My closing thoughts

This is an extremely valuable program for some people to follow. For me, most of this stuff is old hat and I didn't learn as much as I would have liked. I feel pretty hooked into the web and library 2.0 stuff and a bit ahead of the programs in this program.

That said, I do not think I was the intended audience anyway and that's fine. My suggestion for next time is that the incentive match the people that you are trying to reach. I'm excited about the Best Buy or iTunes gift card but that isn't a good motivation for someone who isn't into technology. I know of a library that offered it's employees a day off for completing the program. Now that is motivation!

book and media downloads

I have used both Overdrive and MyLibraryDV in the past and I think they both have pros and cons.

I decided to try TumbleBooks today because I've never used it. I found it to be a very easy to use program and could be fun for a kid to use. I would like to see how well it works on a computer with a slower connection.

podcasts

I absolutely love podcasts. I think that podcasts are the new underground, people-produced radio. We are in a time of corporate controlled radio and this is a fantastic way for the average Joe to express themselves. And now that podcasts are catching on, many corporate shows are available.

And it's all free. Fantastic.

Some of my favorites:

Slate's Political Gabfest
RFF Radio
The Bugle
Anything NPR
To the Best of Our Knowledge
The Splendid Table
KCRW's Good Food

Youtube...

.....is not new to me.

I do have a couple favorite videos:

kitten falling asleep

evolution of dance

I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say about YouTube. It's great fun, I think it can be used well by libraries but it brings up some of the same issues as before. Ultimately, YouTube content is owned by Youtube and they decide what is acceptable content. Could make for a sticky situation and bring up some intellectual freedom issues.

Web 2.0 tools

Will the web 2.0 tool I found help me with my job? Probably not. But it will definitely help me enjoy my life outside of work. Cocktail Builder is a site I have been looking for for a long time. Plug in the liquid that you have laying around your house and the site will tell you what drinks you can make.

I love mixing drinks, especially after a long, hard day at the library.

my document created in Google Docs

Here it is!

online docs

Online document creators are wonderful for certain things. I have used Google Docs a few times, primarily when I needed access to docs from a public computer.

But like wikis, there are some major ownership issues that everyone needs to consider. Every document I save in Google Docs is owned by Google. They have access to it, they can see it and if (god forbid) they go out of business, I may lose it.

I don't think it's a huge deal....Google owns all my e-mail too....but it certainly is something to keep in mind.

PBWiki

I'm not sure what to say about this experience. I added my blog to the wiki. I really have mixed feelings about wikis. I see the appeal but they really do not seem to be catching on the way some people thought they would. They are clunky and confusing and I worry about storing important content and the issue of ownership.

Wikis

I am the new coordinator of the Mayhem in the Midlands conference and I've been thinking that I should create a wiki in order to have all the information in one place. There are community members on the committee who do not have access to Library public folders and this would solve that problem. My biggest concern was security because I don't want all of the information to be public.

So I have created a new wetpaint account called Mayhem in the Midlands. You're welcome to click on the link but it is protected and shouldn't show you anything other than the front page. Sorry.

I think wikis have a time and place, just like every other Library 2.0 thing. It's great for something like this and for far-away collaboration. But I think we need to be realistic about it. I don't expect most of the committee members to contribute...I was primarily looking for a place to host information.

Library 2.0

I am a fan of Library 2.0....I really am. However, I think that we in public libraries need to be careful not to swing too far in either direction. I know cranky old library staff who never want to change and tech-loving young people who want every library to have a Myspace, Facebook, LibraryThing, Shelfari, Second Life, etc on the web site.

In my opinion, neither view is correct. I would strongly argue for restraint and thoughtfulness when making these decisions. We need to ask ourselves a few things:

1. Are we adding these new technologies to our website/library because we need to think of ourselves as progressive or because we really think they will be used?

2. Do our patrons have the skills/need for these technologies?

3. Do we have staff buy-in to teach patrons about these technologies?

4. Are we sacrificing things that patrons really want from us (collection development, for example) in order to pay for some of the Library 2.0 technologies?

Be careful. We cannot always be trying to catch up with technology and we really need to remember that many of our patrons don't have the skills or desire or hardware available to them to take advantage of these wonderful new opportunities.

I know we try so hard to prove that we are still relevant in this new world. And we are a great and important resource. But every decision that impacts staff and the budget needs to be taken seriously. And most importantly, we need to try not to be seduced by every bright and shiny new toy that comes our way.

Technorati

I prefer Google News to Technorati. To me, Technorati suffers from the same thing that many sites do: too much information. It seems to me that many sites are designed not by web designers but by tech geeks and they are overwhelming to look at. Too many advertisements (flashing especially) and it is difficult for the brain to process. I watch patrons every day try to navigate the main page of Yahoo, trying to figure out how to log into their e-mail. Why not use Gmail instead?

We really need to be careful, as library staff who is familiar and comfortable with technology, to try and choose sites to recommend that are well-organized and easy to understand.

Week 6, Thing 13: Delicious

I hate to be a naysayer, but I really don't like delicious. I think a bookmarking site is beneficial and can be especially helpful as I move between reference desks, but I absolutely hate the delicious layout. I dislike the incredibly looooong lists that some people have...I would much rather organize my links into folders. I like an organized and clean look and I don't think delicious has that. I have yet to find a site that organizes links in a manner that I prefer, so I use workarounds to remember the sites that I like when I'm at the desk.

#12: Rollyo

Ok, so I created a Rollyo account and I'm sorry to say that I don't get it. I collect vintage Tupperware so I created a search for that but I'm unclear as to how I use the site. I logged several sites I use on a regular basis to search for tupperware to buy but I never search deeper than that. I suppose for someone who likes to perform very specific searches at certain websites might like this but I prefer my searches to be broad.

There's a link to my search to the right.

Library Thing #11

I created a LibraryThing account about 2 years ago but haven't updated it much. I know people love it but I find the interface to be a bit clunky. But here's the one I used in the past.

Exercise #10

Image Generator.

Above is an example of the child I will someday have with Brad Pitt. Adorable!

And...

If my husband and I had a child this is, apparently, what it would look like:

Thanks to Make Me Babies.

RSS

I created a new blog for O! What a Geek but I decided not to create a new RSS feed reader. I've been using bloglines for years, it's all set up and the thought of doing it all over again makes me feel tired. I thought, instead, that I would post two of my favorite library blogs that I have in my Bloglines account.

The 'M' Word: Marketing Libraries: http://themwordblog.blogspot.com/

Information Wants to Be Free: http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php

Enjoy!

Exercise #7

Something technology related, eh?

I guess one thing that occupies my mind quite a bit is how many customers we have with low technology skills. I think there are assumptions made by us (as daily and skilled computer users) that everyone has the same skills we have. And it's just not true. Anyone who has every worked a reference desk can attest to the fact that there are people who use computers without knowing what they are doing. They have no concept of how the Internet or e-mail or MP3 players work and this can create some real confusion.

I would urge libraries to consider this before they adopt every new and exciting program that comes down the pike. And most of all, I would ask employers to continue to accept paper job applications for jobs that do not require computer knowledge. There is no reason to expect a potential janitor to spend his hour at the library filling out an online application. It's unreasonable.

#5 Flickr

I've been using Photobucket for years to store photos online. It's not that I don't like Flickr, I just hate setting up new accounts everywhere. My experiences today have convinced me to use Flickr because it's a much prettier website to use (a feature that is important to me.

I've created an account and uploaded a photo. I've made my account private (because the picture has my dad in it and I wouldn't post without his permission) but here it is for all of you OPL folks. My dad and I in front of the Benson branch.

Library of Congress on Flickr

Did you know that the Library of Congress has posted thousands of historical images on Flickr? It is a fantastic way to find images for our customers and an amazing resource.

My particular favorite is an image of a working woman in a 1942 aircraft assembly plant. Not only is it a beautiful image but users have added notes and there are tons of comments. I think this is an excellent way to expose people to history.

I do have some concerns about the proprietary nature of Flickr. Does Yahoo own everything posted there and what happens if Yahoo goes out of business?

I love orange

It is my favorite color. As you may imagine, I was thrilled to see a Flickr mashup that allows a user to search by color. Orange lovers, unite!

This is one of the many beautiful orange images I found using the mashup. Orange!

Lifelong learning

the question is, what does lifelong learning mean to me?

clearly, lifelong learning is important. it is essential in an advanced society to learn throughout ones life or one will become a boring 'ol bump on a log.

i believe that most people in the u.s. are actively learning throughout their lives. are they reading shakespeare and writing the great american novel? probably not. but they are reading magazines, online newspapers, blogs and much more. they are learning.

O! What a Geek!

I am such a geeky librarian!

I have set this blog up to document my progress through Omaha Public Library's O! What a Geek program. For a more thorough job, check out my other blog: omahaorbust.

More to come!