Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Thing 23: I'M DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just took some time to look over my past blog posts, while reflecting upon the new skills and knowledge I have acquired. I’m really stunned that I’ve come so far so quickly. It seems like just yesterday that Glynis was trying to convince me to participate in the Web Challenge during a staff forum in Mancini Hall.

Of the internet tools which were totally new to me (Del.icio.us, RSS), I often felt a profound sense of empowerment and insight as I was learning about them, as I was finally finding out what all of my peers had been talking about. As for the other applications and sites with which I had some prior familiarity (Wikis, podcasts), the exercises I was asked to complete helped to reinforce my comprehension.

Among my favorite “things” were Flickr, the Google and Zoho web apps, and the Web 2.0 Awards site. I hope to use Flickr more in the future as I continue to experiment with digital photography, Google Docs and other web apps should be very helpful to me when I go off to grad school in the fall, and I am already fully addicted to Pandora.Com. The only exercises I didn’t enjoy were “Finding Feeds” and Technorati, the former doesn’t seem to be very useful or interesting to me, and the latter seems to have a chronic case of the gremlins. I would definitely recommend that OCL look into implementing some form of Wikis to facilitate staff communication. I highly recommend adding WorldCat to each circulation computer’s list of favorites (or tagging/bookmarking it). Also, a number of web apps seem to have a lot of potential uses in the library system and at individual branches, as I discussed in my post on Thing 18. So far, I have told everyone I know about Pandora, I mentioned Google Docs to my sister and a friend, and I plan to introduce my mother to ListenNJ very soon.

All in all, this was a great experience. Major props to the committee for real.

Thing 22: ListenNJ and The Great Gatsby

When I first looked over this penultimate "thing" I decided that I would have the best chance of success if I attempted to complete the exercise at home. Last evening I made my way over to listennj.com and tooled around a bit. Early on I found the pdf instructions to be vague, and determined that I would do better by allowing my intuition to guide me.

On the home page, I located a link to download the OverDrive Media Console, followed the steps, and saw a shortcut appear on my desktop in no time at all. I then returned to the home page. In the search box I entered the title of a book I have been meaning to read for most of my life, "The Great Gatsby," and found a version narrated by the actor, Tim Robbins. I added it to my cart, proceeded to the check out, initiated the download process,...and promptly hit a brick wall of error messages. I restarted my computer and tried again, with the same results. I then realized that I also needed to download a security upgrade for Windows Media Player in order to get OverDrive to work. After a few clicks I was back to downloading Fitzgerald, and finally had success.

I listened to the first several minutes of the first chapter, and I can understand why this book is so highly acclaimed. I can't wait to hear/read the rest of it.

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Thing 21: Podcasts

Podcasting is a technology with which I was very unfamiliar until recently. In addition to this exercise and Web Challenge's reliance upon podcasts throughout the previous exercises, I had the good fortune of taking an outline course with a unit on new technologies such as podcasting. All of this reinforcement has helped me to become quite comfortable and moderately competent when using podcasts.

I first checked out Podcast.com, and found several podcasts that seemed interesting to me ("MSNBC News Headlines," "ESPN Baseball Today," "The Monkey Box"). However, the settings on my work computer did not allow me to play any of these. So, I went over to Odeo.com and immediately found "The Onion." I gravitated toward some of the political humor ("Hillary Receives 3 A.M. Phone Call From Drunken Bill Clinton," "Cheney Re-Grows Limb In Front Of Shocked Advisors"), listened to these podcasts (with the volume turned way down), and found them to be hysterical.

Here's the link: http://odeo.com/channel/59786/view

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Thing 20: You Tube

Oh, the videos I could have posted.

As the committee itself has already speculated, I am very familiar with You Tube. A quick visit just now led me to some of my old favorites: a cat getting its head stuck in a car's sunroof, a wildly irrelevant Starburst Commercial, Charlie the Unicorn's trip to Candy Mountain, and all of my favorite music videos.

For this exercise, I decided to go with a recent discovery of mine. This is a music video from an obscure band named Of Montreal. The song is called "Wrath Pinned to the Mist and Other Games." The video itself is fully animated, and features rabbits made of bubbles, an acorn spaceship, and trees that grow umbrellas. It never fails to bring a smile to my face.

Here's the link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=7PoJv4N1Too

Thing 19: Web 2.0 Awards

First off, many thanks to Chris B. Pandora.com sounds totally awesome, and I plan to check it out as soon as I get home. I recently became aware of a similar website, Slacker.com, which lets you pick a genre or artist, and then listen to songs from or similar to that genre or artist in a continuous streaming feed. I have also heard good things about Last.fm, the runner-up to Pandora.

The category that caught my eye when I first visited upon the Web 2.0 Awards list was "Mapping." It came as no surprise to me that Google Maps was the first place winner. The second place winner, Wayfaring.com, was one I had not heard of previously. As I started poking around, I realized I had made a great find. Wayfaring.com uses technology similar to Google Maps, but offers tools to personalize maps (i.e., locations of your favorite restaurants, reliably good hotels, worthwhile attractions). You can also collaborate with other users and share your maps with the public. One user mapped all of the places he stopped on a cross-country road trip. Another user mapped all of the best restaurants in the Philadelphia area. I can hardly wait to dig in deeper.

Here's the link: www.wayfaring.com

Thing 18: Web Apps

This is soooo cool. It's such a simple idea, I don't know why I didn't think of it myself. I am totally going to make use of Google Docs and/or Zoho when I go off to grad school in the fall. The scenario of leaving my term paper on the kitchen table has happened to me a little too often!

There are so many ways in which the Zoho apps could help us out at the LBI branch. "Planner" would be a great help to everyone at the branch to keep track of events, from programs to individuals' work schedules. At present, there is one master calendar for events and one master calendar for schedules. There are often times when the master copies need to be used by more than one person simultaneously; putting it online would mean that everyone who has access to a computer could have both calendars at their fingertips. "Show" could be used by presenters who wish to make their presentations available to the public before, during, or after a program. We could even use the "CRM" tool to keep track of our booksale inventory and sales.

Most of my duties don't include advanced computer applications such as those offered through Goolge Docs. In fact, most of my duties are very lo-tech (making displays, maintaining the vertical file, updating the sign board). However, the "Polls" and "Challenge" Zoho Apps have sparked my intrigue. Perhaps I could do a display on the presidential election, and use these tools to track the progress and compare the policy proposals of the two parties' nominees.

Thing 17: The Sandbox

I followed the link in the email that was sent to me last month, and was able to establish an account, post a link to my blog, contribute to the tips page, and create a new page about my favorite CDs. It was all fairly intuitive and very easy. The only thing I'm having trouble with is viewing my 'favorites' page now that I have created it.

I found the page on computer tips very interesting and helpful. I had forgotten the key strokes for toggling between open windows (Alt+Tab), and now I plan to use it often enough to remember. This demonstrates one of the best potential uses of a pbwiki: the ready exchange of insights and advice. I suppose pbwikis could also be used as a sort of forum to discuss an organization's policies when they are in their formative phases. The feature of themed pbwikis, such as with the various favorites pages, seems like a good way to foster socialization and creativity among coworkers.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Thing 16: Wikis

I checked out Library Success, and immediately noticed one aspect I did not like. Because this wiki works off of a pre-established outline of topics, some of the links take you to sections that have not yet been written. As for the sections that are there, several are very interesting. For example, I opened a section on Gaming just out of curiosity, and found a number of entries discussing the successes certain library systems have had with the circulation of video games. Also, I found a section on Displays, which led me to a forum where librarians post pictures of their best displays. (Check it out here: http://www.webjunction.org/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=3964&start=0&tstart=0) This has already given me some ideas for displays of my own.

I also checked out the Ocean County Library's wikipedia article. If I had to guess, I would say that the items of the "trivia" section were most likely added by OCL staff. It's good to see that the matter of Sparks' color has been cleared up, though on our library cards he still appears to be closer to a shade of burgundy...

Wikis are one type of web tool with which I am quite familiar. I actually joined a wiki just prior to the start of this Web Challenge; it's a collaborative crime thriller set in the fictitious New Jersey city of Garden City. It never before crossed my mind that wikis could be beneficial to those of us who work in libraries, and after this exercise, I can see that they definitely are. I think that the staff wiki of the Albany County Public Library is a great idea. Even though Open C's fulfills many of functions of a wiki, a staff wiki of our own might improve staff communication. Is there any chance of that coming to fruition?

Monday, May 19, 2008

Thing 15: Library 2.0 and Web 2.0

The first article, "Away From The 'Icebergs,'" is the most concise piece on the changes and challenges facing this profession that I have read. The section on the "just in case" collections makes me wonder how the libraries of the next few years will physically look. It stands to reason that the ratio of print materials to computer terminals used in libraries will continue to shrink drastically, but as the author implies in the "come to us" section, sustaining a web presence and web tools promise to take priority over amassing tangible collections. His point on avoiding a reliance on patron education struck me the most. If my experiences assisting patrons with technology issues have taught me anything, it is that which may seem intuitive to one person seems impassable to another. Eliminating the user barriers created by new technologies should continue to be a top priority for library systems, especially for older patrons.

As I understand it, and as it is articulated in these articles (especially "Into A New World Of Librarianship"), Library 2.0 is fundamentally about forging library systems that are more adaptive, responsive, interactive, and proactive than traditional library institutions. Library 2.0 is also about striking the right balance; libraries should not implement new technologies just for the sake of doing, just as they should avoid a sense of rigidity. Like Web 2.0, Library 2.0 seems to value the inherent benefits of collaborative effort, most of all education, creativity, and community growth.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Thing 14: Technorati

I checked out Technorati, and although the site seemed to have a few gremlins (broken links, search tool not working, etc.), I was able to complete the Discovery Exercise tasks.

Learning 2.0 seems to be very popular with libraries across the country, as my searches produced several results. It stands to reason that programs such as these are popular in the field of education, as well as other enterprises and firms. The farther along I work toward the 23rd Thing, the more I am impressed by the melding of these new technologies with the demand for continuous training.

To try out the search tool, I entered the first thing that came to mind: "Optimus Prime." I didn't find any blogs or posts, but I was able to find a whole slew of videos and pictures, including one of Prime and Megatron duking it out in a snowball fight. On a more serious note, I then tried searching for my chosen field, "Urban Planning." I found quite a few blogs, such as planetizen.com, which I hope to check out more extensively later.

Thing 13: Del.icio.us (and Nutricious!)

I just finished my run through Del.icio.us, and I think the hardest aspect of this web tool is spelling it.

My first impression was, "So what's the big deal?" At first, I didn't see how Del.icio.us was any better than adding websites to my list of favorites. However, the CommonCraft video on the Web Challenge site effectively illustrated the usefulness of Del.icio.us's social aspects. As I dug deeper, I started to realize that this is a highly efficient way to organize information on the internet.

I took a look at some of the wikipedia pages which people had previously bookmarked. While I was able to view the number of people who bookmarked specific pages, as well as the tags people have added in the past, I had some problems finding comments.

Del.icio.us seems to put more quality material within one's grasp, and for that reason appears to be an excellent resource for both serious research tasks and casual personal use.

Thing 12.5: WorldCat

When I visited WorldCat, the book title I searched was "Happier," by Tal Ben-Shahar. (This is a title that has been on my short list, and I hope to get my hands on a copy very soon.) I merely entered the word "happier" in the basic search box, and it showed up as the third result. According to WorldCat, this book is available right here in OCL, as well as the Atlantic City Public Library, the Atlantic County Public Library, and several other systems in the area. By clicking on the Details tab, I was able to see the chapter titles and some other information on the books format. When I clicked on the Subjects tab, it displayed that this book is listed under one subject: "Happiness."

To test the advanced search tool, I tried searching for one of my favorite albums, "Keep It Together," by Guster. Instead of entering all of the information I knew, I only entered the name of one song and the name of the band. The album came up as the first result.

In summation, WorldCat is awesome. I can totally see how this can help me at the circulation desk, not only when locating items, but when answering patrons' questions about items for which they have limited information. In some ways, I think this is a more effective tool than Horizon. I've already added it to my list of favorites.

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Thing 2: 7.5 Habits (Revisited)

Of the 7.5 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners, the habit I think I struggle with most is #2: "Accept responsibility for your own learning." This is not to say that I usually find myself unable to achieve that which I set out to do. However, I am ever a procrastinator. In my schooling, my hobbies, my past jobs, and even the books I read, I tend to let my obligations run up against the clock, and I often find myself racing to finish before a deadline. In these cases, I don't really take responsibility for myself, but allow my obligations to take responsibility for me.

On the other hand, habit #3 ("View problems as challenges.") seems to come easiest for me. I love the idea of a challenge. When I was younger my parents would hand over their broken appliances to me, and I would then take them apart and sometimes get them to work again. One line from a John Lennon song ("Watching the Wheels"), "There are no problems, only solutions," is a quote that I hold dear and feel reflects my own life philosophy. I am genuinely an optimist, and truly feel that to accomplish any kind of goal, it helps to view the process as possible and constructive.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Thing 12: NetLibrary

I just completed the discovery exercises for Thing #12, and I feel that this blog post warrants a narrative of my experience, rather than a mere report.

First, some background: I plan to enroll at the University of Virginia in the fall of this year, specifically in the Master's program for Urban and Environmental Planning. This is something I've wanted to do for a long time, but of course, I have been feeling a little nervous about embarking upon such a huge undertaking. When I read that the University of Virginia is a leading source of online books, I eagerly clicked the link provided in the Web Challenge page and took a look around. I was astounded to see that they have well over 5,000,000 ebooks, and now I really can't wait to take a look around their campus library.

After moving onto the excercises, I created a NetLibrary account with relative ease. To test out the search tool, I tried looking for "urban planning." After all, I am curious to learn as much as I can about the occupation. I got 98 hits, which included a number of interesting looking academic texts as well as career outlook manuals that consistently place my chosen field in the top 100 jobs for college graduates.

So, in this one step I was able to learn how to use NetLibrary, assuage some of my fears about grad school, and answer my own reference question. Rock on.

Thing 11: Library Thing

I just took a self-guided tour through this website, and I was really impressed. I'm not the type of person who will read just anything. This site strikes me as an excellent tool for finding out what books I will enjoy by reading through the reviews and lists of comparisons to the books I have already read.

On that note, I think I'm off to a good start. The first five books I have added to my own library are five of my all-time favorites. I was not surprised to find that "The Catcher in the Rye" had more members than any of the others, or that "The Painted Bird," by comparison a far more obscure novel, had far fewer than any of the others. This title did have some cool reviews, including a few that discussed some of the larger metaphors of the book (I won't say too much, so as not to ruin it for anyone who hasn't read it.). I was surpised to see how few members have added "The Giver" to their libraries (The book is excellent. Even if you have to read it three times before you appreciate it, like I did, it's worth it.)

http://www.librarything.com/catalog/ssimone07

Thing 10: Technology

I just read Stephen Abram's article, and I was surprised to see that I am actually already familiar with a number of the new technologies he mentions. I have personally used tagging, microblogging, personal homepages, and elearning. I was pleased to see that GIS (Geographic Information Systems/Science) made the list, as I have some experience using these computer applications, as well. Graphical displays of data have already shown themselves to be useful in a variety of ways (i.e., mapquest, GoogleEarth, etc.), and it is exciting to think how this may be used by libraries. Perhaps OCL would be interested in mapping the locations of other library systems, the locations of publishers, population or demographic statistics for Ocean County, or book stores that are in the area.

Also, when reading I was glad to have prior knowledge about things like RSS and podcasts. Thanks, Web Challenge!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Thing 9: Finding Feeds

I just took a look at the blog search tools recommended on the Web Challenge site. Topix and Technorati were pretty cool, and very easy to use. Syndic8 was a little tricky; I didn't really get it.

Saturday, April 12, 2008

RSS Mess

Well, I finished Thing #8 after about an hour of searching for RSS feeds. I'm currently subscribing to 12 different feeds, including electoral-vote.com and The Daily Show, in addition to several listed on the Web Things Challenge page. The process of pulling everything together was a bit frustrating, but I am already looking forward to using my blogline account; it promises to greatly expedite my web surfing.

Chelseaaaaaa's Photos

A few months ago, my buddy Sam referred me to his cousin's flickr profile. He knew I was getting into digital photography, and thought I would be interested in Chelsea's art school work. As I looked around, I was really impressed. I especially like her portraits, like this one; I just think her use of shadows, props, and makeup (a al Blade Runner) is fantastic.

http://flickr.com/photos/chelseaaaaaa/2153780752/in/set-72157601365182782/

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Flickr

These are my 5 pictures. I tagged them as "oclwebthings." They're not very good, but oh well.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25485802@N02/

My First Post

To me, a life-long learner is one whose education supercedes the confines of their schooling.