MS 2007 blogging

Here is our cat, Molly checking out the log cabin blocks for my latest quilt project.

I just discovered that MS Office 2007 offers an option to create a blog post directly from Word. It also provides a picture upload option. Wow, the features to change the picture display (framing, reflection, etc.) are so easy to use. Let's see if it works.
Must be something I am missing. The photo didn't transfer automatically. Maybe someone can let me know what I did wrong. (the photo above was added from my blog page in the usual way)

The Code Game promotional

Thought you might enjoy seeing Reference in action--trying to "solicit" new students to participate in the library code game. As you can see by some of these pictures that was easier said than done. Some people gave our staff a WIDE berth. This seems like a great project so I hope the promotion is a success. Good luck!

#23 continuing the journey

I loved this project. It really strengthened my confidence to try new applications and explore their possible uses. Some things I particularly enjoyed were blogging and Flickr. I was amazed how many websites have incorporated blogging as a way to allow feedback from their users. Now I almost feel let down if there is nowhere to give my response when viewing a website.

I enjoyed seeing how other libraries are connecting with their patrons by using the web 2.0 applications. My vision of what libraries can be has really shifted. One unexpected outcome of this project was gaining a glimpse of the personal interests of my co-workers. It was fun to discover a little bit of who they are--besides being an OU employee. They are wonderfully creative.

One of my favorite blogs outside OU is the one done by Helene Blowers.

I would like to participate in more projects like this as part of my own lifelong learning.

#22 - Social networking

I looked at MySpace, Friendster, and facebook. The first one seemed too cluttered and since someone had already invited me to be a friend (it is a pretty powerful feeling when you get an email announcing that someone wants to be your friend), I decided to take the plunge and sign-up for facebook. It is a rather vulnerable feeling at first--wondering who might actually find and read my profile. (I didn't enter much personal information.) I don't see it as something I will incorporate into my life, but I could see how fun and addicting it would be for college students. I looked up one of our former student workers who had graduated and sent him a message. Hmmm...if I don't have someone else's email this might be a way to contact them????

I think that these tools could be a good way for academic libraries to connect with their students if we want to reach patrons where they are at instead of waiting for them to show up on our doorstep.

#21 - Podcasts

So far this application isn't "clicking" for me personally. I keep feeling like I am missing something here, but then I read other bloggers reactions and find that I am not alone in my response. I tried to search for some language instruction, a "Prairie Home Companion" episode, and finally did a search for "library 2.0" to see if I could find some useful examples of how other libraries are using podcasts. The last search led me to a high school that uses podcasts for booktalks and I noticed that the presenter recommended using LibraryThing to find additional suggested titles for reading. Hopkinton (NH) High School Library Podcast

Here is a link to the latest podcasts available from Alden Libraries. Behind the Desk

educational blog - Design in Asia

I found a link to this blog while reading an article in the University Outlook. It documents a trip taken this summer by OU students working on a multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary design project with other students from various parts of Asia. The use of blogging, posting images, and video casts creates a unique opportunity for anyone to get a "you are there" look at this student project.

The picture is from the blog, Design in Asia

Library use of YouTube

Obviously my earlier post of a YouTube link was not exactly related to official library business. So I will add one that seems a little more relevant.

I enjoyed the way this library used YouTube to advertise their reference services. I have noticed more and more websites, i.e. online journals using this format on their front page to communicate recent updates of general interest to their users. It would definitely be a good way to grab the patron's attention when they come to the library's homepage.

YouTube

My introduction to YouTube came when I worked during the wee hours of the night at the Learning Commons. A co-worker wanted to share a humorous video about something a friend had seen on TV. The topic--fainting goats. Just remember, no goats were harmed in the making of this video. Apparently they were bred to do this so the sheep would have a chance to get away first if a wolf came?? At least that is the story I heard.

I laughed til I cried the first time I saw the video, but maybe it was just because I watched it at 4:00am after being up all night.

more online apps--a scheduler

I was checking my bloglines today and found a new (to me) online application that Firefox users might enjoy--Mozilla Sunbird for scheduling. There is a great introduction on how to use the product in a blog that I have been following called, "The Simple Dollar". The blog is about money and debt, but it is a nice mix of common sense and useful financial information for people who want to find ways to have a better working relationship with their money. I love the down-to-earth and personal way that "Trent", the blogger, writes while still dispensing solid advice.

Web 2.0 awards

As usual I am struggling with information overload. I seem to work best with sites that I have seen someone else using or which have been recommended by a friend or co-worker--otherwise I tend to get lost wading through a site without actually seeing how it might be useful to me. I liked the way the award list was arranged by categories so that you could determine which site most closely suits a particular task. I really liked the small summaries after each of the award winners--it helped clarify their function and mission

I explored "craigslist" and "Farecast" just to see how they worked. craigslist could be helpful for someone new to an area who wanted to find housing from a central website instead of trying to figure out which newspaper to use for a particular city. It seems to be limited to larger cities and may not be as helpful for more rural areas.

Farecast had a very easy to use interface when searching for flight information and provided links to several other major travel websites as well. I don't do much traveling, but Farecast offered some great search options for even a novice like myself.

web-based apps

I decided to give the Google docs and spreadsheets a try with a new project that needs to be shared among several people in our department. I will be taking an inventory of current print periodicals in CIC and then other staff will look at the list to determine what titles need to be canceled, bound, continued, etc. Although, the same function is essentially possible using the Library "s" drive, the Google application will offer even more options for accessibility from various computers.

wikis

Here is another technology that feels a little daunting at first glance, but I have confidence from my previous experiences with the web 2.0 applications that this one will prove doable as well. After looking at the links to the sample wikis I was surprised to see such a variety of interfaces to work with. Initially those differences confused me when trying to get a grasp on how to access the information in the wiki. However, as I explored the possibilities I found lots of great uses for wikis. Some of my favorites are:

• conference resources--the Chicago ALA wiki was a great tool for informing newcomers about community info as well as conference info
• research guides--of course Chad's Bizwiki is a gem
• wikis in academic courses--this seems a useful way to communicate course information with a class. This example from a course at Eckard was interesting.
• collaborative documents or projects--I liked the example of planning a camping trip in one of the tutorials where various people add and sort information needed for the trip. "Library Success: a best practices wiki" appeared to gather a goldmine of information for librarians from multiple types of libraries.

Next I will be experimenting with our wiki "sandbox". I'll let you know how it goes.

del.icio.us and technorati

del.icio.us was easy and fun for me to set up an account and use. I particularly like having the button in my browser toolbar that lets me set up a link from the page that I am currently viewing. So far I haven't done much exploring with the tag searches, but I can see where it would be useful to find links to other sites that people are using for a specific topic.

Technorati was a little more confusing at first and then once I started exploring it it seemed a little scary when my blog posts started showing up in a list from a search. It makes me question the issue of private vs. public when I am expressing my opinions. Who do I want reading my thoughts? On the other hand, how easy is it to post all kinds of bizarre opinions and still remain anonymous? Still I can see the benefits for librarians who want a quick way to connect with each other and share their sources and innovative ideas on bringing services to their patrons.

Stretching my perspective

I tried a sample of the recommended readings from step #15 On Library 2.0 & Web 2.0... So far I have read the article from OCLC Next Space newsletter called, "Web 2.0: where will the next generation web take libraries".

Here are a few thoughts that stood out to me:

• user centered libraries--base all plans and services on user needs and wants
• principle that "Library is human" makes the library a social and emotionally engaging center for learning and experience (Michael Stephens)
• "Icebergs" to look out for and avoid: 1. creating the "just in case" collection; 2. reliance on user education (instead we should make our tools more user friendly); 3. holding on to the "come to us" model of library service (Rick Anderson)
• libraries are communities, they preserve and promote community memories (Wendy Schultz)

I am just beginning to get a grasp of the shift in society and technology and how it is impacting the image and function of libraries. I don't see myself ever spending hours in Second Life, but I am glad some librarians are looking for ways to reach patrons through that "community". My personal vision of libraries focuses more on enhancing library as a physical place that mixes technology with the human element. The following quote seems to fit the new model for libraries.

"With Library 3D, we have strayed far into virtual reality in the flight from bricks and mortar into software. Yet many businesses are demonstrating that storefronts can still draw customers, if they offer a compelling experience: a clearly defined environment that is authentic (true and good); humane (emotional, irrational); experiential (designed, theatrical); impassioned; relevant (understandable, timely); and participatory (open, lived, shared).4" (Wendy Schultz, Andrew Zolli closing comments at a Sun Brand Summit)

This Learning 2.0 project is definitely stretching my view of libraries. In case you want to look at some fun examples of libraries using web 2.0 applications I would recommend the PowerPoint presentation by Helene Blowers (originator of the 23 Steps program). Here is the link for her blog, "LibraryBytes", if you want to follow her connections to technology and libraries. The presentation is linked under the post called, "Tutzing, Berlin & Frankfurt Presentations" on July 6, 2007.

Rollyo

This is one application that I am not ready to tackle for creating my own lists, but I did find a couple of links that might be useful.
cooking
reference
guitar tablature (for my son--I will wait to get feedback from him or another library blogger who is more into playing music than I am)
It was interesting to see a few celebrities listed in this site and their choice of preferred websites.

Maybe a school librarian could use this on her webpage to give students a quick location to search for answers to historic or scientific homework questions. This way they will automatically search from reputable sites rather than a generic Google search.

Looking at LibraryThing

I can see why the Learning 2.0 leaders said this was a week for "play". I am really enjoying exploring the new applications this week. I have only scratched the surface of LibraryThing, but I can see that it would have some great potential for sharing new book titles. One of my favorite features (as mentioned by another user) is the automatic link to pictures of the book covers--much more appealing than a written list of titles.

Moving right along

Somehow I missed the connection to the site FD Toys when I first looked at Flickr. The choices for playing with images look like things I will enjoy experimenting with as I upload more pictures to Flickr.

Here is my first attempt with a trading card for CIC.

I looked at The Generator (blog), also. The list of options is literally mind boggling. And to think that I thought there were too many choices in the grocery store! Here is a picture that made me smile.

CU Community Photo Galleries

CU Community Photo Galleries

This site has photos from events in our area. I found a group of pictures from my grandson's swimming lessons! The site lets me link directly to my blog.

My grandson, GABRIEL, had lots of fun on the slide at the pool.

#9 - RSS musings

Initially I felt quite overwhelmed with the concept of RSS and newsreaders. I thought, "I don't want to follow multiple news sources. Why would I need to know how to use this technology?" But for the sake of the "23 Steps" I determined to forge ahead.

Imagine my relief when the first two tutorials made the basics of RSS quite clear. Next I went through the steps in bloglines and set up my own account complete with several feeds. So far so good. They actually work!

Moving on to examine the bloglines search tools became more of a challenge. I think I will seek out some advice from colleagues before I spend more time exploring these sites.

The search tools seemed time-consuming for locating RSS feeds. At this point I prefer to add feeds to sites that I already know about or to sites recommended by co-workers or to sites recommended in articles that I read.

Here are a few of the sites that I linked to through bloglines:
Library Bytes by Helene Blowers (primary developer of our Library 2.0 program)
Shifted Librarian - cutting edge articles on technology and the future of libraries
BBC - if I must read news this one seems more global in coverage
The Simple Dollar - a "fun" blog about money wisdom and unexpected tangents like "10 Books that changed my life"

Multiple definitions

Today I discovered a new meaning for an old word--portmanteau. I was looking for the root of the word "blog" and was told that it is a combination of the words "web log". That part made sense, but the definition also said that such words are a portmanteau or combination of two words to make a new word, i.e. brunch, smog, etc.

I always considered a portmanteau to be a sort of old fashioned suitcase. According to Dictionary.com this word includes both definitions! See "portmanteau". Always something new to learn!

Fountain for CIC

Fountain for CIC
Originally uploaded by Quilting Story

One picture is definitely worth a thousand words. When mentioning the Southeast Asia collection this area creates a welcoming introduction to the floor.

The use of technology to share pictures is a wonderful development.

test photo upload

This photo was uploaded from a camera at IMS and credit must be given to Kiffany for taking the picture. Thanks. Technology can be daunting, but a few pointers from a co-worker can really make the learning process much more efficient and enjoyable.

Flickr mashups - bubblr

This mashup lets you add captions to pictures or even create comic strips with groups of pictures. Here is a picture that sort of depicts me in the middle of the Learning 2.0 project.

Flickr

uploaded by highwaygirl67

This is a test blog from my Flickr account. I found a beautiful photo of rocks along Lake Superior so I decided to try to post it. Linking to pictures on the web is still a somewhat murky process for me.

Next I will try a personal photo that I had saved in OakStorage. That one was too large to download so I need to do some more research on the size of photo files.

Learning 2.0 workshop - #1

So far the workshop is moving at a good pace. It is a good way to review the things I have already tried, plus I am learning a few new pointers.
I liked the hint about making changes to a post by clicking on the pencil at the bottom of each post.

make life beautiful

I am curious to know if anyone else is acquainted with the picture book "Miss Rumphius". Ever since I took a storytelling class in my first undergraduate career, I have been drawn to children's literature. This title is one that captured my interest--both for the story and for the illustrations. I will try to insert a picture that I found on Flickr which relates to the story.


It worked! For more information on the lupin see the link in
wikipedia.

LIfelong learning

Overall I think I do pretty well as a lifelong learner. It was difficult for me to pick one of the 7 1/2 habits as the one I find most difficult and the one I find easiest to do.

I finally chose number 1 as the hardest--Begin with the end in mind. I have trouble staying focused on the ultimate goal and tend to get lost in the day-to-day details. I like the idea of shifting my focus to keep the goal in the forefront. I can see where this would make it easier to assign a priority to tasks, both at work and in my personal life.

The easiest habit is having confidence in myself. I see myself as adaptable and capable of taking on new tasks. I think I do best learning from instruction with others--as long as they take it one step at a time.

With regards to technology, it seems to be developing exponentially and not totally necessary in some areas. I want to work on learning new technology somewhat selectively in the formats that will be most applicable for my work and life. I am not particularly interested in blogging--I would rather network with the people in my community, but I think it will be a good learning experience. I think del.icio.us and flickr will be good to have an awareness about, but are probably not tools that I will use frequently. ( I am open to changing that opinion.)

One piece of technology that I would like to become more comfortable with is sharing pictures--for work promotion and for sharing with family and friends.

My first post

Hi,

This is a totally new experience for me so I am feeling a little cautious about jumping in. I picked the name for my blog from the theme of one of my favorite children's books. I am looking forward to exploring and developing my interests in a new medium.