LIS Students: Consider participating in the Student Research Colloquium next year

I had the privilege of participating in this year's USM Student Research Colloquium.  Living in Jackson, MS, it wasn't too difficult for me to drive to campus and participate.  It was a great event.  Many disciplines/majors were represented.  However, I sorta felt out of place among all the research items on chemistry, biology, education, and the like.  We need more LIS participation next year.

I encourage all LIS students who are able to get to Hattiesburg to consider participating next year.  We need to showcase more of the research and papers we do in our LIS classes.  I promise it's not that difficult to do.  You simply stand by your poster for about a hour and a half and answer any questions.  It will be a rewarding experience, and you will meet fellow students as well as some of USM's academic deans.  I also had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Welsh who was gracious enough to be my faculty "sponsor."

The Department of Educational Studies and Research hosts the annual event.  The Department can be found here.

Search Engines

I admit I am a Google devotee when it comes to using search engines.  I very rarely will use any other enginge such as Yahoo.  An article on search engines I came across looks back to the 1990s to compare search engines then to search engines now.  Reading this article, I was reminded of sites such as Excite and Ask Jeeves that I have not used in many years.

The article speaks to the popularity of these other search engines in the 1990s when Google wasn't the most popular.  Several options were available to web surfers.  Most of the sites mentioned in the article are still available today though they have changes their web designs and search capabilities.  The article has screen shots of the sites comparing its look in the 1990s to its look today.

I know I will continue to use Google almost always, but it is interesting seeing the changes these search engines have taken over the past two decades. 

Sites mentioned in the article include:
HotBot
Excite
WebCrawler
Ask Jeeves
Yahoo
Google
Dogpile
AltaVista
Lycos
MSN Search
AOL Search
Infoseek
Netscape Search
MetaCrawler
All the Web

Cyber Crimes on the rise

We covered the issues of computer security and cyber crime.  I decided to look at actual cases of cyber crime using Google.  Just performing a simple Google search yields many results.  One article I read indicates that cyber crime cases are on the rise in a North Carolina community.  The state of North Carolina passed a cyberbullying law in 2009, and the law has been used to prosecute cases of cyber crime.  The cases mentioned in the article deal with individuals who hacked another's Facebook page.  The article speaks to the fact that it is a new law being used so many citizens do not even realize they are committing a crime.

Another article describes an FBI investigation into a group of international hackers who infiltrated the computer network of a major financial services company.  The hackers accessed payroll numbers, PIN codes, and raised account balances.  The suspects were indicted and faced up to 20-30 years in prison.  

The issues of computer security and cyber crime are important to research.  Both issues appear to be on the rise especially with more and more people putting personal information on social network sites such as Facebook.  People should be instructed in the various ways to protect one's self online.    

Libraries assisting with PowerPoint

Another exercise we did for our course was creating a PowerPoint presentation.  I found this exercise to be enjoyable mainly because PowerPoint is a tool I have used at least since high school.  PowerPoint is a great tool for users to use in creating a presentation as it allows for text, clip art, video and audio files, etc.  It is an easy way to convey all types of messages to those in the audience.  PowerPoint can be tricky, however, to those who do not have much experience using it.  Libraries have created instructional guides to assist library patrons in learning to use PowerPoint.  This is a great service librarians can do to assist patrons.

The State Library of Iowa has created instructional guides for its patrons.  The guides assist patrons in creating a generic presentation as well as specific presentations such as budgets.  Washington University Libraries has done similar work.  The guide provided assists patrons in getting started with PowerPoint.  The library system also provides contact information of librarians who can assist patrons if the guide is not clear enough.  University of North Texas Libraries holds instructional sessions to teach patrons how to use PowerPoint for Presentations and Posters. 

PowerPoint is a great tool for everyone to use whether they be students of professionals.  Libraries can and should assist these patrons in learning how to use PowerPoint.  These four libraries are good examples of the great work libraries can do. 

Learning about LinkedIn

I have been a member of Facebook and Twitter for quite some time, but, for whatever reason, I resisted the invitations to join LinkedIn.  We were required to join LinkedIn for our course.  I did not know much about the site until this creating my own profile.  Admittedly, I still do not know everything about the site.  However, I came across this YouTube video which explans the site and its usefulness in great detail. 

One of the aspects of LinkedIn which I think is beneficial is the job listings.  LinkedIn allows its members to research the pages and profiles of businesses at which they might be interested in working.  Statistics about the business is provided as well as information on the business's location and contact information.  Some companies even utilize a "Apply with LinkedIn" application on their website.  Rather than using the traditional resume, LinkedIn users may use their online profile as their professional resume when applying to these jobs.  More information on this app can be found here.   

LinkedIn appears to be a useful tool for professionals.  I am trying to become more active on the site, but I need to update my profile with more information.  Some of the organizations I have connected to include the American Library Association and the American Association of Law Libraries. 

Glogs

Before taking this course I had never heard of a Glog.  Blogs, yes, but never a Glog.  Many people like to use glogs as an alternative to power-point presentations.  Glogs enable people to be creative and utilize technology to put their own spin on materials for a presentation.  Picture files, audio files, video files, and text are examples of all the things that can be placed in a glog.  Editing is simple for users, and files can come from anywhere online.  Once the glog is created, it may be shared in numerous ways such as Facebook and Twitter.

Glog example

Glogster is an easy site to navigate when creating a glog.  I found through our class project that creating a glog was simple.  It allowed me to create a page on a topic of my choice utilizing different aspects of technology.  Rather than having to click through numerous slides in a power-point presentation, I can now present a glog with all the information needing to be presented along with videos, audio files, etc.  I highly recommend the use of a glog.  Power-point presentations, while informative, can be staid or dull at times.  Glogs allow for creativity that is sure to grab and hold the attention of those listening.  

The use of e-learning

This week we will be discussing e-learning.  Online/e-learning is starting to slowly makes its way to law schools and law libraries.  Herrick and Burriescki (2009) have written on the benefits of e-learning in the legal education arena, specifically in the realm of legal research.  To these authors, "online instruction has great potential for accommodating the learning styles and preferences of Millenial law students, as well as for the effective teaching of legal research in the digital age" (p. 239).

The authors mention a number of benefits e-learning brings to the table.  It affords learning opportunities to students who cannot come to campus.  It serves as a substitute for in-person instruction when, for numerous reasons, in-person instruction might not be sufficient.  It reaches today's students that have been raised in this technological age in their native environment and take into account the varying learning styles of these students.

Online tutorials, blogs, and wikis are some of the most common tools currently being used.  Professors, however, need a platform to tie all these together and will typically use Blackboard or TWEN.  Concerns over these two sites have led professors to explore other opportunities such as social networking sites, such as Facebook, and virtual worlds such as Second Life. 

The authors caution that the benefits e-learning has to offer cannot be realized without institutional support from the university.  Other problems such as copyright issues and students with disabilities also must be addressed in the move to e-learning.  However, e-learning provides excellent opportuinites for experimentation and innovation with online learning techniques, and libraries should not shy away from using these tools. 

Herrick, S., & Burriescki, S. (2009). Teaching legal research online. Legal Reference Services Quarterly, 28(3-4), 239-270.