#23 Is this really the end?

Well for the official exercise it is.
This was quite a bit longer, more time consuming, and in-depth then I had thought it would be!!
I did learn quite a few things and I got to take away some really useful insight of some wonderful programs and tools. With my position with the library being assisting patrons on the computers there was so much invaluable knowledge in The 23 Things that I am really glad I took it on.
With the program being offered for everyone I was able to embrace the tasks knowing that I had done so gladly. It was an opportunity to not only grow in ability for personal interest but in practical ability as well.
I also learned that I was not alone in my difficulty with some of the processes and that was good. When you know you are not the only one struggling then you don't feel as worried about it.
Overall I am just very happy that I did this program and relatively pleased with myself for having completed it and, before the deadline for the official first batch was over as well!!
I want to let people know of my thanks for this opportunity and the hard work that went into hammering all of this out to personalize this for us OPLers.
I hope everyone else learned a few good things too.
Good night and good luck!!

#22 Media and Book Downloads

Lets start. Is it just me or is everyone having some problems with the links still coming back "The webpage cannot be found"? Good thing I am resourceful! I found some instructions with a search engine.
I had already tried MyLibraryDV and I had been hearing good things about Tumblebooks but I hadn’t really understood what was being explained to me so I didn't go and check it out. Here was a perfect opportunity to see what the buzz was about and I was not disappointed!! This is fantastic! I cannot believe all of the books they have on there! This is just wonderful to have available. It is so easy to use that I can see my son starting off a story on his own. I love the different reading levels and the ability to play them without the voice. This kind of has a reading rainbow feel with the way they scan the page and the slight animations. I would whole heartedly recommend this to patrons. I think I would show them Tumblebboks while explaining why it is so nice so they can see how truly unintimidating it is! What a great tool to have at our disposal!

#21 Podcasts, Smodcasts!

I did quite a few searches and I finally found a review feed that appeals to me. Comic Book Savant deals with reviews of main stream comic books lines and graphic novels. Things like this are handy so you can get some insight in to thing you want to read. I like being able to seek out different reviews. There are some library sponsored ones and I think that is great! There is less bias in something like that and you don't have to worry about content being inappropriate. I think it might even be neat to set up a peercast. We could have teens review books out loud with a staffer and then post them for other teens to hear. I like podcasts and think they are a viable option in furthering the libraries visibility in the community.

#20 You too can YouTube

Ok my blog will cover possible library use as well as for entertainment although my chosen video is nothing but entertainment. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g96AFEQ0DEM&feature=related How great is that! Assertive matters and this little guy send the clearly bigger then him dog packing. This brings home the point that you should always call before dropping by unexpectedly. This website is a time hog and you can loose yourself in the different fun videos that show the lighter side, the painful side (stunts), and the awkward side. All of this will leave you laughing cringing and questioning the fabric of society!
Now for practical application... The library could make good use of these media formats, as I believe we have before. What works better an article about a YA librarian being ducktaped and given a buzz cut, or getting to SEE the process? Makes you want to read more books during the summer doesn't it? Even mini tutorials would be handy. Something we could get setup for first time adult learners to watch to help them get acquainted with the mouse functions and some basic PC programs. I think it isn't a matter of deciding if it is useful as much as deciding if you can handle the extra hits!

#19 Discovering web 2.0 tools

Ah yes, a project everyone should be able to get behind! There is nothing like a big list of useful possibilities to help you feel excited! I chose my selection from the Web 2.0 awards!
As a PSA I was interested in finding a source that was of use to me in job and could be applied everyday and I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered http://www.esnips.com/ I have always been a big fan of photobucket for digital storage for remote access but this site brings it to a whole new level!
Esnips has a community feel that photobucket didn't that links people with similar interests together. It even has a karaoke section that you can post your warbles for all to hear!! Maybe not the best idea, but still a fun one. The main glory that is this site is the free 5 GB of storage space for you to store your photos, documents, pictures, and even music! You can see read and listen to many different things. If you use it to store your own, you can fit quite a bit on there. Then, you can link your picture back for all to see and show off your stuff.
Tired of carrying around a disc that might get scratched with your resume on it? Store it here and access it anytime you are at a pc with internet access. At this point in time I am sure you can see why as a PSA I think this tool has some great things to offer. But don't take my word for it! :0

#18 Web-based Apps

 

Oh fun!~ I am publishing this from ZOHO Writer!!

    I am a big fan of web based apps and portable apps and you almost have to be to help some of our patrons get some of the things done that they want. Being familiar with quite a few has prevented some upset visits when people find out they cannot download and install an application to our PC.

    I like the diversity that this enables you to have and frankly since it can work with word it is pretty handy to know about if you have a friend who doesn't have word at their house and I know one, it will enable you to work with your word files. Spell check is actually my main use for word type programs but I do like the ability to publish your post from here as well. I love that the layout is familiar to buttons we are already using.

    I don't think I will use this program a lot but I can see myself using it again.

#17 Playing around with PBWiki

I am pretty familiar with coding and I was even a little uncomfortable with this one.... I was able to add my link to the bottom but I didn't feel very sure of my efforts until I had saved and actually was able to follow my newly posted link back to my blog....
As I enjoy basic coding and the idea of being able to play around with new things there is some fun to be found in the site, but only if you can overcome the foreign feel it has. From signing up to editing a post that hundreds before you have already touched it is an entirely new experience.
I agree that this is a pleasure site as even the name implies. What is more fun and playful then a PB & J Sandwich?? So put on your floaties and jump in! I don't know that I will use this one a whole lot but it was interesting to give it a try and to know more about it.

#16 So What’s in a Wiki?

Ahhhh Wikipedia where would we be without you?
I have always kind of liked this site and I enjoy coming across tools I already have an understanding of. Learning is wonderful but knowing just feels like coming home.
Getting a look at some library specific Wikis is interesting though, since I had not ever sought them out. After peeking at several of the Wiki I found a couple to be intriguing and useful and one just a bit old hat and good old fashioned common sense. I am choosing to write about the two I felt were most worth checking out.

Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki has some great links and some good spots but the nature of its advice is not all that different from the tings we have read in our e-mail to different sessions of staff days past. I really feel like the gold in this wiki, at least for me, was the links. It made my bookmark list at least so I feel like it's worth noting; for if you are trying to find an upcoming workshop or just refreshing your people skills it's a good place to start.

Now Library for Life had some good information that can be applied to things that we need to find, but I was taken by the charm of its local effort. It has quite a bit of information about the area it serves that just added local color. Although past learning a bit about South Bend, Indiana (The 5th largest city in Indiana with a population of just over 105,000) and its local government (The South Bend Common Council is made up of 11 committees) there were other useful tools such as the PC class handouts available for print. It is neat to see how they handle their classes.

Over all it was pretty nice to check out some resources and see how they compare and contrast with our own policies and practices. I was able to get some new book marks and see Wiki as more then just social fodder.

#15 Library 2.0 Revisited and Expanded

In a technological age it is important to stay on top of things and Library 2.0 gently forces us to use and even embrace some of the many things our patrons use and begin to expect us to know about. The tools it brings about and the ways they are presented are functional and enjoyable. I like the way it is set up and am glad to have used the tools and will continue to use some. The learning method is in a relatively fluid manner and it helps you think about what you are doing. This brings meaning, understanding and appreciation to the process. I think it is an interesting idea that will continue to be relevant for quite some time. Web 2.0 brings up some of the most useful tools that library 2.0 addresses and it is an interesting breakdown of some of the new expectations people will have of us.

#14 Technorati

Technorati is fun! I never knew there were so many bento or hello kitty blogs out there! It is an easy way to learn about things and branch out and meet new people. I learned a TON about bentos!! From different recipes to handy resources. A bento is a style of lunch box. You prepare the food to be not only balanced but aesthetically pleasing. You can use different picks to decorate or "grasses" which are little plastic dividers. I knew it was an embraced art but I had NO IDEA there were that many avid followers! It is really cool to be able to find things like that.

13 Delicious

This is a funky little set up. It is nice to play around with things like this to help you set aside the tings you want at your fingertips everywhere. The design in pretty friendly and it looks good. Although it isn't my favorite tool so far it does have some good applications in everyday use.

#12 Rollyo

This is interesting because I can find things I want within my favorite sites. Sometimes I need something as simple as a new background and now I can use this site to get something from the sites I like the best to fill this need! I don't know how practical it is here in the library short of tagging our databases. As well sorted as our databases I find it to be easier to just access the ones I want from our site but on a personal level I enjoy this site as a tool to help me be creative and to pump a little fun into my day.

#11 Library Thing

http://www.librarything.com/catalog/LibraryBair
It is kind of interesting to see all the different things you can do with this. I am looking forward to reading J. K. Rowling's 'Tales of the Beedle Bard' So I have proudly chosen to display my Harry Potter Books in my library. This thing has some fun tools to use and it was interesting trying them out. Seeing all the people that have chosen the same books makes networking with others interested in the same things a breeze. Again this was interesting to try out and to see who else shared my chosen books.

THING 10!!!!

Thanks to http://www.labelmaker2600.com/ I am now able to relive some of the most exciting years in video game history!!! Ahhh the Atari, such a wonderful console with amazing game plot lines and graphics!! From some of my favorites such as Centipede, to Pitfall and let's not forget Excitebike!!! I really think Hello Kitty could have provided the same kind of thrill-a-minute entertainment that we had growing up!! Oh to bring back those glory days. I hope you have as much fun honoring/mocking (Honocking??) Atari as I have!!

#9 Searching with Syndic8

I found Syndic8 to be the most interesting and fastest loading. I like the ubber old school html layout and I can get behind the vast wealth of items it pulls up as well as how it is displayed. I did a few searches for some interest items and was pleased with what came back. I enjoy knowing the format and update date as well as its approval date before I dive into some website. I would be interested to hear some other opinions on this searcher so drop me a line if you have some input or some underground tips or search points that you find to be even more helpful!

8 Make life "really simple" with RSS & a newsreader

I liked signing up for newsletters and blogs! I actually used my thumb drive to get a more constant feed up so it was really interesting getting everything set up and learning some new tips and tricks that come with this new frontier. As land is occupied and known the fields of technology, science, and medicine are left as our worlds untraveled. This feed can keep us up to date in fields that still have the unexpected as an everyday event.

# 7 Blog about technology. FLASH DRIVES!!!

It is absolutely no contest what my favorite piece of technology is. I like potable applications and I really like being able to bring all of my information everywhere. It is portable it is convent it is durable and versatile. It makes my job as a PSA considerably better and is a time saver in many ways.

I encourage people to consider them when they want to purchase a disc and I explain why the technology is worth having. With the Friends providing our fairly priced 1 gig USB drives I have been selling quite a few of them.

This is my favorite piece of technology.

Montager

I LOVE THIS TOOL! It can take a while to load but I adore the posters that do this so to be able to bring my own photo to life this way is really neat. I just did a search for a duck to see how it worked. I like it a great deal more then the face it auto started me with! If you make one of these you can scroll over each image and see them and the Montager tries to match them all to your search so mine are all ducks!

Week 3, Discovery Exercise, *CRUDE HUMOR WARNING*

Okay, looking through the different flicker spotlight pictures I stumbled across something rather interesting and, in the spirit of the up-coming Willa renovations, I found it to be a fun idea.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blubbla/2860186038/

Why should we settle for conventional when we could become more avant-garde? Besides the obvious reasons... After all they do look a bit more challenging then the original models but I bet after a year or two spillage would be brought down to a minimum.

SO the only question we have left is... What do we do for the ladies? I propose we go for a brushed silver toilet paper dispenser as well as those doors that are transparent when open but opaque when closed and locked!

O! What a bathroom!!

Life Long Learning Skills

As we embark on this 2.0 exploration we have been asked to do a few key tasks to show that we can apply the knowledge that we are being exposed to. In this blog I want to mention my life long learning skill that I have found I understand easily as well as the skill that I struggle with.

It will be no surprise to anyone who knows me that the skill I find to come the easiest is playing. I am almost always in the mood to do something fun and creative so I never have any shortage of learning opportunities in that area.

However, if you take the play out of it, I find it hard to have confidence in myself and my abilities. So when I am learning something I find to be a bit out of my normal scope it can be hard to go full steam ahead with it for fear of being inadequate.

I am hoping I can put my strength to work to overcome my weaknesses as we work on these new tasks for Library 2.0

What life long learning means to me

I am a mother of two children and as they grow and learn I want to grow and learn as well. I want them to know how important it is to never quit learning. That personal growth is a constant journey.