Most of the stuff that we looked at in the 23 Things program was new to me. I search the web for topics that interest me generally just through Google. I was surprised that using some of the tools like Del.icio.us and Technorati could actually help identify interesting blogs or websites. Blogs, wikis and podcasts could really be useful for libraries to help organize work or to bring more content to library website users.
The hardest thing about the program was the time it took to work on the 23 Things. Because I was learning many new things, it took time for me to read all the material, listen to the webcasts, try out the tools and then write my entry. You can see looking at my blog, that I did things out of order several times! Usually that means that I got stuck on something, or I wanted to work on a thing at home rather than at work. For me, being part time, finding time and a computer at work was very dificult. Thankfully, I was able to work on it at home with few problems. I know I spent a number of hours on the Things like Flickr, Rss feeds, technorati and Del.icio.us. I still have to read some articles I've bookmarked on Library 2.0!
The great part about the program is that I feel like I have an overview of the web 2.0 and how it can enhance information exchange and productivity. Plus, some of the stuff really is fun to use!
Thanks for putting together the program, and thanks for giving us a few extra days! The extra days were a big help!
Monday, October 1, 2007
Week 9: Thing # 22: Overdrive Audio
I have been a fan of Overdrive Audio for about a year. I first downloaded the program after Baltimore County put ebooks on the library website. I have listened to 2 books on my computer. I usually listen while doing stuff around the house. What I would like to do is to have an MP3 player so I can listen to books while I'm out walking.
I picked out a children's book by Ann Rinaldi called The Fifth of March. I found the book in the list of historical fiction. Searching Overdrive when you're not sure what you want to read can be difficult. The books are arranged as lists that you must scroll through to read the titles. When I selected this title, I was able to click on a link that provided a sample of the audio. Listening to the clip of the first chapter really captured my interest in the book, and I decided to check it out.
Overdrive has limited number of copies of many of its' audio books. Many times, a book that I'm looking for is checked out and has holds waiting for it. Limited availability is a real downside to the service. Some titles are available in unlimited copies.
Project Gutenburg is a great service. I have suggested that customers take a look at this sight if they are looking for a copy of classic literature, like a Shakespeare play. The ebooks can really come in handy if the library does not have copies or if someone is looking for the material from outside of the library.
I picked out a children's book by Ann Rinaldi called The Fifth of March. I found the book in the list of historical fiction. Searching Overdrive when you're not sure what you want to read can be difficult. The books are arranged as lists that you must scroll through to read the titles. When I selected this title, I was able to click on a link that provided a sample of the audio. Listening to the clip of the first chapter really captured my interest in the book, and I decided to check it out.
Overdrive has limited number of copies of many of its' audio books. Many times, a book that I'm looking for is checked out and has holds waiting for it. Limited availability is a real downside to the service. Some titles are available in unlimited copies.
Project Gutenburg is a great service. I have suggested that customers take a look at this sight if they are looking for a copy of classic literature, like a Shakespeare play. The ebooks can really come in handy if the library does not have copies or if someone is looking for the material from outside of the library.
Week 9: Thing # 20, Youtube
There's so much stuff on Youtube that I think you can find something on almost any topic.
I searched for quilting, and came up with more than 20 videos, most of which were instructional. I was intrigued by the video that I posted on my blog. This instructor managed to show how to create an appliqued vest in less than 3 minutes.
Posting the video to the blog was very easy. All I had to do was follow the instructions for posting. I did not have to paste the code for the embeddable player at all. Youtube had it set up so that all you had to do was click on the appropriate button, and the link was created for you.
During this whole 23 things process we have watched quite a few videos with instructions on how to use a particular website or feature. It might make sense to think about using videos to show patrons how to use library websites or how to use features like Overdrive audio books. Many people learn more easily when they are shown how to do something instead of having to read instructions. Of course, we would need the bandwidth to play all that video!
I searched for quilting, and came up with more than 20 videos, most of which were instructional. I was intrigued by the video that I posted on my blog. This instructor managed to show how to create an appliqued vest in less than 3 minutes.
Posting the video to the blog was very easy. All I had to do was follow the instructions for posting. I did not have to paste the code for the embeddable player at all. Youtube had it set up so that all you had to do was click on the appropriate button, and the link was created for you.
During this whole 23 things process we have watched quite a few videos with instructions on how to use a particular website or feature. It might make sense to think about using videos to show patrons how to use library websites or how to use features like Overdrive audio books. Many people learn more easily when they are shown how to do something instead of having to read instructions. Of course, we would need the bandwidth to play all that video!
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Week 9: Thing # 21, Podcasts
I did a few searches in Yahoo Podcasts to see how easy it would be to locate podcasts that I was interested in. I tried a very specific search for a medical condition and had pretty good results. The results included ten or so podcasts, but they were all relevant to the search and looked useful. Most of the podcasts gave instructions and suggestions on how to handle the medical situation.
The second search was broader, using "art schools". The results were not really relevant. One was for a teacher named Art. I did find a childrens book review site called "Book Voyages" that I really liked. I listened to the podcast about the young adult book The Geography of Girlhood by Kirsten Smith. Most of the podcast was of Ms. Smith discussing the book and reading from it before and audience. I really enjoyed listening to her talk about the book.
Looking at Yahoo Podcast website, I realized that it will be discontinued in October. I tried Podcast.net and was able to search directly for Book Voyages and add it to my RSS feeds.
I also looked at the podcast information on the Merlin site. The book readings, interviews and LibVibe were all very cool uses of podcasts. I linked to LibVibe, and I'm listening to the latest news while typing this. Definitely a fun, and informational, podcast.
The second search was broader, using "art schools". The results were not really relevant. One was for a teacher named Art. I did find a childrens book review site called "Book Voyages" that I really liked. I listened to the podcast about the young adult book The Geography of Girlhood by Kirsten Smith. Most of the podcast was of Ms. Smith discussing the book and reading from it before and audience. I really enjoyed listening to her talk about the book.
Looking at Yahoo Podcast website, I realized that it will be discontinued in October. I tried Podcast.net and was able to search directly for Book Voyages and add it to my RSS feeds.
I also looked at the podcast information on the Merlin site. The book readings, interviews and LibVibe were all very cool uses of podcasts. I linked to LibVibe, and I'm listening to the latest news while typing this. Definitely a fun, and informational, podcast.
Week 3: Thing # 6 Flickr Mashups
I was finally able to find a Flickr mashup that would create a mosaic for me from my photos. Bighugelabs.com has various Flickr tools, one of which is a mosaic maker. It was very easy to request that the mosaic be from my Flickr account, and that it be made from photos with a particular tag. The size and shape of the mosaic is also selected. I followed the directions and had the mosaic posted to my Flickr account. I was pretty happy with the results, especially since it took me so long to figure out how to get there!
Week 8: #19: Web 2.0 Awards, Instant Bull
I looked at a number of sites on the Web 2.0 awards short list of winners. The site that I selected to explore is Instant Bull, a business site that pulls together links to many sites with business news. At the top of the page is a search box for stock quotes. I put in McCormicks for the spice company, not knowing the ticker symbol, and the box gave me a selection of possible companies to choose from. The result was a "buzz matrix" that showed which message boards had information about the stock and how long ago the message was posted. On the left were links to pertinent messages.
Instant Bull also provides links to news sites like Bloomberg, blogs, weblinks to popular sites like technorati, and finance message boards. The site tries to bundle a lot of financial links into one package. It is geared more toward someone who follows the stock market on the web, instead of someone used to using the high cost services like Value Line. It is a fun site if you like to follow financial message boards and blogs. It is worth considering for inclusion in a list of business websites if a public library has a customer base that follows the stock market.
Instant Bull also provides links to news sites like Bloomberg, blogs, weblinks to popular sites like technorati, and finance message boards. The site tries to bundle a lot of financial links into one package. It is geared more toward someone who follows the stock market on the web, instead of someone used to using the high cost services like Value Line. It is a fun site if you like to follow financial message boards and blogs. It is worth considering for inclusion in a list of business websites if a public library has a customer base that follows the stock market.
Week 8: Thing #18, Google Docs
Hi! I opened the Google Docs account, and now I'm trying it out. I love the idea of sharing documents on a site so that they can be edited and reviewed by different people. Actually, from a public library standpoint, the ability to save a document to a website is great. So many times we have customers using public computers who do not have a disc or flashdrive to save their work. Maybe it will be a viable option to steer some customers to Google Docs or Zoho. Then they can access their documents later or email them directly to where they need to go.
Some of the other features like the calendar or slide presentation feature would be great for people who are working from home or are away from their workplace. These same features would work well for volunteer organizations. Volunteers are often involved in many activities, from work to other organizations, and being able to pool information through these web apps may streamline organization.
I'm going to try to post this to my blog ... We'll see if it works!
Week 7: Thing #17 Sandbox Wiki
I had a little trouble with creating the link for the blog in PB Wiki. I finally got the page linked, though. In the process, I thing I created a new page that may be lost or erased somewhere in the wiki. Actually, I went back to the Favorite Blogs page, and I did see the page listed under recent activity. I think I finally got a link to work on the marylandlibrariessandbox blogs here page. Whew! That took some work! I even added a little to a wiki entry. It was fun to try out this program, and it was easy once you learn how to get around.
Week 7: Thing # 16 Wikis
My only previous knowledge of wikis came from using Wikipedia. This encyclopedia is a great help to a reference librarian, even with the caution that comes from knowing that it is not an authoritative source. For this assignment, I enjoyed looking at wikis that were used for subject guides and book reviews. Using a wiki for patron book reviews seems like a great way to get them involved in the library, while providing a service for other users.
The wikis used for conferences or meetings really provide on the spot information for the participants. What's great about those wikis is that the information is provided by participants who may not be organizers of the meeting. They may have great tips that would otherwise not be available to all the participants without the platform provided by the wiki.
The drawback of wikis is the opportunity for misinformation. If a library uses a wiki, I would think that there would have to be individuals who would have to keep track of the postings to try to minimize problems.
The wikis used for conferences or meetings really provide on the spot information for the participants. What's great about those wikis is that the information is provided by participants who may not be organizers of the meeting. They may have great tips that would otherwise not be available to all the participants without the platform provided by the wiki.
The drawback of wikis is the opportunity for misinformation. If a library uses a wiki, I would think that there would have to be individuals who would have to keep track of the postings to try to minimize problems.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Week 6: Thing # 15 Library 2.0
Library 2.0 really seems to center on bringing the tools of the web 2.0 to the public. For a public library this may mean using blogs or other information sharing tools to make the content of the internet more accessible. One of the articles linked in the Wikipedia article quotes a definition by Sarah Houghton: "Library 2.0 simply means making your library's space (virtual and physical) more interactice, collaborative and driven by community needs." ("11 reasons why Library 2.0 exists and matters", www.blyberg.net). Michael Stephens' talks about giving users access to the library services wherever the users are located.
I think that one of the major functions of the Library 2.0 will be to give users access to the internet, through our computers or through interaction with our website. Given all the new tools that users may not be aware of, like del.icio.us and RSS feeds, I think that the libraries must provide users with some education on how to use these tools. Online productivity tools would certainly be useful for many users. Maybe there are ways to use tags to enhance the search capabilities of the a catalog or websites. Certainly there is a lot of information out there, and the library's mission should be to show it's users how to find it. Like Stephens says, it may also be the library's mission to show users how to use the tools that will allow them to shape and use the information.
I think that one of the major functions of the Library 2.0 will be to give users access to the internet, through our computers or through interaction with our website. Given all the new tools that users may not be aware of, like del.icio.us and RSS feeds, I think that the libraries must provide users with some education on how to use these tools. Online productivity tools would certainly be useful for many users. Maybe there are ways to use tags to enhance the search capabilities of the a catalog or websites. Certainly there is a lot of information out there, and the library's mission should be to show it's users how to find it. Like Stephens says, it may also be the library's mission to show users how to use the tools that will allow them to shape and use the information.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Week 6: Thing 14, Technorati
Technorati's advanced search helps to narrow the search area for the keywords that are used. When I limited the search to blogs about learning 2.0, the search retrieved blogs that focused on learning and education. The couple of blogs that I looked at appeared to be by teachers who were exploring web 2.0 for the classroom. Searching the tags seemed to have better results than searching the blogs.
Searching for learning 2.0 in the tags retrieved a blog by a librarian in Pittsburgh who was working on library 2.0, http://libraryalchemy.wordpress.com. This blog had a lot more information that I was interested in as a librarian. I was particulary intrigued by the link to a del.icio.us page titled clpmainreference. The page listed links to webpages such as the Smithsonian art page which could be used for reference. The tags were bundled into several categories, like art, social science and ready reference. It was an interesting way to organize websites.
The favorite blogs,top blogs and searches tend to be about technical issues, like engadget and techcrunch, or about entertainment, like boingboing and blogs having to do with movies, music or entertainers. Blogs are still new and people are learning new ways to use them and the other internet tools, so it could be expected that technical topics would be popular on technorati. Entertainment is also a big part of the internet, and technorati would be a good way to find the latest videos and entertainment news.
I had some problems trying to claim my blog and tagging my posts. I will keep trying to get my blog set up right for technorati.
Searching for learning 2.0 in the tags retrieved a blog by a librarian in Pittsburgh who was working on library 2.0, http://libraryalchemy.wordpress.com. This blog had a lot more information that I was interested in as a librarian. I was particulary intrigued by the link to a del.icio.us page titled clpmainreference. The page listed links to webpages such as the Smithsonian art page which could be used for reference. The tags were bundled into several categories, like art, social science and ready reference. It was an interesting way to organize websites.
The favorite blogs,top blogs and searches tend to be about technical issues, like engadget and techcrunch, or about entertainment, like boingboing and blogs having to do with movies, music or entertainers. Blogs are still new and people are learning new ways to use them and the other internet tools, so it could be expected that technical topics would be popular on technorati. Entertainment is also a big part of the internet, and technorati would be a good way to find the latest videos and entertainment news.
I had some problems trying to claim my blog and tagging my posts. I will keep trying to get my blog set up right for technorati.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Week 6, Thing 13: Del.icio.us
Del.icio.us is a great tool for bookmarking sites with information that you want to be able to retrieve later. While I was trying out the site, I came accross a couple of articles that I wanted to come back to. This motivated me to set up a Del.icio.us account. I have bookmarked about 10 sites, most about the library 2.0, but also about quilt history. I could have really used this tool several years ago when I was doing some research.
When I first searched for quilt information, many of the sites that were found were commercial websites. This would be useful it you were looking for a particular item, like a specific fabric or design. When I searched for quilt history, I found sites with more information, like a Library of Congress website on quilts.
The tags are a different way to think about organization. I think that spending more time with the tags will help me to use them more effectively. And I just like the way the tag cloud looks!
When I first searched for quilt information, many of the sites that were found were commercial websites. This would be useful it you were looking for a particular item, like a specific fabric or design. When I searched for quilt history, I found sites with more information, like a Library of Congress website on quilts.
The tags are a different way to think about organization. I think that spending more time with the tags will help me to use them more effectively. And I just like the way the tag cloud looks!
Week 5, Thing 12: Rollyo
The Rollyo is great for narrowing searches to only those sites that have relevant information. I looked at the Rollyo search rolls mentioned in the instructions and had good results from the searches.
I searched for Hamlet in the public domain e-books Rollyo and the rare books Rollyo. Both yielded good results. For the e-books, I think I would be tempted to go straight to Project Gutenburg to search for a book, but the Rollyo does search some sites that I was not aware of. Using the Rollyo might yield better results.
A recently added search roll that I used is Crafty Girl Sites. This search roll worked very well in identifying information about felting. In using Rollyo, I was a bit put off by the advertisements. I had to read the information carefully to make sure that I was not sellecting a link to an advertiser.
I created a Rollyo search roll for library news. I tried it out for information on wikis, and it worked like a charm. A very useful tool. It took a few tries to get it posted to my blog, but I finally pasted the code into the right place. No question that this is a great tool for anyone doing specific research on the web.
I searched for Hamlet in the public domain e-books Rollyo and the rare books Rollyo. Both yielded good results. For the e-books, I think I would be tempted to go straight to Project Gutenburg to search for a book, but the Rollyo does search some sites that I was not aware of. Using the Rollyo might yield better results.
A recently added search roll that I used is Crafty Girl Sites. This search roll worked very well in identifying information about felting. In using Rollyo, I was a bit put off by the advertisements. I had to read the information carefully to make sure that I was not sellecting a link to an advertiser.
I created a Rollyo search roll for library news. I tried it out for information on wikis, and it worked like a charm. A very useful tool. It took a few tries to get it posted to my blog, but I finally pasted the code into the right place. No question that this is a great tool for anyone doing specific research on the web.
Week 3: Thing 5, flickr
This is my dalmatian. She is sitting in the cat's bed, but doesn't quite fit! Flickr's photo blogging is very easy to use. It's a great way to share photos with others.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Week 5, thing 11: Library Thing
Library Thing was definitely easy to use. Once I went through the site tour, it only took me a few minutes to set up the account. I just grabbed a few books and typed in the ISBN. It took no time at all. I added a few tags, just really random thoughts about each book. I'll need to use tags a bit more to get used to them.
I can see where Library Thing would be very useful for people who spend time on their own book collections. I will need to spend more time with it to see what other features are offered by the site.
I can see where Library Thing would be very useful for people who spend time on their own book collections. I will need to spend more time with it to see what other features are offered by the site.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Week 5, thing 10: Yahoo Avatar
Well, what a surprise! I actually got the avatar to display on the blog. Partly just dumb luck in trying different combinations of cutting and pasting the url.
The avatar was a little like playing with paperdolls. I was tempted to use some of the more dramatic costumes, but went with something more sedate. It's an interesting program, that's fun to use.
The avatar was a little like playing with paperdolls. I was tempted to use some of the more dramatic costumes, but went with something more sedate. It's an interesting program, that's fun to use.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Week 4: Thing 9, Library blogs and news feeds
Looking for the rss icon can really be fun. I've added a couple of weather websites, since I'm a weather junkie. I also added a couple of the library sites that were mentioned in the 23 things blog, including LII and Merlin. I looked on the internet for a news feed for new mysteries, and came up with "Deadline News" which is part of the ClueLass website. I don't know whether this news feed will have what I'm looking for, but I'll keep it on for now.One of the best things about Bloglines is that I don't have to remember which websites I've found useful or interesting.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Week 4, Thing 8 Bloglines
I've set up the bloglines account and added 10 newsfeeds. It looks like it could be fun to check the news all in one place! Maybe a timesaver, but I'll have to live with it for a while to see for sure.
It was interesting looking at different sites to see if they had the rss. A few that I looked at still had email newsletters or pdf newsletters, so not everyone is adopting this right now.
Bloglines is fun to use, and I can see it being very useful for a lot of different people, including those who use our computers.
It was interesting looking at different sites to see if they had the rss. A few that I looked at still had email newsletters or pdf newsletters, so not everyone is adopting this right now.
Bloglines is fun to use, and I can see it being very useful for a lot of different people, including those who use our computers.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Week 3, Thing #7: Technology
This week I was looking for some information about the subject of a new nonfiction book. I googled the topic, and one of the hits was a blog by a tv newsperson. What I found interesting was that blogs are a way for people with similar interests to communicate information. I'm sure that this revelation is not news to people who regularly read blogs. Rather than just being a social format, the blogs also are a way to find other web pages and blogs with related information. The truly wonderful thing about the internet is the way that people around the world can communicate and share pictures with each other directly. With blogs, we can point people to where they can find more stuff about what interests them.
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Week 1 and 2, Thing 2, 3 and 4: 7 1/2 habits, blogs
I just listened to the podcast on the 7 1/2 habits. I do consider myself a lifelong learner, in the sense that I am always on the lookout for information about subjects that I am interested in.In this exercise, I am most interested in learning how to work with pictures.
9/22/07
Reviewing my blog posts, I realized that I had forgotten to answer the questions in Thing 3 about the 7 1/2 habits. For me, the easiest habit is #5, create your own toolbox. I am always looking for information about subjects that I am interested in. What's great about the 23 things program is the number of internet tools that I am learning about for the first time. Some things I am familiar with, like wikis and e-audio books. I had not heard of del.icio.us and did not know how rollyo worked.
The most difficult things for me are #3, view a problem as a challenge, and #4, have confidence. I have problems with managing my time, so that a problems can look like a crisis if I don't get to it. Confidence in myself is just something that I have always struggled with. Anyway, I will have try to manage these concerns as I work my way through this new knowledge.
I also double checked that I did register my blog with the Baltimore County Participants. Thanks!
9/22/07
Reviewing my blog posts, I realized that I had forgotten to answer the questions in Thing 3 about the 7 1/2 habits. For me, the easiest habit is #5, create your own toolbox. I am always looking for information about subjects that I am interested in. What's great about the 23 things program is the number of internet tools that I am learning about for the first time. Some things I am familiar with, like wikis and e-audio books. I had not heard of del.icio.us and did not know how rollyo worked.
The most difficult things for me are #3, view a problem as a challenge, and #4, have confidence. I have problems with managing my time, so that a problems can look like a crisis if I don't get to it. Confidence in myself is just something that I have always struggled with. Anyway, I will have try to manage these concerns as I work my way through this new knowledge.
I also double checked that I did register my blog with the Baltimore County Participants. Thanks!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
