Thing 23: The End?

My favorite discoveries for 23 Things for Libraries were:  Blog Setup (especially with figuring out how to add a picture!), RSS Feed (I had a vague understanding of this before), screencasting, URL shorteners, Creative Commons, social cataloging, multimedia, and podcasts.

Yes, this program has inspired my personal learning goals and helped me be more knowledgeable not only in reference but in my personal life (keeping up with my kids too!).  It also gave me the power to know that I can figure out these things (sometimes I need to ask for help), but I think this program was put together well to guide us so we don't become too frustrated working on our own.

The best unexpected outcomes for me were the podcasts and the multimedia assignment.  I needed help for the multimedia assignment (used Meebo chat! Ha!) but discovered how to make it work correctly. I was thrilled especially since I knew something my very computer-literate husband did not, i.e., how to embed a YouTube!

I looked at all the participants' blogs.  It was interesting to see the different ways in which people "decorated" their blogs.  I guess I was surprised at how many had abandoned or temporarily stopped their 23 Things.

What's next for me will be to enjoy what I have learned (My daily podcast, the goodread site that I joined, etc.).  I do plan to refresh my memory with what I have learned and look for ways to use these tools at the reference desk.  I feel more confident that I can learn the new tools that come down the pike!

Thanks for presenting this at our LRC Staff Day and giving me the impetus to start and complete it!

Thing 22: Podcasts

First I downloaded iTunes to my computer, which is an old one, and took about 40 minutes.  I started to download Juice, but my computer said it was "unknown" source, so I cancelled it.  I just finished the annual security training for the community college system, and it warned about downloading unfamiliar software, so I hesitated to do so.  I subscribed to The Writer's Almanac podcast from NPR through iTunes.  I have enjoyed listening to it on the car radio off and on for years, but wasn't always in the car or at home when it was broadcast on the local PBS station.  Now I won't miss any of them; I can listen to it when I have 5 minutes each day.  I have discovered new authors and poets through this broadcast.  On The Writer's Almanac's web site, it told how to subscribe to the podcast through iTunes or other generic podcast subscriptions; it didn't refer to it as an RSS feed, but that is what it would be by subscribing to receive it every day.  I had never listened to a podcast before, so this like so many of the 23 Things, is a first for me.

I listened to some of the other podcasts, but some of them did not say how long they were.  I only listened to some of the longer podcasts.  I was surprised to see how many there were in the education field.  I can see where this would be helpful for students too, so will keep it in my arsenal of places to do research.

Thing 21: Mashups

I learned about mashups while in library school in a reference class; I did a short report to the rest of the class on what it was.  There are a LOT more out there now.  I especially liked Spell with Flickr; that was fun.  I typed in different names from my family and friends, some of them twice and received different views.  I thought the Time Tube could be very helpful and represented a "reality check" for events when they occurred, not when people THINK they occurred.  That could be helpful for a community college student working on a paper about a current event and showing when different aspects of a subject occurred, at least according to YouTube!  The Wheel of Lunch was also fun, but it didn't have my favorite place to eat locally so I didn't find it as useful.  The Google Mashups could be the most helpful for personal reasons; for housing, places to walk/run, etc.  I also like maps so maybe that's part of it!

Thing 20: Tagging and Social Bookmarking

While exploring Delicious, I could see the potential to keep all my favorite web sites together with tags so they are easily reached by subject.  I looked at the "bookmarked by a lot of other users" and was able to see the tags but did not see any comments.

I can certainly see the potential for research assistance, allowing you to have all one subject together but also linking them to other subjects that overlap.  Our library does not have a social bookmarking collection that I know of, but then I didn't realize the VCCS had one!  I'll ask at work today!

I think I will set up a Delicious account to keep my favorites more organized.  I don't have a laptop now but I may be getting one in the future, and I will be getting an Android phone soon; Delicious would allow me to access my favorites on any device.  That's a nice feature.  I don't know how much sharing I would do, but there may be more out there than I realize!

Thing 19: Multimedia (2nd YouTube Video)

Below is the Rosanne Rosannadanna video:

Thing 19: Multimedia (With YouTube Embbeded)

Ok, I'm going to try this again. Below is the Monty Python video.

1.

Thing 19: Multimedia

I found 2 YouTube videos that I especially enjoyed.  The first one was Monty Python's "Art Gallery," a skit from their old TV show that I used to watch, Monty Python's Flying Circus.  The second one is longer but one that always makes me laugh, "Roseanne Rosannadanna's Commencement Address to the Columbia School of Journalism.

1.

2.

YouTube was fun, but I don't have time to look at YouTube videos all day! I went to Help to try and figure out how to embed the video into this post, but I am not sure it is going to work. When I clicked on Preview, there was nothing next to 1 and 2 above. I also can't figure out how to get out of HTML mode. I found some videos of academic libraries; they were OK and may appeal to younger viewers, but I didn't think they were particularly well done. I guess they are supposed to be more informative in a carefree way.

I chose the Monty Python video because it made fun of people looking at art. You need to be able to laugh at things you love and not take them too seriously. I chose the Roseanne Rosannadanna piece because I have always laughed at Gilda Radner's characters and this one was particularly funny to me, but it is almost 7 minutes long so I wanted to choose a shorter one too.

Yes, I can see how YouTube videos could be helpful for libraries, helping people to visually see what your library looks like and where they can find items or services. When I was in library school, we watched 2 YouTube videos in a technical services class; one was informative, the other was more of a farce on how to repair a book, having the book be in an emergency room setting. Ok, I'll see if the videos are embedded when I post this.

Thing 18: Audiobooks

Farrell's article was informative since I really didn't know much about audiobooks.  Unfortunately, audiobooks are like the databases in that they are both expensive.  The advantages help the library patrons but the costs to libraries can be prohibitive, especially when a CD of the same book costs less.

I did try Overdrive, and I did not have any problems with the download of the Media Console, which surprised me since I have an older computer.  The user rating option is a good idea; I'm still trying to figure it out though.  The directions aren't very clear.  I downloaded a book on speaking French and listened to some of it.  I had French a long time ago but like to study it occasionally as I enjoy that language.  I only tried Overdrive at this time but may try another one to see how it works.

I have not had any questions about audiobooks from students but I am not sure how many are aware that we have them available.  It should be part of our library orientation for students if it is not.

Thing 17: Social Cataloging

I chose goodreads because LibraryThing was down.  I selected 14 books from 2 series that I love.  Yes, I am new to social cataloging.  One of my professors in library school showed us LibraryThing, but I had not taken the time to look into it further.  It could be interesting to see what others are reading who have similar interests.  Here is the link to my goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/4900784?shelf=read

Thing 16: E-Books

I was familiar with many of these because I work at the reference desk, but I was not familiar with all of them.

PsychBooks had a lot to offer; I searched "dream interpretations" initially and did not get any results, but when I searched "dreams," there were a LOT of books to choose from.

I am not sure if e-books are the wave of the future but there is definitely a place for them in our society.  As they continue to improve them, those who prefer to hold a book in their hands may come around.  I think inevitably it will be the young children who grow up with e-books who will be the ones to consume them the way many of today's adults do with printed books.  There are so many problems with e-books with regard to copyright that it may take a while for all aspects of it to be legally correct.

Our students do not seem to be familiar with e-books, but when I show them how to access and use them, they are impressed.  Some seem skeptical until you show them how you can search for a word that they are looking for, and they see how easy it is to use.  If textbooks move more toward e-books, they will have no choice but to become familiar with them.  They may also appreciate the lower price of textbook e-books.

I do not own any type of e-reader; I have seen one demonstrated briefly at Barnes & Noble, but have never used one myself.  The idea does not appeal to me, but if I were a commuter on public transportation it might be a different option than carrying just one book or magazine.

Thing 15: Creative Commons

I looked at the Creative Commons section of Flickr.  You need to search by type of license, and I chose the "Attribution" license. Using the search box, I typed in Paris to find images of Paris, France.  These were mostly beautiful, artistic scenes of Paris.  When I used the browse search ("Browse Popular Tags" located beneath the search box), I found more personal images of people visiting Paris, people at meetings in Paris, and people attending Christmas mass at Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Creative Commons could be used as a resource for those who are concerned about whether the work they have chosen is copyrighted.  Certainly many of these images look professional and could add to a typed report or published material.

I think Creative Commons should be included in library instruction as it is another tool available for people to use especially for those who may want to use images and are not sure about what is copyrighted.

I can see where some original content would be acceptable to share such as photographs, but some creative art work or writing may not.  I asked my teenage daughter who is an artist and a writer about this; she said she would consider sharing her art work but not her writing.  I can see both sides of this problem.  I wonder too if people abide by the Creative Commons contracts and if anyone monitors them to see that they are not abused.  It is a good option to copyright as those laws have become so restrictive.

Thing 14: Online Surveys

I tried using Doodle to create an online survey called Stranded Island Choices.  I asked 2 questions about what 3 things would you want if stranded on an island and what 3 things could you live without if stranded on an island.  However, that didn't work because I needed 3 lines for each answer for respondants to enter answers, and Doodle wanted answers you could check off, not write in.  So, I created this same poll in Google Docs.  That worked much better for me.  Here is the link:

https://spreadsheets.google.com/gform?key=t73MTBMkhGEeIbyWEKbPgbQ&hl=en#

My only choice was to email the survey to others rather than just share the document (maybe I'm forgetting something I learned earlier!).  The 23 Things said to share the form on our blog, so that is what I am doing here.  It's good to know that these forms are available and not that difficult to produce.

Thing 13: Document Sharing

I shared a Google Document with information about a website that allows you to find other websites based on your interests by different categories checked.  I did not allow anyone else to edit it, only view it.  I titled it "Website Recommendation."  Here is the shared Google Document:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13WraHG39NbWPUfWuWaClw4TwNJPDPLx4kzNI-y_uAdg/edit?hl=en

Google Documents would be useful in a library when several people are working on a project together.  While in library school, four of us used a Google Document when we had a class paper due jointly.  One person set it up, shared it, and allowed editing privileges.  We could add our sections and revise others' sections, making suggestions in wording or what to include.  It worked very well.  That is my only experience with Google Documents, and it was very helpful.  It would work well in a similar situation.

Thing 11: Shortening a URL

I shortened a link for the Academic Search Complete database from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/search/advanced?hid=7&sid=8fbbe2c4-f147-4fbf-a36e-cba9f54757e1%40sessionmgr11&vid=1

to http://bit.ly/h6lq6w

This would certainly be helpful when giving students links to databases and when linking to a specific article within a database, especially in virtual reference (LRC-Live or email).

Thing 10: Searching Twitter

I looked at the most recent twitters, which mainly dealth with Martin Luther King Day (today), and that was interesting to read what others thought about this day.  I also looked at the different Twitter accounts listed on 23 Things, specifically VMFA and Va State Parks.  I could see where it might be helpful to have a place to look for this updated information especially if you are not at your computer and have a phone that can access Twitter.  Also could be useful for updates on special events.  However, I would not be interested in using Twitter because I either text, call, or check a social networking site to see what people are thinking about or saying; these sites also include threads of "conversations."

I did several searches; one for "art" and surprisingly found one on "art, service, and inspiration," which was actually about someone who has ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease); my father had that so it was ironic that I chose that one to read.  I also searched "Gabrielle Giffords" to see what the latest information was for her, and I was surprised that there were several updated news stories about her recovery.  I suppose I can see where having these tweets in the LoC might help future generations understand what we were doing, but how accurate are they when anyone can post anonymously.  Also, that is a LOT of information to weed through as a research tool.  Also, is it an accurate depiction of what people are really doing or what they want you to think they are doing?

Thing 9.5: Image Generators

I looked at several of these online generators.  The Generator Blog had several different word, video, and animation generators to choose from.  I chose a simple one, The Very British Name Generator.  You put in your name and a British name is given to you.  Mine became Elizabeth Watson.  Below is the link:

http://rumandmonkey.com/widgets/toys/namegen/10/

I also looked at the other image generators, and some could be fun for cards or posting on Flickr or Facebook.

Thing 09: Photos and Images

I searched for "First Landing Virginia Beach" to find images of First Landing State Park, which is one of my favorite places to go along with Back Bay also in Virginia Beach.  I know there is a Back Bay in Boston so I added Virginia Beach to narrow the search appropriately.  Below are the links with first being First Landing and the second one being Back Bay.  I copied the URL in Flickr and pasted it here.  I tried the "Insert Image" on this blog, but when I posted the URL, it didn't work.  I didn't see the blogging tool on Flickr, but I didn't search far as it was easier to copy and paste!

I can see how libraries might use Flickr to market the library and to share with others photos of library events, both inside and outside of the library.  Our library could have used it to show photos of the new library when it opened last year.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/41761556@N08/5209739137/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mjzitek/1579955055/

Thing 8: Screencasting

I used Screen-O-Matic to create a brief description of how to search for a book in our library catalog.  However, it kept saying "loading," so I went back a page and saw that my preview was available.  I was so surprised that it worked well!  Below is the link.  The first page of the library catalog (search page) is smaller than the results page, so when I linked to the second page, the whole page was not visible.  I could redo the screencast to improve it so you could see the whole second page, and I may do that in the future.  I chose Screen-O-Matic because I didn't have to download anything on the computer, and the tutorial on YouTube explained it pretty well.

http://www.screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cXVbqDlXq

 

Thing 7: Sharing Slide Presentations

I signed up for Slideshare and looked at several slide presentations on art.  I saved two of them to my favorites, but when I went back later and clicked on Favorites, it brought up the most favorite slide presentations and not the ones I had chosen.  The Slideshare Help was not helpful!  Below is one I chose on the different types of art from the late 19th Century and throughout the 20th Century.

http://www.slideshare.net/nstrehlow/art-movements2-presentation

Slide sharing could be useful between librarians who make similar presentations.  We use Captivate mostly, I believe, to show students how to navigate on our library web site, and only some librarians use slide presentations for library instruction.  The others use live demonstrations on how to use the library catalog and databases.

Thing 6: Chat

I have used chat a few times.  One time in particular I noticed that when I began to type, the first letter or two did not print so I had to correct it several times; it took me a little longer, and the person wanted to know if I were still there.  I don't use chat to communicate with friends or colleagues yet.  I recently joined Facebook, and I noticed that sometimes "chat" is available, but I was unsure how it worked and if I really had the time to chat with someone.  It seems easier to post comments, although it would be fun to "talk" to a friend.

I have offered to learn LRC Live so I can help my colleagues when they cannot be available for LRC Live; I have had a brief lesson on the basics of how it works.  I was told that someone would train me when they had time as apparently it takes time to learn the intricacies of it, and that perhaps I would be ready by spring to do it by myself.  So far, I have only had the one lesson...

Thing 5: Wikis

For the wiki examples provided, they were all helpful.  I don't know a lot about wikis, but it seems that changes in the cataloging wiki at the UL library could create problems if someone were to incorrectly edit those pages.  I especially thought the Antioch U. wiki was helpful to their staff, especially new staff.  The St. Joseph's site was a list of subject guides to help patrons; I'm not sure who can make changes to this site; I assume only the library staff.  The Princeton Book Lovers wiki is a great asset for a public library where readers can let others know what the book is about and their opinions.  The Library Success wiki seems like a great idea for libraries to help one another solve common problems.  These wikis are all functional.  Our library does have a wiki for different library services such as Cataloging, Circulation, Collection Development, etc.  It also includes who is responsible for different subject guides and comments on how to make these better for students.  I was only familiar with Wikipedia really, so it was good to see other helpful uses for wikis.

Thing 4: Social Networking

I have had a social networking site (Facebook) for about 6 weeks.  I use it to keep in touch with relatives and friends.  I chose Facebook because that is what family and friends use.  I did not include a picture of me for privacy reasons; I don't want Google/Facebook to have ALL the information about me.  I provided basic information since my family and friends know me.  I'm not interested in contacting everyone from the past; I have looked for old friends, but they may not be on Facebook.  I would hesitate to use LinkedIn and provide all my information; I think privacy is an issue.

I looked at ALA's Facebook, and it seems to be information related to the Midwinter meeting (Youth Awards, etc.).  For a library, I would consider adding a Facebook page since that seems to be the most popular in this area.  I have read in library literature that many teens do their homework while on Facebook, and hopefully if they had a question they would seek out their local library.  From the teens and 20-year-olds that I know, they would not seek out the local library to be "friends" with.  The Virginia community colleges already have a place on their library web site where students can ask questions so I don't think a separate social networking site would be of benefit.

Thing 3: RSS Feeds

RSS Feeds sound like a great idea, although it is a little daunting to sign up for 5 blogs and know I need to check those periodically.  I signed up for 5, some professional (VLA, LOC), some personal (author, travel, and music).  I haven't had the time to read blogs in the past, but this should make it easier.

Thing 2: Getting Started/Web 2.0 Concepts

The explanation by Michael Wesch was fast but I understood what he meant in his definition of Web 2.0.  It includes so many things on the web that I never realized were 2.0.  On another subject, I'm still trying to figure out how to change colors and add a picture to my blog page.  I'll see if I can read other blogs to find the answer.

Thing 01: Blogging

Well, it was a little trickier than I thought, but I figured it out.  I chose the title of my blog to reflect two of my favorite things - art and books.  I need both in my life to be complete.