Librarian X

I’m really pleased and excited to announce that I’m writing a book about Zotero for ACRL Publications. (This is one reason I’ve been all “Zotero Zotero Zotero” on the blog lately. …More than usual, I mean.)

The working title is Zotero: A guide for librarians, teachers and researchers. It will be part how-to guide for Zotero users and partly about supporting, promoting and teaching Zotero.

For my research, I’m really interested in hearing from:

• librarians and educators who are incorporating Zotero into teaching, from high school through grad classes
• campus Zotero advocates who are engaging in interesting promotional and outreach activities
• Zotero users who are using it in interesting or unusual ways

If you’re doing any of those things please email me or leave a comment! I’m writing through the beginning of 2011 and I’m expecting it to go to print in the spring. I’m sure I’ll be posting about it here as it progresses.

A big thank you to Kathryn Deiss at ACRL Publications for working with me on this!

I’m giving an online presentation for ACRL next week:

Superpower your Browser: Open Source Research Tools

Libraries are harnessing the power of digital resources, moving tools and resources not only onto the Web but into the browser software itself. Open source browser plug-ins such as LibX and Zotero can help researchers at every stage of the research cycle, from search and discovery to writing and citation.

The LibX search toolbar can be customized to search your library’s catalog and databases, insert library links into sites like Amazon and Wikipedia, and more. Zotero is a citation manager and bibliography creator that is as easy to use as iTunes. New features such as online storage and shared libraries make Zotero a strong competitor to proprietary software.

This webcast will examine these two powerful browser tools as well as others. By using free, open source tools, libraries can offer assistance and resources with little cost and foster skills that patrons can use throughout life, regardless of location.

If you’re interested in seeing how LibX and Zotero can benefit libraries and researchers, join me and ACRL on March 23 at 11am Pacific/2pm Eastern. My C&RL News article by (almost) the same title will give you an idea of what I’ll be talking about, but the online format gives us a chance for some live demonstration, Q&A and discussion. Also probably some funny pictures of superheroes and my cat. Register here.

(See ACRL’s e-learning site for more details)

I’m teaching a webcast for ACRL: “Superpower Your Browser: Open Source Research Tools.” I’ll cover the search and discovery tool LibX and the citation and bibliography tool Zotero. Learn the essentials of both programs, ideas for supporting them at your library, and a little about how open source is good for libraries and library users.

The session is March 23 at 11am Pacific/2pm Eastern. More details and registration info on the ACRL site.

I guess I got busy and forgot to mention this, or something. ACRL has very kindly invited me back for an encore presentation of my webcast “Podcasting for Libraries” on October 1. I’ll try to include as many other words as I can think of that include the suffix “-cast.”

Webcast description:
Podcasting is like an Internet radio show, or a blog with audio.  It uses the power of RSS syndication to automatically deliver new episodes to listeners.  There are millions of podcasts available, covering nearly any topic imaginable.  Any library can produce a podcast using free software and inexpensive hardware.  If you can post to a blog and talk into a microphone, you can create a podcast.  How can your library use podcasting as a tool for teaching, promotion, outreach and programming?

This session will explore:
• What a podcast is and isn’t
• How RSS makes a podcast work
• Free and cheap hardware and software for podcasting
• Recording and production
• Publishing and sustaining a podcast
• How libraries can use podcasting
• Finding the right voice to reach your audience

Registration is open now. I’m sure I’ll mention it again here closer to the event.

This is the class “handout” for my webcast presentation “Podcasting for Libraries,” June 2 at 2pm Eastern. If I’ve left off anything you’d find useful, leave a comment and I’ll update this post.

Overviews and definitions

Podcasting in Plain English video

Wikipedia: Podcast

Puckett, J. (2008, February 10). Podcasting in Academic Libraries. Jason Puckett.net. Retrieved May 19, 2009, from http://jasonpuckett.net/projects/podcasting-in-academic-libraries/

Wikipedia: Web feeds

RSS in Plain English video

What Everybody Ought To Know About Podcasting: Part I

Software: recording and podcatching

Audacity (free, Mac/Windows/Linux, audio recording/editing)

Camtasia ($299, Mac/Windows, audio/video recording/editing)

Garageband (part of iLife suite, $79 [cheaper at Amazon], Mac only, audio recording/editing)

iTunes (free, Mac/Windows, podcatcher)

Juice (free, Mac/Windows/Linux, podcatcher)

PodNova (free, Mac/Windows/Linux, podcatcher)

Hardware

I’m not an audiophile by any means, but these are microphones that have worked well for my podcast recording. If your institution has a media production expert, they can probably give you better advice on alternatives than I could!

Blue Snowball microphone

Logitech USB headset

Software: publishing

WordPress
But just about any blog platform will work. I’m presently publishing a podcast on Blogspot, and I’ve briefly tested podcasting from Typepad as well.

Podpress
This free WordPress plugin allows you to easily add podcast media files to your blog, and adds a nice playback button to the page when published.

iTunes U
Information on the ITU program from Apple.

Feedburner
For analyzing traffic to your podcast’s RSS feed.

Podsafe music

Internet Archive
Much of their audio collection is copyright-free or Creative Commons licensed.

Podsafe Audio

Podsafe Music Network

Magnatune
This online music label licenses all their music for free use in noncommercial podcasts.

Library Podcasts

“Podcasting” at Library Success Wiki

Emory Library Survival Guide podcast

Tisch Talks

Arizona State U Library Channel

Worthington Libraries programming podcasts

U of Toronto iSchool podcast

Dekalb County Public Library

Hopkinton School booktalks

Ohio U Library Tours

Recommended Reading

Braun, L. (2007). Listen up!: podcasting for schools and libraries. Medford N.J.: Information Today.

Colombo, G., & Franklin, C. (2005). Absolute Beginner’s Guide to Podcasting. Que.

Deal, A. (2007, June 4). Podcasting: A Teaching with Technology White Paper. Retrieved May 19, 2009, from http://connect.educause.edu/blog/jklittle/podcastingateachingw/44653.

Griffey, J. (2007). Podcast 1 2 3. Library Journal, 132(11), 32-34.

Mizrachi, D., & Bedoya, J. (2007). LITE Bites: broadcasting bite-sized library instruction. Reference Services Review, 35(2), 249-256. doi: 10.1108/00907320710749164.

Stephens, M. (2005). Libraries Get Podcasting. Library Journal, 130, 24.

Williams, B. (2007). Educator’s Podcast Guide. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.

Worcester, L., & Barker, E. (2006). Podcasting: Exploring the Possibilities for Academic Libraries. College & Undergraduate Libraries, 13(3), 87-91.