I have completed all the 23 Things and to quote James Brown, " I feel good."
I found this program quite interesting and learned alot. I am still not where I want to be in terms of exploiting some of these technical tools. But the question might better be posed, are all these tools really useful and applicable to the library?
I loved the LibraryThing site and I think I have become a disciple of blogging. My son has started blogging as a result of this program. But there seems to be a continuing dialogue in my head about privacy and broadcasting to the world what might better be said in private. Discretion is the better part of valor or something like that. My family uses Flickr to host entire treks around the world but I still haven't mastered Flickr and am not sure I want my cousins and the world to see all my personal pics.
I like RSS feeds but don't get Twitter,del.icio.us, Technorati,or Rollyo.
Given the risk averseness of most public ententes and the constant supervision required in monitoring the appropriateness of content I am wondering if Library 2.0 is for everybody. We tried a IM component to our YA program and it wasn't popular at all. YA's are into their social networks and the library isn't on their friends lists. Older folks who don't have computers are still demanding tomes that are no longer published because they are online now. 23 Things has motivated me to attempt to use blogs at our library to administer adult reading programs.
The future is definitely an electronic one with continued emphasis on electronic resources for accessing information in all formats. I am glad that I did this program as I had heard many of these terms bandied around but never quite understood exactly what they meant. The hardest part of this change is that it is continuous and neverending:technology now mandates that you become a lifelong learner.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Update on what I've done
Pretty much done 1-20 and number 22. My son is now blogging as a result of my exposure to Library 2.0. Last Sunday I briefed one of our extra help LA's all about 2.0. I plan on presenting it to the technophiles in my family too.
I just need to do number 21 on podcasts, do number 23, and maybe get some better closure on Flickr, Technorati, and Del.icio.us.
I just need to do number 21 on podcasts, do number 23, and maybe get some better closure on Flickr, Technorati, and Del.icio.us.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Online productivity
So after many years of learning all the idiosyncracies of our beloved MS software: Word, Publisher, Power Point, and Excel; why do I want to subject myself to the free versions from the MS wannabe, Google???
So why aren't the links embedded?
OK, so why aren't the links in the previous post embedded or active?
Wiki's
I love Wikipedia. I love to drive a car. Do I know how to fix my car? No. Do I want to know everything about Wiki's? No. I just want to use them. I am a proud nontechnical user.
WikiSquatting, Walled Gardens,life is too short to be immersing yourself in this arcane technical world. My library system is embracing wiki's and that's good. I want to use them, not design them, or integrate my blogs, etc into them.
Guess I'm a semi-Luddite, s=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite
or
s=ludditehttp://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=luddite
Are we changing to improve service or just to do some vendor's bidding?
WikiSquatting, Walled Gardens,life is too short to be immersing yourself in this arcane technical world. My library system is embracing wiki's and that's good. I want to use them, not design them, or integrate my blogs, etc into them.
Guess I'm a semi-Luddite, s=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite
or
s=ludditehttp://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=luddite
Are we changing to improve service or just to do some vendor's bidding?
The Anti-Librarian
Ok, so now I've done 15 things while waiting to go on desk for the next two hours and close the library at 2100 hours.
Crawford's article about Library 2.0 or "Library 2.0" doesn't do much for me. If anything I am more confused than ever about what it is. Evidently it's bipolar.
He seems to denigrate public libraries when he states that "I don’t believe public libraries have ever been most people’s primary source of current information, or indeed the first place you’d go looking for information in general." I would vehemently disagree with that statement. I always went to the library either public or college when I needed to find out information. That was then. And now I visit the library electronically from home to access journal articles.
He doesn't like being a customer as opposed to a patron. Nevertheless I agree with a lot of what he says in his epilogue and final page about Library 2.0. I am too busy taking care of patrons or customers to find the time to do a lot of this stuff.
Crawford's article about Library 2.0 or "Library 2.0" doesn't do much for me. If anything I am more confused than ever about what it is. Evidently it's bipolar.
He seems to denigrate public libraries when he states that "I don’t believe public libraries have ever been most people’s primary source of current information, or indeed the first place you’d go looking for information in general." I would vehemently disagree with that statement. I always went to the library either public or college when I needed to find out information. That was then. And now I visit the library electronically from home to access journal articles.
He doesn't like being a customer as opposed to a patron. Nevertheless I agree with a lot of what he says in his epilogue and final page about Library 2.0. I am too busy taking care of patrons or customers to find the time to do a lot of this stuff.
Posting from You Tube
Ok, I finally posted the picture of the video directly from You Tube. I make typing mistakes and when I try to correct them in the blog post by editing them, the picture disappears.
Technorati and a rambling rant on new stuff
Ok, so why do I want to do this technorati thing??? Technorati, I signed up for it and trying to claim my blog it just goes off and says "Technorati is borked" and it will return, yadda, yadda, yadda and it no return.
WTF sounds interesting. I will have to figure out why it can't find my blog.
I have done the del.icio.us thing too but don't see the utility of that nor do I get Rollyo.
I've been getting Wired Magazine for years and IM with my son in Iraq. My kids all have Myspace accounts but all this stuff is like a revelation to me. However, I don't see the need for it. Trying to integrate it all together is confusing too. Some sites are really good at explaining the benefits but others don't explain too much at all. It's almost like if they have to explain it, maybe you don't belong there.
I think all these tools are nice but we all have work to do and these tools can be diverting us from what needs to be done in the library serving the community. Information overload is a real and present danger here. So I'm enjoying my tour through this Web 2.0 and learning a lot but still wondering why do I want to do this and why does this certain application benefit me? It's really nice to be freed from the restraints of code and style sheets and all that technical geek detail so that's a real improvement.
WTF sounds interesting. I will have to figure out why it can't find my blog.
I have done the del.icio.us thing too but don't see the utility of that nor do I get Rollyo.
I've been getting Wired Magazine for years and IM with my son in Iraq. My kids all have Myspace accounts but all this stuff is like a revelation to me. However, I don't see the need for it. Trying to integrate it all together is confusing too. Some sites are really good at explaining the benefits but others don't explain too much at all. It's almost like if they have to explain it, maybe you don't belong there.
I think all these tools are nice but we all have work to do and these tools can be diverting us from what needs to be done in the library serving the community. Information overload is a real and present danger here. So I'm enjoying my tour through this Web 2.0 and learning a lot but still wondering why do I want to do this and why does this certain application benefit me? It's really nice to be freed from the restraints of code and style sheets and all that technical geek detail so that's a real improvement.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Image Generating Epiphany
Ok so I'm messing around with this online image generator. So that's how my kids make all those crazy images on myspace. Eureka!
23 Things
My ardor for 23 Things has cooled somewhat after being exposed to Flickr and its mashups. Didn't think Flickr was as straight forward as blogspot. Done 8 of the 23 but need some remedial work on Flickr. Ready to start Twitter and adding links, etc to my blog. Can't get into RSS feeds. Life is too short, although the Daily Show parody of Dick Cheney was a welcome relief from this technical empowerment.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Chosen Soldier by Dick Couch
I have started reading Dick Couch's new book about Special Forces or the Green Berets. It's a great glimpse into the making of Green Berets, our soldiers who are like the Peace Corps but with guns. Dick is a former Navy SEAL and CIA case officer who stands in awe of the men who become SF. He emphasizes that what makes SF so invaluable is their role as teachers. They are truly expert generalists who master many trades. The most valuable asset these warriors possess is their ability to get along with each other and those from diverse cultures. Men who know what to do when there is no one to tell them what to do. Men who know how to use the pen but can use the sword when it is required and with lethal effect.
Every soldier who contemplates becoming a Green Beret needs to read this book as it would save them and the Army a lot of time-maybe some won't apply now once they see the training. Wonder what effect this book will have on SF recruiting? It paints a challenging picture of the mental and physical challenges faced by SF candidates. A long evaluation and screening process has me asking, "are we there yet?" Can you imagine running a marathon and then sleeping for four hours, doing it in the rain in near freezing weather, and then getting up and having to plan and execute a raid and sustaining that cycle for five straight days??? The thing about this training is that the SF cadre or staff is there with the candidates 7/24 too. Makes you wonder if deploying overseas and facing combat might actually be a relief from the rigorous training they conduct.
My son is a sergeant in the infantry and on his second tour in Iraq with the 1st Infantry Division-a soldier of the surge. He has often talked about the professionalism of the Green Berets with whom he has interacted and considered putting in a package. Now he knows what to expect thanks to Dick Couch. I'll be sending him a copy with his CARE package next mail call.
Every soldier who contemplates becoming a Green Beret needs to read this book as it would save them and the Army a lot of time-maybe some won't apply now once they see the training. Wonder what effect this book will have on SF recruiting? It paints a challenging picture of the mental and physical challenges faced by SF candidates. A long evaluation and screening process has me asking, "are we there yet?" Can you imagine running a marathon and then sleeping for four hours, doing it in the rain in near freezing weather, and then getting up and having to plan and execute a raid and sustaining that cycle for five straight days??? The thing about this training is that the SF cadre or staff is there with the candidates 7/24 too. Makes you wonder if deploying overseas and facing combat might actually be a relief from the rigorous training they conduct.
My son is a sergeant in the infantry and on his second tour in Iraq with the 1st Infantry Division-a soldier of the surge. He has often talked about the professionalism of the Green Berets with whom he has interacted and considered putting in a package. Now he knows what to expect thanks to Dick Couch. I'll be sending him a copy with his CARE package next mail call.
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