Saturday, October 31, 2009
Readings- 11/10/09
Introducing the Extensible Markup Language-
This article goes over the basics of XML. It is a markup language that specifically defines each element in a document so that the documents can be easily changed and transfered over the internet into different forms. It marks all the various elements within a document so you can easily find what you are looking for. They are defined by sets of tags and can be used not only for text but for images and other graphics as well.
A survey of XML standards: Part 1-
This article was a wonderful compilation of site for people beginning to navigate the world of XML. It separated all of the components of XML and provided resources and links for understanding and using these components. It gives you the basic idea of what is expected when using XML and then where to go to learn more. It is a amazing resource for anyone looking to expand their knowledge of XML.
Extending your Markup: a XML tutorial-
This article explains XML in simple and concise terms. Out of all the articles we read, it was this one that really helped me feel comfortable in my knowledge of XML. The examples that they give are clear and easy to follow and help illustrate the language. XML has many great attributes and uses and allows one to really customize and adjust the markup language to their personal needs.
XML Schema Tutorial-
This tutorial was the same as the ones for HTML last week, offering a further understanding of XML and giving a lot of examples to let those who are new to the language have a chance to see how it is written. Once again another solid tutorial for those of us who are new to the world of XML and markup languages in general.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Readings- 10/27/09
HTML Tutorial-
This was basically a beginners guide to how to use HTML. It took one through everything step by step with clearly laid out examples. While it was lovely to see and easy to go through, I still find myself completely terrified of HTML. No matter how simple it seems, I feel that it cannot be as easy as it looks.
HTML Cheatsheet-
This article I liked a whole lot more than the first one. It was just a basic run through of what each code does, separated by function. It was helpful and made me feel better about my knowledge of HTML. After reading this piece, I felt much better about going back to the first article and reading through it once again. Having this cheatsheet on hand helped me understand what the first article was talking about more clearly.
CSS-
Cascading Style Sheets is the next step up from basic HTML, helping to define the HTML elements and making websites look better. This article was just like the first HTML one, giving examples and allowing you to play around with the code so you really understood what was going on. It was more visually focused, adding onto your knowledge of HTML. I never thought I would be using HTML or CSS as a librarian, but I can see where they would be a valuable asset. With more people attracted to the more visually impressive websites, it is up to us as information professionals to attract patrons to us. In a world where technology is at the forefront of everything, us possessing even the most basic knowledge is no longer an option, it is a necessity.
Beyond HTML-
This article was about a library switching over to a CMS system to allow them to manage every bit of their websites. There was a lot of collaboration between all of the specialized librarians and the web developers to make sure that the system created worked for everyone and made sense. The article mentions their forays into developing the site, looking at the option of open source before sticking with improving upon their own in house system. The article reiterates how it is important that a library website be functional and easy to navigate. A lot of time was spent making sure that it worked for all facets of the university.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Readings- 10/20/09
Internet Infrastructure-
This article was all about the actual structure of the Internet. For a system that I normally take for granted, there is a lot of action going on in the technological ether that I have never bothered to understand before. The focus was on how every computer eventually ends up being connected in a larger network, and it is routers, DNS servers and code that make sure everything is running swimmingly. Before this article, I had not given much thought to Domain Names and the fact that there is a complex and well organized system behind them. IP addresses I knew about, but all the information attached to a domain name turned out to be staggering. The process that one server goes through to connect and bring the information to your screen is impressive. It reminds me of back when Ted Steven's said, "The Internet is a series of tubes." I laughed, but never understood just how inaccurate that statement was until reading this article.
Dismantling Integrated Library Systems-
For me this article was another example of how technology has come to affect the library world. The process we formerly used to help manage our systems proved lacking in the face of rapidly developing technology. While this may have been to our advantage, allowing libraries to branch off from one main system and create systems that work best for their operation, it showcases how the push towards technology can rupture a smoothly operating system. This change, while in the end will be worked out, can cause havoc during the process.
Inside the Google Machine-
This video was from a talk back in 2004 given by the co-founders of Google. They basically talked about search patterns, how data was transfered, their employees and they briefly touched on the future of Google. The most informative part for me was the spinning image of the world that showed where Google searches were being performed and in what language. You really got a sense of the enormity of the Internet and how many people utilize it daily. When they showed data travel patterns and the slide of how much information is transfered in one second it was even more impressive. We have read about Google before, in terms of how it was created, but seeing its use being visually represented on a global scale was astounding.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Readings- 10/06/09
Local Area Network-
Wikipedia article about networks that exist on a small scale. Used initially for sharing expensive items like printers and disk space, now help in high speed transfers of information. This type of network is basically seen everywhere now, and most people deal with it daily, sometimes without even realizing it. Libraries will obviously have this type of network set up, assists in the faster transfer of information and helping better serve our patrons.
Computer Network-
This wikipedia article looks into the aspects of computer networks. A very self-explanatory title, computer networks are computers networked together. I knew that there were wired and wireless networks, as the article first explains, what I did not realize was the wide variety of computer networks that existed. Local Area Networks are just one of a wide variety of networks that can be created among computers. There is such a wide variety of options for how to connect not only the computers that exist locally but to also be able to connect globally is impressive. I was especially please by the color coated chart of a library network that was in the article.
Common Types of Computer Networks-
While the first two wikipedia articles did not confuse me that much, it was nice to be able to watch a video that explained exactly what was what. It was brief and to the point, but I appreciated the clarification that it gave me.
Management of RFID in libraries-
This article is about the use of radio frequency identification tags in library books instead of barcodes. While in principle the same concept, a system dedicated to identifying what items are being checked in and out of the library, there still are questions and hesitations surrounding its use. While it could ease the burdens on librarians, making inventorying processes easier, for example, there are a whole range of security issues and cost. I feel that just like libraries have had to deal with the influx of new technology, so will we have o deal with the upgrading of our systems to match. We have moved from card catalogs to online catalogs, and if the technology is there, which it obviously is, then it is time to start the upgrades in our barcode systems as well.
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