Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Thing 10- Veni, Vidi, Wiki!

Just a bit of Latin humour. Hehe.
I watched the commoncraft video. Needless to say, if I could understand it without any sound, it is a pretty awesome video that easily explained this concept. Took a look at the different wikis. They were interesting, and to my slight annoyance, one would think that a book lover's wiki would edit their spelling. Hum. (aren't I a snot!) I hit up the 23 things on a stick wiki, and left my message on the motherwiki. (Beam me up Scotty!)

Wiki's are cool. I appreciate Wikipedia alot. Of course, everyone's heard of it. It is one of the blessed information sites that are out there on basically everything. Although being an academic, I know that you really have to make sure that the information is sited and is really accurate! Everyone who posts must give a bibliography of places where they collected their information! It is not intended as an academic resource! Teachers, please. Let your kids collect their own information, from somewhere scholarly (LIBRARY!)

(Not like anyone cares, but in Classical Latin, all 'v's are pronounced as 'w'. Only in Medieval times did this change. Interestingly enough, English is one of the only romance based language to keep this influence with the word "wine". In French it is "vin" and in Spanish "vino". )

Thing 9

Have requested access to the document to be allowed to edit it. Not sure how they are going to let me know if I'm allowed. hmm...

I received an email with link to edit the docutment through Google Doc Editor. It was a very interesting thing to do. Although I felt it distasteful to mess around with a historical document (I was a history major once), I did leave a little edit. Unfortunately it will be taken as yelling. Although I think that is fine since TJ was threatening Britain. I'm sure back then England just laughed at our little angst ridden tirade. We are such a teenager compared to those adult european states.
As for Zoho Writer, it looked slightly more professional than Google's editing, but because I couldn't get permission to rewrite I didn't really get a first hand on experience with it. Although Zoho and Google both had really good instructions to learn how to use their programs. I really didn't like how Google's editor looked as one edited. I thought it was slightly messy and hard to understand what was being edited and how it looked. And since there were so many people playing with it, it was even more confusing what had been changed and what was original. (This could be scary if one was to think it was the orginal. Hopefully this won't be the copy that archeologists find in the future!)

Thomas Jefferson's probably rolling in his grave.

Thing 8

Wow! What a whole new world, to quote one of my favorite Disney movies!



I checked out about every tool. Including the list of 50 different tools to create many things. I really was amazed about the presentation and profile tools. I looked at so many I will have to go back to the "23 things" website and look them up again.
Well, to start I could see how the presentation and public files would be really beneficial if one was giving or wanted people to have access to the presentation or information they wanted to pass out. It could be used multiple places and by multiple people and then reviewed later if needed! So as long as people could find it and use it, i think these tools would have excellent uses for the library. As for photo displays, I think these have less of a business use and more of a personal use, but are still really nifty ideas.
I looked through the MN set up tool (replace with name later), and found that conveniently they had a prereq to see how computer savvy you were before you took a virtual tour of the site and how to set it up. It was 13 minutes long but very accurate and detailed. I enjoyed looking at the site very much and might use it in the future. If ever I needed a website to promote myself (resume, work, projects etc.) Since I am in school still and not quite out hunting for a career job, I don't think I will use it yet. :)
My interests lie in art, and inside those 50 tools were many different programs to make webcomics! So i definitely might be using those soon!

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Thing 7--Tools of Library 2.0

Well...to tell the truth. Ho hum...
I belong to the generation that really started picking up these many tools as everyday things. I love email. I have 8 email addresses (no kidding). Email is very productive for libraries, for businesses, for everyday life. What would we be without it? It seems unfathomable. When a web server goes down and I can't access my email I feel like my connection to the world has been yanked away.
I have Im'd forever. It is used more for the younger generations that love to talk and talk for a long time and too as many friends as they can at once. And yes, I have seen it used for business many a time. My friend actually does her work on the computer logged onto three different IMs and emails, and through IMing her coworkers does her work after hours. It could be very well used for libraries also.
Web conferencing is very ingenious also and saves time for travel and also allows everyone to be more free about time and money. So all really good things.
Just not that novel to me.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
Although I am going to have alot of fun showing IM to my co-workers!

Thing 6

personalized greetings

I suppose this could be a fun thing to add to a library website or perhaps for an event or program.

Thing 5: colrpickr--YELLOW


YELLOW, originally uploaded by hexion.

Makes you think of Spring doesn't it!

More Flickr


Lost in Translation, originally uploaded by CiaoChessa.

And yes, it would worry me to have everyone accessing my photos. But I do think it is the fastest way to share. I am not a big photographer and really suck at taking pics. So for me, I am without an comparison with what is better, Flickr or another site. Anyway, i don't know if I will ever used this. Maybe, if I ever get a camera. :)

More Flickr Pics


rb2, originally uploaded by nico*2006.

Thing 4 Flickr


Rose Macro, originally uploaded by Milwen.

I set up my flickr account very easily, because when I prompted it, it offered me to sign in through my Yahoo! account. Adding my blog was easy also. I don't know quite what that means, if people can access my blog through their pictures, but I guess after a little more research I could find out.

If you click on the blue link Rose Macro above it will take you to the original Flckr page, where the blue link Milwen's page is, since he is the orginal photographer.

It was rather tough to navigate through the very vague tags and groups, unless one already knew a group or photographer. I am going to search around for more pics to upload. I think this would be a good display to show people certain events or places, but only if they know the tag to access them. For instance, if I knew my library had a group like Chaska Library, I would be all set, but if not then I might be looking for awhile.

Flickr

This is a test post from flickr, a fancy photo sharing thing.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Thing 3 RSS feed

Well, my RSS feeds are all going, and I love the fact that I can access them on my Google account page along with my blog. I am very frustrated with the fact I still cannot seem to be able to attact them into my blog. I learn about sharing and tabs and things that somehow don't show up on my RSS page. I really enjoy it alot and want to have it on my blog, it almost seems better than a link, sorta reducing the fact of clicking on the link and following it.
After some messing around and struggle I have finally figured out how to put two of my favorite author's journal's RSS feeds onto this blog. It is also very convenient to see on my RSS feed my co-worker's updates on their blogs.
I think RSS would be very convenient in the case of if there were blogs, journals and news that libraries or companies kept up, to keep track of what is going on. I have already 'friended' the HCL and St Paul Public library on Myspace, and the Myspace feeds and journal posting keep me on top of those two libraries news and events. So I think this would totally be to libraries' advantage.
I soon got used to looking for the orange RSS feed pic and usually websites had their URL to paste into my blogger's site. Very cool. Very neat. Now onto Thing 4.

Saturday, February 9, 2008

Thing 3 started

RSS is very interesting and practical. I started up accounts on both recommended RSS programs, but have yet to transfer anything to my blog.

Monday, February 4, 2008

Thing 2

Library 2.o. Important and innovative.

After reading blogs, watching videos and getting a grand overview. I am very intrigued, but wary.

I find everyone's grand goal of changing the libraries basic culture very important and novel. But rather than overhauling the whole premise of a library and its meaning that has acculumated over decades, I would rather see small changes at first. For instance, the changing generations that were mentioned each have their unique qualities, but each generation has come to expect the same thing from the library. Even the younger children know what a library is and what it is used for.


Even if every library doesn't get a Wii.

Or has gaming night for the Teens.
If our library did, I would be so jazzed. I love Wii's. Check out Nintendo's site and watch all generations play this easy video game set-up. (It is also a good work out!)
But overall, a library is for study and for resources. Not everyone, even younger generations want to have to download something everytime they need a resource.
I think Library 2.0 is a great idea, it is a different way at looking at things, and how libraries work together as a whole, especially inter-library. But I think before we barge into dramatic changes, to slowly follow in technologies footsteps. Because by the time one thing is new and innovative, the previous one has gone out the door. Like beanie babies and Tickle-Me-Elmos.