Week #10 Thing #21: More from the Twitterverse

Reiterate my previous post. I can see a use for Twitter-related-apps if you are:
Working on a group project like getting someone elected
Traveling (to update family)
But I struggle to find any professional application.

We spend way too much time trying to find application for online new applications. How about we reverse our orientation? When we have a need, we look for a tool, instead of the other way around?

Week #10: Thing #20 Microblogging/Twitter

Microblogging is macroboring. Searched multiple times.

I can see using this tool to update friends and family if I were traveling to some exotic locale. Might be fun.

Can't really envision any library use except updates on services, what's for sale in the cafe, etc.

Week #9: Thing #19 ebooks audiobooks

Are ebooks as "valuable" as print? I think they are a truly new thing, which will not replace print, but supplement print. Radio didn't go away when television arrived.

I can't read and drive. Audiobooks are great for boring major highway driving. But for pleasure listening only. I wouldn't want to listen to a difficult-to-absorb topic. With reading I can change my pace and pause. Too hard to do that when listening if I'm doing anything.

ebooks are great for reference, quick lookup.

ebooks for textbooks are a great idea. Save trees.

But for pleasure reading? I haven't tried any ebook players because of cost. I wouldn't want to read on a computer screen, as I do too much of that for work. If the players get cheap, I might try them, but then there is the availability of what I want to read. I don't read best sellers for the most part. Academic libraries are probably not in the business of providing best sellers either in this financial climate.

The British Library site was just fantastic. But that's on the order of visiting a museum, not reading.

Week #9: Thing #18 PodCasts

Wow, I didn't realize there was so MUCH out there. I had fun exploring NPR's listings, and PodCast Alley. But I was able to narrow my search for PodCasts better using Google searches for my topic and podcast.

Surprised by the number of colleges using podcasts for course material. I've not heard of this route at UMass at all.

Guess I'll dust off the iPod...

Week #9, Thing #17: YouTube

I'd never been to YouTube before this "class." I spent a few minutes having fun watching the first part of the recommended videos. I especially was taken with Introducing the Book. I could see using these to liven up a long instruction session if I could find something appropriate. But I spent quite a bit of time searching for quality interesting content, and most of the videos I began watching were in the nature of home movies, boring unless they were YOUR home movie.

There is quite a bit of creative talent out there, amongst the drek. For the really good pieces, like a wonderful bit of footage of Space Ship One, I worry about preservation.

So if I were teaching or had a presentation in the works, I might think about both using and possibly creating some videos too.

Week #8 Thing #16

I took the easy way out here. I looked at an application specifically designed for libraries. I looked at Villanova's implementation of VuFind. Slick, clean, elegant, open source catalog. Easy to use, easy to text info, send email, grab a citation (though that has an amusing warning message).
Great "more like this" features. Interesting date range e.g. "era" information.

I wonder what the staff side is like. Santa, I want this for Christmas. Please, I've been a good girl.

Week #8 Thing #15

This "week's" assignments are several hours worth really. Need to balance the workload here... I couldn't possibly spend 45 minutes on just one video.

Anyway I explored some of the tools at some length, over an hour or so. Google Docs is great. Would be good for working on committee work with librarians from other institutions. No need to use it for work or home as Office is already there. And wouldn't be permitted to put confidential stuff I work with there anyway.

Basecamp s*cks. I use it for a project I'm working on now. Don't go there.

I do have concerns about what happens to the content of the docs that are loaded to some of these sites. For now I trust Google to not be evil, but I don't know who these other people are.

And as for trusting recommendations, it is nice to get ideas from LifeHacker, but I don't BELIEVE. I get recommendations from people I know and trust. I think it is pretty naive of people to do ANYTHING because it is popular.

Back to work...

Week #7 Thing #14: Using pbwiki

I found the pbwiki software very counter-intuitive. I had trouble figuring out how to edit pages. Perhaps because I'm used to dokuwiki or whatever our software is called?? Perhaps. But there is something to be said for big EDIT buttons ;-)

Week #7 Thing #13: Wikis

Wikis are a useful tool. We have a departmental wiki for manuals and instructions and check-lists which is a huge improvement over having a variety of documents in a variety of versions in a variety of file directories. They are also useful as public information sites. I liked the book review wiki at one public library I "visited." Concerns with documentation is that staff remember that the wiki is public and do not post proprietary information. Concern with all is the work involved in keeping it up to date. Great that you don't need lots of HTML knowledge, but you DO need to learn the particular wiki's syntax.

Week #6: Thing 12: Library 2.0

I read lots of the suggestions and viewed some YouTube videos. What the heck is Library 2.0? I think it is just an attempt by some librarians to kick-start, push, light a fire under, and otherwise energize an otherwise dying profession.

We have relegated the design of our tools (software mostly) to people in other professions. We don't understand how the tools work anymore. We are helpless when they break. We are becoming a retail "store" for information because that's the only part we still know how to do.

Libraries have always been user-centered. To say Library 2.0 is about THAT is bogus, IMHO. We've got some librarians 2.0, but we'll never have libraries 2.0 till all librarians get the skills they need. We understand what users want, but are helpless to help them. We buy crappy systems rather than push back at the vendors. We certainly can't (most of us) build them ourselves.

We start with redesigning library school curricula to make them relevant. Might have a chance to save the sinking ship.

Week #6: Thing 11: Technorati

I spent a bit of time exploring Technorati using the Discovery Exercise questions. The tags used by most people are too broad to be of use as a finding aid, e.g. politics, and there are too many synonyms. Search for "libraries" as a tag brought up lots of programmers blogs.

I did find the advanced search useful when I searched for very specific phrases in posts (I got 40 hits with WorldCat Local and found one interesting blog on the second screen of hits).

So I'd suggest the keyword searches are more useful if you can be specific AND there aren't many other uses for your word or phrase.

Week #6: Thing 10 Part 2: Delicious is delicious

Now here is a tool I will definitely use for work! So hard to keep track of web pages I find for my two separate subject areas, plus eresource stuff, plus... Well designed, intuitive to use. And not tied to my workstation.

I don't expect I'll use much of the social aspect. Too many synonyms in English. Too many poor spellers (perhaps including me ;-). I deliberately misspelled several tags and got lots of "hits." Might try searches if I'm striking out looking for a topic though.

Week #6: Thing 10 Part 1

I'm still unable to play Commoncraft and YouTube videos in spite of getting my Flash upgraded. Problem is something to do with my FireFox setup I presume. Posted help request to Systems. I want my Mac.

Week #5: Play/Catch-up week

Think I'll take a break this week. I created a LibraryThing account in the past, wanting somewhere to keep a list of what I've read, if nothing else. But I didn't keep it up. It was just one more thing to do, I didn't get to it before I returned books, forgot. I also wanted a place to record books I hated... Guess it's back to Excel.

Week #4: Thing#9

Found most of the search tools easy to use, but most of the blogs located old and dusty and not recently updated. Used Technorati, Sydic8, Library blog directory at Yahoo, Bloglines search. For whatever reason, Bloglines turned up the most recent content. Probably a coincidence.

Week #4, Thing #8: RSS feeds. Spent WAY too much time exploring various blogs. Nice to have "permission" to do so. Found some interesting librarians out there, apparently posting on their own time? Set up some feeds. Will see after vacation what I've gathered. Bloglines very slow and lots of error messages today.

http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/2009/04/08/turn-that-org-chart-upside-down/

Interesting post concerning our present reorganization. The manager as servant hmmm...

Week 3. Thing #7: Hmmm.... What's on my mind today is humanity's varying uses of technology, not the technology itself. 1. How the tools I really want, aren't out there yet e.g. I want my windows to shut themselves when it rains. 2. How little people seem to be willing to learn. I want my local library to have staff who understand their systems so that they don't keep(forgetting?) to check back in my Virtual Catalog books.

Technology is tools, but it isn't magic. Is it true most people can't program their DVD recorders? Or they WON'T?

Only one person appears to be doing next week's Things, so I'll try to come back and read other people's after my vacation.

Week 3: Thing #6. Explored most of the suggestions. Cool to know these exist, though I doubt I'd use any on a regular basis, it is nice to know what's in the arsenal.

Week 3: Thing 5: It seems I have to create a Yahoo account to save photos at Flickr. It seems to be insisting on my full birthday. Having been a victim of identity theft in the past, I don't give this out. I guess I will lie?

There are wonderful photos on Flickr. Above is Lake Willoughby where I'm off to on Saturday. I explored a variety of subjects. I think that I might use this to create groups of photos for family and friends of trips we have taken. I don't imagine a work-related use at present.

Week 2: Thing 4: Duly registered per instructions. Doubt I'll maintain it after the class, but maybe...

Week 2 Thing 3: Set up my blog. I enjoy reading some blogs, but don't do it on a regular basis. Seems largely a time-suck to me. Few original thoughts out there. How would you find them?

Week 1 Thing 2: 7 1/2 habits of lifelong learners was way toooooo slow... The hardest of the points for me is goal setting. But I'm not sure everyone needs a firm goal. Sometimes serendipity is best. The easiest thing is confidence. I have been blessed with a good memory, so learning is easy except for things requiring visual orientation of my person or objects.

Just completed the online tutorial The 7 1/2 Habits of Lifelong Learners. A bit slow for my taste.