something cool about item record pages

so you use our online catalog regularly. it helps you find books, dvd's, cd's, and everything else in the library.

but once you get to the item record page in our online catalog (like this one), did you know that you can link to book reviews off of that page? we subscribe to a service called content cafe, and if you click the more about this item button in the upper right hand corner of the screen, it will take you to a corresponding page that has a summary, reviews, contents, cover image, and book details.

pretty cool, don't you think?

faculty: while you may be good and tired of seeing wikipedia as a resource in your student's papers, wikipedia is not the only wiki out there, nor is it the only useful application of the wiki environment. wikis - collaborative web pages where members of that community can add and change information instantly via web-based interfaces - are growing in popularity; and they're being used effectively in educational settings.

here's a good introductory article from the seattle times.

here's a quick little rundown on wikis and educational usage.

blackboard isn't the only game in town anymore, folks. consider wikis and blogs as alternative online environments for your classes. and if you need any help setting these free resources up, that's what we're here for.

if you're interested in starting a wiki, try pbwiki. and if you're interested in starting a blog, try blogger.