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Since I began teaching reference, I have discouraged students from using Google for their treasure hunts for a variety of reasons, mostly because I know they already know how to search Google. As Google changes, though, my new reason for discouraging students from using Google is that their new attempts to personalize and socialize search results are leading away from “objective” understandings of a page’s quality*. For many reasons, this is not good for library use.
I was one of the early adopters of Google. It was refreshing after the cluttered pages of Yahoo and Lycos to see that simple expanse of white. As they perfected their algorithms, the searches got more and more precise. I knew I could get a balance of precision and recall that was satisfying to me. At some point, the search results began to get less and less satisfying. I could tell when they were messing with their algorithms because it would get harder to get good results with the same search strings I had been using all along. Here is one person’s example. I was getting irrelevant results like this all the time. (In fact, I just searched for “precision and recall” on Google and got pages of SEO pages, along with wikipedia and scholarly articles I don’t have access to at home without jumping through hoops.) Part of the reason for this is that Google has been “personalizing” my search results, sometimes based on where I am (though it thinks I am in a large city with the same name in another state, so those results are generally useless), sometimes based on what I have searched for previously.
Here are some pages focusing on changes at Google and why it might become a less useful search engine as it tries to become more social:
First, we’ll start with Google’s own explanations of the current changes to search: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/search-plus-your-world.html. Notice the adorable hand-drawn graphics and quirky search examples. This is to distract you from what is really going on. While they are personalizing and socializing your results, they are also gathering information about you. Worse than that, though, they are limiting what you can find using their service. I honestly don’t mind trading some anonymous data that will be aggregated in order to get good search results, but I mind very much that their limited understanding of who I am will dictate what they show me. I’ve long been concerned about the effect of the Internet on the availability of information– I contend that the amount of information actually available to many of us goes down if we rely solely on the Internet/Web. I guess that’s a post for another day.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/01/25/145830858/googles-new-privacy-policy-will-allow-tracking-across-services An NPR article about Google’s new privacy plan.
http://techland.time.com/2012/01/17/why-googles-biggest-problem-isnt-antitrust-with-search-plus-your-world/ and http://idealab.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/01/google-search-is-dead.php These articles trace Google’s decline from the “simple white box and search results that made the search engine such a joy to use in the first place” to where it is now. (The discussion of the Olympics search reminded me of my futile attempt to use Google to find out where and when a conference happened last year so I could do a write-up on it.)
0 Comments on Google as of 1/1/1900
Apologies to lola2008 for piggybacking on this time slot, but as it turns out I need to post Friday-Saturday instead of Saturday-Sunday as I will not have access to a PC on this weekend! Now on to the nitty gritty of this blog post…
One of the reasons I decided to take LIS 780 was that I felt I needed more practical guidance when it came to providing teens with information services. As I am about to begin a job as an official Reference Librarian, while at the same time having been invited to take on the added responsibility of developing better teen services (a result of my opening my big mouth and pointing out that a library whose programs stop at Grade 7 is woefully underserving a giant part of the community), I am always looking for tips and tricks no matter the source. To this end, various librarians have recommended several titles that might help any new librarian develop practical services for youth. And so I offer you a book review on Get Connected: Tech Programs for Teens. Library 2.0 is certainly a huge trend at the moment (just look at this year’s OLA seminar schedule for proof), and this book offers some interesting ideas in that regard.
Get Connected: Tech Programs for Teens by RoseMary Honnold. New York: Neil-Schuman Publishers, 2007. 149 p. $45.00 USD. ISBN 9781555706135.
If a librarian were asked to identify one overwhelming trend in public library service today, there would undoubtedly be debate about whether the biggest trend was 2.0 or service to young adults. In RoseMary Honnold’s Get Connected, this Young Adult Services Coordinator at Ohio’s Coshocton Public Library has combined both topics to offer a guide to providing young adults with technology-based programs.
Divided into three major sections (Connecting for: Fun, Education, and Teen Advisory Groups), Get Connected recognizes that “today’s teens are digital natives” and that “one of the best ways to foster information literacy is by offering programs that appeal to teens’ interest in technology.” Get Connected therefore offers a range of programming suggestions that attempt to cover several of the most popular trends in tech/2.0 such as video gaming, podcasting, ebooks and audiobooks, and online research skills.
Teen services librarians from several American public libraries have contributed program descriptions to Get Connected, thereby providing the reader with practical suggestions that have already been tested successfully in the public library setting. Each chapter examines a particular topic in detail, giving the reader background information on the topic (e.g., “What is a Podcast?”), further resources for learning about the topic (e.g., “Sites for Podcasting”), and a case study explaining an example program (e.g., “Podcasting at Cheshire Public Library”). The text is enhanced with photographs of case study participants, images of promotional flyers and posters, and relevant tables and graphs.
The book’s extensive appendices would be useful to librarians serving in the United States as several concern the Bill of Rights as it relates to children’s rights to access electronic information, but Canadian librarians may not find these tools as valuable. Special audiences are also briefly addressed in this work (e.g., Earphone English at Berkeley Public Library is examined), but for the most part Get Connected assumes that its readers work in a medium-sized public library with teens without special needs.
Get Connected would be a worthwhile read for any new young adult librarian looking for tips on how to run a successful tech program aimed at young adults as it offers practical, proven suggestions on a range of tech programs both fun and educational. More experienced librarians, however, may find that the step-by-step tips and technical information are a little too basic, while librarians working in smaller libraries may find that the programs often exceed their capabilities (as many programs require a number of computers or after-hours space).
I found that video we viewed about Coolhunting was really interesting, and it got me thinking about new and different ways that we as librarians could market to teens. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to get away from that stereotype of being uncool and boring, without compromising our librarian integrity? I think one of our best assets is to keep informed, whether it be with the news, with literature, with library issues, and for youth work especially, with new and upcoming TRENDS!
Granted, it could be difficult and expensive to insert new trends into the library atmosphere (ie. It may be practically impossible to replace furniture constantly or computer technology) but online environments could be enhanced by keeping up-to-date, as well as programming, and art displays, etc. I found a trendhunting site from a journalist in Toronto named Bianca Bartz. I will post the link on the blog for future reference.
http://www.trendhunter.com/bianca
Bianca posts constantly about the newest, hottest things, both for teens and in general. I thought I would use this blog space to point out some new things that have been identified as “up and coming”, as well as illustrate the importance of using this kind of tool to stay current.
These crazes may be short lasting or long lasting, no real way to tell. However, I do think that trendhunting sites would be a fresh new way for librarians to keep on top of the ever changing world of teens! Even if we can’t possibly do everything, we can at least keep up to date on what’s going on and be able to talk about it. Here are a few of the things I found most intriguing, and that I think could be incorporated into libraries in some way, shape or form:
Manga: Business Scenarios (for a slightly older audience)
“Manga is becoming hugely popular in North America, but we’re missing a whole genre,” Pink says. “In Japan, there’s manga for adults on business topics. We don’t have that here. So I decided to create the first business book in manga for a western audience.”
Pimp My Flats: Shoe Decorating Making a Comeback (Cool Programming Idea?)
A plain, white pair of tennis shoes provides way too much creative potential to leave them as they come. Case in point, the Pimp My Flats exhibit has some stellar designs, showcasing ordinary plimsol shoes that have been taken to the next level of hip. Each pair of Lazy Oaf shoes has been decorated differently, from designs that are wearable, even seriously desirable, to others which are just plain hideous.
Net Video Buzz Site (Under ‘Links’ on the Teen Web site?)
A really great site for finding out what videos are creating buzz on the net is ViralVideoCharts.com. Before you think it’s just another time waster, consider that, if you’re already into watching clips on the internet, this site could actually make it faster and more efficient. Surfing YouTube for videos can fun, but it can also be difficult when you don’t know where to start, which is where a site like this comes in handy. It’s also a great source for people searching for current events or wanting to be in the know when it comes to internet culture.
Electric Origami - LED Foldie (Might work as a program, especially in Toronto!)
Placing LED lights inside origami creations can be an interesting way to bring origami into the modern ages! Makes great ornaments!
Cyber Makeovers: A Big Hit With Teen Girls?
http://www.taaz.com Upload a good facial photo of yourself and you will be able to try on makeup and hairstyles and no one has to see you until it’s just perfect.
Comic Book Furniture: To Keep in Mind for Teen Spaces
Comic books have become more and more influential for the 20th century art.
Italian designer Giuseppe Canevese brings to light the most important works of Guido Crepax in the form of furniture which can be brought into our homes.
Virtual Boyfriends & Girlfriends - V-Boy & V-Girl (Websites and Dating Trends)
Ladies, are you tired of searching for that perfect man? Instead of just settling for someone to ease the sting of loneliness, protect your heart and preserve your dignity and scoop up a sexy V-Boy instead. (Oh yeah, and guys, there’s V-Girl.com for you.)
Game Inspired Furniture: For Spaces 
What a fun addition to your walls. Tetris is one of my favorite games, so the prospect of having an adjustable tetris mirror is definitely exciting for me. The Tetris Mirror by UK designer Soner Ozenc is constructed out of thirteen interlocking mirrored acrylic panels. The mirror can be arranged to form a traditional rectangle, or broken apart into their individual puzzle blocks which give you a multitude of designs to come up with. The mirror comes in both A3 (11.7″ — 16.5″) and A4 (8.3″ — 11.7″) sizes, in either silver or gold reflective surfaces.
Super Web Mobiles - LG Touch Web: The New Must Have Communication Device for Teens! 
Web mobiles have a strong new competitor in the shape of the just announced LG Touch Web phone ‘LG-LH2300’ that sports a new “Hello UI”.The advanced beauty features a 3-inch wide full touchscreen LCD with 800 x 480 (Wide VGA) resolution and delivers full optimized Internet browsing experience. The Touch Web phone adopts Quick Search Icon providing direct access to main portals, Internet hot key and jog wheel.The mobile also features a 3M camera with auto focus, face recognition and anti-shake tech, T-DMB, Bluetooth 2.0, and Micro SD memory slot.The Touch Web is expected to be available early April in Korea for between 600,000 and 700,000 (KRW) ($600 to $700).
Beer Can Butterflies: Making an Environmental Statement with Art (Craft Programming Idea)
At Trend Hunter, we’re obsessed with eco innovation. In particular, we get our smile on whenever we see garbage recycled into art. It seems that every week there’s a new addition to this category. As a result, we’ve compiled 50 of our favorite uses for garbage in this super gallery. Top 50 Pieces of Garbage Recycled Into Art (SUPER GALLERY)
I hope you have enjoyed this trend hunting experience! Perhaps we’ll see some of these in the library very soon! References:Bartz, Bianca. (2008). Trend Hunting. Retrieved March 25th, 2008 from http://www.trendhunter.com/bianca/
I promise show 48 is on its way. In the meantime check out Colin Lankshear talking about New Literacies, Web2.0 and Learning with Social Software.
Colin Lankshear audio
Tags : colin lankshear, new literacies, social software, web2.0
The NY Times has this nifty weekly column, called Cyberfamilias. I love that, in part because we sometimes call my Dad The Paterfamilias, and I just think working Latin words into everyday conversation is funny, and in part because our age is such a perfect one for portmanteaux. Also, every time I see a word ending in "-familias", I think of George Clooney in Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? shouting about being the "Got-damned paterfamilias".
Where was I? Oh yes, Cyberfamilias. How appropriate that my introduction to the column was this gem, "omg my mom joined facebook!", which details the mortifying process of a mother of teenagers attempting to join her daughter's online world, only to be coolly and thoroughly rebuffed: "everyone in the whole world thinks its super creepy when adults have facebooks.”
Looking at my own anecdotal evidence, I'm starting to think she's right.
I have a MySpace, which I signed up for thinking it'd be a good way to keep in touch with the teens who use my library. Turns out the teens who use my library aren't all that interested in being friends with me on MySpace -- they're perfectly cordial in person, but they seem to regard The Internets as their world, not mine. At any rate, I haven't logged in since January, at least, and I don't foresee logging in anytime soon. I may delete it, I may not. Turns out, it's a nice way to find long-lost friends from high school.
I think what it comes down to is that often in libraryland, some of us who are into technology (and I am most certainly including myself in this category) suffer from what Marcus calls "Oooh, shiny!" Syndrome -- we are like magpies, hunting down and hoarding up anything new that we think we can use to better connect with our patrons. This is not intrinsically bad, but when we adopt a technology without thinking through how we're going to use it, or how much time it will take to make it yield the results we're hoping for, we are setting ourselves up to look really stupid.
I'm not arguing against experimentation, or trying things out, and certainly not against chucking our field-wide terror of Not Doing Things The Right Way. I'm just saying that just as "Oooh, shiny!"-itis is not intrinsically bad, neither are all of the nifty little (and not-so-little) technological innovations intrinsically useful for us.
Despite my frustration with Second Life, I’ve been hanging around there more than I was ever able to before (new computer.) The Library 2.0 people have done a fantastic job with the design! I really hope I am able to make SL work with my graphics card when the new update is made mandatory, because I would love to get into volunteer reference or reader’s advisory. I’m a member of 2 SL library groups, but I haven’t heard anything from them for a couple of weeks, so I’m not sure if they’re having the same problems I’m having.
I know I’ve been mostly negative about SL in the past, but I can really see the potential. Tonight, two classmates and I were trying to figure out whether we would have time to get together and discuss our projects. Something like Second Life would be very cool for that. Yes, it would just be chatting with our avatars as visual representations, but it would add another element for those of us with learning differences.
So, my old computer crashed and I had to get a new one. It’s beautiful… a Dell Latitude D620. Everything I had hoped the old Toshiba would be. However, I have hit a snag. I was hoping to get more involved in Second Life. I’m a member of two library groups in Second Life. I logged on tonight, enjoyed the terrific graphics and the beauty of Rachelville (that is a very nice place!) Then… CRASH. Turns out the developers of Second Life do not support my video driver… one that happens to be fairly common in education laptops. So those who would like to use Second Life as a vehicle for education might want to rethink that idea until the developers see fit to support more than two types of graphic cards.
I’m both attracted to and repelled by Second Life. I LOVE the idea and think some of the execution is wonderful. However, I see it as a further enforcer of the digital divide. My brand new, best computer I can afford on a graduate stipend with student financing is not compatible with Second Life. Where does that leave people using refurbished P2s? Or schools? Second Life is currently solely for the technological elite, not for the regular people. Which is sad, because I really wanted to get involved and finally have a computer that’s fast enough.
Fascinating NY Times article on pop culture's dependency on user involvement. It's not just about voting for a singer on American Idol, though. It's about voting to continue the fascinating, potentially soap-operatic storyline of your favorite character/singer on American Idol:
“Voting is actually incredibly easy and therefore not that meaningful,” said Michael Hirschorn, executive vice president for original programming and production at VH-1, which plans a voting-based show of its own, “Acceptable.tv,” this spring. “I don’t think there’s a desperate hunger in the public to grab the reins of artist development.” He added: “But I do think there’s a desire for a deeper emotional connection to artists.” [emphasis mine.]
I'd go even farther than that -- there's a desire for deeper emotional connections, period. I think that's a major part of what drives the success of sites like MySpace, YouTube, and Flickr -- people are trying to connect with other people. The internet is a much warmer place than it was even 2 years ago. What are libraries doing to participate in that trend? How are we using these tools to help our users fulfill their desire for deeper connections with the world around them?
I said yesterday that I would be blogging ALISE and Midwinter (live-blogging will depend on whether I have an electrical outlet handy, since my computer has a battery life of less than an hour.) Shortly after I posted that, I got an e-mail from ALA about how they’re enabling bloggers. I can even get a blogging badge! I’m not sure what the purpose of that is, but it sounds neat. I joined ALA’s Midwinter Flickr group, so I will be posting some of my pictures there. I’ll also be posting other pictures on my own account so my family can see what I’m up to.
I love technology!
These're complex questions: should librarians invade teenspace? or, more generally, should grownups invade teenspace? -- and the answers are complex, too.
I think, for instance, that adults are often unaware of the social norms governing sites like Facebook -- and make newbie mistakes that may embarrass teens. So, savvy behavior may help to establish legitimacy.
And these sites are viral -- and what's popular in one place, may not be in another. I was at a local YA Roundtable meeting on Tuesday where a librarian said that teens in her community are still using MySpace. We're just a few miles away, the teens here aren't on MySpace at all anymore -- they're on Facebook, where I've followed them. So it's a mistake to say, "well, our library MySpace page flopped, so we're done with social networking."
I've been experimenting with using Facebook to promote one particular program offered by our library -- and it has been really successful. But I only communicate with the teens in the context of our GROUP. I don't try to "friend" them, and I don't contact them at all unless they contact me, first.
I agree that we shouldn't jump on board with shiny new technologies just because they're shiny -- but I think that social networking is here to stay -- and that we need to figure out how to be respectful and relevant in those spaces.
SKM,
teen librarian
Cheshire Public Library
SKM, I agree that social networking is here to stay, and that we need to figure out how to be relevant in social networking spaces. As you say, savvy behavior can help to establish legitimacy.
I think, though, that we might consider some spaces off-limits to adults. As you can probably tell, I am thinking out loud here -- on the one hand, I think it makes perfect sense to work at reaching teens where they are. On the other, I think many well-intentioned librarians bark up the wrong tree when they try to bandwagon-jump, even when they've done their legitimacy-building homework.
My library is by no means done with social networking, btw -- we are blogging our hearts out, and we have a Flickr account, even if we don't update it as frequently as we should.
I think my overall point is that I see a *tremendous* amount of ink, digital and otherwise, going towards "rah! rah! social networking RULZ!" -- and I have contributed some of it, myself -- but now that the first blush of enthusiasm has receded for me, I'm trying to think more critically about how my library in particular can make the best use of these technologies with the limited time & staff resources that we have.
A follow-up question for you: are you on Facebook as yourself, or is your Facebook your library's Facebook?
I love this thread!
Thanks for your original post -- and for responding to my comment.
I'm in full agreement with you on the need for JUDICIOUS use of social networking technologies by librarians and teachers. My hackles were raised slightly, though, by the girl who thought it was "super creepy" for adults to be visible on those spaces. I spend lots of time explaining (mostly to other adults) that it *isn't* creepy for me to be on Facebook. Inadvisable, maybe, in the long term -- and I think that's a question worth debating -- but totally uncreepy.
And RE Facebook -- I have a personal account, which I used to set up a group for our library podcast program. Right now, my policy is only to respond to friend requests from library teens, but not to initiate them. Teen "friends" only get to see the most public part of my profile: my picture, my contact information, some other basic public information (and my favorite books).
I love the privacy options on Facebook -- they're WAY better than on MySpace -- because they enable me to have just one profile that I can use both for professional and personal stuff.
Also thinking out loud,
SKM
Thank you for this article. I just cross-posted on my blog (giving you credit of course), which it just so happens feeds directly into my facebook page. I just recently set up Facebook for the same reason you cited, to connect with my teens at the library. So far it is going good. Of course, I do like to snoop in, but I never get involved with their angst. Maybe motive plays into this. Maybe the reasons you join will shine through. I am not here as a parent to snoop on my child, nor am I here to use bright and shiny technology. I am their because that is where it's at right now, and I care about my teens. Not everyone has accepted my invitation, but several of them have, mostly my TAB members. Now I can send them a bulletin and know they all will get it. No longer are teens checking their email, they are facebooking till the cows come home, though.
Poor adults...they're damned if they wear mom jeans, they're damned if they are "trying too hard to be teens."
Call me eternally optimistic, but I do think there is a happy medium possible. Not every adult on facebook is creepy; but there are no doubt some who are.
And some adults (Parents, librarians, etc.) invade teen space in an unhealthy way, either to stifle/control the teen OR to because they think they are their teens BFF.
My MySpace has been a semi exercise; most of my friends are authors & librarians with a handful of real life friends. I don't use half the functions; but I do now have a better understanding of how it works, why it works, and the appeal & uses. And I have heard anecdotal evidence of MySpace being a much better way to advertise program information for teens than any other source; tho, arguably, that can be done by asking a teen to send messages/ bulletins instead of having a library MySpace. A friend of mine had attendance jump 100 percentat an event once the teens saw poor turnout and jumped on their myspace pages.
I'm a bit torn about the "stay out of teen space" idea. I feel that its an artifical divide; do we want a world out of Uglies (or Logan's Run, for that matter), with teens here, kids there, seniors hidden away someplace else with no mixing?
I think the important thing in life (and libraryland) is to experiment with the various technologies available to gain a basic understanding; and then, find out if it's something that will work for your community. There's no one size fits all, whether its blogging, wikis, flickr, etc.
I can equally be "ooh shiny"... but this is where libraries need to give staff room to play as well as the room to realize that it's OK to decide a new technology woesn't fit the community; and freedom to move quickly when the technology is a fit.
Also (as sophie & others have heard me say over and over and are so tired of it!) with any new tech stuff, my question is what will you do with it? Not, ooh, a blog, let's get one! Like you said, how are we going to use it? Along with adminstration/management who realizes that no, you aren't wasting time on the internet... you're exploring and discovering and trying to figure out what is out there that will work with your community.
A blog, a myspace...why? what will you do? What are your guidelines? If it's just "its the latest cool thing"...then it's not going to succeed.