The finish line! Numbers 26 and 27

I loved the training, and I would definately do it again (if I had the choice). I've always enjoyed learning new computer skills, so the 27 things has been a great opportunity for me to keep up with new trends in the web. (Although, one co-worker said today that he read an article saying that web 2.0 was already out of date!). I'm usually overwhelmed by how quickly things change in the world of the internet, so this training has allowed me to keep with with a few of the new features of the web. I don't really do much "social networking" on the computer, and I must admit I'm looking forward to deleting myMySpace page, but many of the other Web 2.0 features will come in handy.

My favorite things in the training were:

*Learning how to create and maintain a blog (It's surprisingly easy)

*understanding the possible applications of Del.icio.us for Reference

*Using technorati to find new sources of information

*I loved the generators, just for the fun of it

*I'm amazed and addicted to YouTube now

*Rollyo was interesting--although I'm not sure what to do with it

I think I'll need to concentrate on using a few of these features--I usually need to use something on a regular basis to become competent in it.

One concern I have about KCLS incorporating some of these technologies is that I hope there won't be too many places to go to get information about the library system. I like having most of the info coming into my email. I check the Intranet and look at the Memo, and I'm not sure I'll be able to check different blogs or wikis on a regular basis. And even though Bloglines incorporates a lot of it into one place, it's still more time consuming to check several different places.

I managed to find help fairly easily, either from a "2.0 Advocate"--mainly Matt in AnswerLine, and from co-workers who had figured out something that I had trouble figuring out on my own.

I'd love it if we could continue this--past the 27 things. I don't want to be bombarded with a lot of new things, but if David (or someone) could identify new and significant sites or technolgies, that would be great. It would be more convenient if these could be sent to our email accounts, with a link to a blog or wiki or whatever.

That's about it for now. Thanks to David for all of your hard work--you did a great job!

Number 25, the Overdrive Collection

I must admit I haven't ever spent the time browsing the Overdrive Collection. I didn't realize that it included video and music. The music collection looks like it's primarily classical music, and I don't understand what happens to the music after you download it to the mp3 player. Does it just disappear after 21 days?

The video collection includes mostly old movies, instructional and children's titles.

I didn't realize how big the book collection is...there are 325 pages of listings. I tried searching a few favorite authors, but didn't find any listings, so I decided to browse. Again, I wasn't aware of the scope--it includes chidrens and non-fiction titles! I guess I should've known this, but I have always thought of it as a collection of Adult Fiction

I was a little disappointed that the presentation didn't show how the actual downloading process looks, using Overdrive. I might download it at home and use it--I've seen demonstrations, but I don't think I'll ever learn to do it, until I actually done it a couple of times.

#24 Podcasts

Well....this wasn't my favorite new thing on the the list. I * think * I added the Thomas Ford Memorial Library Teen Review to my bloglines account, although I don't really understand the process very well. I pasted in a url to the add a feed to the bloglines account and the feed appeared in my bloglines list. I'm never sure which url to add for the bloglines feed. On the podcast alley site, it says "Please add the entire URL Below to your Podcast Software" and I did that, but I don't understand wahy it says, "your podcase software". Bloglines isn't my podcast software. But it looks like it worked.

I'm sorry to say I didn't relly find the library podcasts very interesting. Maybe it's just me, today. I'm sure KCLS will find something to podcast, and it's fine with me.

I think if I ever really get into Podcasts, I'll do it with the iTunes software I have at home. I'm basically an iPod kind of gurl.

I published this in a dark color, so it will be difficult to read :-)

#23 You Tube Addiction!

Yes, I could get addicted to viewing videos on you tube. But I don't do it at work because my co-workers might think I'm goofing off too much! I'm sure the library could come up with lots of ideas for posting videos. I found one from the Birmingham Public Library. It's about how "Peeps" (yes, the Easter candy) do genealogical research at the library. Here's the link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAxrLJ5nw_g

With some help from Peggi and Matt, I figured out how to embed a video into my blog--it wasn't easy, and I would probably need help doing it again. You'll find the link to my mother performing in P-Town last summer.

That's all for now. I need to get back to "real" work.

#22 Web 2.0 Awards

I've looked at the Web 2.0 Awards page, and I found the Last.fm the most interesting. It does for music, what Library Thing does for books, in a way. I found the matches to my favorites were (for the most part) pretty good. (It matched Sufjan Stevens to Rufus Wainwright). One of these days, I'll download the software on my computer at home.

I also realize that some people (i.e. Aaron Schmidt) are advocating using Meebo instead of the QP software. Fine with me:-) But I don't know how we would send links--we would just send the URL in the text message, and they would paste it into another browser?

One last thought about the Web 2.0 page ( and the Webware page, too). I wonder if we should somehow incorporate these into our Weblinks pages. I don't know if those pages will exist with the new KCLS page, but it might be a good idea to link to them somehow.

That's it for today. I'm playing catchup--it's hard for us part-time slackers to keep up with this. But I'm enjoying learning new stuff!

#21 In the Labs

I played around with Google Trends first. I searched the name of a new show on Broadway, which opened last November. The "hits" started around that time, naturally, and it was interesting to see where the searches were coming from. New York was off the charts, and Newark was next. Interesting, although I'm not sure what I or we can do with it.

I also looked at Google Page Creator, and I really liked it. I don't feel like I have enough time to play around with it at work, but one of these days I might get around to it. I've used Picasa at home, to edit and organize photos, so I might get around to using the Page Creator as well.

And I also looked at Transit planner--to see how to get from my house to the Bellevue Library. I think I would just go to the King County/Metro page to find that information because I'm used to using that site. The Google Map feature is an added bonus on this page.

That's it for now. BTW, Mom's show at the Rebar was disappointing, but the take off of "Trapped in the closet" was wonderful!

#20 Online Software

I have heard about these online software products, but I've never really looked at the sites. They are amazing! I'm not sure why, but I don't know if I'll actually use them. It makes sense, and the price is right, but I'm basically set in my habit of using the software on my computer. I don't know if I would remember to use it. I'm finding the same thing with del.ic.ious (or whatever it is--I can never remember). It's so much easier just o add favorites in IE and make or move to different folders.

With all of this social networking software, I wonder if we'll eventually do away with meetings! Wouldn't *that* be a better world?

One question I have about Zoho and Google Docs. I couldn't find a way to make folders to store the documents in. I didn't look very hard, but I didn't see an obvious way of organizing the different files.

BTW--My mother is currently appearing every weekend at the Rebar. It's been extenden til the end of May.

Number 19--Library 2.0

I've read all of the articles, and I think there are some good ideas here. Libraries, of course, have always triedto meet the needs of the community, and be relevent. The collaboration and shared network space components of Web2.0 can certainly be applied to library service. I think initiatives like the Open World Catalog (OCLC) are most interesting, and I think we could build on the ideas of Library Thing. And there are, of course, obvious applications for reference ( especially del.icio.us and the custom search engine). I'm all for patrons adding tags or reviews to the catalog, but--as an Old Reference Librarian--I sincerely hope that we still use controlled subject headings!

#18 Custom Search Engines

I really liked the Google search engine much more than the Rollyo engine. The Google page was much cleaner, didn't have the sponsored links, and listed the "phrase search" results before the other results. (I searched "library cards" and the phrase results listed first were much more meaningful than the results listed first in the Rollyo engine.)

The Rollyo engine results page was more cluttered, with the advertising links listed amongst the regular results. The results page was very confusing--and with surprising results. When I searched "library card" my first hit was from the SPL catalog--which listed a children's picture book.

I created my own custom search engine, using Google. It searches Boing Boing, The Stranger, Metacritic, Village Voice, and the Advocate. Here's the link to the page:

http://www.google.com/coop/cse?cx=015953780373495794160%3A03oqgkcldkq

Interesting exercise.

Generators! WARHOL!!!

I love the Warholizer. Here's my mom, Warholized.

Numero Fifteen--Wiki means Quick!

Well, I didn't know Wiki is hawaiin for "quick". Now I know. I looked at many of the Wikis listed, and I have to say I'm a bit underwhelmed. They seemed like they were sites where a few people had decided to create a Wiki, and posted some things, but then they withered away. The library wikis seemed to have a lot of dead ends, and the postings were not very interesting. I found the Stevens County Library (northeastern Washington State) interesting--because it seemed like it might be a good idea for a rural area like that to have a Wiki. But there wasn't much there. (not much there on the Wiki--not that there's not much there in Stevens County:-)

Anyway, I'm sure we could create some interest group Wikis on our Intranet, and have one for the reference librarians, the youth librarians, even the administration. But I'm not sure it will really be successful. It seems like you need a community of people dedicated and interested in creating and maintaining the Wiki.

I must say, though, that I LOVE the Wikipedia, and I use it all the time. It's the cadillacs of the Wikis!

14 Library Thang

I had created a Library Thing account several months ago, but I never got around to adding any books. So, for the sake of this exercise, I've added a few titles--mainly my favorite "gay men--fiction" writers like Andrew Holleran, Michael Cunningham, Alan Hollinghurst, etc. I've not had the time to actually develop this site, but I think it's a wonderful resource and obviously useful for librarians and book-lovers. I've not had a lot of time at work to devote to the 27 things--not, at least, enough time that I would LIKE to have to play around with these lessons. But I'm learning a lot, and it's great to be familiar with these web 2.0 (as "they" say) things.

I posted a few of my Library Thing books on my blog--and I actually learned a littel more about blogging. I needed to edit some things, and rearrange some pictures, so this exercise was particularly instructive.

Number 12--Del.icio.us

Today's assignment interests me a lot--and I want to look at this more. I forgot that I had set up a Del.icio.us account a year of so ago--but the computer didn't! When I went to the 27 things site, it "remembered" me. I never had time to add bookmarks to it, so I forgot all about it. I'm very intrigued by this delicious thing, especially as a reference librarian.

Right now, I'm trying to figure out a way to add all of the bookmarks I have in IE to Del.icio.us. Matt has been trying to help me, but we haven't figured it out yet. We know that you can import bookmarks, but mine are all in folders (and subfolders), so I can't figure out a way to import them all at once. There may not be a way to do that. If anyone knows how, let me know.

I'll definately use Del.icio.us as a reference tool. Great site!

Number Nine, Number Nine, Number Nine Social Networks

I've read most of the sites and discussions about MySpace ( and MyFace), and I don't really have anything against libraries having a presence on these sites, but I'm not sure it's going to make a big impact on libraries--or it's users. Fine with me to have a KCLS MySpace page ( but who decides what our favorite movies and bands are?) On a personal note, I feel REALLY OLD when I look through most of the listings on MySpace.

My mom, Dina, has a page and she has 1173 friends! Here's what she lists as her general interests: The simple pleasures... my adopted daughter Phoebe, Cabo, Daewoo Leganzas (nice!), Talbot's, island life, guys on crutches, stopping to smell the little things. donky kong.

#8, finding feeds

Well, this exercise was fairly interesting, and I liked being able to search blogs. Found a lot of stuff in Seattle goings-on that I didn't know about. So I subscribed to some library feeds (like Research Buzz, and Librarian's Index to the Internet). But the one I like best (I think I got it from Feedster) is the Rufus Wainwright feed.

SO MAYBE NEXT TIME HE COMES TO PERFORM AT THE TRIPLE DOOR (IF HE EVER DOES AGAIN) I WILL KNOW IN ADVANCE, SO THE SHOW WON'T BE SOLD OUT BY THE TIME I GET AROUND TO BUYING TICKETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thing number 7, RSS

Well, I set up a bloglines account and subscribed to Sean's Blog and some others, like Boing Boing. I thought I would be able to subscribe to Michael Musto's column in the Village Voice, but I didn't get that option. I had to subscribe to the "New York Life" newsfeed, which includes Musto's column. Here's a picture of Michael Musto (from somebody's Flickr site). He reveiwed my mom's show last year, when she appeared in New York. He RAVED about her!

MASHUPS Exercise

Here's a trading card I created for myself. Don't ask what this means--I don't know. I was just thinking of the name game song when I created it.

For those who aren't familiar with my mom, here's a recent stage photo. She's quite unforgettable, don't you think? She does her own makeup, by the way

Flickr site assignment

This week's assignment involved creating a Flickr site and posting a photo from it to my blog. I already had a Flickr site set up, so I just added one of my photos with the "kcls27things" tag, and then posted it to this blog. I have a free Flickr site, which has a limit of 200 photos. One of these days, my mom will give me $25 to have a full account. I've posted picture of my back-breaking garden, and some photos of Europe and Mexico. As my mother would say, "an-joi".

The Deck, Summer 06

deck august1
Originally uploaded by William 1950.

Here's the post from my Flickr site.

WELCOME TO MY BLOGETTE!

Well, this is my first posting on my new blog. My mother enrolled me in a program called learnin' 27 thingeys, so I'm very excited because I've never learned more than three things!
Thanks for reading. I'm sure you'll learn lots, yourself.

Ok, so now I click on Publish, and I'm FAMOUS!

Phoebe