2005

Re-imagining Technology’s Role in the Library Building

Re-imagining Technology’s Role in the Library Building Sue Thompson and David Walker of Cal State San Marcos gave us an excellent presentation, which focused on public computing and instruction labs as well as a Web page redesign in their new Kellogg Library. I am going to limit my focus to the public computing and instruction lab portion of the presentation for the purpose of this review. Anticipating completion of the new library building in the winter of 2004 gave the team at San Marcos the opportunity to examine and plan out exactly how they wanted to approach the new technology that would be implemented in the building. Rather than just “install a bunch of computers and software” the librarians and IT staff worked together to define the use of technology in the library space. Historically, technology in the library is used to access the OPAC, databases and software applications. However…

2005

3D Information Visualization: An Introduction and Practical Applications

This morning Brad Eden of the University of Nevada gave us a very nice overview of 3-D Information Visualization. The concept of Information Visualization can be defined loosely in a number of ways, but basically boils down to the representation of nonspatial data as visual objects with easily perceived relationships and patterns. Information Visualization is becoming increasingly important in online communication and instruction. When we look at the ways our users are consuming information, increasingly by choice, they do so visually. Virtual collaborative spaces are springing up all over the Internet as is the use of multiplayer online games coupled with the use of avatars and other visual persona, landscapes and environments. Why? “Tell me and I’ll forget… Show me and I may remember… Involve me and I’ll understand.” Ancient Chinese Proverb Increasingly faculty is looking at ways of utilizing Information Visualization to represent traditional text based and flat structure…