Sunday, April 26, 2009

T35: Books, books and books

Here's a novel concept, every pun intended: a look at books in library 2.0.

In my small town branch, I'd say we've seen an increase in all aspects of circulation. Books, audio, cd, dvd...the list goes on. I know there are studies about the effects of a struggling economy on library usage and i can see a correlation. But the conversations with the patrons are even more telling. The general consensus with the people I talk to is that there is just something about the feel of an actual book that the convenience of a kindle can't replace.

People like books.

I think the thing about Book 2.0 is that you can get out of it what you want.There's a tool for whatever you need, whether it is a suggestion of a new title or a way to organize your library or access to free books. The tools are there, if you are willing to dig around and figure out what you need.

I do not own many books. This reduction in my personal library was a part of my simplification and clutter reducing plan. Because of this, I don't feel the need to organize my library online. I also have no need for books on my phone. I have a basic, pay as you go cell phone that I only recently learned how to text from.

I did enjoy looking at the reader's advisory sites. As a librarian, I frequently get asked the question, "what should I read next?" I'm always on the lookout for another way to help people find the answer.

Bookcrossing is and interesting concept. I once register a dollar bill in the Where's George? to see where it ended up. I never heard back about it.

As with everything else, these Book 2.0 things are interesting and quirky and in the hands of the right person, could be very useful. Sometimes, though, you just want to read a book for the sake of entertainment.

Friday, April 24, 2009

T34: Answers

It never occurred to me that there was an issue with online answer sites. I mean really: Can't we all just get along?

I'm an Internet searcher. I use online answer sites. It is part or using all my available resources. Even as a library employee, I recognize that sometime the Internet has more timely and more available information.

I have no issue with this.

I think part of my responsibility as a public servant is to help the public learn how to access good information from a variety of sources. Sometimes this will be from these online answer sites.

The answer site I visited had mostly opinion based question/answers. This presents a new set of concerns. I try very hard to not express my opinion when giving out information. My answers need to be factual. If I do express and opinion, I make it very clear that it is simply my opinion.

Online, people can express their opinions without having to worry that the next day the person will come back into the library and say that the mayo-based hair rinse was a complete failure and now her hair is ruined.

Or whatever.

In a small town library, it is necessary to be a little more discerning with what opinions you offer.

I'm curious about the slam board thing. I'm going to delve deeper into that and then have a separate post about my misadventure in providing answers. Assuming I actually provide any.

T33: Travel

This Thing was easy in part because I already knew about quite a few of the suggested sites. I'm a closet traveler. I hope to do a lot more traveling in the near future.

I like travel blogs, especially ones that are tailored to particular interests or audiences. It's helpful to know that there are real people writing the information and sharing the ins and outs of everything. And really, there are blogs for everyone these days.

Our last vacation was at a hotel I picked specifically because of the online reviews on a travel site. They were candid accounts of actual people. And it was also helpful that the people all wrote their own thoughts out, rather than filling out a form.

Green Routes was a new site to me. I enjoyed playing around with it and I book marked it for future reference.

I enjoyed my little adventure into Travel 2.0. I'll hopefully have the opportunity to delve deeper in the near future.

T32: Maps and Stuff

The map was fun to make. I liked adding the commentary. (Shocking, I know) In reading the blog prompts for this, I have to say I don't see a lot of library uses for the map mashups. I do see patron uses.

This is where I run into trouble.

Just last week I had a patron ask me for help in printing out a map for a bridal shower. This google mash up thing would have been perfect, had I know about it. And she and I could have had a great time marking landmarks, getting the icons in place and drawing in a route.

Unfortunately it would have been at the expense of the rest of my patron service.

Don't say it: I know it isn't my job to create these mash ups for patrons but rather to help them find the tools they need so they can create documents or whatever.

Right. The same way i should just be able to say hotmail.com and then they should be able to create their own email account.

There are some people who I can just give the information to and it is all good. Then there are the others. Maybe I'll just direct them to this tutorial.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Google Map of my Past

For your viewing pleasure:

Burlington, WI. My home for 3 years.

I'll be back to blog on this later.

T31: Twittering

Let's just get this out of the way: I deleted my twitter account.

Whew! I feel better getting that off my chest.

Do I update my Facebook status? Yes. Daily. But it gets updated because I'm doing other things on Facebook. I seldom, if ever, log in to specifically change my status. It is incidental to the rest of the things I use Facebook for.

I was following a few people, but they were people whose blogs I read and I found that I didn't need a blow by blow account of their day. I tried following Southwest Airlines, just to keep up with the deals, but that wasn't really working for me either.

Most of my status updates were essentially asking the question: Am I interesting enough to do this?

A few people were following me. A couple of friends from high school, a couple of bloggers from 23 Things and some random stranger. That creeped me out a bit, I'll admit it.

What stage am I at in my twittering? Novice, skeptic, non-user. At least for me, on a personal level.

Ironically, this is one of the tools I would most like to devise a plan for and implement into our branch. With the quick comings and goings of books and events, Twitter would be a great tool to spread the word.

What is Twitter? Twitter just is. At this point, that's all I can say.

T30B: Yummy, revisited

Apparently, I loved delicious the first time around. Interesting. I went back and read my post from the original 23 things and wondered at my naive excitement. I've said this before in most aspects of my life: it isn't getting the new system in place that's the problem; it is the maintaining.

Delicious has been neatly stuffed into the bowl on the counter with the magazine clippings.

I find this unfortunate, because I truly see the merit in the social bookmarking idea. It just isn't a habit of mine. Or a job requirement. If I had to do it, then I would keep up with it. Right now, any of the Things that I keep up with are because I want to and let's be real: in the busyness of everyday life, the first things to get cut are the things I'm doing for me.

I've reactivated my account. I'm working on a plan. I want to learn about these things and apply them to my library life.

It'll come.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Break

I took a bloggy break. Real life got in the way of my virtual reality. But...tick tock, the countdown has begun so I'm back in full bloggy force to finish the new 23 Things by the mid-May deadline.

I'll be posting soon.