Thing #15

I had a little time this afternoon to start on Thing 15 as the library was quiet. I'm going to need a lot more time to fully explore Slideshare, but I'm going to try to embed a library presentation I found about using stories to market your library. (I also need to spend time rereading this presentation--it has some good ideas I think.)

Using Stories to Market Your Library

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: dowd nancy)

I'll have to check back tomorrow to see if this really worked or not--it's time to close now!

Thing #14

I can see Delicious as being useful--I could access my bookmarks from any computer. The tag rolls used on the Holdrege PL site are interesting (larger words mean more bookmarks) but I think they are also hard to read. Some of the words seemed to overlap, and the smaller words sometimes got lost. It might be an easier way for people to locate links from our library web site instead of having a long list. The tags should make it easier to group similar links and make them easier to find. I'd like to visit with library patrons who have used this to see how they feel about it. Do they find it easy to use? Would they be able to suggest different tags that would make things easier to find? (That's the problem with subject headings in the library catalog--they sometimes aren't very "user friendly"! I think people get scared off of the catalog subject searching because they know what they are trying to find but can't figure out the subject they should search for in order to find it.)

Thing #13

I can't really get excited about Twitter. I don't sit around texting everyone on my phone, and I sure don't have time to do it on the computer either. I really don't feel the need to let the world know what I'm doing every minute of the day! I can't see myself using this one and I really don't see any applications for the library that would be helpful. Maybe I'm just in the wrong demographic, but I'd rather be reading a book!

Thing 12

OK--Thing 12 is LibraryThing. I think someone is purposely trying to confuse me!

This is an interesting concept. Again, I wish I had more time to spend searching this site! I "cataloged" some of the books I have read and enjoyed recently. Mostly it's kids or teen fiction as that is what I usually find myself reading. (Always looking for titles to suggest for the Golden Sower reading lists!) Adult books usually have to be "read" on tape or CD because I can sure check things out at the library faster than I can read them. (And I've given up on buying books--there is no "due date" for those so they sit around forever waiting to be read while I read the ones that have to go back to the library!)

http://www.librarything.com/catalog/kidsrgreat

Thing 11

Technology--it's added so much to our lives, but it's also frustrating to try to keep up! It seems like you no sooner buy a piece of equipment than it is obsolete. It's very hard for the library to keep up with patron demands for the newest thing available. (I can't keep up at home!)

I was just thinking the other day how the Internet has changed reference work. We can now find information very quickly and easily for our patrons that we didn't have available just a few years ago. I appreciate the staff I work with at the library--if I'm not sure where to find information, someone else on the staff can usually point me in the right direction. I can always find someone else who has more experience searching a particular database, etc.

I think I need more hours in the day to keep up with all of the reading--email and print journals, and now RSS and blog posts.

Thing 10

I had a lot of fun with the image generators! I think I could use these for making signs for the library or "just for fun" posters for our Teen Advisory Board members. I might think of something I could do for Summer Reading too.

I used http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/hqops/publishing/graphics/READ_Mini_Posters.cfm for the two Read posters and then http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/ to create the other two posters. I'm going to have to bookmark these sites so I can find them again when I need them!

Thing 9

OK, all of those online applications for Flickr look interesting, but I can't figure out when they would be of use to me. Do you need to have your own web page to make use of them? For example, "Spell with Flickr" was used to make the Learning 2.0 at the top of the Thing 9 page--cute, but when would I need/use something like that??? There might be something that could be used on our library's web page, but since I am not involved with that I don't really know for sure. I wouldn't know how to put something on our web page anyway--do you copy the html code that shows up and paste it in? I think I'll leave that up to our web person to worry about!

Flickr--I hope!

KSmh1
Originally uploaded by kschultz1949

I hope I'm doing this correctly. I did something wrong the first post and the picture wasn't there. This time I think I've got it.

Thing 8

I set up a Flickr account. (How am I going to remember all of the new usernames and passwords I've accumulated recently?!) Now I need to see if I can get a photo to attach to this message.

Thing 6 & 7

I found it very frustrating trying to sign up for a Bloglines account...until I realized that I already had set one up a year ago at a workshop I attended. That's why it kept telling me that my name was already taken. I couldn't figure out how someone else could have MY email adress!

I have been playing around with my Bloglines account. It's interesting and I can see how some people would find it very useful. However, I don't think it will be very helpful for me personally. I don't sit at my desk a lot, and if I'm on my computer I'm doing something specific, not browsing for something to read.

I found a few feeds to sign up for. Now I'll have to remember to check back and see what shows up!

IM - Thing 5

I finally got to sit at my computer long enough to chat with Christa and figure out the IM stuff. I can see how that would be helpful if you were sitting at your computer all the time, but that rarely happens for me. I'm in and out of my office all day and don't get to spend much time at my computer most days.

I'm finding it very difficult to work on the "things"--too many interruptions to get anything accomplished. I sure don't have time to sit and read all of the comments for each "thing" either--I'm not sure what the point is to read everyone's "isn't this fun" comments. I guess I'm feeling frazzled lately trying to get everything done with my job plus the pressure to do all of these extra "things"!

7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners

I have confidence in myself as a competent, effective learner. However, I think I will have trouble teaching/mentoring others about blogs, etc. as I am struggling to figure out what I'm doing!

Getting started - Thing 3

I don't know anything about blogging, but hope to learn!