#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.