The Next Page

A Whole Year

2008-08-31T12:19:00.003-04:00

It's been a year since my last post. 23 Things is a great program. I've recommended it several times over the last year.

Now there is a continuation! Can't wait.

Week 9 Thing 23

2007-08-30T22:18:00.000-04:00

I enjoyed 23 Things. If there are any additional discovery courses like this in the future I would like to participate.

Being already familiar with most of the web 2.0 features, I think I appreciated this course the most for enabling me to focus on how to use these technologies in respect to the library. The articles provided were excellent.

I am curious to see how my library goes about incorporating web/library 2.0 features. There are a few plans I have myself.

What would be awesome is if the organizers of this course create a wiki in six months or a year from now that enables participants from this summer to post what changes/additions have been made in their library in that time. This would be a way we can share our success stories or trials regarding library 2.0 in action.

Week 9 Thing 22

2007-08-30T21:57:00.000-04:00

For this assignment I chose to use Project Gutenberg. I knew they provided ebooks but was unaware they now host audio books. I don't listen to audio books often. But when I do it's through my ipod. So here I chose the itunes complaint version of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, chapters 1-4. I'll try to listen to it this week, since it's been a while since I've read a classic.

A little off topic, but on my itunes I have the audio book for John Hodgman's "The Areas of My Expertise". The book is hilarious to read but the audio book is even better. The narrator is Hodgman himself. It's awesome.

Week 9 Thing 21

2007-08-30T21:40:00.000-04:00

I already did a podcasting post where I discussed odeo and why I don't care for that particular host. But I do enjoy podcasting. Since I talked about the summer camp's podcast here is a link to it's weblog. From the weblog it's easy for listeners to establish an RSS feed.

Podbean allows you to embed a single podcast or a small list of the series.

The clips here are from summer campers at the Virginia Space Flight Academy. They are all pretty short and to the point. And most of the campers, who are between ages 11 and 15, used the podcast to talk to their families at home. It's cute.

Week 9 Thing 20

2007-08-30T21:29:00.000-04:00

I love YouTube. I probably watch too much of it. :) Not having a video camera or any video editing software, I don't post videos to YouTube but I do have an account there so I can save to favorites videos that I know I'll want to watch again.

In the previous post here I embedded a video from YouTube into a blog post. This one I discovered earlier today actually. It's a promo for season 4 of the Office which starts in a few weeks.

I think it would be fun to record short videos that clips events held at the library. Using YouTube we can post them onto the library page or blogs. And it would be nice for patrons to see and be able to comment on the clips. This would be great for a program series. Viewers could see clips from the first couple events in the series and then hopefully attend the remaining events in person.

The Office Preview: Summer's Over.

2007-08-30T21:28:00.001-04:00

The Office is one of my favorite tv shows. In this clip we see what the characters have been up to over the summer.

Week 8 Thing 19

2007-08-30T21:04:00.000-04:00

Looking at the short list of Web 2.0 winners I see that Odeo has ranked first in podcasting. Maybe I just had bad luck with it but I tried to use odeo this summer to host a podcast for a summer camp I work for. Anyway I used Odeo for two weeks, the interface is easy enough to understand. But to create a podcast here with audio recorded elsewhere you have to link to that audio stored on your own server. And it's a little awkward moving from odeo to the odeo studio where you make the podcasts. At the beginning of my third week I couldn't even access the site, who knows why. I wasn't feeling odeo and it wasn't letting me get my work done.

Since I was on a deadline each evening, parents do get fussy if they expect to hear their child podcasting and it doesn't appear online when they want. I had to find another host. I discovered podbean.com. Here you can host audio podcasts and video podcasts. Like odeo it has a built in blog for the podcasts. I liked the podbean blog better. Unlike odeo you can't link to audio on another server, the file has to be uploaded to your account on podbean.

As for using this in a library setting, I think it would be fun to have patrons podcast about what's happening at the library.

Week 8 Thing 18

2007-08-30T20:51:00.000-04:00

The post beneath this one was a test post using Google Docs. I created a small document and mapped it to this blog. Pretty cool.

Google Docs allows you to create word docs or spreadsheets, save them in folders, and share with others by invitation or post to web pages or blogs. I love the connectivity of it all.

I'm always looking for easy online resources to assist and enrich the teen volunteer program at my branch. Google Doc looks like a service we will be able to use a lot.

2007-08-30T20:50:00.000-04:00

This could be an easy way to create, store and post information online.

Google just keeps continuing to rock.

Week 7 Thing 17

2007-08-30T20:00:00.000-04:00

PBWiki is a lot of fun. My staff and I have one just for us and use it for staying informed on branch event planning. Wikis are an easy to use, and easy to access, source for providing and locating information. It's helpful that it works with RSS so your feed reader can tell you when the wiki has had content added.

Week 7 Thing 16

2007-08-30T19:39:00.000-04:00

Wikis hit the heart of the matter when it comes to web 2.0. By design a wiki only exists by online collaboration of various people. It's a social web design that is absolutely brilliant. Instead of limiting yourself or your library to ideas from your own internal programming team you can wiki with program planners from libraries across the state or country. Librarians collaborating nationally to help serve their community locally. Web 2.0 = sharing knowledge and as librarians we should be on the front lines here.

Week 6 Thing 15

2007-08-30T19:06:00.001-04:00

In his article "Into a New World of Librarianship" Michael Stephens makes valid points we should all remember. But after reading his points on how a Librarian 2.0 should be, it's made me realize that Web 2.0 and subsequent Library 2.0 is really just a new route to achieving the original goal of Libraries. And that is to be a community resource for providing access to information. Library 2.0 is focusing on a social aspect that is web 2.0 where people are using the internet to communicate with each other. Communicating with patrons is key to all library services and should be sought out using any means available. Libraries need to continue moving away from the overdone stereotype of musty books and mean librarians who constantly shush you with a stern look. Libraries should be open and inviting to all patrons in all mediums as we are about serving the public, helping them access the knowledge they need or want.

I would love to see my library system use web 2.0 features to enable patrons to see and use the library as a community. Let's let them use RSS to keep up on upcoming programs, new materials in our collection, new online resources. Let's have a program blog that enables patrons who have participated in library programs post about the experience. We could have patrons blogging about how they liked our new releases. There is so much more we could be doing to promote and encourage patron involvement.

In the article "Away From Icebergs" Rick Anderson throws out an opinion where he believes a print collection isn't as necessary to libraries as it was before this digital age explosion. And that may be true to a degree. But our entire culture still associates libraries as a large archive of books. I don't see that disappearing because of web 2.0 or even web 3.0. Why can't we be both? Let's be a location for print media as well as virtual. People still enjoy books. Ebooks are around but in my experience they haven't swayed readers away from paper printed books. There is something to a book being a tangible item that one holds and turns the pages while reading. As much as we branch out virtually and digitally I still think there will be times when we would rather just pick up a book. I spend a good chunk of my day online, for work and play. But I still come back to curling up on the couch to read a good printed novel.

Week 6 Thing 14

2007-08-30T17:46:00.001-04:00

Technorati is always fun. There are a massive amount of blogs to surf through. The search feature helps of course but I don't see where there is anything special about it as a feature. Am I missing something?

What I do like about Technorati is the Watchlist where you can target key tags and the watchlist feature will list for you anytime that key word appears in a new blog post. It's the search that keeps searching even when you are not. That's fun. I also like the WTF section. This time around "WTF" means "Where's the Fire? What's Hot and Why" love it. This feature allows bloggers to promote what's hot in tech trends.

Week 6 Thing 13

2007-08-30T15:29:00.000-04:00

Tagging is an organizational tool that is replacing the more traditional folders technique. Again, I already have a delicious account and use it regularly. Firefox displays delicious oh so nicely, internet explorer does okay too but I prefer it in firefox. Tags are appearing everywhere online these days. I use them in my livejournal and all other blogs I participate in as well as using them for my bookmarks.

Delicious allows access to your saved bookmarks from any online computer. That's not new, Yahoo and Furl have been doing that for years. But delicious has gone a step further and made bookmarks social. One of my co-workers is also on delicious and she and I are part of each others delicious networks. What's nice about that is when I'm surfing for online resources or event/program inspiration and find a website I want her to see I don't have to wait to tell her about it or send her an email. When I tag the page to save it to my own bookmarks I can also at the same time save it to her account as well. This is a great way to share ideas.

Week 5 Thing 12

2007-08-30T14:25:00.000-04:00

Rollyo is an interesting feature. It's like the RSS of search engines. Instead of navigating to various web sites for key information one can create a personalized search engine to scan those same sites. I really like the concept. But it doesn't seem to give me the results I was expecting. Something seems to be missing. Maybe over time with new versions it'll be more. Although I'm not sure what more it needs to be. But it does need something. Maybe I'm losing the wow factor of the internet and now have high expectations. Who knows.

Anyway, I created a Rollyo account and set up a searchroll. This one is focused on tv show reviews.

Week 5 Thing 11

2007-08-28T19:31:00.001-04:00

Several co-workers starting using LibraryThing for their own home collection months ago. I was a bit familiar with the service from hearing them talk about it, but had not created an account for myself. This was one of those "I'll get to it eventually" features.

And now I have! Just for now I've placed a handful of book titles from my home collection on my LibraryThing. But I think I'll come back to this and use the service. It's a great way to keep a collection organized, and for those of us with a rather large home collection, a way to look up what books we already have.

Week 5 Thing 10

2007-08-28T19:07:00.000-04:00

Using Meez I've created a virtual me at the mall. :)

The following is a virtual me at a cafe created with Yahoo Avatar

Week 4 Thing 9

2007-08-28T19:00:00.000-04:00

I'm glad part of 23 Things is rediscovering Merlin. I have used this web page before but had forgotten how nice it is. To help me remember it I have added a Merlin feed to my new Bloglines and have also tagged the site on my delicious.

"Tame the Web" is a blog I've just discovered on the Merlin web page. There are several posts I'm interested in here, I've added this as a feed as well.

As for the feed searches, all are useful. I'm liking Technorati a little better though.

Week 4 Thing 8

2007-08-28T14:13:00.000-04:00

RSS Feeds are not new to me, I have been using them for some time now. However I have not used Bloglines before so that specific service is new to me. My new bloglines can be found here.

My Yahoo handles most of the daily feeds that I check. I am able to create subpages in My Yahoo that allows be to organize my feeds by type. For example I have a subpage labeled work that stores feeds related to the library and I have a subpage labeled fun for feeds that are more entertainment or popculture.

Bloglines, I see, is set up to be more social. And unlike My Yahoo, Bloglines enables a user to easily search for feeds by interest. I like it.

I would like to see libraries set up feeds for patrons to link to at home. Then those who want to keep up on upcoming programs, for example, will always have easy and direct access to event information.

Week 3 Thing 7

2007-08-27T18:32:00.000-04:00

I can't imagine living without technology. And the best thing about technology is that there is always something more. There is always a new gadget or feature being released. Most people are comfortable with technology and adapt quite nicely to the new. For others it takes a while to catch on.

With gadgets we have the "gotta have" and the "I just really want" and also some "that's cool but not really for me". For me the gotta have is my cell phone. I have trouble remembering how I handled not having one all those years ago and can't imagine not having my own cell phone now.

An example of what I just really want is my video ipod. Can I live without it? Yes, but I really don't want to. It's so great having access to my music, tv shows, and movies anytime, anywhere. When I'm stuck in a waiting room while my car is being worked on and other people insist on watching on the shared TV one of those court room shows I can't stand... it's nice to be able to pull out my ipod and earbuds to watch last week's episode of Heroes that I had missed.

Something that's cool but not really for me is gaming. I do enjoy the occasional video game and do have a Nintendo DS. But I don't play it that much and was never caught in the craze that has one buying the new Playstation 3 or staying up all night online playing World of Warcraft. Do I think these things are cool? Absolutely. I'm just not that interested in it for me.

And that is what's also great about technology. There is something for everyones interests.

Week 3 Thing 6

2007-08-27T18:25:00.000-04:00

Mashups are pretty cool. Out of the few chosen for the class to explore I like Flickr Colr Pickr the best. The color palate is fun to explore and I like that it searches Flickr by theme as well as color.

Week 3 Thing 5

2007-08-27T16:47:00.001-04:00

Notre Dame
Originally uploaded by Gary Jones

While surfing Flickr I found this photo of Notre Dame. This image was taken by Gary Jones along with others from his trip to Paris.

I love this photo, it combines three of my favorite cultural points. One, the architectural design of the Cathedral is beautiful. Two, I've always had a weakness for Paris and hope I get to see it in person someday. And three, there is just something about black and white photographs that grab me.

Jones has also posted an unusual image of the Eiffel Tower as well.

Week 2 Things 3 and 4

2007-08-16T15:23:00.000-04:00

I have created this blog and registered it appropriately. And I have downloaded the tracking form.

This isn't my first blog. I have a personal one on LiveJournal and have been using a blog to manage a podcast that I've started this year for the space camp I work for. Why have one job when you can have two?

I didn't spend a lot of time on the layout for the camp's podcast blog because I added it as a last minute item this summer. Next year it'll look more pretty. But if your curious check out the Space Flight Academy's podcast blog here.

Week 1 Thing 2

2007-08-16T14:36:00.000-04:00

7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners

I'm having slight trouble with the task of listing which habit is easiest and hardest for me. I feel that I have a decent balance of all the habits. So I thought I'd do a personal pro-con list of each one.

Goals - Pro: I always make goals in every pursuit I undertake whether it's work, school or home. And I'm good at modifying goals if I see the original is currently too far reaching, or not enough. Con: I tend to create too many goals for myself within the same time periods. Having too many goals at once can distract me or crumble effective time management.
Accepting Responsibility For Your Own Learning - Pro: I certainly wouldn't want anyone else responsible for my learning. Con: Sometimes this becomes a judgment call on what pursuit I want to take on next.
View Problems as Challenges - Pro: I have had challenges slapping me all this year so I have to be learning an awful lot this year. Con: It's easy to get caught up in the emotional responses that challenges bring i.e. anger, annoyance etc. Sometimes I have to really task myself to pull back from the challenge to start seeing it rationally. Then I can usually adapt or make necessary decisions. Looking back on how I've handled challenges is where I learn the most, especially the what not to do again. :)
Have Confidence in Yourself as a Learner - Pro: I normally have a positive attitude and that is crucial to learning anything. Con: Every once in a great while I may have a little too much confidence to where I won't acknowledge I'm not doing something the best way. Then it's difficult to pull back and restart with a new adjusted outlook.
Create Your Own Learning Toolbox - Pro: Whether it's co-workers, friends, or favorite web sites I have a really good support team to help me out when I need it. Con: Sometimes I need help because unfortunately I don't have all the time and knowledge to handle everything myself.
Use Technology to Your Advantage - Pro: I don't want to imagine what life would be like without my laptop and ipod. I love my technology and love that there will always be new and more. Con: Technology can be expensive for this girl on a budget.
Teach and Mentor Others - Pro: I've been teaching computer classes for adults for 7 years now and still enjoy teaching every week. Con: Actually, I don't have a con for this one.

7.5 Play - Pro: I totally agree that play is the best way to learn. I always encourage my students that they need to play with their computers and the internet in order to truly learn how to use it. Con: I don't always have as much time as I would like for playing.

Week 1 Thing 1

2007-08-16T14:31:00.000-04:00

I do like the idea of this program. Although I'm pretty sure I already know about the Things to come, and probably already use most of them, I wanted to take this class anyway. I'm always looking for inspiration. Technology is everyday for me so it's easy to start to overlook features. My Goal for this program is to discover how to use web2.0 to make services offered at my library more fun and interesting for my patrons.

Here I Go

2007-08-16T14:18:00.000-04:00

It's practically the end of the summer but I'm finally working the 23 Things program. Fortunately the completion deadline isn't until the end of the month!

I've just listened to the 7 1/2 Habits presentation. Lifelong learning isn't a new idea for me. I don't know if it's my personality type, or just growing up in my generation, but lifelong learning in my opinion should be seen as normal or expected instead of as something new to adapt to or discover.

This twenty-something feels as if her entire life has been a learning exercise.

Haven't Forgotten

2007-06-27T23:05:00.000-04:00

I am so behind on my online class. But I will get caught up on 23 Things soon!

Making It Happen

2007-06-19T18:47:00.000-04:00

Keeping up with new technology is a must in today's world. I'm curious to see how this summer's online class "23 Things" helps the library stay current with online trends.