Sunday, March 30, 2008

T15: Gaming

I once dated a guy who was into Dungeons and Dragons. I could never see the fascination, he couldn't believe that I didn't want to take a role and get involved.

My feelings about D&D were revisited as I viewed the island tour for Second Life. When I saw that Thing 15 was all about gaming, I was thinking about some of my favorite time-wasters like SimSlots and Smack the Penguin. Not so. I like little, light hearted fun. I like games with no point and I guess I like games that lack a community. I'm not a role player. Ask my ex-boyfriend.

I struggle with online games and library computer access. I recognize that anyone can sign up for computer time and no person's hour is more important than another's. But when someone stops in because they need to fill out their unemployment information or access medical information or work on online job applications and they are unable to get time on the internet because someone is swabbing the deck on Puzzle Pirates, it seems unfair to me. The best I can do is suggest making an appointment for later or on another day and hope that the needs can be postponed.

As a librarian, it isn't my job to be a gatekeeper of internet access. I simply assign appointments on a first come, first serve basis. As long as the information isn't "net-nanny-ed", it's all good.

Speaking candidly though, some days I wish I could remove the role-player so the mom with a special needs child can access the most current treatment plans available. How can we provide information if our resources are tied up with gaming?

Thursday, March 27, 2008

T14: Books

I'm on a mission to get these 23 things done. At the same time I'm trying to make sure I get the most out of this training thing. Whatever. This one was pretty easy.

LibraryThing is an online way to catalog personal libraries. I imagine it is great for a lot of people to organize their books and series and collections.

Two things about this thing.

#1: I had to start another account. I have officially lost track of the number of accounts I have and where they are all at. I know hotmail. I know google reader. So far, everything else has been forgettable.

#2: I was hard pressed to find five books to enter into my personal LibraryThing library. Don't get me wrong, I love books. I love to read them, hold them and look at them. I lug them around in my book bag. I have stacks of professional resources on the shelves of my office at the other job. My kids have bookshelves overflowing with green eggs and ham, talking spiders, twin detectives, bus-loving pigeons and bilingual explorers.

It's not that I don't personally use books; I just don't buy them for myself. I'm lacking in the book possessions.

I am a believer in libraries. The beauty of the library is that I don't have to store the books, dust the books or buy the books. I use, cherish and love, then I RETURN the books. If I miss the book, I check it back out or renew the book. I like it that way. I'm trying to simplify. I'm trying to de-clutter (I missed the Oprah special!).

And because I am so technologically savvy, I can use the online catalog my system provides and organize my "to be reads" and my "already reads".

But, because I am a task do-er, here. There are five random books taken from my tiny shelf and put into an online catalog. I could have added the Sex and the City Kiss and Tell Anthology, but some things are better hoarded to oneself.

T13: Productivity Tools

Guess who just realized that there are 16 days left to finish 23 Things! That's right, me. I skimmed ahead a bit and I am looking forward to several of the next Things, which makes me more motivated to work on them. So that's good, I think.

I already had several of these productivity tools set up. I {heart} my laptop's dashboard. Weather, time, calculator and dictionary all at the tip of my fingers. That gets used several times a day.

I am a list maker. I like lists, I like the satisfaction of crossing off items. For me, a big part of that is the physical act, the strong mark of the pencil on the paper. While I am not opposed to the idea of Backpack or Joe's Goals, I am not yet a convert.

I was most excited about Remember the Milk, at least in reference to library usage. Many of our patrons have wondered why we can't email them before items are overdue, just like we offer email notification for holds. Of course, the idea is nice, the logistics are complicated. Remember the Milk can help with this. I'm hoping to poke around that site a bit more so I can recommend it to these people in the near future. It may decrease fines, which is good for the patron and a happy patron makes a happy library.

T12: In the news

I appreciate any resource that helps me to stay informed in the least amount of time possible. In theory, then, it would seem that social media sites would be right up my alley. And I'm not opposed to them. But really, it just seems to be one more step in my already complicated online life.

I work at a library. I handle a major daily newspaper everyday, so I can skim the headlines. I handle the weekly local paper, so I can skim the headlines. The library subscribes to several news and social magazines and again, I get the headlines. If something trips my trigger, I can look up more about it. And I have the greatest resource of all: people. Patrons come through the library, all with opinions, all with ideas, all with their own sources. Through them I get a more detailed explanation of the current event, social faux pas, the opinion column from the local liberal...

They are my social media site. As much as I love my computer, this is something better.

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Annoyed

I'm annoyed.

This post has virtually nothing to do with the 23 Things experience, except for the fact that it is related to blogging. For the third time in two weeks, a blog I read and really enjoy is going private.

But that's not why I am annoyed. I respect the right to go private. In all three cases, a very personal family journey is being documented. By all means, select who can and who can not be a part of that journey.

I've already confessed that I am a lurker. I don't comment often and I generally stumble on these blogs by accident. Why read them if I don't know the people? All three of these specific blogs were people going through a major family experience that I am interested in and reading the blogs helps me to see what different aspects of the experience are.

Is it research? Maybe, at first. But I find myself truly humbled by their experiences, their desires and, in these three cases, their faith.

What angers me is their reason they have to go private. In all cases it involves a mean comment or a misuse of blogger id. What is with the slew of nasty comments being left on people's blogs, questioning their decisions and rights? Why are there people out there who are using family blogs to stalk people? What happened to the idea if you can't say something nice, then don't say anything?

I respect everyone's right to have an opinion. I respect the right to express that opinion. But the act of expression should not include malice. I tried to say as much in my comments on the sites that went private, a good-bye, so to speak.

So to those who have gone private, and again, I respect that right and understand that decision, should you ever find your way here to my corner of blogger land, please know that your journeys were inspirations to me and that I hold you all in my daily prayers.

Monday, March 10, 2008

T9: editing documents

Security clearance was received and so I ventured into the world of collaboration and online editing.

The tools were easy to use. A basic understanding of word processing tools was all that was needed.

I wasn't more or less impressed with either tool. Zoho Writer, Google Docs...didn't seem to make a difference to me. I see where these are useful tools for collaborating. I don't see myself jumping on the collaboration train and riding it to the next station. Is that because I'm not working on any projects that require collaboration? Could be. Maybe six months from now, Zoho Writer will be my best friend.

As for my founding fathers and what they would think? I believe they would respect our right to do what's been done, but be appalled at what has happened. Quite frankly, I couldn't bring myself to edit the Declaration of Independence. Some things are better left untouched.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

T11: Yummy

I think it was just all the photo sharing assignments that had me dragging my feet. I am way into all this social bookmarking. This stuff is way more my style.

So. del.icio.us is very cool. I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed my little tutorial and subsequent visit. To be totally honest, I thought from the description that this experience would be a lot my magazine clipping experiences. Maybe you are like me: there's a great recipe, I have most of the ingredients, so I rip it out of the magazine and set it on the counter with the intention of adding the missing items to the grocery list and making the great recipe the next weekend. Of course this doesn't happen because I stop at the grocery store in a rush on my way home from somewhere, sans my list, and just get the milk-bread-bananas that I know I need. So then I get home, see the recipe on the counter, stick in the basket on the counter and promise to make it the next time I have 20 minutes to contemplate a menu.

Like that ever happens. It's a very full basket. And no, I'm not going to throw them away because someday I will make that fantastic looking pasta dish with the garlic pesto sauce.

So I imagined social bookmarking to be similar. I'd install the tools in my tool bar, tag a few sites and then promptly forget that they exist. The biggest advantage would be that there wouldn't be anymore clutter in my basket.

I couldn't have been more wrong. This concept is really going to help me organize my resources, which since I'm juggling 3 jobs, will help tremendously. Plus, research for my writing projects, sites for my kids, beekeeping info for my husband and all kinds of other great things.

As for libraries: social bookmarking could really help librarians disseminate information pertinent to the community. This is a great way for branches in systems to personalize service for patrons.

Wait and see. I'll have time to make that garlic pesto pasta yet. And when I finally do, I'll have to invite y'all over for dinner.

T10:Wikis

You'll notice I skipped #9. Not by choice. I'm waiting for my security clearance to come and then I'll be a public document editing fool. Until then, let's talk about Wikis

Now here is some technology that I feel I can use. I surfed around several of the Wikis, even added my own line to the 23 Things pbwiki. I feel very accomplished.

I love the Book Lovers Wiki that Princeton public Library developed. This, to me, seems to be an excellent way to use this technology in a library. Maybe for next year's adult reading program...

The personal uses of this information also interest me. One of my fellow 23 Thing-ers suggested using it as a way to keep her spread out family in touch. This would be fantastic for planning reunions or other events. My youth group has a mission trip up and coming and a wiki could be helpful there. Even an event like planning the neighborhood garage sale could be simplified.

I'll have to set up my own soon. But first, I'll have to think of something to plan.

Goals

If I blog it, I may make it come true. My goal is to post the next three things by Friday. Let's see how I do. A good goal is specific and measurable. So. Things 9, 10 and 11 will be posted by midnight on Friday.

Here I go.

Sunday, March 2, 2008

T8b: Self Discovery

I've been A.W.O.L. I'd love to say I've been somewhere exotic. Not true, unless you count the produce department and almost purchasing starfruit. I'd love to say that I've been overwhelmed with work. Also not true, at least for the most part. Overwhelmed by laundry, but that tends to be self inflicted.

I thought about my absence from the world of 23 things and today I realized why: I don't like Thing 8.

Up to Thing 8, I was excited to try the new tools and experience the technology. Thing 8 is just driving me crazy. And because of my concrete sequential tendencies, I am incapable of skipping it and coming back to it later. So still I putter.

As previously established, I am not a picture sharer. So I struggle with the uploading of pictures for some of these projects. I'm also not a picture taker, which makes uploading difficult as best.

That said, I think these tools are all easy to use and could become addicting to the right person. I have scrapbooking friends who love this stuff. I also think that as I get more organized in my non-library job, I could find lots of uses for these tools.

As for sharing documents, do I have a better way? No. I have a comfortable, old way that works for me and while this may not be the most efficient, it is what I know.

There. That is all I have to say about Thing 8. With all due respect, I'm moving on to Thing 9.