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Zoho Notebook - Library 2.0's Killer App

May 30, 2007

The technology world has long revolved around the concept of a killer application that finally compels adoption of a new platform by the masses. Spreadsheets brought about an initial mass adoption of computers in businesses that saw the benefit of electronic ledgers. AOL brought dial-up access to the masses - so much so that many people still think the AOL browser is the Internet. Zoho Notebook is, in my opinion, the killer app that can provide a breakthrough for Library 2.0.

So much more than just a place to take notes online (though it is very good at that), Zoho Notebook provides a set of tools to meet the needs of any research project. From an embedded RSS reader to full multimedia capabilities, Zoho Notebook is ready to support a variety of learning styles and information gathering strategies. Then, to go one step further, Zoho Notebook provides a fully integrated suite of possibilities for sharing and collaboration. And please don't forget...it's all online and it's all free.
 
Let's take a look at just a few of the things you can do with Zoho Notebook:

1)  You can pull together a selection of websites to provide students with a pathfinder. Here is an example that uses a selection of a few school library blogs. To create a Notebook like this, add new pages that are full-page website views by going to the "more..." link under Add Blank Page and selecting "Add Web Page". Guide students to pre-selected sites by embedding them in a research notebook.

2) Track dynamic issues with multiple viewpoints. On an example copyright and fair use page, I present downloadable files, an embedded web page, a video, and a RSS feed. Imagine working with students to build a dynamic Zoho Notebook on the Presidential election that tracks RSS news feeds, presents video, and offers embedded access to web sites covering the topic. This could put a whole new spin on writing a "report" to share with other students! 

3) Use it as a book review "podcast" platform. Not only does Zoho Notebook allow you to embed audio and video from other sources, but it also allows you to record directly into the page! I published this sample "podcast" in three easy steps. 1) "Add Audio" 2) "Add Text" 3) Publish.

How are you going to use Zoho Notebook in your library?

Posted by Chris Harris on May 30, 2007 | Comments (1)