I know you guys are old hat at blogging now, but I'd feel remiss if I didn't mention. Common Craft (whose lovely "in plain English" videos we've watched in several of the 24 Things) recently posted a Blogging in Plain English. It gives a really good explanation of what blogging is, how it works, and why people like it so much. Check it out!
Also watch: New Lightbulbs in Plain English to learn about why you should be using compact fluorescent bulbs.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
another youtube video
This video was made for the Skokie Public Library staff in-service day, showing how its director has "integrated Web 2.0 technology into her life."
The 24th Thing
Woo hoo! (or W00T, if you prefer) I've reached the end!
I have really enjoyed this program, both as a participant and as the person putting it all together. Though I was familiar with, or had at least heard of, most of the resources and concepts we discovered through the 24 Things, this program gave me an excuse to actually visit some sites I had never been to and try out some of the cool web 2.0 tools I hadn't yet used. It also gave me a better understanding about things like RSS, wikis, etc. I've also really enjoyed seeing you all go through the 24 Things. I'm very proud of all the staff who have participated in this program, and I'm glad that so many of you have found it a worthwhile project.
I think my favorite thing about this program, as you might guess from previous posts (or how much I keep talking about it), was the wiki. I've wanted to get a staff wiki started for a while, and this was the perfect reason to make it happen. Doing it as one of the 24 Things was also a great way to get multiple staff involved, without me having to resort to pleading or arm twisting. I just hope we can get the rest of the library staff interested and involved, even if they're not participating in the program. I truly think it can be a great resource for us, and Rita and I are discussing ways we can incorporate other materials into this wiki (or build a new one).
I hope that I was successful in making at least some of the exercises relevant to your job. I do believe in the value of lifelong learning, and I think it's important that you have opportunities to learn while on the job. I think several of you have given good ideas of ways we can use some of these resources within the library, either for staff communication or to reach patrons, and I hope that in the next year we can explore some of those ideas. A few people have suggested to me that they'd like to see us offer a program like this for our patrons, and that's another thing we'll be considering.
I appreciate all the feedback you have given me as we've gone through this program, and I hope that you'll continue to share ideas and suggestions as you (hopefully) continue learning about web 2.0.
I have really enjoyed this program, both as a participant and as the person putting it all together. Though I was familiar with, or had at least heard of, most of the resources and concepts we discovered through the 24 Things, this program gave me an excuse to actually visit some sites I had never been to and try out some of the cool web 2.0 tools I hadn't yet used. It also gave me a better understanding about things like RSS, wikis, etc. I've also really enjoyed seeing you all go through the 24 Things. I'm very proud of all the staff who have participated in this program, and I'm glad that so many of you have found it a worthwhile project.
I think my favorite thing about this program, as you might guess from previous posts (or how much I keep talking about it), was the wiki. I've wanted to get a staff wiki started for a while, and this was the perfect reason to make it happen. Doing it as one of the 24 Things was also a great way to get multiple staff involved, without me having to resort to pleading or arm twisting. I just hope we can get the rest of the library staff interested and involved, even if they're not participating in the program. I truly think it can be a great resource for us, and Rita and I are discussing ways we can incorporate other materials into this wiki (or build a new one).
I hope that I was successful in making at least some of the exercises relevant to your job. I do believe in the value of lifelong learning, and I think it's important that you have opportunities to learn while on the job. I think several of you have given good ideas of ways we can use some of these resources within the library, either for staff communication or to reach patrons, and I hope that in the next year we can explore some of those ideas. A few people have suggested to me that they'd like to see us offer a program like this for our patrons, and that's another thing we'll be considering.
I appreciate all the feedback you have given me as we've gone through this program, and I hope that you'll continue to share ideas and suggestions as you (hopefully) continue learning about web 2.0.
Thing 23 - podcasts
I'm familiar with podcasts and have listened to a few, though none regularly. There are a couple of zine-related podcasts I sometimes dip into (here's one, and here's another), and I have a friend who makes a music podcast.
So I did a couple of searches for "mama" and "parenting" and found a couple of interesting ones. I also found one on grammar, cause I'm a geek like that. I've added them to my bloglines. What I thought was interesting is that the different podcast search sites turned up different results, and I was surprised that podcast.net included listings for podcasts that haven't be updated in more than a year. I think I liked podfeed's results best.
I like podcasts, as a concept, but they don't do much for me. I'm more of a visual person than an auditory; if I'm just listening to something, I tend to tune out after a while. Like I've never been into talk radio. The subject matter really has to be interesting to me to keep my attention. Video podcasts are more up my alley, since I'm watching as well as listening.
So I did a couple of searches for "mama" and "parenting" and found a couple of interesting ones. I also found one on grammar, cause I'm a geek like that. I've added them to my bloglines. What I thought was interesting is that the different podcast search sites turned up different results, and I was surprised that podcast.net included listings for podcasts that haven't be updated in more than a year. I think I liked podfeed's results best.
I like podcasts, as a concept, but they don't do much for me. I'm more of a visual person than an auditory; if I'm just listening to something, I tend to tune out after a while. Like I've never been into talk radio. The subject matter really has to be interesting to me to keep my attention. Video podcasts are more up my alley, since I'm watching as well as listening.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Thing 20 - other web 2.0 tools
Some of the winners are sites we've already explored through L2.0. Of the others, some are sites I'm already familiar with or using. Like Craigslist. I LOVE Craigslist. I have sold things, bought things, and found babysitters using this site. Free classifieds, who wouldn't love it? Google Maps, awesome. I use it at least once a week. Meebo has been talked about a lot in the library blogosphere, as a great tool for chat reference. I have some friends who use Twitter, but it doesn't really appeal to me. There are a couple of sites that I think will be helpful for me with web development that I plan to go back and revisit.
BUT: for this exercise, I think I'll jump on the bandwagon and try out Pandora. I feel pretty out of touch with music. I haven't bought any new cds in ages, and the only MP3s I've bought/downloaded have been songs or bands I already know. I've been wanting to connect with some new music, so I think this would be a great tool for me to use.
So, my evaluation after a little bit of use: I like how it tells you why it selected a particular band or song, so you can see what criteria it's using. I only listened to a few songs, but I agreed with all the ones selected, based on my initial input. The whole music genome project sounds really cool. What a fun job that would be, eh? Sitting and listening to songs and determining their attributes, who sounds like who, etc. And if you find something you really like, just follow the link to hear more samples from the album, plus links to buy it. Yeah, I definitely see myself using this site.
Now, if someone would come up with a book genome, we'd have the ultimate reader's advisory tool, right?
BUT: for this exercise, I think I'll jump on the bandwagon and try out Pandora. I feel pretty out of touch with music. I haven't bought any new cds in ages, and the only MP3s I've bought/downloaded have been songs or bands I already know. I've been wanting to connect with some new music, so I think this would be a great tool for me to use.
So, my evaluation after a little bit of use: I like how it tells you why it selected a particular band or song, so you can see what criteria it's using. I only listened to a few songs, but I agreed with all the ones selected, based on my initial input. The whole music genome project sounds really cool. What a fun job that would be, eh? Sitting and listening to songs and determining their attributes, who sounds like who, etc. And if you find something you really like, just follow the link to hear more samples from the album, plus links to buy it. Yeah, I definitely see myself using this site.
Now, if someone would come up with a book genome, we'd have the ultimate reader's advisory tool, right?
Monday, December 17, 2007
Thing 22 - MyLibraryDV and READS
I'm pretty familiar with both R.E.A.D.S. and MyLibraryDV, mainly because of my interaction with the library's website. I think services like these are where libraries are heading. I think we're probably a bit ahead of the game with MyLibraryDV -- from what I've seen, our patrons aren't using this service a lot yet. It may be because they're not familiar with it, or it may be that they just aren't hip to downloading and watching full-length programs on their computer. Regardless, I think within a few years, we're going to see more blurring between computers and TVs, to the point where eventually it's the same system (in some houses, at least).
R.E.A.D.S. is a great service. I don't use it personally, because I'm not too into audiobooks. There are some nursery rhyme and lullabies available in the children's book section, which I've thought about downloading and burning to CD. Once I have my MP3 player, I'll probably let Denny borrow it to listen to some of the audiobooks, if there's any he's interested in. He gets audiobooks sometimes from the library for the blind, but R.E.A.D.S. has a much bigger selection.
R.E.A.D.S. is a great service. I don't use it personally, because I'm not too into audiobooks. There are some nursery rhyme and lullabies available in the children's book section, which I've thought about downloading and burning to CD. Once I have my MP3 player, I'll probably let Denny borrow it to listen to some of the audiobooks, if there's any he's interested in. He gets audiobooks sometimes from the library for the blind, but R.E.A.D.S. has a much bigger selection.
#21 = YouTube
I like YouTube. The guys who thought up this site were geniuses, in my book. I frequently use YouTube, both as a viewer and as a creator. As a viewer, there are lots of interested videos you can find there. Friends and family send me links, or I'll see a link or embedded video on a blog I read pretty much on a daily basis. Sometimes I'll go there specifically looking for a video -- when you remember some cartoon you saw as a child that you want to see again or you're trying to tell somebody about a music video that starred Christopher Walken, and it's just easier to find the video and show it to them than try to explain it. I also have a YouTube account, and I've used it to share short video clips of my son with our family and friends. We have family who live all over the country, who we're not able to visit often, and many of them have been really pleased to be able to watch our son's growth and development. (I'm not going to link to it here, but if you want to see them, let me know and I'll email you the URL.)
As you saw on the 24Things post I made about YouTube, there are lots of library-related videos to be found. Here's one of my favorites. It was made for a video contest. I like it because library + zombies = awesome.
Here's a few other choice videos:
As you saw on the 24Things post I made about YouTube, there are lots of library-related videos to be found. Here's one of my favorites. It was made for a video contest. I like it because library + zombies = awesome.
Here's a few other choice videos:
- I'm a Librarian; I'm an IT Professional - a spoof of the Mac vs. PC commercials (which I love).
- How to Make a Zine (using 1 sheet of paper)
- I also love the Chad Vader video series.
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