Creating Dynamic Pathfinders:Subject Guides of the Future

Tamara Murray, Westerville Public Library

slideshare.net/westervillelibrary

Last Updated: July 22, 2013

Traditional Pathfinders Are Static

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QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

What happens when…

A book is weeded?A website goes belly up?A domain name changes?One resource covers two topics?New content is added?Patrons want to share?

Why Dynamic?

You can search it. You can easily manage duplicate content.You can offer content in multiple formats.You can interact with your audience. You can keep it current.

Social Bookmarking

Delicious

Google Bookmarks

Diigo

Sqworl

CiteULike

What does it look like?

What can you do with it?

Organize or bundle by subject (i.e. tag). Describe (i.e. annotated bibliography). Feed into another website or blog. Share with others.Update all links in the same place.

(Random stuff you’ll want later.)

RSS feed: http://

feeds.delicious.com/v2/rss/YourDeliciousUsername/YourTag?count=15

URL example: http://delicious.com/YourDeliciousUsername/YourTag

Firefox extension: http://frayd.us/extensions/linkchecker/

Social Presentations

Slideshare

Scribd

Google Drive (formerly Google Docs)

Prezi

What does it look like?

What can you do with it?

Build tutorials and how-to’s.Combine screenshots with instructions.Embed into another website or blog. Share with others.Include voice narration. Great for illustrating information step-by-

step.

Social Videos

YouTube

Vimeo

What does it look like?

What can you do with it?

Build tutorials and how-to’s.Combine screenshots with instructions.Embed into another website or blog. Share with others.Include voice narration. Great for showing motion and emotion.

Social Networking

Twitter

Facebook

What does it look like?

What can you do with it?

Focus on a niche.Broadcast time-sensitive information to a

dedicated audience. Interact with your audience.Share multiple types of content.

Social Booklists (Next-Gen Catalogs)

Other Options for Different Types of Content

Timelines (timetoast.com)

Tag Clouds (tagul.com)

Tutorials (screenr.com)

Maps (maps.google.com)

Surveys (drive.google.com)

Want to put it all together?

bookswebsites

presentationsVideos

articles

and tips

Websites

Google Sites

Weebly

Wix

What can you do with it?

Create a landing page for different types of content on the same subject.

Prioritize information based on importance or usefulness.

Share with the world. Make it clean.Make it pretty.

Blogs

Wordpress

Blogger

What can you do with it?

Keep the newest information at the top.Create an archive of past information. Interact with your audience via comments

feature. Include multiple types of content.

Wikis

MediaWiki

PBWorks

Wikispaces

What can you do with it?

Link useful pages together. Focus on text. Allow others to edit.

Open Source Software

SubjectsPlus

LibData

Library a la Carte

What can you do with it?

Host it on your own servers. Maintain and customize it yourself. Develop additional functionality and share

with the open source community. Fix it when it breaks.

LibGuides

What can you do with it?

Pay a yearly subscription, then get unlimited support.

Add and manage multiple types of content easily.

Make it clean. Make it pretty.

Recommend books.

Example: Catalog RSS feed or manual listhttp://explore.westervillelibrary.org/business

Recommend websites.

Example: Delicious RSS feedhttp://explore.westervillelibrary.org/smallbiz

Share videos.

Example: YouTube videohttp://explore.westervillelibrary.org/emergency

Advertise upcoming events.

Example: Evanced events RSS feedhttp://explore.westervillelibrary.org/bookclubs

Search other sites.

Example: WorldCat search widget http://explore.westervillelibrary.org/genealogy

Share presentations.

Example: Slideshare.net presentationhttp://explore.westervillelibrary.org/literature

Show recent articles.

Example: EBSCOhost RSS feedhttp://explore.westervillelibrary.org/endangeredspecies

Right Time, Right Place

Create custom business cards with direct URLs to related pathfinders.

Create QR codes to put in the stacks.Add links to your website and brochures. Share with students, teachers & parents in

the classroom.Talk about them!

Questions?

Contact Metmurray@westervillelibrary.org

linkedin.com/in/ohiotamara