Week 10 What A Ride!

While it's always nice to come home again after a trip, I usually feel a little disappointed when the adventure is over. That's how I'm feeling today. The iHCPL 23 Things Training has been an eye-opening journey of discovery for me. I didn't know much about the internet, web resources, or current technology when I started this program (and I'm still amazed at all there is to know!). It was hard to know where to even begin to try and understand it all, or which direction to take. The 23 Things Training has been like a having a map and compass to chart my way through unknown and sometimes frightening territory.

We began by creating a blog to learn how to blog. LOVE that concept. I struggled with decisions as if I were packing for an expedition to Everest. Which template is best? If I forget something can I add it later? Do I really need a widget? Thank goodness there were coworkers who, like Tenzing Norgay, provided guidance, endurance, and led the way on to Flickr, RSS, and finding feeds. Week 5 was like reaching base camp in the Himalayas. I breathed a sigh of relief and recharged by playing with image generators. Those exercises were great fun and definately a favorite. Then it was onward to new challenges: technorati, tagging, library 2.0, and wikis. Discovering Del.icio.us and Zoho was like coming across an unexpected and resplendent vista...beautiful! I can't imagine not using these invaluable web applications. Then came my personal challenges....face your fear of podcasting and digital media. Yikes! I looked around for my faithful sherpa, err...coworkers, and there they were, so we forged ahead, pressing on until, finally, we achieved The Summit. Hooray! Tally-ho! Pip Pip!

Maybe the best thing for me about this training has been that it's given me a solid foundation to build on, and knowledge of some useful tools that I can use to continue learning. Thank you! I'm ready for another adventure and the next 23 things! When can we leave?

Downloadable Media

I really needed to get the lowdown on downloadable media. Not many patrons seem to take advantage of this service, or they do so from home without any help from me, so opportunities to field questions about about how to use ebooks etc. are infrequent. Maybe like me, people are still a little intimidated by the technology, and prefer to use the library in ways they are already familiar/comfortable with. Still, this is part of my job and I'm really glad we are addressing this topic in training.

I found the Overdrive tutorial a bit lengthy, and had to watch it at home because a.there was no time at work, and b.our computers reeeeeeeeeeally do not like to load video. I downloaded the Overdrive Media Console to my home computer and looked at the Harris County digital media catalog for awhile before choosing 101 Great Orchestral Classics vol. 4. Oh! It worked! The hauntingly beautiful Clair de Lune soon filled my headphones.

Now that I have taken the plunge, I am looking forward to exploring more digital library options. Come on in! The media's great!

Podcasting

Whoever said, "Nostalgia aint what it used to be" was right. Why is it that listening to a podcast reminds me of listening to the radio? In the "old days" before television, Mom, Dad, little Susie, and little Tommy would gather around after supper and listen with rapt attention to their favorite programs, like "Dragnet", or "Buck Rogers". Now, through the miracle of 21st century technology, we can......hey, wait a minute! I plunked down a whole boat-load of money for a computer, wireless connection, and pay a monthly cable bill in order to listen to "streaming audio"?

Yes, indeed I did. And once I got over the future-shock, and even later, found an actual site I was interested in subscribing to, I warmed up quite nicely to the whole concept. But a whole lot of aggravation occurred before the pleasant end result:

1. Podcast.net would not load.
2. Podcastalley.com wanted me to download an "aggregator" before subscribing to a feed. Having been told many times not to download anything on library computers, I found it scary to even contemplate completing this step.
3. Yahoo wanted money.
4. I went home and tried it all again from my home computer.
5. Nothing in particular struck me as very appealing, and I yawned alot.

Earlier, a coworker had suggested I look on the BBC site, because she knew they had podcasts there. I found that, and, oh happy day, they even had a link which enabled me to grab their RSS feed and subscribe to a podcast without having to deal with the whole [to my] mind-boggling aggregator issue. I subscribed to "Digital Planet", which addresses how digital technology affects our lives. (Note to self: download binary vocabulary and jargon comprehension aggregator to increase chances of actually understanding aforementioned podcasts.) I next started my quest for library-related audio. I googled The Philadelphia Free Library's webpage (why not start with THE first public library?), and found their podcast for an "Author Event Series", complete with another RSS link. I added that to my bloglines account as well. I selected a lecture by Dr. Richard Dawkins, author of "The God Delusion". His talk was quite lengthy, over an hour, but since I was at home, I happily played mahjong online while listening to him read excerpts and field questions from the audience.

Audience participation is where podcasting has it all over little Susie's radio. Aggregate THAT.

George Harrison - Wah Wah

YouTube

YouTube seems to have joined the ranks of ubiquitous web phenomenon I am aware of and use, but I can't for the life of me remember the first time I encountered it. It has quickly become a favorite place of mine to visit. At my home computer, I added a YouTube button to my toolbar. And presto! I bring The Beatles into my living room several times a week. My daughter has been watching Jeff Dunham so frequently she should be the ventriloquist's understudy by now. YouTube has wonderfully entertaining video clips, as well as incredibly crude and tasteless ones, but fortunately the user maintains control over the content he/she chooses to view.

YouTube has its serious applications as well. One very interesting YouTube category focuses on news and politics. Here you can find reports filed by "citizen journalists" whose work is free from network control, censorship, and/or spin. Wow. Although professionals are quick to note that these reports may lack the appropriate objectivity, I am intrigued and even more interested by the novelty of a news venue where the power of reporting is truely in the hands of the people. The Emmy winning Current TV operates in a similar way, airing short broadcasts created by "users". Their documentaries are some of the most informative, fascinating, and disturbing I've ever seen.

There are so many ways YouTube could be utilized by libraries. It is already being used for training purposes. How about recording storytimes in Vietnamese or Spanish or even American Sign Language? Maybe these could then be posted on the "Kids Know It All" page. A virtual tour of the branch might be a helpful orientation for new patrons, or it could be shown in classrooms at local elementary schools. Teachers could use the video-tour as a jumping off point to teach students research skills needed to complete specific homework assignments. "How To" videos on topics such as how to use the self check machines, print from library computers, or how to purchase a print card, would empower patrons and enable staff to provide better customer service. YouTube could also be used as a marketing tool to promote library programs such as book clubs and special summer reading events.

There are endless possibilities with YouTube. Me, I'm off for an appointment with George.

Zoho

It took me a little while to understand Zoho. I think the actual server was having problems because at first it wouldn't save the documents I created. When I tried again later, I don't think I did anything different, but it worked. Like Del.icio.us, Zoho offers users the convenience of being able to retrieve saved work, wherever you have access to a computer with internet. I created a word-type document with a plain template for the lyrics to "The Logical Song", saved it on Zoho, and selected "publish" to post here.

The Logical Song - Supertramp

 

When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful,
a miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical.
And all the birds in the trees, well they'd be singing so happily,
joyfully, playfully watching me.
But then they send me away to teach me how to be sensible,
logical, responsible, practical.
And they showed me a world where I could be so dependable,
clinical, intellectual, cynical.

 

There are times when all the world's asleep,
The questions run too deep for such a simple man
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned
I know it sounds absurd but please tell me who I am

 

Now watch what you say or they'll be calling you a radical,
liberal, fanatical, criminal.
Won't you sign up your name, we'd like to feel you're
acceptable, respectable, presentable, a vegetable!

 

At night, when all the world's asleep,
The questions run so deep for such a simple man
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned
I know it sounds absurd but please tell me who I am

Week 8 Social Networking

In order to learn about online social networking, I clicked on the links included in the training exercises. There are many options for networking, including MySpace, Facebook, Ning, Yahoo!360, LinkedIn, Xanga, Rate My Space, MyOpera, Dogster, and more. Whatever you're interested in talking about, there seems to be a forum where you can meet cyberpeople (or even cyberanimals) of similar tastes. I liked some places more than others; my favorite was Rate My Space because the participants seemed to be mostly adult women, like me, who hope one day to have a beautiful, organized, clean, functional home, but actually have no idea how to go about creating one. There was very little drama there, or serious work; people were not trying to climb the corporate ladder or find support to deal with a life-threatening illness. It is merely a place to relax and share opinions about colors and home accessories. Some of the personal blogs on sites like Xanga and Facebook were interesting to read; it's understandable that these applications are popular among young people and students who want to stay in touch, meet new people, and share photos. I have to say I'm impressed by the creativity with which individuals promote themselves on these sites. Some are truely artistic. Then there's My Space...the perfect spot where already at-risk latch key children can find trouble, without having to leave the comfort of their own homes. The only reason I can think of for the popularity of MySpace with teenagers is that it's currently THE cool thang. They certainly make the MySpace im page THE most offensive thang.

Week 7, # 17 Deep Thoughts

Our discovery assignment is to post thoughts about technology. Since starting this training, I've been thinking alot about technology. (Especially) today we have some time to gather those thoughts, as we are unable to access the Horizon digital library in order to perform our normal circulation duties. Books to be checked in are achieving mountainous proportions, and delivery tubs sit in queues, anxiously awaiting attention. After much contemplation and hours of moody brooding, I've come to the following conclusion: Technology is good and bad.



www.comicstripgenerator.com/

Whining about Wikis

Wikis are wonderful. I'm a little upset they weren't around when I was a student. Boy, doing research and group projects sure would have been alot easier. Finding a summer job between semesters could have been a breeze too. Hunting down that ellusive, cheap, off campus apartment...and travel to distant unknown lands, unencumbered by children and on a shoestring budget might have been easier with a city wiki guide to help! Professional conferences would have been more interesting/fun, and less exhausting/stressful. Whew! There are just so many uses for wikis! But nooooooo, I had to be born in the mid twentienth century when wikis weren't even close to being a glimmer in someone's imagination. Waah!

On the other hand, two words that make me smile today are: Distance Learning. Wooohooo! St. Joseph's County Public Library System has an incredible wiki. Can we have one like that? I was wowwed by the ALA Best Practices wiki as well. That would be a good one for me to bookmark on Del.icio.us because its site is loaded with so much information that I could not read it wikily (heh heh).

Poor Richard's Almanack 2.0

The term library 2.0 is used to describe the way libraries are moving towards serving their patrons and communities in the 21st century. The concept is based on current trends in the use of the internet, where there is an explosion of information, in order to access collective intelligence and promote collaborative learning. Library 2.0 is a dynamic, multi-directional system that encourages users to participate and provide feedback. When information flows freely, services have the ability to constantly evolve and improve to meet individuals' needs. Free access to knowledge through books was the original purpose of public libraries, but libraries today cannot possibly house, in print form, all the information which is available on the internet.

The challenge for librarians is to eliminate the barriers between this wealth of information and those who wish to access it. In addition, communities need to support libraries so that free public access to computers is available to those who do not have PCs.

Libraries are an investment in the future. In my opinion, the health of a community is directly related to the importance it places on maintaining a vital, well-staffed library.

Week 6, # 14 Technorati

Babies are amazing. They have an extraordinary capacity to absorb and process all kinds of complicated information from their environment. People frequently compare them to little sponges. On the other hand, adults often have difficulty learning new things. I'm not saying it's impossible, but it may take awhile. This weeks' discovery exercises have been a little more challenging for me, because unfortunately I am not a little sponge, and haven't been for a long time. The web sites Del.icio.us and Technorati each contain enough information and obtuse jargon, on a single page, to make my head hurt. And with our library's power failure, it is a daunting task to find time to "absorb and process", as well as play catch-up with our work routines.

A wonderful kind patient coworker pointed out to me how I can set my Del.icio.us bookmarks to "private", and thus put to rest my concerns about privacy. She also pointed out that with Del.icio.us, I can bookmark my favorite sites and easily go to them from any computer with internet access. For some reason, that concept went right over my head when I initially explored the site. Now, the whole Del.icio.us world seems much more palatable!!!

Thus reassured and enthused, I braved Technorati. Egad. This is yet another universe of labyrinthine (is that a word?) information. But I bumbled onward, on my unsteady baby feet, into the advanced search. I liked the blog directory search better than the tag search because the results seemed less overwhelming. I got sucked into an interesting blog for awhile, fought my way out, and plunged into Top "Favorited" (does anyone else take exception to the way the English Language is constantly being mangled in naming these sites?) Blogs. I looked at one: Top 10 Distraction Stoppers from LifeHackr ...gee I wonder what attracted me to that? There I found an incredible little tool, called The Chatter Blocker. It's supposed to filter out backround noise, conversation, etc. with white noise, so you can more easily concentrate while working. Ingenious! I can't wait to try it. I also want to try the "Bozo Filter", which is supposed to help you avoid spam. I am hopeful that at some point in the future this will evolve into a more sophisticated site with the capacity to filter a wider variety of bozos.

Maybe when I'm older, I'll claim my blog and tag my posts, but I think right now I'm still too young for the blogosphere.

Discerning Del.icio.us

Today was not a good day for iHCPL training. No one at our branch could get the 8 minute video to load, so it was difficult for a beginner (read:ME) to get a grip on exactly what this website is all about. Also, the weather was uncooperative and our power went out! As far as I know, it's still out at the library. I am writing from my home computer where I have access to the wonderful world of electricity. A question has occurred to me: Why is a website which is supposed to help you organize and do research named for a word that makes me want to prepare snacks or run to the store for ice cream? Somehow or other, this seems like a marketing ploy, kinda like the "Juicy" clothing line, and when I feel like I'm being manipulated, I tend to resist. I really and truely want to like Del.icio.us, honest! Maybe the challenge of this exercise for me will be finding a practical use for this new site. Somehow or other, being the 691st person to bookmark the Simpson's Movie Avatar site doesn't fill me with any sense of accomplishment. Also, I'm not thrilled with the possibility that someone could "find me" through my tags, and see everything I have bookmarked. This strikes me as a potential gold mine for whoever (i.e. anyone collecting data or tracking "hits" for whatever reason) and makes me a bit leery.

Library Elf?

Today I looked at Library Elf. It is a good tool for organizing checked out materials and holds for my family. I like the way you can keep track of several people's books, all on one page. I guess if I went on an organizing rampage, I could add the site to my bloglines account, too. Oh no! Mr. Spock looks like he's ready to defeat my best intentions with a Vulcan Nerve Pinch! I think I'm about to take a long naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Buffalo Billis- The Music Man

Tribute to My Coworkers

In "The Music Man", the Buffalo Bills combine their talents to create beautiful music. I want to thank my talented coworkers for helping me so much during this training. Together we make a pretty good team!

Library Thing

I've had Library Thing on the sidebar of my blog for a few weeks now. The set up was easy and I had no problem adding books to my "library"; however, a coworker had to help me make the widget to post on my blog. I need to review that process a few more (thousand) times before I feel comfortable doing it on my own. The widget contains a link that takes me back to Library Thing, so I did not feel it was necessary to create another one.

I looked at the Library Thing Blog briefly. There is alot of information there... too much to read right now, but now that I know it's there, I'll look forward to looking at it again when I have time.

(The artwork is Books in Winter by Jessie Wilcox-Smith.)

Week 5

OK, I think iHCPL has created at least one monster. It's getting harder and harder not to become an internet junkie here, people! And now you have to teach me about image generators??? Oh I am doomed. The Meez avatars are just amazing. I am totally spending too much time on their site looking at wardrobes, backrounds, props, and animations. What exactly does one wear whilst doing the limbo? And where can I find nice pajamas for jumping-on-the-bed animation? You see my dilemma. I also LOVE the comic strip generator site. I had to really restrain myself on that exercise. It would be waaaaaaaaaaaay too easy to go overboard and post something inappropriate. (Thank goodness we've already received training in exercising professional restraint.) I was pleasantly surprised to discover that, after I had customized my comic, I had the option of purchasing a magnet, sticker, postcard, or could even mail a free ecard to a friend. Very fun!

State of the Union

president-bush-dummies-book_www-txt2pic-com
Originally uploaded by jbelle96tx

Week 5 Image Generators

Meez.com is a really fun place to explore. I'll have to look around some more on my free time because there is so much to see I won't have time at work!

http://www.meez.com

Happy Happy Happy

Born to Blog

Adding feeds to Bloglines was easy. I chose about 10 sites including MSNBC.com most viewed, New Urban Legends, and UpCheer (with KittenWars!), along with a few HCPL blogs. Maybe Bruce will change one minor word in his hit song and it could be our iHCPL training theme. He probably wouldn't mind because he is still "The Boss".

Bruce Springsteen Born to Run video

Ode to a Greek Tragedy

Socrates is said to have announced, "I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance." As we begin week 4 of iHCPL training, the fact of my ignorance blares like a foghorn in the effluvium. It not only becomes quite obvious to me, but is also dramatically highlighted as time passes and I am exposed to an ever increasing number of web sites and tools I had no knowledge of previously. In my wildest dreams I never imagined a site like Flickr even existed, or that I could edit pictures online, create trading cards and badges, or subscribe to favorite syndicated news feeds and blogs, rather than manually search for each individually. It's not the end of the world though. The bitter hemlock of ignorance is much easier to swallow when the fog lifts and enlightenment (not to mention, bling!) ensues. Salut!

Need I Say More?

A Strange Bird

No not me, the hammerkop! This is a small african stork. I played around with this picture on pixer. In his natural state, he does not have a blue beak, and his plumage is darker brown. Most of the other changes I could make with the editing tools were not appropriate for this image. (He looked even stranger rotated and pixelated!) I think this would be a great picture to try with lolcat, but I haven't figured out how to do that yet. Pixer was easy to use once I was able to upload an image.

iHCPL Week 3, # 6: More Flicker Fun

For this assignment, participants are invited to learn more about Flickr mashups, and create a blog post about one that intrigues him/her. What is most intriguing to me is the sheer number and variety of "tools" on Flickr and their numerous permutations. Will week #4 be about information overload?

I did not find many mashups particularly appealing. Retrievr: ick. Tagnautica never did load. Colorpicker: why? Maybe useful for decorators? FlickrFling: ditto. Flickrball and Flickrsudoku: I'd rather spend time with my family. I actually liked the images on Spell with Flickr and could see myself using these for banners. Captioner could also be useful, for a sarcastic, dry sense of humor application. Fastr was definately the most fun game. Everyone who was in the workroom when I tried it seemed to want to try it, too. It taught me about "tags" as well. Under Flickr Tools, the place I will revisit is "worldinpictures".

I clicked on some of the additional links, which were as numerous on the site as thorns on a rose bush. Under The Essential YouTube tools tab, is The Best of YouTube Blog, the highlight (?) of which was a squeeky cabinet door that sounded remarkably like Chewbacca. I read About Digg, and looked at Digg Spy. People really do have alot of time on their hands, don't they? This was merely skimming the surface of all the applications for Flickr et al. Frankly, I'm getting really "Tird" of that omitted "e".

Mona Lisa in Light

Mona Lisa in Light
Originally uploaded by Norbini

Good grief. If this photo actually makes it to my blog I will be amazed.

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

New at the Library!

The following is quoted from an article in Wikipedia (it's ok to do that, right?):

The Concert For Bangladesh was the event title for two benefit concerts organized by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar, held at noon and at 7:00 p.m. on August 1, 1971, playing to a total of 40,000 people at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Organized for the relief of refugees in East Pakistan (now independent Bangladesh), the event was the first benefit concert of this magnitude in world history. It featured an all-star supergroup of performers that included Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston and Leon Russell.
An album was released later in 1971 and a concert film was released in 1972, with later releases for home video. In 2005, the film was re-issued on DVD accompanied by a new documentary.
The concert raised US$243,418.50 for Bangladesh relief, which was administered by UNICEF. Sales of the album and DVD continue to benefit the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF.[1]

The re-issued DVD is now part of the library's collection. Check out history being made!

A Threat to Humanity

If H. G. Wells were alive today, would he be writing a horror story about a hapless victim of cybercrime? The internet certainly presents countless opportunities for creative criminal minds. Phishing, credit card fraud, bank robbery, using children for pornography, scams, cyberterrorism, stalking, distribution of virusus, and hacking are just some of the frightening consequences of careless internet use. In his 1898 book, "The War of the Worlds", Wells writes, "No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's." Interesting. Today, I am more afraid of becoming a victim of an intelligent internet criminal, monitoring my computer keystrokes from afar, than a blood-sucking Martian. Fortunately, I am forewarned, and so can take steps to protect myself and my family.

Happy Birthday, H. G. Wells.

Quote for the Day

"All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think we become."

-Gautama Siddharta

Keeping Mum

Beatlemania was really hard on The Beatles. George Harrison was particularly reclusive after the band broke up. This brings me to the topic of privacy. Most people don't seem to realize what a wonderful thing it is to be free from the scrutiny of strangers and simply left alone, until they lose the priviledge. So much personal information is available on the internet! Another blogger, oxyJENic, posted links on her site that enable you to look at the appraised values of your neighbors homes, just by typing in their addresses. More than reading information from the Center for Technology and Democracy, this drove home to me just how intrusive and invasive the internet can be. Now, what are we going to do about the Patriot Act??

Orchestral Favorites

I couldn't resist adding some music here. If I ever get the chance, I will go to Vienna and waltz to The Blue Danube. Well, maybe one day....(sigh). This blogging is fun and somewhat dangerous. I could spend inordinate amounts of time here. There are so many things I want to post! I've even stumbled upon a new way I learn...imitation. Being a copy cat is not exactly a flattering personality trait, but viewing examples of other blogs has given me a severe case of blogenvy. As a result, I had to discover the world of WeeMee, and take a look at Library Thing. Another way I obtain information is by asking questions. I am very grateful for all the computer savy people I work with at the library, because they have helped me IMMENSELY already.

The Blue Danube

लुसिद मनिफेस्तातिओंस (Lucid Manifestations)

I want to play with all of my new toys. Let's see if the Hindi type button works, and if I have uploaded a picture from the web correctly.

Brownie Points por moi?

I am staying after work to post. I love Rocky, and not just for all the great Philly (city of my birth) street shots, but because he was the underdog. Being the antithesis of computer geekdom, I consider myself somewhat of an underdog as I strive to complete my iHCPL training. But no way am I gonna drink raw eggs at 5 am. Ewww!

Rocky succeeded because he had heart. He also stretched and exercised alot. I am stretching by blogging, and I am exercising my brain by pondering the question, "What is my learning style?" I learn lots by reading, and some things by listening. When those methods are not sufficient, I must do. I must do alot. On computers I definately must do. Another way I learn is by making 20 billion mistakes. Then things start to sink in. Failure is kind of embarrassing, but it is a great teacher.

Gonna fly now

iHCPL Alpha Post

Several years ago, I considered myself one of the last of a dying breed...no, not a really great whangdoodle (see children's fiction, under Edwards)... but an intractable technophobe steadfast in her refusal to enter the world of artificial intelligence. Fortunately my willfull resistance was ultimately vanquished by curiosity and the enticing allure of the world wide web at my fingertips, 24/7. Thus, google, I understand. Blogging on the other hand, is quite like visiting a foreign country. I've never been here, but am looking forward to the adventure.