We’re Moving!

That’s right, folks, after three and some odd years at the Blogger location, BRAIN_blog is moving here (WordPress!) Our new URL is: https://librarybrainblog.wordpress.com! This doesn’t mean much to you unless you have us bookmarked or have our feed in your feed reader. If so, please update! Our new feed URL is: https://librarybrainblog.wordpress.com/feed

We’ll publish in both places for a few weeks while we move all of our stuff over (insert sound of moving truck backing up here) and to make sure none of our loyal fans get left behind! Meanwhile, sit, back, relax and enjoy this week’s issue in which we chat about some new e-learning resources, new web tools and of course, library news!

New e-learning resources

1) How to integrate technology into teaching…
The Association of College and Research Libraries have created a great little webliography covering lots of aspects of incorporating technology into teaching and learning…there are resources on creating a web page, discussion boards, wikis, blogs, podcasts and more! Check it out: Using technology in teaching and learning: Resources to help you navigate a digital world

2)Another new tool from EDUCAUSE!
EDUCAUSE is always pumping out great little tutorials…check out their latest: Think Small! A Beginner’s Guide to Using Technology to Promote Learning MMm…yummy little learning morsel!

3) Looking for Mr. Good Podcast…
Looking for educational podcasts? Check out Ed-Cast.org , a site devoted to listing podcasts related to higher education. There aren’t many there now…only 41 so click the “show all” button to see them all! And check back again…it promises to be a valuable resource!

New web tools!

1) More Fun with Search Engines!
Did you know that there are different search engines for different types of searches? For example, there are engines that search for podcasts only, blogs only, images only, etc. There are also engines that display results in different ways – for example, with a visual display or in clusters! Check out this article from the Read/Write Web blog to get the goods on these different types of search engines. An example from the list is Simply Google…there are so many ways to search Google – for example, search only the scholarly stuff in Google Scholar, search for books only, search for blogs only, etc. Simply Google lays all of these different searches out nicely. All you have to do is choose a box to throw your search words into! There are 100 alternative search engines listed in this article…so you can find the perfect engine for you!

2) Map + statistics = fun times!

I’m not one to get excited about statistics but who can not get excited about GeoSearch, a new interactive mapping application from Statistics Canada that makes it easy to find Canadian locations on a map and then get basic geographic and demographic data for those places!? Who, I ask? New functionality for 2006 includes links to 2006 Census reference maps and community profile tables, and a thematic mapping option for selected census topics (for selected levels of geography). Ho boy! I know what I’ll be doing this weekend!

3)Two New Recommender Systems To Get Excited About!
Two new recommender systems to get all excited about this week! We’ve looked at these before on BRAIN_blog….these are tools that recommend similar books, artists, or whatever, after you enter your favourite book, artist or whatever. Music Map is an exploding map of musical relationships. Enter an artist you like and see a visual map of similar artists, displayed in a spatial relationship to your original artist. Click on one of the suggested artists to see another visual relationship display. Watch as the links bob in and out…mesmerizing isn’t it?

LivePlasma works in much the same way except that you can enter a movie, director, actor or musical artist. Recent movies and musical artists are not included and if you enter a name it doesn’t recognize, it will make a best guess, which is sometimes not a good guess. (I don’t know what it was thinking when I entered Pan’s Labyrinth for example!) Enter a name that has been around for a while and the entries are pretty interesting. Similar to Music Map, if you click on a name, you get another visual map with bobbing links signifying a relationship. Mmm…bobbing links.

Library news

1) New podcast! BRAINcast 11: Funky Tour of the Library @ IAHS
Strut your stuff as we go ‘old skool’ at the new school! This week’s podcast features a walking tour of the Library at the Institute for Applied Health Sciences. We’ll tell you what types of programs are offered at the IAHS and where the library resources are, plus the best ways to get assistance or to simply help yourself! All this and more PLUS a funky beat that’ll really move your feet…

2) The Library gets a (second) life!
As you’ve probably heard, Mohawk College now has a presence in the virtual world, Second Life! As the space is the e-Library, who better to hang out there then us Library folk! Drop on by and say “hi”! Come back often as we’ll be building some library services into the space so that we can serve you even better. The Second Life library folk who you’ll see there sometimes are: Florean Forcella, Sullivan Beaumont, Synergy Oh and Olgah Laszlo…all ready to help you out with your Second Life library needs!

3)Podcasting….Mysteries Revealed
Library staff is delivering a session on the mysteries of podcasting today for the Tech & Toys workshop. Can’t attend? Download the PowerPoint here!