Sunday March 30, 2008

It's fun to see who has finished the 23 Things project. Keep going everyone. I just re-did my Page Badge after seeing other finishers' blogs. I thought, "How did they get that picture on their badges?" So I went back to my page to see how to make the badge and made one with my picture on it. Once you've tried one of the 23 Things, it's a lot easier to try it again. And maybe you'll even do it correctly the second time!

The PLA convention was great btw. And because of the Twenty-three Things program, I wasn't reluctant about going to the Technozoo session. And I actually knew what the presenter was talking about most of the time!

Post 23 Things Blogging

Whoa! I haven't blogged for a while and 1. I forgot my sign-in name and password and
2. I had to think about how to start again (new post). So if any of you are still working on your "things", don't wait too long between postings or you may forget how. But maybe I'm the only one who has this kind of memory loss! I frequently try to teach patrons what their library pin number is in case they ever want to request their own books or use our Internet stations. I ask, "Do you know your pin?" Nope. So I tell them and give them a hint so they will remember next time (i.e. "the last 4numbers of your phone number.") The next time they come in I ask, "Do you know your pin?" Nope.

But I do understand how they feel. Too many things to remember, too many numbers, too many passwords, too many sign-ins, too many phone numbers.

Anyway...

I've been taking part in the discussions on my 23 Things web page. The discussion about "How do you find time to complete the 23 Things" is interesting. Some people do them at home, some at work. Some libraries feel that the 23 Thing project is important enough to allow their employees time to complete it on the job. Some libraries don't have the technology to allow them to complete it. Some participants don't have time at work. Some don't have time at home. But I think what is most interesting is that so many people are trying it from all over the state. I didn't expect that many would try it. So Yay! And Happy Easter!

Blog Etiquette

I just read something the other day about what makes a good blog, and blog etiquette, so I haven't been blogging.

For one thing, you're supposed to keep your blogs brief, which I haven't been doing, and even if I wasn't blogging for a project, I probably still wouldn't write brief blogs.

It seems to me that many people like to blog just to hear themselves talk, so to speak. I think that I could easily fall into that category once I got started. Bla bla bla---blog blog blog.

So I'll be back if I have any more library 2.0 stuff to talk about. And I'll try to be brief.

Thing #18, Youtube again

As you can see, I am still blogging as promised. It's funny to be writing all of this to maybe no one, and at the same time, maybe everyone. But's it's a nice way to keep a journal. Maybe someday I'll start another private blog just to journal about private stuff! Anyway...

Well I wasn't going to make my own movie or put it on Youtube, but then I remembered that several family members have so I thought I would add my "Mickey" movie just for fun and try to improve upon it someday, and I realized that I already have a Youtube account. So I was all ready with my movie and everything but the Youtube site isn't working. So I'll check later. I actually had been on my site earlier checking out my family's videos that I had forgotten about and that led me to check out how easy it is to upload videos. But I'm not going to make my "Mickey" clip public because it's not any good. (See below).

ELM Databases For All Minnesotans

Say, this is my first political blog.

I normally try to avoid library politics but I do want to add my support to a piece of legislation that would make taxpayer supported ELM Databases accessible to all Minnesotans, not just those whose libraries are members of a regional library system. My library is a member of a regional system so it already receives ELM Databases. But there are Minnesota taxpayers whose libraries don't receive ELM Databases as they should. (East Grand Forks, Taylor Falls, Crosby, Hendricks and Clarkfield.)

Please consider supporting this legislation (ELM Access Bill) so that no one is excluded from receiving access to these important taxpayer-funded databases.

Digital Day

Well, today I decided to goof around with "as many different things that I'm not good at" as I possibly could, with varying degrees of success.

I started out trying to download a video from my actor son in NY. He sent it to me via email last night. No success with it last night. Said I needed Quicktime. I had Quicktime. Some compressor thingey wasn't working. Emailed it to my other account and forwarded it back to my first account but on our desktop computer instead of laptop. Today I opened it after it told me that my Quicktime settings there were playing with some other applications and did I want them to do what I wanted them to do with my son's video clip.(Not in so many words but you get the idea.) I was finally able to see the clip which I am not allowed to show you because someone may steal their idea for a sitcom (delusions of grandeur?). Anyway, I opened, I saw, it was cool, and now I'm waiting for an 8MB one to open in my email.

So THEN I decided to put a counter on my blog--one for my bday and one for Christmas. They appeared on my blog page but didn't work, so I removed them. Will try that again someday. It's easier on Facebook, they just do those things for you.

Then I decided to try taking a short movie of my dog using my camera, which I've never done before--well once I did accidentally take a movie of my foot but I forgot how to do that. So of course my dog was not cooperative--he thought I should be taking a still shot so he stood still mostly. Then it took me some time to figure out how to replay it on my camera. Then I had to download (or upload) it into my computer which took awhile. Then I tried to upload it onto this blog page, which was my ultimate goal. Didn't work. My next trick was to upload it to my Ning 23 Things on a Stick web page, which worked. So I embeded it and transferred it to this blog--trying to do it a couple of different ways, and I finally was successful, more's the pity. Now two groups of viewers have to suffer through watching this poor little film.

Mickey Movie Take 2

Find more videos like this on 23 Things on a Stick

Countdown Clocks

Hmmmmm. Obviously the powers that be don't want anyone to know when my birthday or Christmas is. I've downloaded two countdown clocks and they are very red, but don't seem to be working. I will check back later to see if they have seen the error of their ways, but if not, it's into the bucket with them. I was going to make a countdown clock for the first warm day, but it's here! Yay!

Thing #23 One Last Thing

I've taken the survey. I'm still putzing around with this and that and checking to see if everything is complete or if I've missed anything. I've jumped around quite a bit. I'm still listening to the Opal lecture. It's almost done I think. They last about an hour.

I've been alternately pleased and frustrated with the 23 Things. But because of taking part in this program, I won't be nearly as nervous about trying new 2.0 stuff. It's funny because normally I enjoy getting and using new electronic gadgets--cell phones, mp3 players, electronic reading devices, laptops, webcams, palm pilots. But I use those items when I want to--they are not patron-driven or driven by when my boss wants me to use them. So there is a little more pressure to learn Library 2.0 stuff than there is to use my electronic gadgets.

That being said, it wasn't my boss who suggested signing up for 23 Things. This was strictly a voluntary project on my part. I think I first heard about it in an email. Then I put it aside because I thought it would take way too long to complete. I have done most of the Things while at home and not on the clock. I would never have time to complete them at work! It might have been neat to have our entire Information staff work on these "things" together but I think the program would have had to be presented in smaller chunks.

More later...

Thing #22 What Did I Learn Today?

Well, since I was always going to keep a written journal about my library experiences(but haven't), I guess I now have an electronic journal started where I can do the same thing--and I won't lose it--unless I forget my username and password (a real possibility). I can put every new thing that I learn into my blog. I don't really expect others to read it, but it will sure be helpful to me.

I've put LISNews and The Shifted Librarian on my aggregator and I've belonged to WebJunction since the last MLA convention, so I'm well on my way to staying up-to-date with all things Library 2.0.

Thing #21 Other Social Networks

Like Ning which I'm on already. That makes three that I belong too. I added the badge and left a comment and uploaded photos.

Thing #19 Podcasting

I'm listening to a Podcast on MPR called Grammar Grater about word meanings. Right now they're talking about the word "Caucus".

I'm also checking out the Minnesota Podcast Directory.

I also checked out podcast.com and looked up "book reviews" and listened to a Nancy Pearl book review.

I don't know if I'd ever want to do a podcast but I certainly like having access to them.

Dolphin YouTube Video

Thing #18 YouTube

I've seen lots of YouTube videos. My son belongs to an Improv Troup that puts their gigs on YouTube. If you search under "McColley" you will see all of the videos he's been in or has written since he started in 2005 or so. Also there is a cute video about otters and another about dolphins playing with bubbles and water rings under the water. Just search "dolphin bubble rings". I've also seen tv episodes on YouTube.

There is an old British tv show called "Bad Girls" and you can watch lots of the episodes or at least parts of them, but as you can imagine, if you put in the tag "Bad Girls" you can also come up with some naughty videos about "bad" girls as well. But I see there is a feature that will ask you to register if you want to look at those videos so that youngsters can't access them. (Sure).

Anyway, I would think that there should be lots of lawsuits going on because of these videos--copyright issues etc. But it seems like everything can go on YouTube. I'm not sure I feel comfortable copying a video into my blog but here goes nothing.

Thing #8 Share Your Creations

I went to Picture Trail to make a moving cube of my photos. It took me quite awhile to figure it out and involved thinking up a variation of one of my usernames. Lots of back and forth and browsing and choosing--all for a little movable cube with 5 pictures on it. And then the cube doesn't quite fit as I would like it to on my blog page--it is a little cut off even though I chose a "small" format. Perhaps if I chose a different blog template but at this point I don't feel like going through all that again. We all get the idea that these applications can add interest to a web site or blog page. My picture cube reminds me of that part in Superman where all of the bad guys get put in a cube and are sent out to space.

AFTER I signed up for Picture Trail, I looked at the other applications. I can see using the folio application someday personally in my career but also for looking for applicants for our current library. Kind of shows more of the personality of an applicant, compared to a regular resume. And it also shows that an applicant is comfortable with 2.0 tools.

The database application is interesting--I have to keep reminding myself that all of these 2.0 applications allow for sharing on the web--kind of mindboggling.

Thing #6 Image Generators

Oh, nuts. I was just goofing around with my Blog site and I somehow deleted the library license plate that I created way back when. I wanted to change the title to "Image Chef" instead of "The Thing" and it deleted the little image of a license plate. That should teach me not to go back and mess with objectives that I have originally completed successfully.

I'm not going to make another license plate because I've already made trading cards with that feature. But how annoying just the same.

P.S. Actually, the license plate image reappeared and then disappeared again. Library Gremlins.

Back to Thing #2 Library 2.0 comments

I recently read a Library Journal article about 2.0. It was written with a different perspective--that 2.o could actually be dumbing down our patrons. (I am ducking now from all the tomatoes and eggs you are throwing at me--but don't shoot the messenger).

I know how in another blog I mentioned that young people are forced to read and write because they are in social networks and are blogging etc. But sometimes the reverse is true as well--emails are full of little signs instead of words, shortened phrases, typos (cu, ttyl, ;o), etc.)--kind of a shorthand, and maybe it's making us all more lazy.

But that wasn't what the article was about--I digress.

Oops--have to go to work. bbs.

Ok I'm back. The article was in the December 15, 2007 Library Journal under Carol Tenopir's column. She was talking about Andrew Keen, " former Internet entrepreneur" and his book "The Cult of the Amateur: How Today's Internet Is Killing Our Culture."

Although she doesn't agree with his entire premise, she does tell us that there are little kernels of truth in it--and some warnings. She notes that "special interest groups (hate groups, political action committees, etc.) can convey their message without revealing their true identity." She says that Mr. Keen warns that when advertising and public relations are disguised as news, the line beteen fact and fiction becomes blurred.

The gist of it is that in the past patrons had to try to distinguish between reliable, current and accurate sources and junk, and now they have an even harder time doing that. Many think that everything on the Internet and on Social Networking sites is true. Keen says that "instead of more community, knowledge, or culture, all that Web 2.0 really delivers is more dubious content from anonymous sources."

What this means to librarians of course is that we are needed even more to help patrons find the stuff they need and want. We can continue to teach them not to believe everything they read whether it is from print sources or online sources. Of course we can't really explain that to them when they are using their computers in their own homes, and it's hard for them to tell if they are getting information from experts in the field or just some smart aleck who likes to rant in a blog.

But we certainly can't help them if we don't keep up with 2.0 ourselves.

If you want to read the rest of the article, here is the link: http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6510681.html

Thing #17 ELM Productivity Tools

Number 2 EBSCO--made the folder. Not sure what it's for yet, I suppose to keep track of research that I may be doing, but it involves yet another username and password. Added several elements to the web page and saved the page to my flash drive.

Number 1 InfoTrac--Am trying to create a Gale search alert but I can't get the short video via QuickTime to work to figure out how to do it. Can't get an RSS feed set up either. Funnily enough I accidently created a search alert while in the EBSCO folder instead of in InfoTrac.

Number 3 Proquest--Create a Web Page

Number 4 NetLibrary--I set up an account. It's my understanding that the audiobook program that Rochester PL has is easier to use. Has anyone tried it?

Thing #16 Student 2.0 Tools

I think the assignment calculator and the research project calculator are pretty useful--especially for college students. I think High School teachers usually have their own versions to give to their students because having a step-by-step plan is part of research paper instruction to get them ready for college. As far as assignments, teachers now usually have students track their assignments in some type of notebook that they are supposed to look at everyday, but I think for a longer term group project, the assignment calculator would be good for the group to use.

Both would be useful for the Public Library crowd of patrons--but usually high school AND college students (and often their parents) come in when it is far too late for planning. They need to figure out their project Friday and it's due on Monday.

I think the Assignment Calculator might be good for me to use when planning programs or projects. I like to check things off when I've completed them so that the whole project doesn't seem so overwhelming and I can see progress is being made. Two thumbs up for this 2.0 tool.

Thing #15 Online Games and Libraries

I have to really keep an open mind for this "thing." I am not a game person. I don't like cards, board games, party games, sports on tv, video games or computer games. But I realize others do so onward and upward!

So while I'm waiting for the Pirate game to download, I guess I could see some use for online games in the library. Actually, quite a few kids already come in and play online games. They are always asking me what the URLS for Disney and Nickelodeon are. Mostly they help eachother find them.

If we had a room dedicated to YAs, games would be a real draw. But right now we can't really have them because of the noise level. Our library has three levels. Only the first level is used for books and and patron areas. The two higher levels are used for library programs and meeting rooms. We don't have the staffing to turn the second or third floor into a dedicated children's or a YA area--or even a reading or reference room. But if we had all the money and staffing in the world, this is what I would do--and then we would have gaming and music and podcasts and whatever the "next thing" is.

Arrrr. Just as I suspected. I can't STAND playing video/computer games. I do not have the patience and get frustrated VERY easily. I don't see how folks (like my husband) can get so addicted to them.

I'm all for having space for games for YAs in the library--just don't make me play!!!!

Second Life is interesting but still not something that I would like. It is like the old SimCity games of old but more complex I'm sure.

Still, it's cool to learn about them. Again--not for me personally. I am obviously not a fun person. As for the interaction with other people in the game--it is just too much for me--the print is too small and there is too much going on--I have absolutely no hand-eye coordination. It about drove me crazy in the few minutes that I spent trying it. My husband is annoyed with me because I don't want to try Guitar Hero either!

#14 Library Thing

Now this is something someone told me about awhile ago but I didn't check into it at the time. But now I have joined it and I'm hoping that I'll never misplace my personal booklist again. Of course I'll probably end up paying for the over than 200 books someday but so far it's free. I like everything else about it, and I'm sure I will use it personally and for Reader's Advisory services to library patrons. Of all of the things in 23 Things on a Stick--I like this online tool the best! I give it two thumbs up!!!!!

One thing though--I have a Facebook social networking account and I added a bookshelf feature to it too. The number of books I can add to this bookshelf feature is unlimited and free! So it will be interesting to compare the two bookshelf features--they are very similar. Belonging to Library Thing is more exclusive--perhaps only librarians join it. The bookshelf on Facebook is perhaps open to more people.

2/16/08 I am fairly proud of myself for just now figuring out how to add some of my books to my blog through Library Thing. I couldn't do it before--I just could add the link to the page but not to my books. So yay!

Thing #13 Online Productivity Tools

I liked the Google "make your own homepage" feature the best. It looks cute and is simple. I'm getting to the point though in 23 Things, where I'm not sure where to find or put all of these things. I have a homepage, I have a blog page, I have an RSS page, I have a Social Networking page (actually I have 3 of those). I have calendars all over the place (MSN, Outlook, and on 4 walls), lists of contacts all over the place, and photos everywhere. So far I am only blogging on my Blogger blog page, although I know just about everything I add allows me to blog on it or transfer blogs or whatever. I have "To do" lists on my palm pilot, on my "list" productivity tool, and on a pad of paper in my office. I don't know which list to look at first! I guess if I hadn't started out with a palm pilot and a work email/calendar feature, I would find these online tools helpful. And if I had anyone to share this info with, it would be handy. I am using the MSN calendar feature because I have quite a few family members who use MSN instant messaging and mail and I can see maybe sharing my calendar with them.

Thing #12 Do You Digg?

Well, I looked at all four sites.

I think all of the sites sensationalize the "news" even more than tv and newspapers do. I think that a lot of "junk news" gets the popular vote on these sites. I don't believe that these sites add to productivity, and they have a tendency to get people to just read the headlines. The sites remind me of the "National Enquirer" somehow.

I read an article about Colin Powell on Digg and one about Americans having to live within their means rather than using credit cards on Reddit. I had already heard the story about Colin Powell on the radio this morning. The article about credit cards was nothing new.

I suppose I'm missing some kind of point here.

I don't quite understand that there is a special way to "share" a news article--in the past I have always just cut and pasted the URL into an email and sent it to a friend. Sometimes I just highlight the article and put it in an email. I know that some online news providers have a spot that says "email this article" but I didn't find it on the ones 23 Things have listed.

However, I don't like to send unsolicited articles to friends and colleagues very often. This can be just as annoying as when people send prayers and jokes and inspirational and political blurbs to people via email. I might think they're cute or inspiring or funny, but lots of people just hate getting that stuff sent to them and sometimes a virus is an unfortunate side effect.

Of course, friends and colleagues can choose not to read what I send them, but some people feel pressured to read stuff that they don't really have time to read. Anyway, I'm feeling a little owly tonight so I might take another look at these things when I'm in a better mood. ;o)

Thing #10 (3)

I looked at and messed up the first page of the 23 Things on a Stick wiki. I wanted to correct a misspelled word on the second page, but instead changed a type color on the first page. Unfortunately, somehow the listing for the four available pages rearranged themselves, so I must have done something other than change the color. I also added a comment about messing up the page.

I played in the wiki sandbox too but I forgot what I did.

It would take me awhile to want to add to someone else's wiki. Making and using my own wiki would be okay, and getting information from other wikis would be useful, but adding stuff makes me nervous.

#10 Wikis (2)

Am exploring the library wikis.

The Princeton Book Lover's wiki is nice for picking up more reviews for Reader's Advisory and would be nice to have for my own library. (If I had all the time in the world to read and review books. Of course this is nice because other people are doing it and I can access the reviews.)

The subject guide wiki is great just for the first page listing alone. I'm always try to come up with subjects that I'd like to write guides for. Of course I've been thinking about "paper handouts" all of this time, but a wiki filled with subject guides would wonderful--and neverending! Instead of a one-page subject guide, I could create a wiki filled with ever-evolving information.

But of course, the patron needs to be shown how to access the wiki on a computer. And there are still plenty of folks out there who prefer paper handouts to online information. But it would be great to have both!

I see that the "Best Practices" wiki is having problems with vandals and requires email identification now.

The staff wiki is cool. I would love to do something like that with our Circ staff--but they are very reluctant to do library tasks that aren't directly and specifically helping the patrons. "I" know that it really is for the benefit of the patrons but staff just thinks that it's wasting time. (They don't like team-building exercises either.) We only are able to have one staff meeting a year--sometimes two, so I have them hooked up to email so we can at least share procedures and ideas with eachother, but they have been very reluctant to use email to communicate and will discuss things via email only if I send them a "please reply to this email" message. We have had Circ staff hooked up to email for 4 years now and still only about half of them will voluntarily respond. I hope that they are at least reading their email!

I can see where having a library wiki would be very useful. And if our library ever has a blog I'll be sure to add it to the Library Bloggers Wiki.

Thing #10 Wikis (1)

I really like Wikipedia and use it all the time. One thing I like about it is that if you want to read something other than the "party line" or "accepted" biography for someone, wikipedia fits the bill. Lots of interesting private info is contained in a wikipedia entry--much of it true I'm thinking. Of course the downside is that someone could really mess up an entry by submitting lies or misinformation. But normally, someone else will come along to correct that info.

I also like how current Wikipedia can be. For instance I wanted to look up the female candidate of Pakistan and the page had a warning not to try to add anything to the Wiki because the topic was undergoing breaking news--in fact, Bhutto had just been assassinated and I'm assuming they wanted to wait to get the correct information before adding to the wiki information about her. I had just looked up the topic the day before and suddenly world events concerning her had changed.

It's better than a news headline or story because there is lots more background information than in an average news story.

I wouldn't as a librarian use only Wikipedia as a source, but I think it can be one valuable resource.

P.S. the video about wikis was very helpful and fun to watch. I like that guy. I'm off to look up some library wikis now.

Thing #9 Collaboration

Am trying to edit using the Google tool but it says I don't have permission to do that without signing in. ? (I did read your instructions but obviously I missed something). 2/16/08 Decided to email you for the permission to try to edit these two things.

2/17--got permission and actually set up accounts in both Google Docs and Zoho Writer. I thought Google Docs was easier to use. I changed the document in Google Docs but didn't save the changes. I did email the changes to one of my email accounts but I didn't feel that I could force my changes on everyone. I couldn't really figure out how to use a "save as" feature that would keep my version, but also allow others to go back to other versions, instead of losing everything. I saw where we could see everyone else's edits but didn't know if was easy to accept some changes and disgard others.

I think it would have been a cool application for the founding fathers so that they wouldn't have to meet and argue about changes. They could just send their versions to eachother and then comment until it was perfect. But I guess it all worked out for them.

This would have been good to know about when I had to do all of my MLS group projects!

#20 Social Networking

Ok, I see who writes the articles for 23 Things--it says at the bottom of the page.

I think the Social Networking sites are wonderful for young people. Lots of young adults hate to read and hate to write even more! Because of this, many of them are losing important skills, such as reading comprehension and spelling. Because of MySpace and Facebook, they are forced to read AND write--and lo and behold--they LOVE it. But shhhhhhh, don't tell them. They surely don't want to admit that they're actually learning anything. I know at least two young women have improved their spelling skills by 75%! Keyboarding and typing skills are also necessary when participating in social networking sites. (Again, don't tell them that.)

I haven't accessed my Facebook account since I started the 23 Things, but I think my name is (I guess I won't tell you yet--better check my page first, since I've never used it professionally.) if you're looking for me. Will let you know if it's not.

So far, our library doesn't use Facebook or MySpace, although we spend a lot of time unfiltering MySpace for everyone else. I just have used the two sites to goof around with friends. I half-heartedly made a snowman and opened a couple of free gifts. Someone is always poking me. I've got some photos on them and have listed my favorite movies, books etc. Not much blogging--well none really, thank goodness, or I wouldn't be blogging here. I will have to check out some library pages to see what they are doing with Facebook and MySpace. I can't seem to think outside the box right now as to how to use them in our library. To be continued...

#20 Libraries and Social Networks

Ok, sorry, I am really skipping around now. This is going to make it difficult for me to later figure out if I've completed all the Things--but I'll take my chances. Some of these "things" are just to hard for me to figure out on certain days. Plus, tomorrow I'm back at work again and won't be able to work on the 23 things--I am WAY too busy at my library to dink around with this stuff. And yes, I know eventually it will be useful to incorporate into our library resources, but right now I just have to learn it at my own speed and not really use it for anything. Have you noticed that I've tagged this blog? And after listening to Lee on the little tutorial we had to read, (that guy is so cool), I am seriously thinking of putting all of my trip to the Mediterranean on Flickr. But that's a LOT of tagging if I really want it to work for me. I know I can just upload them but there are 1300 photos and they are very difficult for me to find when I want them--take for example my Towel Animal Trading Cards--there are really about 10 but I had all I could do to browse for 3!

As far as social networking goes, I already am on MySpace and Facebook (and Ning thanks to the 23 things). So lets see if I can find out more about them by reading all of the 23 Things info. Someone went through a lot of trouble to blog on the 23 Things site so we may as well read it! Who wrote all that stuff anyway?

#11 Del.icio.us

While trying to figure out what Del.icio.us is by reading the 8 minute tutorial, I also ran across another tutorial of interest which explained in very simple terms what RSS is and how to use it. It is called RSS in Plain English by Lee LeFever. So now I am going to go back to try to add to my knowledge of Thing #3, RSS.

However, I don't understand Del.icio.us yet. These activities remind me of when I was an undergraduate taking an Accounting class. I always figured out how to do "today's" homework about two weeks later. Those "aha" moments are fine if they're not grade dependent!

Ok, I've added Deli.cio.us to my toolbar. This was a lot easier to understand and to do when I just went to the Deli.cio.us site. The tutorial made it seem a lot more complicated. But whatever. Everyone learns in different ways. It's a pretty cool feature I have to admit. But, I had to think up yet another username as it wouldn't accept the one I have been using for my other 23 Things accounts.

Thing #11 Tagging

I did some tagging of my #7 Thing regarding emailing and instant messaging. I may do some more later. I'm still trying to wrap my head around "tagging" or "labeling".

#6 Trading Cards

Ok, well, here it is. Who knew? I still don't know, but here is my trading card--cards I mean. Not exactly library-related but you never know when someone will want to trade towel animal cards with you! (As a reminder to myself, I used the middle html code). The three towel animal trading cards are on the left column of my blog page.

#6 Trading Cards

This post did not work--am trying to import a trading card and I must have imported it to the wrong area of my blog because all I got was the html code.

#7 Text Messaging and the rest (web conferencing)

Text messaging is a waste of time and money. If you're using it, you're probably not paying attention to things you're supposed to be paying attention to. Are you using it during your math class? During a convention session or lecture? While you're talking to someone else? While you're driving? During a library meeting? Nope, it's not for me. Just pick up the phone.

3a--watched the video clip. Text messaging takes too long. A phone call is quicker.
3b--read the article--no wonder we have to make room on the airways for cell phones.
3c--did not text message anyone cuz it costs me money and it's stupid. Very handy if a person can't hear to use a phone however so not a total waste I guess. (She admits grudgingly).

Web conferencing seems like it could be very useful. Lots of people use it now to work out of their homes. My daughter-in-law web conferences all the time through her job and is able to work at home. Webinars are handy, especially in Minnesota where snow storms can cause cancellations of meetings and training sessions. I give web conferencing a thumbs up. There are so many of them now, I don't know where to start! That guy talking about OPAL also mentioned the high cost of gasoline, which makes web conferencing very attractive as well. I would rather have a live booktalk but I can see a booktalk presented via web conferencing as well--kind of like Book TV or whatever that show is called.

4a--read it. Boring to read but it's useful information.
4b--Hmmm. Well I tried to listen to an archived Webinar about NetLibrary and it came on but then I got someone from Minitex asking me how they could direct my call. I'll try to watch the OPAL thing tomorrow. I was happy to see that there were previously recorded sessions but then it didn't work. Because even with a webinar or online OPAL conference, you can't always watch it when they offer it.

I'm going to watch part of the Lewis and Clark conference on OPAL today at 2:00. I am really curious to see if it will work. I remember teleconferences at school--there were almost always "technical difficulties"--no sound, no video, inablility to connect, etc. So I hope to be pleasantly surprised.

Ok I am watching the OPAL lecture right now WHILE I am blogging about it!!!!!! AND watching "Men In Black" (I'm not really watching Men in Black but the tv is on and I could be if I wanted to.) The lecture is about the 1905 World's Fair in Portland Oregon. I can hear that there is an audience and there are two of us signed on through the Internet--a guy from Missouri and me, from Minnesota. I was going to just watch a little bit to see how it works, but now I feel like I sure watch the whole thing since they know that I'm here! That's how real it is. Very handy as I'm sure you can find a conference on just about anything you want. And the web moderators kind of type commercials as I'm watching--promoting future lectures.

It looks like I could actually push a microphone button to ask a question out loud if I had a question to ask but I'm not going to do it.

Anyway, I give this 2.0 application a two thumbs up.

#7 Communication Tools 1, 2a, 2b, 2c

I have four email accounts--2 at work--city and SELCO and 2 personal accounts--hotmail and yahoo. That's four different usernames and passwords. People are always telling me that I should use the same username and password. I'm telling you it's not possible as they all have different requirements or the username and password is already in use. So that is one problem with email accounts. I also have two IM accounts--AOL and MSN--but I only use one. I belong to 3 Social Networking sites--MySpace, Facebook, and Ning--three more usernames and passwords. I think I will get rid of Ning soon.

I like to access my work email from home if I'm not working that day, so that I can get rid of SPAM, Junk mail, and info from work that I only need to read and not answer or save. (Like what the day's circulation was--read and delete). By the time I get to work, I don't have to waste time sorting through the junk. Also, reading work email ahead of time helps me understand it better by the time I get to work. I don't feel pressured to understand it and respond instantly at home. But since I've read it once at home, it's less stressful for me to do something about it when I get to work. Does that make sense to anyone? For instance, if I go on vacation for a week, I will quickly go through my work email everyday. When I get back to work I feel like I know what's going on (more or less) and don't feel like I'm out of the loop. (Well, of course there are some things that don't make sense until I get back to work, but not many.) One of my co-workers thinks I shouldn't read my email when I'm off, but I am much more relaxed if I do.

One thing I don't like about email is when patrons email me to ask a question. It hasn't been happening very often--maybe once a week so far. The trouble is that I don't always recognize a patron's email subject so I think it is SPAM. I don't open any email if I think it's SPAM so I imagine that sometimes I miss a patron's email. The Spammers are very tricky and make me think I know who they are when I don't, and the patrons don't often enter a meaningful subject in their subject line so I delete them. I try to save time, as mentioned in the "tips" by deleting anything I think is junk without opening it.

Also, patrons sometimes email for simple things like renewals or title requests but they don't send enough information, so that's a problem and wastes time trying to track them down when I would rather they just call.

Email is also a rather brusque way to communicate, and there are sometimes misunderstandings and people get their feelings hurt. Sometimes that is a very real problem.

Overall though I like email. I like that I can sort things into subject folders. But I still have too many "saved" emails--because you never know when you'll need to read them again.

I only use instant messaging to communicate with my family members in other states. I have a webcam on my home computers and can visit with my kids and grandkids. Anything else I have to say to people at work can be done by email, phone or in person. That is fast enough! Also, we don't allow instant messaging or chat at work because it supposedly takes up too much bandwidth or something . But I do use it all the time at home. My son is in Japan and we can't phone, so it's a wonderful communication device. My grandkids can't really use a phone yet, so it's nice for that too when combined with the web cam.

Slideshow--flickr, tags, etc.

Don't know where this fits in, but I just added my library's Flickr photos as a slide show on my blog.
I discovered something cool while trying to do that--I noticed that I could have added a slideshow from Picasa Web Albums, which is where my daughter-in-law posts all of her pictures. I bet if I knew the correct tag, and if she had posted any to the public, I would have been able to run across some of her photos. So I think I'm starting to understand tags, although I don't know how to tag anything.

Later--I've decided to go back and tag all of my postings, now that I know how to do it

I set up a Flickr account and posted some photos on it. I also tagged one of my library photos under "23thingsonastick" but when I searched that tag later I didn't see it with all of the other crazy photos. Oh well. Guess I already wrote about this previously. I'm done goofing around with the Flickr "thing." I've got photos everywhere--I've looked at a ton of photos--I'm really not all that excited about making my photos public but I did make some private on Flickr as well as on three of my social networking sites. That's enough. On to other "things".

#4 Explore Flickr and #5 More Fun with Flickr

Ok so that last thing was an example of a Flickr Mashup I think. It's a combination of using Flickr images with another application. In this case, it's a spelling application. I spelled: "LibrariesRus" and it brought back photos from Flickr that spelled out what I spelled through photographs containing those letters. The interesting thing about it is that each time you click on one of the letters, the application brings back a different photo with that letter on it, so you can keep changing it.

I still don't know what it means to "tag" something. Ok I do now. I've searched tags "23thingsonastick" and "library cats". I tagged one of my flickr photos as 23thingsonastick but I can't pull it up when I search it, nor can I add the photo to my blog via flickr, although I did add it earlier by just browsing the photo from my computer. So, while interesting to find different photos on flickr and neat to post them onto a flickr account, I guess I can't seem to master the transfer to my blog.

Spell with flickr: LibrariesRus

Spell with flickr: LibrariesRus

#4 Explore Flickr

Our library actually uses Flickr to post photos that we take during programs and such. We all take the photos and our Director posts them to our Flickr account. It's nice because the public can see what we do even if they can't get to the program and it's good advertising so that maybe they'll be encouraged to come to the next program.

This photo actually is a cruise ship library (Carnival Freedom), not our public library, but hey, I was just trying out the Blogging tool bar and this is what happened.

I just signed up for a Flickr account on Monday, Feb. 4, 2008

#6 Online Image Generators

Well, now I'm to the point of just skipping around and completing "things" out of order, so I hope I eventually get them all. I used Image Chef to make a license plate for my library. I'm not very creative but hey, I can always go back and change it someday.
Sometimes I have a web page up and I'm reading it or working on it and then I open another window and another, but at some point one of the windows disappears and it is invariably the one I want to work on or look at next. So then I work on the page that's left. For instance I have all of these pages bookmarked thinking that I can click back and forth between 23 Things on a Stick, and my Blog, and Image Chef, and my Yahoo account, but the next time I look, I've lost one of them. So that is frustrating for me. I don't exactly know how I got to Thing #6 because I was actually studying #4 about Flickr--oh wait, I get it--4, 5 and 6 are all sort of related. Nevermind.

Thingy #3

I think I may have added about 6 RSS feeds to my Bloglines account. Is that where they are supposed to go does anyone out there know? I still don't know if I'm registered with my multitype. It looks like no one has been added since last Thursday, if I'm reading the listing right. [I have since discovered that I've been listed--thanks!]

But I still think it would be more helpful to put RSS feeds on my Blog page, which I still don't know how to do. I'm moving on to the the Flikr thingy until I can get some answers about RSS feeds.

Ok, thanks to Aurora, I understand feeds now and realize why I may not want to put them on my Blogging page. I guess I'm not that interested in listing a lot on my feeds page. I just can't keep up with more than the 6 or so that I have.

Still on Thing #3

There seems to be an awful lot of going back and forth to accomplish these "things" and I still don't have an RSS thingy. Will that show up on my Blog page if I do it right? I'm assuming it would, or does it show up on my email account? When I thought I had one it asked if I wanted to save it or post it. I don't want to do either. I want it to be on my blog. I obviously don't get it yet.

Thing #3

Holy Cow! You mean RSS means "Really Simple Syndication"? That's crazy right? Who knew? I've had too much liquid refreshment to understand more than that right now so I'll have to learn about Thing #3 another day. Signing off for the day...Tigerlily

Thing #2 Library 2.0

While trying to complete Thing #2, I got sidetracked and decided to see which blogs were registered on my area's blog--SELS. My blog is not even there although I've registered. I suppose someone is in charge of adding the registered bloggers and probably can't do so over the weekend. Plus I opened the Austin 23 blog and it did not allow me to leave or go back to the list of SELS blog participants. I had to close out completely. Other SELS blogs did not do this to me. So that was a little annoying--kind of like when a pop-up appears and won't let you leave its site unless you close out.

Anyway, in reading about Library 2.0, I too wonder how it is serving the baby boomers, which will be (are?) the biggest demographic and which some seem to be forgetting. I'm not quite a baby boomer--well maybe the very tale end. Are the 60-year-olds out there excited about the Internet? Are they "webcamming" with their children and grandchildren? Are they using databases and email? Are they social networking? Because if they're not, they are still using the library in the conventional ways--they are checking out books, audio cds and movies. They are using meeting rooms and going to library programs. Soon they will want information on retirement, estate planning, health, travel, and long-term care facilities. Will libraries be helping them through conventional methods or through technology? In my own library, there are lots of patrons of that age who can't use computers but who are coming in to look into travel options, new careers, legal, tax and medical information, hobbies. Some want to learn how to use the Internet but not many. So although 2.0 is important for the younger set and the future of libraries overall, we can't forget the older set--either we get them involved and comfortable with wikis, podcasts and email--even online catalogs, or we make sure we can serve them in the conventional way--because they could make up the largest group of our patrons if we don't scare them off with library 2.0.

What has been your experience with baby boomers?

Thing #1 still

I'm still dinkin around trying to figure this out. I have no idea if I'm registered with 23 Things or not. It took me 5 tries to get back into my blog--don't know why--I thought I knew my sign-in and password. Don't know how I finally got in. Like I said originally, I have so many usernames and passwords I can't keep them all straight.

Thingy #1

The main reason that I hesitated to sign up for 23 Things is because I already have more usernames and passwords in my life than I know what to do with. Even though it's exciting to learn how to use all of these new devices, programs and gadgets, one has to wonder if life is better now with them or if we are losing something by not speaking to eachother face-t0-face. (And yes, I do have a web cam). How many of us have emailed a co-worker about a work related question or comment rather than walking the ten feet to ask her/him in person?

Still, I have officially blogged (I think), so Yay!