I am again trying to upload FLickr letters to my blog.
S
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Thing 23
Reflections
This was a great experience. I won't keep up with writing a blog, but I'm glad that I have done it. And I will keep reading blogs about things I am interested in and I wouldn't have done this before 23 Things. I had fun with Flickr and the mashups and image generators but I haven't had time to play with them. I thought I was keeping track of my passwords, but I lost my Flickr one. However, it was easy to go through the steps to have them send it to me again. I think that is the only password/log in I forgot to write down. Is it only people my age who have this trouble?
Since I found out that many people I know and organizations I am interested in have Facebook accounts, this is what I have used the most. Library Thing will be fun because of the reviews. I thing I'll try cataloging my own books. I won't use it as much as Facebook, but I will use it.
I didn't see the point in my using Twitter or instant messaging, but I can see how it works for some people. I am very glad that I found out what tagging is, since it was invented since I earned my MLS back in the Dark Ages. Now I know what my daugher is talking about. I was frustrated with Digg and I had trouble finding what I wanted when I was looking for very specific topics.
I had to most trouble when I tried to insert Flickr letters in my blog. I need to try again.
S
This was a great experience. I won't keep up with writing a blog, but I'm glad that I have done it. And I will keep reading blogs about things I am interested in and I wouldn't have done this before 23 Things. I had fun with Flickr and the mashups and image generators but I haven't had time to play with them. I thought I was keeping track of my passwords, but I lost my Flickr one. However, it was easy to go through the steps to have them send it to me again. I think that is the only password/log in I forgot to write down. Is it only people my age who have this trouble?
Since I found out that many people I know and organizations I am interested in have Facebook accounts, this is what I have used the most. Library Thing will be fun because of the reviews. I thing I'll try cataloging my own books. I won't use it as much as Facebook, but I will use it.
I didn't see the point in my using Twitter or instant messaging, but I can see how it works for some people. I am very glad that I found out what tagging is, since it was invented since I earned my MLS back in the Dark Ages. Now I know what my daugher is talking about. I was frustrated with Digg and I had trouble finding what I wanted when I was looking for very specific topics.
I had to most trouble when I tried to insert Flickr letters in my blog. I need to try again.
S
Thing 22
Developing Your Own 23 Things
It is hard to believe that this course is almost over. It has been great. I don't know how I ever would have been able to find out about so much technology so easily. However, I want to go back over the lessons, so I hope that you keep the website up for awhile. I think that libraries must keep up with the latest technology if we are going to be relevant to patrons. My town's public library has a very nice facebook page. Their activities are advertized in a very nice video on You Tube. I can see other uses, too. A blog could be created with with book reviews for patrons to read. Podcasts of storytelling and book reviews could be attached to the library web page. GoogleDocs on the library computers could give patrons important information easily. A Wiki could be used for residents to create a history of the area.
There are problems with implementing technology. Staff needs to be trained and given time to practice. Patrons need to find out what is available so they will use it. I think that classes for the patrons on many of the 23 Things would be great way for libraries to help their patrons become more technologically aware. Seperate classes for teens and adults might be good.
I am a retired school librarian so I can't actually put the 23 Things to use in a school library. However, I do work a few hours a week with a blind student and his technology. I intend to show him most of these things. Not Flickr, pictures don't work well with screen readers. He does need to know what it is in case his peers talk about it. Many of these things, such as GoogleDocs and Wikis he will need to be using for his classes next year. I think he will enjoy blogs and podcasts and may want to create some of his own. So this has been great.
S
It is hard to believe that this course is almost over. It has been great. I don't know how I ever would have been able to find out about so much technology so easily. However, I want to go back over the lessons, so I hope that you keep the website up for awhile. I think that libraries must keep up with the latest technology if we are going to be relevant to patrons. My town's public library has a very nice facebook page. Their activities are advertized in a very nice video on You Tube. I can see other uses, too. A blog could be created with with book reviews for patrons to read. Podcasts of storytelling and book reviews could be attached to the library web page. GoogleDocs on the library computers could give patrons important information easily. A Wiki could be used for residents to create a history of the area.
There are problems with implementing technology. Staff needs to be trained and given time to practice. Patrons need to find out what is available so they will use it. I think that classes for the patrons on many of the 23 Things would be great way for libraries to help their patrons become more technologically aware. Seperate classes for teens and adults might be good.
I am a retired school librarian so I can't actually put the 23 Things to use in a school library. However, I do work a few hours a week with a blind student and his technology. I intend to show him most of these things. Not Flickr, pictures don't work well with screen readers. He does need to know what it is in case his peers talk about it. Many of these things, such as GoogleDocs and Wikis he will need to be using for his classes next year. I think he will enjoy blogs and podcasts and may want to create some of his own. So this has been great.
S
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Thing 21
Podcasts
I like podcasts. I went with my daugher to Austin, she had a TLA committee meeting. This meant I had a short vacation of hanging around the Hyatt and reading. We listened to podcasts of Radio Lab and Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me on the trip there and back, even though I had just bought an audiobook of Well of Lost Plots. I admit that my podcasts were restricted to NPR shows downloaded from ITunes. So it was great to discover a bigger world of podcasts. I had trouble with the sound on the Chesire Public Library podcast, but it seemed well done. The DeKalb library podcast was songs from concerts that were held there. The quality was good and it seems a good way to publicize events. I enjoyed the Denver Public Libraries storytelling podcast. Mohawk College's podcast on streaming videos was very short, just a good explanation of what streaming video was. Podcasts on a library website could be a good way to explain the different library services if a video clip wouldn't beappropriate. The Lincoln Public Library book talks were also interesting. I was wondering if it would be better to have more but shorter podcasts for booktalks. I think podcasts attached to library websites for information on library services, book talks, storytelling, are very useful and make libraries more attractive to the public. I was wondering if libraries ever make podcasts, such as the free NPR ones, in a format for patrons to take home with them. I think this could be a popular service.
S
I like podcasts. I went with my daugher to Austin, she had a TLA committee meeting. This meant I had a short vacation of hanging around the Hyatt and reading. We listened to podcasts of Radio Lab and Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me on the trip there and back, even though I had just bought an audiobook of Well of Lost Plots. I admit that my podcasts were restricted to NPR shows downloaded from ITunes. So it was great to discover a bigger world of podcasts. I had trouble with the sound on the Chesire Public Library podcast, but it seemed well done. The DeKalb library podcast was songs from concerts that were held there. The quality was good and it seems a good way to publicize events. I enjoyed the Denver Public Libraries storytelling podcast. Mohawk College's podcast on streaming videos was very short, just a good explanation of what streaming video was. Podcasts on a library website could be a good way to explain the different library services if a video clip wouldn't beappropriate. The Lincoln Public Library book talks were also interesting. I was wondering if it would be better to have more but shorter podcasts for booktalks. I think podcasts attached to library websites for information on library services, book talks, storytelling, are very useful and make libraries more attractive to the public. I was wondering if libraries ever make podcasts, such as the free NPR ones, in a format for patrons to take home with them. I think this could be a popular service.
S
Thing 19
Google Documents
I admit it, I can't count. I skipped this one by accident and will get to it as soon as I can.
S
August 2, 2009
Google Documents was easy to log on to. I went through the tour and the video. I set up some sample documents. My daughter said that she didn't think she would log on to the master grocery lists. I was thinking it could be a fun way to share recipes with family members. This could be very useful for class projects or projects for a group at work. A library could share information with its patrons this way. However, I had problems with the spreadsheet. I could make one, but the save button was grey and I couldn't save. I couldn't save a presentation, either. My husband suggested that I use Google Chrome instead of Explorer and the problem was saved. The documents were just like Word. The spreadsheet was just like using Excel. Okay, I don't make very complicated spread sheets. The slides were created just like PowerPoint, but I had a great deal of trouble inserting pictures. I don't have that trouble with PowerPoint. I don't know if the problem is me or the program. However, Google Documents is very useful.
S
S
I admit it, I can't count. I skipped this one by accident and will get to it as soon as I can.
S
August 2, 2009
Google Documents was easy to log on to. I went through the tour and the video. I set up some sample documents. My daughter said that she didn't think she would log on to the master grocery lists. I was thinking it could be a fun way to share recipes with family members. This could be very useful for class projects or projects for a group at work. A library could share information with its patrons this way. However, I had problems with the spreadsheet. I could make one, but the save button was grey and I couldn't save. I couldn't save a presentation, either. My husband suggested that I use Google Chrome instead of Explorer and the problem was saved. The documents were just like Word. The spreadsheet was just like using Excel. Okay, I don't make very complicated spread sheets. The slides were created just like PowerPoint, but I had a great deal of trouble inserting pictures. I don't have that trouble with PowerPoint. I don't know if the problem is me or the program. However, Google Documents is very useful.
S
S
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Thing 20
YouTube. I had heard about this, but hadn't really looked at it before. I spent a great of time. I looked up different kind of libraries. I found a very good video for the Columbus, Nebraska public library. It was a great intro to their services, but I have a feeling that the person who made it is a great graphic artist. Others were just a mish/mash of pictures. They were entertaining but it would be harder for someone not familiar with the library to get the information they needed. There were some good intro videos for academic libraries also. I think it would be great to have a video on YouTube for a library, maybe linked to the library's web page. I looked up some instructional vidoes. There were some on the Dewey Decimal System which would be useful for a school library. Now I am wondering about how this works with copyright, especially after I noticed a Sesame Street clip on the library. This could also be useful to place instructional videos for the library. Also videos of library activities could be placed on YouTube for participants to watch. I think there are lots of possibilities.
S
S
Monday, July 27, 2009
More Thing 18
Today I worked on the second part of the Wiki assignment. It was easy to go to Wetpaint and create a new page. I had trouble adding pages until I read the comments section of the lesson and realized that I needed unique names for my subpages. After that it was a piece of cake. I couldn't add pictures from my laptop. I had a message that the pictures were too big. I can see how Wikis could be useful for libraries and classrooms.
S
S
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