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Saturday, August 16, 2008

Relax and Reflect

Overall, I really enjoyed the web 2.0 training. Although I was already familiar with a lot of the tools, I did learn about some new sites and had a chance to explore stuff I haven't spent much time with. Especially the streaming video and music. The games were fun to, but like I said in my last post, probably too addictive for me to get into!

I don't know how much I will actually start using these new tools (at least the ones I don't already use), but I'm glad that I have a better understanding of them. It will not only help me to better serve patrons, but makes me aware of whats out there. Of course, in the world of the internet, things change so quickly! It will be a challenge to keep up with all the new stuff. For example, it seems like Twitter is gaining in popularity...I'll have to make time to check that out as well.

I would definitely participate in future discovery programs. Like most people, I enjoy learning new things and discovering what's out there.

Gaming

I had a lot of fun trying out some of the online games that are out there. I don't think I should let myself explore too much, because that's the kind of thing I can get really into and then I won't do anything else! (I failed at Sudoku--I need more practice!) I actually really enjoyed the education children's games--especially the memory ones. (Since they are meant for kids, I could get a pretty good score!) I will have to remember to recommend some of these websites for patrons who are looking for education CD-Roms.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Google Earth

I hadn't had much of a chance to play around with google earth before. It's really fun. (I can see how it could be a big distraction) I think I tried google earth once last year to see if I could find places in Vienna and at that time it couldn't zoom in much at all. This time, I was able to get close enough to pick out landmarks. It was also easy to find my house and then follow the streets to my friend's houses and other places I knew. What an interesting tool this could be for schools teaching geography. It's pretty cool to watch the map move from one side of the world to the other....it definitely gives you a perspective of how far way things are.

Avatars and Second Life

Meez 3D avatar avatars games

I think avatars are fun to create. Especially when you can make your virtual self do or wear crazy things that you would never try. I suspect that in general, most people have avatars that do not look anything like them. That's the fun of creating a virtual representation--it can be anything you want! Then again, I'm much happier having my avatar appear on our Teen Page than my actual picture! :-)

I watched the videos of second life and I don't really have any desire to explore that world. I tend to be a lurker on online forums and other websites so I can't see myself diving into second life. I do think it's cool that so many people have found a second home there and have made friends all over the world.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Online Applications

I think these online applications can be very useful--especially for people working on collaborative documents. Although I don't do much of that now, it would have been very useful to use these for group projects while I was in school. These may be something to point out to students I see working on group projects in the branch.

Zoho Writer or Google Docs will also be good options to recommend to people who did not bring a disk on which to save their work. By copy and pasting their work into one of these online applications, they will be able to access it after their time runs out and won't lose their work. Similarly, these applications might help people who have files saved in formats that can't be open by word or our any of the other programs out our public PCs.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Search Engines

I have played around with Rollyo in the past. I can see how it would be useful to put in an online pathfinder about a specific topic, or for a teacher to use to have her students find information for a lesson. Really, though, I prefer to use google when searching online.

Today I tried searching the terms "harry potter" (my default search terms when ever I have to use an example or evaluate a search engine.) I am familiar with many of the Harry Potter sites out there, so I can quickly evaluate the results. Both Google and Dogpile listed the office WB site, JK Rowling's site and other big Harry Potter sites near the top of the search. However, on Mamma, the first search result was from a site called "parenting teens" and J.K. Rowling's site didn't even appear on the first page of results. In terms of the two metasearch engines, Dogpile had better results, but I think I will stick to google when doing internet searches.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Podcasts

I really enjoy listening to podcasts. I've used podcast alley before, but I actually prefer using itunes to find and download podcasts. For this assignment, I listened to "Booktalks--Quick and Simple". I thought they were nice, short introductions to a book. I think libraries can use podcasts to publish story times, to use as an audioblog to talk about upcoming programs, or as a way to introduce new material to the public. However, I think it's very important that they be updated very regularly. I know that I, personally, will stop listening and lose interest in podcasts that don't have new episodes every week or so.

My interest in Harry Potter is how I first got into podcasts. I was a regular listener to both Pottercast and Mugglecast until the book came out last summer. And now, even though I still download the episodes every week, I don't have as much time to listen to them. Maybe I'll start up again when the movie comes out!

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Online Image Generators


I can see how online image generators can be a fun tool for people who like to play around with the pictures they take. While this isn't really for me, it's nice to know this stuff is out there for when I need it. For example, we made this Quibbler cover to use in the scavenger hunt at the Harry Potter Release Party last July.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Downloadable Media

The first time I ever tried to use Overdrive was a few years ago while I was in grad school in Indiana. I was taking a class on children and Young Adult literature and wanted something to listen to on my road trip to St. Louis that weekend. At that time, although I thought it was a great service, I wasn't completely impressed. There were only a few titles I was interested in listening too and had some trouble getting the software and upgrades downloaded. (I also had some problems downloading the files, but I suspect this was an issue with my internet service and not Overdrive.) I burned the first few parts to a CD and listened to some of on my trip, but I never finished the book. After that initial experience, I didn't play around much with Overdrive until now. (Since the downloads couldn't be played on my iPod, I didn't have much use for them.)

This time was completely different. The software and upgrades download and installed easily and the selection was vastly improved. (I can't wait to explore the videos and music more!) And I'm excited that some of the files will soon be able to be used with iPods. Even so, I'm not sure how much I will use this service. Mainly because I don't listen to a lot of audio books (my commute is too short). But the next time I go on a road trip, I'll give it a try!

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Social Bookmarking

I've played around with del.icio.us and can see how it could be very useful. Especially since you are able to access your bookmarks from any compute, anywhere. Personally, I don't see myself using the site very often. Not because I don't think it's useful, but because I don't tend to bookmark sites. I usually have the sites I access the most memorized and can find other I need with quick Google searches. (I take that back--when looking at my web browser, I noticed that I do indeed have sites bookmarked at the top of my tool bar...but I like to be able to get to these sites from any window I'm in and don't think I would log in to del.icio.us to find them if they weren't there.)

I can think of at least one example of how social bookmarking sites could be very useful in libraries or schools and that is creating an enhanced syllabus with readings and resources all pulled together and shared with a whole class or group of students.

If I were more of a "bookmarking person" I think I would use it all the time. Who knows, maybe I'll change my mind! :-)

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Wikis

I know wikis are out there, and I don't really have anything against them, but I don't use them much. At least, I don't use them in a collaborative sense. When Wikipedia comes up as a search result, I often look at the article to find out background information and many times find a link to a reliable, informative site. But editing, or adding to a Wiki article is not something I can see myself doing.

I can definitely see how a wiki could be useful in planning an event or sharing ideas. I used the Teen Read Week Wiki last year to get ideas, but again, it wasn't something I added anything too.

Streaming Video

I have to admit, I enjoy watching YouTube videos. There are a few vloggers that I watch on a semi-regular basis and sometimes use the site to find a video or song that I want to see. I have never spent a lot of time just browsing around the site (but I love that other people do and send me links for the best videos!).

This was my first time trying Hulu and Fancast. I was excited to see how much material is available for free out there! Of course, many of the network sites have the same shows available for viewing, but here they are all in one place! I don't know how much I will use them. Mainly because it's hard to find the time, and if I am going to sit down and watch a movie or a show, I would prefer the larger screen and better quality from my TV/DVD. But it's also nice to know these sites are available for patrons who are looking for shows and movies that may not be in our collection. I will keep them in mind as a place to refer patrons.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Social Networking

I have accounts with both MySpace and Facebook. Although there is definitely some overlap, I've found that most of my friends form college are on Facebook and most of my friends from high school are on MySpace. I tend to prefer MySpace to facebook. I think the main reason for this is all the applications facebook has. While the first couple I added were kind of fun (I enjoyed sending Harry Potter spells to my friends) I soon started to find the constant request to add other applications rather annoying. I especially don't like the fact that I have to send additional requests to my friends to use any of the applications on my own page. I also find MySpace easier to navigate. But this may be because I'm used to it.

This sounds horrible, but I also found it easier to "stalk" people on MySpace. When I come across an old classmate's profile on MySpace, depending on their privacy settings, I could take a look, see what they're up to without necessarily adding them as a friend. On Facebook everyone had to be added as a friend to view their profile (I think this might have changed now). And sometimes it can be difficult to tell who the person is by the small picture.

I think social networking sites are so popular because they are an excellent way of keeping in touch with people. My graduating class from high school has a MySpace page, and that is how I've found out most of the information about the upcoming reunion. Teens probably enjoy the fact that they can leave their MySpace profile up in the background while working on something else and be able to respond immediately when someone sends them a comment or a message. (Some may argue they could do the same thing with email, but it's easier to personalize a Myspace profile by adding your own background, pictures, etc.) And MySpace (and maybe facebook, too--I don't use it enough to know) is a great place to be introduced to new music, as well.

And finally, social networking sites are an excellent procrastination tool. If I'm trying to avoid doing something, I can always find more to do on my MySpace page! :-)

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Flickr

I've been using a Flickr account to backup pictures I take of teen events at the library for a while. I think it's a great way to organize your photos and it makes them so easy to share. I particularly like how you can organize the photos into sets and then share a whole set with someone. I used this when we were working on the Harry Potter party. All the teen volunteers wanted to see the pictures we took and Flickr made it easy to email them all a link to that set. Although I haven't played around with it too much, I also enjoy how you can send flickr slide shows to your blogs, mysace pages, etc. And the upload tools are fabulous--making it so easy to upload all the pictures from a teen program at once instead of selecting each one individually (like I have to do when adding pictures to the library's MySpace page). I also appreciate that I can set some photos to private while making other's public. This way I can back up every picture I've taken while only showing the ones I have a photo release for.

The one complaint I have with flickr is that you can only do so much with the free account. You can only organize your photos into three sets. So in my case, everything after our first couple events is in one big list (making it NOT as easy to share pictures from a specific event). And, perhaps most annoying, only the most recent 200 photos you upload are available. You can still get to them if you pay to upgrade to a Pro Account ($25 a year), but otherwise, you have to delete photos to get to them. It doesn't take long to reach 200 pictures and this really limits the use of a flickr account as backup. These are just a couple of the problems I've started to run in to in using my library flickr account. It may be time to ask the Friends to pay for an upgrade to a Pro Account.

In writing this blog, I've started wondering why I don't use flickr for my personal photos. Probably because the thought of the time it would take to upload my hundreds of personal photos (my dad used a slide/negative scanner to scan in all our print pictures from the last 20 years or so) on to flickr is a little daunting. But the upload tools would make it easier and the backup would be great. And I sure would be upset if I lost them all to a computer crash!

Monday, April 28, 2008

Streaming Music

I've been looking forward to this section for a long time. My dad and sister have been using Pandora for quite a while, but I haven't played with it very much before today. I think this is a fantastic site and a great way to be introduced to music you may not hear on the mainstream radio stations. Not to mention, a chance to hear stuff that isn't the same thing I have on my ipod over and over again. Now if there was a way I could get this to play in my car on long trips, it would be just about perfect!

I'm excited to play around with Finetune as well and get some playlists I can use on my blog or maybe the library MySpace page.

I've been using streaming music from radio stations for a long time. When I was teaching in Austria my friends and I would sometimes stream music from our local stations back in the states and then, ironically, when I got back to the US, I started streaming music from the Austrian radio station Oe3 to keep up with my German and the European Charts. (I just checked on Pandora and it didn't recognize any of the German artists I enjoy listening too.)

As a music major, I'm really excited about the music streaming options that Sno-Isle has. I wish there had been a way while I was in college to create my own play list of the hundreds of songs I had to know for music history exams and play them back randomly. These are such fantastic resources for any music student.

Now that I've played around with more of these sites, I may need to keep a pair of headphones at my desk so I can stream music while doing desk work! :-)

Thursday, April 10, 2008

RSS & Feed Readers

I'm really glad I took the time to get my bloglines account set up this week. I added several sites I like to read and think it will help save time to have them all in one place. I've played around with Pageflakes in the past. Mainly I used it to keep track of a few author blogs. Because they were all in one place, I read them a lot more often and was able to stay up to date very easily. I'm hoping that by adding more feeds to bloglines, I will have the same experience. Now I have everything in one place in a format I find very useful.

There are several ways libraries could use RSS feed technology. What if patrons could be notified about the new titles we've purchased, or find out about program information through RSS feeds? RSS feeds could allow us to send information to our website directly to our patrons. What a great way to keep them coming back and exploring what we have to offer.

That's all for now--my bloglines account is full of new blogs to read!

Thursday, March 27, 2008

IM

My sister and I went to the same college in Oregon. The first year we were there together, I lived in an on campus apartment and she lived in a dorm room. If she wanted to talk to me, she would call my phone so I would go into my bedroom where my computer was then hang up before I answered. A few seconds later I would hear the familiar sound of someone starting a chat with me--it was almost always her. IM was the preferred form of communication on campus(and an excellent procrastination tool!). I also used it as way to keep in touch with family and friends who were in other areas of the country.

My one concern with text chat has always been that I am a horrible speller. I think most of my friends actually expect me to spell words wrong, so I don't worry about it much when chatting with them. But it would be a concern for me if I was chatting with someone I didn't know, like a patron.

I've found that I have been using IM less frequently in the last couple years. Part of the reason may be because most of my friends have "real jobs" now and all of us spend less time sitting at our personal computers for homework. But even my friends who are still in school are not logged on as much as they used to be. I think texting and comments on social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook may be becoming more popular. That being said, I still think IM is valuable tool that libraries can use to connect with patrons.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Reading Blogs

As many people have already pointed out, I find the one of the biggest challenges about keeping a blog is having something to blog about! I've enjoyed reading the other 20 for 2.0 blogs and trying to figure out who's doing the blogging. Some of my favorite blogs to read are those written by some of my favorite authors. I guess this makes sense...if I like their books, I should like their blogs! It is an interesting glimpse into the lives of the authors as well as an excellent way to keep up on new books coming out.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

The hardest part...



For me, the hardest part of the 20 for 2.0 program so far has been naming this blog! Especially after reading several of the clever blog titles by other staff members. I even considered using some obscure German word in the hopes the fewer people would understand my less-than-creative title choice. But after cleaning out a closet the other day I found a magnet I picked up while studying in Austria that said "There are no Kangaroos in Austria." And at that time, it seemed like the perfect title for my new blog!

But there is a story behind this phrase. When I decided to study abroad and mentioned to people where I was going comments like, "At least they speak English there," or "Throw another shrimp on the barbie!" made me realize that people were confusing the tiny European country for the Land Down Under! And apparently the problem is more common than I thought. Another student on my program received a Christmas package from her parents in May after it took a detour down south to Australia.

Eventually I learned to leave the word "Austria" out of my conversations and instead, I told people I was going to Vienna. And then I heard: "Oh, do you speak Italian! I've always wanted to take a gondola ride on those canals."