Creating a Library App: Things to Know Before You Go Mobile
Tuesday, April 28, 2015 11AM-12PM PDT
Registration link: http://www.cla-net.org/?861
Mobile apps are a popular topic in libraries. But what does it take to create one and what kind of programming can you do with apps? Is an app the right solution, or should you create a responsive website? What is the process like, and what resources are needed? How do you manage privacy, security, and legal concerns? Who do you need to get the job done, and what skills should they have?
These are all important questions that should be asked (and answered) before you think about creating a mobile app. Learn from expert panelists from libraries and nonprofits who have created, developed, and managed mobile apps for their organizations. Panelists will share practical advice and information based on experience, as well as helpful tools and resources.
Zeth Lietzau is the Manager of Digital User Experience and the Community Technology Center at the Denver Public Library. He’s the leader of their Virtual Services initiative, which defines the direction of DPL’s online services, mobile & otherwise, including the Volume Denver project which is available as a mobile-responsive site.
A303_Lietzau Makers, Hackers, and Badges at the Denver Public Library
Anna Jaeger and her team at Caravan Studios create mobile apps that are designed in partnership with nonprofit and community-focused organizations to meet the needs of their constituents. Anna has been a frequent speaker on nonprofit and environmental technology since 2007. Prior to her work with Caravan Studios, Ms. Jaeger was a founder and co-director of TechSoup Global’s GreenTech initiative and the director of TechSoup Global’s IT Engineering department.
https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/meetingArchive?eventId=li2t1jz4hoy6
Ani Boyadjian has been a working librarian since 1990. An LAPL staffer since 1996, she is now Research & Special Collections Manager at the Los Angeles Public Library, where she also oversees the Library’s Digitization efforts. She most recently spearheaded the development of the ARchive LAPL app in a partnership with USC and app developers Neon Roots, to use augmented reality to tell stories about the historic Central Library.
More on mobile apps in general on this IMS blog:
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/?s=mobile+apps
From: Miltenoff, Plamen
Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2013 4:09 PM
To: ‘technology@lists.mnscu.edu’; ‘edgamesandsims@lists.mnscu.edu’
Cc: Oyedele, Adesegun
Subject: virtual worlds and simulations
Good afternoon
Apologies for any cross posting…
Following a request from fellow faculty at SCSU, I am interested in learning more about any possibilities for using virtual worlds and simulations opportunities [in the MnSCU system] for teaching and learning purposes.
The last I remember was a rather messy divorce between academia and Second Life (the latter accusing an educational institution of harboring SL hackers). Around that time, MnSCU dropped their SL support.
Does anybody have an idea where faculty can get low-cost if not free access to virtual worlds? Any alternatives for other simulation exercises?
Any info/feedback will be deeply appreciated.
Plamen
After Frustrations in Second Life, Colleges Look to New Virtual Worlds. February 14, 2010
—–Original Message—–
From: Weber, James E.
Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2013 5:41 PM
To: Miltenoff, Plamen Subject: RE: virtual worlds and simulations
Hi Plamen:
I don’t use virtual worlds, but I do use a couple of simulations…
I use http://www.glo-bus.com/ extensively in my strategy class. It is a primary integrating mechanism for this capstone class.
I also use http://erpsim.hec.ca/en because it uses and illustrates SAP and process management.
http://www.goventure.net/ is one I have been looking into. Seems more flexible…
Best,
Jim
From: brock.dubbels@gmail.com [mailto:brock.dubbels@gmail.com] On Behalf Of Brock Dubbels
Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2013 4:29 PM
To: Oyedele, Adesegun
Cc: Miltenoff, Plamen; Gaming and Simulations
Subject: Re: virtual worlds and simulations
That is fairly general
what constitutes programming skill is not just coding, but learning icon-driven actions and logic in a menu
for example, Sketch Up is free. You still have to learn how to use the interface.
there is drag and drop game software, but this is not necessarily a share simulation
From: Kalyvaki, Maria [mailto:Maria.Kalyvaki2@smsu.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2013 4:26 PM
To: Miltenoff, Plamen
Subject: RE: virtual worlds and simulations
Hi,
I received this email today and I am happy that someone is interested on Second Life. The second life platform and some other virtual worlds are free to use. Depends what are your expectations there that may increase the cost of using the virtual world. I am using some of those virtual worlds and my previous school Texas Tech University was using SL for a course.
Let me know how could I help you with the virtual worlds.
With appreciation,
Maria
From: Jane McKinley [mailto:Jane.McKinley@riverland.edu]
Sent: Thursday, November 21, 2013 11:09 AM
To: Miltenoff, Plamen
Cc: Jone Tiffany; Pamm Tranby; Dan Harber
Subject: Virtual worlds
Hi Plamen,
To introduce myself I am the coordinator/ specialist for our real life allied health simulation center at Riverland Community College. Dan Harber passed your message on to me. I have been actively working in SL since 2008. My goal in SL was to do simulation for nursing education. I remember when MnSCU had the island. I tried contacting the lead person at St. Paul College about building a hospital on the island for nursing that would be open to all MN programs, but never could get a response back.
Yes, SL did take the education fees away for a while but they are now back. Second Life is free in of itself, it is finding islands with educational simulations that takes time to explore, but many are free and open to the public. I do have a list of islands that may be of interest to you. They are all health related, but there are science islands such as Genome Island. Matter of fact there is a talk that will be out there tonight about how to do research and conduct fair experiments at 7:00 our time.
I have been lucky to find someone with the same goals as I have. Her name is Jone Tiffany. She is a professor at Bethel University in the nursing program. In the last 4 years we have built an island for nursing education. This consists of a hospital, clinic, office building, classrooms and a library. We also built a simulation center. (Although I accidently removed the floor and some walls in it. Our builder is getting it back together.) There is such a shortage of real mental health and public health sites that a second island is being purchased to meet this request. On that island we are going to build an inner city, urban and rural communities. This will be geared towards meeting those requests. Our law enforcement program at Riverland has voiced an interest in SL with being able to set up virtual crime scenes which could be staged anywhere on the two islands. With the catastrophic natural events and terrorist activities that have occurred recently we will replicate these same communities on the other side of the island only it will be the aftermath of a hurricane and tornado, or flooding. On the other side we could stage the aftermath of a bombing such as what happened in Boston. Victims could transported to the hospital ED. Law enforcement could do an investigation.
We have also been working with the University of Wisconsin, Osh Kosh. They have a plane crash simulation and what we call a grunge house that students go into to see what the living conditions are like for those who live in poverty and what could be done about it.
Since I am not faculty I cannot take our students out to SL, but Jone has had well over 100 of her students in there doing various assignments. She is taking more out this semester. They have done such things as family health assessments and diabetes assessment and have to create a plan of care. She has done lectures out there. So the students come out with their avatars and sit in a classroom. This is a way distant learning can be done but yet be engaged with the students. The beauty of SL is that you can be creative. Since the island is called Nightingale Isle, some of the builds are designed with that theme in mind. Such as the classrooms, they are tiered up a mountain and look like the remains of a bombed out church from the Crimean War, it is one of our favorite spots. We also have an area open on the island for support groups to meet. About 5 years ago Riverland did do a congestive heart failure simulation with another hospital in SL. That faculty person unfortunately has left so we have not been able to continue it, but the students loved it. We did the same scenario with Jones students in the sim center we have and again the students loved it.
The island is private but anyone is welcome to use it. We do this so that we know and can control who is on the island. All that is needed is to let Jone or I know who you are, where are you from (institution), and what is your avatar name. We will friend you in SL and invite you to join the group, then you have access to the island. Both Jone and I are always eager to share what all goes on out there (as you can tell by this e-mail). There is so much potential of what can be done. We have been lucky to be able to hire the builder who builds for the Mayo Clinic. Their islands are next to ours. She replicated the Gonda Building including the million dollar plus chandeliers.
I can send you the list of the health care related islands, there are about 40 of them. I also copied Jone, she can give you more information on what goes into owning an island. We have had our ups and downs with this endeavor but believe in it so much that we have persevered and have a beautiful island to show for it.
Let me if you want to talk more.
Jane (aka Tessa Finesmith-avatar name)
Jane McKinley, RN
College Lab Specialist -Riverland Center for Simulation Learning
Riverland Community College
Austin, MN 55912
jane.mckinley@riverland.edu
507-433-0551 (office)
From: Jeremy Nienow [mailto:JNienow@inverhills.mnscu.edu]
Sent: Thursday, November 21, 2013 10:11 AM
To: Miltenoff, Plamen
Cc: Sue Dion
Subject: Teaching in virtual worlds
Hello,
A friend here at IHCC sent me your request for information on teaching in low-cost virtual environments.
I like to think of myself on the cusp of gamification and I have a strong background in gaming in general (being a white male in my 30s).
Anyway – almost every MMORPG (Massive Multi-online role playing game) today is set up on a Free to Play platform for its inhabitance.
There are maybe a dozen of these out there right now from Dungeon and Dragons online, to Tera, to Neverwinter Nights…etc.
Its free to download, no subscription fee (like there used to be) and its free to play – how they get the money is they make game items and cool aspects of the game cost money…people pay for the privilege of leveling faster.
So – you could easily have all your students download the game (provided they all have a suitable system and internet access), make an avatar, start in the same place – and teach right from there.
I have thought of doing this for an all online class before, but wanted to wait till I was tenured.
Best,
Jeremy L. Nienow, PhD., RPA
Anthropology Faculty
Inver Hills Community College
P.S. Landon Pirius (sp?) who was once at IHCC and now I believe is at North Hennepin maybe… wrote his PhD on teaching in online environments and used World of Warcraft.
From: Gary Abernethy [mailto:Gary.Abernethy@minneapolis.edu]
Sent: Thursday, November 21, 2013 8:46 AM
To: Miltenoff, Plamen
Subject: Re: [technology] virtual worlds and simulations
Plamen,
The below are current options I am aware of for VW and SIM . You may also want to take a look at Kuda, in Google code, I worked at SRI when we developed this tool. I am interested in collaboration in this area.
Hope the info helps
https://www.activeworlds.com/index.html
http://www.opencobalt.org/
http://opensimulator.org/wiki/Main_Page
http://metaverse.sourceforge.net/
http://stable.kuda.googlecode.com
Gary Abernethy
Director of eLearning
Academic Affairs
Minneapolis Community and Technical College | 1501 Hennepin Avenue S. | Minneapolis, MN 55403
Phone 612-200-5579
Gary.Abernethy@minneapolis.edu | http://www.minneapolis.edu
From: John OBrien [mailto:John.OBrien@so.mnscu.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2013 11:37 PM
To: Miltenoff, Plamen
Subject: RE: virtual worlds and simulations
I doubt this is so helpful, but maybe: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/SLED
5 Excellent Videos to Teach Your Students about Digital Citizenship ~ Educational Technology and Mobile Learning
bibliography:
Ramspott’s blog entry best written for my personal taste, but here is a long list of additional and similar opinions:
Bramman, R. (n.d.). Digital Identity Essentials: Understanding Online Etiquette and the Rules Social Media Engagement. Research Personal Branding. Retrieved October 3, 2013, from http://www.reachpersonalbranding.com/digital-identity-essentials-understanding-online-etiquette-and-the-rules-social-media-engagement/
Dalton, J. C., & Crosby, P. C. (2013). Digital Identity: How Social Media Are Influencing Student Learning and Development in College. Journal of College and Character, 14(1), 1–4. doi:10.1515/jcc-2013-0001
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Teach Digital Citizenship with … Minecraft
http://askatechteacher.wordpress.com/2013/10/03/teach-digital-citizenship-with-minecraft/
In the summer, there was an article about physics professor using Minecraft, but that’s not new because an MIT physics professor was using rap in the down of podcasting to teach physics and then another one later on was using Second Life. All of them gone by now…
From: Ewing, M Keith
Sent: Monday, September 30, 2013 4:43 PM
Subject: Eric Stoller on Digital Identity
A couple of interesting links to comments by Eric Stoller on “digital identity” – which he defines as “made up of their online interactions and exchanges.”
Character Clearinghouse – Interview with Eric Stoller, 2013 Jon C. Dalton Institute on College Student Values, Keynote Speaker
https://characterclearinghouse.fsu.edu/index.php/jon-c-dalton-institute-on-college-student-values/keynote-speakers/925-stoller
Digital Identity Keynote at Curry College (full video is about 63 minutes; includes transcript of the Twitter stream about his talk)
http://ericstoller.com/blog/2013/06/21/digital-identity-keynote-at-curry-college/
Eric might make a good speaker to students (and faculty) …
my (Plamen) note: Keith’s email and his suggestions for readings, e.g.
http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/jcc.2013.14.issue-1/jcc-2013-0001/jcc-2013-0001.xml
connects with “contemplative computing” and Turkle’s disconnect, so I am entering as tags
from http://inalj.com/?p=10038
1) Codecademy – http://www.codecademy.com/
Need to learn JavaScript, Ruby or HTML? Codecademy provides free interactive online tutorials that will help you learn these languages and more. It’s great for visual learners, such as myself, and let’s be honest – who doesn’t like earning badges for completing a task?
2) Lifehacker – http://lifehacker.com/
Lifehacker posts about tips and hacks to make your life easier. I frequently learn about tweaks or new software from this blog.
3) The Librarian in Black – http://librarianinblack.net/
If you haven’t read Sarah Houghton’s blog, you really should. Sarah posts about issues in libraries and frequently touches on technology. She is not afraid to voice controversial opinions.
4) Teleread – http://www.teleread.com/
Teleread covers news related to ebooks and online publishing. The blog also includes a section specific to libraries, so you can easily find relevant library news and stories.
5) Mashable – http://mashable.com/social-media/
Mashable posts news about social media and other Web 2.0 systems. Click on the Social Media tag to bypass the entertainment stories.
6) Not Safe! [for Libraries] – http://ns4lib.com/
Michael Schofield posts about web design specifically with libraries in mind.
7) In the Library with the Lead Pipe – http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org
Although not specific to technology issues, In the Library with the Lead Pipe posts peer reviewed journal articles that challenge many preconceptions of librarianship.
8) ReadWrite – http://readwrite.com/
Formerly ReadWriteWeb, ReadWrite posts the latest tech news in a highly digestible way that is friendly towards non-techies.
9) Agnostic, Maybe – http://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/
Andy Woodworth blogs about libraries, technology and life as a librarian in New Jersey. I especially enjoy reading his opinions on ebooks and licensing.
10} ALA Techsource – http://www.alatechsource.org/blog
Last, but not least, the ALA Techsource blog provides updates on technology news and initiatives that are occurring in other libraries.
I hope that this list gave you some new reading material! Which technology blogs do you recommend? Join the conversation on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=4112382&type=member&item=215928370