Thing for June: Google Maps

For Part I of this month's Thing, I started by searching Google Maps For 1445 K St. 68509. This is the address for the State Capitol. Using the zoom tool, I could see the color of the cars parked around it.

Using the "Get Directions" feature, I got driving directions from our library in Columbus to the capitol building. I looked at both the map and satellite view. For driving directions, I prefer the map view.

I used the street view to walk around Paris near the Eiffel Tower. I walked down the street and saw several buses and entered a construction zone. I spent a few minutes looking at random street in Japan, but decided I'd rather look around Okinawa since my brother is currently stationed there. The area surrounding my best guess at his base does not allow for much satellite zoom. To see if this was the case with other military bases, I searched for Fort Huachuca, Arizona. I was able to zoom right in and use the street view for that area. (I was unable to find the Korean restaurant where we ate dinner one night, though.)

I visited the kangaroos in Australia. They were pretty blurry and there wasn't street view to my right.

Overall, street view is fun, and I can see how it would be helpful to spot landmarks around my destination. It could also be helpful when patrons call looking for a phone number for an address and they insist the address is a particular business. Buildings, signage and even traffic patterns can help when you're hunting down an answer. (That particular business doesn't exist, by the way - at least not at that address.)

Part II -

I searched Google maps for "Columbus Public Library." I flipped through the first six pages of results. Our library wasn't in those results. Most of the results were Ohio. I tried adding "NE", but that returned zero results. Adding 68601 worked. I zoomed in and made sure the marker was in the correct spot. Unfortunately, there was no street view immediately near the library. Based on the number of cars around the buidling, I know that the library was open when the last satellite picture was taken.

The information listed about our library was correct. I wanted to add a second URL, but it only allows for one.

Part III -

I love the street view feature of Google Maps. It hadn't ever occurred to me that I could visit famous places. I've only ever looked around my town. I like the idea of offering coupons, but I don't know how much they'd be used, or if the rest of the staff would go for it. I didn't do some of the extra things mentioned, like embedding a map or claiming the library simply because I don't have a use for those now and I'm not the only staff at this library.

Nebraska Learns 2.0 Thing #24

Twitter:
I used the following search terms on Twitter:
"Columbus Nebraska" library
"Columbus NE"
same as above, adding the word "library" outside the quotation marks

I tried variations of the terms "c-town" and "c-bus" for "Columbus". Using our initials, "CPL" hits big, but nothing with relevance. "CPL" is used instead of the word "couple" and is also the name of scads of other libraries.

I found results for my city and state, but nothing pertaining to Columbus Public Library. Though it is not a surprise given our size and location, it is disappointing. This says to me that our library needs to beef up its virtual presence. We have a lot we can offer patrons online. I think micro-blogging is a wonderful tool for busy librarians. Maintaining Facebook and MySpace accounts can be time-consuming. A lot of librarians use weblogs to promote and share and Twitter is a great way to generate some more traffic and interest. Especially for patrons who are still confused by RSS.

Google Alerts:
I am a fan of Google services and have used alerts in the past. I set up Google alerts for most of the search terms I used at Twitter. Google alerts came up with some mixed results. Announcements that appear on our local paper's website hit, but most of the alerts were for other libraries. As our web presence grows, this can be a useful tool for tracking where our events get posted and that the advertising is correct.

FairShare:
I'd not heard of FairShare before but was very excited to try it. I used to author a personal blog and many, many times found my original content being re-posted on other sites that were set up to generate ad revenue. Most of these content leeches linked back to the original posting, but it wasn't always clear the content was not original to their site. I didn't make money on my blog, and was irritated that someone else might.

Since I hadn't established much of a blog for this project, I signed up for FairShare with my old blog. The RSS feed isn't updating since I'm not writing, so FairShare isn't turning up results. Which is fine by me. I will create an account for the library's young adult blog to track content usage.

It's suggested we show our appreciation for the link when the content is used fairly and I agree when the intentions are to share, not steal. This service is a great for libraries who post original works by their patrons or guest presenters. If I have a writing contest for teens, for example, and post the winning work online, I can teach them how to track the online usage of their copyrighted material. I can also see this used as a tool for teaching people about plagiarism.

Summary:
This was a great exercise to demonstrate how far-reaching our online presence can be. It is disappointing to see that my library isn't using the web to its full advantage. Being aware of these services, how they work, and knowing the results I'd like to have seen, I can use them to promote and share the library more effectively. It's on my to-do list to set up CPL's Young Adult Twitter account to post when I update my blog and share my Twitter feed on my blog. I've also created alerts for links back to our library and our YA blog.

Response: The 7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners

The 7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners are:

1. Begin with the end in mind
2. Accept responsibility for your own learning
3. View problems as challenges
4. Have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner
5. Create your own learning toolbox
6. Use technology to your advantage
7. Teach/mentor others

Being new to my position at the Columbus Public Library, I have a big to-do list, a lot of ideas, and high expectations both internal and external. I plan to use the habits listed above to focus my ideas and create a plan of action for each area I'm responsible for in our library.

Goal setting is a challenging concept for me. I like to make lists and start with a goal in mind, but I'm very flexible and can abandon a plan if another one presents itself as better, more efficient, or if another situation arises that is more urgent. I don't see this flexibility as a weakness, but it does make me nervous to sign a contract - even one that's just for me!

I definitely see problems as challenges. I tend to look at a situation and think, "What's not working here?" or "How could this be improved?" In event planning meetings, I'm the person who says, "And what's our game plan if it rains?" I anticipate possible challenges and enjoy meeting them with thoughtfulness and creativity.

Building my learning toolbox will be key to my success in my first year as full-time staff in the library. My toolbox will include the resources I gather, trainings and workshops I attend, and the knowledge I gained in another department in the library. I also want to find a mentor and return to college.