Thing #24 - Learning 2.0 Summary

I don't believe it, I actually completed this learning exercise. Wow, I have been introduced to so many cool things to do on the computer. I am a little overwhelmed at this point, but I had a lot of fun doing this. My co-worker, Lisa Ramsay, really was a great support in getting me through this. I look forward to using the new skills I have learned.

Thing #23 - Podcasts

I viewed Podcast.net and LearnOutLoud. I never knew what a podcast was or anything about it. I found one on LearnOutLoud "Inside Yellowstone" that I have posted to my Blogline. I really liked both of these sites for locating podcasts.

Thing #22 - R.E.A.D.S. and MyLibraryDV

I browsed through both of these sites and signed up for a R.E.A.D.S. account. There are so many good books to download. I think this is a good way to get started with audio books, which I have never done before. I don't sit down and watch a lot of movies, but I was still impressed with MyLibraryDV.

Thing #21 - YouTube

I browsed thru the videos and thought this one was adorable. I love animal videos. It was between this one or one with an orangoutang standing on his head peeing into his mouth.

Thing #20 - Web 2.0 Award Sites

I browsed thru these sites and selected signed up on Backpackit and 43Things. The Backpackit site is a personal organizing site where you can make to-do lists, keep a calendar, have reminders sent to you, etc. The 43Things site is where you can list your goals and get support from others. I am going to test these out and see how they work for me. I really don't have any ideas for use of these in the library.

Thing #19 - Social Networking

This is something I have never participated in personally. I guess I have been too leery of putting personal information out there on the web. After looking over some of the social networking sites, I found one that looked appealing to me. I'm too old for MySpace and Facebook, but Eons was much more my style. It is for social networking and activity sharing geared toward ages 50+. I liked it enough to register and setup my profile and see how it goes. I am a private person so social networking on a computer will not come freely and easily, I'm sure I will have my guard up, but I wanted to give it try. As far as libraries jumping in to MySpace or Facebook, I feel what could it hurt. It might be a great way to reach out to the young adults and pull them back into the library.

Thing #17 - Adding to Linebaugh Library Wiki

I hope I added to our wiki correctly. I added the opening and closing procedures for Eagleville Library. I like the concept of our operation manuals being on a wiki. I think it will be very helpful to me during the times I am working at the Eagleville branch and performing some circulation tasks that I do not normally do at the Reference desk and don't know what I'm doing. Being able to access step-by-step instructions on the computer will be very handy. Maybe our library system could utilize the wiki tool for committee projects created during our annual "Barb Ford" meetings (i.e. the "Employee Recognition" committee).

Thing #18 - Google Docs

NEW YEAR'S EVE 1852

Picture this:

It is New Year's Eve 1852 and an ancestor sits at his desk by candlelight. He dips his quill pen in ink and begins to write his ten New Year's resolutions:

1. No man is truly well-educated unless he learns to spell his name at least three different ways within the same document. I resolve to give the appearance of being exremely will educated in the coming year.

2. I resolve to se to it that all of my children will have the same names that my ancestors have used for six generations in a row.

3. My age is no one's business but my own. I hereby resolve to never list the same age or birth year twice on any document.

4. I resolve to have each of my children baptized in a different church--either in a different faith or in a different parish. Every third child will not be baptized at all or will be baptized by an itinerant minister who keeps no records.

5. I resolve to move to a new town, new country, or new state at least once every 10 years--just before those pesky enumerators come around asking silly questions.

6. I will make every attempt to reside in counties and towns where no vital records are maintained or where the courthouse burns down every few years.

7. I resolve to join an obscure religious cult that does not believe in record keeping or participating in military service.

8. When the tax collectyor comes to my door, I'll loan him my pen, which has been dipped in rapidly fading blue ink.

9. I resolve that if my beloved Mary should die, I will marry another Mary.

10. I resolve not to make a Will. Who needs to spend money on a lawyer?

Does this sound like a resolution many of our ancestors made?

I needed to type this document up and submit it to Bill Patterson to publish in the Friends Newsletter, so I decided to do it on Google Docs. It worked perfectly.

Thing #16 - Wikis

I liked learning about wikis. I really liked the Subject Guide Wiki by St. Joseph County Public Library. It was very user-friendly and full of great information on the listed subjects. I could see our library setting up this type of wiki. I also enjoyed the BookLovers Wiki by Princeton Public Library. I would like to see our library set up a wiki like this. I liked it so much I was very tempted to add some reviews to the Romance section because there were only two listed (which I may still do). I also looked at the Bull Run Library wiki and was impressed with the overall setup and information, especially the section "Seen on the Web".

Thing #15 - Library 2.0

I have spent two days reading, and reading and doing some more reading on Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 and my non-technoligical brain crashed. Even though a lot of what was discussed in these articles went over my head, I agree with the basic importance of moving toward becoming a facility that provides Library 2.0 services. The article "Away from the Icebergs" brought up some very good points on "icebergs" that threaten progress toward becoming 2.0 libraries: just-in-case collections, user education, and "come to us" service. First, we will need to redefine our "library collection" (books vs. databases) and reallocate budget funds to accomodate a shift. Second, we need to evauluate how user-friendly our technology is because libraries are not staffed for teaching and training patrons how to use a computer. Third, we need to loose the concept "patrons come to us" for information and find new ways to bring our services to the patrons. I think it is a direction libraries need to plan for.

Thing #14 - Technorati

I explored it and did the Learning 2.0 search exercise. In my opinion, Technorati is a tool for someone who is really into blogging. I'm too new to blogs and blogging to get much out of this right now.

Thing #13 - Del.icio.us

Well I spent quite a bit of time on this exercise and even created an account with some bookmarks and tags. The usefulness of this tool has not surfaced for me yet. I think I need to play around with it some more.

Thing #12 - Rollyo

I played around with this for a little bit and personalized my account towards my interests and favorite websites. I like this consolidation factor and grouping concept. I'm not one to sit on the internet very long so this will cut down on the browse time.

Select...My AuthorsMy RecipesMagazinesCelebrity GossipHealthSearch The Web

Thing #11 - LibraryThing

I created my LibraryThing account (www.librarything.com/catalog.php) and selected 13 romance books that I have read and really enjoyed for my library collection. I had a lot of fun setting this up and will really enjoy using this. I practically have my own library at home with the romance books I have purchased from our Friends bookstore so I think this will help me get those organized.

Thing #10 - Online Image Generator

Setting: Reference Desk

Time: April 15th at 4:30 p.m.

Theme: Last Day to File Tax Forms

Character: Reference Clerk

Created: Wallpapermaker.net

I'm surrounded. They are coming at me from all directions. The phone is ringing non-stop. What should I do, where should I go? Oh God, help me!!!

Thing #9 - Feed Search

The Blogline's Search Tool was awesome and very user friendly. I found a great site on romance books by the Hennepin County Public Library in Minneapolis, Minnesota. By using the Blogline Search Tool I found 5 new feeds to add to my blogline account.

Thing #8 - Bloglines

Unbelieveably, I got a blogline set up without much trouble. I selected 11 feeds and have already browsed through several. I'm not one to keep up with the news so my feeds are on things I'm interested in (i.e. animals). I think this is a good way to discover new websites relating to your interests.

Thing #7 - TeVA Image

This is the opening ceremony of the Rutherford County hospital around 1924. Wow, impressive for its time.