SpicynodesA Unique Experience of Exploring

Information

What is Spicynodes?

An interactive data experience, launched in 2005

A way to explore information on websites

A way to create & share mind-maps on the web

A data visualization tool that excels with big, related data

Why use Spicynodes?

Free & Easy to create- focus on content rather than software

No experience necessary

Customizable

Building Community- open source, open standards (XML)

Aesthetically pleasing

Reasons to use Spicynodes continued…

Visitors are in control

Makes browsing complex information more simplistic

Spicynodes automatically adjust the content layout to the visitor’s point of view

Visitors can easily see relationships & connections between information

Who uses Spicynodes?

Business people

Educators & researchers

Creative people

Designers & developers

Non-profit & community leaders

Cities & towns

*If you have Internet then you could find a use for Spicynodes!

Why & How LIS Professionals & Spicynodes

Great for improving websites, no coding or experience necessary; brings sites to life with unique design, improves appearance & functionality, easily integrated into current site and encourages interaction

Organizes and visualizes complex information simplistically; makes learning fun, helps to organize research & thought processes, encourages planning & outlining, & is a new way to express oneself creatively, scholarly, etc. “Better than Dewey!”

Spicynodes & Dewey

“SpicyNodes goes several steps further (than the Dewey Decimal

System), sidestepping the inherent limitations of Dewey’s system.

Infinitely flexible, you can always go back and add new parent nodes,

expand the number of child nodes, and rearrange the hierarchy as

new information becomes available. Moreover, it’s a breeze to link one

node (or one nodemap) with another.”

• -Spicynodes’ Blog

Why & How Continued…

Can be used to build interactive resources such as: LIB guides, digital book trailers, book promotion, online exhibits, reading maps & more

Encourages sharing & collaboration

Interface works well on mobile devices & tablets

What Is a Basic Spicynodes Diagram?

Mind map consists of central parent node and any number of branch nodes

Each branch can have branches of its own

Branch nodes can be linked to nodes in other branches

Additional Functionalities

Individual nodes can include embedded pictures or videos and link to outside sites

Labels can be added describing the relationship between nodes

Mind-Mapping & LIS

Could mind-maps be the organizational structure of the LIS future?

FRBR is a less linear way of looking at the relationships between items than the more linear MARC records

Bibframe builds off the FRBR model but aims to use URLs/URIs to define each node of relationship

Spicynodes & FRBR

Example of a FRBR diagram for Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring created in Spicynodes with

additional information added through links and embedding.

Resources for Continued Learning

Advanced Design- includes instructions for custom graphics, editing tags, JavaScript manipulation, custom sounds, custom fonts & how to integrate Spicynodes with other sites.

References & Further Reading-list of references used by the Spicynodes creators

Wikinodes- learn how to use Spicynodes’ creators’ new app for the iPad

Sources

http://www.spicynodes.org/

https://www.facebook.com/SpicyNodes

https://twitter.com/SpicyNodes

http://www.spicynodes.org/blog/2011/11/09/spicynodes-will-work-on-mobile-devices-starting-with-ios/

http://ala12.scheduler.ala.org/node/2517