I've been racing yesterday and today to finish the 27 Things and--ta da!--I'm here. This whole thing turned out much better than I expected. The lessons were impressive. Good job of there at the SC.
Although I was already familiar with most of the 2.0 "things," participating in this training exercise provided the motivation to explore in systematic, and therefore deeper, way. The modern yogi Ravi Singh says the best way to make progress in life is to be systematic about it and I couldn't agree more in this harried world. Otherwise we are simply overwhelmed by it all.
Has participating assisted my life-long learning goals? Sure thing; I now subscribe to a couple German language podcasts in hopes of brushing up--my favorite being Deutche Welle's "slow news."
My favorite discovery was the cover view display function on LibraryThing.
Surprises? Well, I am actually considering starting my own personal blog. Shocker. I have a special somebody out there who I hope will be my co-blogger. Possibilities!
Val K. offered lots of help. Thanks Val!
Improvements on format or concept? Hmm. More jazz, i.e., more pictures and colors and pretty things on the blog. Aesthetics really improve the quality of life, imho.
Would I like to see more? Yes, especially if there are rewards at the end. ;)
Would I participate if I had it to do all over again? Yes, but I would rather have done it at a more leisurely pace instead of cramming like I did.
What else would I have included? I don't know if Open Office counts are a 2.0 technology, but I think everyone needs to know about it. I really believe libraries should use open source software. I mean, our patrons would benefit so much if we used free (and very high quality, which is more than we can say for Microsoft) software like Open Office and Firefox. For goodness sakes, Firefox! We do we make our patrons suffer through IE? Hours of my life at work would be spared if we just used Firefox. Somebody please!
Now I am done.
Friday, June 29, 2007
KCLS E-books
Whoa, whoa. I didn't know our Seattle patrons don't have access to our ebooks. Why didn't I know this??? Grrr. I've been giving out false assurances, then, telling Seattle patrons the ONLY thing they can't do is request books and interlibrary loans. I'm appalled. Does the Seattle patron type effect any other digital services we provide? We're supposed to be the authority figures here, we're supposed to know more about our own system than any patron. Grr, grr, grr!
Google Docs / Zoho / Google Labs / Web 2.0 Award Winners
Google Docs and Zoho
Wow. I think I actually like Zoho better than Google Docs. But which would I be more likely to use? Google Docs, of course. I already have used Google Docs and it's more likely that in the event of collaboration, others will already have a Google account. I really, really wish Google Docs had been around in library school. All those group projects! And we emailed World docs back and forth with that messy "track changes" function. I shall endeavor to lay the past to rest.
Google Labs
Hey, I just found a bunch of stuff to download to my home computer. Google widgets for Mac (now that I have seen the light and recognized the error of my PC ways), the keyboard shortcuts for searching (which will be super-cool for using on laptops without a mouse attached and for saving my back and mouse arm muscles doing countless searches a day at the ref desk), and the Google Accelerator (yes, speed please). Fun. I have looked at Google Labs many times in the past, but not recently and I'm very impressed.
Web 2.0 Award Winners
So I just found Omnidrive. I've heard rumors about free online storage space, but didn't know where to find it until now. Yea!
And I think One Sentence is fun and quite inspiring.
And of course there's Coctail Builder, an old and trusted friend.
Ta!
Wow. I think I actually like Zoho better than Google Docs. But which would I be more likely to use? Google Docs, of course. I already have used Google Docs and it's more likely that in the event of collaboration, others will already have a Google account. I really, really wish Google Docs had been around in library school. All those group projects! And we emailed World docs back and forth with that messy "track changes" function. I shall endeavor to lay the past to rest.
Google Labs
Hey, I just found a bunch of stuff to download to my home computer. Google widgets for Mac (now that I have seen the light and recognized the error of my PC ways), the keyboard shortcuts for searching (which will be super-cool for using on laptops without a mouse attached and for saving my back and mouse arm muscles doing countless searches a day at the ref desk), and the Google Accelerator (yes, speed please). Fun. I have looked at Google Labs many times in the past, but not recently and I'm very impressed.
Web 2.0 Award Winners
So I just found Omnidrive. I've heard rumors about free online storage space, but didn't know where to find it until now. Yea!
And I think One Sentence is fun and quite inspiring.
And of course there's Coctail Builder, an old and trusted friend.
Ta!
Library 2.+
I like the idea, discussed in the article "To a temporary place in time..." in the NextSpace OCLC Newsletter, about Library 4.0 being a knowledge spa, "a place for meditation, relaxation, immersion in a luxury of ideas and thought." I far as I understand it, this is a physical place, one that evokes archetypal idea of library, what we imagine libraries to have been like in the mythical golden age.
Hmm... Knowledge + spa. I wander if they will ever produce waterproof books for adults so that we can safely read in the hot tub or bath.
Hmm... Knowledge + spa. I wander if they will ever produce waterproof books for adults so that we can safely read in the hot tub or bath.
Customized search engines
Honestly, I didn't know tools like this existed. So thank you 27 things. I prefer the Google customized search for the ease and simplicity of use.
I can think of quite a few uses for a search tool like this in both my personal life and at work. I like the idea of a collaborative effort, where we can all submit sites for a particular search...like maybe local (up to the state level) legal information. Maybe a search for local social services (although that Where to Turn publication pretty much does it all!). Customized searches would probably work really well as a collaborative effort across the system in order to harness the minds and time of many.
Oh, and here's the link to my Green/Eco Shopping search on Google Co-op.
I can think of quite a few uses for a search tool like this in both my personal life and at work. I like the idea of a collaborative effort, where we can all submit sites for a particular search...like maybe local (up to the state level) legal information. Maybe a search for local social services (although that Where to Turn publication pretty much does it all!). Customized searches would probably work really well as a collaborative effort across the system in order to harness the minds and time of many.
Oh, and here's the link to my Green/Eco Shopping search on Google Co-op.
Wikis
On my very first assignment in library school I got marks taken off for using Wikipedia to answer a mock reference question. Well, if that instructor could see me now! Any reference librarian worth his or her salt uses Wikipedia. It's usually exactly what the patron wants. The information is just packaged so nicely. Proof, if you ask me, of what can be achieved in the collective sphere, no pay and no profit involved. Information wants to be free!
And Steven, if you are reading this, I feel very bad because I said I would help you with Burien's reference wiki, but so far have done squat. I'm just too busy. It's not easy to work on projects when you're 20 hours. I've discussed this with many, many other part-timers in my subbing travels. Part-timers get almost no time off the desk (which is why I'm doing this from home like a lame-o).
And Steven, if you are reading this, I feel very bad because I said I would help you with Burien's reference wiki, but so far have done squat. I'm just too busy. It's not easy to work on projects when you're 20 hours. I've discussed this with many, many other part-timers in my subbing travels. Part-timers get almost no time off the desk (which is why I'm doing this from home like a lame-o).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)