Second Life

Second Life was a totally bizarre experience. I felt very strange at first reading other people's conversations and I wished I was invisible so no one would talk to me. It really freaked me out when people noticed me and called out to me.

Info Island was awesome though. Rolig (in the green dress) was the reference librarian on duty. She took me on a tour, answered questions and told me how to do stuff. There was a group of about 7 of us, and everyone was super chatty and friendly. I even met another Rutgers student and I wasn't the only newbie. I was really impressed with all the available resources.

I just wished I could walk in a straight line. I totally ran into people! I nearly died laughing when someone came crash landing into the middle of the group, which really helped put me at ease. I don't think I would hang out there on a regular basis, but I'm really glad that I know a little more about what Second Life is. PLCMC is doing a teen library on the teen grid, and I at least understand what that means now!

If I Were Steve...

I'm totally having a love affair with this class, so I really don't have that much to say. I wish it would be a required class because I feel like my MLIS experience would have been sorely lacking without it. Four days ago I started a Ning for book bloggers and book lovers and I already have 36 people networked, most of whom I do not know nor have I ever read their blogs. I also scored points in a job interview today when I said I would screencast technology lessons for the teachers so they could be viewed on their own time.

Seriously, it's been awesome.

Some small suggestions:

• I thought it was interesting that we mostly used Twitter (at least I did) for help and questions. IM has been around for awhile, and although Meebo was new to me, maybe it didn't need its own full week. I used to IM people all the time, but now that so many people have unlimited long distance and even international calling is pretty cheap, I don't use it very much anymore.
• Something small I might add to the week on blogging is to have everyone create a blogroll of the class. Sometimes I wished I could click through everyone's stuff directly.
• I felt like I could have gone another week on wikis. Those were new to me, and so very cool.
• And, the only other suggestion I have is to maybe switch the gaming weeks so we get a little more time on Second Life.

EBIGFY, Part Deux

What does it mean for libraries and educational organizations?

Well, if everything bad is good for you, then I think as librarians we need to be prepared to face the issue head on. Libraries need to understand current trends in gaming, TV, movies, and online resources, speak knowledgeably about them and help people who have interests in them. A wide variety of media needs to be available to the public to meet demand and interest. Even if "everything bad" really isn't all that great, assuming public interest is there, librarians should strive to meet it. Quite frankly, a lot of books are garbage too but it doesn't stop them from being stocked in a library!

For me, the key phrase in the second half of the book is that we need to have the ability to "adapt to adaptability." I think libraries are a prime example of organizations that have had to adapt during the past few decades. And, on a micro level, librarians need to be more prepared than ever to keep up with changing technologies that influence our popular culture.

I do think that we are becoming smarter in the IQ areas tested, but I'm not totally convinced it can be attributed to popular culture. Johnson proved that IQ's are going up, but there really isn't concrete evidence why. I'm also not certain that as a society we place value on those problem-solving and logic skills quite yet. Are they getting us into college? A new job? We're still jumping through the same hoops from past decades that rely on rote memorization and standardized testing to a large degree. It will be interesting to see if the influence of new media and technology changes any of that...

To Wii or not to Wii?

Assuming I'm in charge of a fairly small library that currently has no gaming program, I would decide which console to get by doing the following:

• Survey parents. See if they will allow their kids to use the library for gaming and see if they have a preference for which console is purchased. Use an online survey program like surveymonkey from the library website or written surveys in the library. Talking to parents will also work.
  
• Survey the kids. Use the same methods as above but could also go into the local school libraries to get feedback from them there as well.
• Research the consoles.

Criteria:

• Cost
• Interest
• Target demographic
• How many people can play at a time?
• Space--Will there be open game time or will this only be brought out on special occasions.
• Can patrons bring in their own games/consoles?
  

Decision:

I would have a tough time deciding between the PS2 and the Wii. They are both relatively low cost options that have their own advantages/disadvantages. I think my decision would depend a lot on the feedback I received. The Wii is excellent for all ages (my parents play with my kids) so personally I'm partial to that system. However, PS2 has a lot of games which are cheap to buy. Having said that, a lot of kids already have a PS2 so having a Wii might be a good way to lure people into the library to check it out.

Sophisticatedly Delivering Stupidity

Let's assume Johnson is going to wow me in Part II with empirical evidence about how much smarter we all are as a result of TV, games, movies, and the Internet.

Who cares?

Here's the thing: There are still only 24 hours in every day. When you add in all the things you "should" get done during the day--sleeping, eating, working, reading and what ever else you have going on in your life, the question remains--how much time do you really have left over for popular culture? I have a few hours a week. And, quite frankly, if I'm being fed stupidity during that time or intellectualism I really don't care. I just want to enjoy myself.

I understand and even agree with Johnson's arguments about how media today is more geared towards problem solving and making us think through things. I'm amazed when I watch my six year old logic through the strategy required to win a Pokemon battle. But, that doesn't mean he gets to spend all day doing that, even if it isn't stupid.

I own a GameCube, PS2 and a Wii. My kids play Webkinz, Playhouse Disney, and PBS Kids games on the computer. They also watch TV and movies. But I don't let them do it because I think it is good for them.

I think Johnson glosses over the addiction and physical and mental health issues that lead to personal and family problems that can come from game-playing and being a couch potato. I read a study a few years ago about how kids and adults are cranky after getting up from staring at a screen. So, they continue sitting there because sub-consciously they know they are going to be in a bad mood when they finally do get up. I think this stuff is fine, but the amount of time one spends on it should be carefully monitored.

Also, I definitely noticed Johnson avoided discussion of children watching TV. Ever heard of Noggin? Their slogan is: It's like preschool on TV.

Oh goody, I'll save myself a couple hundred bucks on a month on preschool and sit them in front of the TV instead!

Puh-lease.

There's a mountain of evidence that says TV isn't great for kids. Again, I think it is all about making a balanced life. I'm a reality-TV watching West Winger, but I'm not going to pat myself on the back at night because I just fed my brain tuning in.

Screencast Best Practices

I'm definitely still learning when it comes to screencasting, but I have picked up a few things that make my life easier.

• Use a decent mic/headset. And, if using said decent mic, point it at my forehead so I don't sound like Darth Vader.
• If I know it is going to be short and not too involved, Jing is a more streamlined choice. I find the process of uploading to Blip to be kind of tiresome and taxing on my computer.
• Slooooow down. I struggle with this in my daily life, and it seems to be amplified a zillion times on screencasts. I realize that not only do I talk too fast, but I'm moving the cursor around really fast too. Obviously, I know what I'm thinking, but a person watching the screencast might be a second or two behind in following my instructions and I've headed off into the wild blue yonder alone.
• Plan on doing it at least twice. That way, I find I can flush out the mistakes and I don't feel pressure to get it perfect. It almost always gets better each time I re-record.
• If it is going badly or you need time to think, hit the pause button, take a deep breath, and try again.
  

Cribbage Screencast

A game of cribbage with my sister.

Click to play