Take a survey for extra credit

As you know, this quarter is the first time we have tried a hybrid format with a significant online portion for this class. We are looking for your feedback on the course format and a few other things. To this end, Korey and I have created an online survey that will take maybe 5-10 minutes of your time. I would like to get as many responses as possible and so you will receive 1 point of extra credit for taking it.

The survey is completely anonymous and is located here.

Once you've completed it, send me an email (yes, I'm taking your word on this) to let me know and I will add a point on to your grade. Yay, bonus point!

Deadline for survey completion: Friday, 3/23

Thing #23 - Final Quiz

The final quiz will be held in class on Thursday, March 15th. The quiz will cover the following topics:

• Library of Congress subject headings and controlled vocabulary vs. tags and tagging
• principles of evaluation applied to websites, books, journal articles
• searching the web: alternative search engines and search options
  
• constructing search statements: Boolean and limits
  
• finding books using Haystac
• citation and plagiarism
• intellectual property: copyright and fair use
  

In addition to your notes from class, you might use the following study resources:

• http://del.icio.us/liby1210
• Lecture powerpoints

Please let me know if you have any questions!

Things #21 & #22 - Final project References list and report/Memo

So the time has arrived to put together your final project. To read about the details, clink on the "Project" link in the Menu.

You will have two weeks to complete the Final Project (worth 20% of your grade for this class). If you have completed all of the things until this point, you will already have found a number of high quality sources. I encourage you to use these!

Do NOT post the project to your blog.
DO turn in a hard copy of the project to my basket at the Reference Desk by March 14th at 9pm.

Ask me if you have any questions.

Due: Wednesday, March 14th by 9pm.

Thing #20: Find current information about your topic

Use the library databases to search the periodical literature on your topic.

Types of articles you might look for include:
- Scholarly articles (from academic journals)
- Current newspaper articles
- Articles from popular magazines or trade publications

Databases to consider (Access all from the A-Z List):
- Academic Search Premier
- Proquest Newspapers
- Lexis-Nexis
- Political Science Abstracts

Find 2 articles and provide complete APA citations. Post your citations with a brief statement (one or two sentences is fine) about why the article is a good source for your project.

Blog post due: Wednesday, 2/28 by 9pm.

Thing #19: Explore a few award-winning web 2.0 websites

As we begin to wrap up our exploration of emerging web tools & how they relate to information-seeking, we'd like you to take a look at some of the most innovative sites on the web (2.0, of course).

For this thing, you'll visit SEOmoz.org's 2006 Web 2.0 Awards. Browse through the categories and pick 2 sites. One should be related to information seeking or organizing, but the second is up to you.

Here are a few award-winners that I especially like:

knowmore.org: Learn about corporations' labor practices and ethics (or lack thereof) on this wiki
Zillow: Find out how much your house is worth (and all of your neighbors' houses too) and more.
Stumbleupon.com: Randomly connects you with websites based on your personal interests
HousingMaps: A mash-up of craigslist housing listings and Google maps - I love this site!
Pageflakes: A great customized home page - it's just so pretty.

For each of your choices:

• Describe the purpose of the site
• Describe a few interesting features
• How you would use this site to track or manage information in life?

Blog post due: Wednesday, 2/28 by 9PM

Thing #18 - Explore OpenCourseWare or iTunes U

In the spirit of encouraging the pursuit of lifelong learning, we are asking you to take a look at some sites that provide university level educational materials free to the public. These online resources can supply extra study materials to assist you in courses at CSU East Bay as well as help you learn about new subjects once you graduate.

There are two options for this assignment. One is to take a look at OpenCourseWare at MIT. The other requires that you have the program iTunes loaded on your computer so that you can explore iTunesU. Hopefully, in the near future, CSUEB will be joining the ranks of those schools providing lectures and other materials on iTunesU.

Directions:
1. Go to one of the following: iTunesU at Berkeley OR MIT OpenCourseWare (in order to pick iTunes U, you must have iTunes installed on your computer)
2. Pick a subject and then a course within that subject.
3. Check out the materials available, listen to part of a podcast or lecture, and/or read some lecture notes/handouts.
4. Post the following to your blog:

• Name of the course and course instructor
• Two new things you learned about the subject matter covered in the course

Blog post due: Wednesday, February 21st by 9pm.

Thing #17 - Podcasting

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You already learned about how RSS feeds automatically send web updates to your Google reader account. Podcasting takes this same idea of content delivery and applies it to digital media, including radio programs, videos, music, class lectures and more.

Just as web feeds are sent to your RSS reader, podcast feeds are automatically delivered to your podcast aggregator, or "podcatcher." Several of these are available online, and Apple's itunes (free) has a built-in podcatcher that downloads podcasts to your computer and syncs with your ipod. There are also several similar podcatchers you can install on your computer available here.

For this thing, you will explore the world of podcasting by finding and subscribing to a few 'casts of your choice.

1. Subscribe to 2 podcasts and listen to a few episodes. One of your podcasts has to be related to psychology, political science or sociology (even better if it covers your topic), but the other one is entirely your choice. Give me the names of the podcasts, why you chose them, who makes them, and what the 'cast is about.

• If you have installed itunes, you can find podcasts by going to the itunes store and choosing "podcasts" from the store menu. From there, search for, browse and subscribe to podcasts.
• If you don't use itunes and prefer not to install third-party software, never fear--there's a free, web-based podcatcher/digital audio wonderland called Odeo. You'll need to create a user account, then browse or search through podcasts. When you find something you like, select "add to playlist" to subcribe.

2. What is your take on podcasting? Do you feel it is a useful method of information discovery and communication? Why or why not? (100 words minimum)


Resources:

NPR Podcast Directory
Podcast Alley
Podzinger

Thing #16 - Find two books for your project

Using the strategies for book selection we went over in class, find 2 addtional books that are either about your topic or contain a significant section or chapter about your topic.

One of your selections here may be a reference source (encyclopedia entry, handbook, dictionary, etc.). You may want to check out some of the library's online reference sources, such as the Gale Virtual Reference Library (see the A-Z list of databases).

Post APA citations for your choices. If you wish, use Noodletools to generate the citation and save it to your bibliography. Check this page for additional resources for citing sources.

Thing #15 - Explore some web-based applications

When you think of writing a paper for a class or creating a spreadsheet, normally the first thing that pops to mind is Microsoft Office. In order to use MS Office applications Word and Excel, you must buy and install a copy of them on your computer (or borrow someone else's computer - like in the library or other campus computer labs.). But there is another way. You know how del.icio.us allows you to take your bookmarks with you to any computer? And you can easily share those bookmarks with whomever you choose? Now it is possible for you to use a word processor (or calendar or spreadsheet software) from any computer with internet access.

You can write a sonnet, prepare a budget, plan your wedding, create an organizational chart or presentation - and oh yeah - do your homework! You can create, edit, share and store documents online for free - no purchase necessary. Below is a list of commonly used online productivity web-based applications.

Word processing: Google docs, Zoho writer
Spreadsheets: Google sheets, Zoho sheet
Planners/calendars: Backpack, HipCal
Presentation/visual: Zoho show, Gliffy

Directions:

• Choose two applications from the list above (different types).
• Create accounts for each application (if you use the Google applications, you can user your Blogger account).
• Create a simple document/spreadsheet/presentation or make a few entries in a calendar - play around and check out the features of each application.
• Answer the following questions about each application:
  

1. Tell me about the application and what you found out while exploring it.
2. What might you use this application for in your school and personal life?
3. What special feature of this application do you like best? How does it work?

Blog post due: Wednesday, February 14th by 9pm.

Thing #14 - Make an entry in the class wiki

Okay, now that you've learned about how wikis work and how you might use them, go to the LIBY 1210-02 Wiki and answer the following questions. (The password to log into the class wiki is library):

1. How is your research project going so far? Write a few sentences about your topic and what you've learned about it.
2. Add to "Our Story" - once it gets going, someone can give it a better title.

Don't forget to sign your name so I know you've made your post. Feel free to respond to your classmates' comments.

Blog post due: Wednesday, February 14th by 9pm

Thing #13 - Wikis and the wisdom of groups

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A wiki is funny name for a user-edited online website/database. The most obvious example of a wiki is Wikipedia - a user-maintained online encyclopedia. Anyone can edit or create an entry in Wikipedia. Not all wikis work like this - often access to editing features is controlled. A wiki can be private or limited to certain users - sometimes this just means signing up as a user.

The defining feature of a wiki is the ease of creating and editing new entries or pages. A wiki allows people to communicate and collaborate with one another asynchronously. Wikis allow us to share information with each other, pool information and build on one another's knowledge. Check out a couple of these wikis (browse/search a few articles) and answer the questions below in your blog post.

wikiHow
Wikitravel
WikiMapia
MemoryArchive
or find a wiki about something that interests you at:
WikiIndex

1. What features do the the wikis that you looked at share in common?
2. What is the origin of the term "wiki"? Cite your source in correct APA style.
3. If you were to create a wiki, what would it be about and why?

Due: Wednesday, February 14th by 9pm.

Thing #12 - Explore Flickr

Simply put, Flickr is a website where users can store and share their photos, label them with tags and tag other member's photos. Most of you have probably seen photos that were hosted by Flickr and some of you might even have Flickr accounts.

Go to Flickr and cruise around a bit - browse through some pictures, notice the tags, do a few keyword searches. If you're feeling adventurous, create an account and upload some photos.

1. What is a tag cloud? (hint: check out the Popular Tags option on the Explore menu)
2. Check out the advanced search option. What does the term "Creative Commons" refer to?
3. Given what you have read about Web 2.0, how does Flickr exemplify Web 2.0 characteristics?
4. What is you favorite picture so far? (answer this question with it's URL)

I like this one: http://www.flickr.com/photos/46927815@N00/94659988/

Blog post due: Wed, February 7th by 9pm.

Thing #11 - NoodleTools

What does starchy, carb-laden goodness have to do with properly citing your sources? In reality, not much. There is, however, a growing number of online tools you can use to assist you with citations. One such utility is NoodleTools, a utility recently added by the library that allows you to created formatted bibliographies online, then export them to programs like MS Word.

For this activity, you will:

1. Set up a user account in Noodletools

Follow these instructions carefully:

• Go to How to Cite Resources.
• Click on "NoodleTools"
• Once on the NoodleTools homepage, click on "NoodleBib"
• Choose the school library subscription - Username: csueblib Password: libcsueb
  
• Create a user account by selecting "Create a New Folder"
  
• Now, create your personal user account. I highly recommend that you use your blogger/google account login data here so you don't forget it!
• You are ready to go! Select "Noodebib" to begin a bibliography you can store and edit online.

2. Using the 2 resources you found in Thing #10 (#1), generate 2 APA citations using Noodletools. Notice that you can save your list. This will come in handy later when your final project is due.

Noodletools is helpful, but it's only as good as the data you input. Follow the input instructions carefully and use the help links to guide you in identifying the citation components.

For an online guide to APA style, see Purdue University's Online Writing Lab (OWL).

Also, remember that the absolute authority for APA Style is the Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (call # BF76.7 .P82 2001), available at both the reference desk and in the stacks.

Thing #10 - Start your research

Now that you've got your topic, this week I want you find some background information for your final project. The easiest place to do this is online: using a search engine to find and select only the best, most relevant and authoritative websites OR using Haystac, the library catalog, to search for books. So, here we go:

1. Find two sources (websites or books) that will give you some background information on your issue. Keep the sources nearby, as you will be citing them in Thing #11.

2. Identify one Congressperson (House or Senate) who has a particular interest in your issue. Their interest will probably arise from the unique needs of the constituency they represent and from their involvement on one of Congress' many committees. Suggested source: CQ Weekly (available on the A-Z List of Databases).

Post the URLs for all sources to your blog. If you use books, post the title and author.
Blog post due: Wednesday, February 7th by 9pm

Thing #9 - Social bookmarking

Ever wish you could take your bookmarks with you? Got a list of bookmarks a mile long that you wished you could organize without creating a scary complicated file folder structure? Or say you're looking to buy a car and a friend is helping you out - wouldn't it be nice to have an easy way to share websites that you've found without emailing them to each other? Welcome to the world of social bookmarking.

Using del.icio.us, and other sites like it, you can bookmark websites, organize them using tags and access your bookmarks from any computer.

1) Go to http://del.icio.us/ and set up an account.
2) Add a couple of bookmarks to your del.icio.us account. As you add each site, add a tag or two to describe that site. For an example of a del.icio.us account with a lot of bookmarks, see the LIBY 1210 del.icio.us site: http://del.icio.us/liby1210.
3) Post the URL of your del.icio.us site in your blog entry for this week and answer the following questions:

- How might an individual use del.icio.us?
- What is tagging? What are it's advantages and disadvantages?
- How does del.icio.us embody the principles of the Web 2.0 philosophy?

Resources: http://del.icio.us/liby1210/tagging

Post length: At least 150 words.
Due: Wed, January 31st by 9pm.

Thing #8 - Compare two search engines

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You've probably used Google to find information on the web, and with good reason. Google is easy to use, has a simple, uncluttered interface and allows you to apply various search limits. It is not, however, the only search engine out there.

In fact, different search engines have unique features, and rank the sites they return in different ways (which is why the same keyword search in Google will not return the exact list you'll get in say, Microsoft's Live Search). There are also a number of specialty search engines that cater to specific subject areas, such as science or

So let's get started. Choose two search engines from the following list:

A9
Ask
Clusty
Exalead
Grokker
Intute
SearchMash

Next, try a few searches, check out any advanced search features, explore and play. If you want to kill two birds with one stone, try searching for background information on your research topic. You won't have to turn it in this week, but finding websites for your research project is an upcoming Thing.

Complete the following questions for each search engine:

1. Who produces this search engine? What do you think is the search engine's main purpose (i.e. to find anything on the web, find specific topical information or formats, research)?

2. Describe two or three special features of this search engine. Also describe any features that you think would be useful in narrowing down your search.

One more question:
3. Compare and contrast this search engines with each other and with Google. Of the three, which do you like best? Why?

Resources: http://del.icio.us/liby1210/searchengine

Minimum blog post length: At least 150 words
Due Wednesday, January 31st by 9pm.


*Challenge Exercise* (1 point extra credit)
Create your own search engine using Google Co-op. Include at least 5 web resources in your engine. Post the URL so I can check it out.

Thing #7 - Web 2.0

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Just when you thought web 1.0 was getting kind of tired...along comes Web 2.0!

Actually, Web 2.0 has been with us for a few years now. While you don't need to become an expert on web history, knowing the current philosophy behind web tools will help you gather and use information more efficiently. Read this Time magazine article to get a sense of the spirit of Web 2.0.

Now review this Squidoo lens on Web 2.0 and pick an article to read from the list.

Next, answer the following questions and post them to your blog (At least 50 words per answer):

1. Name 2 key characteristics of Web 2.0, and how these developments impact information seeking.

2. Name two web sites you commonly use (not MySpace) and explain why (or why not) they can be classified as Web 2.0.

Due Wed, January 31st by 9pm.

Thing #6 - Locate and subscribe to a few blogs or newsfeeds related to your project

Now that you've set up your Google Reader account and set up a few feeds, I want you to find and subscribe to two feeds that have to do with your project. You can search for feeds using the built in Google Reader feed directory or you can find appropriate websites that concern your topic and subscribe to their feeds. Remember to think about the principles of evaluation as you choose feeds. The resources should be appropriate for scholarly, college-level research.

In your blog post, tell me how you found the feeds and why you chose them.

Blog length: at least 150 words
Blog must be posted by: Wed, January 24th by 9pm

Thing #5 - Learn about RSS feeds

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Using RSS is one of the easiest and most powerful ways to organize the world of online information for your own personal use. RSS is one of those concepts that is harder to explain than to use. So, I recommend that you listen to the audio portion above and then just dive right in. If you don't quite understand what you are doing at first, that's okay, it will become clearer as you go. (But if you are one of those people who wants to read about it before you do it, check out the Resources link below).

1) Go to https://www.google.com/reader/ and log in with your Blogger username and password.
2) Watch the short video introduction (very helpful!)
3) Using the "Add subscription" button, search for a topic of interest and subscribe to one of the feeds.
4) Subscribe to a feed from a website. I recommend that you subscribe to the LIBY 1210-02 blog feed (scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the "Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)" link) .

Whew! Now answer a couple of questions in your blog post:
1) How would you explain RSS to a friend? (You might try looking at the Resources below to get some ideas)
2) What might you use RSS feeds for in your school/personal life?

Resources: http://del.icio.us/liby1210/rss

Blog length: at least 150 words
Blog must be posted by: Wed, January 24th by 9pm

Thing #4 - Read about the project and choose your topic

First, read about the research project here.

Now that you've got a pretty good idea about the nature of the project, it's time to pick an issue. I've included a list of possibilities. Most of the topics listed are too broad to address in one brief/memo. Part of the project is developing a good research topic and thesis statement. For example, one of the topics is the Patriot Act. However, I would expect you to focus your research efforts on a specific aspect/application of the Patriot Act, such as warrantless surveillance. You may choose your own topic and you will have time to narrow your topic further as you begin researching.

Remember, although some of the topics can be researched as social issues, your job is to look at them from a political perspective. This means thinking about them broadly in terms of legislation, government funding and government regulation.


Post your choice of topic to your blog.
Due by Wed, Jan24th at 9pm.


A completely non-comprehensive list of possible topics (if you don't like any of these, choose your own!):
autism
charter high schools
coast guard funding
Congressional ethics reform
corporate bankruptcy code
Darfur
emergency disaster aid
estate tax
farm subsidies
FDA drug-approval system
foreign aid
foreign investment in U.S. companies
generic drug access
global AIDS epidemic
global warming
government negotiation of drug prices
guest worker program
immigration/border security
intelligent design
minimum wage
net neutrality
No Child Left Behind
nutrition in the schools
obesity epidemic
oil in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
organic farming
over-fishing
paid family leave
Patriot Act
pharmaceutical companies - disclosure
pollution of the oceans
prescription drugs from Canada
regulation of fisheries
rising price of health care
stem cell research
tax cuts
universal health care
war in Iraq

Thing #3 - The Tour

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Your library is lots of things including books, magazines, newspapers, computers, and online databases, but did you know you can also borrow a laptop and find map collections?

For this exercise, you'll need a University Library Self-Guided Walking Tour (available at the Reference desk on the lower mall). Grab one and follow the steps. Sorry, no snacks provided.

As you take the tour, you can complete those questions from Thing #2 that require you to flip through a book or two. Just don't forget to post all the answers to your blog.

After the tour, create another post (and remember it helps me lots if you follow the number scheme, so calling it "Thing 3" is very kind!) and answer the following questions:

1. Why do you think the library is arranged the way it is? If you were the library building planner, how would you organize the collection?
2. What are the most useful services the library has to offer students?
3. Where, in your estimation is the best library bathroom located? (It's always good to know this sort of thing)
4. If you wanted to take an undisturbed nap in the library, where would you go?
5. What part of the library, in your opinion, offers the best view?

You're done!

Blog length: at least 150 words
Blog entry must be posted by: Wed, 1/17/07 at 9pm

Thing #2 - Get to know Haystac

This first week is about getting familiar with the library as a place, so you're going to take a tour. But before you run to the library just yet (I know you're excited about the tour, take a deep breath), get acquainted with Haystac, the library catalog. In fact, you can do most, but not all, of Thing 2 from home and fill in the gaps while doing the tour in Thing 3.

Use the Library of Congress Classifcation handout (available at the Reference Desk or here) and find a call number subclass for a topic that interests you. Make a note of the topic and subclass letters.

Topic:
Call number subclass (two letters):

Okay, that was pretty easy, now find three books and one media item using that call number. You'll need to include the following information for each item in your blog post (so jot it down as you search):

1. Reference book

• Call number
• Title
• Author
• Subjects
• Two interesting facts or ideas you found in this resource and the page numbers where you found those facts or ideas.
  

2. Non-reference book

• Call number
• Title
• Author
• Subjects
• Two interesting facts or ideas you found in this resource and the page numbers where you found those facts or ideas.
  

3. Electronic book

• Call number (if possible, some e-books don't have a call number)
• Title
• Author
• Subjects
• Two interesting facts or ideas you found in this resource and the page numbers where you found those facts or ideas.
  

4. Video or DVD or Audio recording:

• Call number (if possible)
• Title
• Author
• Subjects
  

So how do you find these materials in Haystac?

• Use the Call Number Search option to find books with the two letter LC classification that you have chosen.
• Then use the "Limit this Search" option to limit by WHERE the item is located: reference, book stacks, or internet resource.
• For the video/DVD/audio resource, do a WORD search for your topic and limit the location to "Media/Reserves Collection".
  

*REMINDER: All of the call numbers for your books should start with the same two letters.*

Blog entry must be posted by: Wed, 1/17/07 at 9pm

Thing #1 - Create a blog

The term "blog" is an abbreviation of "weblog" - and it is a bit like an online journal. If you have a personal MySpace page, you have used a blog and no doubt seen dozens if not hundreds of them.

Why are we using blogs for this class? They organize information in an easy-to-read and navigate format and I'll be able to subscribe to your blog to get regular updates.

The blogosphere outside MySpace is full of interesting political/social/news commentary (as well as crude and/or aimless ramblings and loads of misinformation and rumor-mongering - kind of like life). Really, there's a blog for almost every interest - and some of them are quite useful for academic research.

So completing Thing 1 will take care of some housekeeping for the course and help me get to know you a bit:

1. Go to http://www.blogger.com/ and set up and create a blog.
2. The default set-up for a blog is public. If you would rather make the blog private (so that only you and I can read it), go to Settings > Permissions > Blog Readers.
3. Add your first post - a short introduction (at least 150 words). Write a little bit about yourself and your interests. Also, please tell me what you hope to learn from the class and how I can best help you accomplish your goals.
4. Email me the URL of your blog.

Resources: http://del.icio.us/liby1210/blogs

Blog length: At least 150 words.
Blog entry must be posted by: Wed, 1/17/07 at 9pm

Welcome!

You may not know it, but if you regularly use Google to find stuff on the web and MySpace to keep in touch with friends and family, you're already using the kinds of technologies we'll be exploring in this class.

This quarter, we'll use some emerging and (hopefully) fun new information tools that can improve the way you use information at school and in life. In addition to using the traditional "physical" library collection and learning about academic research strategies, we'll be playing around with tools like blogs, wikis, RSS feeds and other methods of accessing and organizing the information you need.

If you are reading this after class one, you know that the course centers around 23 Things (learning tasks), designed by myself and Korey Brunetti, another CSUEB electronic collections librarian. Completing the Things will help you better find, organize, cite and evaluate information.

Here are the "ground rules" for the class:

• Research-specific topics will be covered extensively during our weekly class meetings. However, not all of the tasks will be covered in class. For those topics that we don't cover in class, you will be given online resources and some basic directions, but I will expect you to figure things out for yourself. You are free to seek help from fellow classmates and individual help from me.

• Because of the extensive online component, each (required) class session will only meet for the first hour. The second (optional) hour will be reserved for individual help. I'll stay in the lab for the second hour and you may choose to stay and work on your homework with me, or you may choose to leave. If you encounter any trouble understanding the assignments, I encourage you to stay for the second half of class. I will be available at other times for individual appointments, but I expect you to seek help during class first, if possible.

• All assignments and announcements will be posted on the LIBY1210-02 blog. You will turn in your assignments, with the exception of the research project, via your personal blog, which you will be setting up this week.
  

• Some of the tasks will contain unfamiliar material and may be challenging. I hope that you will regard this as an opportunity to explore and have a little bit of fun. I don't expect you to become an expert (but maybe you will!). Just follow the directions, play around (in a mindful way), and let me know how things go.

• For details about the course schedule, grading, and other policies, please see the links above to the Syllabus and Schedule.

- Lori