Week 7 #17 Technology

Image of Nick Drake in Paris
by Jef Aerosol, Flickr

For this thing, simply blog about anything technology related. Yes, it can be anything that relates to technology! You just need to share a few thoughts.
Be sure to add at least one comment to any post on another participant's blog. That's what online communities are all about -- connecting and communication.

I would not want to live in a world without technology. There are so many amazing things! Most people don't think how technology effects their daily lives. However, the fact is that technology greatly impacts how we live and the decisions we make. Without it our world would not be the same.


Recently, we had a system failure at my work . "Failure" is an interesting word choice. Overall, I would say that the staff was successful! We worked as a team to best serve the families in our community. However, it will take time to fix the damaged. I believe this stresses the importance of keeping up with the most up to date technology. Otherwise, technology can and will leave you behind.

On the flip side of life, technology can be fun. The photo that I have posted is a graffiti image of Nick Drake. The artwork was created in Paris. I don't know if I'll ever have a chance to visit Paris. However, I adore Nick Drake's music, and I think that the graffiti artitst is very cool! So, it's pretty amazing that I found a photograph of something that I may never see but I truly admire.

Week 7 # 16 So what's Up With this Wiki?

Winking Cookie!
Uploaded on December 18, 2006by Sare-Bear

Wonderful Wiki's

I have found some really cool wiki's just for fun!

http://mycookieswebby.wetpaint.com/page/Lovely+Cookies

http://cooking.betterrecipes.com/?wpcmp=cp1&t=anon


Discovery Resources:
Wiki, wiki, wiki - from PLCMC's Core Competency blog
Beginner's look at Wikis from Meredith Farkas
What is a wiki? - Library Success wiki presentation
Using wikis to create online communities



Discovery Exercise:
For this discovery exercise, you are asked to take a look at some library wikis and blog about your finding.

Here's a few examples to get you started:
iHCPL Sandbox wiki
SJCPL Subject Guides - a pathfinder wiki developed by the St. Joseph County Public Library system
Book Lovers Wiki - developed by the Princeton Public Library
Library Success: a best practices wiki
ALA 2007 Annual Conference wiki - an example of a wiki created to support a specific event

Access the iHCPL wiki and create a login account for yourself.
Either add your blog to the favorite blogs page on the iHCPL wiki or add a favorite or two to other pages on the wiki.

Now that you are more familiar with wikis, create a blog post about your findings. What did you find interesting? What types of applications within libraries might work well with a wiki?
So, what's in a wiki? Find out by doing some exploring on your own.Added: The wiki password is HCPL.

Wikipedia, is the most famous wiki, and it was the first one that I knew of years ago. Since the information can be changed by anyone it is not always a reliable resource. However, I do find the concept of a wiki interesting. The thought of so many people working together to better the community is an amazing and wonderful thing.

I have used a wiki for a collaborative project, and also to complete a training program. Both experiences have been positive. Although, there are times that I miss the human contact of meetings or samll groups. Somehow, a computer format makes it more difficult to be creative.

Week 6 #14 The Future (Library 2.0 / Web 2.0 )

Discovery Resources:OCLC Next Space Newsletter -- Web 2.0: Where will the next generation of the web take libraries?Five Perspectives:
Away from Icebergs
Into a new world of librarianship
To more powerful ways to cooperate
To better bibliographic services
To a temporary place in time
Wikipedia - Article on Library 2.0 with great references
A Librarian's 2.0 Manifesto
Discovery Exercise:
Read two or three of the perspectives on Library 2.0 from the list above.
Create a blog post about your thoughts on any one of these. Library 2.0 - it's many things to many people. What does it mean to you?

I read through all of the perspectives on Library 2.0. The one thing that I know to be true in life is that things change. The only way that we can be successful is to learn about the tools and technology of the future, and use them to benefit our system. Just think what libraries be like today if we did not embrace computers?

Week 6: # 13 Sharing

Tagging , Technorati, Del.icio.us ...What does it all mean? Organizing, Information and Sharing.

Discovery Exercise:
View the 8 minute Del.icio.us tutorial to get a good overview of its features.
I tried to view this tutorial but it would not open. Too bad, I would have like to have seen it.

Take a look around Del.icio.us using the iHCPL account that was created for this exercise. Note: In this account you will find lots of resources that have been highlighted or used throughout the course of the Learning 2.0 program. Explore the site options and try clicking on a bookmark that has also been bookmarked by a lot of other users. Can you see the comments they added about this bookmark or the tags that they used to categorize this reference?

Create a blog post about your experience and thoughts about this tool. Can you see the potential of this tool for research assistance? Or just as an easy way to create bookmarks that can be accessed anywhere?

I was impressed with both Technorati, and Del.icio.us as ways to search information. I can foresee several different application of these tools. I love del.icio.us because I can reach my bookmarks from any computer.

In addition to the listed sites, I would recommend watching the video posted on the del.icio.us / blog posted September 21, 2007. It does an excellent job explaining how tags and social bookmaking are an effective way to organize and share information.

Dylan (Week # 5: # 10 Image Generators)

Elves and the Shoemaker

Originally uploaded
by big_bucket_girl

A Library Elf...Yuck!

Week 5: #12 The "Library" Elf will remind you!
Discovery Exercise: Register your library card (or cards) with Library Elf and track your items and requests. Post on your blog what you think about this service.

No thanks, and I'm not impressed. Sure maybe there are people out there that like this kind of thing, but it's not me. Personally, if I need a reminder I'll be using my e-mail account. Thank for offering, but I want to limit the number of accounts that I need to manage.

However, it would be nice if the HCPL website was setup this way. I do like the fact that account information can be viewed all at once. In addition, Library Elf provides a servie that could be helpful to families. For, I can't imagine having to keep up with multiple library cards.

Nonetheless,, in my world, elves belong to the dreamers of children's fairytales, and great authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien.

That THING you do...

Week 5: #11 A Thing about Library Thing

Discovery Exercise:

Take a look around LibraryThing and create an account.
Add at least 5 books to your library.
Blog about your findings and be sure to link to your LibraryThing catalog.

Put a Librarything widget on your blog. (optional)

I have posted widget author cloud on the sidebar and covers of my books above and below. I found Librarything very easy to use. In fact, I am afraid that Librarything may become an addiction.

I was able to find books that are not within the HCPL system, which I have previously requested through ILL. This will be a great way to keep a list of the books that I've read. I also posted a few items that I will want to request in the future.

Probably, the best discovery was when I found a book that I have desired for my personal library. I have been wanting to purchase The Great Wall of China: Photographs by Chen Chanfen (MFAH), by Anne Wilkes Tuker. Originally, this book was rather costly, and I was not able to get it. While searching through Librarything, I found it through Amazon under $30.00. What joy! I saw Chen Chanfen's exhibit at the MFAH and it was amazing. I am thrilled that I will now be able to have this book in my own collection.

http://www.librarything.com/catalog/writtersrightword

Bob Dylan

This wallpaper application was created in Flickr by jberg on 1 Jul 06, 4.49PM PDT.




Using the Generator blog I found a site that allowed me to create. I like Bob Dylan and this one had music on it. However, getting the embed code was a bit difficult to find. http://www.dylanmessaging.com/create

Slideshow
American Musician Bob Dylan Lives in my Blog!
wordweek.blogspot
Listen

I added both this wallpaper and a video bar to tie everything together.

Playing Around @ Work

Week # 5: # 10 Playing Around With Image Generators
For this discovery exercise: please just have fun. Find a few interesting image or text generators to play around with and write a post in your blog about one of your favorites and display the result. Often adding the image you mocked up to your blog is as simple as copying and pasting code that the page provides. If not, you may just need to right click on the image and then save it to your hard drive before using Blogger's image button to add it to your post.

Discovery Resources:
FDToys - try the magazine and movie poster cover generators!

Avatars from Yahoo!

Customize comic strips.

Choose from a variety of image generators.

Meez yourself an avatar.

Discovery Exercise:
Play around with some image generators and find one that you like.
Post the result of your discovery process in your blog. Note: Be sure to include a link to the image generator itself, so other participants can discover it too.
Take some time and have fun with this exercise. And remember to be tasteful, too.
Subscribe to the Generator blog, each post delivering an interesting new Image Generator.
http://generatorblog.blogspot.com/

Newspaper
http://www.addletters.com/makepic.php?f=newspaper-generator
Concert Ticket
http://www.says-it.com/concertticket/
The Blues
http://www2.capitalgold.com/staticweb/EdFeatures/goldblues/
Bob Dylan
http://www.dylanmessaging.com/create

Flickr vs My Photo Files

Mountains in O'ahu, Hawaii

I must be honest, Flickr is fun to "play" with, and it has some really neat applications! Some of the photographs that you can find are truly wonderful.

However, I have mixed feelings because it's also simple to pull a photograph from one of my own files. Also, I feel that sharing my personal photographs is a little like hand writting a joural. There is an essence that is shared and that can not be duplicated. Each photo has it's own story...They create a digital blueprint of my life. Even though I am not sharing the personal memories of these photos, the collection become a mosaic and begins to take on a life of it's own.

Nonetheless, I will be taking the time to apply my photographs to a Flickr account. I can see Flickr being a great way to back up your photo files. My photographs are some of my most valuable possessions, especially those taken of family and friends.

Week 4: #9 Finding Feeds

Old Radio by Night

Originally uploaded by Lymf

(I love NPR and now I can keep up with all my favorite shows)
According to ihcpl there are several ways to look for feeds.

• Look for newsfeed icons that indicate the website provides it. Often a feed icon will be displayed somewhere in the navigation bar of the site.


• Use Bloglines search tool -- Bloglines' search tool lets you search for newsfeeds, posts, citations and the web. Use the "Search for Feeds" option to locate RSS feeds you might find interesting.


• Other search tools that can help you find feeds: Feedster (one of the largest collections of news, blogs and podcasts), Topix (news and media outlet feeds), Syndic8 (open directory of feeds submitted by users) and Technorati (a popular blog finding tool).

Discovery Exercise:
Explore a few of the search tools located above that can help you locate newsfeeds.
Create a blog post about the experience. Don't know what to blog about? Here are some questions to get you started...Which method of finding feeds was the easiest for you to use? Which search tool was the easiest to use and which the most confusing? What kind of useful feeds did you find in your travels? Or what kind of unusual ones did you find? What other tools or ways did you find to locate newsfeeds?

I looked at all of these and they all worked very well. Do I think that I will use them? Actually, I don't.

I found more than enough links, "feeds" on my own. I don't want this project to become something that I am not able to manage. I think that it's important to pick and choose sites wisely. Therefore, it will become a tool that will benefit my life and not a nuance.

How did I find sites? Mainly, I went to websites that I value, but normally do not have time to enjoy. I am hoping that Rss feeds will help me manage my time, and allow me to read the information that interest me.

More Flickr Fun???

I have tried to play with a few of the Flickr mashups and 3rd party tools that are out there. I was able to find images throughTagnautica. I also liked the postcard browser and colorpicker. However, I have yet to understand how to take this information and create things that are mine.

Week 4: # 8 RSS - Bloglines

Discovery Exercise:
Follow the discovery resources above to learn more about RSS and newsreaders.
Create a free online Bloglines account for yourself and to at least ten newsfeeds through your reader. Subscribe to some of the iHCPL participant blog feeds or HCPL Flickr photo feeds. Create a post in your blog about this exercise

I collect photographs and vintage postcards. I adore the above photographs which were taken in Colorado around 1913. I also collect sea shells, vintage buttons, skeleton keys, unique boxes and other things that most people have no interest in. I see Rss feeds as a way to collect and sort information that I want to keep tabs on. I was especially excited when I successfully added a feed from NPR. I am also trying out several other feeds, and I think that I might enjoy this.

Week 3 - Discovering Flickr

mexico 2004 FEB
Originally uploaded by writtersrightword

Ok I finally figured out how to add photographs to my blog from Flickr. However, it took some help from a friend. I must say that it was not easy to see those little icons shaded in grey. I looked at the page several times and never found it. They really should color them!

This photograph was taken on one of our many trips to Mexico. I love history and seeing Tulum was wonderful!