Week 9, Thing 21: Podcasts

I spent a really long time looking at lots of podcasts on so many subjects that I had trouble deciding what to add to my blog. I finally decided to add one about Harry Potter and there were sooooo many of those. Finally, I selected and it was really long but interesting. I still can't believe the variety of podcasts there are!

Week 7, Thing 17: Sandbox Wiki

With a little trial and error, I was able to add my blog to the Maryland Libraries Sandbox. I have posted a comment in the sandbox, then began reading others. Since I am a new dog owner, I was interested in reading what people had to say about their dogs. I posted my thoughts in one on the topic of: Purebreds vs. Mutts.

Wee 9, #23: I DID IT!!!!

I can't believe it!! I really did it! I was really, really reluctant to even try this whole exercise but my supervisor encouraged me to give it a try. I was sure that failure was in my future because technology is not intuitive for me (as it appears to be for everyone else). My brain usually just doesn't get it. However, my co-workers have been very helpful and patient as they have guided me through the learning process. So what have I learned? I'm a lot more comfortable with the whole process of registering on sites, exploring them and moving stuff to my blog. Creating my avatar was fun and I really enjoyed exploring the winning websites on Web 2.0. I'm still investigating those on a daily basis. I wish I had known, in the beginning, about all the multiple registering and sign-in I would have to do so I would have made sure to use the same password. Some exercises were more difficult then others and were very time-consuming. I skipped around a little rather than going straight thru the lessons but I went back and completed each one. I would definitely try another program in the future but would like a little more guidance. All in all, this has been a great learning experience for me. I guess "you CAN teach an old dog new tricks."

Week 9, #22: Downloadable Audiobooks

Well, I am almost done! First, I tried out Project Gutenburg because I was curious about it. I was a little disappointed when I couldn't find the classic: Grapes of Wrath. However, there were many other fine selections to choose from. I also looked at Overdrive and the many selections available. I was amazed by the vast choices in the nonfiction categories in particular. There were certainly lots of choices there!!! I now have a better understanding of how downloadable books work and will be more prepared to assist customers in the future.

Week 8, #18: Online Productivity Tools

I created accounts with both Zoho and 30 Boxes. I also registered with Google Docs. I created some test documents using Zoho and Google Docs and can see where they would be useful when sharing your documents with others. On 30 Boxes, I created a calendar with my family member's birthdays. That was kind of a fun tool to use.

Week 8, #19: Web 2.0 Awards List

I looked at two different sites (www.meebo.com) and (http:// upcoming.yahoo.com). Meebo groups 4 instant messaging sites in one location. First you sign on to Meebo and then it groups your buddy lists together. I asked one of our college aged staff members what she thought of it and she loves it for the convenience. I then went to: upcoming.yahoo.com which appeared in the "Events" category on Web 2.0. This site sorts events that are happening by location, date and category. For example, you can select a city you might be visiting, select the dates you will be there and then select a category of interest, ie sports, theater, festivals, etc. It's easy to use and fun! The date selection allows you to also select a past date which is helpful when customers want us to find information about a past event they attended. This has real application for both a library setting and for personal use. I had so much fun looking at these two sites that I look foward to investigating the other award-winners.

Dog and Baby-girl

This is really hilarious!! Enjoy!

Week 7, Number 16: Learn about wikis

The only thing I knew about wikis was Wikipedia which often pops up when you Google a subject but now I have a broader understanding of the whole thing. It's really a collaborative sharing of ideas, information and files. You don't have to know html either. Anyone can do it! What are the advantages to libraries? After I looked at a few library wikis, I saw that they can be used as subject guides, reader's advisory tools, sharing of meeting notes or lists of various resources. These are just a few examples. For committee meetings, members of the group could edit documents using a wiki. I enjoyed looking at the Booklovers Wiki and I got some great recommendations for books I plan to read. I enjoyed looking at the Merlin wiki which had lots of useful links.

Week 6, Thing 15. Thoughts on the future of libraries

Really, really thought-provoking. The video "The Machine is Us/ing Us" was really amazing. It's amazing how far we have come and how integral the computer is in our lives. I really enjoyed the article "Away From the Icebergs because of the three "icebergs" that the author identifies. In particular, the "just in case" collection. How do we get librarians to see that we don't need to keep print materials in the collection "just in case" someone might want them? Information is delivered in so many more ways that we can find it out there somewhere else. Circulation may be dropping but that doesn't mean we aren't answering the questions or that the public isn't going somewhere else for the information (and that's o.k.). In the article "Into a new world of librarianship" the point is made that the librarian needs to understand that the "future of libraries will be guided by how users access, consumer and create content." The librarian needs to guide the customer to the information through various library resources. Once again, this may well be something not in print format. For this librarian, who finished her MLS degree in 1974, it has been an exciting and challenging journey to get to this point in her career.

Week 4

Well, it's week 4 and I'm still at it. I just registered on Merlin and I can see that I will enjoy using it for library related news and information. I also set up a Bloglines newsreader account so we'll see how that goes.

Serene garden

6 View out the back door.
Originally uploaded by serialplantfetishist

I saw this picture on flickr and it made me feel happy like I would want to sit out there on a bench with a good book and just meditate and relax.

Week Two

Well, I'm still here trying to learn new things. Today, I added a picture of my dog (with lots and lots of help from my co-worker). We tried to add pictures but weren't successful until we uploaded one from my webmail. I guess we'll keep trying until I get it all down right.

Dakota

Dakota
Originally uploaded by nfeierstein

This is our new dog, Dakota. She is 2 years old and is half Shephard and half Akita. We got her from Humane Society last November and she's really, really sweet!! We all love her a lot!

I did it!!!

Hooray for me! I never thought I'd be creating a blog. It's a miracle but here I am. Thanks to my co-worker for getting me this far.