What is Infographics?

Information graphics or infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge intended to present complex information quickly and clearly. They can improve cognition by utilizing graphics to enhance the human visual system’s ability to see patterns and trends. The process of creating infographics can be referred to as data visualization, information design, or information architecture as quoted on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infographics.

What is Social Media?

Social media refers to the means of interactions among people in which they create, share, exchange and comment contents among themselves in virtual communities and networks as quoted on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media.

San Jose Public Library Collections:

• Social Media
• Infographics

More Information:

• Web 2.0

Do you know what is Web 2.0? A Web 2.0 site may allow users to interact and collaborate with each other in a social media dialogue as creators of user-generated content in a virtual community, in contrast to websites where people are limited to the passive viewing of content. Examples of Web 2.0 include social networking sites, blogs, wikis, video sharing sites, hosted services, web applications, mashups and folksonomies as quoted on wikipedia.org.

Examples:

• Google Docs - Real-time online collaboration
• Wikispaces.com - Create our own private wiki
• Pbworks.com - Collaborative learning for schools
• Ning.com - Create your own social network
• Classroom 2.0 - Online community for teachers
• ThinkQuest - Global learning platform
• Yugma.com - Desktop sharing & collaboration
• SMART Board Revolution - Whiteboard file-sharing
• Creative Commons.com - Share & remix media-legally
• Edmodo.com - Social platform for students and teachers

 Additional Information:

• San Jose Public Library Collections: Web 2.0
• Library 2.0
• Business 2.0
• Teacher 2.0
• Web 2.0

Confused by the new rules of job search?    Do you feel like you are spinning your wheels and not getting anywhere?  Read  The Web 2.0 Job Finder: Winning Social Media strategies to get the job you want from Fortune 500 Hiring Pros by Brenda Greene and Coleen Byrne.  

Finding a job has never been more difficult or more competitive.   The authors do a good job of simplifying the process and helping the applicant understand the mentality of Fortune 500 recruiters.   Using interviews with 35 recruiters and other research, the authors explain the necessity of using social networking tools such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to promote your “digital brand.”   These interviews are particularly revealing.   Recruiters explain how your “30 second pitch” is more important than a traditional cover letter that might not even get read.

The authors start by explaining how to create, develop, and maintain an online presence and brand.    They also explain clearly how to: adopt best practices for getting a job by writing skill (not job!) specific resumes, target jobs that match your skills and anticipate what a company needs.   Chapter 3 is a great introduction to LinkedIn and the “hidden job market.”  

Brenda Greene also wrote Get the Interview Every time: Proven Resume and Cover Letter Strategies from Fortune 500 Hiring Professionals.

There's something new in social networking and if you are a visual learner or just love browsing the web, this one might be for you. Pinterest is a site which allows you to "pin" an image from a website that you like and sort it into any number of "boards" that you choose. You then share those images with the world, and in particular with friends who have also signed up and decided to follow your "pins."

My pinterest name is Gothmom and you are welcome to check out my boards. That photo is my school photo from the first grade and my pinterest icon. You'll see the images of things I'd like to craft, things I'd like to cook and ideas for home and garden that intrigue me. If you see something on my board that you think is cool, you can "repin" it onto your own board and share the neat idea that way.

It does connect to Facebook and Twitter if you like, but I don't link between social networks very much and Pinterest allows me to decide how much I'm sharing.

Another social networking site that seems to get better and better is Yelp.  The Yelp App is a really great smartphone tool for determining where the closest restaurant or movie theater is to you in real time and then it even can show you a map of where it is so you can get there easily. The other important feature that Yelp is all about is the crowdsourcing.  Because so many people have written reviews of businesses, you can get a fairly reliable idea of what the experience will be like when you walk through the doors of a business you've never been to before.

Want to learn more about social networking? Take a look at Social Networking for Career Success by Miriam Salpeter. More and more people are using social networks such as LinkedIn to do business networking and look for jobs.

All a Twitter by Tee Morris is an ebook that goes into detail on the pros and cons of networking on Twitter. Some people love it, but remember the trouble it has gotten Charlie Sheen into! All in 160 characters or less!

Speaking of all this social networking, be sure to "Like" San José Public Library on Facebook and follow us on Twitter too.