Finished

It's hard to believe 20 for 2.0 is already finished! I've enjoyed becoming a regular blogger and learning about tools I may not have been exposed to otherwise. It was fun to make my own avatar, explore the endless possibilities of image generators, play around with Pandora streaming music, and discover photo sharing with flikr. I think I am more prepared now to assist customers at the Information Desk, particularly those who are so tech savvy! I would definitely participate in another program like this in the future. It was something to look forward to each week, and I appreciated that it was self-paced and flexible. I'm thankful for this opportunity!

Gaming

Gaming was fairly new when I grew up and not encouraged. My mom always said, "Reading a good book is a better use of time." Perhaps that's why I'm a librarian... All that to say, there are so many games out there that I am unaware of. I enjoyed exploring a few. I especially like the educational options for kids on Fun Brain and Primary Games. It would be interesting to observe a teen gaming day sometime. To become expert at some of these games requires great problem solving skills and mental concentration. I've played DDR and Guitar Hero, but I still need to experience the Wii. I've heard it's really fun!

Google Earth

Google Earth is definitely impressive! I was glad to see the picture of my house in Seattle has been updated since we've made some significant changes. I enjoyed "traveling" to well known locations (e.g. Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, St. Peter's Basilica, Eiffel Tower, Google campus). I like how layers can be added and removed such as weather, traffic, and borders/labels. I can see how this would be extremely useful when planning trips or helping a patron at the Information Desk. :)

Second Life

To be perfectly honest, I have a hard time grasping the second life concept. Why not live to the fullest in your real life instead of creating a second one? That said, it is valuable to have an understanding of this Web 2.0 activity so that we can better serve our patrons. Here is the avatar I created for myself: I don't have a desire to "live" in Second Life. There is so much happening in my actual life that it seems time consuming to create and live in another one. As with many online applications (e.g. chat) people can choose to represent themselves as someone their not. This concerns me. It might be fun to play around with Second Life for an hour or two, but other than that I can't see myself using it faithfully.

Web Apps

I must admit I was unaware of the great applications available on the Web! I have grown so accustomed to Microsoft Office that I hadn't considered there was something else out there. I really like the options to share documents with others and track the history of revisions. Both Google Docs and Zoho seem like they could be really useful. I need to remember to show them to patrons who want to save their work but don't have a flash drive and are hesitant to use email. I also like the ability to convert documents into PDF format. I can see myself taking advantage of this feature.

Search Engines

Our task this week is to explore a variety of search engines, specifically Rollyo, Mamma, and Dogpile. Some of these are new to me and offer unique and interesting features. Rollyo allows users to create a customized search engine. Mamma eliminates any unnecessary results and provides a shorter list to select from. Dogpile combines search results from Google, Yahoo, Ask, and Live Search. It also provides a list of favorite searches done recently by users. All three appear to work well and returned results relevant to my search (bridal shower ideas). Some of the same websites were in the top ten of each search engine. Overall, I think Dogpile is my favorite because of its ability to combine all search engines into one. That said, I will probably continue to use Google since I am most familiar with it.

Podcasting

I listened to several library related podcasts: Nancy Keane's Simple Booktalks, Pierce County Library System Book Reviews, Sno-Isle Libraries Hear a Story, Uvula Audio Kids Podcasts, and LearnOutLoud.com Lit Summary Podcast. Podcasting is definitely a useful tool for our patrons. It provides information in yet another medium. It is great for people who may not use the physical library space on a regular basis, but still have Internet access. Potential topics include book reviews and "how to" workshops (e.g. how to plant bulbs, how to make a cake, how to compost, how to conserve fuel and energy). I have a small amount of experience with listening to and creating podcasts. I check in with the Sno-Isle Hear a Story podcast regularly and have recorded three stories in the past several months as well.

Fun with Image Generators

It was fun playing with the image generators this week. Take a look!

I would love Monopoly if the cards said this:

Me in front of New York Public Library:

OverDrive

This was a great exercise because it helped me to understand what patrons are experiencing when they use this product. Overall, I was really impressed. My computer had difficulty during the actual download process, but other than that, the selection seems great! I checked for some of my favorite authors - Laurie Halse Anderson, Rick Riordan, Kate DiCamillo were all there. Unfortunately, Patricia Polacco was not. I like how I can browse by author, subject, and even series! I also like the different categories - new, children, teen, staff suggestions, etc. I forget that music is available through OverDrive as well, that was a good reminder. It will be even better when the books are compatible with an iPod, I can imagine that use and demand will increase even more.

del.icio.us

I've heard so much about del.icio.us that I am excited to finally try it! I searched for bridal showers, since I am getting ready to host one in June. A variety of sites appeared. The first, Hostess with the Mostess, is great. It has wonderful photos and ideas. I then did the same search using Google. This also provided a variety of sites. Hostess with the Mostess was #4 in the results list. Nothing in this exercise was overly surprising. I appreciated the tags provided in del.icio.us. They all made sense and some were ones I would never think of.

Here's a link to my del.icio.us account: http://del.icio.us/jensullivan. I think this tool could really start to grow on me. It would be good at the reference desk to bookmark sites we use often to answer questions (e.g. OCLC). We have one patron who comes in every afternoon and asks us to open the same websites and then print his ten free pages. This would be one way of tagging his favorites and would help subs who aren't aware of his preferences. Del.icio.us would also be a great resource to share with patrons for personal use. What about offering a class on del.icio.us basics and a chance to play around with it? The possibilities are endless...

Fun with Wikis

I appreciate wikis because they allow users without HTML knowledge to create content on the Internet and collaborate with others to produce informative and accurate websites. The accuracy part of wikis (on sites such as Wikipedia) concerns me most. How do we guarantee the information provided is correct and authoritative? What if it is simply shared ignorance? All that to say, I found all three of the wiki examples interesting, especially Princeton Book Lovers. A wiki is a great format for sharing opinion based info, such as book reviews. It also encourages patrons to interact with librarians through a different venue. A patron may not have time or desire to stop by the library in person, however a wiki could be an ideal way to engage him or her and offer information about library services. One application within the library that I immediately thought of was the process of gathering information to answer reference questions. Our staff works on questions collaboratively, writing notes and paper clipping documents until a sufficient answer is found. It might be fun to track our progress using a wiki.

Streaming Video

During my time on You Tube, I found a video created by academic librarians, encouraging students to ask the "L-Team" for research help. This was a humorous take off on the A-Team. I also watched a video about no food in the library. One of my favorite library related You Tube videos is "March of the Librarians." I had never visited Hulu or Fancast before. I think I would use both. They're great tools to catch up on missed TV shows or to watch a movie without making a $4 trip to Blockbuster. Fancast might be useful to libraries because the factual information could be referenced at the Information Desk.

Social Networking

I've had a Facebook account for the past several months. My joining was prompted by an upcoming ten year high school reunion. The planning committee is using Facebook's group feature to inform everyone of event details. I have enjoyed reconnecting with classmates from high school and college. I like how easy it is to set up a profile page and make comments on some one's "wall." I also like that I am emailed when my status has changed (i.e. someone has posted to my page or invited me to be a friend). I visited MySpace and found it more difficult to navigate. It appeared busy and not as streamlined as Facebook. I think these sites are popular for the very reason I have been drawn to them. They allow someone to get in touch with people from different seasons of life. It's also fun to see pictures of how people have changed, or not. :)

Photosharing

This was a fun exercise! I chose to sign up for a Flickr account and upload photos. Below is a picture of me in front of New York Public Library in December (taken by my husband, Andy). I wish I had been standing in front of the lions with their Christmas wreaths. Uploading the photos and then tagging and describing them was a fairly simple process. I can see how it would become addicting. The librarian and English major parts of me really enjoyed thinking of words to label the photos. Plus, how great to be able to find other people's pictures of libraries or New York City!

Streaming Music

I love this tool! In the past, I have listened to the radio online via streaming music, but have never created my own personalized station. I chose Pandora and entered one of my favorite groups, Point of Grace. I was amazed by how similar the other groups and songs were to my preferences. Some I was already familiar with, but others were completely new to me. I can already think of another way to use this tool... I need a play list of faster pace "workout" music. This would be a great way to find it without having to search song after song myself. :) This would also be a useful way to compile music for children's story times and programs.

Hooray for RSS

I became familiar with RSS a few years ago, but had yet to experience it myself. I like the ease with which I was able to sign up on Bloglines and add feeds from my favorite sites. Like a lot of people, I spend time visiting each site every couple of days to see what's new. Not anymore... this is a great time saver! I also like how the feeds are formatted on the reader. It's clear and understandable. I plan to subscribe to feeds on professional websites (which directly affects my work life) and friends' blogs and other fun websites that I read at home. Perhaps libraries could have access to feeds from various research databases. Whenever a database is updated, the reference desk would immediately be notified. This would allow for more proficient customer service. This is a wonderful tool, I'm glad to have finally gotten on board!

IM stands for Incredibly Marvelous

I just finished the IM exercise using Google Talk! In a past job, we used MSN to notify each other of security issues and unruly students (I worked at a university). Since I am familiar with the tool, I wasn't surprised by anything. I continue to be amazed at the speed of communication it allows. It seems more effective than email for quick questions and exchange of ideas. I am definitely intrigued by providing reference services through this format.

Habits of a Lifelong Learner

I just finished watching the tutorial about successful lifelong learners. The easiest habit for me is to accept responsibility for my own learning. I have always enjoyed school. I thrive on deadlines and grades (I know it's weird). When I realized I wanted to become a librarian, it was a fairly smooth process to study for the GRE, apply to graduate school, and then write the papers and complete the projects to earn a degree. The hardest habit for me is to see problems as challenges. I am quick to go into crisis and resolution mode, instead of allowing a problem to run its course and recognizing it as a valuable learning opportunity. The reference desk immediately comes to mind. When I am asked a question and have no idea where to start, I inwardly panic. Instead, I should view the question as a chance to grow and explore. In the end, I will have learned about a new topic and new resources to be used in the future.

Impressed

I am impressed by my colleagues' blogs - they are really creative! I enjoy reading them and learning more about the people I work with. Someone mentioned wishing they could see who each blog belongs to, I agree! I haven't commented on anything yet, I will soon.

Blogger Anxiety

I thoroughly enjoy the blogging world! Many of my friends share their lives through weekly (sometimes daily) posts with photos, reflections, lists, etc. They are creative, witty, comical, and informative. Part of my weekend ritual is to check in on them. But when it comes to creating my own blog, anxiety strikes! What will the title be? Will it be boring? (By now, you can answer that question for yourself. I know, it IS boring. I'm working on it.) What will I write? How can anyone be interested in what I have to say? This is actually my second blog. The first I created to use in library school, but never made it past the initial, "Congratulations, you've created a blog!" screen. This time will be different! I am glad the 20 for 2.0 program is asking us to post responses using this medium. Perhaps when I'm done I'll be inspired to continue blogging. My anxiety will be alleviated... we'll see. :)