I use YouTube all the time. It's great for watching music videos (since you can't really do that on MTV or VH1 anymore); catching up on whatever had everyone cracking up on late night TV last night; or looking for clips of favorite commercials and TV shows from childhood (love the nostalgia factor).
I'm only really familiar with libraries utilizing YouTube for marketing purposes, but I think there's also potential there for instruction, as proven by the "In Plain English" videos found through the CTLS 23 Things. Reference librarians could probably save themselves a lot of time if they could just slap a video on how to attach a document to an e-mail on their library's homepage and direct patrons to that.
Anyway, you've probably all seen the video of librarians dancing to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" in Australia that was linked to in a recent issue of AL Direct, but here's a little more MJ-at-the-library action for you:
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
Thing 19: More Web 2.0
I looked under the category "Guides and Reviews" and found Yelp. A lot of my friends use Yelp so I'm always hearing about it, but I've never actually checked it out myself. No time like the present, I guess.
I didn't love it. Maybe it's because I was just browsing, not looking for anything specific. Maybe y'all can help me out with some of the issues I had. I looked at restaurants and at the bottom of the page was a section titled "Related Lists," but I couldn't figure out how to search the lists. I only could see lists that were supplied on specific pages, so I only saw the ones Yelp wanted me to see, rather than being able to find any on my own. The same happened when I looked at vegetarian restaurants and was given a list of vegetarian restaurants and restaurants that were vegetarian with other keywords (specifically wine and romantic), but couldn't search by those keywords. Maybe I'm just not good at this.
I didn't love it. Maybe it's because I was just browsing, not looking for anything specific. Maybe y'all can help me out with some of the issues I had. I looked at restaurants and at the bottom of the page was a section titled "Related Lists," but I couldn't figure out how to search the lists. I only could see lists that were supplied on specific pages, so I only saw the ones Yelp wanted me to see, rather than being able to find any on my own. The same happened when I looked at vegetarian restaurants and was given a list of vegetarian restaurants and restaurants that were vegetarian with other keywords (specifically wine and romantic), but couldn't search by those keywords. Maybe I'm just not good at this.
Thing 18: What's up, Docs?
I've already used Google Docs quite a bit (and I heart it), so I figured for this exercise I'd try something new by composing this blog entry in Google Docs then publishing it to Blogger. I'll open it up and edit after it's published to let y'all know how it went.
ETA: Well, there was a lot of white space between the title and the body of the post and I can't quite figure out why. That's easy enough to fix, though, and publishing from Google Docs was a cinch. I liked how it even published the name of my document as the title of this post.
ETA: Well, there was a lot of white space between the title and the body of the post and I can't quite figure out why. That's easy enough to fix, though, and publishing from Google Docs was a cinch. I liked how it even published the name of my document as the title of this post.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Thing 17: A Few of My Favorite Things
Editing the CTLS 23 Things Sandbox was surprisingly easy! I'm not sure why I found it surprising, since I've heard several times that PB Wiki is easy to use. I have to admit, though, that in general I find editing wikis to be very intimidating. I have never edited Wikipedia, despite how often I use it and the fact that I have found mistakes before. I can't really put my finger on why...I just do. I'm even more intimidated by the idea of creating a wiki from scratch. At least when editing, there's a template in place and I just have to follow it. I'll have to add conquering this fear to my list of resolutions for 2009.
You can check out my additions to the Sandbox on the Favorite Library Blogs and Favorite What Have You pages.
You can check out my additions to the Sandbox on the Favorite Library Blogs and Favorite What Have You pages.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Thing 16: Wiki Wiki Waa
Sometimes I try to remember what my life was like before Wikipedia and I can barely recall. I feel the same way about Google, Amazon, and IMDB. Remember when you used to recognize someone in a movie, but you couldn't think of what you'd seen them in before and you wracked your brain for days? Clearly, I digress. On to the topic at hand: library wikis.
I browsed several of the wikis suggested on the 23 Things blog and I have to say, I am extremely impressed with the ALA Annual 2008 Wiki. What an amazing resource for anyone attending the annual conference, but especially for first-time attendees! The 2009 one still needs a lot of work, but I have no doubt it will get there.
I browsed several of the wikis suggested on the 23 Things blog and I have to say, I am extremely impressed with the ALA Annual 2008 Wiki. What an amazing resource for anyone attending the annual conference, but especially for first-time attendees! The 2009 one still needs a lot of work, but I have no doubt it will get there.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Thing 15: 2.0 Reflections
Because of my newfound enthusiasm for del.icio.us (and oldfound enthusiasm for the word "folksonomy"), I read the article "Tagging & Social Bookmarking" in the September/October 2007 edition of Library Technology Reports.
I love the collaborative nature of tagging, how it's something you can do at home in your PJs, yet it might help someone on the other side of the country find just what they were looking for. That said, I think a totally awesome use of tagging highlighted in the article is in readers advisory and how the tags you apply to a book might help someone else discover and enjoy that book.
I'm intrigued by the idea of integrating the RA function into a library's catalog, rather than having it as a seperate blog on the Web site. What if patrons were able to log in to their library accounts and tag items held by the library? Or even rate them, like people do on Amazon.com (possibly my favorite Web site and the standard I hold everything else to)? Yes, I realize that in application this could possibly open a very very large can of worms, but as I said, it's an intriguing idea. I already think a library catalog should basically look just like Amazon, complete with pictures of the book/DVD/CD/whatever, links to similar items, reviews, etc. Yes, I think that in part because I love Amazon so much, but it's also because that is what a lot of users are coming to expect from technology. If Amazon can offer them a full buffet of information, why can't the library?
I love the collaborative nature of tagging, how it's something you can do at home in your PJs, yet it might help someone on the other side of the country find just what they were looking for. That said, I think a totally awesome use of tagging highlighted in the article is in readers advisory and how the tags you apply to a book might help someone else discover and enjoy that book.
I'm intrigued by the idea of integrating the RA function into a library's catalog, rather than having it as a seperate blog on the Web site. What if patrons were able to log in to their library accounts and tag items held by the library? Or even rate them, like people do on Amazon.com (possibly my favorite Web site and the standard I hold everything else to)? Yes, I realize that in application this could possibly open a very very large can of worms, but as I said, it's an intriguing idea. I already think a library catalog should basically look just like Amazon, complete with pictures of the book/DVD/CD/whatever, links to similar items, reviews, etc. Yes, I think that in part because I love Amazon so much, but it's also because that is what a lot of users are coming to expect from technology. If Amazon can offer them a full buffet of information, why can't the library?
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Thing 14: The Technorati Parti?
Um, Technorati might be a party for some, but I think I'm going to RSVP with my regrets. I just don't see much use for it personally or professionally. I also think the design is messy and busy. Furthermore, the site lists all these rules and regulations for blogs it will index in its "Blog Quality Guidelines," but at least 50% of the 100 most popular blogs had spammy "how to make money" or "enlarge your you-know-what" titles. I definitely wasn't impressed and I don't think I'm missing much by deciding to sit this one out.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Thing 13: Delicious & Nutritious, Tastes Just Like Chicken
I've enjoyed the 12 "things" I've done so far and have thought of useful applications of the 2.0 technologies in my library, but del.icio.us is the first thing to make a lightbulb go off over my head cartoon-style.
I use seven different computers at the Pflugerville Community Library. Yes, you read that correctly. Sometimes I even use all seven in a single day. It just depends on what I'm working on. I also regularly access Web sites that can only be properly viewed with Internet Explorer (you'd think, it being nearly 2009 and all, that those sites would get with the Firefox program). I often get frustrated at not having my bookmarks at six of the seven computers and at having to open two different browsers to find all of my bookmarks. Obviously, del.icio.us can't solve the problem of me having to use two browsers, but at least I could just go to one place when I'm looking up a web address for a colleague or patron, etc. I can't believe I had never thought of using del.icio.us before!
Not only do I think del.icio.us is a great solution for me as I hop from computer to computer, but I also think a library account could be a really useful collaborative tool among the staff. People could add useful sites as they found them and they'd be accessible to the rest of the staff immediately. No more "oh, I know Becca has a really useful readers advisory site she likes, but I can't think of what it is" or "can you remember the address of the Travis County Web site?" Brilliant!
I'm so enamored of del.icio.us now that I'm even considering overcoming my aforementioned anxiety about creating new accounts to set up a personal account.
I use seven different computers at the Pflugerville Community Library. Yes, you read that correctly. Sometimes I even use all seven in a single day. It just depends on what I'm working on. I also regularly access Web sites that can only be properly viewed with Internet Explorer (you'd think, it being nearly 2009 and all, that those sites would get with the Firefox program). I often get frustrated at not having my bookmarks at six of the seven computers and at having to open two different browsers to find all of my bookmarks. Obviously, del.icio.us can't solve the problem of me having to use two browsers, but at least I could just go to one place when I'm looking up a web address for a colleague or patron, etc. I can't believe I had never thought of using del.icio.us before!
Not only do I think del.icio.us is a great solution for me as I hop from computer to computer, but I also think a library account could be a really useful collaborative tool among the staff. People could add useful sites as they found them and they'd be accessible to the rest of the staff immediately. No more "oh, I know Becca has a really useful readers advisory site she likes, but I can't think of what it is" or "can you remember the address of the Travis County Web site?" Brilliant!
I'm so enamored of del.icio.us now that I'm even considering overcoming my aforementioned anxiety about creating new accounts to set up a personal account.
Monday, December 15, 2008
More on Google Reader
This isn't one of the 23 things, but I thought fellow Google Reader users might appreciate this article: HOW TO: Use Google Reader Like a Rockstar.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Thing 12: Get your game on!
I'm going to go ahead and take this opportunity to brag about my skill at my favorite "simple" game: free cell. Seriously, I have an irrational love of that game and an irrational drive to win at it. My win percentage on my old computer was something like 96%.
See, what I'm really setting you up for here, with the bragging, is the embarrassing reveal that despite having a bachelor's degree in English, I kind of stunk at the Free Rice English vocab quiz. I enjoy the Free Rice site 'cause it's kind of fun to feel like you're helping a good cause while you goof off and, hey, you also just might learn something. But, I was hopelessly bad at it. I switched to world geography and kind of stunk at that, too. Yikes.
I guess while I'm making confessions, I should also mention that the high win percentage came while I was an undergrad and free cell was my number 1 way of avoiding paper-writing. These days I play a lot less of these types of online games, for basically the same reason I chat less: I'm just no longer tethered to my computer the way I was then.
Since I haven't really linked libraries and gaming in this post, I will at least tell you all the story of how it's all CTLS' fault that my fiance and I bought each other a Wii for Christmas before I was finished with my semester. Oops! At the same technology conference in Georgetown that kicked off this 23 Things thing, there were Wiis set up for Rock Band and Mario Kart. I had never ever played a Wii, despite having had several opportunities, but for some reason I tried Mario Kart that day and was hooked. Now I'm kind of hooked on Wii bowling. :-P
See, what I'm really setting you up for here, with the bragging, is the embarrassing reveal that despite having a bachelor's degree in English, I kind of stunk at the Free Rice English vocab quiz. I enjoy the Free Rice site 'cause it's kind of fun to feel like you're helping a good cause while you goof off and, hey, you also just might learn something. But, I was hopelessly bad at it. I switched to world geography and kind of stunk at that, too. Yikes.
I guess while I'm making confessions, I should also mention that the high win percentage came while I was an undergrad and free cell was my number 1 way of avoiding paper-writing. These days I play a lot less of these types of online games, for basically the same reason I chat less: I'm just no longer tethered to my computer the way I was then.
Since I haven't really linked libraries and gaming in this post, I will at least tell you all the story of how it's all CTLS' fault that my fiance and I bought each other a Wii for Christmas before I was finished with my semester. Oops! At the same technology conference in Georgetown that kicked off this 23 Things thing, there were Wiis set up for Rock Band and Mario Kart. I had never ever played a Wii, despite having had several opportunities, but for some reason I tried Mario Kart that day and was hooked. Now I'm kind of hooked on Wii bowling. :-P
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
A New Year, A New You: Get Organized!
Well, this isn't one of the 23 Things, but because the point of this program is to learn how to use 2.0 technologies in the workplace, I figured I'd do that very thing and use this blog to promote an upcoming program at the Pflugerville Community Library!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Thing 11: Facebook
Here are the links to my profile and note, per the instructions for the "discovery exercise." Hopefully, you won't actually be able to see anything since I have my privacy settings set to allow only my "friends" to see any of my info.
My note.
My profile.
I have yet to utilize Facebook to represent my library, but that's not to say I haven't utilized it professionally. I am a member of the following library/school-related groups: University of Texas iSchool; American Library Association Student Chapters; Librarians and Facebook; Libraries and Librarians; and American Library Association Members. Admittedly, I don't utilized Facebook to the extent I could and I don't check up on these groups too often, but I do get useful notifications from ALA from time to time.
My note.
My profile.
I have yet to utilize Facebook to represent my library, but that's not to say I haven't utilized it professionally. I am a member of the following library/school-related groups: University of Texas iSchool; American Library Association Student Chapters; Librarians and Facebook; Libraries and Librarians; and American Library Association Members. Admittedly, I don't utilized Facebook to the extent I could and I don't check up on these groups too often, but I do get useful notifications from ALA from time to time.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Thing 10: Don't Shoot the Messenger
In college, I was signed on to AIM 24 hours a day. Literally. (And yes, I do mean literally. It drives me crazy when people say "literally" when they really mean "figuratively.") It was my main method of communication, even when talking to my roommate who's computer was just on the other side of the wall from mine!
I haven't really used it much since then. Occasionally someone will instant message me through Facebook or Google chat, but I don't really like either of those as well as I liked AIM. These days, I generally prefer other forms of communication to instant messaging. That's not to say it doesn't have its uses. I have been using AIM much more often since I got engaged to chat with my maid of honor and my mom so that I can send them pictures and links while we talk. There's definitely an advantage to the multimedia capabilities of chat that you can't capture over the phone. There's also the advantage that you can hold several conversations at once. Still, for me, these advantages rarely outweigh the disadvantage of having to be tied to the computer.
Despite my preference for other forms of communication in my personal life, I think that online chat can be really useful in a library setting, not only by adding another means of connecting with our patrons through chat reference, but also by enhancing our ability to communicate and collaborate with other librarians. ALA or TLA committee members can "meet" in chat rooms or librarians can use internal chat services to communicate with staff at other branches, for example.
I haven't really used it much since then. Occasionally someone will instant message me through Facebook or Google chat, but I don't really like either of those as well as I liked AIM. These days, I generally prefer other forms of communication to instant messaging. That's not to say it doesn't have its uses. I have been using AIM much more often since I got engaged to chat with my maid of honor and my mom so that I can send them pictures and links while we talk. There's definitely an advantage to the multimedia capabilities of chat that you can't capture over the phone. There's also the advantage that you can hold several conversations at once. Still, for me, these advantages rarely outweigh the disadvantage of having to be tied to the computer.
Despite my preference for other forms of communication in my personal life, I think that online chat can be really useful in a library setting, not only by adding another means of connecting with our patrons through chat reference, but also by enhancing our ability to communicate and collaborate with other librarians. ALA or TLA committee members can "meet" in chat rooms or librarians can use internal chat services to communicate with staff at other branches, for example.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Thing 9: Feed Me, Seymour
I was going to share my top three Google Reader feeds in this post, but it was just too hard to choose so few from so many! So, here are my ten favorite feeds (in no particular order). Check 'em out and enjoy!
1. Cute Overload Pictures and videos of animals doing what they do best: being adorable!
2. xkcd The subtitle says it all: "A Webcomic of Romance, Sarcasm, Math, and Language." A total must for geeks (like me).
3. The Superest "Who is the superest hero of them all?" Only time will tell...
4. Unshelved Do you work in a library? Enjoy webcomics? Check out the daily adventures of Dewey and the rest of the folks at Mallville Public Library. You'll be glad you did.
5. A List of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago I discovered this pop culture blog years ago when I saw a post on a message board that said Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes would be guest-live-blogging the National Spelling Bee there. At the time, I was a fan of the show and I've always been a fan of the Spelling Bee.
6. Smart B****es, Trashy Books The Smart B****es love romance novels and they aren't ashamed to say so, but they're also not afraid to bust out the snark when necessary. Love it.
7. 025.431: The Dewey Blog You thought my love of xkcd, spelling, and romance novels was geeky? This blog breaks down the construction of Dewey Decimal numbers. Yep, I was in the marching band, too.
8. A Librarian's Guide to Etiquette It's snarky, but I love it.
9. The Misadventures of Super Librarian Meet Wendy, librarian and romance reader. I want to be her when I grow up.
10. USA Today's Pop Candy Another Wendy! This one covers all things pop culture, even mustaches. Especially mustaches.
1. Cute Overload Pictures and videos of animals doing what they do best: being adorable!
2. xkcd The subtitle says it all: "A Webcomic of Romance, Sarcasm, Math, and Language." A total must for geeks (like me).
3. The Superest "Who is the superest hero of them all?" Only time will tell...
4. Unshelved Do you work in a library? Enjoy webcomics? Check out the daily adventures of Dewey and the rest of the folks at Mallville Public Library. You'll be glad you did.
5. A List of Things Thrown Five Minutes Ago I discovered this pop culture blog years ago when I saw a post on a message board that said Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes would be guest-live-blogging the National Spelling Bee there. At the time, I was a fan of the show and I've always been a fan of the Spelling Bee.
6. Smart B****es, Trashy Books The Smart B****es love romance novels and they aren't ashamed to say so, but they're also not afraid to bust out the snark when necessary. Love it.
7. 025.431: The Dewey Blog You thought my love of xkcd, spelling, and romance novels was geeky? This blog breaks down the construction of Dewey Decimal numbers. Yep, I was in the marching band, too.
8. A Librarian's Guide to Etiquette It's snarky, but I love it.
9. The Misadventures of Super Librarian Meet Wendy, librarian and romance reader. I want to be her when I grow up.
10. USA Today's Pop Candy Another Wendy! This one covers all things pop culture, even mustaches. Especially mustaches.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thing 8: Real Simple
I already subscribe to 36 feeds on my Google Reader (22 of which are library or literature-related), so I wasn't sure I'd be able to find three more I'd be interested in. I should've known better...
First up: Dinosaur Comics
The near-daily adventures of T-Rex, Utahraptor, and Dromiceiomimus. The dialog changes, but the pictures remain the same. And it's always hilarious. I have no idea why this wasn't already in the feed...
Next: Life Tips Vegetarian Tip of the Day
Last: The Huffington Post and Tree Hugger, both recommended on that Time magazine list of blogs.
I told you I should've known it wouldn't be a problem to find three.
I don't have much to say about the last three since I've just subscribed to them, but they seem interesting. We'll see how long they last!
First up: Dinosaur Comics
The near-daily adventures of T-Rex, Utahraptor, and Dromiceiomimus. The dialog changes, but the pictures remain the same. And it's always hilarious. I have no idea why this wasn't already in the feed...
Next: Life Tips Vegetarian Tip of the Day
Last: The Huffington Post and Tree Hugger, both recommended on that Time magazine list of blogs.
I told you I should've known it wouldn't be a problem to find three.
I don't have much to say about the last three since I've just subscribed to them, but they seem interesting. We'll see how long they last!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Thing 6: The Monster Mashup
I promise I did poke around Flickr and look at several of the mash-ups, but two of my favorites were linked right from the CTLS 23 Things blog. I just think Spell with Flickr is fun (but why isn't it Spellr, I wonder) and I think Mappr is not only fun, but also a great way to organize photos and create connections (and isn't that what this 2.0 business is all about?). I enjoyed searching for my hometown and seeing several photos of hot air balloons, a pleasant reminder of our annual hot air balloon festival. I haven't been able to make it to the festival in nine years, but I have really fond memories of it and hot air balloons always make me think of home.
Thing 5: Flickr
Here's a photo I found on Flickr when I searched "Pflugerville." (from: http://flickr.com/photos/txkimmers/3157796/) The whole "love written in grass" thing is a little contrived for me, but I like the style of the photograph and I love the bright orange flip-flops near the bright green grass on the concrete gray background.I took a couple of pictures of the Pflugerville Community Library, but opted not to sign up for Flickr after all. I already share photos through Shutterfly (for sharing with family because it's what some of them were already using); Kodak (for sharing with friends for the same reason); and Facebook. I'm also wary of signing up for anything else online. Just for the heck of it, I recently made a list of all of the online tools I use and my username for each one (don't worry--I shredded it!). There were around 60 things and just while typing this paragraph I've thought of two more I forgot! I've got an Amazon account, a Facebook page, three e-mail addresses, a LiveJournal, etc. and so on and so forth. It's becoming unmanageable and I am a bit concerned about security.
Extra Credit: Compare Picasa and Flickr
Picasa and Flickr seem to have a lot of the same features: photo editing, sharing, organizing functions, etc. Flickr seems more user friendly and yet, if I were to use either, it would probably be Picasa because I already have a Google account and I wouldn't have to add anything to my list of usernames!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Thing 2: Teh Google
I already had an iGoogle account, but I hadn't logged into it in quite some time (whoa, only 204 days until my wedding?! When did that happen??). I am not sure why, because I'm a major Google devotee. I use Google Docs for school assignments and for wedding-related spreadsheets tracking our guest list and budget; Google Maps to get directions (I'm always getting lost!); Google Reader to keep up with all the pop culture, news, and library blogs I follow; and gmail and Google Chat to keep in touch with friends and family.Some new features I hadn't been aware of were the ability to add an artist theme and to view my gmail and Google Reader feed through iGoogle. It's great to be able to view everything in one window. I also added some new gadgets while I was logged in, including the UT Libraries catalog widget and the Dictionary.com and Wikipedia search box.
Photo from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joesuspense/29237776/.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Thing 1: 7 1/2 Habits...
...of Highly-Successful Lifelong Learners
One thing I have learned early in my career as a librarian (which hasn't technically begun, I suppose, since I'm still in library school) is that to be successful in the field, I will have to embrace my role as a lifelong learner. Information and the ways we access it evolve so rapidly that it clearly won't suffice to rest on my laurels after graduation. I've already taken advantage of several CTLS and TLA "continuing" education opportunities and they've been incredibly beneficial; I know they will become increasingly more so after I graduate.
Of the 7 1/2 habits, creating my own learning toolbox is the easiest for me and teaching/mentoring is that hardest. I already utilize tools outside of the classroom for my library-related education: friends, a mentor, library blogs, etc. I think teaching/mentoring is something that could come with time, but because I have so little experience teaching I don't feel as confident as I'd like to.
Photo from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joesuspense/29237751/in/set-603814/.
One thing I have learned early in my career as a librarian (which hasn't technically begun, I suppose, since I'm still in library school) is that to be successful in the field, I will have to embrace my role as a lifelong learner. Information and the ways we access it evolve so rapidly that it clearly won't suffice to rest on my laurels after graduation. I've already taken advantage of several CTLS and TLA "continuing" education opportunities and they've been incredibly beneficial; I know they will become increasingly more so after I graduate.
Of the 7 1/2 habits, creating my own learning toolbox is the easiest for me and teaching/mentoring is that hardest. I already utilize tools outside of the classroom for my library-related education: friends, a mentor, library blogs, etc. I think teaching/mentoring is something that could come with time, but because I have so little experience teaching I don't feel as confident as I'd like to.
Photo from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joesuspense/29237751/in/set-603814/.
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