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).
LibraryThing
Oh, I do, I do like LibraryThing. I didn't know about the cover view or I would have gotten an account a long time ago. I'm going to have a lot of fun with this. It will be the perfect tool for readers adviory. Maybe I'll make different lists for RA...like for teen vampire fiction, children's fantasy, urban/street fiction, and on and on. Oh, this is going to be awesome!
Thursday, June 28, 2007
del.icio.us
Del.icio.us is a great tool for those of us who do a lot of subbing. Having my own little set of personal bookmarks always available is sometimes really helpful. So, yes, I find del.icio.us a very cool tool in the library world. As far a collaborating goes...I think it might be really cool if you could import del.icio.us bookmarks into a reference desk wiki. Integration is key; the fewer sites we have to visit, the better.
And on an unrelated note...I want an iPhone like I want cake.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Libraries and MySpace
Should libraries be on MySpace? Sure, why not? I think it's a good way to communicate with certain populations. But not most. Perhaps I have little imagination, but I think MySpace can only be a very limited tool for libraries. For teen librarians, it's probably pretty important. Until the next big thing.
No kidding, I just saw a teen patron here at the library with a T-shirt that said, "You looked better on MySpace."
No kidding, I just saw a teen patron here at the library with a T-shirt that said, "You looked better on MySpace."
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Feed me
Well, actually, I'm pretty full already with the feeds I've subscribed to. But, to be sure, RSS is convenient. I've been wondering, though...what about the flare? Will I miss the individuality, the character and sparkle, of each site now that I will no longer be visiting it afresh each time? Will RSS mean less joy? Don't take my joy.
I didn't fall in love with the feed search sites. Google's search directly from Google Reader was way better than any of the ones listed. So there.
I didn't fall in love with the feed search sites. Google's search directly from Google Reader was way better than any of the ones listed. So there.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Colr Pickr
Colr Pickr is pretty snazzy. I find I'm attracted most to monochromatic photos and now I'll be able to find some lickety-split, instead of having to visit each Flickr color group individually. Monochromatic pictures make good desktop wallpapers, which is great for color therapy if you spend a lot of time in front of the screen.
Red stimulates creativity and confidence, among other things. This is congealed chicken blood. Gross.
Red stimulates creativity and confidence, among other things. This is congealed chicken blood. Gross.
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