Remember those old photo albums that would sit on shelves or under coffee tables? Then we would lug the binders out for every family get together (or even those embarrassing baby pictures shown to our dates), relieving memories. It was so important to make sure that every photo was perfect…film was expensive.
Today, we all seem to have cameras at our disposal. Digital camera technology allows us to have our cameras integrated into our phones, our computers, and our pocket mobile devices. As technology keeps changing these devices are becoming cheaper which means they are more accessible, bridging the digital divide. Storage also isn’t as much of an issue which means that we can freely snap away. The results sometimes seem like photo overload.
We have also gone digital when it comes to sharing our photos. Many of us use Facebook, posting instantly from our mobile devices, to share with friends and families. Other websites like Flickr, which is one of the most know photo sharing sites, allow allotments of space for free (or pay an upgrade charge for additional space) to post our photos for everyone to see and maybe even share. Photos can be tagged with keywords to make searching easier. Other users can even comment on photos or even share them with others.
Flickr uses what is known as Creative Commons licensing to grant permissions for reuse of photos. Some users are just posting to visually share their work, but others are willing to let other users download and modify the images. Public Domain means that an image has no copyright then it is free to reuse the images without first getting permission from the greater or domain holder. (Caution: photos of artwork are not always public domain even if the artwork is public domain because the actual photos belong to the photographer or museum). So if you are thinking of using an image for a project, remember to first check the licensing restrictions and then give all proper attributions (i.e. credit the source). Why get permission first? Well, think about it, you wouldn’t want someone using a photo of your dog in a dog food ad without your permission.
There are also several tools out there that allow you to edit your photos. Apple fans already know about Instagram which allows you to subtly change the appearance of your photos with filters, but there are also more advanced programs you can purchase for your computer, like Photoshop, that allow you to go into much more detail with your editing. Don’t forget to check out the free resources like the ones available through Google or even GIMP which is a open-source image manipulation program that rivals Photoshop.
Whichever route your photos take you, just remember to have fun and happy clicking!
Showing posts with label DeGroodt Digital Dash. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DeGroodt Digital Dash. Show all posts
Friday, February 17, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
DeGroodt Digital Dash Week 6: Tagging and Social Bookmarking
Tag you’re it!
Well, not really, but you can tag the items you post on
sites like Pinterest and Twitter to make it easier for others to search for them. This means that you are adding
a special character called a hashtag to your keyword to make it searchable. For
Example, typing in #chicken means that the when someone searches for the keyword “chicken”,
your post will come up in the list of results. Some databases like Blogger have
a tag field box where you would enter in all the words you would like to make
searchable. When using a field box, you do not always need the hashtag. Sometimes
the words need to either be written as one word no spaces like “chickenrecipe”
or listed with commas separating the keywords “chicken recipe, fried chicken”.
When you are in Facebook you tag your friends in your posts
by adding the “@” symbol before their name. This means that your post will also appear on your fiends’ timeline and they
will receive a notification that you have “tagged” them. Twitter also has this
feature when you want to “mention” a person. It will also send a notification.
Social Bookmarking uses this concept of tagging to help you
organize your bookmarks. Sites like Delicious are very handy web 2.0 tools that
allow you to save websites to lists or boards that you can access at a later
date from any computer with Internet access. This comes in very handy when you
have hundreds of sites bookmarked and you are looking only for the one that has
a certain subject.
You can even tag items in the Brevard County Libraries’ DiscoverCard Catalog .
Tagging an item in the card catalog makes it easier for others to search for an
item. Examples of tags you might want to use would be series names, volume
numbers, or even character names from the book. All tags are moderated before
they are posted for others to see.
Here we have expanded the tag box for the book Civil War on Sunday by Mary Pope
Osborne. If you were to search for any of those tags, this book would appear in
your search results. You can also see at the bottom there is a button to “Add
Tag”. This is what you would select if you wanted to submit your own tag to the
list. One possible tag for this entry would be “Magic Treehouse” which would
make this book appear in the list if the space was forgotten from “Tree House”
in the series title.
Have you tried tagging before? What do you think about it?
Thursday, February 2, 2012
DeGroodt Digital Dash Week 5: eBooks
Did you know that you can get books and audiobooks even
when the library is closed? Well, no the library hasn’t changed their hours,
but we have changed the services we offer.
Here come the eBooks!
An eBook is an electronic or digital version of a full
length book. There is a lot of debate over which is better: a traditional print
book or an eBook. We will let you make your own decision on that, but most eBooks
have little extras like built in dictionaries, highlighting, and the ability to
make the print larger. Yes, that means that with an eBook, any book can be a
large print book.
Prices are still hit or miss with this format. There is a
lot of self publishing going on with eBooks. Some traditional authors have also
decided to grasp this opportunity to bypass the traditional publishing houses
or offer teaser chapters or novellas in the eBook format.
Amanda Hocking is currently
one of the success stories. She started writing in her spare time and decided
to self publish using the eBook format. Her specialty is paranormal young adult
romances. She has since sold millions of copies of her book, is now a
millionaire, AND has just signed a contract with a traditional publishing house.
How much were her books selling for? Many for less than a dollar.
At the library, we now use a system called Overdrive that
allows you access to hundreds of instant eBooks and eAudiobooks that you can
download to your computer or mobile device.
This
website features selection in many different formats
·
Kindle Books
·
Adobe EPUB eBooks
·
Adobe PDF eBooks
·
OverDrive WMA
Audiobooks
·
OverDrive MP3
Audiobooks
All
you need to get started is
- A valid Brevard County library card
- Internet access
- A computer or device that meets
the system requirements for the type(s) of materials you wish to download
(These can be found listed on the Overdrive website!)
- Free software for the computer
or device on which you wish to use the materials available at this site
While
our staff cannot download selections to your device, they are available for any
questions or concerns. You may also take a guided tour of the Overdrive site.
Do you have a favorite eBook or eAudiobook?
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
DeGroodt Digital Dash Week 4: Blogging and RSS
Youtube video BLOGS IN PLAIN ENGLISH
BLOG--
Lewis Carroll, author of the portmanteau riddled Jabberwocky poem and of Alice
in Wonderland fame, would be very happy with this term. A portmanteau is when you take parts from two or more words and use them to blend together a
new word. For example breakfast and lunch becomes brunch. In this case, the words web log are being blended together to form the word blog.
Blogs hit a growing streak in the early 90s with the
introduction of web publishing tools that allowed people with no knowledge of
HTML and FTP, the languages used to design websites, to start creating their own content. Typical types of blogs are personal blogs
which a very similar to an open diary or journal; organizational blogs which
relay information to members or employees; genre blogs which would be about
specific topics like fashion or parenting; and media type which would be
composed of only videos, links, or images (the cheeseburger network has somegreat ones!).
The two most common blogging sites are Wordpress and Blogger (we use Blogger).
Both allow you to create free blogs and they have different features. Microblogging
has some of the same characteristics of a traditional blog like text, images,
or videos; but it is smaller and given in brief snippets like a link or photo
with caption. Tumblr is quickly gaining popularity with this simple type of format
for posting. Even Twitter and Facebook can be considered forms of
microblogging.
Blogs are typically run by a few individuals with common
interests. No Flying No Tights is a comic and graphic novel review website that
is run by librarians. The Krazy Coupon Lady is all about extreme couponing. TechCrunch
and Mashable are both about technology like computers and the internet. Many
authors, like Paranormalcy’s KierstenWhite,
host their own blogs that depict personal or professional information about
what their lives as writers or even paying it forward with advice. Over the
years many corporations have seen value in this blogging trend and now host
their own blogs that have more to do with the people whose interest they are
trying to engage than the product they are trying to sell. For example, Totsy, the online retailer
of discounted children’s clothing, hosts a blog with entries about food,
entertaining, parenting, and more.
Once you find a couple blogs you are interested in, it can
get a bit overwhelming trying to keep up with them all. RSS, which is often referred to as Really Simple Syndication, are feeds that
are published by websites that alert you when new information has been
published. RSS Readers like Google Reader will organize your feeds into a
simple format similar to reading an email. You can either manually enter the
blogs URL, or address, onto the service you use or click on the RSS button that
is located on most blogs. Typically this will be a feature that says “Follow”. If
you have a mobile device there are several apps you can use that will organize
all your links together in one place and notify you when they have been
updated. Flipboard is a very popular free app that organizes all your RSS feeds
into a reading format similar to browsing a magazine.
What are some blogs that interest you? Leave a comment below
with the link.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
DeGroodt Digital Dash:Week 3 Social Media
Social Media is technology we use on the Internet and on mobile devices to communicate with
each other. There are six types of social media: collaborative projects like
wikipedia, blogs like Blogger and microblogs like Twitter, content communities
like Pinterest and Youtube, social networking sites like Google+ and Facebook,
virtual gaming worlds like Minecraft, and virtual social worlds like Sims and Second
Life. Social Media is basically anything on the web where you are encouraged to
communicated and discuss with others. It is Web 2.0. Collaborative,
user-centric, and forever changing.
Twitter is quickly becoming a source for breaking news with updates from people who are experiencing events as they happen. Facebook keeps friends and family updated.
What social media do you use? What do you love about it? What do you dislike?
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
DeGroodt Digital Dash: Week 2 ----Google
 | ||
|
Google
is one of the best search engines available on the internet. By simply typing
some keywords in the search box you can get thousands of results. We use it so
much that back in 2006 it was officially added to the Oxford English Dictionary
with the definition: using the Google search engine to find information on the
internet. We are not just searching, we are googling.
You can fine tune your search by using certain options like:
Finds images related
to your keywords
Finds news articles
related to your keywords
Finds videos that are related to your
keywords
Trivia: Google acquired YouTube back in 1996
Finds products for sale
that match your keywords
Finds maps, addresses, and information
regarding locations that match your search
Trivia:Did you know if you type an unlisted phone number in the search box, Google will match the number to a listing?
Yes,
Google is great at finding information, but did you know it can do so much more
than what is listed at the top of the page? Click on More and you wil get a
list of all of google’s fun features like:
Translates text and web pages into different
languages. If you use the Google Chrome browser, Chrome gives you the option to
translate web pages from other countries into your primary reading language.
Allows you to keep a digital calendar of all
your important dates and schedules that can be synched to your mobile devices
like android and apple devices.
Not only does Google own the popular blogging
service Blogger, but they also have a search database that will allow you to
browse blogs on various topics.
Allows you to search and preview millions of
books online. Some books allow full access and some are only excerpts based on
publisher restrictions.
Allows you to search scholarly literature across many disciplines and
sources, including theses, books, abstracts and articles.
Shows
real-time stock quotes & charts, financial news, currency conversions, or
track your portfolio.
Keeps track of
your favorite RSS feeds from blogs and websites to make keeping as simple as
reading emails.
But wait! There’s more!
Your
personalized start page featuring favorite Google tools like the calculator,
calendar, and translate
Free photo
editing
Photo sharing
site
Social Media
site for sharing information with your circles of friends, colleagues, and the
rest of the world
Online word
processor, spreadsheet, and presentations. Create online and access anywhere
Get amazing offers at the best places to eat,
shop, and play
See where your friends are right now
Explore the world from your computer
Explore and share photos of the world
Build 3D models quickly and easily
Share your life online with a blog - it’s
quick, easy and free
Create mailing lists and discussion groups
Share what you know
Meet new people and stay in touch with friends
Visualize, combine, host, and share your data
tables
Developer tools, APIs and resources
Trivia: Did you know the Google logo may spontaneously change appearance? Google Doodles are the changes made to the logo to celebrate holidays, anniversaries and the lives of famous artists, pioneers and scientists.Play with some of these Google apps and tools. Leave a comment below on which was your favorite. Have fun exploring!
Trivia: Last month searchers were surprised by a freak snowstorm on their desktop browser when the search keywords “Let it Snow” were typed in the search box. “Easter Eggs” are the little bits of code that make searching on Google so much more interesting. Check out this article with a listing of all the hoaxes, gags, and Easter Eggs and here.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
DeGroodt Digital Dash Week 1: What is Web 2.0?
Parents! Hard to keep up with those digital natives (otherwise known as our kids who know everything about computers, but not so much on sharing that info)? Wish you knew a little bit more about where they are coming from?
Welcome to the DeGroodt Digital Dash! Join us as we highlight different technologies and resources each week.
Week 1: What is Web 2.0?
No, it is not a new version of the internet, but rather a different way of using what was already there. Depending on your definition, computers have been along for a very long time. Charles Babbage proposed and developed one of the very first back in the early 1800s. Since then, the technology has continuously been evolving and improving.
Here is a crash course on the history of the internet
The Internet was designed to be interactive and a place to share ideas. It was first used by scientific, government, or other research institutions to share ideas and to collaborate. However, for the everyday user, Web 1.0 was static unless you happened to know computer programming. It was a place you found information that others had created.
In more recent years, there has been a surge towards user-centric content. Web 2.0 takes those ideas and concepts about sharing information to another level by allowing the user to take control and generate their own content. It is a more social experience which thrives on virtual communities and collaboration.
Some examples of Web 2.0 technologies would include:
Youtube Web 2.0 for Newbies video
The term Web 2.0 began to surface in the internet community in the early 2000s. Rather than generating content that would then be distributed to the consumer, content was being developed for feedback from the consumers. It is constantly being updated with new features, information, and stuff to play with. Participation and collaboration are the keystones of Web 2.0. Users are encouraged to not just look at data and comment, but to add their own data as well. Other attributes of Web 2.0 include collective intelligence, or shared knowledge. Information is shared with other users and built upon.
Slideshare is a wonderful web2.0 tool that allows you to share slide presentations with other users. Check out this explanation on the definition of web 2.0
Think about what you do on the internet, you might already being using Web 2.0 and not even know it. Go2web20 lists over 72 pages of different applications that all allow you, the user, to create and share content.
What tech are you most interested in learning about? Remember that the best search engine in the world is right at your public library--- the librarian.
Welcome to the DeGroodt Digital Dash! Join us as we highlight different technologies and resources each week.
Week 1: What is Web 2.0?
No, it is not a new version of the internet, but rather a different way of using what was already there. Depending on your definition, computers have been along for a very long time. Charles Babbage proposed and developed one of the very first back in the early 1800s. Since then, the technology has continuously been evolving and improving.
Here is a crash course on the history of the internet
 |
| History of the Internet Infographic |
In more recent years, there has been a surge towards user-centric content. Web 2.0 takes those ideas and concepts about sharing information to another level by allowing the user to take control and generate their own content. It is a more social experience which thrives on virtual communities and collaboration.
 |
| infographic by Shanghai Web Design |
Some examples of Web 2.0 technologies would include:
Youtube Web 2.0 for Newbies video
The term Web 2.0 began to surface in the internet community in the early 2000s. Rather than generating content that would then be distributed to the consumer, content was being developed for feedback from the consumers. It is constantly being updated with new features, information, and stuff to play with. Participation and collaboration are the keystones of Web 2.0. Users are encouraged to not just look at data and comment, but to add their own data as well. Other attributes of Web 2.0 include collective intelligence, or shared knowledge. Information is shared with other users and built upon.
Slideshare is a wonderful web2.0 tool that allows you to share slide presentations with other users. Check out this explanation on the definition of web 2.0
Think about what you do on the internet, you might already being using Web 2.0 and not even know it. Go2web20 lists over 72 pages of different applications that all allow you, the user, to create and share content.
What tech are you most interested in learning about? Remember that the best search engine in the world is right at your public library--- the librarian.
“Google can bring you back 100,000 answers, a librarian can bring you back the right one.”― Neil Gaiman
Want to interact with the library? Check out all the different ways you can connect with the library online!
Brevard County Libraries---Bringing the World to You!
---Next week: Google: More than a search engine
Monday, December 5, 2011
DeGroodt's Digital Dash
You already know
about the internet and how to search, but do you know about Web 2.0? Join us online
at the DeGroodt Library Youth Services Blog starting in January as we highlight a different topic each
week for you to explore.
Here is our schedule of topics for January:
Jan 4th Web 2.0: What is it?
Jan 11th Google: more than a search engine
Jan 18th Social Media: it's all about connections
Jan 25th Blogs and RSS: what and how?
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