Tame The Web

 

Help Desks March 6, originally uploaded by thehubatwts.

Don’t miss the Reference Desks Pool:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/referencedesks/pool/

How does your desk stack up? Have you added photos of your desk?

I admire Steve Campion. He takes risks..gets me thinking. Don’t miss this:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/scampion/2602178399

Will we see the ALA version next week? I’d gladly kick up my heels.

http://taggalaxy.de/

Via Lee’s Flickrstream, comes this site for exploring a galaxy of tags. Not only does it display Flickr, as shown above displaying the TTWDownUnder tag, but it also includes orbiting related tags as planets. Pretty spiffy.

Click on an image and it displays the photo with a link to Flickr. Give it try. Try your favorite tag… then ponder how our own interfaces might be this elegant.

Nice article from USA Today:

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/services/2008-05-06-tech-flickr_N.htm

Flickr was created in 2003 by Stewart Butterfield and Caterina Fake, initially as a video game site. It was purchased by Yahoo in 2005, when it had 400,000 registered members.

Today, Flickr has 26 million members. Free accounts are limited to uploads of 100 megabytes monthly, or about 50 photos. “Pro” members get unlimited uploads. Yahoo won’t say how many paid members Flickr has.

Hitwise says the site’s market share among online photo sites leaped to 11.7% in March, from 4.5% the year before, after Yahoo added Flickr images to its search index.

“Yahoo has also made it really easy to post Flickr images on blogs, and that brings Flickr a lot of traffic,” analyst Dougherty says.

Flickr fans such as Petal in Alaska check out Flickr often, just to see what folks are saying about their work.

“I don’t know of another photo site where you can start a conversation based on just one photo,” she says. “It really gives people a lift to their day when someone has noticed one of their photos.”

Karen M. Burns, Administrator of the Southwest Iowa Library Service Area, writes:

We did a National Library Week project this year–on the Wednesday of NLW we invited libraries in central, southwest and southeast Iowa to take photos of what was happening at the library that day, and upload up to 10 of them to a group on flickr.  I thought you might enjoy taking a look, they’re at:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/dayiowalibraries/

We set up an FAQ page before hand, (http://www.swilsa.lib.ia.us/dayinthelife.htm) and did some “training” sessions in the Wimba online classroom.  The Meebo Me widget on the FAQ page was used more often than I thought it might be.  We’re working on a project to create a cooperative reader’s advisory service using Meebo Me widgets on library’s webpages, with volunteer reader’s advisors staffing the virtual RA station/Meebo room, which will have a buddy list that includes other reader’s advisors that the on-duty RA can all on for assistance.  

Karen - Great stuff from Iowa Libraries. Your Flickr example is perfect for any type of library, system or consortium. Please let TTW readers know when the RA Meebo service goes live.

http://clifflandis.net/2008/04/30/passion-quilt-meme/

The best experiences you’ll ever have are the ones where you’re completely aware, if only for a moment. Look up. Look around. Look within. Be aware of it all.

Last night I talked about the passion quilt as part of our final class in LIS701. I told them about the meme and what I wanted for them as students to bring into the profession. It will be very nice to use these sentiments again in future classes.

Also, don’t miss the pool at Flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/771948@N22/pool/

Created by Steve “Do it now” Lawson

Read this: http://yestoknow.wordpress.com/2008/04/17/free-use-photos/

Then this: http://yestoknow.wordpress.com/2008/04/21/free-use-photos-part-2-the-plot-thickens/

Tony Tallent writes:

This morning I received a call from the FBI. I’m not making this up. It was a follow-up from the photo-taking-spree I conducted during Computers in Libraries in DC.  I explained (again) why one would want to take photos of signs and buildings and such to use in presentations and on blogs. I explained about “Creative Commons” that I had just presented at the conference earlier that morning with Helene Blowers and that I’d posted the images on flickr in a set called “Free Use Photos.” When the interviewer asked me what this flickr thing was and how was it spelled, I resisted the urge to say “well, it’s sort of like The Google.” This “interview” went on for about 10+ minutes. How does one answer questions like “how many pictures did you take of that building?” Which one is “that building?” “Why would you take a picture of a water outlet?” Well, it was interesting and perhaps useful to someone who wants to portray the idea of “letting go of resources.” I have a better question(s): Why did I have to have this conversation in the first place, and does this gentleman have to call every tourist in D.C. who snaps a shot of their reflection in a window or a fire hydrant or an interesting doorway?

Lori Reed extends the conversation:

Given the recent encounter Tony Tallent had with law enforcement in DC at CIL (now the FBI is involved) over the photographs he was taking of buildings and signs, I thought it might be a good time to share this post from Photojojo: Photography and the Law Know Your Rights.

A great overview of what you can and can’t take photos of and what your rights are if you are stopped by law enforcement.

You might also want to print and place a copy of The Photographer’s Rightin your camera bag.

Check! Printed! I take a lot of pictures myself and had never encountered this– I shot at least 2000 in Australia (including government buildings, etc)  with no worry. maybe next year at CIL there should be a Free Use Photos Flash Mob.

Michael casey weighs in on events and developments concerning the Creative Commons. Don’t miss the whole post:

http://librarycrunch.com/?p=37

Watching all of this has forced me to conclude that I don’t particularly care for the Creative Commons license right now. I think I’ll either need to claim full copyright on my works, or I’ll do what Lori Reed and Tony Tallent have started doing, which is to permit full and free use of some of my works — I’ll have to do this on an image-by-image basis as there are many photos that I do not want reposted or reused.

By claiming full copyright I require any re-users to ask me before proceeding. That way I’ll know who is using my photos and how they are being used, yet I will still be able to permit reuse.  I come to this conclusion because I see a lot of images out there with CC licenses but I also see a lot of complaints about use — “you didn’t attribute it to me” or “you didn’t attribute it properly”.

I’m not so sold on this middle ground of Creative Commons anymore, which is frustrating because I really had high hopes for it as an alternative to straight copyright. I think CC creates a murky legal middle that seems designed to give flexibility but ends up creating confusion. If I want credit for a work then I will permit reuse under current copyright law but require attribution as I decide fit — you ask me and I say yes and here’s how…  If I want it to be usable byanyone then I make it public domain and I don’t have the right to come back and say “but you didn’t stroke me enough with a great big bold attribution”.

http://librarytrainer.com/2008/04/18/announcing-free-use-photos-a-new-flickr-group/

How often do you need a quick photo to illustrate a point or concept? Are you ever concerned about the copyright restrictions? Well look no further!

Inspired by Michael Casey and his 50 Reasons Not to Change post (and the comments that followed). Tony Tallent and I have created a Flickr group called Free Use Photos where all the photos are free and can be used with no restrictions.

We encourage everyone in the library and education communities to join and share photos that can be used for displays, presentations, blogs, or any other imaginable use. Tony has already added some great photos to the group that will give you an idea of what we are looking for.

I just added the photo above from PLCMC to the pool. It was most useful in the slides Michael Casey and I put together for CIL2008. I’ll be adding more when grading time is done.

Helpdesk Rickrolled

Originally uploaded by lerxst / boycat

Joe writes:

Grabbed www.flickr.com/photos/timtastic/2371253585/ and printed it.

You can call the Information Systems Help Desk at 989-272-7425 and let them know that they got Rickrolled!

Flickr on my AppleTV |Originally uploaded by mstephens7

The AppleTV update dropped today. There’s a lot of new features I’m trying out but I was immediately drawn to the inclusion of Flickr as one of the photo options. I added myself as a contact and suddenly my entire Flickr collection is available. In the photo, you’ll see my recent favorites scrolling by in classic Apple reflection on a slant way.

Checkout:

Searching for content

Search results for Loreena McKennit

Previewing a track for purchase.

Rent a Movie (with HD option)

And look at all the Stevie Nicks!

As I finish this post, I’m running a Flickr slide show on my TV of trips to England for ILI, set to music pulled from my iTunes library. The image quality is darn good and the transition smooth.

I’m fascinated to see what will happen with this type of delivery of content, the convergence of social networks from the web to the living room, and the adoption rate of these types of technologies. AV librarians, please stand by: what might these inroads do to your collections? Your space?

Read more about the update here at MacWorld. 

yoga @ your library!

Originally uploaded by ellenonmaui

At The Maui Community College Library!

rock show copy

Originally uploaded by London Public Library

Nice work, london Public Library. Checkout more here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/londonpubliclibrary/sets/72157603814872136/

Inside by the Fire

Originally uploaded by Lester Public Library

Great photo from the Lester Public Library Flickr stream. Warm, welcoming. A perfect example of using an image to share a story about the library. Thanks LPL!

http://tametheweb.com/category/flickr-rocks-my-world/

Library Directrix

Originally uploaded by nearlydocmiller

What a hoot! My class enjoyed this today!

Information Glut

Originally uploaded by michelle_f

Re-invention of library’s traditional space part 2

Originally uploaded by michelle_f

From the LITA Assessment Brainstorming session. I am so happy I was able to follow the goings on at ALA MidWinter via my favorite social networks, including Flickr. Thanks folks!

Life imitates art, originally uploaded by Weymouth Public Library.

After reading “Dad’s Bald Head”, Dad Ken decided to take the plunge and shave his head too! Connor is proud of his dad!

This made me smile… nice to see on the Weymouth PL flickrstream!

Lee & Michael, Apple Store, Coconut Point, Estero, Florida

Originally uploaded by mstephens7

Thanks to Mr. Lee Leblanc for driving me around southwest Florida for my talk at the Florida Council of State University Libraries/College Center for Library Automation (CCLA) Executive Board/Florida Center for Library Automation (FCLA) Board Meeting at Florida Gulf Coast University.

Lee is a MLIS student at FSU - and he inspires me.

http://bibliodox.blogspot.com/

http://www.herzogbr.net/blog/?p=223

Brian Herzog writes:

Earlier this year, my library uploaded to flickr a set of historical photographs taken around town in 1901. We thought it was a good way to make these library materials more accessible.

That’s great - that’s exactly how libraries can enrich their collections and communities. We didn’t really do anything, other than put our pictures out there (no real promotion or involvement after that). It was word-of-mouth between patrons that brought this about, and let the library be involved in their daily lives. Neat.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chelmsfordpubliclibrary/sets/72157600000139715/

Via Jaap, comes this documentary about Flickr use in Holland. It’s subtitled and dubbed. From what I’ve seen so far, the human connections that Flickr enables are first and foremost. Fascinating.

Libraries 2.0 = FUN!!

Originally uploaded by leecolibrary

Director Dawn is a CONVINCING wIcked witch. (Could she be channeling Librarians 1.0?)

http://librarystream.wordpress.com/2007/10/18/marketing-a-vibrant-community-place/

Libraries are part of the communities they serve. They’re often a very active part — sometimes central to the daily life of community events, programming, and resources. So why not show that pulse? Why not display the vibrancy of daily life. One photo at a time might not mean too much, but look at the same sort of calendar quilt done for a library.

Thanks Steve!