Table of Contents
20. Discover YouTube and a few sites that allow users to upload and share videos. Estimate of time: 15 minutes.Finding your way around video sharing sites takes only a few minutes. However as you explore the content on these sites you'll end up spending hours finding and using what is available. Overview:Here are a few of the big video sharing sites. Each site has its own specifications for what file types are accepted. |
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YouTube
Launched in 2005, bought by Google in 2006, YouTube is the most well-known video-sharing site. It has become the hub for seekers of news items, political campaign information, how-to instruction videos, pop culture phenomena and more. The majority of its content is user-generated, although there are some companies who have their own commercial channels.
The site is divided into four areas, the Home page, Videos page, Channels and Community. 
Each of these is further subdivided into categories of videos. For example, the Videos tab has a set of navigation links on the left side of the page that direct users to view videos in these categories: Autos & Vehicles, Comedy, Education, Entertainment, Film & Animation, Howto & Style, Music, News & Politics, etc.
The Channels tab features users who regularly upload their own videos and have created a "channel" for viewers to visit regularly. The You Choose '08 channel directs users to the campaign videos for U.S. presidential candidates, as well as to other political campaign sites.
Users can also search for videos in 32 languages other than English at the Advanced Search screen. There are also sites displayed in foreign languages for several countries. See a list of the sites here:
Registered users of the site are allowed to rate videos, post comments, upload videos, join groups of users with similar interests, customize playlists and subscriptions to channels and more. When uploading videos users can provide searchable tags describing the content of their work.
VideoJug
The tagline for this site is "Life Explained. On Film." It consists of a huge variety of "how to" videos contributed by users.
The main categories for videos are linked across the top of the page. They are Food & Drink, Love & Sex, Beauty & Style, Sports & Fitness, Health, Leisure & Hobbies, Technology, DIY & Home, Pets,
Parenting, Made by You, and More. Each of these categories is divided into several subcategories.
Registered users can upload and tag videos, subscribe to certain tags when uploaded, join a myriad of discussions, and create a list of favorites.
Metacafe
Like the other sites, Metacafe offers various categories of videos and channels. Users can upload videos, create subscriptions and participate in discussion forums. Metacafe also offers a blog which discusses news about the company and new features.
Metacafe is unique because it actually pays money to the creators of its most popular videos through its "Producer Rewards." Once a video has passed a benchmark of 20,000 views, with a rating of 3.00 or higher, Metacafe pays $5 for every additional 1,000 views. Details about the program can be found here.
Benefits
- Ready-made information sources -- Searchable, on demand videos are great for finding current, visual information on just about anything.
- Branding -- Video sharing sites serve as an excellent vehicle for creating and promoting a brand for a person, a business, an interest group. The possiblities are vast.
- Examining folksonomies -- User-generated tags on each video gives us a glimpse of how the public is creating and developing its own taxonomies.
Perspectives
- Read the Wikipedia articletitled "Criticism of YouTube" which discusses the site's attempts at handling copyright infringement, violent content, censorship and other issues critical to information professionals. Some hugely popular sites like Tudou, Youku and 56.com offer streaming of newly released full-length movies.
- See a comparison of video services on Wikipedia here.
- Visit the YouTube Help Channel here.
- Read the Pew Internet report "Online Video"from July 2007 which states "57% of internet users have watched videos online and most of them share what they find with others."
- Try these video metasearch engines: Metatube Searchforvideo.comand Blinx.
Discovery
- Visit YouTube and find recent news coverage of a major news event.
- Browse the discussion groups at Videojug.
- Check out the "Production School" section of the Studio page of Metacafe. There are several tips for producing good videos.
Reflections: Localize your learnings
- What have you found on these sites that can immediately be incorporated into your work environment?
- Is there any video content you can contribute to improve your work product? (Training? Marketing? Product development?)
- Which site provides the kind of content you seek most often?
Challenge
- Spend some time visiting the various video sharing sites to get a feel for the content and tools available on each.
- Pick one or two of these sites and register as a user. Try out the subscription options. Comment on videos. Make a list of some of your favorites.
- Make a short video; upload it; send the link to your video to someone else or embed the video in your own web page or blog.
21. Discover some useful search tools for locating podcasts.
Estimate of time: 1 hour
Overview
When the ubiquitousness of the iPod converged with social sharing online, the term "podcast" was born, nodding to the word "broadcast" with an MP3 file (iPod and other players) orientation. These digital media files are transmitted and shared over the Internet, and just as in the case of blog directories and search engines, podcast directories and engines evolved for organizing and publishing them. Podcasts can be syndicated, subscribed to, and downloaded automatically when new content is added, using an aggregator or feed reader capable of reading feed formats such as RSS.
Read the "Receiving and using podcasts" section on the Wikipedia entry for "podcast" at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Podcast.
Benefits
By using podcasts to archive tutorials for training sessions and other content, we can save time by not repeating work with the added benefit of providing a 24/7 archive accessible by clients and patrons alike.
Perspectives
This could include links to videos, comments/quotes from librarians, etc.
Discovery
Going back to our Web 2.0 Awards, let's explore the winners in the "Podcast Services" category:
- Odeo www.odeo.com
- PodShow www.podshow.com
- PodOmatic www.podomatic.com
Reflections: Localize your learnings
- What are the differences in these services?
- Which one seems to be organized most intuitively for the user?
- From which one can you get stats on viewing of your podcasts?
Challenge
- Go to Yahoo! And type "podcast tutorial" into the search. Find a tutorial that you like and learn how to create your own!
- Check out tools such as Adobe Captivate for capturing keystrokes in making tutorials. Might this be a way to bring your tutorials to life?
22. Take a look at the titles available on NetLibrary and learn how to download audiobooks.
Estimate of time: 20 minutes
Overview
Netlibrary 
NetLibrary is an online library that provides access to eBooks, eAudiobooks and eJournals. Content can be accessed through a subscription by your local library.
Benefits
- Items can be downloaded to a computer or a portable device.
- Items are renewable.
- The user interface is available in nine languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese (traditional), Chinese (simplified), Japanese, Korean, Thai and Dutch.
- Users can access content from outside the library, either through the library's website, or a user login authenticated through the library.
Perspectives
If you haven't used NetLibrary before, visit this demo site: http://www.oclc.org/netlibrary/
It contains simple tutorials which show you:
- How to access your library's NetLibrary collections regardless of where you're located. (Video length: 2 minutes and 30 seconds )
- How to create an account and edit your account information. (Video length: 3 minutes and 24 seconds)
- How to search for e-content, including how to use the navigation tools. (Video length: 3 minutes and 10 seconds)
- How to view eBooks & eJournals with NetLibrary's online reader to view eContent. This video also shows how to search within or across titles, add bookmarks and personal notes, and use the embedded dictionary. (Video length: 4 minutes and 12 seconds)
- How to download eAudiobooks to your computer or a portable device (Video length: 3 minutes and 45 seconds)
Discovery
- Locate a library near you which has a subscription to NetLibrary. Try your local public library or state library.
- Watch the tutorials mentioned above to learn some tips on searching NetLibrary's content.
- Use the Advanced Search feature which provides search boxes for full-text, title, author, keyword, publisher, ISBN. It is also possible to search by e-content type (e-journals, e-books, e-audiobooks), year published and content language.
Reflections: Localize your learnings
- Does this resource look like something you can use in addition to the library?
- Is there someone you know who would benefit from this service?
- Are the tools in NetLibrary's reader useful to you?
Challenge
- Sign up for an individual login. You will have to access NetLibrary the first time through your local subscribing library.
- Review the instructions above for downloading eAudiobooks to your computer.
- Download an e-audiobook and transfer it to a portable device like an iPod or mp3 player.
23. Summarize your thoughts about this program on your blog.
Estimate of time: 15 minutes
Overview
Congratulations!! You've reached the 23rd thing. Give yourself a pat on the back for completing the program. We hope you have enjoyed the process and learned some things. Tell us, please!
Give us your feedback on your experience by completing this online survey.
After all the time and effort you have invested in 23 Things, we hope you will continue to experiment with new tools and continue to blog about your learning, your library, and the challenges of Library 2.0. Here are some ideas:
- Maintain your blog as you continue to learn and play with new Web 2.0 tools
- Add your blog URL to your e-mail signature line
- Re-purpose your blog as your media center or library blog
- Share your blog with your colleagues and administrators
Thanks for participating and being so willing to share!
Reflections: Localize your learnings
Be sure to post to your blog about your experience with 23 Things. Here are some questions to prompt you:
- Go back to your thoughts/ideas about Library 2.0. Has anything changed as a result of this experience?
- What were your favorite Things and discoveries?
- How did you connect with others doing the 23 Things?
- Were there any take-a-ways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
- What could we do differently to improve upon this program's format or content?
Challenge
Train others in your organization to use Web 2.0 tools. Become the go-to person for new technologies.
Comments (10)
Oct 13, 2008
Dianna Roberts says:
Well, I made it, with a bit of skipping and jumping about here and there. To see...Well, I made it, with a bit of skipping and jumping about here and there. To see my final conclusions read my blog http://www.bloglines.com/blog/DiannaR/rss
Oct 14, 2008
Deb Hunt says:
Wow, Dianna. I think you are the first person to complete 23 Things\! (or at lea...Wow, Dianna. I think you are the first person to complete 23 Things! (or at least the first one to blog about it.)
Congratulations!
Nov 15, 2008
Tom Rink says:
Tada\! Mission accomplished. I too have finally finished the SLA 23 ...Ta-da! Mission accomplished. I too have finally finished the SLA 23 Things. What an incredible journey. Kudos to you all (SLA [Stephen Abram, specifically?], the 23 Things committee and the liaisons [and all of the other "behind the scenes" personnel/staff]) for imagining and devising such an enriching program. Please feel free to visit my blog for the rest of my story:
http://guncarryinglibrarian.wordpress.com/
Nov 16, 2008
Karen Huffman says:
Tom, I think you've been "bitten by the bug" (i.e., the Web 2.0 bug\!). Thank yo...Tom, I think you've been "bitten by the bug" (i.e., the Web 2.0 bug!). Thank you for your kudos and positive feedback. I enjoyed scanning through your blog. You've become a true blogger -- not only posting your reflections from 23 Things but sharing your interests and passions (e.g., recipes, poem, artwork, etc.) as well as enhancing your entries with images and videos. Your post reflecting on wikis is applicable to so many of the Web 2.0 tools: "The usefulness of this tool is only limited by your imagination in application (hopefully some 'new' ideas will come to me as the opportunities present themselves)." Thumbs up
to you for your exploratory and collaborative spirit! Karen
Dec 06, 2008
Nancy Stimson says:
I'm done with all 23 things. Yeah\! I learned a lot of useful things that ...I'm done with all 23 things. Yeah! I learned a lot of useful things that I will be able to incorporate into what I do. Thanks, SLA!
(http://nancyssla23thingsblog.blogspot.com/)
Dec 13, 2008
Jean Blaho says:
Yeah\! I'm done with all 23 Things. I'm so glad I did this. There were a few bum...Yeah! I'm done with all 23 Things. I'm so glad I did this. There were a few bumps along the way, as you can read in my blog. I learned a lot of neat tools, which I will start incorporating into my work process immediately.
http://www.jeanblaho.blogspot.com/
Dec 13, 2008
Olivia Blakemore says:
I made it\!\! I very much appreciated the extension. I learned a lot...I made it!! I very much appreciated the extension. I learned a lot along the way and look forward to further exploration. Thanks SLA!
http://taleof23things.wordpress.com/
Dec 14, 2008
Natalie Clairoux says:
This was an interesting journey. I have blogged my progress in French, so that f...This was an interesting journey. I have blogged my progress in French, so that fellow members from the Eastern Canada Chapters and francophone colleagues could follow me along: http://natalieclairoux.blogspot.com/ . Two problems I've encountered: I wasn't able to save my page on the SLA wiki (server problem?) and could not access NetLibrary's audiobooks, as my institution doesn't have a subscription. But thanks for making me discover LibraryThing!
Dec 15, 2008
Carolyn Sosnowski says:
Phew\! I didn't take all the weeks that were prescribed, but I was glad to...Phew! I didn't take all the weeks that were prescribed, but I was glad to get a closer look at many tools I'd only read about. Here's my blog: http://triviachick.blogspot.com/, which has my comments!
Dec 15, 2008
Jill Strand says:
In under the wire\! While I definitely need to go back and revisit some of...In under the wire! While I definitely need to go back and re-visit some of the weeks I managed to touch elements of each. It helped that I had come across a few things before but the best part was all the new discoveries. Thanks to all who made SLA's 23 Things possible. Can't wait to play some more - maybe I'll even find something new to share with my nieces and nephews. Here's my blog - http://jipj.blogspot.com/. Don't take any of this down - I'll be back!