Thursday, June 28, 2007

Wikis

23 Things Item #16 Wikis

We've all used Wikipedia. It is interesting to see wikis used by libraries. The Bull Run Library's wiki actually links to Merlin and Libraries 2.0! And it's a Prince William, Virginia libary!

I think wiki's are great for finding very current informaion. It's is also good for finding very obscure information. Since anyone can contribute the information, it can be hard to judge its authority. Often I try to verify the info in a wiki by trying to find it in another source.

Web2.0 Libraries2.0

23 Things Item#15
Today I viewed "Machine is Us/ing Us". Quite intriguing. Digital hypertext is connectivity. Links, tags, content.

I read "Away from Icebergs." I think HCPL really lives its commitment to innovation. This whole MD Libraries Learning 2.0 is innovative. In terms of user education, these 23 things are a way for us to give new technology education to our internal customers (staff, information users), so we can better serve external customers (patrons, who are also information users).

And as for the "Come to Us" idea of library service, HCPL is already beyond that.
"Access, Information, Service - Anytime, Anywhere" We are already going out to our patrons through outreach and over the web. We are user centered and user driven: users (patrons) can easily search the catalog, place their own holds or reserves, are notified of upcoming due dates, can renew materials online, search databases, and more. Plus they can give us their comments, thoughts and ideas in person, on paper, or by just clicking "feedback" on HCPL's home page. So information is free-flowing, not just a one-way street.

As for libraries 5,10,or more years from now - I can't wait to be a part of this changing environment! Just look at the changes from 1997 to 2007! With more to come!

Technorati

23 Things Item #14 Discover Technorati

This afternoon I read about Technorati. It is amazing that the site was started only 3 years ago, recently upgraded, and more amazing is the astounding growth of blogs! Just look at the over 200 blogs started by HCPL staff just this month!

Of course tags make topics easier to find. I did a keyword search on "Learning 2.0" in Technorati and found serveral blogs by librarians. One even had a "tag cloud." That really reminded me of Aquabrowser!

Many of the "top favorited blogs" and "top blogs" were the same. And it's no surprise that one of the top searches is the new iphone.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Tagging & Del.icio.us

23 Things Item #13

Today I listened to the tutorial about Del.icio.us. (I'm already familiar with tagging.) It's neat that tagging has become a peer driven taxonomy, with freely chosen keywords. The difficulty is when people use "fuzzy" terms such as popular or educational. These are somewhat vague terms that mean different things to different people.

The interconnectivity of Del.icio.us is amazing. I can see how it would be very useful for the exchange of information and ideas.

Rollyo

23 Things Item #12

Today I started a free account on Rollyo and created a search roll for "crochet". I love to crochet. (Eventually I'd like to give each of my friends a warm and cozy afghan.) My Rollyo search should help people find a lot of free patterns.

I found Rollyo to be similar to Bloglines and Blogger. The interface was fairly clear and easy to follow. It is amazing that all this is free!

Some searches I explored were good, and others were not. One person listed the same site five times. Why? Oh, well. On the whole, tho, I think the searches will be better as more people become aware of Rollyo and more people contribute searches and ideas.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Library Thing

23 Things Item #11 Library Thing

This afternoon I started a Library Thing account. It was very easy. For free you can catalog 20 book. For $25 you can catalog unlimited books for a lifetime.

I think it's great for keeping track of books. I've tried to add the search box to my blog, but I'm having some difficulty in that. I'll try again later.

Next Day - I added the link. It's at the upper right corner of blog!

Image Generator

23 Things #10 "Play Around with an online image generator."

I am trying to add an image to my blog.

ImageChef.com - Custom comment codes for MySpace, Hi5, Friendster and more

Saturday, June 23, 2007

7 1/2 things & Lifelong Learning

23 Things Item #2
The habit I find most useful is creating your own toolbox for lifelong learning. That is a skill set that can be used in many situations. I find the interpersonal forms of learning - in classes with other people, learning from mentors and friends (their insights are often very valuable) - to be most memorable.

Sometimes I find Habit #6, Using Technology to Your Advantage, to be the hardest. There is definitely a learning curve, and it can be slow going at the beginning. But I won't give up. My goal is to become familiar with the newest technology that patrons want to use at the library

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Item 9

I found a neat library blog called "Shifted Librarian" that covers the ALA conference. It also mentioned controversy about Flickr in Germany & Korea on censorship!

NPR's news feed is very good. (It's at www.npr.org/rss and it also has feed for great programs such as Fresh Air and All Things Considered.) NPR's News Feed is at the bottom of my blog page.

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

RSS feeds

23 Things Item #8
Today I subscribed to the Bloglines newsreader for RSS feeds. I chose the "Bookworm" bundle and now subscribe to NYT Book Review, Shifted Librarian, USAToday.com Books, and the Washington Post Book Review!

23 Things - Week 3

Today I visited Flickr and explored. (23Things Item #5) It looks like a really great photo sharing site. I still have a film camera, and when I ordered the pictures on a CD along with the prints. That should be a good way to put pictures online.

I found a few mashups. They can be really funny. (23Things Item #6).

This posting is my 23Things Item #7. Sharing photos on Flickr is a good way for families to keep in touch, especially when members may live in different parts of the country. My husband's brothers live in New Hampshire, Virginia, New York and Ohio, so it's really hard for them to get together.

[img]http://images.meez.com/user/11/10/10_10015956923.gif[/img]

Friday, June 15, 2007

Beginning My "23 Things"

Maryland Libraries Learning 2.0 is sponsoring "23 Things", a way for library staff to increase their knowledge of Internet, Web 2.0, and current computer technology.

Today I signed up and found out about the program. (Item #1)
I discovered a few pointers. (Item #2)
I set up this blog and added my first posts. (Item #3)

So I am on my way!

First Entry

Today I'm beginning my blog.
It is a beautiful summery day in Maryland.
I'm at work and it is quiet and peaceful now.
I love my job!