In Summary--Thing 23!

Yeah! I am patting myself on the back! Successfully (at least I hope so!) completed my 23 Things!


It's been an interesting journey--one I would never have attempted on my own. I am grateful to the HCPL for encouraging staff to pursue this somewhat ambitious program. While I griped from time to time, I delved into areas I would never have attempted on my own. I'm glad I had to the opportunity to learn about what's new and commonly utilized in the ever-changing technology arena.

I enjoyed Library Thing, online image generators and the online productivity tools. I loved the interactivity and learning about sites my kids commonly use. Some tasks were cumbersome and directions were poorly communicated. Overall, though, the experience was positive and educational. I learned alot and will use many of this tools again. Thanks!

Thing 22--Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg has an impressive selection of languages from which to choose. I introduced my daughter (who is fairly proficient in French) to the site and she is thrilled. She is very excited to see so many titles available.

I enjoyed reviewing the collection--a vast selection. Also, I found its statistics fascinating. Yesterday's top authors (100 listed) were Twain (at #1) followed by Harold Speed, Arthur Thomson and Charles Dickens.

I found several titles I'd like to download as did my daughter.

Thing 21--Podcasts

After exploring the options and learning that Yahoo would soon be closing its site, I decided upon Podcast.net--it seemed the easiest to use. I tried to watch a podcast about the Yankees (only because I could find no other MLB podcast!), but was unsuccessful even though it did not require a paid subscription.

I was able to set up an RSS feed to a political podcast. Maybe it's just me but I thought many of the podcasts were quite dated. The Yankees podcast was from the summer of 2006.

Thing 20

You Tube is addictive! I can see why people spend all day here.

After searching for a subject (dogs, of course), I selected a couple of entries and here is the link to one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO-BcoXYGuA

I like this site for entertainment value but I wonder how, and if, this site is edited.

This type of tool would be a great resource if managed and edited as database is managed...i.e. by a credible source.

Thing 19

I chose Goggle Maps (had looked for sports sites--none included!). When I have more time, I'll enjoy exploring other sites!

Thing 18

Had chosen Zoho Writer and used it to publish and post my entry re. RSS feeds. For some reason, while attempting to publish my post from Zoho, I was unable to do so. Please refer to that entry (the one without a bold headline!).

Wikis

Here's the address to a site I created in Learning 2.0 Sandbox. Don't think it's listed as a favorite--that's not been an easy task. However, it is/was listed on the right side of the screen as recently posted. http://marylandlibrariessandbox.pbwiki.com/purebreeds%20and%20mutts

The library wikis were informative and and easy to use. SJCPL is a good research for basic information--like that it can be edited only by librarians. A variety of information is covered in each subject area. Surprised that nothing about Notre Dame is included--think the system is close to South Bend!

Library 2.0 in 15 Minutes is a great resource. Wish I 'd known about this in Week 1!

Del.icio.us, Technorati & Thoughts on Web 2.0

Schultz and Stephens offer interesting thoughts on Library 2.0. Basically I agree. As with all industry, trends will come and go--we must be prepared to go with the flow. I particularly like the recognition of the human aspect of libraries--we must never lose sight of this. Schultz suggests adding a "Library is Human" segment to the training, focusing on library as a center of learning with 2.0 as a guide for gathering and sharing information.

Del.icio.us is a simple way to bookmark favorite sites--it's an easier process. A real time-saver (once I got the hang of it!).

I liked Technorati and found the search for Learning 2.0 enlightening--apparently this is a wide-spread phenomenon. I found a blog from a librarian in Austraila whose thoughts closely mirrored mine!

The tops blogs and favorites were what I expected--techie and Boing, Bonig! Top favorites--Brittany Spears and the like. Why does this not surprise me?!?

This is Play Week!

Had fun with avatar. I've never looked so good! Jewelry was too expensive, so...I have none.

I am enjoying Library Thing. It's very easy to use. My list was short but quite varied, including history, sports, biographies and juvenile fiction. Among the suggested books, I found several titles I've read and many I'd like to read including The First American: the Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin and A Great Day in Cooperstown: the Improbable Birth of Baseball's Hall of Fame. Also, among the Most Popular books You Don't Have were books I own, such as Elements of Style, and books I've read including Eats, Shoots and Leaves and A Short History of Just About Everything--very interesting but puzzling because I cannot fathom a connection to these and the books I cataloged. I hope to use this alot.

Now to Rollo, I was able to roll my own search engine and, after much fanagling, found a way to link my Rollo to the blog. (Thanks, Deborah!).


http://rollyo.com/search.html?q=loves+baseball&sid=313704&x=20&y=14

My Avatar

Merlin

I activated my account and subscribed to three feeds--have just read one post from 23 Things Office Hours from Western Maryland Public Libraries. Looks like I need to subscribe to more feeds--my others have no postings!

RSS Feeds

So much information, so little time! This is an extremely efficient way to receive (and read) only the info you want. My favorite feed is Book for Kids. It's given me several new titles and authors I plan to pursue. Also, Unshelved is hysterical, though totally uncharasteric of HCPL librarians!

Photos and Images

Flickr is a cool site! Even introduced it to my daughters who've been sharing pix with friends through their Facebook accounts. Hopefully, Flickr will help me get my own photos in order---when I buy a digital camera!

While this may not be tremendously technologically-advanced, I have started paying bills online instead of writing checks. Helps me because I'm definitely a last-minute person and never have stamps.

23 Things: 7.5 Habits

The easiest habit for me is accepting responsibility for my own learning. I find opportunities for learning everywhere. Driving interstates and discovering road configurations from state to state (silly but fascinating), conversations with my kids, simple observations, etc. Also easy for me is viewing problems as a challenge. With creativity (and a lttle help from my friends), problems are often solved.

The most challenging of the 7.5 habits is using technology to my advantage--but that's what this training is all about! Hopefully, I will be able to do so upon completion!

My favorite of the 7.5--Play!!!

Blog Making

At last, I made a blog! Please don't expect much--nothing clever or enticing.about baseball, etc., just hoping to make sense of the 23 things!