Thing #23

I'M FINISHED!!! To sum up this experience -WOW!!! What is available in cyberspace is beyond what I want to know. I will go back to Generator and will definitely look at Flickr more. The majority of the "things" did not interest me but it was a good experience. Thanks to the challenge I feel a little more confident in searching and finding what I want. However its amazing how much is out there but can't be trusted like Wikpedia. What a great idea to have all this information available but then if we have to wonder if its true what good is it? I can see where a lot of these web sights would be very helpful to librarians in disseminating information but for the average person its mind boggling. I'm up for another challenge though. Bring it on!

Thing #22

Well I tried this podcast thing again and it still freezes on me so am going to delete it. It's much easier to go directly to the web sight through my regular browser and listen that way. I did register at NetLibrary and am anxious to try this "thing" with eBooks. Although there's nothing better than curling up with a good book to read I'm willing to give this new method a try. Better yet, just setting on my porch and enjoying the scenery is much more relaxing. This was my side yard last fall.

Thing #21

I downloaded a podcast reader (ipodder) so as to listen to subscribed podcasts but its not very clear as to how or what I did. All I know is that I was able to listen to one of my favorite devotional sights. As it was downloading a couple more for me to listen to the sight froze and after working with it for an hour I gave up. The time spent on this "thing" is not worth it. Thanks but no thanks.

Thing #20

I dreaded going into YouTube but found a couple things that held my attention. The videos of kittens and puppies were especially delightful. I set up an account but don't really expect to upload anything. It's just not the kind of socializing I want to do. Some videos of singers caught my attention also but I don't understand how these are actually legal since YouTube warns of copyright infringements when a CD or video is uploaded. Maybe I didn't get into things that might affect library usage but couldn't see where this would tie in with our work at the library.

Thing #19

I found one place of interest to me. It is www.begreennow.com. You can calculate your CO2 footprint on the environment by averaging electrical usage, miles driven per year, and heating of household. The only problem with the household heating was that it only has natural gas as source of heat and I don't have that. I will go back to that site for the news and information it contains. The concept of another site looked interesting but in showing the most popular newest additions all it had were weird pictures of things or people and I don't need weird or strange people to entertain me. It was www.stumbleupon.com. It said you could submit your likes into their site and they would "trap" the web sites that pertained to those things for you. Sounds good if a person could filter out the weird and strange.

Thing #18

Working in the Zoho web sight is interesting. To create and send spreadsheets back and forth between clients without having the actual software is amazing. This might be the demise of some software companies. I would like to exchange genealogy charts with friends and family without their particular software. Could that be a posibility in the near future?

Thing #17

This pertains to thing #17. I found a fun link on the Bull Run Library wiki. Here it is:http://www.joshhosler.biz/NumberOneInHistory/SelectMonth.htm
I posted this to the plcmclearning favorite blogs page under YPL blogs - "fun links".

Thing #16

After reading my other blogs I realized I had already commented on wikis but guess it doesn't hurt to look at things again so here is what I found the second time around. I looked at the wiki established by McMillan Memorial library in Wisconsin and found it very interesting. Was especially looking at their blurb on self check-out. But it's interesting to note they expect it to be an on going learning process for a "decade". Even though they say 75 per cent of the check outs are done by self check out it sounds as if staff helps with a major part of those. The informational page states, "One of the reasons for implementing self check out must be to improve service and increase meaningful interaction with patrons". I can see how it might increase service but it's beyond me as to how it would increase meaningful interaction with patrons.

Library 4.0

What I see for Library 4.0 is that librarians will no longer be librarians but techology burnouts. The article stated it would be "a place of relaxation, immersion in a luxary of ideas and thought". Could this possibly be? I liked the suggestion of an 856 field in the Marc record to put a link that would take you to other libraries in the area that would have the book you're searching for. What a concept!

Wiki's

#16 Wiki is a good thing (I think). I could see it being used as a tool in the library especially if individuals are separated by miles or even different departments. It sure would save on e-mailing. Keeping a "policy and reference manual on an Intranet Wiki would be a great idea. Might save a few trees from being made into paper.

Ripple effect

#15 I really like the futuristic outlook of OCLC with the WorldCat and no authentication needed. This is a great benefit for small libraries such as schools and churches. If I understand the information correctly, it sounds as if OCLC will supply ISBN's associated with individual works in WorldCat. The account of the Michigan school that ventured into a more positive service for their district was outstanding. I could see this happening for other rural areas that have low funding in place for libraries. I also see where RSS would be benefitual to the library (couldn't see the need before). This was a great report.

Okay, so I've looked through all the things to do up to #14 . It's an overload of information. I can't imagine anyone looking at all these tags and bookmarks. You would have to live at the computer. That's not my idea of living. I did go onto Generator and make a rubics cube with my picture from Flickr. The link to see it is: http://www.dumpr.net/photo/5ee52bde481e6563/

Still learning

I'm working my way through the 23 things but it's going at a snails pace. I've looked at RSS and Rollyo Dashboard but wasn't impressed. "Library Thing" will be useful though.

No fun

Doing this blogging is not fun; it is pure torture but I will do it because I want to learn.
Edited 8-25-07 My mind has been somewhat changed on this subject. The seven and a half things at the beginning of this exercise is motivational. I needed something to push me along and setting a goal to just finish was the zenith to this accomplishment. But since I've gotten into some of these web sites it has become more interesting and the idea of learning has become the wheel that keeps the mind searching and not so much just finishing a project. Technology is advancing so fast that if I don't do a minuscule amount of leaning it will be hard to catch up in the near future.