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Week 10: #23 THE END!!!!!

Well, I ran the gamut of emotions with this exercise. I was excited about the prospect of learning new technologies - anticipation was high! The reality of some of the discovery exercises plunged me into the depths of despair - I was technologically impaired, there was no hope for me, I had become my mother!

I would have to say that overall I enjoyed this program of "discovery", although I know that I'd have given up on some if I hadn't needed to complete all for the training hours. Some of these I will never use again, but I will not swear to that. I learned my lesson with children, to never swear, "I would never do (use) that!"

Zoho writer has been useful already, but I can't wait to delete my bloglines account, or Library Elf. There have been way too many user names and passwords to remember. I think Mike has a program that keeps track of them for you - perhaps that should be one of the sites we learn about next!

I do think we should continue this as a training opportunity, but with changes. After listening to the staff, here are a few suggestions that perhaps should be incorporated into the exercise.

• Start earlier in the year.
• Let each exercise last 1 month, with only one new activity introduced each week that builds upon the original concept - that way there is a better climate for really learning the exercise.
• Let each exercise be independent of the others, if staff want to do one but not another, let them accrue training hours for the ones they actually did.

Bling is not really necessary - the training hours should be enough incentive. Or else it should be sooooo spectacular that everyone wants to complete all the exercises in order to get bling (perhaps WMA player to go along with Overdrive - or better yet, you complete the exercises and your name goes into a drawing for a chance as one of 5 winners of a WMA player). Maybe flash drives could be the bling for completing all the exercises along with the training hours. Those who only complete selected exercises, only get the training hours. Fair.

Week 9 # 22 Overdrive

I have an Overdrive account and have downloaded books and language programs. My problem is that my WMA device is not recognized by Overdrive, so I don't use it as much as I could. I did download onto CDs some language programs when we thought William would be going to Germany. It is really an excellent addition to the library's offerings as more people are requesting books in audio format. They use them in commuting, exercising, working around the house, and in many other ways. The demand for this format will only grow.

I tried LibriVox and, of course, the major difference is that the items available are in the public domain, while most items requested are best sellers or older titles by current authors. There are some classics available from Overdrive that are also found on LibriVox.

WOWIO, a Houston based company, has more current items available, although I didn't see the popular authors, such as Nora Roberts, John Grisham, etc. Although it wasn't easy to search as you couldn't specify an author search. Many of the titles seemed to be non-fiction. I wonder how much of the fiction is originally published on the web? I didn't like this as well, but perhaps I didn't give it enough of an effort.

Week 9: # 21 Podcasts

Well, I added Meet the Press as my podcast to my bloglines; however, I never got to actually hear it. Don't know if it was the equipment I was using or a problem with the podcast itself. I wasn't at my desk when I tried listening, so maybe it was the computer. With electronics, one never knows for sure.
I will try again later to see if I can actually hear it.

Week 9: #20 Youtube

This one I enjoy! I would imagine most everyone has used youtube, but perhaps they haven't realized it. So many emails are sent around with a link to a youtube site that is is almost a regular part of emails. This one, "Mother's Day", is my favorite - I see my brothers and then my sons in this video.

Week 8: # 19+ Zoho Update

This was the most marvelous program!!!! We were on a cruise and Mike needed to complete a word document for his work. One of those "Need this yesteday; can't wait until you are back" items. The ship's internet cafe didn't have Word, but we were able to use Zoho and export his document, he could fill it out, send it to his home email (to get rid of my user names, etc.), then send it on from there to his work email and forward it on to his boss! What a deal. I'm so glad we had learned about Zoho and I actually remembered how to use it. Plus we exported a document that had already been created, filled it out as needed, and sent it back as Word. A miracle program!!!! I'm a believer.

Week 8: #19 Zoho

This could be good. Although I haven't needed to create a document when I've been away from home or work, you just never know. Word processing is one of the absolute best work programs for those of us who were never very good typists. Spell check, grammar check, cut and paste, oh my!!!!! Now there are emoticons! Although I have never used one in my entire life and I usually want to smash smiley faces. Who knows - I could feel the need to be cute! I do use exclamation points a lot. One of the staff says that is a sign of an unstable mind. I wonder what she knows?

Wow! This was easy to post to the blog. If I can only remember all my logins and passwords as there are now so many. Good thing I've saved most of them in my email. I think there is a program my husband uses that lists all his logons and passwords. I'm going to have to find out what it is.

Week 8: #18

Well, I was ginning along pretty good, although I got a late start due to Black Thursday - Sunday, Bloody Sunday - and then the link to the Newsweek article was a bust. Did find it through Masterfile, so I've pulled it for the rest of the staff. Still haven't read it myself. I've had others send me links that by the time I opened it, the article wasn't there. That's a bit disconcerting.
Regarding the various social networking sites, don't think I am the type to have a Facebook, or MySpace account. Would require too much work on my part, for something that I could care less about. I did like that Ning has a crime writers group - that was interesting reading some of their conversations. Yahoo Groups has been used by committees to set up a members' page and can certainly see the benefit of that. The ease with having conversations and keeping them going would be most beneficial. Not having to meet in person - keeping abreast of news among members would be even better.
Are these all just expanded blogs? Xanga certainly looked bloggish to me.
Loved the Rate my space - this looks like the sites I go to on msn.com/hgtv/tlc and look at decorating tips or gardening. Not that I actually can translate any of this into my own house/garden/life. But I like looking.
The last three are not my thing - would rather look through Rate My Space. Do see how there are sites for just about any taste out there; but now can't really tell the difference between blogs and some of these social networking sites.

week 7: 17+

Oh. My. God.
I thought I had done this one right and then I overheard one of the staff, working with another staff member, that we were supposed to go to one of the blogs and then click on the "comment" below to make a comment on that particular post! And there I had viewed several blogs and commented on them in my blog. I just didn't get it!!!!

I'm afraid there's a lot of this experience that is just like this! The future looks bleak without my fellow staff members to interpret for me.

Oh, woe! I'm doomed!

week 7: # 17

Today's Dilbert says it all!!!!! http://tinyurl.com/yr48w9 will give you the perfect cartoon for how we feel after such an intensive learning process!
And to top it off, my husband must use the cell phone provided by his company because of email, yada, yada, yada! He is a true techie - in that he wants and likes all gadgets. The handout from the Gadgets and Gizmos workshop sent him into the stratosphere with so many new gadgets coming out and websites to explore. And I sent him the Del.i.cious site, so he can set up his own with his bookmarks. So, making a long story short, I now have an iphone. That was the closest he could come to having one of his own.
I'm at work trying to learn 23 things and at home, trying to figure out how to use a new cell phone, email, ipod, camera, and who knows what else. ARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH! I have no life that doesn't involve the Internet. I believe my head could explode with the next technological factoid!
On the brighter side, my sons are fighting over my old phone, a Blackberry Pearl. I finally have some leverage!
Regarding other's posts - I am enjoying the "look" of other's blogs; I like how they use different templates (libraries are cool), different colors for fonts (macandcheesemaniac) and different placement of graphics (flipfloplibrarian). It does make you want to experiment.

Week 7: # 16 Wikis

Wikis I've done - in Wikipedia and in the "Harriet" wiki to request copies and flyers and such. It certainly is working in the copy request format we have at HCPL. I logged in and added my blog to the ihcpl wiki. While it is nice that there are favorite books and movie wikis, we have the book and movie reviews on the HCPL website. At what point do we say we've left our mark in enough places?
I can certainly see how a "community" wiki would be a nice thing to have; e.g. a wiki in our area that would list the sports organizations with updated information on registration times, ages, schedules. How nice that would be for all parents with kids who participate in various sports. I can see many applications for a wiki. However, I can also see how there would have to be someone who is ultimately in charge, in order to keep it focused and accurate. We've all heard about Wikipedia and the mis-information that is posted - did I happen to read it before it was corrected? Or was I one of the unfortunate ones who accessed it when it had incorrect data.
I think this is another one of those times when it needs to be stressed that the information is only as good as who/what posts it; look for authority if using the information for something that needs to be verified and accurate - as in, does your grade depend on the information being accurate - always double check. Otherwise, wiki away!

Week 6: # 15

When I saw the word Iceberg, I immediately thought of stationary librarians. - those who don't move - sit and wait for someone to come to them. I must say that with HCPL's circulation growing it feels good that we must be doing a lot of things right to have an increasing circulation in this time of decreasing stats. Surely the Internet and new "media" we all are adding to our "collections" have contributed to that increase. We lure people into the library and overwhelm them with all the good stuff we have to offer.
Cooperation, both within and without a system, has been one of the best things that has happened to libraries. No one looks back fondly on the old way of filling holds - or if they do, one should have them checked out for their sanity is definitely in question. And how great it is to see if something is available to be lent from another system. What a great way to deal with shrinking budgets when your customer base is definitely not shrinking.
Databases - how wonderful they are! We look forward to the time more of the older materials will be offered online. Those working on history projects cry out for materials from our earlier times. And when will all databases be available remotely? While we love to have customers come in, sometimes it just isn't practical - it was one of the better days when I found out my kids could look up their homework (that magazine article on a science topic - one a week for a whole semester) after the library had closed.
Libraries have certainly come a long way, baby! But it is nice to know that there are still many who enjoy coming in and reading a good book or magazine and visiting with like-minded people.

YES!!!!!

Hooray!

Just playing

I'm now just playing with this post to see if what I type appears in the font I selected in my settings, even though it is not in that font as I type.

Fonts

May have figured out how to select the font from the beginning of a post.