Grads Cafe on the top floor of the University Centre.

Please feel free to pop in at any time between 11-3 to ask any questions you have or if you would like a member of the project team to help you with a problem you've come across. Please also call by if you just fancy a coffee and a chat!

We are 100!

2010-06-22T13:56:00.003+01:00

As Cam23 hurtles on like an unstoppable juggernaut we have reached a total of 100 bloggers!

It really is great that so many members of Cambridge library staff are giving this a go regardless of their stance on the value of social media and Web 2.0.

As we near the halfway point some of you may be flagging a bit. Fear not we do have a sort of breather week soon - Thing 13 - when we can sit back and reflect and/or catch up!

We will be announcing a second drop-in surgery soon, set to take place next week, but if you're having trouble before then do lean on your fellow Cam 23'ers. Collaboration and peer support is part and parcel of the social media phenomenon.

Who's been visiting YOUR blog?

2010-06-21T15:57:00.004+01:00

Another awesome contribution from a Cam23 blogger - NPage has written a great step-by-step guide to adding Google Analytics to your blog. You can see who's been visiting, how long they stayed, and how they navigate around your site. Cheers NPage!

Thing 10 - Using images

2010-06-21T12:00:00.000+01:00

Welcome to Thing 10!

Image by See-ming Lee on Flickr

After completing Thing 10 you will have ...
... learned how to download and reuse images for your library presentations, posters and website.

Flickr and Creative Commons licensing
What makes Flickr so useful for libraries is that many images are licensed for reuse under Creative Commons, a licensing scheme designed for the social web. Unlike professional photographers, many Flickr users don’t make a living out of their images and are happy for others to make use of them. Best of all, you don’t even need to sign up for an account to reuse images from Flickr: you can search for Creative Commons-licensed images and download them straight away.

Remember that unless an image is explicitly designated as reusable under Creative Commons or another licensing scheme, you should assume that it is copyrighted and not available for downloading, saving or reproducing.

Step-by-step instructions for Thing 10

1. Follow the search steps outlined in Thing 9 through to the Advanced Search screen.

2. Enter your keywords, then scroll right to the bottom and check the box that says 'Only search within Creative Commons-licensed content':

3. Run your search, find an image you like, and double-check the conditions under which the creator has licensed the work. You can find this under 'Additional Information' on the right-hand side (you'll need to scroll to the bottom of the right-hand menu).

Clicking on 'Some rights reserved' should allow you to see clearly whether and how you are allowed to reuse the image.

4. Right-click on the image and select ‘Save Image As ...’

5. Choose a location and filename for your image and click on Save. Since most creators ask that you attribute their work, a useful practice is to save the image with the creator's name as the filename, then you won't forget it!

6. Blog about Things 9 and 10!

Uses for images ...
... are boundless. Add them to your presentations (as watermarks or corner thumbnails if you prefer them subtle); grab students' attention by using them on posters and flyers; put them on your website, and of course, on your blog ...

What if I don't really 'think visually'?
Use a free photo editor to overlay text onto your images, or go for word art instead: Wordle and Tagxedo allow you to upload strings of text or tags and create tag clouds.

Optional extras:
If you like the look of Flickr, create an account by clicking on 'Sign Up' at the top of the page. NB: you'll need to create a Yahoo account, which is a totally separate login from your Google account.

As a registered user you can upload your own photos, or take the opportunity to contact users whose work is not licensed under CC to request special permission to use an image. (Asking never hurts!)

There are plenty of other image banks available, including FlickrCC, a search engine designed to find only Creative Commons-licensed material on Flickr. Why not explore a few more?

Next time...
In Thing 11, you'll be looking at Slideshare - like Flickr for powerpoints! - and another great source of inspiration for using images.

Thing 9 - Exploring Flickr

2010-06-21T09:00:00.001+01:00

Welcome to Week 5, Thing 9!

Image gallery from FlickrCC

After completing Thing 9 you will have …
... explored Flickr, the world’s biggest image bank.

What is Flickr and how is it relevant to libraries?
Flickr is a photo sharing website that allows registered users to upload their pictures. Some are creative and beautiful works of art; others are, well, less so! But with around 5,000 images per minute being uploaded, through sheer mass of numbers you can find arresting and beautiful images, many of which are free for you to download, save, and reproduce with a creator attribution.

Step-by-step instructions for Thing 9

1. Go to www.flickr.com and, without entering text into the search box, click on ‘Search’:

2. From here you can search for photographers or pictures, or click on ‘Advanced Search’ which offers even more search options.

If you do a 'photos' search Flickr searches the titles of photos and also the tags that have been added to them (see Thing 8 for more on tagging).

Try one or more of the following searches:

keyword 'books' or 'library'
one of your hobbies
a place you want to visit
your library

While you're there, have a look at the photostreams from local photographer Sir Cam, and from Idlethink, who has some lovely pictures of books in Cambridge libraries (don't let the title 'bookporn' put you off: there's no adult content!).

Libraries using Flickr
Many libraries, museums and archives have Flickr accounts through which they publicise aspects of their collections. Plymouth Libraries have been really creative in their use of Flickr to promote library events, while the National Library of Scotland has uploaded lots of images from its collections, many of which can be saved under Creative Commons (more about this in Thing 10). The Library of Congress even uploaded a set of 'mystery pictures' and asked Flickr users to help identify them - with amazing success!

Finally, a question to muse upon: Idlethink's pictures of the UL violated Library Syndicate rules, which forbid photography, but the resulting pictures are beautiful records of the building and its treasures. How would you feel if you came across similar pictures of your library?

Further reading:
Why should librarians care about Flickr? (Librarian in Black)
How to make Flickr work for your library (CollegeDegrees.com)

Optional extra:
Try adding an RSS feed from a photographer or photostream you like to your iGoogle page or Google Reader. Just click on the orange RSS button and choose where you’d like to receive the photostream. You can see how this looks on my iGoogle page:

Next time ...
... you'll be doing more with images and looking at ways in which they can help promote your library service.

23 x 96

2010-06-16T11:33:00.003+01:00

Fame at last! Check out this montage of all 96 Cam23 blogs created by The Passion and the Fury (@EarthLib on Twitter):

A reminder about blogging...

2010-06-16T10:15:00.004+01:00

It's great that so many enthusiastic bloggers have materialised as a result of the Cam23 programme and now that the programme is well underway, the Project Team thought that a gentle reminder about blogging would be appropriate.

As specified in the Frequently Asked Questions, every participant is expected to blog about EACH Thing (although separate posts are not necessarily required - it's fine to blog about more than one Thing in one post). These blog posts should include your evaluation of the Thing and screenshots or images where appropriate. N.B. posts along the lines of "Thing 3 = done" are not entering into the spirit of the programme!

We therefore ask that you look back at your blog posts so far to check:

a) Whether you need to expand on your evaluation so that others can share your knowledge.
b) You've added screenshots or images where necessary.
c) You've included a tag for EACH Thing.

Keep up the good work!

Thing 8 - Tagging

2010-06-14T12:00:00.003+01:00

Image by cambodia4kidsorg from Flickr

Welcome to Thing 8!

After completing Thing 8 you will have...
... had a chance to take a breath (figuratively), look back over the Things you've achieved so far, and learn more about tagging and organising your blog posts.

What is tagging and how is it relevant to libraries?
Tagging is how the social web organises its information. As library staff, we know that retrieving information can be a pretty complex task, and that the more access points a record offers, the more chance there is that a reader will find it. Tags are the access points of Web 2.0: they work in the same way as good ol' Library of Congress Subject Headings. The difference is that they're generated on the fly by users, not imposed by library taxonomies.

Tagging is designed to be both personal - you choose which tags you want to use - and collaborative - others can see the tags you've assigned, and can choose to follow you in using them. Of course this doesn't always happen! One person's "cat" may be another's "feline quadruped" (or even "lolkitteh"): unlike LCSH, there are no right and wrong ways of tagging.

Some people find this idea inspiring; to others, it's opening the door to anarchy. Yet tagging is perhaps the defining element of web 2.0's user-generated content, and it's not going to go away. This in turn is going to have a profound effect on our readers' expectations of how information is described and retrieved.

Should libraries be looking at ways of incorporating tags in the OPAC? Ann Arbor District Library already does, right alongside the traditional access points. What do you think of this?

Step-by-step instructions for Thing 8

Part 1: Read Clay Shirky's essay, 'Ontology is Overrated', where he argues that "many of the ways we're attempting to apply categorization to the electronic world are ... a bad fit, because we've adopted habits of mind that are left over from earlier strategies". What do you think?

Part 2: Look back on your blog posts and organise them by adding more tags. We've been suggesting basic tags to use for each of your posts (e.g. "Thing 1"); now try enhancing this by adding tags that describe your content. This can be as formal or as fun, as workmanlike or as personal, as you like - you decide how you want to present your information! For example, one Oxford participant chose to give an approval rating to Things by using the tags 'yay', 'nay', and 'meh' as appropriate.

Finally, blog about Thing 8.

You'll be doing more with tags in some later Things, particularly Flickr (Thing 9) and Delicious (Thing 12).

Image from icanhazcheezburger.com

Further reading/watching:
Tagging 'takes off for web users' (BBC, 1 Feb 2007)
The machine is us/ing us - YouTube video by anthropologist and digital ethnographer Prof. Michael Wesch (4m 32)

Next time...
In Thing 9 you will be exploring Flickr and discovering how to find and use Creative Commons-licensed pictures to enhance your library teaching, marketing and promotional materials.

Thing 7 - Create a Twitter account and interact with other Cam23 ‘tweeple’

2010-06-14T08:30:00.005+01:00

Welcome to Week 4 and Thing 7!

After completing Thing 7...
After completing Thing 7 you should be aware of why many librarians are now using Twitter and be interacting with other Cam23 people via this platform.

What is Twitter, and is it relevant to libraries?
Twitter is a microblogging service that allows you to publish brief updates about what you are doing. By following other users, and being “followed” yourself, “Tweeple” (ie people using Twitter) can communicate very quickly with a wider world. Although the question posed by Twitter is "What's happening?" in reality most Tweeple ask questions and share ideas, news and information. How you use Twitter is up to you; it can be useful for your own personal development and/or to promote your library’s services.

Step-by-step instructions
[If you are already have an account and are familiar with the service you don’t need to follow the steps below. Instead we suggest that you check your account regularly during this week and wherever possible add Tweets to support those who are embarking on it for the first time, using the #cam23 hashtag. You should, of course, blog about how and why you use Twitter.]

1. Go to http://twitter.com/. Click the 'Sign Up Now' button and follow the steps to create an account. (If you think you might want to use your work email address later on to create a library Twitter ID it is probably wise to use a different email address this time.)

2. Once you have created your account you will be taken to your Twitter homepage where you can update your profile to include a short biography, a link to your blog and a profile picture. We recommend that you leave the Twitter Privacy box unchecked because this means other Cam23 participants can read your tweets. You can always deactivate your account at any time. Additional help: http://help.twitter.com/forums/10711-getting-started

3. Now post your first update. Click in the status box at the top of the screen where you see the question "What's happening?" Write a comment, maybe something about your participation in the 23 Things programme. You are restricted to 140 characters, and as you type you will see the number at the top right of the box decrease. Leave enough characters to add the hash symbol '#' and the text 'cam23' (#cam23). This is known as a hashtag and allows Twitter users to group tweets by subject. By adding #cam23 to your tweet your comment will be picked up by other Thingers.

4. When you have typed your post click Update - you will see your tweet appear in the space below the status box, this is the start of your timeline of tweets. It also means that anyone who “follows” you will be able to read your tweet.

5. Now find some other Twitter users to follow:
Cam23 participants
Cambridge librarians
Cambridge libraries: Edfaclib, JudgeLibrary, LewyLib, MarshallLibrary, theUL
British librarians ebooksCambridge
Professional bodies: CILIP, UKEIG, UKSG

For any user that looks interesting you can choose to follow their tweets (go into their profile and click on 'follow'.) Very soon you will see that tweets from the users you follow are aggregated in to one timeline that appears on your Home page.

6. Interact!

a) Reply
When you hover over anyone's tweet in your timeline you will see options to either reply or retweet. Twitter becomes more useful when you use these two features to start a conversation with someone. When you click the reply button their username, preceded by the @ symbol, is automatically placed at the start of your tweet. Any conversation using the @reply feature will be seen by anyone who follows both users.

b) Retweet
When you click the retweet button the whole tweet preceded by RT will be copied in to your next tweet. If there are enough characters left you can add a comment about why you find it interesting. You can see any replies to, and retweets of, your tweets by clicking @yourusername in the navigation bar on the right of your timeline.

7. To participate in the conversation about a particular topic you can include a hashtag that will group all tweets on the subject together. To view all tweets that include the #cam23 hashtag, enter #cam23 in the search box.

8. Call back a few times during the week to check your timeline. Why not use it to ask other participants how they're using Twitter?

9. Blog about Thing 7.

Further reading
What is Twitter? Twitter for Librarians
Twitter for Libraries
Making the Most of Twitter

Optional extras
Using the Twitter website isn't the only way to view your timeline and post to Twitter; there are a number of Twitter clients available on the web, to download to your PC or to use on your smart phone. Here are just a few you might like to try:

Desktop clients
Tweetdeck
Seesmic

Web clients
Brizzly
Seesmic Web

Mobile applications (download from your phone)
Twibble (Nokia)
TwitterBerry (Blackberry)
Twitter [was Tweetie 2] (iPhone/iTouch)
Echofon (iPhone/iTouch)

There are a growing number of sites which offer ways to enhance your use of Twitter by sharing multimedia content:

Share photos
Twitpic
TweetPhoto
Twitgoo
yfrog

Share audio/video
Twaud.io
Tvider

Publish RSS feeds
FeedNest
Twitterfeed

Next time...
You'll be reviewing your blog tags.

Posted by Sarah Stamford, with thanks to Laura J. Wilkinson who wrote the Twitter piece for 23 Things Oxford.

All the Cam23 blog posts in 1 place...

2010-06-08T17:13:00.008+01:00

You may recall an earlier post about gathering RSS feeds in Google Reader, well 'Girl in the Moon' has now done the hard work for us. Go here to access the feed of all the Cam23 blogs in one place. We're a productive bunch!

23 Things Cambridge : Facebook group

2010-06-07T20:25:00.003+01:00

We will be looking at Facebook in Week 9, but in the meantime if you have an account you are welcome to join the group and use it for sharing comments and information.

Thing 6 - Sign up for Google Calendar and add it to your iGoogle page

2010-06-07T12:00:00.001+01:00

Welcome to Thing 6!

After completing Thing 6 you will have..
Created a Google Calendar, added some events to it, and added it to your iGoogle page.

What is Google Calendar & is it relevant to libraries?
Google Calendar is a free web-based calendar which can be shared with other people and accessed from anywhere with Internet connection. Events can be added quickly and viewed by day, week or month. It can also be integrated with other Google services, such as iGoogle, and imbedded in web pages & blogs.
A lot of universities already have Google Calender on their web pages to keep their staff and students up to date with events. Libraries, such as the UL, are using Google Calendar to publicise opening hours & events, and the University of Bristol Information Services are piloting library branch times.
Other less local examples can be found at Griffith University Library, South East Queensland, Australia and the Ikeda Library at the Soka University of America, California.

Creating a Google Calendar
Step-by-step instructions

1. To create a Google Calendar, go to
http://www.google.com/calendar/.
2. Log in with your Google ID.
3. Your new Google Calendar will look like this.

3. Before you add any events to your calendar,
go to the top of the screen & select Settings - Calendar settings. In the General section you can change the Time & date formats, plus have a mini icon of your local weather displayed, for those of you obsessed with the daily forecast!
4. Click on Save.

Adding events to your Google Calendar
Step-by-step instructions

1. To add an event, click on Create event (you can also select Quick add or highlight a date on the calendar).

2. Fill in the boxes for your event:

What it is (e.g. staff meeting).
When it is (click on the boxes to specify a date & time).
Where it will take place.
Use the Description box to add details.
You can also choose to have a Reminder sent to you minutes, hours, days or weeks before the the event is due to take place (the system defaults to a 10 minute reminder). If you don't want a reminder, click on the cross next to the box.
3. Click on Save & you will be taken back to the calendar with your new event visible!

4. Take a minute or two now to add other events.

Adding your calendar to your iGoogle page
Step-by-step instructions

1. Go to your iGoogle page.
2. Click on Add Stuff.

3. In the Search for gadgets box on the right of the screen, type in Google Calendar
4. You want the first on the list - click on Add it now
5. When you go back to your iGoogle home page, your calendar will be displayed!

Further reading
A blog on how libraries are using Google Calendar:
http://musingsaboutlibrarianship.blogspot.com/2010/04/libraries-and-google-calender.html
Using Google calendar to manage library web site hours: http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/46
A totally non-library, but very topical, use of Google Calendar! http://blog.artesea.co.uk/2009/12/world-cup-2010-google-calendar.html

Optional extra
Share your calendar with a colleague or another Cam23 participant.

Step-by-step instructions
1. Under the My calendars section on the left side of your calendar home page, click on the drop down menu next to your e-mail address & select Share this calendar.
2. You will be taken to the Share this calendar section.
3. Type in the e-mail address of the person you would like to share your calendar with & their details will appear automatically underneath (note: this person must also have a Google Calendar too otherwise you won't be able to share it!).
4. Set the Permission settings you would like this person to have.
5. Click on Save.

The following video on YouTube gives a very quick demo on how to share your calendar:

Next time...
In Thing 7 (due to be posted Monday 14th June), you will be shown how to create a Twitter account and encouraged to interact with other Cam23 participants through that platform.

Thing 5 - Use Doodle to schedule a peer support meeting

2010-06-07T08:30:00.006+01:00

Welcome to Week 3 and Thing 5!

After completing Thing 5
You will be able to use Doodle to schedule a peer support meeting with other Cam23 participants.

What is Doodle and is it relevant to libraries?
Doodle is a great way to schedule any event which includes several people – whether it’s a work meeting or a personal social engagement. You don’t need to register to use Doodle and it’s simple to use.

Step-by-step instructions
1. Just go to http://www.doodle.com/.
2. Click on the Schedule Event button.
3. Follow instructions for Steps 1-4 each time clicking ‘next’ to get to the next page. Decide on the dates that you are free and the time slots within each date that you are free and add them in the chart.
4. At Step 4 you need to decide whether you want to send an email to your colleagues yourself or whether you want Doodle to do this. I normally select to send it myself but it’s up to you!
5. When you’ve completed your poll you should see something like this (click to enlarge):

6. If you have chosen to send the poll out yourself then check your emails from Doodle and follow the clear instructions in them.
7. Send the link out and wait for responses……..and enjoy your peer support meeting – and the coffee! Save one for me.......

8. And, of course, blog about Thing 5.

Further Reading
Blog - 'Scheduling meetings' - Musings about Librarianship

Optional extras
1. Explore some other ways of scheduling meetings
Meet-o-matic
Tungle.me

2. Add Doodle to other Web 2.0 tools
Add Doodle to your iGoogle page, or to Facebook or, after the next Thing (setting up a Google Calendar), you might like to try and connect Doodle to your Calendar (though you’ll need to register for an account to do this).

3. Think about time management
Using Doodle or other scheduling devices is really all about helping with time management. If you’re feeling really keen have a look at JISC’s infokit on time management.

Next time...
You’ll be signing up for a Google Calendar...

Wanna banner?

2010-06-04T16:07:00.004+01:00

Thanks to the nifty work of @angefitzpatrick we now have a lovely Cam23 banner and/or badge which you can use to adorn your blog.

For instructions on how to add them, visit her blog: beauty_school_dropout

RSS (Really Smart Skiddie2)

2010-06-04T09:05:00.011+01:00

There's been a bit of a discussion on your blogs and on Twitter as to whether its possible to gather all the RSS feeds of the participating Cam23 blogs in Google Reader so you don't have to add them all individually.

The very brilliant @skiddie2 (Twitter username) has come up with a solution which he has blogged about here.

Go see!

Edit: See the comment below to see how this has been achieved on NetVibes.

Drop-in session: Friday 4th June, 11-4

2010-06-02T12:28:00.011+01:00

The Cam23 programme is now in its second week and the project team are wondering how you're all getting along. A lot of you have already registered your blogs, but for those of you who may be finding this a bit difficult fear not for help is at hand!

The first drop-in support session will be taking place this Friday (4th) in the Morrison Room at the University Library between 11am and 4pm. If you have any questions on the Things covered so far or would like some assistance setting up your blog, please feel free to turn up at any point and a member of the project team will be available to help you. N.B. There's no need to book.

We look forward to seeing lots of you there.

Thing 4 - Register your blog and explore other Cam 23 blogs

2010-05-31T12:15:00.002+01:00

Welcome to Thing 4

After completing Thing 4...
Your blog (and therefore your participation in the programme) will have been registered and you will have learned how to add screenshots to your posts. You will also have begun to engage with other Cam 23 participants via their blogs.

Register your blog
Thing 3 was all about creating your blog. Now it exists you need to register it so that it can be added to the list of Cam 23 bloggers on the lefthand menu of the Cam 23 blog. All you need to do is visit this URL and fill in the details: http://bit.ly/dkMApz

Blog on Things 1 and 2 with a screenshot
Your blog needs to record your progress through the whole programme so you need to take a bit of time now to write a post about what you thought of Things 1 + 2 and include a screenshot of your iGoogle page. It would be good practice over the 12 weeks to add screenshots, images, cartoons and other visuals to make your blog more appealing.

How to insert a screenshot
1. Maximise the screen (in this case the iGoogle page) that you want to copy and then hit the 'Print Screen' key on the keyboard.
2. Open an image/photo editing package on your PC and paste the image by choosing CTRL + V simultaneously or 'Edit' and 'Paste' from the package menu. (If you haven't got a photo editing package on your PC its definitely worth downloading a free one from the web - check out this list of the best free photo editors.)
3. Now save the image to a folder.
4. Add the image to your post by selecting the blue sky square icon above the post text box and browsing to the folder where you saved the image on your PC.
5. You will need to select how you want the image aligned and what size you want it to be.

Add tags
Don't forget to add tags (Blogger calls them Labels) to your post - Thing 1, Thing 2, iGoogle etc.

Get social
Blogging is much more fun and interactive if you receive comments on your posts, so now you need to visit a few Cam 23 blogs and comment away. N.B. You may have to wait for blogs to appear on the lefthand 'Cam 23 bloggers' list before you can go visiting - it really depends how speedy you are compared to everyone else. If someone leaves you a comment from a blog that you have not yet viewed then go and visit it and comment back. Cam 23 is not just about learning about how new technologies work but also about using them to network and share.

Blog about Thing 4
After you have spent a bit of time visiting and commenting write a post about this. You are now up to date with your blogging.

Feeling out if your depth with blogging? Need inspiration?
Don't worry if it takes you a while to feel comfortable writing blog posts and to find your 'online voice'. Below are a list of some excellent blogs produced by participants in the Oxford 23 Things programme which it may help you to visit for inspiration and ideas...

Optional Extra
There is a great list of blogging libraries and librarians on the UK Library blogs wiki. Explore some of these and add any blogs that you like to your blog by using a gadget (click on 'Customise' in order to see the available gadgets). Spend some time examining the differences between individual librarian blogs and blogs for library services or library teams. Might you consider maintaining a blog for your readers rather than sending out traditional newsletters or emails? What would be the benefits of this approach?

Further Reading
You may also want to have a think about the value of blog comments. Read Are blog comments worth it?

Next Time...
You'll be scheduling a meeting and catching up with some of your Cam 23 peers.

Thing 3 - Create your 23 Things blog

2010-05-31T08:30:00.005+01:00

Welcome to Week 2, Thing 3!

After completing Thing 3...

You will have a shiny new blog to use throughout the programme to record your progress. You will also have begun to think about how you want to present yourself online via your blog and what makes for a good blog.

What is blogging and is it relevant to libraries?
Check out the Wikipedia entry on blogging for a perfectly acceptable definiton and brief history, then come back here. There are numerous blogs and bloggers within the field of librarianship. Many librarians pen individual blogs which they use to reflect on their professional experiences and to offer their opinions on the library world, while many libraries on the other hand maintain organizational blogs in order to promote services and enhance communication with their users. There are of course also many blogs written by people participating in 23 Things programmes at other instutitions.

Blogging during 23 Things

Blogging is a key element of the 23 Things experience which we'd like all participants to engage with. Every time you complete a Thing we ask that you blog about it. Your blog posts should aim to constructively evaluate each Thing, giving an indication of what you liked (or didn't like) about it. They should also offer the reader an ongoing flavour of your experience of the programme. It's worth mentioning that any blogs which contain posts which say little more than 'Done Thing 3' will not be eligible for completion as that is neither entering into the spirit of the programme nor the purpose of blogging.

Blog platforms
We have chosen to give instructions on creating a blog on the Blogger platform as its very quick and simple to get going on, however, you may choose to use the other main free blog provider WordPress instead. N.B. If you already have a blog, there's no requirement to create a new one for 23 Things.

Step-by-step instructions
1. Go to http://www.blogger.com/ and sign in at the top right-hand corner with your Google account username and password. This will bring you to a sign up for Blogger screen. Some of the information may already be filled in for you (depending on what you told Google when you signed up for your account) but you will need to choose a display name and to accept the Blogger terms of service.
2. You now need to name your blog, and choose a web address (URL) for it. The address has to be unique so your first choice may not be available.

3. Now choose your preferred layout template for your blog. You can change this at any point for a different one.

4. Congratulations your blog exists. Simples!

Your first post
You now need to create your first blog post.
1. Click on the orange arrow that says 'start blogging' (if you have logged out and are returning, then click on 'new post' by your blog's name on your dashboard - the screen you see when you log in). This will bring you to the posting screen.
2. Enter a title for the post, and then type your text into the box. There is a toolbar at the top of the box which will allow you to format your text and add links and images.
3. Write something here about what you hope to get out of Cam 23 and your previous experience of Web 2.0 and social media.
4. When you have finished writing the post, type in 'Thing 3' in the labels box under the text box. You will need to tag all your posts with the number of the Thing being blogged about and any other descriptive words you want to use to help you find the post later on (just as we librarians add subject headings to catalogue records in order to help users retrieve books)

5. Click the 'Publish Post' button at the bottom of the screen, and your first post will be live.

Any problems?
If you got lost at all at any point above, I can recommend this Blogger tutorial (from YouTube)

Reminder
Remember, you are required to blog about each Thing on your blog in order to complete the programme. You'll be blogging about Things 1 and 2 as part of the next Thing.

WordPress

If you'd prefer to use WordPress for your blog then you will find this comprehensive tutorial by Chris Abraham very useful: Wordpress: Step-by-Step (from YouTube)

Further reading
Much has been written about the value of blogging. Check out the following:
Top Reasons Why I Blog by Larry Brauner
Why I blog by Andrew Sullivan
and for a view from one of our very own Cam23 participants:Why Blog? by Ange Fitzpatrick

To read about what makes a good blog post check out:
What makes a good blog post by Steve Wheeler

There are many bloggers out there who were initially sceptical about its worth (I'm one of them!) or fearful of publishing a blog. Read the post at the Totally Academic blog and at the Chrisg.com blog about these respective issues.

I also suggest you have a look at this 'Blogs in Plain English' video:

Optional extra
Read this post about using images and then edit your initial post to add in an image or two.

Next time...
You'll be registering your blog, blogging some more and checking out other Cam 23 blogs.

Internet privacy: taking control of your information

2010-05-27T17:30:00.009+01:00

Facebook has announced that it's in the process of simplifying its privacy settings in response to concerns from users about how public their information has become. Facebook is currently the media's whipping boy for online privacy issues, and while it's undoubtedly positive that attention is being drawn to this matter, it's simplistic to suggest that only Facebook offers a snare for unwary feet - or that social media and networking sites are only out to blazon your personal information all over the web.

The balance between the individual and the social network, whether on- or offline, is always a delicate one. The human urge to communicate is tempered with the ability to control to a very sophisticated degree which facets of our self, which version of the story, we reveal to others. What we choose to reveal depends on whether the recipient is a best friend, a family member, your manager, or the guy sitting next to you on the bus. And what the streamlined homogeneity of the online environment can cause you to overlook is that your status updates might be written with friends and family in mind, but - depending on your online behaviour and how public you've chosen to be - might be broadcast to the last two as well.

Concerned? Good! If you wouldn't tell the guy on the bus the problems and fears you'd only share with your best friend, your built-in human communication filter is working just fine. And there are two things you can do to make sure it works just as well in the online environment. Both of these things are simple and totally non-technical: what they rely on is your being aware that you can, and should, be in control of your online information. If you're aware of it, you're already in control.

The first thing to do is to click the button called Settings. There's one on every social site you come across, and it allows you to choose exactly how public you want your information, opinions, links and photos to be. Every time you sign up for or start exploring a new social website, look for the Settings button and take control over who gets to see what.

The second is even simpler, and like the first, it's a matter of personal choice. If you wouldn't stick that photo on your office door, don't post it on the internet ...

Thing 2 - Add the RSS feed of the Cam23 blog to your iGoogle page.

2010-05-24T15:00:00.001+01:00

Welcome to Thing 2!

After completing Thing 2 you will have...
Added the RSS feed of the 23 Things Cambridge Blog to your iGoogle page and explored other RSS feeds.

What is an RSS feed & is it relevant to libraries?
RSS (commonly known as Really Simple Syndication) allows you to view new content from web sites, blog entries, etc in one place, without having to visit the individual sites. A fuller and more technical definition can be found on Wikipedia. Newspapers, major news channels (such as the BBC), and journal providers have RSS feeds available, to name but a few. Libraries also have feeds from their web pages, such as the OU and the British Library - some local examples can be found at the UL, Faculty of Education Library and the English Faculty Library.

Step-by-step instructions
1. Go to the 23 Things Cambridge Blog.
2. Under the Subscribe to 23 Things Cambridge heading on the left hand side, click on Posts
3. Select Add to Google from the list

4. Google will offer you 2 options - choose Add to Google homepage (you may wish to add to Google Reader at a later date).
5. You will then be taken back to your iGoogle page and you should now have a box called 23 Things Cambridge.
6. Find other RSS feeds which interest you, including some libraries, and add them to your iGoogle page.

Further reading
10 ways libraries can use RSS
What is RSS and how can it serve libraries?

Optional extra
Take a look at Google Reader as an alternative to managing RSS feeds. If you follow a lot of blogs this is a good tool for keeping up-to-date with them. The following video explains how it works:

Next time...
In Thing 3 (due to be posted Monday 31st May) you will be shown how to create your 23 Things Blog which you will use throughout the programme.

Thing 1- Set up a Google ID & build an iGoogle page

2010-05-24T10:00:00.001+01:00

Welcome to Week 1, Thing 1!

After completing Thing 1 you will have...
Created a Google ID and your own iGoogle start page.

What is a Google ID?
Google ID helps you to personalise your Google experience by enabling you to customize pages and obtain more relevant search results. Once you have created your ID you will be able to use other Google applications such as iGoogle, Google Calendar and Google Docs (more on these later in the programme).

What is iGoogle & is it relevant to libraries?
iGoogle is a personal web portal created by Google for you to add and organise your favourite web pages, RSS feeds, gadgets and social networking sites (including Twitter and YouTube). Libraries are already promoting their services via iGoogle (have a look at the Cambridge Libraries Widget) to connect with their users.

Step-by-step instructions
1. To create a Google ID, go to https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount (if you already have a Google ID, please log in).
2. Complete the form and click on I accept when ready.

3. To create your iGoogle page, go to http://www.google.com/ig and log in with your Google ID.
4. Click on the Add Stuff link to explore the various gadgets you can install - have a look at All categories on the left of the screen for ideas, as well as the most popular gadgets (Most users), what's new (Newest), or use the search box.

5. Type COPAC in the search box.
6. Click on Add it now - you will be taken back to your iGoogle page with COPAC added.

You can also organise your gadgets with tabs which can help you navigate quickly to your content, as well as help your iGoogle pages load faster.

1. To add a tab, click on the tab Home on the left of the screen and select Add a tab.
2. Untick the I'm feeling lucky box.
3. Type in a name for your tab (e.g Library stuff) in the box.
4. Click on OK.
5. Drag your COPAC box into the Library Stuff tab.

Feel free to add other tabs as and when you feel your page is getting too busy.

You may find this short YouTube animation a fun way of finding out how to set up and arrange your page:

Further reading
Read this post about Start pages on the Library 2.0 blog: Start pages as Library Virtual Reference Tools

Optional extras
If you already use iGoogle, have a look at Netvibes or Pageflakes to see what they may offer you that's different.

Next time...
In Thing 2 (available later today) you will be shown how to add the RSS feed of the 23 Things Cambridge blog to your iGoogle page.

Cam 23 starts on Monday

2010-05-22T10:01:00.004+01:00

We've received several enquiries from potential Cam 23 participants concerned that they may have 'missed registration'. Fear not, there has been no registration as yet, that comes in Week 2 when (under guidance) you create and register your blog with us.

Others have emailed worried they can't take part because they haven't signed up for the launch event on Monday (after work) at Judge Business School. The launch event is not compulsory just a chance to find out more, ask questions and meet other participants.

The important thing to remember is to return to this blog on Monday when the posts about Things 1 & 2 go up on the site.

If you have any more unanswered questions please visit the FAQ page or come and ask them at the launch event.

Why are social media / web 2.0 tools vital?

2010-05-12T11:29:00.005+01:00

This YouTube video examines the shift towards social media and highlights the importance of librarians 'getting to grips' with the web 2.0 tools. Another reason to participate in the Cam23 programme!

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFZ0z5Fm-Ng

(Thanks to @ekcragg for bringing this to our attention.)

23 Things list unveiled

2010-05-11T15:24:00.000+01:00

The list of 23 Things which participants will investigate throughout the 12 week programme is now available.

Take a look to see what we'll be covering!

Programme launch

2010-05-10T16:39:00.000+01:00

Welcome to the 23 Things Cambridge blog! The programme will run from 24 May to 20 August 2010 and is open to all University and College library staff. Everyone who completes the course will be awarded a £10 voucher and a certificate of completion.

To find out more about the programme, why not:

look at the Cambridge 23 Things list.
check out the Frequently Asked Questions.

and most importantly:

come and meet the project team and other participants over drinks and nibbles at the Cam 23 launch in the Judge Business School common room (below) on Monday 24th May! You need to RSVP (for catering purposes) at http://tinyurl.com/cam23launch.

Hope to see you at the launch party - if you can't make it, please feel free to contact a member of the project team (you can find us in the sidebar to the left).

Password tips

2010-05-06T15:56:00.001+01:00

A useful recommendation from the Oxford 23 Things programme was for participants to record their usernames and passwords somewhere discreet (e.g. a notebook) so as not to forget them. In order to keep your passwords secure, I thought I'd add two further suggestions that I've found helpful:

1. Don't use dictionary words or names: instead, take the initial letters of a phrase, proverb, or the first line of a song or poem. This makes your password memorable for you, but a meaningless jumble of characters for everyone else!

2. Rather than writing your actual password anywhere, write down a code word or clue for yourself that will trigger the poem or phrase you've selected.

General guidelines for creating a secure password are to use a mixture of both upper- and lower-case characters, numbers (instead of letters, if you like: e.g. zero instead of 'o'), and punctuation marks. Your password should contain at least 7 characters.