Thing #13: del.icio.us

I adore del.icio.us. I’ve been using it for some time now and I find it a great way to keep track of the sites I like: from free online databases to desktop wallpaper galleries. And tagging makes it so easy to separate and find sites. It was a bother having to reinstall the del.icio.us toolbar when I changed positions at OCL and when I bought a new computer but I love having my bookmarks at my fingertips wherever I go.

I haven’t much explored using del.icio.us as a social tool but I know it can be effective when teaching a class. I’ve sat through lectures that use many online resources and it’s always a relief when the instructor says “All the sites I am referencing today are on this [insert link] del.icio.us page.”

Thing #12: Thoughts on NetLibrary

I used NetLibrary briefly this morning. I found many interesting books on Business Theory that I would love to read (if I only had the time). It was a pretty simple interface (although reading on screen is slower than reading printed materials). The only annoyance was the unexected manner of paging forward. I expected to advance to the next screen when I reached the bottom of page… but no. The NEXT button is in the top right corner. That took me a few minutes to figure out.

But NetLibrary is something I might use in the future. Certainly, I have directed patrons to resources on NetLibrary when their catalog search returned a NetLibrary record.

Thing #11: LibraryThing

I created an account with LibraryThing about a year ago but hadn’t done much wtih it. I took this task as an opportunity to really explore the possiblity of using this Web 2.0 tool regularly. LibraryThing is easy to use. it makes good use of Ajax programming. But, if you’ve ever used social bookmarking tool del.icio.us, you know how nicely delicious tracks your tags. As you are retyping a popular tag, del.icio.us will complete the tag (so you don’t chave to remember childrens v. children). This keeps things uniform and saves a lot of typing. it was such a pain to retype “middle grade reader” for all my entries into LibraryThing.

But that was the only inconvenience. Otherwise, I can forsee using LibraryThing as a personal tool for tracking what I’ve read. I’m not especially interested in the social aspect. However, it is interesting to see what tags others have given the books. I wonder what the ratio is of Librarian users to non-librarian users on LibraryThing.

Thing #10: Technology Blogging

You know what’s been on my mind lately? Standards. Yes. Standards. For an Orange (that’s my True Color), this is rare. I’m usually a rule breaker/bender and I don’t fit a mold. BUT, the lack of technology standards for the interent (web design, metadata, etc.) is driving me nuts lately. There is much potential for smoother interactions between computers and people that the current confusing atmosphere frustrates me greatly!  It may be anti-capitalist, but I often wish everything, from digital cameras to data values, could be uniform. Searching across databases, federated searches, and so much more would be much better. I know, when I am old, I will recall the days when people used a keyboard or a mouse to input information… when information took time to load. Until then, I often think Web 2.0 is just a bridge to a much better, and much different information architecture. blah blah. Those are my thoughts.

I left a comment at “Web Things” for SH.

Thing #9: Finding Feeds

I used Bloglines to browse feeds but I didn’t find it particularly great. I’m not one for browsing the internet. I usually have a destination or goal. I rely on specific (usually trusted/evaluated) sites such as lii.org, Gary Price’s Resource Shelf, etc. Sites that just search the internet based on keywords are just too result heavy for me. I prefer to let professionals sort through the myriad. I also did not find Technorati particularly great nor Topix.net.

I’ve stumbled onto many great blogs through reading library journals/magazines (both in print and online). Also, following blogs for professional organizations (such as YALSA) has proven very helpful.

Thing #8 – Make Life “Real Simple” with RSS and a Newsreader

The usefulness of RSS is obvious. What is not immediately obvious are the little annoyances. Since the introduction of Bloglines, we have seen the arrival of applications like PageFlakes. PageFlakes incorporates aggregated RSS, links (i.e. favorites), and other widgets (such as a google search bar, weather widget, etc.). As 2.0 evolves, more and more applications offer easier ways to collect the information you want and push it to you. However, moving from Bloglines to PageFlakes to MySpace to whatever… is repetitive. I have accounts, long dormant, all over the internet: Bloglines, PageFlakes, PBWiki, LibraryThing. And accounts I use frequently: Flickr, MySpace, Facebook, Gmail. Some of these have various functions (ex: Gmail for email and chat) and some of these overlap (ex: I upload images to both Facebook – where my friends are – and Flickr – for my family). It is time consuming, using these applications, even while they strive to save users time. And I often forget passwords because there are just so many to remember (and I haven’t even mentioned my online accounts (Best Buy, Amazon, Target, Express, etc.) yet! Even with RSS, I still make many regular stops all over the web.

 I am thrilled that the Library is using RSS to connect patrons to uncoming programs of interest. The option must be there. Whether users take advantage of it (and how they take advantage of it), is up to them.

Winter Scene

Winter Scene #2

Originally uploaded by Nicole Politi

This shows the Children’s Department winter display in Toms River. The awesome snowman was built by Suzanne, Children’s Librarian, using papier-mache and cotton balls.

As I have a digital camera, I found the library’s more basic camera easy to use. Uploading was a synch. I do wish I had some easy method for resizing photos, especially as many free accounts have bandwidth restrictions. Also, who needs to see my face THAT closely?!

Flickr has come a long way, making it a lot easier to upload, tag and delete in batches. Thank goodness. When I first hit my free account limit (of 100 total photos) about a year ago, I had to delete my photos one at a time and let the page reload – KILLER. But the magic of Ajax has made it all so much better. Ahhhhh.

Fayetteville Free Library

This picture of the Fayetteville Free Library sitting room area was taken by Maija, Librarian. I took my first job out of library school at FFL in upper New York as a part-time reference Librarian. The Library was formerly a Stickley factory and the sitting room is furnished with beautiful Stickley furniture. I am a big fan of fireplaces and living room settings in libraries and FFL has one of the best.

I’ve used Flickr for over two years now and I didn’t know about this feature until this week! It is convenient but I’d like it more if I could include html in my post as I am writing in Flickr. I had to return to my site to edit the post to include html links. That’s a hassle and I hope it will someday be integrated.

Learning Contract

Goal: To successfully edit a (screen capture) video and add/edit audio. Content will include methods for capturing gaming tournament data (in excel) to score contestants (using formulas) and provide instruction on gaming console equipment setup.

Obsticles (i.e. Challenges): Subpar video equipment and/or editing software.

Toolbox: Open source software such as Camtasia Studio. Microphone. Video capture device.

Resources for Help: The Web Things Challenges team, the OCL Technology personnel, online tech blogs.

Path to Goal: Follow time line set by Web Things Team. Completion by Staff Development Day 2008.

Check-in: Via my blog. Progress and comments will be recorded here.

Sign it: Blog entry published!

7 and 1/2 Habits of Highly Effective Lifelong Learners

Habit 1: Begin with the end in mind.
Habit 2: Accept responsibility for your own learning.
Habit 3: View problems as challenges.
Habit 4: Have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner.
Habit 5: Create your own learning toolbox.
Habit 6: Use technology to your advantage.
Habit 7: Teach/Mentor others.
Habit 7.5: Play!

Without a doubt, the easiest of these habits is the last – play! I enjoy making everything a game. I thrive on competition. The hardest is the fourth habit – view problems as challenges. It is often easy to slip into a negative mindset when confronted with obstacles.  The other habits are fairly routine for me. I’m comfortable using technology, I have an abundance (perhaps an overabundance) of confidence in my skills, and I usually have the prize in mind from the get go.