Friday, August 31, 2007

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.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

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.

Monday, August 27, 2007

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.

Friday, August 24, 2007

Dog and Baby-girl

This is really hilarious!! Enjoy!

Friday, August 3, 2007

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.

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

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.