Reflections

Wow. I am done! It was a great exercise and I learned a lot. I believe it behooves us as people working in a library to know about all these applications 'out there' even though we might think they have no great application in a library setting. At least we will know about them and be able to talk to our patrons if they inqure. About half of the applicatons introduced I could see used in a library: Meebo, Flickr, Blogs, Wikis, RSS. Another goodly number I could see using myself in my private life: Library Thing, del.icio.us, Pandora, GoogleDocs etc. Applications I didn't find useful at all: microblogging and Tumblr. They are so disorganized, I can't stand it. And truly, does one really need to be in touch with friends and family CONSTANTLY? These things just take up space (I know, I know, it's cyberspace but still...)I do not think that blogging is going to be a big thing for libraries. Just look around in library land. Libraries that have had blogs for a while are discontinuing them. No one seems to read them. No one leaves comments. So I have to question how valuable they really are. The same goes for MySpace accounts for libraries. Does anyone really care? What teens said to me is that they don't want me there...it is THEIR space. Not mine.

One more thought...I think 4 months is not enough time to complete the program. If one wants to really look into all the applications in-depth, read about them, try them out, it takes much longer, especially if one is completely or relatively new to Web 2.0. I've had to help several of my staff with questions - which I am very happy to do! - because they were not web "savy." I think 6 months is a much more realistic timeline to complete all the steps.

I am very glad, however, that I had the opportunity to explore web 2.0 in-depth. I would never have taken the time to do so and this made me really look at all Web 2.0has to offer. I've learned a lot (especially that I could become addicted to the games and mash-ups out there...) and I thank FVRL for this opportunity. Over and out.

Alternative Blogging

Boy, what a waste of ones time! I see absolutely no use to anyone for anything in Twitter and Tumblr!I have no desire to give an account of where I am and what I am doing/going to do/have done at at all times and don't want to read about other people's whereabouts or doings. It's boring. It's disorganized. I am glad I took the time to explore Twitter and Tumblr a bit but only because I want to be able to be able to talk about them somewhat intelligently - or at least know about them. I think this is just another tool for self-indulgent people who think they are really important and everyone is interested in their lives. Well, I am not. Bah, humbug.

Audio/Video: Video

I looked at all the different video providers and one could certainly spend a lot of time surfing and watching different videos. I know that it is said by librarians that YouTube and similar services should be integrated on library website as how-to tools and that there are many valuable videos on these sites. Well, maybe but are these sites really used for that purpose? I've spent an afternoon now on these sites and when looking at the popular videos or the videos that are currently being watched, not ONE was/is an educational one. They are all about stupid pet tricks or people doing some stunts. So, if a library were to add YouTube to their website I believe their videos would have to have an entertainment value to be watched. Maybe a storytime could be featured. Or a book talk. Or a program. I did searches on all the different sites on how to tie a tie. All gave me good results with some giving me some very raunchy results! I didn't think "how to tie a tie" could be interpreted in any way other than what I meant but boy, was I wrong...ANYWAY, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQHX-SjgQvQ

The video I watched and thoroughly enjoyed is the medieval help desk one. It's in Norwegian (with English subtitles). It is absolutely hilarious and well worth the 3 minutes it takes to watch! It reminds me a lot of my work in my previous library as an automation librarian...

Podcasts

Of all the podcast finding services I liked podcast.net the best...probably because it got me the best results for my search of story times and teen stuff in public libraries. I found a pretty good site - teenlibrarian - which had many podcasts of book talks and authors' interviews. I enjoyed listening to the authors talking about their books - it will come in handy when doing book talks in schools or for book clubs. I also enjoyed listening to This American Life on NPR via podcast...I always miss the end of a story and with the podcasts I won't miss another ending! Some of the podcasts I listened to didn't have the best audio quality but headphones might help with that problem.

Audio/Video - Music and other Audio

I really wanted to try out the Mango.com site but having no administrative privileges I could not download the required update to Flash Player....sad day. I guess my learning Portuguese has to wait another day or so.

The Internet Archive site is overwhelming. Way too much stuff. Does anyone really need all those video clips? I don't know...the site might have its uses but I found it overkill. I can't imagine ever going there looking for something.

I liked the music sites. I found samples of all my favorite musicians and singers (yes, even Babyface!). IMEEM, however, only gave you a taste of a song. After a few bars you had to sign up for an account in order to listen to the whole song. I am getting tired of having to sign up for everything. It gets really old. So Imeem is off my list to go to for music downloads.

The Absolute Sound Effects Archive was a hoot. Loved being able to access the sound of different birds, car horns, rain, etc.

I am familiar with the Gutenberg.org site. I guess it has its use for people who want to read or listen to books in the public domain. I found one of the Swiss authors I loved as a child and downloaded a book...however, I did not manage to get even halfway through (even though I had wanted to read it for a long time!) - reading on a screen just gets way too tiring for me. Must be my advanced age. Maybe younger people will be able to do that. I'd rather pick up the book. I'm an old fuddy duddy, that's for sure!

GoogleDocs

GoogleDocs is a fabulous tool. The developers at Google really think of every conceivable way to make sharing of documents and presentations easy. They are giving Microsoft a run for its money, that's for sure. I am thrilled to have another avenue than to e-mail attachments. I like it that I can keep all the documents in one place and don't have to keep track of them. I am glad that I don't have to worry about different software anymore - some in my family are still using Word Perfect...with GoogleDocs we are finally on the same page.And there is no need for them to buy an expensive product. It's all free! Fabulous

Cool Stuff

Now I am hooked! The Wordshoot game is truly addictive...good-bye to reading...it's shooting words from now on. Of course, I don't know if my poor heart can take the rush. I might have to take a sick day or two to recover from all the adrenaline cruising through my body. Awesome.

One of my favorite board games is Scrabble. Unlucky for me, my family doesn't really care for it but now I COULD sign up with Scrabulous and play with strangers. However, I don't think I'll do that. I am spending way to much time already reading my RSS feeds and contributing (sometimes anyway) to discussion groups. If I'll add Scrabulous I'll never get off the computer - you know how it goes...just one more game and then I'll stop! Ha!

I also checked out Yahoo! Answers. Wow. Some of the answers given are truly horrific. People who have absolutely no idea what they are talking about, shooting off their mouth and giving advice. Yikes. I wouldn't trust these answers at all. I think I'll have to come back on a a "Slam the Boards!" day to see if the replies are more credible when librarians give answers. At least, they will back up their answers with sources...or so I hope. Scrolling through the questions and answers I have to surmise that there are a ton of very lonely people out there with lots of strange questions some of which could be answered with just a tiny bit of research. I guess it is a sign of the times that people are not willing to invest any time in finding out the answers to some very simple questions (and I am not saying ALL the questions are easy!) themselves.

Wikis

Wikis are a great idea if you know the people that are contributing to it. I am very leery of Wikipedia, for example. The scholarship on such an open Wiki can be a little suspect at times. I wish students would approach the information they find on Wiki with equal suspicion and not take everything they find on it as gospel truth.
However, if you know the contributors and trust their scholarship then a Wiki can be a marvelous thing. I think Wikis could have great application in libraries - we should have a Children's Services Wiki were we can post ideas and outlines for programs, describe crafts that were successful and any other information that would help with planning and executing a program. Also lists of books that work well during storytime could be kept and added to on a Wiki. The Young Adult Wiki is a good example of what we could do. Adding comments after a program would be a snap. It would be nice to have a one-stop spot where all this valuable information could be kept.

Library Thing

Ohhh, here is a application I love! Such an easy way to organize my books (or books I wish I had!). When I am in the bookstore standing in front of the packed shelves I never remember what I wanted to buy so now I can access Library Thing via my phone and voila! here is my list. I love how simple it is to search for books or authors and how easy it is to add and tag an entry. I enjoy reading reviews and exchanging ideas about books. It is a great tool for readers' advisory and I have made note of many books recommended by people who have read what's in my library. So far, this has been my favorite discovery! Once I get home I'll be sure to add all my books. Here is my link: Library Thing

technorati

This is definitely a welcome tool! It deals very efficiently with searching and finding blogs that one is interested in. I appreciate the many ways I can search for a topic: by tags, keywords in blogs, blog topic, etc. It makes an otherwise almost impossible task of finding a blog on a certain topic very easy. I have noticed, though, that under the popular feature one finds the predictable stuff - searches for stars and starlets, celebrity gossip and news. Personally, I am very tired of that stuff and would never search for blogs on these subjects but I guess to each his or her own. All in all, Technoarti provides a great service for bloggers.

del.icio.us

I really like this tool! How wonderful to have "portable" bookmarks. No longer am I tied to one computer but can access all my boomarks from one site. I also appreciate that I can tag my bookmarks and through the tags can find other interesting stuff that pertains to the topic on the web. I like how easy it is to share and find new and interesting sites. I am using IS's del.icio.us account frequently and it has helped me in my work many times. Good stuff!

Image Generator

So, at this site (Generator Blog) one could waste a lot of time looking through the different image generators! I am not sure if it's in FVRL's best interest if I do so...I am having too much fun! Especially making George dance the Schuhplattler. Whew! I am still laughing. Hilarious. Try it yourself at Huettengaudi I also liked the warning sign generator quite a bit. I shall post all kinds of warnings around my house now. I am sure my husband will appreciate that a lot.

After having "played" with the different applications for almost a month now, I can see why people don't have time for reading or socializing anymore! Playing on the computer takes up so much time! Yes, the gadgets might eventually save time somewhere but to research them and set them up and make them look the way you want is very time consuming. And since days haven't gotten any longer, certain things - such as reading - must fall to the wayside. I am not sure if I am willing to do that. But, of course, I am an old fuddy-duddy and my kids, for example, are perfectly willing and happy to spend hours playing, "socializing" and creating stuff on the computer. More power to them. And I am glad I actually tried out and signed up for all these different gadgets. I knew about them, of course, but knowing and actually working with them are two different things

Social networking

Ah, yes, social networking. My college age kids couldn't live without it. They check their Facebook accounts several times every day and keep in touch with their friends that way. E-mail is now relegated to second place. Now, how can we incorporate this into libraries and take advantage of this social networking phenomena? Personally, I have a hard time envisioning how we could become relevant to teens this way. Just look at our social networking sites that we have. The YAAB one, for example, or the LaCenter or Woodland one...there is lots of info but hardly any participation from anyone. No comments, questions, nothing. What does that mean? Are our sites just not hip enough? Are teens not looking for us on Facebook or MySpace? I think it's a little bit of both. The big question is: how can we get them interested and engaged and participating. Someone with more imagination than I will have to come up with an answer to that. Don't get me wrong: I am all for exploring ALL and EVERY avenue to involve kids, teens and adults in libraries. I just don't know if social networking will be an effective way.

Meebo

I signed up for a Meebo account, so now I can IM with my daughters who have urged me for years to do so. It was a very simple process and absolutely no hassle. I am looking forward to using while away on vacation. To imbed it in the blog was not as self-explanatory as I thought. It took a little digging to figure that out but I eventually managed.

Since it is such a simple "installation" I can see a great benefit if the library were to offer IM for our patrons. They don't have to download any software but can access it from anywhere and can get in touch with librarians instantly and get their questions answered right away without having to wait. I am convinced that in order for patrons to use this valuable tool, we must have a big, noticable link right on the front page. People don't want to go digging for stuff.

I also see an advantage to use IM among staff. It is a great tool for instant communication. No more leaving phone messages or waiting for e-mail replies!

RSS - Take 2

So I added a few more library related blogs to bloglines. Now the only question is: when will I have time to actually read all of them? Information overload! While in theory it is nice to have all this information at your fingertips, in practical terms it is just not possible to keep up with all that's "out there." It's very easy to add feeds, so I could see myself going crazy adding interesting blogs or sites.

I really didn't search for feeds to add. I just went to some of my favorites sites, added them to bloglines and usually through those sites found more that I liked. I really didn't have to go to Technorati or other search engine to find stuff of interest. It is, however, good to know about them.

As I said in my previous blog, it would be great if patrons could add FVRL to their feed and get information on new materials and events.

Sorry, got to stop and go and read some feeds now!

RSS

I signed up for a few RSS feeds at Bloglines. Bloglines is really a timesaving tool if you happen to monitor the same sites every day, several times during the day. I am still a very old-fashioned person, so I read (gasp!) the paper and don't really need to be up-to-date at all times. I get to read bad news soon enough and really, I don't greatly care about people blogging... However, I can see that for a library this could be a very good tool to inform people of new materials or events. It would be convenient to not have to search the catalog to see if a certain bestseller has arrived in the library or find out about a program happening at the library. Is there a plan to add an RSS feed to our website?

Flickr Mashups

What fun! I've just tried my hand at Retrievr - the Flickr mashup that lets you find pictures based on your sketching abilities...now, either my sketching abilities leave a lot to be desired or the mashup is not very accurate in retrieving the images...In my opinion, I drew a beautiful mouse...but instead Retrievr retrieved eyes, roses, dogs, noses...but no mouse! Oh well. I have been told that I am a terrible drawer...another mashup that I explored is Spell with Flickr. What an innovative idea! The word "Rumpelstiltskin" took on a whole different meaning. Cool. I am not quite sure if I would ever use this application but it's fun to play with. The Flickr Color Pickr is a great way to find photos that will match a scrapbooking project, for example. I can see using this for backgrounds to letters, for example. These mashups are really fun - I wish I had the creativity to come up with something so innovative!

Flickr experience

I've just spent a very pleasurable half hour poking around Flickr. Wow. So many beautiful pictures of every possible subject! What a wonderful resource. While I don't have an account yet, I will sign up shortly. It will be a great way to share my pictures with my family and friends far away.

While looking through pictures of Zuerich, Switzerland, I came across the following awesome shot:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/17631295@N00/1016050120

The colors are lovely, the light awesome and the perspective is amazing, but the main reason I chose this picture is because it shows my home where I grew up and where my parents still live! I am getting homesick just looking at it. What a treat to find it on Flickr!

Lifelong Learning - Blogging

So, here is my very first blog entry ever. Very weird. As if writing in my personal journal and everyone is looking over my shoulder! This will take some getting used to. Anyway, back to the assignment...the easiest and hardest of the 71/2 habits of highly successful lifelong learners. The easiest and hardest actually are the same for me: habit 71/2 - playing! I would love to continuously be reading and learning and playing but feel guilty if I do take time to do so. There is always something else "more important" that I really should be doing than reading a book on how to play poker or, for example, which I would love to do. And then, when I do take the time and read a book on how to make most delicious chocolate truffles and master the skill and have really good time doing it, then the old guilt hits and I chastise myself for not having spent my time more usefully....I guess what I am saying is: I have to get over the idea that there are "useful" and "useless" things to learn. All my goals I want to achieve are valid.