This post will conclude my blogging adventure (for now), so I want to take a second to talk about what I'd do differently given the chance.
First and foremost, I'd decide how I was going to title my posts and stick with it. I didn't care how I titled my posts in the beginning, but now I do - and I'm stuck with some funny-looking titles.
If I were really going to write a blog, I'd decide what I wanted my blog to be and I'd work like crazy to make it look and work just that way - I wouldn't throw up a video here, a LibraryThing link there, a Rollyo search roll here and there. I'd also make sure I was linking to online content whenever possible, and in a consistent way (e.g., why was there ever a URL typed out and not made into a hyperlink? hmmm?). I'd also decide on a tone and do my best to stick with it - professional and perfectionist? Emperor's-New-Clothes with the appropriate note of snarkiness? No matter the tone, I'd work on my writing, because, wow, my writing has been pretty inconsistent in these two dozen posts!
I think this program has really helped me catch up, even just a little bit. It's given me license to go and play in the social web, and in turn that has helped me prioritize which ones I want to work on during my own time. I'm not really surprised by what I'll take away from the 23 Things, but I'm glad it ended up feeling as productive as it does.
The program's format is fine, and I'd participate if there were another program presented in this way. The "lifelong learning" aspect was obviously essential, but I think many staff members felt patronized by the learning plan assignment. I don't think that was an encouraging tone with which to start out a 9-week program. I'd also like to suggest that if IUL takes on another organization's format, that they replace the items we can't use with items we CAN use.
All in all, a success, I'd say!
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Audiobooks - Thing #22
I couldn't complete the exercise as it was originally intended, but...
If you don't mind, I'd like to point you all toward Librivox.org, a website which provides free audiobooks from the public domain. They have an ever-increasing catalog, and the recordings are generally of great quality. Everything is recorded by volunteers, so don't be surprised if the first one you listen to sounds just like a regular guy reading clearly into a microphone. Do you feel like listening to Little Women and your library copy is checked out? Try this!
If you don't mind, I'd like to point you all toward Librivox.org, a website which provides free audiobooks from the public domain. They have an ever-increasing catalog, and the recordings are generally of great quality. Everything is recorded by volunteers, so don't be surprised if the first one you listen to sounds just like a regular guy reading clearly into a microphone. Do you feel like listening to Little Women and your library copy is checked out? Try this!
Podcasts - Thing #21
I think I'm having a classic "what? keyword searching on Google won't find everything I need?" moment. These podcast sites offer pretty good subject-based browsing (by "genre"!), and I really should have known I was missing something.
I can definitely find podcasts that interest me (see Thing # 19 for my weakness...), but I can also find podcasts that would really help a librarian get up to date on subjects they aren't so familiar with. Anyone up for a listen to Wednesday's Haul, a podcast about new comic books?
I already subscribe to several RSS feeds for podcasts, including one for learning Italian, an Indie-music show with women artists, and even one that I also found listed on Podcast.net, All You Can Eat. The RSS feeds for audio programs are fantastic because listening to them is a commitment of time, and it takes a bit of planning to make sure I will actually be able to set aside the time to listen to them. Not being tethered to a radio station's timetable is quite a blessing!
I know the important thing about podcasts is that you're supposed to be able to download them and put them on a portable device. For a while, users like me who don't have a portable device would have to download them to our machines to listen to them. I much prefer the flexibility of being able to choose when I want to listen to the streaming program or download it. This also brings up the point that not all audio programs are podcasts - some of them are only available for streaming, and still have really useful information in them.
And finally, I get a chance to say this in public! Has anyone else noticed that blogs, websites, YouTube, and podcasts have made the end of Pump Up the Volume look like child's play?? You can see the movie trailer here. Take note of the clips of pirate radio stations around the 6 minute mark in the trailer - teenagers able to broadcasts about what's really on their minds? Sound like the internet yet!?
I can definitely find podcasts that interest me (see Thing # 19 for my weakness...), but I can also find podcasts that would really help a librarian get up to date on subjects they aren't so familiar with. Anyone up for a listen to Wednesday's Haul, a podcast about new comic books?
I already subscribe to several RSS feeds for podcasts, including one for learning Italian, an Indie-music show with women artists, and even one that I also found listed on Podcast.net, All You Can Eat. The RSS feeds for audio programs are fantastic because listening to them is a commitment of time, and it takes a bit of planning to make sure I will actually be able to set aside the time to listen to them. Not being tethered to a radio station's timetable is quite a blessing!
I know the important thing about podcasts is that you're supposed to be able to download them and put them on a portable device. For a while, users like me who don't have a portable device would have to download them to our machines to listen to them. I much prefer the flexibility of being able to choose when I want to listen to the streaming program or download it. This also brings up the point that not all audio programs are podcasts - some of them are only available for streaming, and still have really useful information in them.
And finally, I get a chance to say this in public! Has anyone else noticed that blogs, websites, YouTube, and podcasts have made the end of Pump Up the Volume look like child's play?? You can see the movie trailer here. Take note of the clips of pirate radio stations around the 6 minute mark in the trailer - teenagers able to broadcasts about what's really on their minds? Sound like the internet yet!?
YouTube - Thing #20
I've watched lots of YouTube clips, but generally I rely on the kindness of coworkers and friends to point me toward the good ones. Since I've never gone looking for anything myself, I'm finding the search, browse, and "related videos" aspects of YouTube most interesting.
I searched YouTube for "baking" because... well... I have a weakness I need not go into here. :)
My search was excessively simple and really not very helpful, because what I really wanted was bread baking, not cake baking, which was in abundance in my search results. Nevertheless, somewhere around tenth in the results list was a video called "baking bread from scratch - how to" (it's the one that should be embedded below, if all goes well). I like the fact that my rather poor search is assisted by category links to the right side of the listing in the search results, namely "more in: how to & style." This link re-runs my search in a category, and the results are a whole lot more effective than my amateurish search on the main page. After I've watched the video, I see a whole lot of suggestions for what to watch next listed on the right, as well - and the "related" videos just get more and more interesting as I follow the trail. No wonder people lose weeks of their lives to watching YouTube!
The assignment asks if I see any features or components of the site that might be useful for library websites. I would really like to see this kind of simple link to a subset of my search results in all OPACs. I'd also like to see more inter-linking of records - with clickable links by subject, author, year, any anything else that might apply. I'm sure most OPACs are going in this direction, but could they go faster if we left behind some of the library jargon? just a thought.
Here's the video:
I searched YouTube for "baking" because... well... I have a weakness I need not go into here. :)
My search was excessively simple and really not very helpful, because what I really wanted was bread baking, not cake baking, which was in abundance in my search results. Nevertheless, somewhere around tenth in the results list was a video called "baking bread from scratch - how to" (it's the one that should be embedded below, if all goes well). I like the fact that my rather poor search is assisted by category links to the right side of the listing in the search results, namely "more in: how to & style." This link re-runs my search in a category, and the results are a whole lot more effective than my amateurish search on the main page. After I've watched the video, I see a whole lot of suggestions for what to watch next listed on the right, as well - and the "related" videos just get more and more interesting as I follow the trail. No wonder people lose weeks of their lives to watching YouTube!
The assignment asks if I see any features or components of the site that might be useful for library websites. I would really like to see this kind of simple link to a subset of my search results in all OPACs. I'd also like to see more inter-linking of records - with clickable links by subject, author, year, any anything else that might apply. I'm sure most OPACs are going in this direction, but could they go faster if we left behind some of the library jargon? just a thought.
Here's the video:
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Web 2.0 tools,Yelp! - Thing # 19
I chose to look at the first place winner in the "city guides and reviews" category, Yelp. At first I was disappointed to see only big cities listed, but that's just the main page - apparently Bloomington, Indiana is represented after all. (and apparently, I really need to go to Le Petit Cafe!)
I like this tool becuse it seems particularly thoroughly developed (at least from a user's point of view). Yelp seems to have included most, if not all, of the angles that review sites could use. In particular, the mapping tools, ranges like "within walking distance" or even "within 4 blocks" seem very useful for librarians. Imagine the dreaded restaurant-recommendation question right at dinner time, when your stomach is growling... I think perhaps Yelp can help. :)
I like this tool becuse it seems particularly thoroughly developed (at least from a user's point of view). Yelp seems to have included most, if not all, of the angles that review sites could use. In particular, the mapping tools, ranges like "within walking distance" or even "within 4 blocks" seem very useful for librarians. Imagine the dreaded restaurant-recommendation question right at dinner time, when your stomach is growling... I think perhaps Yelp can help. :)
Zoho Writer - Thing # 18
I'm testing Zoho writer by writing my blog post in a document first, then I'm going to export it to Blogger. wish me luck. :)
I used Google Docs for the first time two months ago, and really was impressed by the portability concept. (Isn't that surprising, that portability aparently is my biggest concern, and yet I'm practically a luddite...? Can you imagine how important portability is to people who actually USE personal electronics to keep track of their lives??) Anyway, portability between home and work has become really important to me because I don't have a printer at home, or a flash drive. If I need to print something out at a public computer, I can always email it to myself, but the new Outlook web access is really clunky and moves really slowly on some computers. What I need is an easily accessible central place to put a document so I can sneak in and print, quick as the wind, and then go on my merry way. Could Zoho Writer and Google Docs be the answer?? maybe.
For small libraries and campuses without a robust shared-server system, I can see these tools helping students and staff thrive, and really expand the possibilities for people who don't have laptops or ftp software installed. (I guess the "free!" aspect is a really close second to the "portable!" aspect.)
I do have some concerns (which I'm sure Zoho Writer and Google Docs wish to dismiss) about privacy, stability of their servers, and continued availability of a free service. It would be awfully unfortunate to build a project in this attractive, robust environment and then lose it!
Overall, I'm positive this will come in handy in the future, and if I were on a reference desk in a public library, I would encourage people to try it. It's surprising what counts as 2.0!
I used Google Docs for the first time two months ago, and really was impressed by the portability concept. (Isn't that surprising, that portability aparently is my biggest concern, and yet I'm practically a luddite...? Can you imagine how important portability is to people who actually USE personal electronics to keep track of their lives??) Anyway, portability between home and work has become really important to me because I don't have a printer at home, or a flash drive. If I need to print something out at a public computer, I can always email it to myself, but the new Outlook web access is really clunky and moves really slowly on some computers. What I need is an easily accessible central place to put a document so I can sneak in and print, quick as the wind, and then go on my merry way. Could Zoho Writer and Google Docs be the answer?? maybe.
For small libraries and campuses without a robust shared-server system, I can see these tools helping students and staff thrive, and really expand the possibilities for people who don't have laptops or ftp software installed. (I guess the "free!" aspect is a really close second to the "portable!" aspect.)
I do have some concerns (which I'm sure Zoho Writer and Google Docs wish to dismiss) about privacy, stability of their servers, and continued availability of a free service. It would be awfully unfortunate to build a project in this attractive, robust environment and then lose it!
Overall, I'm positive this will come in handy in the future, and if I were on a reference desk in a public library, I would encourage people to try it. It's surprising what counts as 2.0!
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Wiki'd out - Thing # 16
I think I've finally got a picture in my head for a wiki - a three-ring binder at the reference desk. Or perhaps, just the reference desk itself, covered in sticky notes? I guess I'm just "wiki'd out" because this was an awful lot of information to absorb, and I thought i was already familiar with wikis!
I'm not sure I have much that is new and interesting to add to the commentary. I'm leaning along the same lines as Mechael in her post on thing #16, because I too can see that this would be useful for group planning and cooperative editing. I think wikis are particularly well-suited for really well-defined projects, where a new "binder" would have been created in the offline world anyway. On the other hand, maybe the scope of the project isn't the key, it's the "core of users" that Angela mentions. A critical mass of buy-in is essential. All of the examples linked in this exercise seemed to have reached that critical mass, and more power to them!
I think wikis may be one of those many many avenues we need to be open to, experiment with, and withdraw from if needed. If it works, it works, if it doesn't, it doesn't. openmindedness is the key!
I'm not sure I have much that is new and interesting to add to the commentary. I'm leaning along the same lines as Mechael in her post on thing #16, because I too can see that this would be useful for group planning and cooperative editing. I think wikis are particularly well-suited for really well-defined projects, where a new "binder" would have been created in the offline world anyway. On the other hand, maybe the scope of the project isn't the key, it's the "core of users" that Angela mentions. A critical mass of buy-in is essential. All of the examples linked in this exercise seemed to have reached that critical mass, and more power to them!
I think wikis may be one of those many many avenues we need to be open to, experiment with, and withdraw from if needed. If it works, it works, if it doesn't, it doesn't. openmindedness is the key!
Friday, December 7, 2007
Welcome to Our Lady of Perpetual Beta - Thing #15
I read all the articles, trying to find the one that resonated with me. As a result, I don't have a cohesive response to the whole group. In short, these articles made me say, yet again, that we need to remember that our users are not monolithic. Our resources are not monolithic. And, thankfully, the future is also not monolithic. We can take multiple paths, backtrack if we have to, and see what the future holds.
Some quotations I think bear repeating from these articles:
"...it no longer makes sense to collect information products as if they were hard to get." Rick Anderson
I agree, at first. Lots of our materials are not at all difficult to get, and we should simply be aiding access to these materials, rather than storing them up in our own special silos. We should not forget, however, that not all information products are easy to get. Embracing the fact that many of our materials are easy to get should free us up to be able to get our hands on those materials that are hard to get.
"But if our services can’t be used without training, then it’s the services that need to be fixed—not our patrons." Rick Anderson
I think Rick Anderson's comment on this aspect of Library 2.0 has two prongs: he seems to be commenting on sources as well as services. When I first read this, I definitely read it to mean "sources" because I blurted out, "Yes, but we are not always faced with 'fixable' sources!" He says that users shouldn't need to be trained to use awful search interfaces, but what about the awful search interfaces that aren't under the control of the librarians? Is this another case of fixing the things we have the most control over so they free up our time to deal with training users on the sources we can't fix?
"At a minimum, this means placing library services and content in the user’s preferred environment (i.e., the Web); even better, it means integrating our services into their daily patterns of work, study and play."
Yet again, I feel the need to point out that not every single person in the world wants to live online. Our users may have a preferred environment that is 3-D, and cannot be replicated by Second Life. We need to respect that too, just as we need to respect the users who want us to be savvy online just like them.
Collect user intelligence - Another key lesson that O’Reilly emphasizes is the notion that “users add value.” Chip Nilges
I like this one! treating your catalog or your website or any other online service as an ongoing focus group sounds fantastic. Let people help. tag this, review that - help us put the library in context."Perpetual beta" Michael Stephens
This is my favorite, hands down. Ok, maybe a quick second is his whole paragraph that says "Librarian 2.0 controls technolust." :) We are always experimenting. We are agile. This is a good thing!
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Technorati for the Ignorati - Thing #14
At first I stared at Technorati for about 20 minutes, with NOTHING sinking in. That's embarrassing to admit, but I'm admitting it anyway.
The Technorati Tour page linked as a discovery resource says that they're trying to make Technorati useful to the non-expert, but all I see is a search engine with a lot of ads. Is it just me, am I using it wrong? I'm definitely one of those non-experts they're talking about, but I see a big gulf between me and Technorati.
Maybe I could just consider Technorati a blogs-only search engine? Google can search blogs, but Technorati can search blogs "about" something. (Now that's an interesting thing libraries are good at thinking about... rather than keywords, what is it this blog *about*?) So if it's just a search engine, then I really really don't enjoy looking at all those ads! I also really am distracted by the fact that there is always a line of ads right at the bottom of the screen, suggesting that my search only came up with two results... I know there's a line above the search screen saying "2,583 posts tagged learning 2.0," but visually, my brain is registering only two search results. This does not feel good!
To answer question #1, yes the results are different for posts and blogs... that makes sense to me. In fact, a lot of technorati makes sense. After all, it's meant to "make sense" of the written world of blogs, right?
As for question #2, the "popular" blogs, searches and tags sets are neat - if what you want is a snapshot, and are essentially just browsing. I think I want Technorati to be more of a tool, and I'm having trouble getting a handle on it.
Yes, I think that's just about it. I'm having trouble finding an angle where Technorati serves me. Even so, I still think I'm not quite up for the challenge of setting up a Technorati profile and claiming my blogs. I just don't feel like it would serve me right now. maybe that will change?
The Technorati Tour page linked as a discovery resource says that they're trying to make Technorati useful to the non-expert, but all I see is a search engine with a lot of ads. Is it just me, am I using it wrong? I'm definitely one of those non-experts they're talking about, but I see a big gulf between me and Technorati.
Maybe I could just consider Technorati a blogs-only search engine? Google can search blogs, but Technorati can search blogs "about" something. (Now that's an interesting thing libraries are good at thinking about... rather than keywords, what is it this blog *about*?) So if it's just a search engine, then I really really don't enjoy looking at all those ads! I also really am distracted by the fact that there is always a line of ads right at the bottom of the screen, suggesting that my search only came up with two results... I know there's a line above the search screen saying "2,583 posts tagged learning 2.0," but visually, my brain is registering only two search results. This does not feel good!
To answer question #1, yes the results are different for posts and blogs... that makes sense to me. In fact, a lot of technorati makes sense. After all, it's meant to "make sense" of the written world of blogs, right?
As for question #2, the "popular" blogs, searches and tags sets are neat - if what you want is a snapshot, and are essentially just browsing. I think I want Technorati to be more of a tool, and I'm having trouble getting a handle on it.
Yes, I think that's just about it. I'm having trouble finding an angle where Technorati serves me. Even so, I still think I'm not quite up for the challenge of setting up a Technorati profile and claiming my blogs. I just don't feel like it would serve me right now. maybe that will change?
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
De.icio.us - Thing # 13
This post will be a quick one because I've just about run out of time for IUL 2.0 today!
I think del.icio.us would be a fantastic tool for public service librarians, or just about any librarian who uses several more than one computer on a regular basis. I work at one machine 99.9% of the time, but every once in a while I've had to move to a different machine, and oh, the agony! I have NONE of my bookmarks, and have to keep using google to find our vendor databases just to do my routine work! I actually set up my del.icio.us account right before I left for a trip this past September, so I would be able to find the hotel websites easily while we were on the road. I found it hard to set up and get my brain wrapped around the concepts, but now that all my links are there, I feel pretty good about using it. (when I have to... and I don't very often!)
So the portability of Del.icio.us is definitely its biggest plus for me at this point, because right now I'm not concerned with sharing my links or skipping along a research path using other users' tags. I really appreciated the Otter Group's tutorial because it had really good suggestions about using tags for group work. And last, the Several Habits of Wildly Successful Del.icio.us users will definitely come in handy someday!
I think del.icio.us would be a fantastic tool for public service librarians, or just about any librarian who uses several more than one computer on a regular basis. I work at one machine 99.9% of the time, but every once in a while I've had to move to a different machine, and oh, the agony! I have NONE of my bookmarks, and have to keep using google to find our vendor databases just to do my routine work! I actually set up my del.icio.us account right before I left for a trip this past September, so I would be able to find the hotel websites easily while we were on the road. I found it hard to set up and get my brain wrapped around the concepts, but now that all my links are there, I feel pretty good about using it. (when I have to... and I don't very often!)
So the portability of Del.icio.us is definitely its biggest plus for me at this point, because right now I'm not concerned with sharing my links or skipping along a research path using other users' tags. I really appreciated the Otter Group's tutorial because it had really good suggestions about using tags for group work. And last, the Several Habits of Wildly Successful Del.icio.us users will definitely come in handy someday!
Rolling my own - Thing #12
Forgive me if you've heard this from the others already, but being able to search my own little subset of the internet is a revelation. I already knew about Google's advanced search (where you can limit your search by domain name) but on Google it's a several-step process. With Rollyo, you can set up a subset of the web and use and reuse as you see fit. This could be useful not just for amateur cooks like me (that's the topic of the search roll I created and link to below) but for children's librarians on a budget, reference librarians with a set of selected free web references sources they want to advertise and make immediately useful for their patrons, the list could go on and on. In fact, i think the "on a budget" aspect is my favorite. All this is free! The drawback, of course, is the mental anguish of having to remember yet another website that knows something about me...
In fact, that's the only thing that's continuing to bother me about these exercises. I used to have a really, really low internet profile. I used to know exactly which websites had an account in my name or with my email address associated with it. (it was easy - some photo websites where my family shares snapshots, my bank, a credit card, that's just about it.) but now, what have I got? blogger... bloglines... librarything... rollyo... doppelme... I'm losing track.
Are more savvy people just not creating these accounts using their real names? Is it better to put in a fake name? Or maybe, is it better to set up a free email account and decide on a username and password that you only use for this kind of online service? I've already decided how to handle these questions, somewhat - but the questions still bug me for some reason.
Of course, it's not like these 23 things include creating a FaceBook or MySpace page (at least, not that I've seen yet!) so I still have a bit of control. :)
here's a search box for my Cooking and Recipes SearchRoll. I just picked a few websites to start this roll, so it's not exactly my favorites or the best of what I usually use... just the easiest URLs to grab at a moment's notice!
In fact, that's the only thing that's continuing to bother me about these exercises. I used to have a really, really low internet profile. I used to know exactly which websites had an account in my name or with my email address associated with it. (it was easy - some photo websites where my family shares snapshots, my bank, a credit card, that's just about it.) but now, what have I got? blogger... bloglines... librarything... rollyo... doppelme... I'm losing track.
Are more savvy people just not creating these accounts using their real names? Is it better to put in a fake name? Or maybe, is it better to set up a free email account and decide on a username and password that you only use for this kind of online service? I've already decided how to handle these questions, somewhat - but the questions still bug me for some reason.
Of course, it's not like these 23 things include creating a FaceBook or MySpace page (at least, not that I've seen yet!) so I still have a bit of control. :)
here's a search box for my Cooking and Recipes SearchRoll. I just picked a few websites to start this roll, so it's not exactly my favorites or the best of what I usually use... just the easiest URLs to grab at a moment's notice!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
aeons ahead of my excel spreadsheets, Thing #11
Don't even giggle when you read this:
I have several times attempted to catalog my personal library using excel.
Every single time I have enjoyed myself immensely for about as long as one would enjoy cleaning out the garage. It felt amazing to actually be making a permanent record for posterity that I owned a copy of The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. Then I remembered that I've never read The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. I've also never read most of the A's I own. I though it would get better as I got to the B's... maybe the C's? SURELY I've read more of the D's! Apparently I'm a trophy book person? No, not really. I'm more of a checklist book collector. I figure if I build a fascinating library in my own home I'll never have to go book shopping or library browsing for what I want to read ever again.
Actually these thoughts are a bit outdated - I stopped buying books when I started being cheap and paying off debt about 8 years ago, so I have an OLD checklist library. This just gets worse and worse, doesn't it?
I'll stop wingeing about my own personal book collection now and rave about LibraryThing instead. My favorite thing about LibraryThing is definitely the ease of adding to your collection. Instead of typing the title, author, pub date, and all that jazz into my excel spreadsheet, I searched by author and clicked on all the Jim Harrison that lives in my house. I'm pretty sure I've told the world I own the paperback when I really own the hardcover at some point, but it was fast, and it was easy. LibraryThing has brought the world of shared bib records to the masses! Wonderful!
So aside from using LibraryThing to list your collection, what about those social aspects? I'm still unsure of them. I really am a consumer of information on the internet, even now. I 'm just not inspired to join in the fray. On the other hand, I might be inspired to try it if this is the kind of question you can find an answer to on LibraryThing: "Recommendations on reading Kleist?"
So if there's one thing I like about new communication tools, it's the ability to find a like mind for your apparently random and/or obscure question. So yes, go on and find out where to start with Kleist. I can tell you where to start if you want to read some Jim Harrison. :)
Click here to see my library (so far!)
I have several times attempted to catalog my personal library using excel.
Every single time I have enjoyed myself immensely for about as long as one would enjoy cleaning out the garage. It felt amazing to actually be making a permanent record for posterity that I owned a copy of The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. Then I remembered that I've never read The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. I've also never read most of the A's I own. I though it would get better as I got to the B's... maybe the C's? SURELY I've read more of the D's! Apparently I'm a trophy book person? No, not really. I'm more of a checklist book collector. I figure if I build a fascinating library in my own home I'll never have to go book shopping or library browsing for what I want to read ever again.
Actually these thoughts are a bit outdated - I stopped buying books when I started being cheap and paying off debt about 8 years ago, so I have an OLD checklist library. This just gets worse and worse, doesn't it?
I'll stop wingeing about my own personal book collection now and rave about LibraryThing instead. My favorite thing about LibraryThing is definitely the ease of adding to your collection. Instead of typing the title, author, pub date, and all that jazz into my excel spreadsheet, I searched by author and clicked on all the Jim Harrison that lives in my house. I'm pretty sure I've told the world I own the paperback when I really own the hardcover at some point, but it was fast, and it was easy. LibraryThing has brought the world of shared bib records to the masses! Wonderful!
So aside from using LibraryThing to list your collection, what about those social aspects? I'm still unsure of them. I really am a consumer of information on the internet, even now. I 'm just not inspired to join in the fray. On the other hand, I might be inspired to try it if this is the kind of question you can find an answer to on LibraryThing: "Recommendations on reading Kleist?"
So if there's one thing I like about new communication tools, it's the ability to find a like mind for your apparently random and/or obscure question. So yes, go on and find out where to start with Kleist. I can tell you where to start if you want to read some Jim Harrison. :)
Click here to see my library (so far!)
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Playing around with online image generators, #10
I'm a big fan of the Church Sign Generator! The old-fashioned version of the church sign generator is, of course, simply walking up to a moveable-type church sign and creating new words out of the letters already up there. This text/image generator is even better! It's as if the church loaned your their entire alphabet! (and isn't illegal or mean...)
Here's my church sign, proclaiming my favorite saying from the Homespun Analogy Generator, "I was as lost as an English warthog in a pickup."
I also like the cassette generator and the Internet Anagram Server. Endless hours of fun! Of course, I really ought to get back to work now!
Friday, November 16, 2007
#8 and #9... and getting ahead of myself
Ok, I admit that I already had a bloglines account. I wouldn't say I read it religiously by any means... sometimes it just sits there accumulating new posts and I sit there ignoring them. Click on this and you'll see why:
http://www.bloglines.com/public/SarahCornell
bad, bad Sarah. So many links, so little time. If you could see my view of my RSS feeds, you'd see 17 unread, 15 unread, 552 unread... it only gets worse.
Honestly though, I don't really think this is a problem. I use my RSS feeds as "ticklers" just to remember that I wanted to go back somewhere. If I find myself reading a really good blog post and I've never read that blog before, I'll subscribe to the feed pretty quickly and be able to go on my way - links to the last 10 or so posts will be "flagged" for me, right there in my feed list. I can go back whenever I want, I don't have to remember the URL or even the name of the blog. Later on I'll take a look a the posts and if I want to stay subscribed, I leave it there and wait for more content to be flagged for me. If I don't like it anymore, I can unsubscribe. It's really quite a convenient way to set up "signposts" for myself. Remember how revolutionary the favorites or bookmarks felt the first time you used a web browser? Just imagine, there's some computer out there, once an hour clicking on all those links for you and finding out if there's something new for you to see!
Regarding getting ahead of myself: I ran into an itsy bitsy problem when I tried to put my feed list on this blog as a blogroll. I signed up for Blogger under my IU email address, but I signed up for my Bloglines account under my personal yahoo account, since it's not for work. Apparently they don't play well together because the logins are different... oh well. I'm out of time again for the day, so I'm not about to change things around just to make them match up, even if it would mean you could see my feeds in a blogroll without clicking through to bloglines.
One more note - web software is changing all the time. Bloglines has upgraded really recently, so I'm sure some of these directions have changed since the tutorials were created... it's a sad fact that will probably frustrate people more than necessary!
http://www.bloglines.com/public/SarahCornell
bad, bad Sarah. So many links, so little time. If you could see my view of my RSS feeds, you'd see 17 unread, 15 unread, 552 unread... it only gets worse.
Honestly though, I don't really think this is a problem. I use my RSS feeds as "ticklers" just to remember that I wanted to go back somewhere. If I find myself reading a really good blog post and I've never read that blog before, I'll subscribe to the feed pretty quickly and be able to go on my way - links to the last 10 or so posts will be "flagged" for me, right there in my feed list. I can go back whenever I want, I don't have to remember the URL or even the name of the blog. Later on I'll take a look a the posts and if I want to stay subscribed, I leave it there and wait for more content to be flagged for me. If I don't like it anymore, I can unsubscribe. It's really quite a convenient way to set up "signposts" for myself. Remember how revolutionary the favorites or bookmarks felt the first time you used a web browser? Just imagine, there's some computer out there, once an hour clicking on all those links for you and finding out if there's something new for you to see!
Regarding getting ahead of myself: I ran into an itsy bitsy problem when I tried to put my feed list on this blog as a blogroll. I signed up for Blogger under my IU email address, but I signed up for my Bloglines account under my personal yahoo account, since it's not for work. Apparently they don't play well together because the logins are different... oh well. I'm out of time again for the day, so I'm not about to change things around just to make them match up, even if it would mean you could see my feeds in a blogroll without clicking through to bloglines.
One more note - web software is changing all the time. Bloglines has upgraded really recently, so I'm sure some of these directions have changed since the tutorials were created... it's a sad fact that will probably frustrate people more than necessary!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
anything technology related... are you SURE you want to hear this again?
I really wanted to think of something else to talk about for this post... to the point where I put it off for several days. I really could have just written a quick blurb about something fun I found on the internet! But no, I have a dead horse handy, and it apparently needs to be beaten again.
Technology is all well and good, but it had better be appropriate technology. There, I said it.
By appropriate technology I mean the next step, not ten steps ahead just because it's there. In fact, ahead isn't even the right word - perhaps what I really mean is we should resist taking ten steps to the left just because we can. Does that make sense? I'm definitely not the first one to talk about this, let alone think about it - and yes, I'm probably using it a bit differently than some people. (See here for a Wikipedia article on appropriate technology - it's a good jumping-off point if you want to read more.)
In short, technology is not a band-aid for those who feel behind the times. It's a tool, and we just need to keep a cool head about when to use which tool, which tool is the most cost-effective, least stress-inducing, and most likely to actually be useful to our patrons and ourselves.
Don't get me wrong... experimentation is remarkably important. Valuing experimentation and learning from experimental folks is one of the most important parts of being a part of a community or an organization. Some of us are the experimental sort, and some of us are the talented implementers of well seasoned tools. Some of us are one or the other at different times in our lives or in different venues.
I think IUL 2.0 certainly has a lot of potential for helping IUL staff discover their hidden experimental side. Encouraging all of us to try to actually use new online tools is a great idea - I know I'm one of those semi-up-to-date people who thought I knew enough about things like Flickr and RSS and del.icio.us... until I actually tried to use them! Rather than resting on my laurels feeling glad that I know what a Flickr mashup is, I can now say that I've taken the time to explore and would be able to use it as a tool later on in my career.
So now I've spent all my IUL 2.0 time for the day on one Thing, just because I felt the need to beat that old dead horse. I hope the next few Things don't make me think so hard. ;)
Technology is all well and good, but it had better be appropriate technology. There, I said it.
By appropriate technology I mean the next step, not ten steps ahead just because it's there. In fact, ahead isn't even the right word - perhaps what I really mean is we should resist taking ten steps to the left just because we can. Does that make sense? I'm definitely not the first one to talk about this, let alone think about it - and yes, I'm probably using it a bit differently than some people. (See here for a Wikipedia article on appropriate technology - it's a good jumping-off point if you want to read more.)
In short, technology is not a band-aid for those who feel behind the times. It's a tool, and we just need to keep a cool head about when to use which tool, which tool is the most cost-effective, least stress-inducing, and most likely to actually be useful to our patrons and ourselves.
Don't get me wrong... experimentation is remarkably important. Valuing experimentation and learning from experimental folks is one of the most important parts of being a part of a community or an organization. Some of us are the experimental sort, and some of us are the talented implementers of well seasoned tools. Some of us are one or the other at different times in our lives or in different venues.
I think IUL 2.0 certainly has a lot of potential for helping IUL staff discover their hidden experimental side. Encouraging all of us to try to actually use new online tools is a great idea - I know I'm one of those semi-up-to-date people who thought I knew enough about things like Flickr and RSS and del.icio.us... until I actually tried to use them! Rather than resting on my laurels feeling glad that I know what a Flickr mashup is, I can now say that I've taken the time to explore and would be able to use it as a tool later on in my career.
So now I've spent all my IUL 2.0 time for the day on one Thing, just because I felt the need to beat that old dead horse. I hope the next few Things don't make me think so hard. ;)
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
trading card for IUL 2.0
This Flickr mashup stuff is CRAZY! just plain bonkers! I'm probably supposed to be all cool about this stuff, but you can do the most amazing things! the card is neat and all, but there's SO MUCH MORE. wow. just wow.
I also really liked Retrievr, a mashup that helps you find photos on Flickr similar to the one that you've selected, or similar to a sketch you make in the box on the left side of the screen. Retrievr even searches as you draw, so if you pause for a moment your photo selection will change. The colors you use change the the color selection, and the shapes do too. It's really quite amazing, and I have no idea how they do it!
For purely practical purposes, these mashups, and probably just Flickr itself, must really be changing the age-old request at the reference desk: "I need a picture of a [blank]". If a kid needs a picture of a duck for school, here you go... well, as long as you've got a color printer. :)
I also really liked Retrievr, a mashup that helps you find photos on Flickr similar to the one that you've selected, or similar to a sketch you make in the box on the left side of the screen. Retrievr even searches as you draw, so if you pause for a moment your photo selection will change. The colors you use change the the color selection, and the shapes do too. It's really quite amazing, and I have no idea how they do it!
For purely practical purposes, these mashups, and probably just Flickr itself, must really be changing the age-old request at the reference desk: "I need a picture of a [blank]". If a kid needs a picture of a duck for school, here you go... well, as long as you've got a color printer. :)
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
exploring Flickr
I took this photo while standing in the central courtyard of the Old Bodleian Library in Oxford. I really like the view of the arch and the three figures - the woman in a sari, the silhouette of a young woman in the middle, and a man on the right.
I only recently started a Flickr account, hoping to store all of my 930 photos taken on a recent long trip. Sadly, free accounts can only upload a certain amount per month, so I met that limit really quickly! I'm still not comfortable with sharing my pictures with all and sundry, so I've set them to only be viewable by friends and family.
I can see how Flickr opens up a lot of possibilities in terms of discussion on common topics, and I've seen quite a few really interesting comment discussions already. But I really wonder what it takes to get comfortable with sharing your work in such a wide-open way. Is it me? Am I just too private for this? That's probably the case, but I think that's ok. Maybe eventually I'll un-hide my photos and share a little bit more, but maybe not. I know it's social software and participation is the key, but I think respect for all levels of participation is also pretty important. *gets off soapbox*
I only recently started a Flickr account, hoping to store all of my 930 photos taken on a recent long trip. Sadly, free accounts can only upload a certain amount per month, so I met that limit really quickly! I'm still not comfortable with sharing my pictures with all and sundry, so I've set them to only be viewable by friends and family.
I can see how Flickr opens up a lot of possibilities in terms of discussion on common topics, and I've seen quite a few really interesting comment discussions already. But I really wonder what it takes to get comfortable with sharing your work in such a wide-open way. Is it me? Am I just too private for this? That's probably the case, but I think that's ok. Maybe eventually I'll un-hide my photos and share a little bit more, but maybe not. I know it's social software and participation is the key, but I think respect for all levels of participation is also pretty important. *gets off soapbox*
Friday, November 2, 2007
7 ½ Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners
The hardest habit is viewing problems as challenges, not obstacles. If I'm really excited about the project I'll learn my way through a problem, but if I'm learning something because I was told to or asked to by someone else, problems can slow me down and frustrate me. I would really like to change this mindset - I should just accept that problems might slow me down or redirect the course, but that it's all in a day's work (or play!).
Introductions
I'm participating in the Indiana University Libraries' "IUL 2.0" series, where we'll be working through a list of 23 Things by December 31st, 2007.
Some of these 23 Things are really familiar to me, some are not... some are nominally familiar to me, but I bet once I get to actually using them I'll find myself completely flummoxed! But I'm ready to get started, and hope I don't feel too silly doing this kind of thing at work. :)
Some of these 23 Things are really familiar to me, some are not... some are nominally familiar to me, but I bet once I get to actually using them I'll find myself completely flummoxed! But I'm ready to get started, and hope I don't feel too silly doing this kind of thing at work. :)
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