Things to Shake a Stick At

My Evaluation

2009-05-15T20:46:00.002-05:00

I feel like this is an episode of Scrubs: My Evaluation.

I'm 23 Things wiser than I was at the beginning. Now, to be honest, some of these will never venture into the branch. At least not invited by me. But in my mind, I don't think this makes them "bad things". They just weren't in my area of interest (The Economy) or talent area (Flickr).

To each his own.

Part of what I have found to be so amazing about this experience is that everyone takes their own spin on the things and runs with it. This is good. And where is wasn't expanding on a strength or knowledge base of mine, the different things were at the very least exposing me to new ideas. This, too, is good.

I like learning. I'd do it again. In my own way, I will be doing it again. Online classes, digital reference training...the possibilities are out there, if I'm willing to look and take on the challenges.

I think I'm willing.

T46:WebJunction

2009-05-15T20:25:00.002-05:00

That's right folks, I said Thing 46. According to my math, 23 + 23 = 46.

46 things on a stick. Who brought the marshmallows?

Of course, I have to actually blog about WebJunction Minnesota (which is fabulous, btw, and I never say fabulous). And there is the little matter of an evaluation which makes it technically 47 things. Not that I'm complaining.

WebJunction. Who knew? I never realized that was an entire online community for all of us Minnesota Library type people outside of the Things. My favorite part was scrolling through the catalog of courses. I'm a bit of a nerd that way. I've already found a couple that I'd like to take, but I'm going to take a little time to celebrate the finishing of this bloggy experience before I delve into another online education adventure.

I looked at the job bank, because who doesn't like to shop around. I found my branch listed in the directory. And then I puttered around, looking at some other stuff.

To top it off, I sent the link to my branch manager, who hasn't had time to start the 3 things, but who I think will really appreciate the services provided.

I plan to spend a lot more time looking around WebJunction Minnesota and getting familiar with the services. I think in terms of networking and training, this could be the best resource I've found throughout this multiple thing experience.

Coming soon to a blog near you: My Evaluation.

T45: Cloud Gazing

2009-05-13T00:03:00.002-05:00

I work from home for my second job. I create documents, manage accounts and do my things mostly on the cloud. Without GoogleDocs, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't still be employed. I love the flexibility. Some of my coworkers think it is odd to get documents shared with them at 2 am or whenever else I manage to send them.

What I love about the cloud and what I try to express with patrons is that it makes it possible to access your information from anywhere with a live Internet connection. No worrying about compatibility with a browser or lost jump drives. Everything is right there.

My main cloud activities are GoogleDocs and hotmail, if hotmail is considered a part of it. I keep poking around, looking for more ideas and trying to find more ways to increase my productivity, but for now, these two are my stars.

T44: Economy, blah blah blah

2009-05-12T21:42:00.002-05:00

I shouldn't be surprised that a thing about the Economy snuck into this round of 23 Things. The economy is a common topic of conversation, both in the branch and outside of the branch. and really, isn't a library a great place to go to help stretch the budget? Books, dvds, internet...all kinds of "luxuries"can be found for the taking.

I'm an economizer. I have been for years. Prior to working at the library, I was a full time stay at home mom and the only way to survive was to cut corners and costs. I know about managing accounts online, finding deals on Craig's List or Freecycle and downloading coupons. I've looked at GasBuddy for the cheapest gas, I've investigated the gardening sites and subscribed to a variety of thrifty blogs.

This is one Thing I think I have covered.

T43: Doing the Hulu

2009-05-11T06:43:00.003-05:00

I'm not a big television watcher. I don't have cable. Up until this year, my husband would dutifully dig out the rabbit ears at the end of February so I could watch the Oscars. Other than that, there's not any Must-See-TV in our lives. When we want a fix of something, we check out a series from the library. Just like most of the books I read are things I find in the book drop, my movie/television watching is the same way: I check something in or out and add myself to the queue.

I have used Hulu before, to view a clip a friend sent me or to look up info for a devotion I'm working on. I use it like I use youtube: sporadically. I don't think it will change my television viewing habits, mostly because I'm not big on sitting in front of my computer and watching something. The convenience factor IS nice, knowing that wherever I am with a live Internet connection I have access.

I also don't think this will have a huge impact on television watching as a whole. With the onset of on demand movies, the ability to pause live tv through the miracle of TIVO and TIVO-type services, people are finding more ways to completely immerse themselves in their television at their own convenience. I remember how excited my mom was the first day she came home from work and was able to watch Days of Our Lives because the VCR had recorded it. Now the digital recording companion does it for her.

Rather, I view Hula and Hula type services as another option in finding the media you are looking for. Plus, I can watch movie trailers there. Woot.

PS-I now have my very own iPod shuffle. :)

T42: Music

2009-05-07T17:31:00.002-05:00

I love my husband's iPod. In an effort to maintain the complete disclosure that I've been striving for, it is important to note that I was anti-iPod at the beginning. Didn't understand it, didn't want one, didn't see what all the hoopla was.

Two weeks ago, when he point blank asked me what the kids should get me for Mother's Day, I suggested my very own nano.

Times change. *shrug*

Music format has changed. I remember getting my very first record album. (Conway Twitty, thank you very much.) I remember what a big leap it was for me to stop buying cassettes and to start buying cds. Then I could go onto iTunes and only buy the songs I wanted. Whoa.

Now, I go to Pandora and say "Michael Buble" and *POOF* a whole station of Michael Buble-esque music exists for me. It's almost like being in love.

Will internet radio replace broadcast? Hard to say...so many stations now give you the option of listening to their broadcast online at work that people can hang out with their favorite DJs. For those of us who like commercial free, and go to other sources to get the weather and the traffic, this may be the next great thing.

T41: Mashup My Life

2009-05-07T10:50:00.002-05:00

I joined FriendFeed. This proved to not be a very useful tool for me because none of my friends were there to feed me. I joined Meebo, which I thought would be great and really, it probably will be if I ever become the social media rockstar I so long to be. But since I have one person I chat with on google talk and all of my other chat associations are through Facebook, it's just easier for me to log into Facebook and do my thing there.

Hypothetically speaking, I like the idea of these services. If I am able to expand branch's use of social media, or if I would start to hardcore use social media for my other job, I think that Meebo or FriendFeed will become very important to me, making it easier to link myself up with a variety of people through a variety of services.

Short of that, I have nothing else to say about Thing 41.

For Fun

2009-05-04T08:51:00.001-05:00

Sometimes, I feel like this:

T40: Another reason to love Google.

2009-05-04T08:30:00.003-05:00

Let Me Google That For You may possibly be my most favorite website ever. I always thought that Google might have a sarcastic edge and this just confirms it. All the more reason to love my boyfriend.

My mother is going to be getting lots of urls from there.

I also Warhol-ed my friend's baby, which is exactly what I told her in the email when I sent the jpg file to her this morning. Her response: "Um, thanks?"

Here's what I'm finding out about mashups: If you can imagine a web tool, it has probably been created. I found out that my community is very walkable. I spun the wheel to find out where I should have lunch if I was in my hometown today. Mostly I played with the different mashups, just to see what was available. They are easy to use, once you find the thing you want.

I'm 40 Things into the challenge and here's the one thing I would like to make patrons understand: the tools are out there, you just have to not be afraid to tinker.

T39: Again with the Flickr thing

2009-05-03T20:40:00.000-05:00

My camera is broken. It has been broken for 3 weeks and other than one time, when my daughter blew out her birthday candles, I can honestly say it hasn't been a big deal. I am not a picture person.

Here's a goodie from last fall:

I get how to use these. I understand how to use them, how to upload, how to download, how to embed. If I were ever to become a scrapbooker, which isn't going to happen, it would be with these digital tools.

I had a lot of trouble with Smilebox, which I found distressing. I wanted it to work. It looked user friendly. The site was darling to play around with. The photos took forever to load and then i had difficulty manipulating them.

Surely, operator error, but I got annoyed and went here and threw my son in a pine cone frame.

The farther into my job I get and the more digital our response to everything becomes, the more I can appreciate the simplicity and handiness of these online tools. What a great way to capture memories of fund raisers or events. I get it, I do.

T38: Screencasting

2009-05-03T19:12:00.002-05:00

Bloggy World, I have a confession to make: I am a Mac user.

I am surprised that this is the first time that this has come up during my misadventures through 23 Things and More Things. Maybe I've mentioned it before, maybe not. At any rate, all of my blog posts and the research/homework leading up to them take place via my mac. I'm most likely sitting on the glider with my feet propped up, laptop on my lap, coffee on the window ledge.

More of a visual than you needed?

So. To get back to the point, I already have the ever easy to use Grab It feature installed, no download necessary. My Mac-fluent spouse gave me a little tutorial on it last night, which was very helpful. I captured some images and loaded them into document and really just tinkered. What this couldn't do for me was provide video captures.

To that end, I started an account at ScreenToaster.

Easy to use. Endless possibilities. Think about this: Our system has subscriptions to all types of databases. Many of these great resources are under-used by the public in part because they don't know how to use them and we as a staff do not have the time to do the same tutorial over and over. A screen cast of basic instructions on the library blog would be incredibly helpful.

And, as always, my homework:

Free online screen recorder

T37b: After closer reading...

2009-05-02T19:40:00.002-05:00

...I decided that I was reading too much into the directions and that my slide show was, in fact, a story. It is a delightful little story about 2 cute kids in a wedding and how they were bribed with dilly bars to behave. My lovely daughter had this to say of the wedding experience: The only fun part about a wedding is the part you are in.

Flickr. Grr. I struggled with Flickr the first time around, as noted here, here and here.

I contend that these services are user friendly. One True Media practically held my hand, showed me where to click and what to do. The hardest part for me was making the decisions as to which special effect and which song to use.

Much like Blogger, these are designed to be easy.

I'm starting to see more practical uses as our branch hovers at the beginning of a potential building project. Photo montages do tell a story in an interactive why that is more entertaining than staring at poster board and getting high on rubber cement. Not that I've done this...much.

I'm trying. I want to incorporate these applications and skills to bring our communication to the now. And with each Thing, I get a bit closer.

T37a: A slideshow

2009-05-02T19:29:00.002-05:00

I focused all of my energy for this thing on creating a slide show over at One True Media. Only to realize that I was supposed to create a story. Well it is 2 for 1 day here at Things to Shake a Stick At.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I'll be back with a story later.

T36: Generators

2009-05-01T20:40:00.000-05:00

My vampire name is Empress of Persia. (I wish it would have had a "Cullen" in it. *sigh*)

This was fun: My Dewey Decimal Number

Headfone's Dewey Decimal Section:

885 Classical Greek speeches

Class:
800 Literature

Contains:
Literature, criticism, analysis of classic writing and mythology.

What it says about you:
You're a global, worldly person who wants to make a big impact with your actions. You have a lot to tell people and you're good at making unique observations about everyday experiences. You can notice and remember details that other people think aren't important.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com

I always figured I'd be in the weird, roadside attraction section.

Here's my favorite generator: Wordle

Some of these are time wasters in the truest sense: no point, fun and a little addicting. I think others have some merit and useful functions. I already have plans to use Wordle to design a t-shirt for my other job.

I think the comics could be lots of fun. Humor is always relevant. Unfortunately, I'm lame and was unable to come up with any sort of captions for the pictures.

Here's some good news:

Learning as I go.

2009-05-01T13:20:00.000-05:00

This is a test of the delayed posting feature.

T35: Books, books and books

2009-04-26T23:03:00.002-05:00

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.

T34: Answers

2009-04-24T12:48:00.002-05:00

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

2009-04-24T12:06:00.002-05:00

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

2009-04-24T11:40:00.002-05:00

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.

Google Map of my Past

2009-04-17T21:23:00.001-05:00

For your viewing pleasure:

Burlington, WI. My home for 3 years.

I'll be back to blog on this later.

T31: Twittering

2009-04-17T14:12:00.003-05:00

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

2009-04-17T13:12:00.002-05:00

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.

Break

2009-04-16T11:13:00.001-05:00

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.

T30A: Spreed and filters

2009-02-28T15:29:00.003-06:00

I'll admit this: I went into the first half of Thing 30 half heartedly. The way I have my Google Reader set up and my Google Alerts designed, I don't need to filter my RSS feeds. I don't need RSS updates of weather, or mailings or twitterings. I live in an itty bitty town where traffic is only a problem if you are on the wrong side of the tracks when the big train comes through.

But, as part of the deal, I tried out some things. I was very "eh" about the whole process.

Then I found Spreed. Oh. My. And I thought some of the photo Things from the first 23 were ridiculous. How can this video of words possibly increase productivity? I found it annoying.

In trying to be a good sport, I set up an account. I tinkered with word speed, I played with subscriptions.

Nope. Just annoyed. I'm hoping T30B: A revisit to delicious redeems T30. To be continued...

T29: Google Tools

2009-02-28T10:28:00.002-06:00

I spent wwaaayyyyy too long on this one, although part of that was because I really really felt the need to make Google calendar part of my every day after my husband and I inadvertently triple booked ourselves: a concert, a ski lock-in and a rendevous with my inlaws.

But let's back up.

I gave Google alerts a shot and I do enjoy my daily updates for my search terms. I tried the "as it happens" approach to alerts and was immediately overwhelmed, so I cut back to once a day. That works. My update comes to me in the middle of the night and is patiently waiting for me in the morning. I pour a cup of coffee and filter through the new blog posts on my chosen topics.

This is saving me hours of research time, which frees space in my life for Egg Breaker, my current Facebook obsession.

I have suggested this tool to a few of our internet savvy patrons. I'm also using it to help out with the adult book club. Sort of that, while I find it to be a great tool personally, I'm still looking for its greater good uses at my branch.

Now. Google Calendar. There's a tool. My husband and I now have a shared calendar that serves as our family's center of information. We can both add and delete, which means we are both up to date on the current happenings in this house. With the hectic schedule we lead, it is proving to be helpful. The trick is keeping it updated, but I'm getting there. At least we shouldn't have a ski lock-in and a concert event the same day again.

Google calendar would be a great tool to promote library events, schedule changes and new releases too. Patrons could be invited to view a calendar, with the staff keeping it updated.

I'm finding this all very interesting, so far. I have some ideas that I may add to my anual review for goals, and some of these technologies could really go far.

T28: Customized Home Pages

2009-02-14T13:21:00.002-06:00

I'm a Google person. I use "google" as a verb as in "Hold on and I'll google that and see what we come up with". I have maybe even referred to Google as my boyfriend. "Let's check and see what my boyfriend Google has to say about that". Most likely, I am one of those librarians who over uses Google and, in the process, misses out on some great tools that are available. But, since I'm not a real librarian, people look the other way. I'm learning.

Google google google. It's even fun to say.

It would seem, then, that iGoogle would be the logical progression of my relationship with Google. All those lovely gadgets on one lovely home page. I went there with high hopes, and I wasn't really disapointed. With one click, I am able to see my local weather, the status of my gmail account, what's free on iTunes, a snapshot of my Facebook account and a host of other things intended to make my internet browsing a one stop shop.

It was easy to set up. It was easy to search for applications, easy to add them and easy to rearrange them. I have no complaints about the process.

Really, I'm rather ambivalent about the whole deal. When my internet browser opens, it goes directly to Hotmail since odds are pretty good I'm going to check my email. The pages I regularly use are quick linked in my tool bar. I like the idea of a customized home page, but for the way I use the internet, it just isn't necessary.

That said, if you are an iPod user, I do recommend the gadget that posts all the weekly free downloads. Kind of fun, and who doesn't like a freebie?

T27: Tweet tweet

2009-02-13T19:45:00.002-06:00

I'm struggling with Twitter on a personal level. It seems so narcissistic. And really, I'm barely entertaining enough to maintain a blog. I can't imagine anyone wants to hear what I'm doing all day, play by play.

HOWEVER...

On a professional level, I think Twitter has some amazing possibilities. I would love to be able to send patrons to the minute updates on the collection, events, displays and meetings. In an age of instant knowledge and gratification, this could be a tremendous gift to the people we serve.

Assuming, of course, that I am capable of maintaining these systems and getting the word out that the branch is twittering. Really, I think that is the real challenge: Making the public aware. Once everyone is in the know, the updates wouldn't be difficult. As with most things in life, it is the getting started.

Oh, and ps-I'm tweeting. You can find me under headfones.

T26: Ninging

2009-02-13T14:33:00.002-06:00

I had joined Ning during round 1 of 23 Things. The first time around, I just joined and had a very basic profile. Ning came after Facebook that time and since I was (and still am) a Facebook-aholic, I just didn't get that into it.

Today, I joined the group for my library system, left a comment for a friend, updated my profile info and added the Ning badge to my blog and Facebook.

I don't find Ning to be as useful or interesting as other social networking sites I've tried. This could be my Facebook bias, but I really don't see myself keeping up with Ning, other than through this experience. I would like to think that I could make Ning useful to my branch, but I struggle to see how.

I also find it interesting that while working on this thing, 3 different people asked me what I was doing and none of them had even heard of Ning.

Hmm.

T25: Adding to my blog

2009-02-13T13:24:00.002-06:00

I made it very clear in the previous round of 23 things bloggy-ness that I am not a picture taker. Photography seems to be a great, new hobby for so many and I would love to say that I express myself via picture taking.

*sigh* I don't. I don't like to take pictures, I don't like to be in pictures, I don't scrapbook and I generally barely manage to get my pictures into frames.

Obviously, I chose to not do any of the photography related blog add-ons.

I like some of the random fact/useless trivia gadgets. I added the useless trivia box. Considering this is a library related blog, I added a book a day box. These made sense to me and seemed appropriate.

Creating the email address and being able to email posts was interesting although I'm fuzzy as to the benefit of that. If I can access my email, I should be able to access my blog. Still looking into that one.

And then, I made it easy for people to subscribe to this stick-shaking madness by adding the subscription button. I'm intrigued by buttons in general. I've read several blogs with buttons for various prayer requests or links. I'd like to play around with that some more.

All told, I've tinkered with Thing 25 for a couple hours. There's a lot to it and I am certain I could easily spend several more hours playing with all the features. If I were designing a blog for a specific purpose, rather than a practice blog for education, I might be better about trying everything and figuring it all out.

So. Onward.

Testing...

2009-02-07T12:38:00.001-06:00

This is a test.

I am testing my ability to post via email. This is only a test. Had this been an actual blog post, it would have contained opinions, comments and information in regards to Thing 25. Instead, it is an attempt to email a post.

This is only a test.

Windows Live™: E-mail. Chat. Share. Get more ways to connect. Check it out.

T24: A New Bloggy Look

2009-02-04T12:38:00.002-06:00

And so here I am again, thinking about technology and how it can help better the service I provide to my local library patrons. I've freshened the look, updated some of my info, added a few page elements and I'm back in business.

The one thing I didn't do is update my Avatar. I didn't like her. I'd rather not bring her back.

So, I'm off to register and then I'll see what I can learn.

Maybe I'm insane.

2008-04-20T19:58:00.002-05:00

It could be true. In an effort to keep up with all this technological stuff that I said I would do, I've been tooling around the Internet. I've found some things I like. I've found some things that I think are ridiculous.

It is the ridiculous that intrigues me the most.

I may have to start a new blog, one to record my thought on all things not technological. Maybe.

T23: fine

2008-04-10T11:05:00.003-05:00

As in, from the Latin, 'finis' or end. Used in music when the end is not at the end of the score.

Appropriate, because if I handle this properly, this will not be the end of the blog or my 23 things journey. But it is the 23rd thing, and a final post is necessary.

What did I learn? Lots of tech stuff. Some I'll continue to use, some I'll make myself go over again, some I'll just want to forget.

I also learned that I'm an old-fashioned girl. I like face to face interaction. I like talking to people, working with them and by "with them" I mean next to, in person, not across the country via Internet. This too has its place, but is not my preferred way to handle things.

I would be interested in trying other similar programs. What a great way to encourage training and continuing education. I learned and part of the learning was stepping out of my comfort zone. As Martha would say, "It's a good thing."

Thanks to those who put the program together, who maintained the program and who checked up on me from time to time. I valued your input and guidance.

This isn't the end of Things To Shake a Stick At. I still have ideas to work through. So until you see the D.C. al fine, there's more Headfones to come.

T22: Keeping Up

2008-04-10T07:48:00.002-05:00

That's right. Thing 22. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. And, as a little aside, I may or may not be hooked on Facebook.

Keeping up with some of these things is going to be easier than others. I like RSS, blogs, facebook, del.icio.us to name a few. I subscribed to a feed to help keep me on top of library/online things.

Then there are the other things, the ones that I struggled with the first time around. All those photo shop things that just weren't up my alley. Those are the ones I should commit to trying more, experimenting with more, utilizing more. I'll try, but I make no promises.

Have I mentioned that I'm not into pictures?

Some of these "things" are going to be more useful in my other positions. I have really enjoyed the transfer of knowledge with this project. I don't know that I'll work through all 23 things again, but I will revisit several of them, looking for new applications and just trying to see what I missed the first time around.

T21:Socializing

2008-04-09T13:23:00.002-05:00

I accidentally joined Ning a couple of weeks ago when my branch manager was a few steps ahead of me on this little endeavor. So that made this easier. I looked at 43 Things, but opted to not join. I guess that's okay. I'll finish these 23 things before I try to accomplish 43 life goals.

Baby steps.

For as much as I love the internet and all the freedom it has given me, I'm having a really hard time socializing in cyperspace. I'm waiting to see what happens, but I'm sure I'll only get out of it what I put in. I'm more curious to see what happens with Facebook than I am with Ning.

Social networks are another aspect of technology that are making the world seem smaller. Swapping recipes with someone on the other side of the world, playing Bingo and chatting with someone in California, finding the ex boyfriend I haven't thought about since high school. Suddenly, the world is smaller than ever.

Is that good? The jury is still out.

T20: Facebook

2008-04-09T07:20:00.002-05:00

I have a friend who told me 6 months ago to get on Facebook. I hemmed and hawed, not wanting to put myself out there. What if no one writes on my wall or invites me to be their friend? It seemed like another way to promote rejection of myself.

But because I really want to finish these 23 Things and because after reading about it, Facebook seems interesting and because maybe my boss at a different job told me having a Facebook account was a really, really good idea that she strongly recommends, I did it. Facebook. There I am.

I still have trouble putting personal details of myself out there. It freaked me out a little when Facebook was able to access my email address book and send emails to potential friends. But really, a pretty painless procedure.

Now I can wait for something to happen. And maybe find a few people that I had lost years ago.

I had a MySpace account awhile ago, for some weird reasons that I won't go into. I think Facebook is much easier to use, to set up and to play with, which may be part of the reason it is growing so fast. I like the idea of networking, I just am not very good at it. Hopefully, this will help.

On a personal note, I'm in the home stretch, with only 3 things to go. Two of them are opinion based and I have plenty of those, so I think I'm wrapping this up. Yay me!

T19: Podcasts

2008-04-08T13:51:00.002-05:00

Is it just me, or can you add anything to your Google account? Google, now with Podcasts too!

I listened to some very inappropriate humor via podcast and there were a few times that I did laugh out loud. Not gonna lie to you. And I couldn't believe the topics available. If I was interested in something there was a pretty good chance that there was a podcast about it.

This is good, but it presents the same problems that other online resources have. Anyone can have a blog, a podcast or a website. How can you be sure that you are getting accurate information?

As part of my interview and then training to be a librarian, I was informed that Google was not the best place to start looking for information. Because I am an educated person, I am able to tell the difference between a decent source and a poor one, so I believe that I am a careful connoisseur of internet resources. What about kids doing research?

"Well, I heard it on a podcast, so it must be true."

As with all things, not just technology, I am a firm believer in "just because you can, doesn't mean you should." I love the vast array of resources available. I love that everyone has a voice. But having a voice means having responsibility for it.

Off my soap box, back to the Blog prompts. I used Podcastalley and found it to be easy to navigate. I have no desire to create my own podcast, but right now, I have nothing to say that I think will benefit the world at large. That ability to censor myself has saved me on more than one occasion.

T18: I Tube, You Tube, We All Tube...

2008-04-06T18:11:00.002-05:00

I'm a bit of a YouTube junkie, which is the only reason there is a third post today. I use YouTube all the time for my other job. I'm addicted to Blog reading which exposes me to all kinds of videos. It was hard to pick just one to post, so I didn't.

I love the Muppets. I love this song. I love Harry Belafonte. What more is there to say?

I found a youth devotion about this video in a magazine and it made for some great discussion. And who doesn't love a good tuba solo?

And this is just because I like to put my social agenda out there from time to time.

Did I mention I love YouTube? I have it bookmarked on my quick links. Ridiculous, but I like it that way.

T17: The Tree of Knowledge

2008-04-06T17:52:00.003-05:00

I have only been a librarian since January. And really, like we joke in our branch, I'm not a real librarian. There's no MLS attached to my string of degrees and post college classes. I have a lovely 4 year degree in a content area that I have never used, and since then I've made it a point to take classes, generally community ed classes, in whatever subject or topic interests me at that moment. Even as an undergraduate, I wasn't exposed to any library science courses. I keep thinking about graduate school, but first, I have to decide what I want to be when I grow up.

So. I've been a librarian for a shade over 3 months. Prior to that I was a shelving aide. I knew about the databases included in ELM, I liked to tinker with them for my own amusement, but because my position as aide had a "no patron contact" clause, I tried to keep to myself.

After the position change, the kid gloves were off and my tinkering was necessary to figure out how the databases worked and how to get the info to the patrons who needed it. Lucky for me, I've always been a bit of a nerd.

I love that there is a central location to find out the most current information, as well as to dig back in time. I've used ProQuest to help people find obituaries, WorldCat to help with interlibrary loans and EBSCO to aid in academic research. It is amazing the information that is available, if one can only figure out where to look for it.

I think a great service to our patrons would be to teach them how to use these resources, such as by having a database class. The problem there is that just because I can find the information, doesn't mean I can teach others how to do it. Still, the idea is worthwhile. Accessing a 2 month old journal article has got to be better than requesting a 10 year old book.

T16: Keeping track

2008-04-06T17:18:00.004-05:00

I am amazed at the number of people (read: kids) who come into the my library an hour before closing and need information for an assignment due the next day. Like many Minnesota libraries, mine is a branch of a larger system, which means that the resources needed many not be in my branch at that exact second.

Apparently this is my fault. Several of them have told me so. Time management has nothing to do with it.

I like the idea of an assignment calculator like this. The concept is great. What a great way to help students learn to budget their time. If used properly, I think this tool and others like could really help students of all ages meet deadlines.

Here's my problem with it. If used improperly, it isn't a teaching tool. It is a crutch. I don't know that it actually teaches time management, a skill I see lacking in so many students. All you have to do is plug in a start date and an end date and the project is completely spelled out for you.

Now, a person could use the example of one project's time line and apply it to another and then I say, "Yes, that's learning." But if someone just plugs in dates, then no one is learning anything about time management.

It's just my opinion. But it is my blog. So I'll express it.

T15: Gaming

2008-03-30T20:44:00.002-05:00

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?

T14: Books

2008-03-27T22:13:00.003-05:00

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

2008-03-27T08:45:00.002-05:00

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

2008-03-27T08:06:00.002-05:00

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.

Annoyed

2008-03-26T21:20:00.002-05:00

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.

T9: editing documents

2008-03-10T08:08:00.002-05:00

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.

T11: Yummy

2008-03-09T18:05:00.002-05:00

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

2008-03-09T13:45:00.002-05:00

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

2008-03-09T13:15:00.002-05:00

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.

T8b: Self Discovery

2008-03-02T18:06:00.002-06:00

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.

T8a: How Headfones got her name.

2008-02-16T18:56:00.002-06:00

Thing 8 is going to require multiple posts because there are all kinds of new tools I'm supposed to experience and sample. So at Picture Trail I created this lovely slideshow:

I love the filmstrip look in part because it reminds me of elementary school when it was a really big deal to be chosen to turn the filmstrip. The headphones just make me giggle. And with the headphones, it is time to tell the story.

One fall, I was hiking north of Duluth at Gooseberry Falls with my husband, our 6 month old daughter and our friend, Tonya. We had a great time seeing the waterfalls, looking at the rocks and just generally hiking all over. It was late October and it was cold.

As we finished up the hike, we decided to stop into the visitors' center and poke around in the gift shop. My husband was playing with our daughter, Tonya disappeared and I was drawn to the back of the shop where there was an enormous display of children's music. The display was shaped like an old tree, with a pair of headphones hanging off one of the branches. I put them on.

These were no ordinary headphones. These were huge, 70's style headphones that put the blue ones in my slide show to shame. They weighed as much as my daughter. Still, because I wanted to know if the music contained within that tree would be something for my daughter, I endured and pressed the play button.

Hmm, the music was a little muffled, so I turned the volume up. I could hear Tonya in the background, laughing. Laughing so hard it sounded like she was having trouble breathing. “She’s going to get us kicked out of here,” I thought to myself, turning the volume up. “How embarrassing.”

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned. My husband stood there and pantomimed removing the headphones. I gave him a funny look and lifted the headphones from my head.

So. The headphones were apparently broken. The music was blaring through the small store. I had been rocking out to really corny children's music with these gigantic headphones on, turning up the music so I could hear it. In fact, the headphones were acting like giant earplugs.

Really bad, 70's style earplugs.

True story. I’ve always been a little off when it came to technology. When Tonya finally stopped laughing, she asked me why I kept turning it up.

“It was a little muffled,” I had to admit. It was me. I was the embarrassing one.

And a nickname was born.

T7: Email and texting and IM, oh my!

2008-02-08T13:43:00.000-06:00

Yeah, that Thing of My Own? Not so much my own. Once I actually read all the way through Thing 7, I found that webinars are a part of it. I am proud to say it was something I did because I wanted too, not because I was cordially required to do so. Maybe that counts for something.

True confession time. I know, another confession. I am a phone phobic. I avoid the phone at virtually all costs. Quirky, but true. Incoming phone calls don't phase me a bit. Outgoing phone calls require pre-planning, script writing, sometimes false starts and plenty of enabling from my spouse. There are a handful of people on my safe list: people I just dial and go. Everyone else...well, there's a process and a detailed set of rules.

I'm a lot of fun to live with.

Email has saved my life. Personally, email has eliminated the need for much of my day to day phone interaction. Professionally, email has greatly reduced the number of patrons who need to be called. Score 1 for technology. And, as an added bonus, there is more time for patron interaction because we aren't tied to the telephone.

Up until recently, I had never used IM. IM-ing my fellow librarians at work doesn't make sense because the 3 computer workstations are practically on top of each other. It's easier to say, "hey, come here," than to try anything else. I have used it at one of my other positions, mostly because my office is off in Never-Never Land. This is not a complaint. Actually, not Never-Never Land. If the main office wing is in the Emerald City, then my office is in Munchkin Land. It's good, and the Yellow Brick Road is a pleasant journey.

Quite frankly, I'm just thrilled to have an office.

Hi, I'm back from the tangent. Anyway, IM-ing is a great way for me to say, "are you there because I need to see you for a minute". Library use. Hmm. System wide, to IM a librarian would be a great service, but for the individual branches I think it would be more difficult. We simply don't have the manpower to give the instant gratification that IM-ing and texting require at our little branch. I think that both these communication tools would also be fantastic for the bigger branches and the two-story branches for internal communication. Finding people can be a big headache, especially when it is virtually impossible to get out from behind your desk. Why follow the yellow brick road when all you have to do is click your heels together?

One of the great things about my branch, and I'm sure lots of branches, is the personal service. I like talking to the patrons, finding out how their families are, getting recipes or book suggestions or eggs. These people are interesting and they are a part of my community.

Sometimes, I think it is nice to talk to a real person. When I do actually use the phone, I'm the girl frantically pushing the zero, hoping for the operator.

A Thing of My Own

2008-02-08T12:26:00.001-06:00

Look at me, being all technologically savvy: I just finished my very first webinar. Ninety minutes of "People Watching with A Purpose." To be truthful, it wasn't quite what I expected content-wise, but informative and enjoyable just the same. I loved how the panel was very concerned with "fostering" things. As librarians, we have a responsibility to foster relationships, leadership, engagement and a host of other "-ships" and "-ments".

What did I learn? Good to summarize because I have to fill out a TR3 when I get to work today...not even sure what that is, but every day is an adventure...

I have close to two dozen websites to look at, a list of c-words to put into context in my community, permission to partner with patrons, a few ideas to bring to my manager and the Friends group and a notebook filled with weird doodles and crazy notes that will only make sense to me.

A different experience, this webinar, one that I may revisit. After all, it isn't every day I can attend a major training event in my pajamas.

An Aside.

2008-02-04T09:49:00.000-06:00

To recap, I have completed Things 1-6 and am puttering through Thing 7. Let's look at the math on this.

So far, I have had to open 6 new accounts on various web sites: Blogger, Gmail, Flickr, Big Huge Labs, Yahoo and AIM. I've registered 1 blog. I've downloaded an IM program. I've uploaded photos, images and links. If side loading were possible, I probably would have done that by now too.

I still have 17 1/2 Things to do.

Is anyone else feeling overwhelmed with passwords, privacy policies and postings?

Good-bye Avatar

2008-02-02T13:54:00.000-06:00

Taking a cue from fellow 23 Things on a Stick-er Minnemom, I removed my Avatar. I'm much happier with her face off my blog.

Thanks, Minnemon, for the inspiration!

And the verdict...

2008-02-02T13:30:00.000-06:00

How do I truly feel about Flickr and the affiliate sites?

Do I see the merits? "Yes," she said with hesitation.

I have to refer back to this post. I don't make my own promotional material, at least for the most part. Some smaller, in house jobs may be prettied up with these tools and I get that. I do. I see where it could be addicting and yes, I'll probably refer to these tools from time to time.

What I see as being more helpful is that I now have a general knowledge of Flickr and others so that when patrons come in and try to use the tools, I don't have to stare politely and wonder what language they are speaking. There's hope for me yet, in that respect.

The trading card thing still boggles my mind, although based on the prompts (love my blogging prompts) I was able to brainstorm a list of possible uses. Author facts, SLP information, character collections...I get the idea now, at least better than I did yesterday. And, as per 23 things' request, I made my own at Big Huge Labs.

I told my husband that it was a first in a series of "Rescued Strays" and since most trading card series are at least 10, it would be best if we visited the shelter today.

He wasn't impressed.

Mix-ups, mash-ups and screw-ups.

2008-02-01T14:15:00.000-06:00

Also known as Thing 5.

I've been playing with Fickr's mash-up affiliates for days. I did the clock, I made several puzzles, I did a color search, I tried the caption-er...been there, done that. While interesting, I didn't find anything that I thought would be a remarkable addition to this blog adventure. I do, however, understand the importance of tangible proof, and so I offer this:

There. I spelled with random photos.

I'm struggling with this Flickr thing. Maybe I'm not thinking far enough outside the box. The kind blogging prompts suggests that these applications would be excellent for promotions and posters. While I agree with the notion, the system I work for generates all our publicity in house and as a branch assistant, I am not involved in the creative process. I send in the dates, title and other pertinent information and the fabulous people at our headquarters produce high quality, promotional materials. (Am I sucking up? Maybe just a little.)

I respect this process because it guarantees the system control and continuity over their image.

It is also suggested that we could make librarian trading cards and I'll admit that I laughed out loud at this one. I can't imagine being on a trading card, convincing the rest of the staff to do it or actually trading the cards. It would make for an interesting challenge, considering our system stretches out for 32 branches. Could I collect them all?

I'm trying to be open minded about this whole Flickr process, but I'm struggling. Is it me? Am I that inept when it comes to all Things photo? We'll see in the stunning conclusion to the Flickr Trio of Things: Thing 6.

Stay tuned.

Picture this.

2008-01-29T14:20:00.000-06:00

I've been to Flickr. I have mixed feelings.

I get the idea. In theory, I'm all for Flickr and like minded sites. I have friends who upload pictures of their kids, their pets, their vacations, their everythings onto these image sharing sites and then friends and family all over can easily see them. My parents would probably like this, assuming I could teach them to use Flickr.

In practice, I'm not so sure it is for me. First, you actually have to take pictures, which I'm not so great about. Surely my children have the most poorly documented childhood ever. My daughter has a baby book that is partially filled out and my son has a shoe box...somewhere. Secondly, you have to overcome the extreme paranoia that prevents you from posting online in the first place. I so appreciate the bloggers out there who let you into their worlds and lives, sharing stories and details of day to day life.

I'm not that person. All my photos would end up as private, and if that's the case, I may as well keep them on i-photo and upload when I have a project.

That said: Flickr was way easy to work with. I had no trouble creating an account, uploading, organizing or tagging photos. I did enjoy taking pictures at my library.

Part of the reason this 23 Things project is so intriguing to me is because libraries have come such a long way. I remember checking books out and getting them stamped. When I went to college, I remember thinking how smart it was to have the books barcoded. How slick!

My kids have no idea that there ever was another way, but then my 6 year old can't imagine life without Internet. I believe that what we have lost doesn't compare to what we are gaining in terms of library services, collections and abilities. I will confess to being a bit distraught over the loss of personal contact. When the librarian used to stamp my books was a time of conversation and contact. I still get that now, with computerized check out, but the whispers of self check out also mean less personal contact with patrons. Face to face contact is a good thing, and we're losing it everywhere. So while I know that hand stamping books is better left in the past, I worry about what else we are losing as libraries embrace more technology.

Oh. I forgot.

2008-01-26T18:20:00.000-06:00

I forgot about the prompts. You know, the specific questions I am supposed to answer in regards to these assignments.

Ahem. So. Here we go.

I think I was pretty clear with my love for RSS in the previous post. If I gain nothing else from it, I've freed up all kinds of time. Time to fold laundry, train the cat or other exercises in futility. Time. It's a nice word and a beautiful concept.

I think the feeds and subscriptions are useful for most people because of the time savings. Teachers, specialists, librarians...we're all busy people and to have to constantly surf the net to find the newest information can be such a pain. It's hard to service the public if your nose has to be constantly buried in a computer screen.

People come to libraries with certain expectations. A librarian has to be well versed in just about everything or able to get his/her hands on it quickly. Sometimes it just isn't possible to find the information at the exact moment the patron wants it, which is generally "immediately". Will feeds and subscriptions and RSS make it easier? I think it just might.

Now, I have to figure out how to apply this new knowledge to my branch and my community. I know what I like, what I enjoy, what I want to read. What subscriptions will broaden my horizons and help me to be a better public servant? To be continued...

RSS, or, How I Simplified My Life

2008-01-26T17:33:00.000-06:00

I have a confession: I lurk.

I am a lurker. I can count on one hand the number of times I've actually commented on a blog prior to this adventure. Not my thing. I like to be anonymous. Now, I realize that this isn't fair and some even consider it rude. I'm working on it. Baby steps. (As a side note, is there somewhere that lists the "blogging etiquette"? I'd be happy to read up on what's polite, what's rude and what's unnecessary.)

Back to my confession. I've stumbled onto a dozen or so blogs in the last 6 months that interest me for one reason or another. When that happens, I bookmark it and then check it. Frequently. Usually I grab a cup of coffee and settle in with my computer and spend more time than I care to admit methodically checking each blog one click at a time. It takes a lot of time to lurk.

Today, Thing 3 introduced me to RSS. And suddenly, life was that much simpler. After subscribing to the many blogs I've come to love, I puttered around and found a few other sites. I'll now know when my favorite Etsy shop adds new pictures. I'll keep up on local news. I'll know all the gossip related to the upcoming Oscars. And all this in less time than it takes me to make the cup of coffee.

Amazing. Now I'll have to come up with a new excuse as to why the laundry never gets folded.

Thing 2

2008-01-25T14:12:00.000-06:00

For those of you confused by the title of this post, it is important to note that creating a blog was Thing 1. Ta da! Mission accomplished.

Now, thing 2.

I've read several blogs, lurking around and getting glimpses into other people's lives. I find it interesting that almost without fail, there will be a long gap in posting and then a lengthy apology for not blogging sooner, but there hasn't been anything to say...

Fortunately, for people like me, there are blogging prompts. Thing 2 is supposed to be about my thoughts on the process of 23 Things on a Stick, when I'll find the time, what I hope to gain, etc., etc.

I'm a dabbler by nature. I know a little bit about a lot of things. If something interests me, I'll read up on it, maybe try my hand it and then file the information away. Generally, the more worthless the information, the more likely I am to recall it at an odd time. What interests me most about this adventure is that it encourages dabbling. I can get as much or as little out of this as I choose. I've had fun setting up this blog and importing my Avatar. While I don't know nearly everything there is to know, I know enough now to help other people do the same. And that's a start. That's kind of the point, in my mind.

Timing wise, I agree with this guy and his point: if it is important to me, I'll make time for it. If I can check my email a million times a day, I can certainly find the time to do a tutorial, to monkey around with flickr, to muddle through comments on my blog.

Right now, I believe I am very much a beginner in all things Library 2.0. I'd like that to change. I'd like to be able to speak intelligently, if not knowledgeably, about RSS and wikis. And if I can't be intelligent, I'd like to at least be able to fake it.

And if, through all this, I somehow figure out how to keep the cat off the counter, I'd say that's time well spent.

The Beginning

2008-01-22T13:54:00.000-06:00

So this is blogging. Hmm. Interesting. I should be disturbed at how easy this was to get up and running. Click click and here I am, with a voice online.

This blog is to document my progress through a little adventure called "23 Things On a Stick," an education program to help Minnesota Library Staff get a better handle on the various web tools now available. I'm excited to learn, (I'm a nerd, what can I say) but apprehensive to be out here in the web.

If you've stumbled upon me, welcome. I'll see if I can't keep it a little entertaining.