Here's Some Research on Gamification

And for my final post of the semester, here is my research on gamification in final form. Enjoy.

Research paper:

Gamification as emerging technology in Libraries from jrw_lib

Poster:

Poster on Gamification from jrw_lib

Blogger App

I thought it would be interesting to check out the Blogger experience from the mobile user end. So, in the spirit of experimentation, this post was written entirely* from the Blogger app via an iPhone 6.

The interface is simple and clear.

No real way to get lost. However, the app did not have access to my photo roll right away. I had to go into my Privacy settings and add Blogger to the list of access. When I did that, I toggled out of the app without saving my post draft -- and it disappeared on me. My fault, of course, but something to keep in mind when using the app. 

Also, I'm finding it difficult to place the cursor at the end of a sentence within this post text box -- especially when you get down towards the bottom of the screen. 

Ultimately, the on-the-go ease of this app outweighs any minor control issues one might face. I approve!

*a subsequent edit was performed via the desktop version. 

Blog-ception

I designed this!

This is my blog post…about another blog post. So, for my library's blog today, I debuted a new angle for content creation: On This Day In History. Today just so happens to be Allen Ginsberg's day of birth. He's an interesting literary figure, tailor-made for a list of further reading, and has ties to the Garden State -- all signs  that pointed to Mr. Ginsberg being a viable blog topic.

Here's the link.

 My general blog strategy is to: 1) Be interesting; 2) Be inspiring (if I can); 3) Work in a library connection; 4) Always use images.

As far as content and layout, does this "On This Day In History" type of post work? Will community college students find this info intriguing? Also, how can I improve this blog in general? 

My First Library Interview

Last week, I had my very first interview for an academic library position. Without offering too many specifics, it was for a P/T Librarian I position at a small, academic institution. Despite being P/T, the position would be a full member of the library staff and would operate as the main librarian for a branch campus.

Needless to say, I was nervous. I was also informed there would be a presentation requirement for the interview. Yikes. Talk about "welcome to librarianship." Now, from my past life as an attorney, I've had a few intense (and stressful) interviews. I've been vetted by high powered judges, teams of district attorneys, partners of multi-national law firms -- but never have I been asked to teach.

The presentation topic for the interview was the difference between academic and popular sources. I relied on the recent Hack Library School article on "Acing Your Interview Presentation" for a bit of guidance and ideas. If you guys don't already frequent the HLS site -- you have to check it out (Plus, one of VSU's own, Amanda Davis @iamandahope, is a contributing writer).

I also used Haiku Deck to create my presentation slides. It's a great, free online tool that can really help make your presentations more image oriented. The files are also compatible (and editable) with PowerPoint.

If anyone is interested, here's a link to my presentation. So, what do you guys think?

 

Afternoon Podcast

While mowing the lawn this past weekend, I decided to get my educational Podcast on. So I dialed up my go-to app for enjoying podcasts -- the Stitcher app -- and stumbled upon something quite interesting. Now, I was aware that the Free Library of Philadelphia regularly hosts excellent guest speakers and subsequently creates an audio recording available online. All for free, as their institution's name would suggest. I just so happened to find the perfect episode in light of this class: an evening with John Palfry, author of Bibliotech: Why Libraries Matter More than Ever in the Age of Google.

Mr. Palfry has had an distinguished career. His CV includes: Harvard Law School Professor, Executive Director of Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Policy, founding chairman of the Digital Public Library of America, Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Knight Foundations, while currently serving as the Head of School at Phillips Academy -- Andover.

With all that experience comes some pretty learned takes on the current state of librarianship and its intersection with technology. "We live in a time of rapid and transformative changes in the world of publishing, information technologies, and learning" says Palfry.  And librarians stand to "play a central role in supporting new modes" if we are only able to adapt and thrive within these new realities.

Ultimately, Palfry's message is one of hope -- and one of action. As future information professionals, it is up to us to answer the clarion call.