Emotion B.3.14159 26535 89793 23846 26433 83279 50288 41971 69399 37510

I admit it- it had to be done. If I had to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century, I would expect the same held true for a few of my colleagues. I had used some of these before- youtube, wikis, flickr, webfeat, overdrive. I had read blogs. But it was educational to create a blog, figure out how to embed pictures, sound files, videos. I’m not ready yet to jump on the rss or tagging bandwagon. But I’m happy to understand more about it. Which ones of these are we going to incorporate into our library services?



I think the future takes a lot of time. A fellow PBCLS blogger noted that her internet activities were cutting into her leisure reading time. This is true! The future takes a lot of time, and the future is expensive! Laptops, mp3 players, gaming machines, digital cameras. There weren’t so many things to BUY, “back in the day.” So you drew me in with your carrots, especially the chance at that laptop. Fingers crossed.

Note- the exercises were probably more time consuming than the promised hour per week. I worked on mine from home, from hotel rooms, during the weekends, etc. For staff who don’t have computers at their desks, or computers at home, I think the project was probably quite a challenge. Would I do it (or similar) again? Yes.

All done! Time to celebrate!

Emotion A.7.2.b

Overdrive-

I already had the overdrive media console on my computer. I downloaded Steve Martin: The Magic Years. I also listened to an excerpt from Jon Stewart's America (The Book). The John Stewart book was the only hit that came up when I did a search on keyword: humor, subjects: all subjects. When I did a search on keyword: humor, subject: fiction, nothing came up. I discovered there are pre-set subjects Humor (fiction) and Humor (nonfiction). So, searching is a bit tricky. However, listening to excerpts, downloading titles, and listening to titles from my computer were all very easy.

Emotion A.7.3

So I figured out how to get back into my bloglines account. Luckily I must have checked a box to "remember me" on this computer, so all I had to do was go to the website, and it remembered me. Just in case, I checked on my account information to remember what my log-in information was. Realized I had used standard stuff.

I added two rss feeds to my bloglines account: The Library of Congress 2007 National Book Festival podcast, and something called Nobody Likes Onions, which is supposed to be funny I think (at least that's why I added it- discovered there's about 2 minutes of ads and intro before you actually get to listen to the jist of the podcast).

Did I discover anything I want to share with others? Well, Nobody Likes Onions sounds like a standard morning radio show. Couple of goofy guys saying goofy stuff. Not that there's anything wrong with that- I am a fan of goofy guys on morning radio shows. The Library of Congress podcasts include author interviews, which I mentioned in a previous post might be something we could get from youtube, as well. Good for a library website.

Youtube and podcast technology would be useful for library instruction, tours, and news about events.

Emotion B.6.28

"Discover Youtube." Go ahead, twist my arm, make me use youtube. Towards the bottom of the blog, you should see the embedded youtube that has on the blog from day one. Youtube is a great way to keep up with music and comedy. And not just current stuff, either.

I have also seen useful and educational youtube content regarding library issues such as Web 2.0. Author interviews would be great links for a library website.

Now, if you don't want to get a dachshund after viewing the attached video, well, then you're just not human.

Emotion A.6.24.b

Whew! Times are tough. The Palm Beach County Library System implemented its Business Reference Service back in the late 1980's/early 1990's during the last blip in the economy. At the time, we were assisting patrons with job searches, starting small businesses, finding training programs. Now there are Web 2.0 tools like CareerBuilder to find job postings, post resumes, sign up for job alerts based on pre-selected criteria. Add free tools like this to subscription databases such as our Small Business Resource Center, and the assistance that we can provide to our patrons is leaps and bounds above what we were able to offer a mere 15 years ago. Not to mention that you can search for library jobs on CareerBuilder as well!

(Not that I'm looking or anything, you understand)

Emotion B.6.24.d.zoho

It took me a few years, and then I felt pretty comfortable with Word Perfect.  Then we started using Word and after a few years I'm feeling pretty comfortable with that.  Not as comfortable as I was with Word Perfect, mind you, but not bad.  Now here's Zoho Writer.  Give me a few years, and I'll get back to you.... 

 

I took to the Zoho presentation software right away.  That seemed more "like" Powerpoint.

(See Below....)

Emotion B.6.24.c

Emotion A.6.24.b

pbclswiki- I enjoyed sharing information about favorite wines with fellow staffmembers. I'm considering pairing the Mad Dog 20/20 with cheeto encrusted ball park franks at my next fête. (Oh, according to wikipedia, Fête is a French word meaning festival or holiday, which has passed into English as a label that may be given to certain events. ) For dessert, I think a Pepto Bismol mousse with an aspirin gratine' would not be untoward.

The opportunity for humor in social networking is positively dangerous....

Emotion B.6.24

I've checked out a few wikis IRL- who hasn't stumbled across Wikipedia and found it useful? I hate stumbling across things, though, so clumsy that way. And what about those Wiki Watchee mermaids- a true Florida institition.

Have visited the ALA Wiki in preparation for attending ALA this year. Very handy. SEFLIN has started utilizing wikis for its annual conferences as well.

I found the University of Huddersfield's Library Service's Electronic Resources Wiki. Having just monitored a lengthy discussion on libref-l regarding "what do you call those databases on your website, anyway?" it was interesting to see what can be done regarding the library's databases, using a wiki. A way to provide links, explanations, instructions, etc. Hey, whatever it takes to lead the patrons to our expensive and probably underutilized databases, the better. Gotta compete with wikipedia after all.

Emotion A.7.3.1

The Wiki entry says: The key principles of Library 2.0 are not just about access to books and information. It is about innovation, about people, and about community building, enabled through the participation that social computing brings. It achieves this through trust and encouraging users to share ideas through writing, rating, and commenting against everything in the library's collection. It even makes the collection open to developers to use, re-use and improve!

What does Web 2.0 mean to me? A way to stay in touch with my kid. A way to discuss common interests with complete strangers in cyberspace- including frequent and painful flaming you'd never see in real life. A way to shop. Entertainment. Infotainment. A way to interact with patrons and allow patrons to interact with me online, hopefully without flaming. It's a dog eat dog world out there!

Emotion A.7.3

Well, I learned that the 4th most popular search term in Technorati is "budak jolai" which is apparently some kind of Malaysian sex tape. Obama was number 9 and Nick Lachey was number 11. I don't know what this says about the blogosphere, but somehow it doesn't sound good. I mean, Nick Lachey is so three years ago!

Tried to continue, but couldn't because "We're currently experiencing unusually high load and are working to resolve issues with the service as quickly as possible."

Search URL in technorati- I found 73 posts, including one that said "When I used the url seach feature I found 72 posts that link to www.pbclibrary.org."

Search tags- "38,960 posts tagged web 2.0"- Related tags:web-20, web2.0, ajax, technology, web, internet, tech, blogging, google, techcrunch

Technorati was so slow, I opted to not do the optional exercise.

Emotion B.2.0

Well, ain't that delicious....

Can you see the potential for research? Yes, I suppose I can see *potential* for research... Thought of that perrenial reference question- what are those trees out front with the yellow flowers? I looked for tags: yellow flower trees. Got 12 hits, none of them were the answer. Got ads to buy flowers and trees.

Set up my own account. Looked for tags regarding American Idol winner David Cook. Got ads for tour tickets and ring tones. Got a list of reasonable websites. How is this better than just goggling the guy?

Ho Hum.

As a way to quickly get to my own favorite sites no matter where I am, ok.

And something about the way they separate del.icio.us with the dots really bothers me, too. And what is up with the name delicious? What is delicious about it?

Emotion A.2.0

Commack, uninc. town (1990 pop. 36,124), Suffolk co., SE N.Y., on central Long Island. It is chiefly residential.

Source Citation:"Commack." The Columbia Encyclopedia. The Columbia University Press, 2000. 9048. General OneFile. Gale. Palm Beach County Library System. 29 May 2008.

Image of Commack's cultural landmark- the stately Mayfair Shopping Center- couresy of http://www.levinmgt.com/cgi-local/properties.cgi?mode=show_detail&property=13

Emotion B.0.3

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

Judging from lists of other books tagged chick lit, I'm pretty much staying abreast of the genre! I liked that it was very easy to sign up for an account. By blogging about it, and including a link, I should be able to remember how to get back into the account. Between Flickr, bloglines, blogger and now librarything, there's alot of account info to remember. Not to mention the accounts that I maintain IRL.

Emotion B.0.7

Myspace Picture Generator

Emotion A.1.5

Newsreaders- you could keep track of photos of new library design projects by tagging the terms librarydesign in Flickr and adding that tag to your newsreader.

Here's an image from Middle County Public Library in Selden, New York. Spiffy, huh?

Emotion B.2

The 7th Thing. Anything technology related that interests you: e-mail, twop.com, dowloading music from iTunes, burning CDs, the iPod shuffle at the gym. Other technology that I enjoy includes cars, toaster ovens and microwave ovens. Water heaters and hair dryers. Air conditioning. Search engines and databases. Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens (oh wait, that's not technology related). Cell phones (calls only, no texting). Have a digital camera, but can't think of anything to take pictures of.

Emotion B.1

main775
Originally uploaded by dmiid56

We mourn the Tabebuia trees at Main, drat you Jeanne, Frances and Wilma!

main775- attributed to....a PBCLS staff member?

Emotion B

[as Pavlov] Day 1: Rang bell, dog ate food. Very excited. Day 2: Rang bell louder dog even more food. Have become welsh. Day 3: Like speaking in Welsh so have decided to continue in that way, rang bell, dog ate so much that he explodes. Win Nobel dog prize at Crofts. But he never published his cat results did he? Oh yes they were hushed up. Day 1: Rang bell, cat [didn't pay attention]. Day 2: Rang bell cat went and answered door. Day 3: Rang bell, cat said he eaten earlier. Cheeky bugger. Day 4: Went to ring bell but cat had stolen batteries! Final day, day 5: rang bell with new batteries but cat put his paw on bell so it made a 'thunk' noise. Then cat rang his own bell! I... ate food. --Eddie Izzard

See how Pavlov, the cat, and the dog all use various aspects of the 7 1/2 habits of life long learners to reach different conclusions.... Obviously the hardest part is teaching he who will not be taught.

Emotion A

Yes, no smoking in bars now, and soon there'll be, no drinking and no talking! .... Soon everybody will be saying, "Come down to the library, we'll have a wild time!" "Don't know where that book could be, mate...there's a lot of 'em about!" --Eddie Izzard

Hmm, blogs could be something fun for people to get involved in at the library when bars ban the drinking and the talking.... Blogging is to library as talking is to bars?