23 Things
From LIS 460 Summer 2007
Contents |
What is it?
23 Things aka Learning 2.0 is the brain child of Public Services Technology Director Helene Blowers at the Public Library of Charlotte & Meckenberg Counties in North Carolina. The idea was inspired by Stephen Abram's Article on the social networking site 43 Things, 43 Things I (or You) Might Want to Do This Year. The program was implemented there last summer and ran through October with 352 participants. Learning 2.0 is licensed by Creative Commons. Other libraries are encouraged to model their own web 2.0 learning programs on PLCMC's success.
The program is designed to bring library staff up to date on Web 2.0 by having them dive in and try different activities. The 23 things are a list of weekly activities that staff were instructed to try, all based on free web-based applications, such as blogs, wikis, and YouTube. USB MP3 players were offered as prizes for staff completing the 23 Things by a certain date -- a cool technology prize to continue experimenting with and using cool technology in this case the library's selection of audio books.
What 23 Things?
The full list of PLCMC's 23 Things
Some of these included:
- reading a blog post
- creating a blog
- registering your blog on the learning 2.0 home page
- exploring Flickr
- exploring Flickr mashups
- posting to your blog about what you have learned
- using LibraryThing
- trying out an online image generator
- using Rollyo
- tagging with Del.icio.us
- using Technorati
- reading articles on web 2.0 and the future of libraries
- learning about wikis
- playing in the learning 2.0 SandBox Wiki
- using online applications to create documents (like Google Docs)
- exploring on your own to find new web 2.0 sites
- watching videos on YouTube
- subscribing to Podcasts
- downloading audiobooks from Net Library
- summarizing the experience on your blog
Who's Doing it?
Lots of libraries are jumping on the Learning 2.0 bandwagon.
PLCMC's program website includes a list of other participating libraries.
California School Library Association has adapted the program to suit the needs of the school librarian and made this program a summer activity.
Maryland Public Libraries -- Maryland is implementing the program on a statewide level.
Yarra Plenty Regional Library System -- this program is not just happening in the U.S., either, this library system is in Melbourne, Australia.
Even my home base, the Jones Library in Amherst, MA will soon be doing a Web 2.0 Learning program based on the 23 Things, though I've heard tell there will be 32 things for us to do. Unfortunately, as the program is not yet ready for launch, I don't have a site to link to here. I'm excited that I'll have another incentive to keep up with web 2.0 after this class is over.
In a School?
A program like this might be just the thing to pique staff interest, create awareness, and deepen understanding of Web 2.0 -- get the faculty to see why the students spend all their time on the Internet, and how much the Internet can really do.
Resistance to new technologies is likely the result of not having enough time or reason to experience them and figure out to what uses they might be put. Doing a staff-wide program of discovery might serve to inspire some teachers, or at the very least give them some idea of what web 2.0 is about.
Plus, it could be fun.
News & Links
Library Bytes -- Helene Blowers' blog
Michael Stephens blogging for ALA Tech Source-- lots of links and an interview with Helene Blowers.
Come Blog With Me -- School Library Journal reports on 23 Things.
For more articles and links visit PLCMC's Info & Program Notes, go here, scroll down.
