You Tube

I love You Tube.

There is a video for any mood there. I think it would be a great place to share library events.

Also I was thinking short little tutorials on using the catalog.

Like -how to use bookbag, or how to request a book online. Or - how to request an interlibrary loan book online. How to reserve a meeting room online. (This might require part 1 and part 2).

Another co-worker suggested the links to video tutorials be right there on the website - so if someone wanted to watch a video about how to search by author, they can just click a button and watch the video (computer permitting).

They could watch it as many times as they wanted.

I thought it was a great idea.

The video I chose to try to embed is this one.
Bunnies on the Bounce!

Post 25 Things

I have really enjoyed the 27 things exercise.

I wasn't going to do it, initially. I thought I knew a lot about the Internet. Okay, I do know a lot about the Internet - I BETTER know a lot about it.

To quote an anonymous source, "You live there." Okay, maybe a couple of anonymous sources. Several, even. Okay MANY sources. Fine.

I learned a lot. I had fun.

I am writing an afterward now, because I may forget a few ideas I had that might, just might, be cool for the library to do.

I am thinking of a Library Book Staff Picks Blog. One where we as library staff could suggest books and write book reviews. One that would be divided by the kind of divisions that bookstores use. Both negative and positive reviews. I think the paper newsletter we had was fun, and people liked it, but it was difficult to get staff to contribute. As a staff person often assigned the video review section, I will say it was a pain. I actually don't remember what was so painful about it, (probably the lack of spellchecker) but it wasn't fun. And sharing books we love with the public should be fun.

I also very much like the idea of podcasts or videos hosted on youtube that would help people using our catalog and reservation systems. It would be handy to have both, since some people are visual learners, and some are audio learners.

I can see that Myspace, Facebook, and other social sites could be helpful to the library, if they were publicised to the groups they were intended to attract.

My personal favorites were the RSS feeds, which i use all the time now, and the Internet 2.0 Award site, which has led me to many fine things. I also have to admit, my most often sent link has been the generator site.

2006 Web 2.0 Awards

I chose the 2006 Web Award winners, because after a glance at the Webware site I knew I would be playing with that stuff for far longer than the 30 minutes I had planned to use for this lesson. I am actually planning on adding them to my favorites both at home and at work

Both sites have a lot to offer. I found so many interesting sites I am just going to pick out the highlights. I really enjoyed the 43 things immensely. Is there anything cooler than lists of people's opinions? I think not! Personally I adore lists, and polls, and taking tests. But this site definitely tops the list for fun and interesting things.

Another site I enjoyed was Music Strands, I always have an ear out for new and interesting music of all genres. I thought all the music sites were interesting - more than I am going to have to look at. I find it very, very helpful to at least KNOW what bands are popular, even if they are not my type of music. Music tends to be one of the things our patrons find most difficult to search for - and knowing that Snow Patrol is a band and not the title of a book on mountain rescue crews can be very helpful.

And I can't go by without an honorable mention for Zwillow. For all the faults it has, it is simply fascinating. I would recommend it to patrons, even though it is NOT the be-all and end-all of home valuations - it gives a good ballpark idea of what homes are worth in a given area.

Google Labs

Okay, call me silly, but my favorite of all the Google Labs was Google Sets.

I spent at least an hour playing with it at home after work. Yes, I know we can do this on work time, but I knew after I input "Up" "Down" "Strange" "Charm" and got "gluon" as part of my extended set I was in big, big trouble. I admit, it didn't do so well on some things, (like breeds of toy dogs) but on others, like Nebulae - it was stellar.

Google Notebook also looked useful. I like the idea of keeping information together, in one handy little online packet. It could be quite useful when I am doing research for one of my stories, or for a work project - like researching prices for shopping baskets. Or a patron researching, say, hot water heaters.

Yes, I did take David's advice and tried out Google Trends. There is nothing like graphs to make my heart beat faster. Did you know the two languages that central air is most searched for are English and Polish? Me either. I could see this as a very handy tool for students, or the perpetually curious.

Even though it's done better elsewhere (probably why it didn't become a finished product) was the Music Trend search. I always like to know what people in Canada and the UK are listening too, and I even had to go track down a song or two, even though I think this application is a little dated.

All these things could be useful to patrons as well. It's too bad that the library doesn't offer a version of Learning 2.0 for patrons.

Zoho & Google Applications

ZOHO

Zoho was very easy to log in and use. There were a lot of choices for word processing. It almost seemed as if Zoho had more choices and options. I would have to spend an extended amount of time using it to find them all.

GOOGLE

Google was also easy to log in and use, particularly since I already have an account set up. The word processing software was more similar to word, and also simpler to use.

Of course, either of these would be great for a lot of reasons.

It would be an option if a patron forgot a drive to save a document on .

As already stated, a way for a few people, or even a group, to work on a document from various sites.

Also for people who don't have computers at home.

Or for someone who only needs specific software, like spreadsheets etc. on on occasional basis.

The longer I think about it, the more I love the idea that this software is available, for free. It puts word processing and databases and spreadsheets in the hands of everyone, not just those who can afford it. It makes sharing documents easy. What's not to like?

Although - pessimist that I am, I would hesitate to write my epic novel using such software.

But, very cool.

Learning 2.0 and the Future

I remember when we first got Netscape Navigator at our house. It was supposed to do everything but the dishes.

We had been online for awhile, and we were chosen to beta test Netscape for our online provider, the late, great Prostar. We had to upgrade our modem to a BLISTERING speed of...well, I can't remember, possibly 256 K from the previously lightning-fast 128K.

It was just shocking to be be online and zip over to a computer in HAWAII! Look! Pictures posted online from the University of Hawaii!

It was cumbersome, and amazing, and it became clear to me very quickly I could find a lot of information from my own computer at home in moments - the same information that had previously taken a blue slip and Interlibrary Loan in the recent past. Even better, when before I was able to find one measly pamphlet on, say, American Revolutionary War Nightwear, now I had access to far more information. Information including pictures, and descriptions from collectors of vintage clothing and essays and commentary from historians who were also researching the same topic. I was delighted.

It was some time later the library got true "web" access.

I think libraries, all of them, were a little slow to realize the Internet as a truly valuable resource. I think KCLS was actually one of the first. I'm glad to see this changing, and most library systems are embracing new, upcoming technologies.

One of the things I find most interesting from reading the featured articles were the ideas about the future of libraries, and library services. I find the immediate upcoming plan for a method and search engine for everyone to have the ability to search WorldCat very cool. I also like the idea of expanded delivery options for libraries.

We already use expanded delivery options in a primitive form, looking up sources for patrons to buy those out of print or hard to get books and textbooks online when they need them now rather than the later we can provide.

If one of the new improved bibliographic searches ever turned up the title of my lost book, I would buy it in a nano-second.

The fast, even daily, database updates make them truly more useful than many printed resources, however handy. While I can agree with the need for some stockpile of printed resources, I find online information is nearly always more up to date and accurate. Especially when using a verified, reliable source. Except when the electricity is out.

I am always curious about what the next wave of personal computing will be, and how libraries will respond. Me, I'm looking forward to The Net 3.0, or whatever comes next. Because if this incarnation of information access has made our lives easier, maybe the next one really will do our dishes, too.

Search Engines Rule

The terms I searched for were library cards, and gaming programs. Not very original, but my mind is in the off position this week.

I found the search results interesting, because Rollyo's KCLS search engine did bring up more choices - in fact, it was a lot more interesting to me, because it had information about library cards, and even brought up e-bay's listings for library card related things, like pockets.

Googles search engine seemed to stay very site-specific, with little wandering around.

I may have to go mess around with Rollyo, because when I am looking for information for my personal life, I tend to like to wander around a little.

I do feel the Google search engine would be better for specific information - for example if you wanted to search program information for KCLS, Sno-Isle and Pierce Counties, you could have an engine just for that.

I used Google as the search engine I set up on my page (scroll toward the bottom of the page - and yes, I did fool with the layout and colors - and I will again! LOL)

Generators

I created an Icon using this site

http://illustmaker.abi-station.com/index_en.shtml

A very fun site. Of course, they were all fun sites.

Just for fun, here is another site I love...don't ask me why...it really has nothing to do with this week's lesson.

CheddarVisionTV