Dress the Squirrel!

Squirrels are very attractive in their native state, but who can resist the lure of dressing a squirrel in clothes! (Not me!) This site is loads of fun. It is called Virtual Paper Squirrel. Thanks to Maurice for alerting me to this fun site by emailing me another "library squirrel" blog site. It is nice to know that other librarians out these also admire squirrels.

July 18: Accio Deathly Hallows

July 18: Accio Deathly Hallows

This is a great video from Hank Green, brother of YA author John Green. Enjoy!

Learning 2.1! (And WE Thought we were finished!)

Well, I just finished Library 2.0, and was reading "Library Hotline" from June 11, 2007. I read about the program Learning 2.1, an "ongoing discovery guide" that is the successor to Learning 2.0 and the 23 Things.

Helene Blowers, who developed Learning 2.0 at the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (PLCMC) was involved in the implementation of Learning 2.1. The program begins with "Thing 24". It is open to all.

And I thought I was finished for awhile!!

Week 9, Thing #23: Thoughts Going Forward....

Well, the journey is complete in one sense, but only beginning in another....

I had a great time working on Library 2.0 and the 23 Things. I think that the library's support for this program is an indication of support for staff development and education (a very strong aspect of our culture here.) The instruction was not threatening, or too difficult. At times it was challenging and confusing, but I feel like I not only learned alot about things I normally would not investigate on my own, but I got the confidence to TRY new things, and confidence that I can actually figure out "technology".

I really enjoyed creating a blog, and adding all the "bells and whistles". When I looked at blogs before this training, I always was amazed that people had certain skills and could do those things. These skills are now slightly demystified! I can now do some of those things, too! I had lots of fun with the Flickr mashups. I already knew something about podcasts, YouTube, Downloadable audio, and Wikis, but the exercises added to my knowledge, and gave me a chance to think about them in the context of libraries. The Bloglines exercise was new, and I have to admit that having all the information available in one place is really cool. However, I have to incorporate actually going to Bloglines and checking my RSS feeds. To me, this is just one more thing to do-one more information source for a person who sometimes feels like she is in "information overload".

What really got me thinking was the exercise #15-to read perspectives in Web 2.0, Library 2.0 and the future. These articles were excititng, thought-provoking, and a bit daunting. It is very valuable that we know about Web 2.0 and the possibilities. We need to keep up on technology, and make use of it. There are lots of creative and innovative opportunites. However, what about our patrons who are still at "Web 1.0 and Library 1.0"? I think that in the midst of all this new, cool technology, we can't lose sight of those who are not "here" yet. There are still lots of people who do not own computers...this does not mean that we should not embrace Library 2.0, but just remember that not everyone is ready.

What will I do now? I want to think about how I can use these new skills in my job. What do I need to learn more about? How can I make work easier and more fun?

And yes, I would participate in another discovery program. I really liked the self-direction of this program.

Week 9, Thing # 22: Downloadable Audio Books

I am familiar with both Overdrive and NetLibrary as I have been involved in purchasing the subscriptions, seving on the Maryland Digital Library Consortium, etc. I did think that the Overdrive Digital Media Guided Tour was very clear and easy to follow. I checked out Project Gutenberg (I had not looked at it before), and was interested in the list of languages of the available audiobooks. This list might be useful for speakers of other languages. However, the list of titles in Spanish will appeal to only a very select audience! (Very esoteric/classic). They do have Don Quijote in Spanish, however. (I read this in college in Spanish, so might be interesting to listen to it.)

In any case, these three resources provide a wealth of listening opportunities. It provides people an alternative to using CDs or cassettes, and I hope that in the future the Ipod issue will be resolved so that the many Ipod users can benefit from our library's provision of Overdrive or NetLibrary titles.

Askville: Amazon.com Gets into Web 2.0

Have you seen the new service from Amazon.com called Askville?It's a social networking beta site with the tagline "ask...answer...meet...play", where users "ask a question and get real answers from real people?. Hmmmm....aren't librarians "real people"? How will these social networking sites impact library reference?

Week 9, Thing # 21: Podcasts

I have listened to numerous podcasts on my home PC. Most have been from NPR (I may have heard a bit of a story driving home, etc.) and I went back to listen to the entire broadcast. One I particularly liked was an interview with Marcus Zuzak as he talked about "The Book Thief". I did some searches on Yahoo Podcasts under "education", and found one called "childrensbookradio" and a BritLit podcast.

I did, however, go to the trusty NPR Podcast Directory.

I found it really, really easy to use. I liked it alot more than the other podcast directories. I signed up for several podcasts on my bloglines account: NPR Book Tour, and NPR Movies.

In honor of my daughter living in London, I checked out BBC Radio 4.

There was a podcast presentation by author Michael Morpugo exploring a thousand years of British childhood called "The Invention of Childhood."I had read about it during my "Newbery Year", and didn't have time to listen to the 30 part series. Unfortunately, it is not archived. I sent an inquriy to BBC Radio 4, so we shall see. In any case, there are lots of interesting shows available from BBC Radio 4.

I think that I will use my new MP3 player to download some of these interesting podcasts! (I don't currently have one, so this might be one of my first uses of the new toy!

Harry Potter (I know it's not Library 2.0)!

Ok, so I like squirrels AND Harry Potter. There is a really interesting article from a Canadian website on J.K Rowling with lots of HP trivia.

And yes, I have several (4) copies of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" ordered from Amazon. I have one trade hardcover and the deluxe slipcover edition on order with Amazon (US), and the British children's and adult edition coming from Amazon (UK). This means that I will have all 7 books in U.S. first editions, and all 7 in the British edition.

Angelique just sent me a link for Harry Potter's Top 10 Haunts. I am saving this for my next trip to England to visit my daughter. My husband will probably want to sit in a pub instead of visiting the HP haunts!

Online Social Networks & Virtual Communities

There is an interesting article in the ALA Direct Online Newsletter
about Online Social Networks, Virtual Communities, and Information Professionals. It is the first in a series on the growth of social networks and implications of that growth for information professionals.
Library 2.0 is everywhere one looks!

12 Important U.S. Laws Every Blogger Needs to Know

As we work on our blogs, we need to keep up to date on all the rules. School Library Journal (July 2007) had an article about a website published by Aviva Directory, a Web business resource.

It has an article called "12 Important U.S. Laws Every Blogger Needs to Know", and covers topics including proper use of images, copyright issues, and the legality of "deep linking". In any case, here is the link:

Fun with Comeeko.com!

I found this site in School Library Journal, and decided to play instead of going on to podcasts. The site is comeeko.com. I created a comic strip called "Squirreling Around":



I have a bit to learn about the art of comics, but you get the idea. Lots and lots of fun to be had!

Week 9, Thing # 20: YouTube!

I have looked at this site many times as my daughter showed it to me last year (there has a really hilarious video she wanted me to see).
I am going to add one of my favorite videos called "Running with the Squirrels", a parody of the running of the bulls in Pamplona (which, by the way, is currently going on in Spain as part of the San Fermin festival). Hemmingway, eat your heart out!




YouTube has been used successfully by BCPL (they posted a video for Reading Road Trip). Libraries might want to use this for markeing future programs-it would be fun to also see short clips from library Galas, or other programs that have recently been held.

Week 8, Thing #19: Web 2.0 Awards

It was really hard to decide what to explore-the list of Web 2.0 Awards was so varied and interesting. I will have to go back and check many of them out later. I decided to choose Yelp
because my husband and I are always looking for new things to do, and restaurants to try, in Baltimore.

Many of the restaurants reviewed I have been to (Tapas Teatro, The Bicycle, Helmand, the Brewer's Art) and the reviews posted were pretty good. Lots of stores and business listed, too. (Sort of like a "yellow pages"). I liked how one can narrow the search and look for stores in specific categories, like jewelry. Although this site is not exhaustive, it is a really good place to start. I think that this would be useful on the information desk when questions are asked about Baltimore shopping or dining, or if someone might be interested in moving to Baltimore as it might give a bit of the flavor of the city.

I liked the follow features:
*Easy to navigate
*Clear categories for searching
*Links to other cities

I would recommend this site, and plan on using when we make our next trip to Baltimore. In fact, I looked up the Charleston Restaurant, and it got a very good review. I was surprised that there was only one (we are thinking of taking my daughter there for her birthday when she is home visiting from London). The reviewer did say that the chef uses too much butter. Hummm-we may have to reconsider!

Week 8, Thing # 18: Zoho Writer

I decided to investigate Zoho Writer because I was a bit familiar with Google Docs. I am trying out the background colors functionality.  It is pretty cool. It is also easy to change the size of the font, and the styles as well. This type face is Garamond, the same typeface used in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince". I am reading it to be poised for the last book which is due to arrive on July 21. I have the regular edition and the deluxe slipcover edition on order with Amazon.

 

I can't believe ALL of the options in the tool bar.  I am trying to use a bunch of them in this post. I was very impressed with the Zoho Writer Templates, found in the Template Library. One can choose from over 50 templates, ranging from a resume cover or speech outline to a hotel nutrition log or charity concert ticket template.

 

I think that this is a terrific resource for people to know about. Think about our patrons who do not have access to software packages. It would also be really useful for collaborative work (could use this instead of the HCPL "L" drive when working on committee reports, etc.). And, wonders of wonders, I can STILL use this "app" to add my requisite squirrel picture!

 

 

I am going to try and post this to my blog. I am going to use the instructions in the FAQ. I will certainly use this resource again, as there is so much to learn (just check out the FAQ section).

 

 

Week 7, Thing # 17: Learning 2.0 Sandbox

The Sandbox Wiki was fun-I liked seeing what other library 2.0 colleagues were reading (when I added a book to the "favorites" section). I plan on going back and reading some blogs from other library systems in the Favorite Blog section to see what others are doing.

I checked out the peanut butter wiki (http://pbwiki.com) site and the instructions looked really clear and easy. Not at all intimidating. Building some sort of wiki will certainly be on my list....

Week 7, Thing # 16: Wikis

In honor of the origin of the word "wiki" (it is Hawaiian), I decided to see what kind of squirrels live in Hawaii. They don't have any!!!! Hawaii is a squirrel-free state!!! What they have is an animal called the Indian Mongoose that is commonly called "the Hawaiian Squirrel". Now, is there ANY comparison? Look at the mug on that guy! I maintain that Hawaii has nothing on the other 49 states in terms of cute squirrels. I for one would never live there.

Ok-on to Wikis.

I liked the St. Joseph County Public Library "Libraryforlife.org" site. The subject guide was cool, and I noticed that it was closed for any editing-only librarians can edit and a staff password is required. On the page was a link called "Talk to the Library". It gave access to an entire page with different ways for users to communicate with the library: email, IM, link to a library blog, or email reference.

The BookloversWiki from Princeton was also really cool. Instead of a blog, they decided to create a Wiki for people to talk/write about books. There was a really good FAQ page that very clearly answered all sorts of questions. This is a really neat idea. It was a project for the 2006 Summer Reading Program. Maybe we can build one for the 2007 Winter Reading participants?


This Wiki below is a cool one. It is called Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki. It was designed to help librarians not have to reinvent the wheel, and to get ideas and inspiration from others. Take a look.

http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Main_Page


Here is the ALSC Wiki (ALA Association for Library Service to Children).

http://wikis.ala.org/alsc/index.php/Main_Page

I think that we might want to try a similar Wiki to the BookLoversWiki for Winter Reading. I also like the idea of subject guides. This might be an interesting collaborative project with teachers: to make a homework Wiki, with resources for students. Both librarians and teachers could work on it.

Week 6, Thing #15: Library 2.0 Musings

The selection of readings from OCLC were indeed thought provoking, and gives us much to think about Library 2.0, the philosophies about involving the user in the design and implementation of services (and content). The idea of the need to embrace constant change as a development cycle was also intriguing. All in all, the ideas as a group were almost overwhelming because they do make sense. However, are all of our patrons ready to be involved in this way? The ideas of the digital divide came into mind...

However, I wanted to comment on several of the articles and list the things that I personally want to ponder and come back to. The entire concept of delivering library service is changing, and the point is that we HAVE to change as well.

Squirrel's Points to Ponder (quoting from the readings):

1. In Web 2.0, the Web becomes the center of a new digital lifestyle.
2. This new digital lifestyle changes our culture and touches every aspect of our lives.
3. The web becomes a shared network space that touches every facet of our lives-work, research, education, entertainment, social activites-and we are always connected through mobile and nonmobile devices-always online, and connected to one another.
4. Many of our "sacred cows" of librarianship are considered "icebergs" and pose significant threats to a library's future success. (Rick Anderson in "Away from Icebergs". The "just in case" collection-making sure we have books, etc., in case someone might need/want them, made sense when information was only available in print formats. It no longer makes sense to "collect" in the traditional sense. (I can feel big discussions going on in Materials Management-we have realized this for a long time.) As we move into Web 2.0, our patrons expect access to everything-digital collections, blogs, podcasts, etc. Anderson also discussed the fact that libraries are poorly equipped and staffed for teaching. We need to focus our efforts NOT on teaching research, but on eliminating barriers that exist between patrons and the information that they need. One point that struck home: "If our services can't be used without training, then it's the services that need to be fixed-not our patrons. Anderson closed his article by discussing the model of libraries in the post-print era. We no longer have the monopoly on information, and we need to find new ways to bring our services to patrons rather than insisting that they come to us. This may mean placing library services and content in the user's preferred environment, or integrating our services into our patrons daily lives. The bottom line-it can be disasterous when we fail to acknowledge and adapt to radical, fundamental change in the marketplace.

I also appreciated many comments from Michael Stephens in "Into a New World of Librarianship". Below are some of his points that I will ponder:

1. 2.0 Librarians base and plan all services, materials, and outreach on user needs and wants. (This does not seem too radical to me!) What IS radical is that 2.0 libraries involve users from the get go in planning services based on their needs. We ASK users what they want, and provide it. The 2.0 librarian does not create policies and procedures that impede user's access to the library. Decisions and plans are discussed in open forums-the entire process is transparent.
2. The 2.0 Librarian embraces Web 2.0 tools, and looks for ways to create new services in a spirit of collaboration.
3. The 2.0 Librarian avoids "technolust". In other words, the librarian does not purchase technology just because it is cool, or just to have it in the library. New technologies are not implemented for the sake of status. The question must be asked: Does it (technology) meet the users' needs in a new or improved way? Does it create a useful service for putting users together with the information and experience they seek? This point it REALLY valuable as HCPL plans for new technology advances, databases, web services, etc. etc. We need to ask: Why are we doing this? How will it meet users needs, and improve how they use the library?
4. Another really good point is the second to the last. Librarian 2.0 makes good and fast decisions. This librarian recognizes how quickly the world and library users change with advancing technology. Project timelines that stretch on for months do not work in Library 2.0 thinking. We should be in "perpetual beta". The librarian is responsive and redesigns for ease of use, user involvement, and easily added/re-configured pieces.
5. Librarian 2.0 is a trendspotter. He/she seeks out information and news that may impact services. The librarian reads outside the profession (this was one of the things mentioned in our Innovation Process/Strategic Planning) and watches for the impact of technology on users and new ways of thinking.
6. Librarian 2.0 understands that the future of libraries will be guided by how users access, consume, and create content. Content is a conversation as well, and librarians should participate.

In closing, Stephens says that 2.0 Librarians listen to staff and users when planning, learns from successes and failures, celebrates successes, allows staff to learn and play, and never stops dreaming about the best library services possible.

I was faily overwhelmed by the article by Dr. Wendy Schultz called "To a Temporary Place in Time". The concepts of Library 3.0-Web 3.0 to Library 3D, and Library 4.0, the Neo-Library Experience, were extremely futuristic, and made me sort of wonder if I would even like this kind of library. I will probably be retired by the time that this "neo-library" comes about!

Seriously, though, these three articles (my favorites of the bunch) have lots of application for HCPL. We just need time to think about it.

Newbery Experiences at ALA!

Imagine-no squirrels!
Maurice gently suggested that I blog about the recent ALA conference in D.C. and talk about the Newbery festivities. This is actually a good suggestion, and one can't say "no" to Maurice!

In any case, being on the 2007 Newbery Committee was a highlight of my career as a children's librarian (and I still consider myself a children's librarian even though I am now in administration). Once a children's librarian, always a children's librarian! The year reading, thinking, and agonizing over hundreds of books was one of the most physically, intellectually, and emotionally difficult tasks I have yet undertaken. And yes, I would probably do it again (but don't tell my husband!).

The culmination of the year was the annual conference, where we were able to reconnect with Newbery committee members, buy a new fancy dress (red, of course, in honor of "Lucky"), and share the celebration with publishers and other librarians. The photo above was taken in the VIP suite at the Hilton before the banquet. I am in the back row in a red dress. (When one is tall, she is ALWAYS in the back row!). It helps to enlarge the photo. The Newbery Medal and Honor winners are in front row and second row. Cynthia Lord, author of "Rules", is in a long light green dress standing next to my left. Jennifer Holm, author of "Penny from Heaven", is sitting in the front row in a long, white chiffon dress. Kirby Larson, author of "Hattie Big Sky" is at the far left side, second row, in a very cute and stylish short brown dress. Susan Patron, Newbery author for "The Higher Power of Lucky" is sitting in the front row, dressed in black, third from the left.

Our festivities started Friday night as we met at a fellow Newbery committee member's house in Silver Spring for a festive dinner al fresco. It was fun to see everyone again, to compare notes, to see if we all looked more relaxed, etc.

Saturday we lunched with Scholastic and celebrated Cynthia Lord's Newbery Honor book "Rules". Table favors were little rubber ducks. (See the cover of the book in my LibraryThing favorites list on the right side of my blog). Cynthia was genuinely touched. "Rules" won both the Newbery Honor and the Schneider Family Book Award (an award honoring a children's book that accurately portrays the disabiltiy experience). Cynthia told us about her "Newbery" moment. She had been at the library with her son, and saw on a table a copy of "Charlotte's Web" and "The Cricket in Times Square". Both had a silver Newbery Honor label. She had to sit down (of course in a small children's room chair) as she was struck by the realization that her book would be joining the cannon of Newbery Honor books as well.

Members then rushed around exhibits, picked up galleys to read (yes, we are still reading), then rushed back to hotel rooms to get ready for dinner with Susan Patron. We ate at a French restaurant in honor off Brigitte. The restaurant was called Brasserie Les Halles. We toasted with wine, then ate a wonderful meal. Here is the menu:

Salade d'Auvergne (Organic Arugula, Apples, Roquefort Cheese and Roasted Walnuts)
Darne de Saumon Poche, Sauce Champagne (Poached Salmon filet, Champagne Sauce)
Tarte Fine aux Pommes, Clace au Caramel (Homemade apple tarte served with Caramel Ice-cream)
--Needless to say, after conference it is hard to come home to "normal" food!

Susan Patron gave a short speech and talked about her book. She called our committee "courageous" (if you haven't kept up with "scrotumgate", let me know). It was a simply smashing dinner.

We then walked over to a Listening Library/Simon & Schuster post-dinner party in honor of "The Higher Power of Lucky" in which we were "Celebrating the higher power in each of us and the importance of EVERY word". Yes, more wine flowed.

Sunday the celebrations continued. We had an intimate lunch with Random House honoring Jenni Holm and Kirby Larson. Jenni, who looked absolutely gorgeous, brought her newborn baby Millie May, who slept through the entire lunch. Kirby was very charming and chic, and talked about the writing process and the evolution of "Hattie Big Sky".

Off to a really interesting YALSA program on the Trends in YA Literature, then back to the Mayflower hotel to meet my family who arrived to help celebrate (I bought a table for my parents, daughter and boyfriend, husband, and family friends including Irmgarde!)

The Newbery Committee gathered in the VIP suite to mingle and toast each other, meet authors and publishers, etc. before the banquet. I sat at the Random House table with Kirby Larson and her husband, and I sat next to Judy Blume!!! She was very nice, and a bit shy. Her time was occupied by many people who came to talk to her during the course of the evening. During lulls I went back and visited by family, and was able to introduce them to Jenni, Kirby, and Sharyn November (who knew my daughter Kibby from a Books for the Beast conference years ago.) Audra Caplan also came by and said "hello".

The awards ceremony was very moving, and Susan Patron's speech was wonderful.

Oh-the red dress! Several of us wore red dresses in honor of "The Higher Power of Lucky" as a red dress plays prominently in the story. Read the book to find out why!

Ok, Maurice? How did I do?

Week 6, Thing # 14: Technorati

The searches using the keyword search functionality (I used "exact phrase" option) indeed returned different results. Using the blog posts search, I got many hits with the search term in either the title or body. The blog directory search brought up blogs with related tags for Library 2.0. The results tended to be more on target for blogs about Library 2.0. The tag search brings up posts with this tag associated to it. The blog directory search seemed the most direct and brought the better results.

The Top Favorite Blog and associated top searches and top blogs was interesting but not really surprising. It is a mirror of popular culture, which makes sense. I think that it mirrors the way people are using the web: for entertainment, news, social networking, and technology news.

I am going to try and tag my post in another email.

Week 6, Thing # 13: Del.icio.us

The article on tagging in our resource list was interesting. The ability of the creator/author to chose which tags to use is certainly part of the Web 2.0 philosophy. However, the Wikipedia article mentioned a drawback: there is really no information about the meaning or semantics of a tag. I can see that this could be a problem and lead to "false hits" as the selection of tag terms is not uniform and very individualized. On the other hand, the use of a more natural language than that used in traditional cataloging (LC for example) often makes it easier for people to search.

Del.icio.us was pretty overwhelming (in a good way!) This site is another example of a powerful collaborative/social networking tool, and I can see that it would be useful for those of us who use both their home computer and work computer as we could access favorite links from any computer on the web. We could synchronize bookmarks. I found it interesting as a social bookmark manager, where one can post favorite sites to one's personal collection of links and categorize with tags that are easy to remember, then share bookmarks.

The use in libraries was pretty impressive. I liked the idea of the collaborative use mentioned in the tutorial. The researcher was able to share her work with colleagues-this is a pretty elegant way to work virtually and collaborate. Again, I can see this tool being used to bookmark links for homework assignments (and it would be cool for students to add tags).

I liked the "Seven habits of Wildly Successful del.icio.us Users" article. One point was to be really liberal in the use of tags, but to "clean them up" once in a while. Sigh. We even have to "weed" in the virtual world! The author of the article also mentioned viewing what others are bookmarking to find interesting bookmarks. A much quicker way to find sites of interest than doing a google search.

Again, this is tool that will need much more exploration. I am going try and set up an account at work.

Week 5, Thing # 12: Rollyo

Rollyo is a very interesting tool. I can see that it would really save time when searching the web, and can ensure that results are on target and authoritative. Using Rollyo to create specific searches for homework assignments would be really great. Librarians could search for authoritative sites to match homework topics and assignments, and create a "Rollyo Homework Page" for students to use. Many teachers send homework alerts with list of websites that they want students to use. We could create searchrolls using these sites.

I created a searchroll for children's books called "kidlit".
Following instructions, I added a Rollyo search box to my blog.

Week 5, Thing #11: LibraryThing

LibraryThing is a cool resource-not only a way to organize and catalog one's own books, but a sort of social networking site for bibliophiles. (As some descriptive narrative states, a "myspace for books". The list of Groups on LibraryThing is immense! The groups form a virtual community of book lovers, providing opportunity for book discussion, and readers advisory. I checked the Historical Fiction group, and got some good ideas to add to my "to be read" list. The site has over 227,672 members.

I added my library to this post, but also added a "blog widget". I like how this looks much better, and it is always available for visitors to my blog.

I visited the LibraryThing Blog, and there were bloggers posting from ALA!
The posted linked to a site called the BIGWIG Social Software Showcase, an "unconference" at ALA. Lots of cutting edge Library 2.0 stuff!

http://showcase.litablog.org/index.php/Main_Page

Check out the site!

Week 5, Thing #10: Avatars

Well, here is my Avatar! I really like the dress. It took a bit of looking around to find out how to post to the blog. I thought that the Wikipedia article on Avatars was interesting, and gives a concise overview. It is interesting that the word "avatar" comes from the Sanskrit meaning "incarnation" and usually refers to (according to Wikipedia) "the deliberate descent of an immortal or divine being into the mortal realm for a special purpose".

Week 5: Play with Picnik.com

Original Photo on the left, sepia photo on right (picnik enhancement).

As a result of Library 2.0, I am more aware of articles in the newspaper that reference technology or new websites, etc. In the Baltimore Sun "Plugged In" section today, there was an article about a photo editing website that is free, and very easy to use. It is http://www.picnik.com/. I tried it out, and it was really easy to manipulate a saved photo (size, "red-eye", color, clarity, etc.). The article compares the site to Abode's Photoshop.

I used a sepia treatment to make the photo look "antique", and you can see the results. Try out this cool site!

Week 5: Play Week Break!!

I had to post this photo (I am having just too much fun searching Flickr for squirrel photos.) The photo was titled "Squirrels Play".

Next task, creating an Avatar!

Week 5, Thing # 10: More Play!

I used another generator called a sketch generator, and it was pretty cool. I still like the Andy Warhol generator best, however. I like the way that this black and white illustration looks. I might think of a way to make stationery with it!

All of these tools are just more ways for people to be creative and artistic. It is amazing how much is available through the web. I really had no idea. This play time has opened my eyes to lots of cool sites. I might have to make some creations and send them to my daughters. They would be quite impressed with Mommy!

Here is the URL for this generator:

http://www.dumpr.net/sketch.php

Week 5, Thing # 10: Play Time!!

I used a generator called a "Warholizer"-what would Andy think of these pop art squirrels!
I am going to investigate some more generators. Some require a Flickr account, which I have not set up yet.

Here is the URL for this generator: http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/warholizer.php

Week 4, Thing # 9: MERLIN

MERLIN-Maryland's Essential Resources for Library Information Networks. Wow! I had not been aware of this resource for information sharing (note the squirrels in the photo above are sharing information, too!) I was particularly impressed by the list of Learning Links. These short tutorials, from Blogs, to Gaming, to Podcasting, etc. are really on target for our self-directed learning. I plan on going back to review many of them. The Trends & Cool stuff has much to offer., even a discussion of handheld devices (we had some MP3 questions here in our library). I really appreciate this site. I was intrigued by "LibVibe", a library newscast audio.

The search tools exercise was interesting. I liked the fact that one could sort RSS feeds by date and relevance on Feedster. I was a bit confused by Topix.net, as one had to put in the city and state and then the newsfeed items all pertained to your own city. So, this really focuses your search regionally. Syndic8 provided some good vegetarian RSS info. I had to play around with the use of the FEED URL and getting it in Bloglines. Once I figured it out (had to choose the XML box, then cut and past the entire URL that appears on the top of the screen into Bloglines), it was easy. Technorati has a really good support section with a 4 page "Blogging Basics" articles that explains blogging, RSS, syndication, RSS search engines, and the relationship between blogging and journalism (a line that is getting more and more blurred).

The Technorati site has lots of information about creating "favorites", tagging, etc. There is certainly a lot to learn about Blogging and the Blogospeare! I can see that I have just scratched the surface.

Blogging Off Topic: "Danny the Squirrel"

I remembered this great story from "The Onion", and decided to post it. (Remember, having fun at work!). Danny the Squirrel has to admit that he "loves the nuts".

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/33804

I added this as a note to myself. I tried to use the tool at the bottom of The Onion page called "blog this". It opened a box, and I tried to follow instructions to add this story through The Onion website. It didn't work, so I need to follow up and ask some "experts" how this really work. Would be easier, and I think that the story should have just appeared in this box.

I'll follow up. Just enjoy the story!

Week 4, Thing # 8: RSS Feeds and Bloglines

This squirrel has set up his own "feed"! In any case, the tutorials were really helpful. I liked the idea of getting information without spam, and the ability (as one tutorial mentioned) "to choose what information you want, and to decide where, when, and how to receive it". I want to explore some of the diretories of feeds (Syndic8 or completerss) and add more to my bloglines account. My only concern is being able to find time to go and read all the interesting blogs and feeds that I have chosen. I added "The Onion", and my husband already told me (he reads it religiously) that there is a really hilarious Harry Potter article. I may have to read my bloglines at home! I can see setting up a bloglines account for "hot" homework assignments to get authoritative current event sources for students. My public URL is the following:

http://www.bloglines.com/public/Squirrels

Week 3, Thing # 7: Technology: Too Much of a Good Thing?

In Sunday's New York Times (June 10, 2007) there was a small article in "The Week" section. A doctor in Spain, Julio Bonis, diagnosed a new medical condition after a patient complained of shoulder pain after rigorous bouts of playing tennis on his Wii.
The doctor called this condition "Wiitis". He prescribed ibuprofen and abstinence from the Wii. The patient experienced a full recovery.

I know that I played tennis on the Wii at the HCPL Technology Fair and had fun. However, can someone have too much fun with a video game?

Week # 3, Thing # 6: A Great Flickr Image

I found this on Flickr-must have been made by a 3rd party tool. My favorite things: libraries, squirrels, and protecting books from censorship!

I'd better move on to Week 3, Thing # 7 now....too much time on Flickr!

Week 3, Thing # 6: Mash-ups: The Fun Discussion

I tried the Trading Card Maker, and the Magazine Cover 3rd party tools and here are the results.

It was pretty fun-not hard to do. I can see the appeal of these sites. They are very creative, and another way to share information in a new way.

I could waste lots of time at work on these sites!

Week 3, Thing # 6: Mash-ups: The Serious Discussion

Since we are still working with Flickr, I thought I'd post another photo of a squirrel attempting to use technology. He does have a tripod, so he is not totally clueless.

The idea of Mash-ups seems a natural one with entire idea of Web 2.0. Web users are merely taking information from different data sources and making it into something new, something different. It's a Web collage. It's creative, innovative, and allows programamers to combine and remix data from different Web sites. I like a quote from Business Week from July 25, 2005 called "Mix, Match, and Mutate" (one of the links from the Wikipeda article on mash-ups found through Thing #6) that calls this the "Wild, Wild Web", and Alan Taylor, a Monster Worldwide Inc. Web developer says "It's the Wild West all over again".

These mash-ups provide endless possibilities, and illustrate Web 2.0's main thrust. I am going to quote the Business Week article again. It says, "People are seizing far more control of what they do online".

What are the problems? Again, the Business Week article cited above lists some and as librarians we can understand.
1. Using the data without permission. What if there is a copyright? What if the data is used in ways that it was not originally intended (with negative results?)
2.Some of the mash-up software presents potential dangers to users-makes hacking easier.

Another article from our tutorial is called "Mixing It up on the Web: Legal Issues Arising from Internet "Mashups", by Robert S. Gerber from Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal (August, 2006). He discusses licensing application programming interfaces, the legal issues involved with using someone else's information, contract law issues, copyright, trademark issues, patent law issues, unfair competition and false advertising, obscenity issues, etc. Eee, gads! It is the wild, wild west!!!

Seriously, though, as new uses of technology and information arise, how we react in a legal sense and how we "protect" information has to be sorted out.

Week 3, Thing # 5, Activity B: Using Flickr to Upload

I'm creating this post as a place holder that I will edit later. I don't have a digital camera, nor does my phone have a digital camera. So, I am going to check to see if I can use the Marketing Department's digital camera to catch the "real" library squirrel at the bird feeder attached to my window.
More to come.......

Week 3, Thing #5, Exercise A: Explore Flickr Photo

Squirrels on Flickr!!!!

Title: "Party on the Patio". Title: "Wasted Away in Margaritaville".

Title: "Wired".

Well, I am clearly NOT the only one who appreciates squirrels as I found hundreds of photos through a Flickr search. You can see by the titles that people are having way too much fun! I could have spent much more time scrolling through the photo list. The tags came in handy. Looking through the photos, it is evident that people are being very creative and funny not only for their own amusement, but for the amusement of others as well.

I used the photo upload tool in Blogger after I saved the photos to my desktop. I have to practice more with positioning and sizing the photos in a blog posting.

Week 3, Thing #5: Flickr!

Of course, the squirrel is not using a digital camera as he is a bit behind the technology curve!

I just started to explore Flickr, and it is amazing how many people are using this site. I don't own a digital camera, so have only seen Flickr on other people's blogs. The abiltiy to create "virtual photo albums" and create groups (maybe made up of family members or friends) as a way to to share these photos is really cool. Tagging the photos is a great way to organize the photos for easier access, but can also be a clever or artistic way to describe them to entertain the photographer or the viewers. Allowing friends or family members into your group allows them to add tags, and this could be a great way to ensure that memories are captured, as additional tags might jog specific memories associated with a particular photo. The use of Flickr by libraries is very interesting. I found a site from my college, Vanderbilt University, with photos of the new libraries that provided a virtual tour. Allegheny County has an account with SRP photos, etc. Many of these library sites are using Flickr like a blog-a blog that is focused on photographs instead of text (although people do add comments to the "discuss" section). This is what stands out with library usage that I see. Flickr is being used as a visual blog.

I really liked the "Library Artworks" group, a place for the display of art in libraries.

Week 2, Thing # 3 & # 4: " A-blogging we will go, a-blogging we will go!"

I am having a great time playing with the blog (trying to keep Habit #71/2 in mind!). Although I have posted to a blog, I had never set one up from scratch. It is really fun! I am looking forward to learning about more enhancements as I go along. After I got the initial post and heading, I played around with the templates. It was almost like trying on clothes!! Which one would fit my blog best? I decided to go with a plain white background so my photographs of squirrels would really stand out. (As you can tell, I am carrying the squirrel theme throughout the blog.) It has been really interesting seeing the very different blogs that other HCPL Library 2.0 participants have created. I have added two of my favorite children's literature blogs to my "favorite places to visit". One is from Betsy Bird, a children's librarian from New York Public Library. Her blog is called Fuse #8. She was on the 2007 Newbery Committee with me, and her blog is always entertaining and has a great voice. (She has just received an offer to take her blog to School Library Journal-and will be getting paid to blog!). The other blog is from Roger Sutton, the editor of Horn Book Magazine. His blog is always guaranteed to generate discussion. It also has a great voice, and if you have ever heard Roger Sutton speak in person, you will recognize the style. This brings up the issue of voice and persona on a blog. Are you writing for yourself-sort of a personal journal? Or, do you have an audience in mind? Are you trying on a "new persona" behind the blog, or just being yourself? Do you find it easier to "be yourself" on the blog? Will you let others see parts of your personality that you normally dont' share? I wonder. Maybe we will all get to know each other better after Library 2.0, and appreciate the diversity and humor that we all possess.

By the way, registering the blog was the ONLY hard part. I thought that the blog would appear on the HCPL Blog Wall instantly (you know, faith in technology and all that.) However, Maurice called me and said that he, Irmgarde or Annette had to manually add it. This just reinforces the idea that technology is a tool, and that we still are very much involved in the entire process!

Week 1, Thing # 2: Pointers from Lifelong Learners

Whew! The online tutorial was only 14 minutes long, but has really made me think. I have been a lifelong learner all my life. I can't remember a time when I was not reading, making something, learning something, or wishing I could learn something. Just living is a constant learning experience. I am never bored. After the tutorial, I thought about which Habit is the easiest for me, and which the most difficult. I would have to say (and it's a good thing I am taking the Library 2.0 journey) that "Habit #6: Use Technology to your advantage" is the most difficult for me. It is not difficult because I can't learn technology, but because I often don't want to take the time to learn the technology that might make things easier. I don't think it is laziness, exactly, but perhaps a lack of confidence that I can learn it or understand it in a timely manner. (This comes close to "Habit #4: Have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner".) I don't have this issue with other learning opportunites, however. Probably the easiest habit is "Habit #2: Accept Responsibility for your own learning". I do take learning seriously, and have never had a problem with self-education. The Habit that I would like to embrace is "Habit 71/2: Play". I feel that I need to have more fun at work. I am going to ponder this idea for some time.

Week 1, Thing # 1: About this Program

The idea of Library 2.0 is so much clearer after seeing the HCPL Technology Fair, and hearing fellow staff members teach us "what they know". I think that we are very lucky to have this opportunity to learn about Web 2.0 technologies, and I am excited to try and figure out ways to apply what I am going to learn to "real life" work. I am already thinking of new ways to do collection plans...(no one panic yet!) This self-directed training will also allow me to experiment, play, and try out new technology with many safety nets. After all, the idea is collaborative learning and sharing. I think that it is vitally important that we stay current with technology and the new applications and opportunities that these technologies provide. This entire project seems a great way to learn.

Squirrels and Library 2.0?

As you can tell by the name of this blog, squirrels rank very high on my list. My nickname is "Squirrel" (a long story), and I have a bird feeder attached to my office window that is really a squirrel feeder. I watch the squirrels climb in the feeder every day, and they watch me. I suppose they know that they have found a kindred spirit. Seriously, squirrels are a good mascot for me as I begin the Library 2.0 journey. The use of technology does not come naturally to me. I recognize the importance, and the applications, but need motivation to teach myself. I feel that pondering the attributes of squirrels will provide motivation. Have you ever seen the problem solving, innovation, flexibility, adaptabiltiy, and "stick-to-it-ness" that squirrels exhibit as they approach the problem of bird feeders? They do not take "no" for an answer. They never think, "I can't do this". Problems, for them, are merely challenges to overcome, just as they are for Highly Successful Lifelong Learners (I'll talk more in a later posting).