twenty-three beans

Thing 47: Evaluation

2009-05-12T09:47:00.001-05:00

Well, I have finished the More things on a Stick. I have to say that I liked the first round of 23 things on a stick a bit better than this addition. I think that I learned more on the first go but maybe that's because it was all new and this round was more of just additional points and features. There was a lot of things in this round that just didn't really apply to the library setting and I saw them as more of waste of time or something that I would do in my personal time not necessarily for work or on work time. I did, however, really like the economy thing. I think that this was very helpful in the current state of the economy and of my own life. I think that for personal reasons (I am getting married this weekend) I have had other things on my mind and have not really given some of the things my all. I have been in a hurry to finish towards the end and have been kinda doing the bare minimum to get it done. The ending definitely snuck up on me this time. I think that last time, I was a bit more excited and was very interested to do all of the things. This time, I forgot about it for awhile, or got sidetracked and I think that this may have slowed my determination and motivation. Overall, I think that this is an excellent program and its great to get the word out about new things on the internet and the new things that our patrons are interested in. It keeps us on top of things and better equipped to deal with any problems or questions that may arise.

Thing 46: WebJunction Minnesota

2009-05-11T15:50:00.003-05:00

The feature that I liked best about MN Webjunction was the everything under the Library Services tab. There were so many interesting and helpful hints and tips that can be implemented into our services here at our library. I especially liked the pieces on Adult Programming and how to do it on a low budget as well as the 25 more ways to serve older adults piece. Its quite easy to find information on how to create programming and get children into the door of the library but not nearly enough information on how to do the same for adults out there. At our library, we have been trying to create programming and incentives to get adults into the library and reading. Not all of them have been successful. I think that with the tips that were given in the materials found on webjunction, we could create something to draw them in and get them to keep coming back.
I am in the Certification Program and wouldn't mind seeing more information pertaining to the program or at least promoting the program. I think that its a great resource that is largely underused in our communities. I liked the information that was given in the different tabs on webjunction. They would help a lot with the homework that has to be done but I wouldn't mind seeing a Certification Program tab or just something about it on the website.

Thing 45: Cloud Computing

2009-05-08T17:18:00.002-05:00

I can see the point and why there is a need for such a service on the internet. It is a lot to carry one's own personal computer around with them and it is not always convenient to carry a flash drive or we don't always carry one with us. I could also see why it would not be beneficial. The internet is not the greatest and safest place to store your information. We all know that the internet may not always be working so to rely on that to store and safeguard your information isn't the smartest route. I personally do not really do any computing in "the cloud" other than emails and such. I do rely heavily on those to store important documents or information that I may need in an email. This for me is a "safe" place to keep it but I wouldn't be completely lost if this information were to disappear or if I were not able to access the internet to get it. I think that I would feel differently about this whole "cloud" thing if I were in school or in a setting that I would produce and need to handle a large number of documents or projects. I think that these applications definitely make sense for working on a group or collaborated projects.
I looked at the desktoptwo and the glidedigital websites. They looked cool but I was trying to find out more about them without having to sign up for their service. I would have liked a video or a tutorial on them to see what they offer.
I could see this thing as being a benefit to some people. I don't really see its benefit for the library or for myself.

Thing 44: The Economy

2009-05-08T15:01:00.001-05:00

I LOVED this thing. It was great to see something that is very useful in our everyday lives and those of our patrons. I am getting married next week and we would like to buy a house this year. We are trying everything that we can to save money and to get rid of our debt. There were some great tips on the 75 frugal things website and I have been looking for a good coupon website for a long time now. I remember that there seemed to be more coupons available in the Sunday paper than there are now. I used to sit down with my brothers and we would clip coupons for an hour every week. I am glad to see the promotion of growing your own vegetables as well. If we get a house this year, I will be out there next summer with enough vegetables to feed a small army. I was very interested in the cashcrate.com and the potential for extra income that it promises. I liked the websites and videos explaining the financial crisis that we are in, there are too many people on the news blaming everyone else that I was never entirely positive on what actually happened. There isn't necessarily a website that I would like to share, but more of an idea. I think that along the Farmer's Market line, more people should invest in Consumer Supported Agriculture (CSA). They offer a ton of local fruits and vegetables to their members throughout the summer at a VERY reasonable price. One near you can be found at localharvest.org. You can also find pick-your-own places on this website wher you can save some money and have some cheap entertainment doing so.

Thing 43: Online TV and Video

2009-05-08T10:51:00.002-05:00

I have already been a huge fan of Hulu before this thing. I think that it is a great resource and it is used quite often in our library. Personally, I have DVR at home so I aleady have many of the options and services featured on Hulu. Unfortunately they do not have the daily episodes of Jeopardy on this website so I won't be getting rid of my cable and DVR anytime soon. I think that it has been helpful for other people and for our patrons who may not have cable or televisions at home to access their favorite shows for free in the library. I have always wondered about the copyright infringements and am curious as to how these websites are able to offer the shows free of charge and where they got the rights to do so. I think that with the economy the way that it has been, the free access to these shows has definitely hurt the cable and television companies. At the same time, you can also access news reports and everything else on other websites so it doesn't seem mush different. I think that it is a neat website but I don't see myself switching over to it anytime in the near future.

Thing 42: Music 2.0

2009-05-08T10:44:00.002-05:00

I have used and continue to use Pandora.com on a regular basis. I have found that they are quite accurate with their similar artists and I enjoy the variety and mix that I get from them. I don't think that this internet radio is much of a threat to broadcasting because there are still many areas in the United States and throughout the world that do not have internet access. It is also a lot less expensive to buy a radio than it is to buy a computer and internet service. I do think that internet radio is having an effect on broadcasting just the same as the internet is having an effect on virtually everything. It is allowing and providing a more personalized and self-catered service that the broadcasting and other medias are trying to catch up with.
I also played around with the widget that I installed on my blog. I did not agree with the genres that they had tagged to some of their songs and stations. But overall, it was easy to use and easy to install on my blog.

Thing 41: Mashup your Life

2009-05-08T10:19:00.003-05:00

I didn't like this thing very much. I like having my separate sites and having the ability to log into them on their own. I use my facebook and twitter sites for different purposes and have a different set of people that I am following or are friends with on either of the sites. I don't necessarily want this two sites to become one nor do I want some people from one to be included on my other site. I think that these are only efficient if you do a lot of instant messaging then this would be a way for you to streamline and do more messaging at once. I do not do instant messaging and do not really want everyone to know everything about me all the time. I will not use these in my everyday life nor do I think that they would be beneficial for the library. I think that something more along the lines of LibraryH3lp would work for the library better than these sites would.

Thing 40: Mashup the Web.

2009-05-07T12:17:00.001-05:00

I am kinda confused about mashups they in theory make sense but some things just don't seem like they would be mashups to me. I looked at the booktour mashup, this was an example of something that didn't seem like it belonged and it wasn't the most useful. It seemed just like a database of book tours. I also looked at the lunchtour one and was kinda excited until I saw that there was nothing for our area and then it didn't seem nearly as cool. I was intrigued by the wheel of lunch and may just have to check out this site again. It was very cool but again I am confused as to why this is a mashup. I took a glance at the interestingness website and found some pretty cool pictures. Here is one of my favorites: http://interes.tingness.com/image/3507839564 you should check it out. In theory I thought that the last.fm+youtube sounded cool but it was not working when I tried to use it. The letmegoogleitforyou I thought was just kinda weird and didn't really have a point. I also tried to do the crime reports one and there was nothing for this area. I did the map mashup and made a map of places I have been:

Places I Have Been.

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

I don't really see the use of these things in the library nor in my personal life. They just make things more confusing.

Thing 39: Digital Storytelling

2009-05-07T12:05:00.002-05:00

I could possibly see this as a tool to promote library events and to get the word out about past events but other than that, it seems to me to be more of an at home thing. I do like how easy it is to navigate and to create scrapbooks but at the same time, my scrapbook came out looking kinda like a teenager did it. I used Scrapblog and I liked it as w website. It was fairly simple to get my pictures from my photobucket account and very easy to get the scrapbook into my blog. Overall, it was an alright thing but not exactly my cup of tea.

Thing 38: Screencasting

2009-05-07T09:49:00.001-05:00

I tried Screentoaster and I think that I made a screencast but when I went to watch it, it didn't go over so well. I let it buffer for 15 minutes before I gave up on teh lack of progress. I am not sure if I actually made a screencast, it was a very confusing site and I pressed the record a screencast button but then I was not really sure what to do. I opened a new internet file to mess around and show something but then when I went back to the Screentoast screen on my computer, it wasn't recording. It did say that I had 45 secs of recorded information but I was not able to see it do to the buffering to figure out what it was. I watched the Jing tutorial but choose not to download it. We have been having issues at our library with downloads and other things that have had viruses attached to them so I didn't want to risk it. I also took a look at Skitch and its tutorial, but it was waaay too girly for me and I was getting a bit annoyed at the continuous misspelled words so I didn't watch the whole thing. I took at look at what SELCO has done with screencasts and was very impressed. I think that this a great tool for the library and wouls be very helpful for patrons to see how to do things without being embarrassed to ask their questions or feel stupid. One of the databases that we provide at our library, NetLibrary would benefit a lot from this tool. If we were able to put a tutorial on our website on how to use NetLibrary, I think that a lot more people would use that service and be comfortable with it.

Thing 37: Photo Tales

2009-05-07T09:21:00.002-05:00

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I tried using Flickr since that is what I used before. I was unable to access the website, it was having trouble loading. I decided to start an account with PhotoBucket but in order to more forward with it, I need to get some pictures onto my account. I got some pictures that I had taken recently off of my facebook page and uploaded them onto photobucket. I tried to do the tiltshift thing because I thought that it sounded cool but when I actually went through it and created a miniature model picture, it wasn't nearly as cool as they played it to be. I then looked at One True Media and I used this to create a montage or slideshow of my pictures. I thought that this was pretty neat but very limited to the effects and things that you could do to your photos. I liked that they had music available to add to the montage and there was a large selection to choose from. I could see this being used to create a montage or slideshow of an event at the library to put on the library website and promote the different things that are going on. I could also see using this at home for photos from a vacation to share with friends and family but really for me, it is too much to do, I would rather just show people the actual pictures.

Thing 36: Comic Relief- Generate some fun

2009-05-06T15:32:00.001-05:00

Being the huge nerd that I am, I loved the notepad generator and the cornell note taking generator. I got excited to make personalized stationary and could see how it could come in handy if I was still in school or needed such item. There seem to be a lot more things out there, mainly on the internet that allow people to easily organize and keep track of things. These definitely would have come in handy back in the day. I also loved the dewey decimal generator. Trying my full name, I was 189 Medieval Western Philosophy. When I put in just my first and last name, I was 079 Newspapers in other geographic areas. I was very amused by this generator and could see this become an almost addiction for the nerdy librarian in me. I also checked out the braille generator which i thought was neat. I looked at the XtraNormal website where they convert text to movie. I didn't want to create an account so I was not able to view my movie but it was interesting. I liked the ToonDoo and I think that I may just have to check that one out again and make soem cartoons from scratch. I am sure that I am the only one that will find them funny but I will be laughing out loud at my own jokes. I think that it would be neat for the library to have a weekly or daily cartoon created by the staff on the website. I think that patrons would like the personal touch and it would give them a way to get to know their librarians better. Other than this, I don't see how any of these generators could be used in the library but they are good for entertainment.

Thing 35: Books 2.0

2009-05-06T14:34:00.002-05:00

In our library, I have not seen much change in the borrowing of books being influenced by kindle or other electronic book type things. I think that people like to have the physical book in their hand. That's part of the whole experience of reading it, feeling and smelling the book. I also think that people find it hard to read on the smaller electronics and it hurts their eyes. Personally, I like the whole process of going to the library, looking through the books, seeing a cover, and actually touching the book. I think that the electronic devices make it seem like you are more of reading a webpage than a book. I think that its not the same experience and because of this, there won't be a mad rush of people switching over. I already have been a member of LibraryThing from the first round and I absolutely love it. I mainly wanted to join so that it would organize my books for me and I would just have to coordinate my shelves. I wish that I would have more time to finish entering all my books but soon, I hope. I looked at a few other sites that were on the list, but I think that I still like LibraryThing the best. I created an account with the Shelfari website. I really liked the look of this site and was excited about it until I joined and got started. There was no organization for my collection and it seemed to be more of a book talk site rather than an organization and collection site. I also looked at the BookLamps site. I joined because once againI thought it looked cool. I was way confused and didn't really figure out what to do on the site. We already use the KDL What's Next site at our library and it has come in handy quite often. The last site that I looked at was the Living Social website. If I spent more time on the internet for entertainment, then I would definitely join this site but it just seemed like one more thing that I wouldn't have time for.

Thing 34: Is this our competition? --Online Answer Sites

2009-05-05T14:14:00.004-05:00

I think that a lot of people like the idea that when they ask a question on an online answer site, they are able to do so completely anonymously. They aren't afraid of looking stupid or anyone making fun of them for what they ask because it cannot be tied to them. I also think that to many people, the idea of doing things on the internet gives them the idea that things are being done faster and more efficiently.
I saw a lot of relationship and sex related questions. I think that this is because of the privacy and secrecy that the internet allows them. These are questions that they may be too embarrassed to ask someone in person and perhaps want the opinion of someone who is impartial to the situation. These are questions that they don't necessarily need an expert or a professional to answer, they just want an opinion. So, these are questions that are not really appropriate for a librarian or to be asking in the library.
I did not participate in the slam boards. I think that libraries are coming into this question and answer technology on their own. Using email and instant messaging, people are able to contact and use the resources of the library without even stepping in the door. We are making a virtual library as a place and people are using this place to interact with librarians and get their questions answered in a timely manner. They know that they are getting an expert or professional answer and I think that they value this more than an answer from wikianswers or askville.

Thing 33: Travel 2.0

2009-05-05T12:17:00.002-05:00

I have done a lot of looking at travel sites in the past. The last dozen trips or so that I have gone on, I have done all the planning and booking online. I think that it is great that we are able to access this information online and to take care of virtually everything. I only recently have gotten into the sites that go over traveler's reviews and advisory. I checked out a couple of the sites that were on the list. I had been to tripadvisor.com before and i think that it mixes well with the other planning sites such as expedia and travelocity. I have read reviews about hotels on travelocity and expedia and thought that those were helpful but I really liked how tripadvisor.com goes into more detail and seems to be a lot more helpful. I also checked out farecast.com and looked up some flight costs from seattle to fargo. I was a little disappointed that I could not get the cost forecast feature on these destinations but i am sure that is just for the major airports and destinations. I also checked out the blog My Kugelhopf and I absolutely loved this!! I think that I am going to have to live vicariously through this blog. The pictures were amazing and the words were very well written. It was a great advertisement for the areas that she had traveled to. I think that this is the sort of advisory that I would find most helpful. If I had the means to do a big trip, say to Europe again, I would definitely check out this blog or one similar to find places of interest to visit.
At the library, we get questions about traveling and about travel guides. Our library has decided against purchasing more travel guides since they are so expensive and they need to be updated quite often. These are great resources to provide for patrons. In fact, at our library, we are providing a class this summer about travel resources and websites. I think that many of these will come in very handy.

Thing 32: Google Maps and Mashups

2009-05-04T15:58:00.002-05:00

I have used Google Maps quite a bit before. In fact, in my Internet Searching class that I have taught here at the library, I also show people how to use this website and a few of the neat things that can be done with it. I have not used the My Maps before. I had a little difficulty with My Maps and finding all the place point describers and the different features but I asked a coworker and she helped me a bit. I created a map of where we will be going on our honeymoon in a week and a half. I created some place markers for places of interest that we will be going to and some things that I like along the way. I looked over the mash-ups and took some time with the local brewery one and found some places of interest along our trip that we may have to check out. I can see adding the google maps feature to the library website to show people where the library is and to perhaps to help them with directions to the library. I can also see it working to show people where important places are in the city such as the post office, city hall, courthouse, etc. An interesting way to also use it for the library would be to create historical walking tours that people would be able to print off and follow throughout our community and find important places in our history. Here is my map that I created:

View Honeymoon in a larger map

Thing 31: More Twitter

2009-05-04T15:28:00.002-05:00

What does your Twitter page say about you? How does it reflect your personality? Have you given people enough information about you so they have some sense of who you are as a person?

I had heard about Twitter before I created my account on the previous Twitter thing. I was excited to create an account and to be involved in this online sensation. I now use twitter on a pretty regular basis. I tweet about how i'm feeling, what i'm doing or about something cool that I saw on the internet and want to share. I have started following alot of celebrities and people that I admire. Its cool to become a part of their daily lives (almost) or at least to see a part of their lives that you might not normally have the access to. I have not found a whole lot of my friends and no family that I know of uses twitter so its become kind of a little different and almost a secret thing that I can vent into or use to say things that I might not otherwise say. I would say that I am in the microblogging stage. Although I am not constantly or daily updating my status, I try to as much as possible and I have 1x1 conversations with other peeps. I think that twitter is an excellent way to connect and to get your ideas and thoughts out there. I think that it is connection. Although I may be a little technology phobic when I think of being able to tweet from phones and many other devices. I like my phone to be used for calling people and texting directly to another phone. I don't have internet access on my phone or a full keyboard and I will resist this until its humanly possible. But I do like twitter and I will continue to use and communicate through it.

Thing 30: More Ways to Use RSS and Delicious

2009-04-28T16:00:00.001-05:00

I have been using my RSS reader very sporadically since the first round of 23 things. I have added a few blogs that I have gotten from co-workers and I have added all my co-workers more things on a stick blogs. I really have only organized my feeds into one group ( more things on a stick blogs) and have let the rest go all willy nilly on my reader. It does help me keep up with the more things on a stick group but really I don't check it enough for it to make a big difference. Honestly when I do get around to checking it, I usually just end up scanning and deleting. I have not used Delicious at all since the first round but I was a large fan of it then. I went over a few of the tools that were offered in this thing. I looked at the feed-my-inbox and if I were really to keep track and read my RSS follows on a regular basis, I think that this would be a tool that would come in handy. I don't like having to log into a ton of websites to see updates so this would help streamline that. I also checked out spokentext.net. I found this site to be extremely helpful but not necessarily for the reasons that it should have been. I am getting married in a week and a half (yikes!) and my brother (an ordained minister) have been going over the ceremony and everything. It has mostly been done over email because he is in the Navy and we don't get a chance to talk much. I was able to put a draft of the ceremony into spokentext to create a sound recording of it. It was a lot different and very helpful to hear the words and how they go together rather than just read them. I was very impressed. Another tool that I checked out was simpletracking.com. My husband-to-be is a shipping and receiving manager and this tool made me think of him and how if i were in that situation, this would be a very helpful asset. The last tool that I looked at was SPREED. I liked this one because I tend to read a little faster and it let me test how fast I could read. I was entertained.

Thing 29: Google Tools

2009-04-28T14:53:00.002-05:00

I went through and looked at a few of the tools for this thing. I searched the Google Books and read a few pages in various books. I got into Frog and Toad and was a bit disappointed when I was unable to read the entire story. I understand that with copyright laws, they could not have the entire book on there but I do like the ability to search within the books to perhaps find a passage or quote in a particular item.
I also watched the videos and then downloaded Goolge Chrome. It is a new server still in Beta testing. I like it so far. I am a huge supporter of Firefox but also an avid Google user so I am torn as to what server to use. I like that with Google Chrome, it keeps track of all your most often visited sites and creates your homepage to reflect those sites. It might not be the best for privacy on a public computer but I think that for my home computer, this could be very beneficial. There is, of course, always the option to browse incognito and there would be no record of the sites you have visited. I think that I will have to download this onto my home computer and play around with it a bit to get used to what it has to offer and to see if I will have to make the switch permanent.
I also browsed the Patent Search tool. I thought that this was VERY neat. I found patents on a brine shrimp hatchery, swimming goggles, fishing lures, and weatherstripping for doors and windows. I was very impressed, I had no idea that this information was that readily available to the public and I am absolutely delighted that it is.
I learned about a few new tools in this thing and I hope that I can remember to use them when the time comes. I think that the Patent Search will become a good tool to use for reference. I can just imagine someone coming to the desk and wanting to know everything about a certain patent or product.

Thing 28: Customized Home Pages

2009-03-09T13:23:00.002-05:00

I chose to try out the iGoogle service because I already use gmail and google calendar so it seemed like the logical choice for something that I hope to continue to use after I am done with this thing. I am a huge fan of Google and all the services that they offer. I thought that it was pretty easy to set up. I did it on my home computer and plan on using it on a daily basis. I added the weather and news features as well as movie times in my area. These are things that I check on a pretty regular basis so I thought that it made sense to be able to get easy access to them on my homepage when I first get onto the internet. I like the personalization that we can add and looking throught the gadgets and widgets there are some fun games and such that you can add. I chose not to add these to my homepage because they are not exactly the thing that I would like to check on or see when I first get onto the internet.

Thing 27: Twitter

2009-02-19T10:41:00.004-06:00

So I finally joined this whole Twitter thing, I have been hearing about it all over the news. It seems that everyone is doing twitter so I was pretty excited to get to this thing. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. I created my profile, added a picture and a few friends. I think that it is neat that I can go to one website and get updates not only on my friends but also on my favorite authors, bands, and other people that I find extremely interesting. I also like the fact that there are libraries as well with profiles. I think that it allows people in that area to befriend their library and get caught up on updates or events going on at the library. Its a great way for the library to get in touch with more people and to seem more up-to-date with technologies and what its users are using in their personal lives. It is great to see the library progressing and branching out to different mediums to get the message across and to get users into the doors of the library.
I tend to babble on and get kinda lost in what I am writing so sometimes it is hard to do this whole micro-blogging thing. I always want to say more to convey the right message but I guess I will just have to learn to be more concise. I think that this is also something that I could apply to my daily life, sometimes I think I can be long-winded. I tend to go off on tangents and lose my train of thought on what I am saying. Kinda like how all my blogs tend to turn out.
So in conclusion, I am now on twitter. You can follow me, my username is jabeans.

fringe

2009-02-12T15:55:00.001-06:00

Thing 26: Join the 23 things Ning

2009-02-10T09:38:00.004-06:00

I joined Ning in the 1st round of 23 things. The first time that I had an experience with it, I just browsed around and didn't do much to my page or add friends or anything. This second time around, I changed the appearance of my page, added a picture, added some friends, and commented on a friend's page. The only group that I joined in Ning was the 23 things group. I don't really see myself using Ning on a regular basis or really getting involved with it at all. To me, there are so many social networking groups that in order to be an active member in all of them, I would have to be on the computer all the time. I could see the forums being a useful thing for connecting with other librarians. I read a post someone had put up about recommendations of books for high school students. They wanted to know if anyone had any other websites that were useful. I could see these forums as a benefit for the workplace especially for smaller libraries that may only have one librarian and so no other way to connect and ask questions.

Thing 25: Blogger's Toolkit

2009-02-09T09:37:00.002-06:00

I added the snow effect and the Picasso painting a day widgits to my blog. I also added one of those map things that tells me where the people that look at my blog are from. I am not sure if I installed it right because no one has looked at my blog yet. But I hope it works, we did this same thing when we created a wiki for our Teen Read Week and it was neat to see that for some strange reason, a lot of people in the UK were looking at our site. I am curious to see who will look at my blog but I am sure it will probably just be people in the program.
I am not much of a fan of clutter and it seemed like a lot of the things you could add would be just that. They seemed fun but unnecessary to me. I spent almost an hour and a half looking over all the widgets but honestly, I got bored and thought that there were much better ways to spend my time. Although, they seem fun and cool on blogs or whatever, they don't seem to have much importance to me in the library setting.
I was not as big of a fan of this thing as I have been of other ones. I did add a few things to my blog, but I wouldn't be surprised if I got sick of them and took them off in the future. I do really like the snow effect thing though, I wish the snow would pile up on the bottom of the screen, that would be a neat effect.

Thing 24: Refresh your blog

2009-01-30T10:01:00.001-06:00

So, I am back. It's been awhile since I have blogged on here. I have updated a few things so enjoy the new visuals. Since finishing the 23 things, I must admit, I have not done much with the blogging. I have read a couple books based off of blogs if that's any consolation. I have also tried to get into the habit of reading some blogs on a frequent basis but that has not always happened. These have mainly been librarian or library blogs but I don't always seem to find the time to read them. Right now, I have a lot of things on my list to do and once those dwindle down a bit, I think that I will have the time and patience to read up on these blogs. I do enjoy blogging, I think that it is a great way to express oneself and to relay information in a somewhat personal and casual way. I must admit, I have not done much or any commenting on others blogs and I know that that is something that I need to work on. Especially with the more things on a stick starting, I will be able to read my co-workers and other participants' blogs and give them feed back or encouragement throughout the program.

Thing 23: The End

2008-06-26T13:39:00.002-05:00

Well, I am finally done and I must say that I had a grrrreat time learning all of the new things and brushing up on my knowledge of things that I already use. I think that this was a most wonderful experience and I would love to do it again and learn about more of the things that the internet has to offer. I know that new things come about everyday and I will try to keep up on what the new trends may be and what our patrons are most interested in. I know that at our library, we are trying to see what the patrons want and get more knowledge so that we in turn, can teach classes or help them out with any questions that we may have.
I had a patron tell me yesterday that its only a matter of time before libraries don't exist anymore. I simply answered him by saying that libraries will always be here, they just may look different and offer different services. I think that libraries are an integral part of a society, we house information and technology that people use in their everyday lives. We are a meeting place, a place to learn, and a place to discover. We, as librarians, must also learn and discover and I think that the 23 things exercise has been a great way to open our minds to new things and to give us the momentum to go out and discover new things that are unfamiliar to us. 23 things gave us the encouragement to try and just play around. Thumbs up!

Thing 22: What did I learn today?

2008-06-26T13:23:00.002-05:00

I learned many new and fun things through 23 things. I really plan to continue using Facebook, LibraryThing, the calender features, and the list reminders. I think that all of these will really come in handy in the future and make life just a little bit easier. Especially for planning my wedding which will be quite the feat. I am not sure how much I will blog but I will try to keep it going.
I am also very much looking forward to going back to school (eventually) and using all of the research tools that I learned about. I think that del.i.ico.us and the databases will offer tons of support and information to ease the writing and research of graduate school.
I am glad to have learned about all these different things and eventhough I may not use all of them in my daily life, I think that it is good to know about them and to keep up with what the library patrons are into and use in their daily lives.

Thing 21: Other Social Networks

2008-06-24T17:56:00.003-05:00

View my page on 23 Things on a Stick

Before doing this thing, I was only a member of Facebook but while doing this, I became a member of Playlist. I thought that it was quite neat, although I didn't really pick anything for my playlist that I didn't already have on another playlist on my ipod. I thought that it was pretty cool that you could listen to the music before you created a playlist and that you could browse other people's playlists and know what the most popular music being put on the playlists were.
I wasn't much of a fan of Gather, Web Junction or Ning. I think that this may be because I am so used to the features of Facebook and previously, MySpace that I found it a bit difficult to navigate around these sites.
I looked around on the What's on my Bookshelf and Fuzzster and they seemed like pretty decent sites and interesting ways for people to connect. I don't think that I will ever use them because I don't spend much time on the internet. I think that for now, I will just stick to what I currently use and see if there is need in the future.
I don't know how most of these sites would benefit the library (other than of course Web Junction) but I do see how they are useful to be have some knowledge about them to help our customers and to better understand what they use and are looking for in their library.

Thing 20: Facebook

2008-06-19T13:33:00.002-05:00

I chose to do the Facebook application on this thing. Although I have had both a MySpace and a Facebook in the past. I now only have the Facebook account. I closed my MySpace account almost two years ago. It was getting to be something that I did not what to be associated with and I canceled it. I think that people these days are getting a more negative attitude towards MySpace. It is perceived as more of something for teenagers not for adults.
I started on Facebook when I was in college when it was only open to college students. I didn't mind that they made it open to everyone but I must admit that it took a little bit of the appeal out of it. Personally, I mainly use the network to get back in touch with friends from high school and college that I have not seen in a long time. After reading some of the articles on Facebook provided in the 23 things blog, I changed my site a bit. I am not sure if any employer has searched my site but I never had anything on there to worry about. But that is not to say that an employer in the future would not look at my site. I cleaned it up a bit and got rid of unused and unwanted items. I could see the potential for an employer to search for someone on one of these social networking sites, they give more of an inside as to a person's personal life. You should only put out there what you wouldn't mind anyone (friends, employers, parents, etc.) taking a look at.
That aside, I am all for these networking systems, I can definitely see why Facebook is becoming the fastest growing of these networks. I have convinced 2 people to join just to use the Scrabulous application feature on Facebook. I think that Facebook deserves any grow that it may get, it is a great resource.

Thing 19: Podcasts

2008-06-17T17:21:00.001-05:00

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/tools/podcasts/grammar_grater.xml

I found this podcast on the Minnesota Public Radio website and I think that everyone should take a listen to it. It gave very thorough and interesting information while being extremely entertaining.
The directory of podcasts on the MPR website was very easy to navigate. With descriptions that were straight to the point yet still tantalizing, it was not hard to find a podcast that piqued my interest.
When I first got my ipod a few years ago, I was a subscriber to a few podcasts but over time I have not really kept up with them. Doing this thing made me want to subscribe to some new ones especially the Grammar Grater. Podcasts are a good way to learn while doing another activity or just listening. They give you concise and easy to retain information straight into your ear. I like hearing little snippets of information every now and then because you don't always have the time to go into great detail on a topic.
I enjoyed this thing a lot and I plan on doing more with podcasts in the future.

Thing 18: YouTube

2008-06-16T13:47:00.002-05:00

I enjoyed this thing. I liked exploring all the different libraries and interesting things available on youtube. I can see the good in it and the bad. Its a great resource for sharing information and getting a video or visual on many different things but of course when it falls into the wrong hands, it can be destructive.
I think that its a good resource for a library to show people what it has to offer. A link to a video on the library website would be a good starting point for this and it is very easy to do.
I do not search youtube on a regular basis but do occasionally when I have a bit of time to spare. I picked the video about the cat sedated after a vet visit because it reminded me of my cat, Cyrus, after we had him declawed and neutered. He was a bit loopy and running into things. Not to mention that cats and kittens are cute pretty much regardless of what they are doing.

Thing 17: ELM Productivity

2008-06-16T12:30:00.002-05:00

Almost everyday at the library I use the databases to help customers with their inquiries. I find them to be very useful and wonderful in that information is well organized and readily available. For this thing I chose to do the NetLibrary option. I think that this is a great resource other than the fact that the eaudiobooks cannot be listened to from an ipod. But nonetheless, I have helped customers with other mp3 players get onto this database and they love it. I do like the options of saving it to a favorites and the ability to make a note with the file. A lot of times just flagging the item would not trigger your memory at a later date of where you were in the file and what you were using it for. Also the option of having a shared favorites list or reading list is also a good way to keep in contact for projects or reading groups or basically any situation in which sharing book or audiobook related information would be useful.

Thing 16: Student 2.0

2008-06-12T12:50:00.002-05:00

All I have to say is that man, I wish that I had had these tools while I was going to school. I think that these both would have been EXTREMELY helpful tools in keeping things in line and getting projects done on time. Even today, it would be helpful to plan and execute work projects and other things around the library. Both of the programs would also benefit non-profit organizations or group working together to get a project done. With the steps on narrowing your topic and the links and hints to various resources, they give you a nudge in the right direction so you are not lost in what to do next. I really thought that the email prompts in the RPC would be really beneficial in reminding you to keep on track. I also was really impressed with the teacher guide in RPC and thought that those worksheets would have been very helpful. While reading over all of this information, I got the urge to go through the process and research and write a paper just so that I could use all these wonderful resources available. I think that I would be amazed at how easy the process would be if you are organized and aware of the tasks that are ahead.

Thing 15: Games

2008-06-09T14:34:00.002-05:00

For this thing, I chose to check out Pirate Puzzle. I must say that this is a great resource to waste time. I got caught up in the games a little bit but it was fun and something I would go back to if I am bored at home. I didn't get much of an opportunity to chat or to interact with other players. I was a little confused as to whether I was communicating with the computer or with actual people. I tried to do somethings but it wouldn't allow me without a subscription. I was able to play some games though and I thoroughly enjoyed them.
I checked out the video for SecondLife and some other videos about it too and I have to say that I am a little disappointed in not being able to put it on my computer and play around with it. I have seen somethings on it briefly before but I was not aware of the libraries and overall depth of information found on it. I thought that one of the most interesting things is the ability to engage in Harvard classes and have discussions on various topics. I think that this is a great tool and can definitely see the appeal. I have played the SIMs before and from what I have seen, SecondLife is somewhat similar only more interactive. I have heard of people becoming addicted to the game but just like everything else in life, it is a great time when done in moderation. I might try to get it on my computer at home to see what all the hype is about.
I have some experience with other MMOPRGs. My boyfriend is a big fan and player of World of Warcraft. Firsthand, I see the appeal of being connected and playing an interactive game with people from all over the globe and from every age group. As a librarian, I think that it is important to be informed and aware of what interests patrons and what they would like out of their library. I found this thing to be educational and very interesting.

Thing 14: LibraryThing

2008-06-05T12:31:00.002-05:00

I absolutely loved this thing. In fact I heard about it from others here at the library and I jumpstarted a bit on making an account. I think that this is an absolutely fabulous tool. Not only does it alphabetize all of your books (which saves a lot of time!) it also allows you to look at others libraries. It is very interesting to see what other books someone with similar books to my own also has. It broadens your horizon and makes you think of books or reads that you normally would not. Its also a very good tool to keep track of books that you borrow out to others or to see your friend's books and see which ones you would like to borrow of theirs.
In the library setting, it would be beneficial for the patrons to see what their local librarians are reading or own. It could be a good stepping point for any recommendations. Not only that but it allows the patrons to get to know their local librarian a bit and perhaps make the library a bit more inviting of a place.
For smaller libraries, all of the collections can be recorded and posted onto Library Thing, Its nice to see the covers and gives a little bit more information on the books than the catalog. In a way, it makes the catalog more user friendly, offering recommendations to similar books or authors.
I also added the Library Thing search tool onto my blog. This is a very very cool feature.
Some drawbacks of LibraryThing is the limitation to 200 books in the free account. As a booklover, I have well over this and I hate to have to pick and choose which books to include or to pay the fees for the unlimited account. Which brings me to another drawback, having a lot of books, it takes a lot of time to register them all in the tool. I guess that just comes with the territory and really isn't that bad. Another thing, I am not sure if I was just unable to find the place to do this, but I was able to organize my nonfiction collection by the dewey decimal system. I was really hoping that it automatically did this when you registered the book but perhaps I will just have to play around with it a bit more. That won't be too difficult.
Overall, I loved loved loved this thing and I definitely plan on using it a lot in the future!!
Hooray for organization!!

Thing 13: Productivity

2008-06-04T13:45:00.002-05:00

I chose to use the iGoogle start page because I am most familiar with the Google name and I already had an account with them. Since I have used other products by Google, it was easier for me to navigate my way around the site. I got pretty excited creating my start page at work and was looking forward to going home to put it on my personal computer. I didn't get a chance to last night but definitely tonight. I think that it was very informative and easy to get the information that I am interested in without actually typing in a site or searching the internet.
I think that the start pages would be useful for a library, we could have the news readily available. I also looked into the list websites and I think that those would also be useful for the library. A list of tasks or various research questions could easily be found and completed and then checked off the list. The list feature could also be helpful for a reading list or a book club. I tried out the Remember the Milk and I found it to be easy and fresh. There were a lot of clever things that you can do with this application and I can't wait until I can use them in my personal life.
The online calender is already in use at our library and I think that it is a great tool. Here, we record and keep track of the meeting rooms and various groups needing to use them. I think that they would also be helpful for a family to record and color code all events and appointments that are going on. Personally, I kinda wish that I had an online calender type of application when I was in college. It would have been very helpful to keep track of when I had to start certain projects and when things were do. Right now, my schedule isn't too hectic and I can remember everything or I have it written down on a little planner that I keep in my purse. But I think that I will definitely put this application to use when the time comes. Come to think of it, the online calender and the Remember the Milk will come in very handy planning my upcoming wedding set for next summer. I just thought of that and now I am very excited to get home and get using these productivity tools to organize and make everything easier for myself and Kevin.

Thing 12: Do you Digg?

2008-06-02T13:28:00.002-05:00

The tools used in this thing were I think a take it or leave it for me. I think that you if you regularly check the news online and go to various different sources to do so, then these are great time saving tools to use. I could also see how they would be of interest for use in a library to get the news that people are interested in and to be on top of the game. Although this is a reflection of what the people are interested in, it is only a reflection of a selection group of people. I think that if you were able to narrow the selections to area or region then it would be more effective. I looked at all the sites and I found all of them (Digg was down and so unable to check this one out) to be a bit confusing and not nearly as clear and concise as the news websites themselves. I see this as a negative and would really hinder my use of these tools. I think that these would be something that I would check out if I had some time to spare and could get lost in the stories that I was reading. I could see it as more of a detractor and less of an enhancer for productivity. As I was perusing the sites, I stumbled upon stories that I normally would not have read or known anything thing about but frankly, these were stories that I really did not need to read. I guess, personally, I get lost in odd stories and things that have really no relevance to anything. I don't think that I would use these tools in the future but they were fun to read and learn about. Although I do wish that I were able to check out Digg but unfortunately it was down while they are trying to make it better. Perhaps I will check it out after the improvements are complete and I will change my mind on these tools.

Thing 11: Del.icoi.us

2008-05-29T13:39:00.002-05:00

I very much liked this tool that we learned in this thing. I can definitely see the potential for research assistance. Not only can you record websites that are found at home, work, or school for you own records but you can also link the websites and provide more effective networking on a topic. I, for one, have been in the situation many times where I find an excellent website but write the address incorrectly or save it to the bookmarks on the wrong computer. The website is then lost and I am unable to find the information again or to use the information that I found because I cannot cite the source. Not only does Del.icio.us allow a place to store this information but it also allows you to tag the site with keywords. This is an awesome feature. Instead of spending hours searching for obscure or out of the mainstream websites, I can just go to Del.icio.us and click on different keywords to see all the websites that others have tagged to them.
I looked at the library Del.icio.us websites and I must say that I am impressed. I think that this is a great tool for libraries as well as for personal use. Using it for a library allows us to put any websites that we may think customers will be interested in as well as commonly requested information. Not only would we be able to put various website link on the page but we can also tag them with keywords that patrons can click on if they would like more information on a particular subject.
I really liked this task and I think that I will use this one on a regular basis.

Thing 10: Wikis

2008-05-28T14:40:00.002-05:00

I think that the Wiki concept is a great time and space saving creation. Instead of emailing and cc-ing people onto the emails, the wikis allow people to edit and add to any information already existing. I think that any groups or clubs within a library or on their own would greatly benefit from using Wikis. It would allow members of these groups to easily communicate any information or questions and concerns that they may have. I also think that it allows groups in an academic setting to exchange any information that they may deem useful and appropriate to their peers. I change see where the teachers and faculty can perceive Wikipedia as an unusable source. I think that depending on what sort of project that you are working with, this is true. Because of the ability of anyone to edit or add information to a wiki, there is no proof to determine whether or not the information is correct. For younger students, they are unable to distinguish the validity of the information. By having teachers and faculty straight out ban the information, it helps to get rid of any confusion there may be. Although I can see why they are banning Wikipedia, I can also see the opposition in allowing students to use Wikipedia. Really if you break it down, most books are just someone writing their opinion about a certain topic. Just because it is not on a wiki does not make it true. This is an agrument that you really can never get a straight answer...its all opinions.
I chose to edit the 23things Wiki. It was fairly easy to understand and to navigate. I would recommend using wikis if the situation needs it.

Thing 9: Online Collaboration Tools

2008-05-28T14:39:00.001-05:00

I had a hard time with this thing. It was all very confusing and I decided to only check out the Google Docs program. I had heard through the grapevine that Zoho Writer was very hard to work with and I didn't want to set up another account.
I thought that Google Docs was easy to use and navigate but in the context of the document that we were all collaborating on, it seemed messy. I think that this would be useful perhaps if you were working on a school project with many different people working on one document. But I think that even then, it can end up being messy and unorganized.
I think that our Founding Fathers would be over joyed at the participation that we as citizens of this country are taking. On the other hand, I think that it may make them a little bit mad to see us messing with a document that they worked so hard and long on.

Thing 8: Share your creations

2008-05-27T14:43:00.002-05:00

I chose to look into the Databases and to start my own database with the Lazybase program. I thought that it was very easy to use and understand. Without much knowledge of how to create my own database, I was able to navigate and create, without any trouble, a database about Fargo Restaurants. I can see the relevancy and why the would be useful for both library and personal use. The slideshows are good for sharing your own photos with friends and family as well as sharing pictures of library events on a library website or blog. Or even to attach a database of various books on a library or book club website. It would allow people to know what other people are reading and what they think of the books. I would recommend the Lazybase website for its ease of use and clarity. I haven't looked into the other tools much but I would recommend the slideshow tool for presentations. I have had a lot of experience with Powerpoint and from the little bit that I read about how to use them, they seemed very similar to one another apart from the mobility of the web presentations. I do not have much experience with other tools that allow sharing of creations over the internet.

Thing 7: Web 2.0 Tools

2008-05-21T17:30:00.004-05:00

Email: I read the information about different ways of organizing your emails. I guess that I could see the relevancy and how it could help some people especially in situations in which for work they are on the computer all day. On a normal weekday I usually only check my email once a day or once every two days. On weekends, I check it maybe once or twice a day. None of my friends and family are on the computer all day so there really is no need. For a lot of people the internet and email is their main source or communication and I think that without some sort or organizing (ie templates or groups) things could potentially get a little out of hand.
Instant Messaging: When I was in college, im-ing was a very common and easy way to ask a question or to chat with friends that had moved away. It a very good resource and quite simple to use. Although when I used to use it, there weren't nearly as many shortened words and now I have no idea what most of them mean. I have heard of other libraries using im as a tool for reference. I think that this is a very good solution. Many customers are quite shy or at home working on their computers and im-ing gives them a no-nonsense and no-pressure situation. But I do see it as a drawback for libraries that don't necessarily have a reference desk. In order for this system to work, someone would have to be sitting at a computer all day. It has its pros and cons but overall I see it is very helpful.
Text Messaging: I use text messaging on a regular basis and I highly recommend it. I think that it an effective way to get an answer to a question or a message to someone. It is available even when they are not able to talk on the phone and it saves time without the small talk that usually accompanies a phone call. Just as the video shows, it is also a good resource to use for a library. It is a quick and easy way to get an answer.
Web Conferencing: I chose to read the WebJunction article on web conferencing. I have seen this in action in the workforce and seen how great of a tool it is. I have personally never actually been in a conference myself but I can see where it would be an asset. The ability to have a visual meeting with people all over the world is outstanding. I think that it would be fairly easy to use and understand.

Thing 6: Image Generators

2008-05-21T15:18:00.004-05:00

ImageChef.com Flower Text

I played around with a few different image generators. Above are a few of my creations. I must say that I lost track of time a bit looking at all the different things that you can make. I enjoyed the tip from one of the comments on the 23 things site that said to look at the generator blog and there are a number of different interesting things to discover. A lot of them are just names that get generated but there were a few that I really liked.
I thought that the trading cards created by the Carleton College library was a really cool idea. I could definitely see making trading cards or such to help younger patrons use the library. For instance you could put a picture of the book drop and on the back a description of how you use it. That example seems kind of menial but I think that it gives a picture of what I am trying to get at.

Thing 5: More Flickr

2008-05-21T14:40:00.005-05:00

Well, as you can see above, I tried out the spell with Flickr site. I found this to be very fun and I liked the option that it let you click on the letter and choose a different one if you wanted. I may have taken advantage of this feature, it seemed like it never picked a good one right off the bat.
I also explored the Big Huge Labs site and I found a site that you upload a photo and it creates a David Hockney style collage with your photo. I used the same photos that I had previously found on the Flicker website and here are some of the creations that I was able to make:I played around with some other sites and I did a mash-up of a mash-up. I used the jigsaw puzzle feature to create a jigsaw puzzle of a David Hockney-esque collage that I had made with a photo that I got off of Flickr.
I really enjoyed discovering all the fun mash-ups that you can do on the different sites. I was kinda wishing that I had some of my own photos to play around with but it was fun nonetheless.

Thing 4: Flickr

2008-05-21T14:04:00.007-05:00

I have heard of Flickr before but i had never used or seen any of it before. I chose the option of looking at pictures and exploring what other people have already added to the site. I always try to bring my camera with me and intend to take some pictures but I always forget about taking them. I was pretty excited and almost got lost in all the beautiful sights that I saw.
I enjoyed looking at the Clemens and Alcuin libraries sites. I thought that it was a good idea to showcase what they are doing and what their patrons are doing. If gave some inspiration for what we can do at our library. I especially liked the edible book gallery that they had. I loved seeing what everyone came up with and their creativity was amazing. I could see this as being benefical to show the community what is going on at their local library and perhaps draw in more people to use the resources available.

I do not use another photosharing site although I do have a variety of photos on my facebook page. It is simply because I am lazy and some of my most prized photos are in print not digital form. I think that if I took the time to take more photos than Flickr or something like it could be of great use to me.

I searched using various methods while I was perusing the site. I looked photos up by dates and of course searched my birthday and I came across this gem of the chalk cliffs by penwren.

I also searched by tag words. I searched tettegouche, the state park that we are going camping at later this summer. I found some very colorful and interesting pictures of mushrooms in this search. The one on the left is from the photographer Yar Matey and the one on the right is from the photographer snowbud7.

Thing 3: RSS

2008-05-20T15:09:00.002-05:00

This was something that is new to me. Before starting this task, I actually had no idea what RSS was. It was interesting to learn about this feature that could really make someone's daily web searching a lot easier. Personally, I don't know how much it will benefit me. The sites that I look at on a daily basis are not an option to add to the feed. It will be helpful with news and such sites but for the most part I just added things that I might check on the occasional basis when I have time. I get the newspaper delivered to my house so I don't really need it much for news but I do like the option of seeing more international or national news rather than local news.
With little spare time, I could see this as a good feature for teachers or media specialists who regularly check various newsletters or online forums. It is a one stop shop for all the information that they may need(provided that it has a feed).
I found the add feature to be the best for finding and adding feeds but of course many of the websites that I tried where not available for feeds. I also asked around about other feeds that people have added. This helped and I found an few interesting sites regarding libraries.
I don't think that I found any sites or feeds that others had not previously found but for the most part, I thought that this was an interesting thing to discover.

Thing 2: Library 2.0

2008-05-20T11:58:00.004-05:00

At first, I was a bit skeptical of the term Library 2.0 but after reading the articles provided, I have come to see the concept for what it is and not the name of it. I am very excited about learning and discovering this new mediums of interaction and information on the Internet so I do not foresee there being an issue with finding time to complete the tasks. As Stephen implies, I will make time if it is something that I am truly interested in.
I am participating in the 23 things on a stick because I while I am experienced in some of the things on the list, there are others that I am completely lost on. I see this experience as a sort of tutorial in developing experience in different services available. The change in the way that we connect with one another and how we portray information and ourselves has always been fascinating to me. As my senior thesis project in college, I learned a new way of presenting information and knowledge that I had accumulated during my education. I researched the process of making a movie (having no experience in it whatsoever) and as my final presentation, I created a movie about how society is changing but we are still holding on to the traditions of our past. We are adapting what we already know and making it relevant to the future.
Before heading off to college, my Internet usage was very minimal. In college, I was taught the variety and depth of information that can be found on the web. It was a very useful resource for my education and I continue to use it today, years after graduating. Although my use of the Internet has changed slightly since those days. I now use the Internet as more of a resource to stay connected to former classmates and friends that I would not be able to do without such sites as facebook. I still use the Internet as a quick reference for any questions that may pop into my head but for the most part, I have moved on to using it for personal interactions.
I am excited to learn new things through this programs and to see what everyone learns and discovers through it.

Thing 1: Blogs

2008-05-20T10:35:00.002-05:00

So I just got my blog and avatar all together and I must say that I had fun doing it. It was neat looking through all the options on the avatar page although I don't think mine looks much like me. I was able to find a cat that looks almost exactly like mine. I choose the background that I did because I wish that I lived in a place like that. So overall, the avatar creating was a good experience. I had a little difficulty deciding on a name for my blog but I am happy with the outcome. I have made a blog before for a class in college but it was nothing fancy, just a place to submit homework. I thought that the instructions that we given were easy to understand and I can't wait to get started on the next exciting thing!