Thing #27: Facebook, Networking and You

Social networks are online communities created around interests with people-to-people recommendations and communication. These specialized social networks allow like-minded users to find and interact with one another, whether around crafts or cars or any other shared interest.

There are numerous social networking sites where you can connect with other librarians, patrons, friends, and family members. Each site has a purpose and a particular feel and flavor. One thing all of the sites share is a need for commitment. You must commit to updating your profile and connecting with others. Because of this, choose carefully when deciding what site to try. In this lesson we will talk about Facebook in the most detail, but we will also mention some of the other options that are available.

What is Social Networking?

This video from the Common Craft show will explain the concept of social networking.


The Wikipedia article, Social Network Service, talks about online communities and their history.

What are my options?

Facebook – “Facebook helps you connect and share with the people in your life.”

MySpace – “a place for friends”

LinkedIn – “Over 40 million professionals use LinkedIn to exchange information, ideas and opportunities.”

Ning – “Create Your Own Social Network.”

Webjunction - "Where librarians and library staff connect, create, and learn."

List of social networking websites – this Wikipedia article lists active social networking sites. As you can see much of what is web 2.0 is considered a social networking site. Look for sites that say "general" to find ones that are similar to Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn.

So which one is right for me?

It depends. (Of course that’s the answer.) Which site you use is determined by what you want and need from the site. Here are some questions to consider:

• Do I want to connect with patrons? If so, where are my patrons? Chances are you will find your patrons either on MySpace or Facebook.
  
  
• Do I want to connect with other Nebraska librarians? If so, try Facebook where a large number of Nebraska librarians have gathered.
  
  
• Do I want to connect with other professionals, either in the library field or elsewhere? LinkedIn, Facebook, Webjunction, or Ning are your best options for this one.
  
  
• Is it important to me that this be all business? If so, LinkedIn or Webjunction are your best options.

What is involved in being part of a social networking site?

Be prepared to invest some time in creating a profile and updating it. You can choose how much time you want to invest in your page, but plan on adding things occasionally. You can use your social networking site to:

• reach out to others
  
  
• find out what patrons, family, and friends are doing
  
  
• create a page for your library where you can announce upcoming events and news
  
  
• join library related groups to discuss issues and trends
  
  
• post links to interesting articles and/or library services
  
  
• post photo, video and/or music content that you find interesting
  
  
• review links and/or other content that others have posted
  
  
• stay in touch with family, friends and colleagues

Assignment

1. Sign up for a free Facebook account and create a profile. You can add as much or as little information as you like.

For help with creating your profile, check out Facebook for Grownups - Butterscotch tutorials has a 10 part series on how to do everything from create a profile to upload images.

2. Search for friends already using Facebook:

• By name using the search box in the upper right corner.
  
  
• Using "Find Friends" under the Friends menu at the top of the page.
  
  
• We are on Facebook, if you would like to friend us: Christa Burns, Michael Sauers, Susan Knisely, Allana Novotny

3. Post an update on your profile.

4. Write a message on the wall of someone you know.

5. Join at least one group. Here are some possible Facebook Groups to join: (Groups are only visible when logged in to Facebook.)

• Nebraska Library Association
  
  
• Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL)
  
  
• Friends of Nebraska Libraries
  
  
• Library 2.0 Interest Group
  
  
• Libraries Using Facebook Pages
  
  
• Librarians and Facebook

6. Check your Facebook Profile at least once in the next week.

7. Write a blog post about your experience. Some blogging ideas:

• Look for ways that people use Facebook to connect and share information.
  
  
• Which groups did you join and why?
  
  
• Reflect on why Facebook may be the fastest growing social network. Is that reputation deserved?
  
  
• How can your library use Facbook to promote its services?

Challenge

Add an intereseting Facebook application to your profile.

1. Use the search box in the upper right corner to search for a service you may have tried as a previous Learning 2.0 Thing - Twitter, Flickr, Delicious, SlideShare, etc.

2. Pick one and search for it, then add the application to your profile.

3. Discuss your experience with the Facebook application in your blog post.

Thing #26: Getting Social with WorldCat.org

In 2006, OCLC introduced WorldCat.org, a free destination Web site where anyone can use familiar keyword searches to explore the complete WorldCat database. Since that time OCLC has been adding lots of neat new functionality to the site, including many social networking features that make it easy to spread the word about library materials and services! And that, my friends, is the focus of Thing #26: Getting Social with WorldCat.org

To take full advantage of WorldCat.org’s social networking features, the first thing you need to do is create a free account.

Create an Account

Creating a WorldCat account is fast and easy, and requires only an e-mail address. On top of the ability to search many libraries at once, a WorldCat account lets you:

• Create a public profile that lets other WorldCat users know something about you and your interests.


• Build and maintain public or private lists of books, videos and many other kinds of items owned by libraries.


• Add information to WorldCat records, such as factual notes, tables of contents, and ratings and reviews.

To create a WorldCat.org account go to http://www.worldcat.org/ and click on the “Create a free account” link. If you prefer, you can go directly to the Create an Account page. Select your user name and password, enter an email address, accept the terms of service, and you’re set!

Create a WorldCat.org Profile

In general social networking services encourage users to create personal profiles, and WorldCat.org is no exception. Once you’ve created a WorldCat.org account, consider filling in some profile data. Here’s how:

1. If you are not signed in, do so by clicking the "Sign In to WorldCat" link on the right-hand side of the WorldCat menu bar at the top of any WorldCat page.


2. On the left-hand side of the menu bar, hover over "My WorldCat" and select "Edit My Profile."


3. Fill out your profile. You can provide as much or as little information as you wish. You can optionally upload a picture that will serve as your user avatar. (Please upload only those images you have the right to distribute and that are in line with WorldCat's Terms and Conditions.)


4. Click the "Save Profile" button at the bottom of the page. A message will indicate you have successfully modified your profile.


5. Check that the privacy setting for your profile is what you want it to be. On the menu bar, click the "My WorldCat" menu and select "Privacy Settings." Adjust the setting, if necessary, and click the "Save Changes" button.

To search for other people who have created a WorldCat profile, hover over “Search” on the menu bar and select “Search for Contacts.” You can search by User Name or by First or Last Name. Can you find my profile if I tell you my User Name is sknisely?

Favorite Libraries

When you conduct a search in WorldCat.org and pull up the detailed record for an item of interest, WorldCat.org attempts to determine your location based on the IP address of your ISP (Internet service provider) in order to show you nearby libraries that own the item. (You may need to scroll down the detailed record page a bit to see the list of libraries.)

You can also manually specify your location by entering your zip code or, if you have a favorite library that you always want to see at the top of the list if it owns an item, click on the “Add to favorites” link to the right of the library’s name. (If you aren’t already logged in to your WorldCat.org account, you will be prompted to do so before you can “favorite” a library.)



Note: A library’s holdings will only be displayed in WorldCat.org if the library has added its holdings to WorldCat via one of the many OCLC services available for that purpose, e.g. CatExpress, Connexion, Batch Processing. A subscription to the WorldCat database on the FirstSearch reference service is also required for Web exposure of holdings via WorldCat.org. Nebraska libraries are covered by the statewide FirstSearch base package subscription, which includes access to WorldCat.

* * * * *

Ok, now that we have preliminaries out of the way, let's move on to some of the other useful and potentially "social" things you can do with your WorldCat.org account.

Create Lists

Once you have a WorldCat.org account you can create and save lists of books, DVDs, and other kinds of material owned by libraries. You can keep your lists private or make them public. Lists can serve all types of purposes. I’ve listed a few examples below. Can you think of others?

• New titles added to your library collection.
  
  Example: May 2009 – New Books (created by the University of Washington Art Library) See how they link to this list from their web site!


• Genre-specific book lists.
  
  Example: Vampire Novels for Young Adults (created by the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District Young Adult Materials Selector)


• Books related to a particular program.
  
  Example: Washington Reads (created by the Washington State Library in support of their statewide program to promote reading)

Creating lists is easy. To create a list first and then add items, select the ”Create lists” link on the left side of the WorldCat.org home page or the “Create” link in the “Lists” section of your profile page.

This takes you to the “Create New List” page. Type in a list name, set your list privacy to “Viewable by Anyone (Public)” or “Viewable Only by Me (Private),” and click on “Create New List.”

You can also create a list from a WorldCat.org search results page or from a detailed record page.
To create a list from a search results page, select one or more items to add to your list. Select “[New List]” from the “Save to” drop-down menu that appears above the result list and click “Save.”

You will now be prompted to create a list. (Of course, you can also save items to a previously created list, which will also appear in the drop-down “Save to” menu.)

From a detailed record screen click on the “Add to list” link. Save your item to a previously created list or choose the “Add item to new list” option.

For more help creating lists watch a 3-minute YouTube video on WorldCat Lists

Finding Lists

So how do people find your lists? Well, if they are a geeky librarian like me, they can use the WorldCat.org “Search for Lists” functionality.

To do this, hover over “Search” on the left-hand side of the top menu bar and select “Search for Lists.” Type in one or more keywords that you might expect to appear in the name or description of a list of interest. Click on “Search.”

In the example below I’m searching for “book club,” hoping to retrieve lists of titles being read by other book groups!

If I find a list I really like, I can click on the “Watch This List” button located beneath the list title. This adds the list to the “List Watching” area of my profile, allowing me to track updates to the list from within WorldCat.org.

Chances are most non-librarians won’t go to WorldCat.org to search for lists though, nor will they return to WorldCat.org to check for updates to lists. Therefore, if you want to get the word out about a list—whether you created it to reflect a personal interest or on behalf of your library—you will want to take advantage of some of the social features built in to WorldCat.org. These features let you get information to users at sites they already frequent, as opposed to making them come to WorldCat.org!

Share Lists (via email, RSS, bookmarks)

One thing that makes WorldCat.org social is the ability to easily share user-created content with others via email, RSS, and bookmarks.

To access your list of lists, hover over “My WorldCat” on the menu bar and select “My Lists.” Click on the title of the list you’d like to share.

Email - When viewing your own list you will have the option of clicking on a “Share” link at the top of the page to send your friends an email that includes a link to your list. Your list must be public for this to work.

• RSS - When other users view one of your public lists (or when you view someone else’s public list) they will have the option of subscribing to it as an RSS feed in order to monitor changes to it. All they have to do is click on the “RSS FEED” button at the top of the page. This retrieves the AddThis “Subscribe to Feed” page, which links to a variety of free Web services that can monitor RSS feeds. After selecting one of the displayed services, users can either sign in to the service to subscribe to the feed or create a new user account.


• Bookmark – Users viewing a public list can also click on the Bookmark button to add the list to popular social bookmarking/networking services they have accounts with, such as Delicious, Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. This is a quick and easy way people (or libraries) can share content they find useful with many other individuals.

Additional WorldCat Tools

• WorldCat Search Widget - Put a WorldCat search box on your Web site or blog! Or, if you can swing it, encourage other people or organizations in your community to put a WorldCat search box on THEIR Web site or blog, along with a testimonial about your library’s ability to provide community members with access to the material listed in WorldCat, whether owned locally or not!
  
  To add a WorldCat search box to a Web site all you have to do is go to the WorldCat Search Box page, copy the code for the search box you want, and then past it into the code for your Web page.
  
  If you’d like a wee challenge, test this out in your Thing #26 blog post. When composing your post, just remember you’ll need to temporarily switch to “Edit Html” mode in order to paste in the code for the search box. After doing this you can switch back to “Compose” mode for the rest of your post.


• Create a WorldCat Link - When you’re writing about books or other types of material that can be found in libraries, don’t link to commercial third-party sites; link to WorldCat.org to promote libraries in general and to connect people to local libraries in particular!
  
  There are lots of ways to link to WorldCat, and lots of situations in which it would be appropriate to do so. I’ve given some examples below, but I’m sure you can think of others!
  
  
• Whenever you mention a book on your Web site or in a blog post, link to the WorldCat.org detailed record for the item - On a detailed record screen click on “Permalink,” which appears to the right of the “Bookmark & Share” button, to retrieve the URL you will want to use to link your readers to the record.
  
  Example: Check out Diary of a Wimpy Kid at your local library today!
  
  
• Link to lists – Create lists on WorldCat.org and link to them from your Web site or blog. Even if your library holdings don’t show up in WorldCat, you can still compile and link to a list of titles recently added to your collection! Or create subject bibliographies on topics of interest to your community, featuring books owned by your library!
  
  Example: The Nebraska Library Commission owns and/or recommends a number of books on gaming in libraries.
  
  
• Link to real-time WorldCat.org search results with embedded search terms – Help your patrons stay up-to-date by pointing them to the latest material on a particular topic or by a particular author. Follow these easy instructions to create links that generate WorldCat search results for a single subject keyword, multiple subject keywords, author keywords, or title keywords. You can even combine indices to help limit and refine your search results if necessary.
  
  Example: Check out 2009 books on food allergies! (If our library doesn’t own a title you’re interested in, we’ll be glad to request it for you through ILL!)
  
  
• Facebook Application – Does your library have a Facebook page? Or do you promote libraries on your personal Facebook page? If so, why not add the WorldCat Facebook Application and encourage your friends to do the same!
  
  Once you’ve logged in to your Facebook account, click on the “Applications” button at the left end of the Chat bar at the bottom of any Facebook page. In the menu that appears, click on the “Browse More Applications” link. Search for the WorldCat application and add it to your page.

Assignment

1. If you don’t already have one, create a free WorldCat.org account. Don’t forget to edit your profile!
   
   
2. Perform a search in WorldCat.org in order to identify an item owned by a nearby library. “Favorite” that library.
   
   If your own library’s holdings don’t show up in WorldCat.org, what library did you favorite? How could this be used by you or your patrons?
   
   
3. Do one or more of the following:
   
   
• Create a list…
  
  
• Search for a list created by someone else and “Watch” it…
  
  
• If you have an account on an RSS feed aggregator, subscribe to a list RSS feed…
  
  
• Bookmark a list (or detailed record) in order to share it via one of the social network/bookmark sites supported by AddThis…
  
  
• Review or rate an item you know something about…
  
  
• Create a link in your blog post to the detailed record for an item, a list, or real-time search results…
  
  
• Add a WorldCat.org search widget to your blog…
  
  
4. Write a blog post discussing your experience with WorldCat.org and brainstorm ways a library could use it.

Thing #25: See the world and be seen using Google Maps

When you hear the name Google Maps you may just think it’s simply a tool to provide you with directions from point A to point B but it’s much more than that. Thing #25 will highlight some of the great features available in Google Maps. As you work through Thing #25 think about how your library could use each of the features.

I’m going to be presenting the assignments a bit differently in this part of the lesson. Instead of putting the questions all at the end of the assignment they will be spread throughout the post and included at the end. You can decide if you want to answer the questions as you go through the lesson or wait and do them at the end.

Let’s get started with the basics.

The Basics

Google Maps is located at: http://maps.google.com/

Navigation - Using the Navigation Controls
On the top left side of the map you will see the Navigation Controls. The circle contains 4 arrows that will move your current view to the north, south, east or west. For now we will skip over Pegman (the little stick figure) that appears below the circle and move to the zoom slider. There are three ways to control the zoom slider. You can click on the + or – signs located at the top and bottom of the bar, or just click on a spot on the bar or drag lever up and down the bar.

Navigation – Using your mouse
Another way to navigate the map is to use your mouse. When your mouse is on the map it will appear as a hand. If you left click and hold your mouse button down you can now move the map around. When you are done moving the map let go of the mouse button. If you have a mouse with a wheel on it you can use it to zoom in and out.

Views

As you explore Google Maps you’ll see that there are different Views available. The first five options can be found on the upper right corner of the map. Clicking on them will toggle the view on or off.

• Map – Traditional map view that shows towns, roads, rivers, bodies of water and more.

• Satellite – Shows aerial images. How far you can zoom in while in this view varies. The satellite images are approximately one to three years old.


• Terrain - Shows the physical elevations of the land.


• Traffic - Traffic information is not available for all locations. The Traffic button will only be displayed when traffic information is available.


• More – The More option provides four choices of additional information to view. Each of the options will appear as thumbnails on the map. Clicking on the thumbnails for these items on the map will provide more information.
  


• Photos – The photos are from Panoramio. Panoramio is a site where anyone can upload and share their photos. The owner of the photo must have mapped the photo’s location in order for it to show on the Google Maps.

• Videos - The videos come from YouTube. The owner of the video must have mapped the video’s location in order for it to show on the Google Maps.


• Wikipedia – Wikipedia articles will show up as a white box with a black W in it.


• Webcams - Webcams information comes from Webcams.travel.


• Transit – Information about public transportation is available for 262 locations worldwide. The Transit button will only show up when Transit information is available.


• Street View – Is available for some locations in the United States, Australia, Europe, New Zealand and Japan. Street view basically gives you the same view you would have if you were driving down a street. Watch this short video (2:02) to learn how to use Street View. *Update: On June 3rd Google introduced a new way to navigate while in Street View. You can read about it on the Google Lat Long Blog.*
  

After we talk about Searching and Driving Directions you’ll have a chance to explore all of these views.

Searching
You have many options when it comes to searching. In most cases if you know the zip code of the area or address you are searching you can use that and not include the city and state information.

Your search results will be displayed in the left hand column and on the map. A marker with a letter inside it links the map location with the information on the left. Clicking on the marker in the left hand column will display the corresponding information box on the map. Clicking on a marker on the map will display the corresponding information box and highlight the corresponding information in the left bar.

Here are just a few examples of what you can search for.

• 1200 N St 68508
  
• Moscow Russia
  
• Iceland
  
• Smith Falls NE
  
• motels Wayne NE
  
• libraries Nebraska
  

Explore This Area

Explore This Area may appear in the left hand column after you do a search for a specific place such as Washington, DC. It shows you photos, videos, and user-created maps. Explore is not available for every location. Watch this short video (1:21) to see it in action.

Get Directions

At the top of the left hand column is a link for Get Directions. By default you are provided two boxes to enter your starting point and your destination. If you have more than one destination click on the Add Destination link to another box. Just like with searching, you do not need to have an exact address. After clicking Get Directions your route will be displayed on the map. Driving directions will appear in the left hand column. Watch this short video (1:46) to learn more about getting driving directions.

Click on the image to the right to see a screen shot highlighting a number of the features in Google Maps.

If you need more help getting started check out Google’s Maps User Guide.

Assignment Part 1

For part 1 of the assignment explore the features in Google Maps that we’ve talked about and blog about your experience. Here are some questions to get you started.

Search for 1445 K St. 68509.

• What is located at this address?
  
• Select the Satellite view option. Can you zoom in close enough to see the color of the cars parked around it?
  

Use the Get Directions options to find directions to a location of your choice. What type of navigator are you? Do you prefer looking at the Map view or do you like to look at the Satellite or Street View so you can visually see buildings and landmarks?

Let’s leave Nebraska and explore a few more exotic places. Use Street View to “drive” around a few of these places. What do you think of Street View?

• Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
  
• Random street in Japan
  
• Kangaroos in Australia

Beyond the Basics

Now that you’ve had a chance to explore some of the basics lets dive in a bit deeper. As we work through these next features I’ll be asking you questions about your library. If you don’t work at a library pick your favorite library to use.

Edit the Map

Sometimes when searching Google Maps for a place or business name you’ll run across a marker that might not be in the exact correct location. To see an example of this do a search for Carhenge. You don’t need to enter any other information. The results I see show three markers on the map. Marker A is located pretty close to the correct spot but markers B and C are down the road a bit. Looking at the map you may be wondering how I know which marker is in the correct location. I know this because I’m looking at the Satellite view of the map. On the Satellite view I can clearly see the location of Carhenge. If you haven’t done so, view the Satellite image of Carhenge and look at the placement of the Markers.

One of the great things about Google Maps is that they allow you to edit the map and move it to the correct location or you can even add a location. (That said please don’t fix the Carhenge markers, at least not until everyone is done with this Thing!) You can also update detailed information included address, phone, and website URL. In order to edit or add a place you will need to logon to your Google Account. If you are using Blogger you should be able to use your same logon information to logon to Google Maps.

These short videos explain how you can edit a location or add a place.

• Edit Map (0:41)
• Add a Place (0:43)

Additional instructions can be found in Map Help area.

Assignment Part 2

Now that you know how to edit and add, it’s time to search for your library and start working on your assignment.

1. Start off doing a very basic search for your library’s name. If you get too many hits try adding NE, Nebraska or your zip code to the search. If that doesn’t work then try doing an address search. Did you find your library? What search worked?


2. Try zooming in and using the Satellite view to make sure the marker is placed correctly. Is the marker correct? If not login to Google Maps and move the marker to the correct location.


3. Next read the information that’s provided about your library in the information window. If you don’t see the information window, click on the marker that corresponds to your library to display it. Is it correct? If the library has a website is the URL listed? Remember this is the information everyone in the world can see about your library. If it’s wrong take a few minutes and update it.
   

Bonus Information

For those of you who would like to do a bit more, you can take the next step and claim your business or in our case claim your library. This is optional and not required for Thing #25. If you work at a library with more than one staff member make sure you check with any other staff members that may also be participating is Nebraska Learns 2.0. I’d hate to have multiple folks trying to claim the same library!

Google offers businesses the opportunity to claim the listing on Google Maps. In order to do this you will need to have a Google account. Search for your library and display the info window associated with your library. Click on Edit in the info window. At the bottom of the info window will be a link to Claim Your Business. If a business has already been claimed it will tell you. As part of the claiming process Google will either call or send you a postcard that contains a PIN. They do this in order to verify that you truly do have the right to update the listing.

Claiming your business or in our case claiming your library offers a few benefits. First of all it lets you control the listing. After a business has been claimed nobody else can update the listing. It also allows you to add additional information such as hours of operation, photos, and videos. Google also allows businesses to add coupons to their listing for free. Check out the post on The ‘M’ Word – Marking Libraries blog for suggestion on the types of coupons a library could post.

• Blog post from The Official Google blog: The Local Business Center dashboard opens its doors
• The Local Business Center is located at: https://www.google.com/local/add/ but there’s really not much to see or do until after you have claimed your business.
  

My Maps

Another great feature is the ability to create your own custom maps. With My Maps you can keep track of places, driving directions, highlighted paths and areas, and add photos and video. In order to use this feature you will need to be logged on to your Google Account.
Watch this short video to learn how you can create your own map (1:48).

Here are a few examples of user created maps.

• Nebraska Regional Library Systems
  
• ESU Offices in NE created by Chris Pultz
  
• Lincoln Public Schools by Chris Pultz
  
• Lincoln Recycling Centers by Andi Davis
  
• Nebraska Disc Golf Courses By BigChiz
  

Sharing a Map

Google Maps provides users with a number of ways to share a map. In the top right hand corner of the map you will see the options to Print, Send or Link to a map. The print and send options are self-explanatory. The Link option gives users two options. The first option listed is a simple (and sometime long) link that you can email or use to create a link to a map. The other option provides you with HTML code that you can embed in your website. This code will then display the Google Map on your website. The Customize option allows users to select the map size.

You can choose to share any of the types of maps discussed in this Thing. It may be a simple map that just shows the state or your town. You can also do a search for your library and display the location of your library on your website.

Google Maps and Your Library

Throughout this lesson you’ve learned about a lot of different types of maps and features that are available through Google Maps. Now it’s time to think about how you can use Google Maps in your library.

Read about how Mikael Jacobsen from the Franklin Park Public Library has used Google Maps in this article from Library Journal.

Google Maps: You Are Here From: Library Journal 10/15/08

Mikael also created a short Google My Maps Tutorial (3:52) video.

Here are some other ideas to get you started.

• Learn Google Maps so you can better help your patrons find directions or create their own maps.


• Put a map that shows your library’s location on your library’s website.


• Claim your library and add additional information such as pictures, videos, hours, URLs, and coupons. If your library houses a local historical or genealogy collection it would also be useful to include that information.
  


• Create a map of the locations where the bookmobile stops.


• Create a map of your service area.


• Show patrons the Street View option. Wouldn’t it be cool if they were studying or planning a trip to another country to be able to “drive” through the streets?


• Do you have visitors stopping by asking for directions to a local attraction? Try creating a custom map that you can point them to, then you can print it out or link to it from your website.


• If you work with local businesses, show them how they can claim and update their own business listing.


• Create a map that shows local historical and/or tourist hotspots.


• Add photos of your library and community to PanOramio. PanOramio photos that are mapped and selected will appear on Google Maps.

Assignments Part 3

Wrap up your blog post by summarizing your thoughts about Google Maps. Here are some questions to get you started.

• What feature did you like the best?
  
• Did you claim your library?
  
• Did you create a customized map or have a good idea for one?
  
• Did you embed a map on your library’s website?
  
• How else can your library use Google Maps?
  

Assignments (due by 6/30 for credit)

As I mentioned at the beginning of this Thing the assignments have been spread throughout the lesson. If you have not already done so you will need to complete all 3 parts of the assignment by 6/30 to receive CE credit. For your convenience I have listed the three parts of the assignment below.

Assignment Part 1

For part 1 of the assignment explore the features in Google Maps that we’ve talked about and blog about your experience. Here are some questions to get you started.

Search for 1445 K St. 68509.

• What is located at this address?
  
• Select the Satellite view option. Can you zoom in close enough to see the color of the cars parked around it?

Use the Get Directions options to find directions to a location of your choice. What type of navigator are you? Do you prefer looking at the Map view or do you like to look at the Satellite or Street View so you can visually see buildings and landmarks?

Let’s leave Nebraska and explore a few more exotic places. Use Street View to “drive” around a few of these places. What do you think of Street View?

• Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
  
• Random street in Japan
  
• Kangaroos in Australia

Assignment Part 2

Now that you know how to edit and add, it’s time to search for your library and start working on your assignment.

1. Start off doing a very basic search for your library’s name. If you get too many hits try adding NE, Nebraska or your zip code to the search. If that doesn’t work then try doing an address search. Did you find your library? What search worked?


2. Try zooming in and using the Satellite view to make sure the marker is placed correctly. Is the marker correct? If not login to Google Maps and move the marker to the correct location.
   


3. Next read the information that’s provided about your library in the information window. If you don’t see the information window, click on the marker that corresponds to your library to display it. Is it correct? If the library has a website is the URL listed? Remember this is the information everyone in the world can see about your library. If it’s wrong take a few minutes and update it.
   

Assignments Part 3

Wrap up your blog post by summarizing your thoughts about Google Maps. Here are some questions to get you started.

• What feature did you like the best?
  
• Did you create a customized map or have a good idea for one?
  
• Did you embed a map on your library’s website?
  
• How else can your library use Google Maps?