K's schtick

Now I know where I belong....

2010-03-15T08:28:00.001-05:00

Karen Pundsack's Dewey Decimal Section:

722 Architecture to ca. 300

Karen Pundsack = 1185461449131 = 118+546+144+913+1 = 1722

Class:
700 Arts & Recreation

Contains:
Architecture, drawing, painting, music, sports.

What it says about you:
You're creative and fun, and you're good at motivating the people around you. You're attracted to things that are visually interesting. Other people might not always understand your taste or style, but it's yours.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com

Library Mural

2009-09-19T10:48:00.005-05:00

About the Artist:
Lisa Nicoll resides in Avon and has been Elementary Art Specialist at Albany Area Schools since 1987. She spends her free time with her family of four or in the garden. She pursues many forms of art – drawing, painting and mosaic. She researched and did an action research project centered on creativity in pursuit of her MSE degree. Through that study, she was most struck with the concept that creativity is not a special ability only a few people enjoy, but that all persons hold the capacity of creativity given a rich learning environment and the desire to achieve a meaningful goal.

About the Mural
In 2009, Friends of the Albany Library chose to celebrate the Summer Reading Program theme “Be Creative at your Library” in a special way, by hiring an artist to paint a mural. They spread the word and asked for artists who may be interested in helping with the project. Lisa Nicoll’s design was chosen by the group. Her connection to the community helped draw a lot of interest during its creation, especially from her students who visited the library during the summer.

Lisa’s ideas for the mural were born of the SRP theme with a special emphasis on the gift of creativity and divergent thinking. She wanted to play with the idea of the library and the act of opening a book as a doorway or portal to other places. Three-dimensional pieces were created from old books painted by children during two special craft sessions.

More photos of the mural can be found here.

Twitter world

2009-07-24T07:05:00.000-05:00

Twitter seems to be catching on. Best Buy is now requiring Twitter use as for some of their new hires. I guess it pays to stay on top of the new web 2.0 trends. Here's the article I read about Best Buy.

Digital TV Conversion

2009-07-16T07:10:00.005-05:00

A couple of weeks after the digital conversion my husband and a friend were complaining that we couldn't receive any real channels. I had watched this youtube video that was linked in a comment to a Star Tribune article about the conversion. I had them watch the video and they were instantly in the garage with six wire coat hangers. We needed to make an emergency run for the coaxial part, but this antenna actually does work really well in our house and only took about 15 minutes to make, not counting the run to the store. It's pretty ugly, but we've never had so many channels. Most are public television. Unfortunately, our friends live in northern Minnesota, and it didn't work at all in their house. So for those of you who don't think satellite TV is worth the cost, I'd recommend giving this a try.

Thing 46: Webjunction Minnesota

2009-06-12T10:21:00.000-05:00

I have been a member of Webjunction for some time and a sporadic user. I have used the message boards as part of a Rural Library Sustainability workshop I had attended a couple of years ago. I also have taken a couple of the courses that were offered. I haven't seen website since design change, but find it much easier to navigate.

As part of this Thing, I updated my profile and discovered that at some point I must have established two different accounts. I am not sure how to delete one of them, but will need to figure that out.

I really like the idea of connections among Minnesota librarians, especially different types of libraries. The biggest hurdle is finding time to participate.

Thing 44: The Economy

2009-06-09T06:50:00.000-05:00

On GasBuddy I explored local gas prices although none for our town were listed specifically. I think this tool works better for larger areas. The town that was listed only has three gas stations and most of the time they are all priced the same. It was nice to see trends from a year ago. Hard to believe has was $3.78 last year in a neighboring town.

I tried mint.com - but it wouldn't recognize our local bank's website. I already track most of our financial info through a computer program. In spite of the site's security set up, I am still a little nervous about having info compiled on a website.

I regularly use U of M's gardening site for advice, especially when it comes to odd insects or tree issues. It is very helpful.

I haven't personally used craigslist, but my sister sold her car in an afternoon using the site. I have used freecycle in the past, but have found it a little disconcerting meeting people I have never spoken to in real life to exchange free stuff.

The pig on Feed the Pig is very creepy looking. It looked like a site I may explore more on a rainy day.

I was glad to explore this topic. Thanks for including it!

Thing 45: Cloud Computing

2009-06-08T11:20:00.000-05:00

I regularly use "the cloud" - iGoogle, Google Docs, a staff wiki, Flickr, Google Bookmarks - to increase my productivity and computing capabilities at work and at home. The cloud helps me cope with slow connection problems, saving downloads to the cloud is much more efficient than trying to download on my desktop. I can easily access files from multiple computers which I am required to do frequently. I often wonder about discontinuation and changing of services or the eventual need to upgrade subscriptions to maintain data. For example, Flickr will only hold 200 photos for free, then you need to pay for Premium services to keep from losing your older uploaded photos.

One of the disadvantages I see is a need for an internet connection to access your information. If the connection is down, you can't get into your information. The other question I wonder about is security of information. I try not to put my personal information into the cloud as much as possible in order to avoid problems like identity theft.

Thing 43 Online TV & Video

2009-06-08T10:45:00.000-05:00

Our family has been without a reliable source of broadcast TV for over three years. We live in an area with poor reception and have chosen not to subscribe to satellite TV for various reasons. We have regularly viewed movies and old TV shows through the library and Netflix. Unfortunately, living in a rural area also limits our access to high speed Internet, and we have chosen not to subscribe to the available service for now, so watching free TV shows on-demand on the Internet is not something we will be doing at our house.

For this Thing, I found some short excerpts of recent TV programs. I think the potential impact to our current broadcast network TV stations is already being felt. Many news articles have been documenting the decline of viewers. I believe the Internet and computers are replacing television in most homes, either directly by allowing viewers to choose when they will view their favorite programs, or indirectly by people spending more free time using their computers than watching television. I believe eventually these devices will merge and become one device in most households.

While we do not watch TV on our computer, we have noticed that once we stopped viewing network TV and all of its advertising, our children stopped wanting so many "things." This is really noticeable when we go to Grandma's house, and they get to see the latest and greatest commercials. I wonder how long producers will continue to be able to create TV shows without the guaranteed revenue stream the current broadcast model provides. Will services like Hulu always be free? I don't think so.

Thing 42 Music 2.0

2009-06-08T09:45:00.000-05:00

I have never tried Internet radio before and really enjoyed learning about the different services available. Internet radio has great potential, but I think it will be limited until it becomes more portable. I can't imagine that accessing Internet radio in the backwoods while camping will be an option for quite some time.

It was very amusing and somewhat astonishing that I could locate and play radio stations from around the globe. I found a station in Moscow and was surprised to hear lyrics in English on their radio station. Pandora's site was intuitive. After entering two artists, Pandora already had suggested several others that were of the same genre.

The only technical difficulty I noticed was that Internet radio does not play well on a slow connection. Until high speed is more available in rural areas, Internet radio's reach will be limited.

Thing 41: Mashup your life

2009-06-07T10:15:00.001-05:00

As posted earlier on this blog - I learned about Digsby a while back and use it regularly to help manage all of my social accounts including Facebook, Twitter and multiple email accounts.

The one drawback I've found is that it does seem to slow down my already slow connection at times. Otherwise, I think it is a big productivity booster.

Thing 40 Mashup the Web

2009-06-06T09:37:00.000-05:00

This Thing really helped me better understand what mashups are and how they work. The future potential for this use of the internet is amazing. I tried the following mashups:

Pandora.FM - a great music site with lots of options for music lovers. I found it a little aggravating to listen to with a slow connection.

Phreetings - now I know where to go to create fun photo email greetings.

Ping - I find social network management always interesting. If I find more time later on, I may add more of my accounts to this service to see if I like it better than Digsby.

Libworm - I always find this type of information overwhelming and somewhat unmanageable.

And lastly, I learned that our library is in a very walkable neighborhood

Thing 39 Digital Storytelling

2009-05-13T16:52:00.002-05:00

I used scrapblog.com to create the following page:

I easily loaded my flickr photos into the scrapbook page. It took a very long time to add them to the templates, a faster connection would have helped greatly.

This would be a fun way to share photos with friends and family. Not sure of library applications - perhaps as a promotional piece on the website?

Thing 38 Screencasting

2009-05-13T07:38:00.003-05:00

I watched the Jing and Skitch tutorial screencasts. I was disappointed to learn that Skitch is currently Mac only.

I decided to use Screencast-o-matic because it didn't require a download. I was a little sceptical about doing this on my home computer because of my slow connection, but found it very easy to use even on dial up. It took longer to figure out how to upload the screencast to my blog than to actually create it.

Screencasting has a lot of potential uses. Staff training opportunities come to mind, or a demonstration on how to place a hold on our library catalog. I could also see using this on a personal level to help troubleshoot my mom's computer as well and show her how to fix things herself. Cool gadget!

Thing 37 Photo Tales

2009-05-08T06:34:00.001-05:00

I already have many of my photos uploaded to Flickr thanks to 23 Things, and actually have a set dedicated strictly to library photos. The one drawback I've seen to Flickr is the limit to the amount of photos you can store in your account. I've had to delete photos to make room for new ones on occasion.

I used slide.com to create the above slide show featuring photos from our library. It was really easy to use with Flickr and Blogger. I could see using this as a promotion tool for the library perhaps.

Thing 36 Comic Relief

2009-05-01T20:07:00.007-05:00

from librarylady90 on ToonDoo.com

mine - created on toondoo.com

Sorry - couldn't think of anything funny to say today. I'll have to wait for my son's next zinger.

from freepasswordgenerator.com example: GzHuTZZc

My generated excuse for not being further on More Things: I got so distracted by what turned out to be NOT a long-lost cousin that I could hardly keep my head together-- and then my Loompanics catalog arrived. I am so unspiritual sometimes! Anyway, I hope the cat doesn't have kittens this week.

Added the tag cloud generator to my blog as well. We'll see how well that works. Maybe I'll keep it. These generators were a nice diversion, but didn't seem to have a lot of relevance to me except for maybe program promotion.

Blog giveaway

2009-05-01T09:28:00.006-05:00

I've been following this really great book review blog for a little while. She's giving away an Amazon.com gift card today because she reached 100 followers. You can enter too - just click the link...

http://www.melissas-bookshelf.com

Thing 35 Books 2.0

2009-04-30T06:43:00.004-05:00

In our library our adult circulation numbers continue to increase. Patrons have discovered our young adult and large print collections. Many of our new patrons have been people who have lived in the area for years, but never bothered to come to the library. I believe this may be a sign of our stressed economy. Reading seems to have increased with the not-so-lovely winter weather we've had as well.

The NY Times article Online, R U Really Reading? discussed the decline of youth reading for fun and how much time kids spend online. I believe reading online is better than watching TV any day. However, having children in the school system today, I find the emphasis on the amount of time reading and measuring comprehension has eliminated "fun" reading for my kids. I am a firm believer that kids should spend lots of time reading, but as a parent, I have found it difficult to encourage (and instead need to require) them to read in today's world. It seems the more reading that is required, the less my kids turn to it as something fun to do. I'm not sure where the balance lies, but it would be nice if schools were able to focus a little less on testing requirements in order to allow kids more time to read for fun. What will happen when it's not something that's required for them? Will they turn to books as a pastime if they are viewed as "homework"? I'm not sure.

I have used many of the tools highlighted in this Thing as part of my everyday reading experience to help enhance the services at our library. Reading Group Choices and Reading Group guides have been sites our staff have used regularly to help find discussion questions for our library book club. I use What's Next at least once a week to help patrons find the next book in a series. I really appreciate all of the work that Kent Library has done to create the site.

On my Facebook page I have used WeRead almost from the start. I haven't found time to update it lately (I've been a little distracted by an addicting game called FarmTown), but have found it a great way to find books I may be interested in reading based on my previous book ratings. It's also a nice way to share what you're reading with Friends. I tried Visual Bookshelf, but had already entered all of my info into WeRead and didn't want to start all over. They seemed very similar to me.

I was excited to learn about the site What Should I Read Next. It looks like a resource I could use regularly to help patrons find something new to read.

I also added TwitterLit to my RSS feed because it looked entertaining, but chose not to send it to my phone. After feeding Twitter to my phone for a short time, I found it distracting and a little overwhelming to have my computer come alive in my pocket.

Right now I'm wishing I didn't have so many Things to finish yet because I could definitely spend more time exploring these type of sites. Reader's advisory is an everyday task for us and can prove challenging, especially in genres I am less familiar with.

Thing 34 Online Answer Sites

2009-04-28T08:13:00.004-05:00

Online answer sites are unique because they can provide both anonymity and user interaction. Users do not need to bridge the communication divide - the reference interview is unnecessary. You know when you've found the answer you are looking for. Online sites are available anytime and anywhere there is a computer with Internet access. No need to shower to go to the library, just hop out of bed and start looking for information.

I looked at the Chacha, Yahoo answers and WikiAnswers sites. I found lots of trivial questions - questions you might not want to bother someone in person, but online you can just toss the question to the wind and see what comes back, kind of like the message in a bottle. I also noticed several personal questions, especially health related ones where online anonymity would have a strong appeal. Chacha offers answers on the go from your phone and can be accesses through a Twitter account. Many of the questions were regarding recommendations for anything from chewing gum flavors to dry cleaner services - something librarians really couldn't provide except on a personal level.

Many people I know really don't care where their information comes from. Just a small sampling of my email makes that very obvious. I have had emails that have been forwarded to hundreds of people with advice about cleaning the lint from your dryer or the "latest" phone scam. Was it reliable information? Usually not, but they've been forwarded to everyone in the country it seems regardless.

I really like the idea of the Slam the Boards events - working with these sites rather than competing. Who is our clientele anyway? Are we really limited by geography? Maybe this is something we should be providing since this is where the demand lies.

I may participate in the future - when I'm finally done with these things! Slam the Boards looks interesting and fun, but also very time consuming.

Thing 33 Travel 2.0

2009-04-08T08:24:00.002-05:00

It seems I've been hung up on this topic for quite a while. Life's been busy, but more so, this topic wasn't as appealing to me as some of the earlier Things.

The What is Travel 2.0 article was a really good explanation the Travel 2.0 concept. I've used sites like travelocity and priceline to find hotel rooms based on amenities listed and reviews that were posted and have found them very helpful in finding places that will fit our needs.

Notes from the Road - I checked out this blog briefly, but since I'm not much of a traveler, it didn't really appeal to me.

tripadvisor.com would be a helpful site for someone looking for a place to find tips and information about specific destinations. Hotel rooms, flights, main attractions. The main drawback I noticed was that it mostly focused on large metropolitan areas. I couldn't find anything that discussed rural Minnesota, for example.

I really enjoyed looking at the fastfoodmaps listing of fast food joints. It may seem silly to those who avoid fast food, but it's always nice to know where the next Playland is located when travelling with small children, especially in the winter in Minnesota.

Since traveling is not exactly in my job description, I think most of these sites would be helpful in the library only as patron information. We do have many people looking for info on their next destination.

Thing 32 Google Maps and Mashups

2009-04-04T13:26:00.000-05:00

I tried and finally gave up on creating my own map to embed. My slow connection was a real hindrance to creating a map of my own. The satellite images take forever to load, and when I finally got something I wanted to save, my browser would suddenly reload. I will have to attempt this some time on a faster connection....

In the meantime:

I dug a hole through the center of the earth starting at Minnesota and came out in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

I also tracked a flight from Chicago to Minneapolis

and searched for real estate in my neighborhood.

I enjoyed creating a running route starting from my home, even though I'll probably never run it.

I think this has a lot of practical applications that I could assist patrons with at the library, for example, finding real estate listings in the area or checking to see if someone's plane is leaving on time.

Thing 31 More Twitter

2009-03-27T08:06:00.000-05:00

I think my Twitter page screams newbie right now, but that's OK because I am one. My personal info could be more detailed, but I think I need to figure out what exactly I want to twitter about rather than twittering everything under the sun before I can make it more specific.

I am finding more people with similar interests on Twitter than I have using Facebook. I was surprised to start getting followers from other parts of the country so quickly. I really didn't think my posts were all that follow-worthy yet. I have been using Tweetlater and Digsby to help manage my Twitter account and have it feeding into my Facebook status as well. I sometimes find that my Facebook status updates are not always something I'd want in the Twitterverse, however. I also have my blog posts feeding into Twitter. The feeds help make everything more manageable. Without the feeds, I don't think I could participate in so many different social networking sites. I thought I would be using my mobile phone to keep up with Twitter, but haven't found it to be as convenient as I had hoped.

Twitter is a great way to connect with people you don't know who may have common interests. I find a great way to keep up to date on hot topics, book reviews and library-related news.

Lead Law

2009-03-26T15:00:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to get the word out about this CPSC law and how it's going to affect libraries. I'm personally all for lead-free toys, but it seems like the law as it has been interpreted has gone a little overboard. Do we really want to be testing books to see if they contain lead? Do you know anyone who actually suffered from lead poisoning because they handled a lead-tainted book?

If you have time, please contact your U.S. Representative to let them know that action needs to be taken. Thanks!

Here is a link to locate your U.S. Representative that generates a webform for you to email them your letter.

Here's a letter regarding this issue from Mike Blomberg of the Augsburg College library that was forwarded to me:

----- Forwarded Message -----
Please Ask Your Representative to Co-Sponsor H.R. 1692

As you know, Congress passed legislation titled "The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008" last August. This legislation seeks to decrease the levels of lead and phthalates in products intended for children 12 years of age or younger and will be enforced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). This legislation was misinterpreted by the CPSC to include books.

Thankfully, U.S. Representative Jeff Fortenberry (R-Neb.) recently introduced legislation to amend the CPSIA to exempt ordinary books from the lead limits within the bill. This legislation specifically exempts books and would ensure that children continue to have access to safe, educational and entertaining reading materials. Mr. Fortenberry cannot do this alone, and he needs our help to ensure that his colleagues understand books are indeed a safe product, but our children's access to them is threatened because of the CPSC's current interpretation.

Action Needed:
In order to gain the attention this legislation deserves, please call or write your Representatives and ask them to cosponsor H.R. 1692.

Time is of the essence; we have less than 11 months before the new implementation date arrives, and it is critical that we convince as many Members as possible to sign onto this legislation. Without our advocacy, this legislation will not move forward!

Background:
Currently, books are considered an unregulated product. This means they are generally considered safe and are not subject to the same rules and regulations as toys and other objects on the U.S. market. Under the new interpretation of the CPSIA, books would be subject to the same testing standards as children's toys and clothing.

Very few recalls have actually involved books; in fact, the recalls surrounding books have not happened because of the books themselves but rather the toys that were attached to the books that were considered potential choking hazards. In spite of this information, the standard hardcover and paperback books would be subject to the same testing standards as children's toys under the new legislation.

As a result, publishers have tested the components of books and found that the levels of lead in children's books were far below the future legal requirements at the full implementation of the regulations three years from now. However, the advisory opinion from the CPSC says that not only must the testing be done by one of their certified labs but that this legislation also is retroactive, and every book currently in use must be tested. This situation will become even more complicated because the CPSC has not certified any labs to administer the lead
testing.

At this point, the CPSC has issued a one-year stay in implementation - meaning, the legislation will not be implemented until February 10, 2010. However, the CPSC has indicated that they will not permanently exclude books without some sort of clear Congressional action.

Talking points on H.R. 1692:
* Though the CPSC has interpreted the act to include ordinary books, Congress did not intend for them to be included.
* This legislation would exempt ordinary books only - books that are published on paper of cardboard, printed by conventional publishing methods, intended to be read, and lacking inherent play value.
* Testing has shown that finished books and their component materials contain total lead content at levels considered non-detectable
* The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has determined that there is little risk to children from lead in ordinary books.
* Libraries are grateful for this bill since it is proven that reading books is critical to child development, and libraries would like to continue to provide this service without the threat of regulation that would require unnecessary and expensive testing.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Mike

--

Mike Bloomberg
Systems/Circulation Librarian
Lindell Library
Augsburg College
612-330-1379

Thing 30 More Ways to Use RSS and Delicious

2009-03-20T07:55:00.000-05:00

I used Google Reader daily to read some local papers and keep up with a few blogs. I am a news junkie so have found the RSS feed to be a huge timesaver for me. I do have the feeds organized by category, but when viewing it using my iGoogle page, I usually don't use the categories at all. I try to read through the feeds daily to keep up. I often use the expanded view rather than using list view. I often find that reading the expanded view helps me sift through the articles and determine which ones I actually want to read.

I have not used Delicious since last year and was surprised my account was still working. I have saved all of my bookmarks from my computer using Google toolbar, so don't feel compelled to use Delicious.

Twitter

2009-03-19T07:45:00.002-05:00

This interesting program about Twitter was aired on Monday. I found it especially interesting that the average Twitter user is older than the average Facebook user (if only by a little bit).

Thing 29 Google Tools

2009-03-11T17:25:00.000-05:00

Google News - I used to use Google News daily, but after learning about RSS feeds last year, I got away from going to actual news sites. I am a news junkie however so it was fun to go back to see what I had originally subscribed to on Google News. It used to be embedded on my iGoogle start page, but because it took extra time to load, I had eventually taken it off. I found it interesting that Google could find three relevant articles about my hometown, even one that featured the bobcat that was stolen last week and eventually recovered in Indiana. I found it a little disturbing that when using the personalized search that Google thought an article about Britney Spears was the second most relevant article for me. I'm not sure what exactly in my search history told Google I was interested in Britney.

Google Calendar - I was very excited to learn that there was an interface between Google calendar and Remember the Milk. Being a list person, Remember the Milk has been one of my most-used Things. It allows me to put all of my library things-to-do in one place. I also don't need to remember them at home (my life is very compartmentalized I guess). HOWEVER, I was SO disappointed to discover there are glitches that make the interface not work. Big Bummer.

If I had a PDA of some sort, this type of calendar would be ideal for me. When I'm at home, I am not always by a computer, and my computer is not always connected to the internet. I just don't find it as practical as writing things on the calendar on the wall.

Thing 27 1/2 Digsby

2009-03-10T15:09:00.006-05:00

After reading some of the articles on Twitter, I found a link in one of them that described the Digsby service. I friend of mine has been telling me for quite awhile how she uses Digsby to help keep track of all her online identities. I thought it was worth trying and so far have found it very useful. You do need to download the program to your computer, but it is pretty simple to install. It only took a few minutes to download even on my dial-up connection. Setting up the accounts was very straightforward. I like having the status of my emails, Twitter and Facebook all in one place. I have an older operating system, but it seems to be compatible - no crashes since the install. My dial-up connection also does not interfere with it. I was afraid that once I went offline that it would freeze the system, but no problems at all. Definitely worth trying! I am loading the Digsby IM widget here for now. I don't do a lot of instant messaging, but who knows - maybe I will now.

Here's the link if you're interested: www.digsby.com

Thing 28 Customized Home Pages

2009-02-26T15:00:00.002-06:00

Since 23 Things last spring, I've been using iGoogle to track my gmail, Blogger and Google Reader accounts. I did try to include weather and news feeds, but then the page just took too long to load. I really like being able to have all of my RSS feeds on the same page as my incoming email. I can even scan my work email by fowarding to to my gmail account which has been a real timesaver.

I did try one of the widgets suggesting in the For the Curious section of this Thing. I've added some of my identities to my blog. I hope it helps simply all of these new Things.

Thing 27 Twitter

2009-02-26T10:21:00.004-06:00

I looked at Twitter last year during 23 Things, but didn't find it very useful. I thought I had already subscribed to it, but couldn't find my login info and needed to start over.

In a word Twitter is complicated. I tried to synch with some of the other services that I currently use like Google Reader and Facebook and text messaging. I think I've gotten them all to work, but it seems like I could spend all day tweaking my settings and subscribing to tweets.

Living in what sometimes seems like the text message capital of the United States, I thought at first this would be a fun service, but am not so sure. I've included my twitter gadget on this blog if anyone wants to tweet me sometime.

I liked Hibbing Library's Twitter page and can see how it would be useful in a library setting. The challenge would be developing a meaningful group of followers in order for it to be effective.

Thing 26 Join the Ning

2009-02-25T08:37:00.001-06:00

I originally joined the 23 Things Ning, so just updated my information a little, sent a few Friend invites, joined the GRRL group that Brandi established and commented on one discussion. Ning seems to be very similar to Facebook - Friends, discussions, groups, applications, but a little more basic. I could see potential uses for libraries to help promote programs to those interested or connecting groups like the Friends of the Library.

Thing 25 Blogger Toolkit

2009-02-24T08:25:00.001-06:00

Wow - I think I could spend the next month exploring all of these widgets. I am attempting to post to my blog via email, so hopefully this will work. I added ClickComments because it seemed simple to subscribe to. I also greatly appreciate having sources for photos and graphics. It always seems to be too cumbersome to sort through and load my own. I will probably add Google Analytics yet so I can compare it with Sitemeter which I originally included as part of the 23 Things last year. I was surprised to be asked for additional personal information for Google Analytics since I already have a gmail address.

Thing 24

2009-02-23T21:34:00.005-06:00

When I finally decided to join More Things, I almost started a new blog because I have been doing some random blogging since signing up for 23 Things. However, my life is complicated enough. So for those of you who have been reading this disjointed thing we call my blog, please bear with me while I take a break from my irregular programming to learn a few more Things. And for my fellow Thingers, please excuse my random ramblings about my life, etc.

I updated my layout, but really don't have a lot time to spend on tweaking it to my satisfaction. I looked over the gadgets and actually deleted a couple rather than adding any. I thought about adding Adsense to generate revenue - who couldn't use a little revenue??? - but just didn't feel up to joining the commercial world or signing up for yet another account. I actually added my name to my profile. After spending more time online, I've decided that anonymity is overrated and a little boring. Maybe I'll add something to the description once I can come up with something interesting to say.

I guess I'll go update my avatar now, although I'm still rather attached to her. I think my now five-year-old did quite a nice job helping me design her outfit. I doubt if I can improve. I've been using her on a lot of sites rather than posting my photo because I hate having my picture taken.

Other blogs I've been following have mostly been 23 Things related or from friends. I try to comment occasionally, but my slow connection makes things a little more challenging. A few photos or graphics are enough to keep me from loading the page. I mostly follow them through my RSS feed which eliminates most of the fancy stuff that keeps the blogs from loading quickly.

I've been following a "meme" that an old high school friend had created which sends out weekly blog prompts of a random nature. They are entertaining and a fun way to connect with other bloggers.

Things I am still using regularly from last year's 23 Things:
my blog
my avatar
Remember the Milk
Flickr
Facebook
pbwiki
Survey Monkey
iGoogle
Google Reader
Gmail

More Things...

2009-02-20T19:12:00.004-06:00

I did it - I signed up for More Things on a Stick. Only five hours before the deadline - better late than never I guess. I'm not sure how many Things I'll get done, but Brandi has inspired me to try. She's so persistant, blogging away and showing up in my RSS feed when I least expect it. Now if I can just figure out how to get to the Things....

The cat

2009-02-20T08:13:00.002-06:00

The cat....I am not a cat lover. I understand the difference between cat people and dog people. I am a dog person. However, my brother-in-law was looking for an emergency (hopefully temporary) home for his cats, and I was more than willing to oblige. My daughter has been dying for a cat for as long as I can remember. So, now we have two cats in addition to the two fish, one dog and a rabbit.

Unfortunately, Snoopy (pictured here) and I are still in the boundary-setting stage. She decided that under my bed was the most comfortable spot in the house. I don't mind sharing the house, but really can't stand the idea of something living under my bed, especially something this large. She has fat dripping from her thighs, literally. It's really kind of gross.

Turns out I'm kind of allergic to cats too - so the no cats in the bedroom rule is going to have to be a firm one. I've grown up with cats, so I realize in my head that this is probably a losing battle. But it's not going to stop me from trying to keep them out.

Whining

2009-02-12T07:17:00.000-06:00

Pardon me for needing to vent a little. It's been a rough week. I normally wouldn't complain, but now that parts of my life are starting to appear on TV, I think it's a sign that the drama around here is rather exceptional.

Sunday while we were at church, my 74-year-old father-in-law decided he was going to chase the heifers back into the barn by himself because no one else is around. (We live in a tiny town where most of the neighbors are relatives or are almost relatives. Usually there's SOMEONE around.) He's helpful like that. Anyway, things got a little out of hand. By the time we got home, the ambulance was leaving and Grandma was REALLY upset. On the ride to the emergency room with Grandma, my kids and I thought this was the end for Grandpa. Luckily, everything turned out OK in the end, and we're laughing about it now.

Later that day after we had gotten back from the hospital, we needed a diversion and decided to go sledding down the big hill at school. It's a steep hill that on Sunday was covered with icy snow - the best kind for sledding. My daughter's class was supposed to go sledding that week in phy ed. She needs to wear a bike helmet when she's sledding because she has Mondini's Dysplasia and a severe impact to her head could cause her to go deaf in her right ear. Last year, in spite of the teacher's assurances, someone teased her about wearing the helmet.

As a compromise, we decided to go sledding as a family, and then take her out of class so she wouldn't have to deal with the other kids. She's pretty shy, so teasing is really traumatic for her. Well, wouldn't you know it, after about the fifth trip down the hill, she fell off the sled, landed on her arm, and Dad ended up on top of her. My first thought was she broke her arm.

But after examining it and going home and resting her arm, it really looked OK. She had actually gone sledding twice more after it had happened. She still hurt a little that night, but it wasn't swollen or bruised. She went to school the next morning. By 10 a.m. the nurse's office had called and said she had fallen on it again in music class. I brought Tylenol up to school for her before work and ended up taking her with me. She was in tears, and she's my kid with the highest pain tolerance. I called around for a sub and tried to find someone to take her home. Luckily, my mother-in-law was not too far away and came to pick her up. We had to sneak her out of the building because at the time my in-laws were trying to avoid the TV crews. They were interviewing the police officers that were at the scene on Sunday. (Our library shares the building with the police department.)

By the time I got off work and to my mother-in-law's house, the TV crews had shown up for an interview. Chaos, total chaos....

My in-laws and I were still debating whether her arm was broken. It didn't look broken, and she was using it pretty regularly when she wasn't thinking about it. I finally decided to bring her to the doctor because I didn't want to miss another day of work if I could help it. The whole time at the clinic, she was pointing at things and picking things up with her injured arm. I was thinking, "This is such a waste of time." Even the nurse practitioner wasn't sure. Until she pushed the spot just below her wrist, and my daughter's eyes doubled in size. The NP said, "I thought that spot looked a little funny on the x-ray. Let me check with the radiologist." AAAAAAGGGHHHH!!! They ended up casting her arm all the way above her elbow so she can't turn her arm. She ended up wearing my work shirt home because nothing else would fit above the cast.

Of course, my daughter was ecstatic at the time. She got a purple cast, her favorite color. The next day she came home, and it was completely covered in signatures. The shine is starting to wear off though - that cast is really heavy.

I think the worst part of this all is the fact that if we had stayed home on Sunday, none of it would have happened. Maybe next week will be better....

Locks of Love

2009-01-20T09:00:00.000-06:00

Just had to share - my daughter and I donated our hair together last week. I think it got a little shorter than she imagined, but she's had so many compliments I think that it more than made up for it. One of her teachers had the class give her a round of applause when she told them that she had donated her hair. Gotta love teachers like that!

Lockdown

2009-01-19T05:11:00.002-06:00

The other day I had the opportunity to witness a lock-down drill in my child's classroom. When I received the notice last year or the year before that said they were starting lock-down drills, I thought, "Oh, that's probably a good idea." And although the drill was very well organized and the kids were absolutely OK with the idea, watching 23 little kids pile into a cramped dark corner made me want to cry. What has our world come to? My kids are growing up in a word that requires them to be prepared for a school invasion. And if the invasion were to come from a student from their school, won't they know the lock-down procedures? How does that keep my child safe? I found myself looking around the classroom thinking, "At least the walls are made of concrete." Then I started wondering about the other classrooms. Are they all surrounded by concrete? Will my child's safety some day depend on whether his other classmates are quiet enough? What if they're not? I wish this weren't a "normal" situation for my kids, and at the same time, I'm glad the schools are preparing for the worst.

Christmas Blessings

2008-12-25T08:22:00.002-06:00

On this Christmas Day, here is a random list of blessings I'm counting and what I'm praying for.

I'm grateful:
That my dad has been cancer free for five years.
My kids are healthy and doing well in school.
My husband and I both have secure jobs.
We have a warm house stocked with groceries.

Who I'm praying for this Christmas season:
My sister-in-law who has just begun the fight with breast cancer.
The guy who came into the library Tuesday and said his mom had just passed away from breast cancer.
The family of someone I work with who just suddenly lost their 78 year old mother.
The woman I know of who lost her baby this summer.
The people who lost everything in the fire in Burnsville.
My friend who will be moving her mom to the nursing home on Friday.
My other sister-in-law who is expecting a baby boy in January.
That all of my friends and family and anyone else who reads this a healthy and happy Christmas season.
Merry Christmas!

Thing 23

2008-03-30T17:51:00.005-05:00

To begin, I have to say that this program took way longer than I had originally expected (more than the hours allotted for voluntary certification). I found that attempting to complete the program using a dial-up connection was challenging and sometimes impossible. I did wind up doing some of the training using library computers with faster connections which I guess reflects today's digital divide among the general population. Thank goodness our library system has found a way to provide a high speed connection for free to the general public.

I really enjoyed learning about all of the Things - even the sometimes frustrating Things - and am very glad to have had the opportunity to learn about them. Thank you for constructing and coordinating this program. It has been interesting and motivating to watch and sometimes comment on others blogs. Thanks for sharing the experience!

I keep thinking about how the telephone and television revolutionized the way we communicate with each other and how the internet is just beginning to revolutionize it again. My kids can't imagine a world without telephones (much less cell phones and answering machines). We were recently discussing how the Amish communicate with each other (WITHOUT TELEPHONES???); how without telephones we would need to physically go see someone to talk to them. I've started thinking about how we have gone from a front-porch society to a fenced-backyard society, and how I keep reading about how kids are more and more out of touch with their neighborhoods, nature and society in general, and I wonder if maybe the Amish have it right. I remember hearing about how television reshaped politics when Nixon and Kennedy held their famous (or infamous) debate and see how the internet is getting a foothold in this year's political elections. We are at the cusp of change again, for better or worse.

I plan on keeping up with technology because there is no use in fighting it, and it is part of what I am expected to do as a public servant. Some of it is very entertaining or informative or educational. But all of it takes time in front of this computer screen instead of time outside or with my kids.

In one word I would describe the 23 Things experience as enlightening. I would not have taken the time to explore them without this program.

Thing 22

2008-03-30T17:50:00.000-05:00

I plan on continuing to peck away at the challenge elements of 23 Things as time permits and hope to continue to incorporate some of the things I have learned at my workplace. Use it or lose it!

I have found the RSS reader and Google home page to be something I have begun to use daily. It has helped me skim through newsfeeds much more quickly than checking individual pages.

Thing 21 - Other Social Networks

2008-03-27T07:55:00.007-05:00

I think Ning. Webjunction and all of these social sites have potential to be useful, but time, as always, is a factor in whether I will be able to utilize them. I liked the idea of giving classes on social networking sites in the article "Building a Social Networking Environment at the Library." I think the general public, parents especially, would be interested in learning more about these sites since they seem to be on the news on a regular basis.

I joined the group Bakespace - I hope to find some free time to explore it more in depth. Finding something to cook for my family beyond macaroni and cheese and pizza helps to keep me sane.

Thing 19 - Podcasts

2008-03-27T07:54:00.006-05:00

I enjoyed listening to Wanda's podcast on her dual librarian role:

http://web.stcloudstate.edu/schoolmediapodcast/podcasts/podcast_wanda.mp3

I think it really helped to make this technology seem more relevant by listening to someone I already know doing a podcast.

I like the idea of being able to listen to MPR broadcasts at my convenience. I was surprised that there wasn't more shows that I haven't heard available in the directory I viewed. I guess I listen to public radio more than I realize. They had an intriguing "Speedcast" edition that is supposed to air a program in half the time. I will have to explore this option when I have more time in the future. Eventually I'll need to invest in an MP3 player and a faster connection in order to be able to use these types of technologies. Sitting at my computer waiting for a download to complete and then staying within listening distance is just too much of a time commitment for me at this time.

Thing 18 - YouTube, etc.

2008-03-27T07:53:00.004-05:00

Maybe the library SHOULD have cookies...I love Cookie Monster.

I found this on Google Video - but it appears to have been from YouTube anyway. I was surprised that this came up with a search under "library." In fact it was one of the first videos listed. It is a little overwhelming to find so much information available in no particular order.

Thing 17

2008-03-16T16:54:00.004-05:00

The Things presented here were great powerful concepts, but still have lots of hiccups. Even with our library system's new central search engine capability, I had a hard time finding a map for my fourth grader to use in his state project using Infotrac. These databases need to be easier to navigate before they can be regularly used by the lesser computer saavy. Public awareness of the availability of these tools has also been a big hurdle.

I really liked RSS feed idea - but it was a little tricky to set up. I found it very interesting that the GRRL interface was totally different than the one found at elm.org. Consistency should be the rule and not the exception for these services. They seem like they are constantly in flux and being updated, and it's hard to keep up with those changes as a library staff member. How is the public supposed to find these services useful if they are constantly having to relearn them? It is difficult to teach the extra features available on these databases to patrons because we do not have enough computer terminals available most of the time for this purpose. We can usually just point them to our website and explain how to access the databases.

I spent a lot of time on NetLibrary just trying to access the information. Prior to 23 things I did have an account, but it must have expired or something because I ended up creating a new account again. I was unable to locate the "101 Ways to Promote Your Website" title so tried the exercise with a different title and search term. I have always loved the idea of being to search text on the computer and being able to save notes on my account has real potential especially for students of literature or those doing research on a topic. I was surprised at the availability of newer non-fiction titles through NetLibrary. I was originally under the impression that most of the ebook titles available were under the public domain.

We've had an influx of students looking for biographies at our library lately. Unfortunately, most of our materials are checked out or elsewhere at this point. I thought maybe I could point them in the direction of NetLibrary, but could not find ebooks on three of the most asked for people. I guess the content is not as extensive as I had hoped.

I am glad to have tried the extra features in these Things, but by the time I find a use for them, they will probably have changed or been updated again.

Thing 16

2008-03-16T16:42:00.004-05:00

Research project....my eyes are glazing over....

I can see how this tool might be useful for students who are really computer oriented, but I think a checklist could work just as well. Maybe school media people will find this Thing more relevant. We just don't get as many students seeking this type of assistance at our branch anymore.

Thing 15

2008-03-09T16:29:00.002-05:00

I really enjoyed the perspective in the article "Reality Bytes: Eight Myths About Video Games Debunked." It eased my guilt about having kids who (like most) enjoy their screen time. I did not have much luck playing the online games myself; my dial-up connection is simply not good enough for this technology. I understand why droves of after-school students are flocking to our T-1 connected computers to play these games. It is an interesting phenomenon. We have four public-access internet terminals and between 3-6 p.m. every day they are booked. The kids always want simultaneous times so that they can compete and play against their friends. The most popular game at our library is Runescape. Unfortunately, their gaming can slow down our connection speed throughout the library, but usually it isn't noticeable. The game they play reminds me of the Dungeons and Dragons games that were popular when I was in school or an interactive version of the Nintendo game Zelda. One good part of this is that it helps me to get to know some the middle-grade students in our community and makes the library an integral part of their lives. A few of them have actually ventured over to ask for books at times. Maybe there is hope!

Thing 14

2008-03-09T16:07:00.002-05:00

After trying Library Thing, I found that importing my book list was not as easy as I thought it would be. I have a text file that includes books that I have read, but since it doesn't include ISBNs, I couldn't use it. I have also been experimenting with a Facebook application called iRead which does not export titles. It is a little frustrating that these technologies are not more compatible. The idea of sharing booklists sounds useful and fun, but I think the paper copies we distribute at the library desk are much more effective and portable plus they don't have any compatiblity issues. In my opinion it will be a long time before computers can replace the ease of sharing the printed page.

Thing 13

2008-03-06T08:40:00.003-06:00

I have decided to try Google as my home page on my home computer and attempted to consolidate a bunch of these tools to make things a little simpler. I like the to-do list concept and the idea of being able to share it. I hope that I can somehow incorporate it at work. I find online calendars time consuming and basically unmanageable. If I had one in my purse, it would probably work better for me. I was very excited about being able to interface Remember the Milk with the Google home page, but couldn't get it to work. The download wouldn't complete for my Firefox browser which left me disappointed and frustrated. I was also very excited about the idea of checking my other email accounts from gmail, only to find that I would need to upgrade to the "premium" services for MSN, yahoo and excite accounts. Maybe if I spend a little more time with Remember the Milk I can get the RSS feed to work. It would be ideal if I could easily check the list from work or home, since I regularly email myself reminders as it is. Overall, I think the concepts were good for these online productivity tools, but I found the technology is putzy and somewhat unpredictable when trying to integrate them.

Thing 12

2008-03-04T08:42:00.007-06:00

I do like the idea of having a site recommend news stories to me - I am a info junky I guess. Of the sites listed here were my reactions:

Digg - I like thumbs up/down for comments

Mixx- I couldn't view the tutorial, I think because I am using an old OS on my computer. I did notice on the site that I saw stories I hadn't read that morning on bloglines or star trib. I really like idea of an editor-free environment - but it does reduce the information received to what is "popular" rather than important.

The Newsvine skeptics group really appealed to me - I will have to explore this when I have more time. I liked the Newsvine tour intro - you don't have time for a...

I like the idea of receiving all ap wire service releases. It is no wonder newspapers are struggling
in this Web 2.0 environment.

You can even get ad revenue from your site! I wonder how well this really works...

I noticed different stories on each social media sites. I found it interesting that there were no common stories between sites. I noticed lots of international stories on reddit which would lead me to believe that there are more international users of that site. It seems like I've seen digg button most often when reading online news, but I have started to notice Newsvine more.

I will probably begin to use these sites more regularly now that I have explored them. I receive most of my news via the internet and these sites will save me time once I decide which one to use regularly. If I would need to use all of them, I think I would probably be spending more time than saving in the long run.

Facebook article - Canada tells troops not to post Facebook info: CBC

2008-02-26T13:48:00.001-06:00

I found this article today about Al Qaeda monitoring social networking sites for military information. I think this makes me even more unsure of what information I should include on the web for all the word to see.

http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN2633407020080226?rpc=28

The next thing - delicious

2008-02-24T21:34:00.003-06:00

I am feeling slightly overwhelmed - maybe I've done too many things at once tonight. I've heard of delicious before, but never took the time to try to use it. I haven't seen anything yet that will save me time, but maybe if I putz with it for a few more days, it will seem more useful. I did find an interesting article about "other" ways to use RSS feeds using delicious, but that just made me feel a little more overwhelmed.

Flickr - again

2008-02-24T17:18:00.003-06:00

Flickr has saved me some time this week! In order to create a presentation for our library, I needed to share photos from different projects we have worked on recently. Enter Flickr - upload, share the link - so simple! I am so glad I have taken the time to work on these "Things." It seems I am finding practical applications for them all of the time.

Thing 9

2008-02-24T16:59:00.003-06:00

I love the idea of online document editing and collaboration. The same week that I started looking into this "Thing" I had a frustrated patron at our library who was trying to access a word processing document on her flash drive. Unfortunately, her flash drive had been formatted on an incompatible operating system initially, and our public access computers could not access her information. I was very excited to be able to demonstrate how to go to Google Docs and create the item at home (she had a computer with internet access, but no printer) so that she could later print them from another computer without using the flash drive. These Web 2.0 tools really show a lot of promise to me. No need to update software or worry about compatibility problems between computers or versions of the same software. The ability to allow access to multiple people at the same time without having to worry about where the file is saved and how to get it to the next person. This is pure genius! I am starting to have problems remembering all of my login names and passwords for each site, however. I found Google Docs much easier to access than Zoho Writer.

Wikis - again

2008-02-21T07:45:00.006-06:00

Watching the wiki video made me very excited to try to create and use one at work. I think it would be easier to manage staff projects than trying to use paper which is so easily lost or misplaced. Updating statuses would be easier than our current method and creating to do lists for everyone would be so simple. Since our staff members are all part time and some of us never work together, I think this would be a good way to create "the place to go" for staff updates and projects. I hope that I can figure out how to make a wiki without spending to much time on the learning curve.

Thing 10

2008-02-16T15:52:00.003-06:00

I am still waiting to get access to google docs for Thing 9, so decided to forge on ahead while I wait. Ever since I first heard of wikis a couple of years ago, I thought we should be using them at work to communicate between staff members and departments. I tried using the wiki sandbox, but really didn't think of anything too creative to add. I noticed on some of the library-linked wikis that vandalism and content editing are issues. Most had some control built into the page in order to limit spam, commericialization of the site or conflict between editors. There is just so much potential for a wiki in terms of staff development at our library - maybe I will need to create one in order to help communicate changes & ideas and create to-do lists that won't get lost on our desks. I know our main library staff page is beginning to change to wiki format to allow supervisors to edit their own content. I hope this movement toward interactive content on our web page will continue.

Thing 8

2008-02-15T08:18:00.006-06:00

More and more I am thinking that these Things are an ultimate waste of time. Yes - it is very cool to be able to create a slideshow and share it online. But I have spent so much time creating, logging into, uploading, etc. that I am really starting to wonder about the value of these Things. I am sure it would have been much faster to use a state-of-the-art, high-speed connected computer to complete the tasks in this thing (I won't even tell you how long it takes to upload pictures from my home computer). However, these FREE sites are anything but free - time is a valuable commodity for me.

I can see possibly using this to create presentations, but since we have a limited number of work stations, the practicality of sharing an online presentation is small. Picturetrail allowed me to create a cute slideshow to share with family/friends online - but I'd rather just show them my picture album when they come to visit. It took some patience to get the Flick to work on my computer. I am still not sure why what didn't upload yesterday was so easy to upload today.
I would only recommend this tool to people who have a lot of free time.

Thing 7

2008-02-07T13:13:00.001-06:00

This Thing sure had a lot of parts. I have tried most of the parts prior to the Stick program. We use email daily at our library - I don't know how we would function without it (although the day it was down last year was blissfully quiet). Our system is spread out over 5,000 miles in 32 locations. Email is an absolute necessity in order to get our daily business accomplished. I will be setting my auto-email check to 20 minutes or more when I get back to work, however.

I really hope that in the near future we will be able to use IM for reference questions. I believe that in order to stay relevent to our new millennial generation we need to be able to use their tools to communicate. I think copyright issues will become more of a hassle if we would start doing virtual reference. In my experience, the average Jane and Joe just want their information and want to dissemenate and duplicate it at will. They really don't have a good grasp of how copyright comes into play in most situations. I think virtual reference will create an even bigger demand for information that we need to purchase licenses for in the future.

I am also concerned about the 24/7 concept and like the idea of setting specific hours for IM reference so that adequate staffing patterns can be established. I can see SMS being used for overdue notifications and hold request notifications which would be a time saver for staff in the long run.

Facebook groups

2008-02-07T13:01:00.000-06:00

I joined Libraries using Facebook Pages, Library 2.0 Interest Group and Librarians and Facebook. I found out that if we wanted to create a page for our library, the functionality of the page might be more limited than a personal profile. There was also an interesting discussion about whether to maintain both a professional page and a personal page on Facebook. It made me think more about whether I should allow access to my personal information by people who might work with me or in another library. I guess being from a small town has probably influenced my choice to just have one page. I am accustomed to having to flex between "library" mode and "non-library" mode on a daily basis. If I go to school, many people recognize me from the library, while others recognize me because my kids are there. It can be a fine line to walk when working in a public position in a small town. People have the expectation that if they ask me on my day off about the library that I will respond. It would look bad if I didn't, wouldn't it? I don't think Facebook should be any different.

However, if I were to create a page specifically to promote my library and its services, I would definitely keep personal information, comments and opinions off the page with the exception of maybe book and movie reviews, etc. I would also hope to incorporate things like our logo to make it clear that the information is strictly library - not personal.

Thing 20 - Facebook

2008-02-06T16:31:00.000-06:00

OK - I guess I'm not real good about following directions. I skipped ahead to Thing 20 because I knew I was going to need to create a Facebook page. My brother-in-law left for Austria at the beginning of the week and said to check his Facebook for his updates & pictures so I decided to kill two birds with one stone. I had no idea what a time consuming venture it would be. I was also very surprised by how many people I knew who were on Facebook. My teenage niece was really surprised when I asked to be her "Friend" because she said that adults didn't join Facebook. Ha! I guess I proved her wrong! :)

It really is a fun way to stay connected. There are lots of applications you can add and it seems like an efficient way to share photos and information with lots of people you know.

Thing 6

2008-02-01T09:38:00.001-06:00

Lab trading card
Originally uploaded by klk1991

Don't you love this dog? He showed up in our yard this summer and thought he belonged to us. We did eventually find a good home for him, but in the meantime discovered that a lab is a lot of work. We have two other energetic dogs already, but this one was A LOT of dog.

I am not too impressed with this Thing - fun but pretty much a time waster in my book. I could probably find some creative way to incorporate it into a program. I also liked the idea on another blog of creating trading cards to encourage patrons to visit multiple branches of our library. It was an interesting opportunity to see what tools might be available, but otherwise I could have passed on this thing.

RSS Feed Part 3

2008-02-01T09:21:00.000-06:00

I set up the Google Reader today and prefer its format over Bloglines. I like its layout better and I also found it easier to search for and add RSS feeds.

Thing 5 - comments

2008-02-01T09:17:00.001-06:00

I found this to be a very challenging "Thing." Some of the mash-ups did not load correctly on my dial-up connection. It took some time to figure out how to include the speller image in my blog, but I finally got it to work. I wish I was more familiar with html so that it made more sense to me. I can see that could be useful for creating publicity for programs, especially for teens and millenials. Overall, I think photo sharing can be useful, but it is time consuming. I am still not completely comfortable with the idea of everything I do being available for all the world to see. I think working directly with the public on a regular basis makes me a little more cautious about who might be out there viewing my info.

Thing 5

2008-02-01T09:10:00.000-06:00

">

Created using Spell with flickr which can be found at http://metaatem.net/words/

RSS Feed Part 2

2008-01-31T06:25:00.000-06:00

After using the Bloglines reader for a few days, I find I miss the graphics and layout of the original pages. I like having all of the new postings and headlines available in one place, but wish it would include the photos that accompany the stories. I realize the Yahoo feed does include it, but some of the local ones that I subscribed to did not. I am not sure if the other readers are different - I will need to experiment and see.

Thing 4

2008-01-30T17:00:00.002-06:00

I finally had time to finish this "Thing" (see previous 2 posts) and really am enjoying using Flickr. I have been a little discouraged by the time it takes to upload photos using a dial-up connection. It is slower, but not impossible! After reading about the digital divide recently and how it applies to rural Minnesota, I can see how high-speed access will continue to grow as a problem for people without it. More and more I am finding that sites are difficult or impossible to use with a dial-up connection (and my connection is pretty fast for dial-up). I am really glad we have high-speed connections available at our library for people who are not able to access them.

Including photos of past library events has a lot of potential uses for me. I could create a blog to help publicize our Friends group and its activities, recap past events, help attract new people to the library...it's very exciting!

Caroline Burau

2008-01-30T07:19:00.001-06:00

Caroline Burau
Originally uploaded by klk1991

Twin Cities author Caroline Burau visited our library in October 2007. She had a very attentive audience as she discussed the ups and downs of working as a 911 operator. She also visited our high school to speak with English students there about writing and publishing.

Linda Larson

2008-01-30T07:18:00.001-06:00

Linda Larson
Originally uploaded by klk1991

Our Friends of the Library group has been developing an author visit series. Each month a different author visits to discuss their book and answer questions about publishing. This picture is from March 2007. Local author Linda Larson came to discuss gardening and "Grow It, Eat it," a beautifully illustrated and well done book for gardeners from novice to master. It includes photographs, recipes and tips on how to grow your own vegetables, fruits and flowers.

Flickr

2008-01-30T07:15:00.001-06:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Thing 3 - RSS

2008-01-27T17:37:00.001-06:00

The RSS feeds were new to me. I had heard about them, but never took the time to actually figure out how to use them. It seemed kind of complicated at first, but once I got my page set up the way I wanted it, it seems to be very useful. In my opinion, it was easiest to cut a paste the RSS link directly in order to add it to the page. It seemed like the Blogline search box wasn't picking up all of the RSS feeds that were available. I like the fact that I don't have to check each page individually to see if anything new has been posted. It should be a timesaver. I'm really glad this was included as one of the 23 things.

Library 2.0

2008-01-24T15:11:00.001-06:00

The whole Library 2.0 issue seems to be over emphasized to me. Libraries will continue to adapt based on patron and community expectations, as they should. I am excited to actually use some of the things I have been hearing about on the web. I have used some of the social networking sites a little, but mostly in passing. I am not sure how I will be integrating them in my work yet, but I am hoping to be inspired along the way. I thought "The Ongoing Web Revolution" article summed up the Web 2.0 situation nicely. I agreed with the idea of trust driving change in the library. Since technology and its usage is changing so rapidly, I think the best way to keep pace with it is to allow unmoderated staff postings, etc. in order to be responsive to patron needs and demands. I really appreciated the examples given of library usage of social software.

Thing 1

2008-01-24T09:21:00.001-06:00

Mission accomplished! It seemed kind of complicated to get to this point (first blog entry), but now that I know where all of the "Things" are, it should be a little easier for next time.

I've never blogged before - not really sure if I am comfortable posting something long term to the web.

My 4-year-old really enjoyed helping me with my avatar. I can see why people end up spending so much time on the web...

The sitemeter is a fun option - now I can see if anyone actually reads my blog!