Week 8 #18 Social Networking: Making friends in the comfort of your home
I think I covered my thoughts on social networking in my last blog.
Week 8 #19 Web-based Apps
I found Zoho writer to be very impressive. I like the online organizer-plan, organize, share. I can see where this would be invaluable to small businesses as well as individuals. Access to word processing and the spreadsheets is very practical, especially in these tight economic times.
Week 9 #20 Discover You-Tube
I was having a lot of trouble combatting my wavy hair. I bought a new hair dryer with a diffuser, now I had the problem of how to use. I searched You Tube and found quite a few videos on the very subject! Some of the demonstrations were a scream, people in their bathrooms sharing tips on products, techniques, etc. Personally I would never appear on you tube, but I did get a few ideas for dealing with my hair.
Week 9 #21 Podcasts, Smodcasts (or shall we say smutcasts)
Of the three directories that are linked to the IHCPL tutorial, only one was accessable, that being podcastalley.com. I looked through trying to locate an RSS feed and was surprised by the selection available. Pretty scummy, smutty, and vile, no thanks.
Week 9 #22 Downloadable Media
I was pleasantly surprised to see the number of titles available to download onto PC or Mac. I thought the catalog features were good. I found the descriptions to be helpful in determining if I would find a title interesting or not. I appreciated the "If you like this title, you might like..." I downloaded both audio and visual. Last winter I was stranded in the hospital for two weeks while my mother was having surgery. I wish I would have known about this as it would have been truly appreciated. I think it would be great for travel as well, ... planes, trains and automobiles.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Saturday, March 7, 2009
WEEK 7 Blog about technology
Is it actually possible to drive without speaking on your cell phone? I certainly see no evidence to the contrary. It seems like people are interacting with one another but not face to face rather with technology. As I observe our patrons in the library, the men are usually on "dating" sites and the others, adults and children are emailing one another. Rarely do I see patrons even having a casual chat with the people they are sitting beside. In Ann Landers recently, a man wrote in that he had assumed another identity online, a younger, hunkier and with more hair version, and now he was afraid to physically meet the people he had been corresponding with. Ann said, no problem as they have probably altered their identities as well. I find this bizarre. I say speak to the person in the carrell next to you, hang up the phone and drive, and just be yourself!
Is it actually possible to drive without speaking on your cell phone? I certainly see no evidence to the contrary. It seems like people are interacting with one another but not face to face rather with technology. As I observe our patrons in the library, the men are usually on "dating" sites and the others, adults and children are emailing one another. Rarely do I see patrons even having a casual chat with the people they are sitting beside. In Ann Landers recently, a man wrote in that he had assumed another identity online, a younger, hunkier and with more hair version, and now he was afraid to physically meet the people he had been corresponding with. Ann said, no problem as they have probably altered their identities as well. I find this bizarre. I say speak to the person in the carrell next to you, hang up the phone and drive, and just be yourself!
WEEK 7 WIKI
I browsed the iHCPL Sandbox and found lists of peoples favorite restaurants, tv shows, holiday travels, etc. Some of it was interesting, but I doubt I'd ever use it. Next I went to SJCPL I found it to be practical and useful. Princeton's Book Lovers Wiki was dated and disappointing. Library Success was just that! A success. Ithought it had good, specific information, although several links lead to "sorry, page not found". ALA Annual Conference Wiki : very practical and easy to use.
I next accessed IHCPL Wiki and created a log in account. I then added a favorite holiday comment to the favorite vacations wiki.
I browsed the iHCPL Sandbox and found lists of peoples favorite restaurants, tv shows, holiday travels, etc. Some of it was interesting, but I doubt I'd ever use it. Next I went to SJCPL I found it to be practical and useful. Princeton's Book Lovers Wiki was dated and disappointing. Library Success was just that! A success. Ithought it had good, specific information, although several links lead to "sorry, page not found". ALA Annual Conference Wiki : very practical and easy to use.
I next accessed IHCPL Wiki and created a log in account. I then added a favorite holiday comment to the favorite vacations wiki.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Week 6
I watched the video on tagging. I then tried to view the tutorial on Del.icio.us, but unfortunately I could not get it to work. I did explore Del.icio.us using the HCPL account. I looked at Us.ef.ul as well as "The wildly successful del.icio.us users". I explored several options one being Quamut-the go to how to. I had a very positive experience and found it practical and easy to use.
I was a bit leary of something called delicious - but I can see that it can be a great resource and save a lot of time.
In terms of my thoughts on Library 2.0
Having originally worked at HCPL from 1987-1997, I returned in late 2008 to something very familiar, yet completely different. I think the changes are for the better. At our branch our circulation figures are significantly higher, always a good thing. I see basic changes in the way our patrons use the library. It's a lot freer in the library, people bring in food and drink and think nothing of it. Ten years ago that was unheard of. Most of our "hard core" users do their search process from the comfort of their home or office, they place holds and use the databases. I think the regular users actually spend less time in the library now then before. I think our patrons would really appreciate a Drive-up window, check in check out from the comfort of your car, imagine!
This does not mean the library is empty however, the building is more populated than before, but with customers that probably would never have used a library in the past. We have patrons on every public access computer pretty much from opening to closing. They play video games, surf the internet, access their email accounts,look for jobs, watch movies, you name it. If they do check out material, it is usually DVDs.
Reference has changed as well. In the old days from 3 pm until closing we were inundated with students, needing hands on help from how to use Readers Guide to retrieving magazines. Searching through the stacks for answers to science fair projects questions, Native Americans, and explorers to name a few. We still provide reference service and we still have those same assisgnments, but now most of the students have searched our databases as well as the internet and only come in as a last resort. Now we more often field questions on "How can a print off the computer?", "How can I check my email?".
The library has always had a place in the community, but I think it has an ever greater role now. That was really obvious after Hurricane Ike last fall. We were filled every day with people needing the lifeline of the internet to settle insurance claims, stay in touch with friends and family via email, contact FEMA. They were here from opening to closing contending with no air conditioning and only partial light. What a great use of tax dollars. Hopefully citizens will continue to see the value libraries can have on their lives and continue to support us.
I watched the video on tagging. I then tried to view the tutorial on Del.icio.us, but unfortunately I could not get it to work. I did explore Del.icio.us using the HCPL account. I looked at Us.ef.ul as well as "The wildly successful del.icio.us users". I explored several options one being Quamut-the go to how to. I had a very positive experience and found it practical and easy to use.
I was a bit leary of something called delicious - but I can see that it can be a great resource and save a lot of time.
In terms of my thoughts on Library 2.0
Having originally worked at HCPL from 1987-1997, I returned in late 2008 to something very familiar, yet completely different. I think the changes are for the better. At our branch our circulation figures are significantly higher, always a good thing. I see basic changes in the way our patrons use the library. It's a lot freer in the library, people bring in food and drink and think nothing of it. Ten years ago that was unheard of. Most of our "hard core" users do their search process from the comfort of their home or office, they place holds and use the databases. I think the regular users actually spend less time in the library now then before. I think our patrons would really appreciate a Drive-up window, check in check out from the comfort of your car, imagine!
This does not mean the library is empty however, the building is more populated than before, but with customers that probably would never have used a library in the past. We have patrons on every public access computer pretty much from opening to closing. They play video games, surf the internet, access their email accounts,look for jobs, watch movies, you name it. If they do check out material, it is usually DVDs.
Reference has changed as well. In the old days from 3 pm until closing we were inundated with students, needing hands on help from how to use Readers Guide to retrieving magazines. Searching through the stacks for answers to science fair projects questions, Native Americans, and explorers to name a few. We still provide reference service and we still have those same assisgnments, but now most of the students have searched our databases as well as the internet and only come in as a last resort. Now we more often field questions on "How can a print off the computer?", "How can I check my email?".
The library has always had a place in the community, but I think it has an ever greater role now. That was really obvious after Hurricane Ike last fall. We were filled every day with people needing the lifeline of the internet to settle insurance claims, stay in touch with friends and family via email, contact FEMA. They were here from opening to closing contending with no air conditioning and only partial light. What a great use of tax dollars. Hopefully citizens will continue to see the value libraries can have on their lives and continue to support us.
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