And as this Semester comes to a close...

I find myself contemplating all that I've learned this semester. I've built databases, hand-coded html, learned Unix command codes, and even co-lead a usability study. At the beginning of this semester I was fairly confident in what I thought I knew about technology, but just as I was realizing I had so much farther to go, my IT fluency grew with every week. I was thinking in terms I had never contemplated before, discovering new ways to better develop my own job as well as further my own library and information science career. Skills that I thought would be challenging or trying during this course became fun as well as informative. I genuinely looked forward to every lecture and every module that was presented to me, because I knew I was learning something that I could instantly apply to my everyday life. I've shown my fiance how to code his own site for students, I've talked to colleagues about usability studies and I've even assisted with minor IT issues in my own library.

I honestly didn't think that my first semester would change me so much in this program. I mean, I was well aware I would gain basic understanding of library and information science, but I didn't think I would already feel so prepared for my career. I received hands on, real experiences and because that I have to say I truly feel confident and proud of my work this semester. I've learned a lot, and even though this semester is ending I have to say I am nowhere near done. I would like to continue to write on this blog, not only about my own IT fluency, but also about my journey in general in the coming years.

Advertisement Digitization: Preserving the Past to Preserve the Future.

I can never put my finger on the reason why, but I absolutely love how businesses use technology... let me be more specific. This website is the New York Times, and they are looking for the public's help. If you have any free time or are bored one day, you should check it out. New York Times is digitizing their advertisements, but they can't do it alone. Their system is simple, all you have to do is view the ads and click whether they are multiple ads, a single ad, part of an ad, or not an ad and you are assisting them in digitizing history. This is especially fascinating to me due to the fact that in my undergrad, I specialized in historical southern advertisement. If you'd like, you can also "tag" advertisements so they can be searched for more efficiently, or you can transcribe the advertisements. I have to say I have done all of the above, and as a librarian and a historian, I find it extremely rewarding to be able to help someone else.

This is what technology is now, it is a collaboration of minds. No one has to go through something alone anymore, no one has to feel bad about asking for help. If you build it, they will come. So far I've really enjoyed the simple interface and I must admit, I spent a good two hours on it yesterday evening and didn't even realize how many I had gone through, but the good news? It has a tracker so you know how much you have contributed to the digitization of the New York Times newspaper, and doesn't that give you a warm and fuzzy?

As a librarian, I really feel like we sometimes forget the tools and means that are out there to assist us. The community wants libraries to do well, so why do we not seek out their occasional help? I truly believe we are the hub of communities and where most history and knowledge is located. Sure, there are some set backs, the possibility of inconsistencies, the chance that someone is doing nothing but trolling their work, but I'm sure glancing over and checking these statistics is much better than hand tagging everything yourself or transcribing for hours yourself when you could be contributing your time to another aspect of this project, as a librarian. So, go and check it out, I guarantee you will get caught up in volunteering towards a great cause.

The Future of Museums

So, I thought this was really interesting. The British Museum interviewed several visitors to the museum one day, and asked them the hard questions; how do they think technology will effect the collection of the future museums? Now. You may say "Elizabeth, why are you talking about museums? You're going into library science!" but the truth is, this is very connected to what I hope to explore in the future. Libraries are like... museums of information, and our collection could just as easily be effected by new technology as any library. Watch this video and post below, what do you think about how technology is effecting not only how we store information, but also how we collect it?

Hello Ello?

Have you heard of Ello? I most certainly hadn't, not until today at least. According to this article Ello is a social network with a manifesto. Supposedly, its everything Facebook isn't. There will be no adds, no complicated design, just a clear and crisp set up. I don't really have a problem with facebook, in fact I'm rather fond of it as a means to network as well as keep up with family. With this in mind, I'm also not a static individual. I know things change, and I am more than capable of adapting with the changing of the tides. I was probably one of the first people to delete their Myspace page to get a Facebook page, but then again, I also have a Google+ account (who uses that?).

 The website will officially open in a few weeks, but one can get in by invite only while its still in beta mode. Am I jealous I wasn't invited? Sure, I'm the jealous type and I can't wait to try  it out if for no other reason than its a great example of how IT fluency is an every growing education. I will always be a student of IT fluency, no matter how much I learn, and I love it.

What does this mean for social network as we know it? I don't honestly know. I do know I will be trying the new website as soon as its released to the public but I don't hold my breath on deleting my facebook anytime soon.

She is Small but Mighty: Girls who Code

Isn't it amazing how sometimes you can look for hours and not find something, but that moment when you least expect it... it hits you right in the face? In my free time I have been looking for articles regarding the common user and what coding means to them, but right as I found myself watching my latest YouTube shows, this pops up in my feed. Made With Code is an organization with one thing in mind, to make coding interesting to girls who are growing up in a world that tells them that science and math is only for the boys. This just isn't true. Coding is for everyone, and it makes up everything we do. The video explains their mission much more elegantly that I could ever hope to, but what I can tell you is, coding isn't scary, and it's very important. In fact, according to the website "only 0.4% of female college freshmen plan to major in CS" which is shocking to me.

Made with Code is a very user friendly website, which subscribes to the "three click" rule, or so I believe. To those that do not know, the "three click" rule is the belief that anything you search for should be accessible within three clicks. This accompanies the modern trend many libraries have been witnessing that patrons and users are becoming far to impatient to enjoy the hunt that we dedicate our careers to, but that is made for another rant on another day. 

This website doesn't merely limit itself to being an infomercial about how important computer science and coding is to girls either. It also serves as a hub to communicate with others who are willing to host hands on events in order to teach coding. The organization seems focused towards girls between the age of 13-18, but I definitely want to try out some of the workshops they have online, including making your very own 3D bracelet... for free. 

I believe websites like this are very important to the up and coming generations, and with such a user friendly interface, it doesn't feel intimidating at all to the typical individual who has never looked at coding in their lives. I look forward to seeing their next update when it comes out.