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.

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?

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.

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.

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.