Thursday, March 10, 2011

Module 12

The Final. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,.......12 Step!

All I can say is WOWEEE! This was incredibly awesome! I loved this so very very much! I would definately do a program like this again and again!

Module 1 & 2...I was scared to death! Creatin a blog when I had never ever done that before! The steps were easy to follow and wala! I did it! Absolutely awesome! I like blogs. They are so good for the spirit! It's like journaling and that is a form of reflection and reflections is a form of learning! Blogs are great for librarians to promote reading and all that it entails from teaching to promoting great reads and ideas!

I enjoyed learning about RSS feeds as well. I had no idea this technology was out there. Not a clue in the world! I signed up for several and have been using it every since and have learned a few things about gardening that have helped my spring garden! Can you imagine using an RSS feed in the library to promote the upcoming events in the library! Newsletters could be distributed this way. Saves paper! Yea!

Module 8 Social networking...I am a recent FACEBOOK signer upper and have enjoyed using it to keep up with friends and family in my personal life! I think this is a perfect way to help promote and communicate the library to patrons. Imagine sending out invitations to a Book Pajama Party to read and talk about the latest Newbery Winner! Or how about informing patrons about the new library podcasts from the author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kids series.

Wiki's were another thing I had no idea just exactly what they were. Again, I thought ya needed to be some great big technological goorue to be able to understand a wiki. Boy was I wrong. I like "wiking." I absolutely loved the Best Practices wiki! What a way for library's to collaborate and share ideas. Something we all can benefit from....sharing new and exciting and DIFFERENT ideas from around the whole world!!!!

How did this program affect my lifelong learning goals???It has opened my eyes up to a new way of thinking! I've always kinda fought the advancement of technology! I am an old fashioned Texas Gal and I like being that way. Sometimes the old ways are the best but in this case...nope. These new technologies are a way to get libraries out there. Each one of these modules showed me that it's all about communication. Really, that seems to be what this time in our history of life is all about. Communicating and informing each other. Sharing information. It's no longer a world that belongs just to the so called experts. Normal people can be experts to. Much of our information is user created and that is not a bad thing at all.

Libraries are no longer just quiet rooms where an old lady sits behind a desk, shushing everyone and checking out books. Libraries are hip! They are exciting and fun! They provide people a hub in which to come and learn great new ideas and information! These new technologies aide in that aspect of thinking. I am a librarian in the new library of today and tomorrow!

module 11

Podcasting

If you are a great auditory type person then podcasting is the way to go! I enjoyed listening to some of the podcasts I found and supplied in the module. I particularly liked the one "Booktalks Quick and Simple" by Nancy Keane. Now that I could really use in my library. Kids could connect to my site and have this link and hear booktalks. Commercials for books...how neat! Made me want to go and check the books out and read them right now!

I found another site from Podcasting.com where one could learn how to speak spanish. That was quite neat. I'd have to listen to it many many times. And that is the beauty of the podcasting...listening to it over and over again. And don't forget ARCHIVES!

Gardening is a hobby I absolutely adore! I found several wonderful podcasts on gardening tips. Quite helpful.

The only drawback to me about podcasts...as I said earlier, if you are a great auditory type person, you'll love this. I miss the visualness of it all.

I think this would be yet another useful tool for librarians to have in their bag of library goodies! Having a podcast of booktalks, upcoming events, missed lessons, new lessons, how to do stuff in the library, etc...is something this could be used for in a library.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Module 10

Wiki's!

I was not familiar with wiki's at all but after reading that Wikipedia is one of the most famous wiki's in the world. Well, yea, I do utilize that wiki. I did not know that wiki's were available to the common folk....like me. They are a really nice tool in our world. Although I worry about the freedom of opinions in wiki's.

I loved the examples of how librarians and library's are creating and using wiki's to enhance their library programs and to SHARE! The library's BEST PRACTICE wiki was most interesting. I can see having a Texas Library Best Practices Wiki! (I'm sure it's out there somewhere) I like many librarians are always looking for new ideas to try in the library. This is a great reference and to be able to talk about it...in storytype format...well that's great.

I thought it interesting that one site had editing only available to librarians...at least that was how I took it. Perhaps, if that was indeed what I saw...they wanted their wiki to have some authority control over content. Which I do agree with mostly. I see that today's age has much to do with user created content, but when ya need facts, ya want those facts to be authoritative and factural...no so much opinionated.

Composing Book Reviews in a wiki is awesome! Talking about the best books, worst books holds your interest and gets you hooked on wanting to read or not.

Inserting the link to the activity was a little confusing to me. I think I got it done right. I did understand the video instructions but for some reason got a little lost when I went to do it. I'm sure with more "wiking" I'll get the hang of it much better.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Module 9

Chat! Chat! Chat!

I really like this chatting thing online and via phone! It's weird, I don't like talking on the phone but I love chatting online and texting on the phone. I'm not a phanatic about it, but I use it to keep in touch with family and close friends! I use the chat from facebook a lot. It's neat to talk to those night owls that are still up. I found chatting via my email pretty easy. I clicked my status available and waited and had a friend do me the honor. It was cool. We made plans for a future get together.

Chatting online is a great idea for libraries. I think having the opportunity embedded in the library's website home page is the best way to go. It gives patrons the chance to ask a question, get advice, or just find out some information during business hours. Gosh, this does save time. No waiting in lines, no waiting on the phone, no getting in the car to actually get to a library to find the busy librarian and ask a question. Yea!Yea!Yea!

Monday, March 7, 2011

Module 8

Social Networking! Ahhhhh! A thing I have avoided until about 2 weeks ago. I caved!

I had avoided any social networking site due to FEAR. Fear of having anyone-strangers-know anything about me. In this day and age with the prospect of identity theft lurking over everyone's heads, it was a real concern...a real issue to protect...to covet. If you've ever been in that boat or even sort of close to that boat...it is one scarey ordeal. No one should have to go through that and it's EXTREMELY WRONG!

Now, with all that said I did sign up for one network...FB! Yep, ya know the term....facebook. I was scared...to say the very least. I do have all the privacy controls that facebooks offers up and running. I only share stuff with people I KNOW PERSONALLY!! I would and will when the chance arrises keep my personal facebook seperate from my library work facebook page. I believe that is the way to go. To me, being professional is acting, behaving, communicating, socializing, and just plain conducting oneself as such....professional. Personal stuff needs to be kept seperate. Patrons visit your library or facebook page for professionalism, not personal stuff like the great deal you just found at Target.

Libraries using facebook is another wonderful way to promote ourselves and our world...library world that is. Kelly Dallen's article put it well. These networking sites are all about chatting. Chatting, especially in this day and age, is a good way to reach others. It is fairly easy, once you understand how it works. It is cheap. So far, I haven't been asked for any money on Facebook! I wonder if it's coming? And the best thing is it's regular and consistant. It's there whenever you want to utilize it and you can communicate on it whenever you want...even at 2 am. Think of all the things a librarian can do using Facebook to promote the library. Tell about serives offered, upcoming events, old and new resources, newsletters, booktalks-discussions, registrations, book holds, cool pictures using FLICKR, videos on how to use the library facilities via Utube. Oh the possibilities are endless! And when time warrants lots of communication with the libraries patrons! One-on-one communication....the best kind!

Module 7

All I have to say is "Yeeee-Haaaaaaw!" and "Yippeeeee!" Finally, in the library world of subject headings...someone....several people....lots and lots of people are thinking the way most people think so that access is BETTER BETTER BETTER!

The one thing I absolutely did not agree with, though I understand, was subject headings for cataloging materials in the library. My soap box subject was that thee terms being used by librarians since forever is not the way NORMAL AVERAGE people think or use in their normal everyday lives. I always felt like ya had to learn a secret code to be able to catalog and even find a book in the library. Absolutely frustrating!!!!!!!And TIME CONSUMING

How nice it is to see that there is a beginning to hopefully an ending to the "secret library code" madness!!!! I like the delicious idea. The websites being catagorized in normal subject terms and tagged for easy finding....Wow, what a wonderfully normal concept! I'm a little "iffy" on the credibility of the best websites. The most people who tagged it.... is the best site for the subject/tag? I get it, but well, what if the site just has cool visuals and people visit it a lot but that's not what your looking for....I mean yea, you just go to the next site... but still...I worry about issues like that.

I do think it is 100% improvement to the accessibility of library materials. You bet it is! How many times have you had small children want a book on kittens and they have no clue that they need the big word "feline." They don't know that, they just know they want the cute kitten book their friend was looking at.

Patrons doing research have half their work done for them using delicious. I mean some of the hardest part is finding information on the research subject. Imagine going to delicious and the sites are subject tagged for you. Wow...another time saving advantage!

I think it's wonderful that libraries are utilizing delicious and delicious type technologies. I think people are intimidated by libraries sometimes thinking that as I said before, they have to know the secret code to finding materials in the library. This should alleviate that frustration and get books into more hands which is the ultimate library goal! Get more people READING! No better way than to speak the language our patrons speak!!!!!!

Sunday, March 6, 2011



Modele 6

I've used Youtube quite a bit when I want to know how to do something like how to make calizones. I watch and listen and follow. Youtube for me is like having a personal teacher right with me to teach me or show me how to do things I don't know how to do.

As far as utilizing it in a library setting. Well, I think back a couple of years ago when I had the bright idea to first show my students how to use our library browser by video taping myself going through the steps. I had my clerk video me and after several takes we got it. I saved it to my desktop and showed all of my classes that week. It worked wonders. After the visual we were able to take questions and replace/review the answers. The kids were then able to take the lesson with them and proceed to use the browser.

I realized that kids had a powerful visual to aide the instruction. Youtube is that sort of tool for visual instruction and in a library setting...wow! Many many lessons could be placed on Youtube to be utilized by all patrons of a school. A link could be added on the home page for kids to have access to no matter where they are...at home on a computer, driving in a car using a cell phone or in another classroom with a teacher streaming to the classroom computer.

I feel it's a powerful tool to enhance education.
sBotanical Gardens

Module 5
Daisies from FLICKR!

This is such a neat tool in the technological world. I like the fact that it is extremely organized and user friendly once you get the hang of it.

Now as far as using this in a library setting.....oh yes! I always took photos of the programs I had presented in my library.Patrons need to see a visual of what is going on in the library. It enables to patrons of the library and others to see and get a good sense of how much fun we have with all our books!

Just as with everything else, there kinks (rules and regulations) to work out for this day and age. I agree with what was said in Michael Stephen's article about privacy laws. They need to be updated because their is so much user input in today's world. Posting pictures of people is scarey. Ya want to show and wonderfulness of the opportunities using FLICKR, but at the same time there are always those who can take a wonderful thing and turn it into something not so wonderful. Sad but true. Laws need to be adjusted to a happy meeting...to expose the goodness but also protect everyone!

This is a great tool for patrons to enhance their projects.

I'm not totally comfortable with putting my personal pictures on FLICKR. Generic type photos such as plants and animals, I have no problem with. Something with others having access to the personal me does set happily with me. I'd be afraid of someone using it to promote or better themselves or god forbid identity theft.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Module 4

2Frss2.xmlhttp://www.google.com/reader/view/#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2F0.tqn.com%2F6%2Fg%2Fgardening%2Fb%2Frss2.xml

http://www.google.com/reader/view/#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Ffeeds.feedburner.com%2FTheAlmanacBlog

http://www.google.com/reader/view/#stream/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.vegetablegardener.com%2Ffeeds%2Frss%2Fall.xml

RSS-Really Simple Syndication!
Google Reader!

RSS! How wonderfully simple! It is so true! What a wonderful way to get information and updates of websites all in one place! Sound to good to be true but this time it is true. In floating around in Google Reader, I chose a subject that is fun for me...GARDENING! I subscribed to feeds based on how many subscribers were already there thinking that the more the subscribers the better value of knowledge coming from that site would be. May not be true as in "The Farmers Almanac" page. It's something that has been around for over 100 years..mostly credible....but not many subscribers. Once there, boy what great information...people don't know what they are missing if they think like I did in my reason for subscribing to a site....the more the better...not necessarily true in this case anyways. That might be a kink that needs to be worked out in the great technology world of Google Reader.

Anyway, I liked the convenience of really selecting sites, pointing and clicking to subscribe and wow...informative, great, and current information pops right up! I liked that there was the option to share with others. Imagine the great article and video about how to make paper cups for seed plantlings being shared with my fellow gardeners!

The recommended items feed was neat in that it showed current different items like the photographer that shot photos of people then and now! How different and interesting. People might enjoy something like that after a long day...needing a little distraction.

I can definitely see me using this RSS technology! I loved it...it is convenient. No more going up to my favorites and scrolling down to each site to find information and updates! Saves a lot of time to get current news...something we all like...saving time!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Module 3 Computing in the Cloud

Computing in the Cloud!

Wow! What a concept! Just like a cloud in the sky technology trends seem to be floating right above us.  Trends in technology are ever present. Right now, the trend seems to be collaboration of data, with people being able to freely access that data from any where, any time and at any place with any device available to them. All I can say is "wow!"

I think about how wonderful this new trend is going to be. For example the Zoho technology. As I "floated" in the Zoho cloud, my mind became planted in some businesswoman's shoes. She had a job and a responsibility and a deadline on an important project her boss asked her to be in charge of. She had people working under her who depended on her, yet she had a young family and dinner to prepare and laundry to fold. Wow, what if she could work on that project at home after the kiddos are were in bed. She could freely access her files and collaborate with others in the same boat and get that project done by the deadline without having to worry about "did I leave that file at work?" or wondering just when she was going to meet with the other people on the project.

Working with Google documents and having others with the ability to jump in and collaborate is great! Can you imagine working on a spreadsheet for library budget with a co-worker but this co-worker just happens to be at a conference in Maine? I mean I could be running a book fair and during break collaborate with my co-worker in Maine. Talk about saving time! All the work could be done stress free. No worries about just one person doing all the work in a rush job.

Working with the cloud technology trend, I see greatness, especially in a library setting.   A library can be "the hub" supplying access to those in need of collaborating with others. Internet availability with plenty of browsers and access  to many applications with librarian no-how is necessary. Librarians must have experience with these applications in order to be able to be the driver of "the hub." Data can be accessed wherever a signal can be picked up on a device, any device, that may be available to a person. All that can be available in a library. Most libraries today have those capabilities and accessabilities.
It's just a new way to think and work and utilize the library. Just as books were new to people when libraries came in to being all those years ago. A new way of thinking back then and new way of thinking now.


As with any trend there are drawbacks. It's new. Kinks have to be worked out. Rules and regulations have to be created. There is definately a need to teach people "their responsibility" in this trend such as back up and privacy. One MUST NOT assume that the people of our time understand and know "their responsibility." It MUST be taught by ALL who are going to engage in this new technology.....this new cloud!