Wikis

Over the years I have googled topics I wasn't familiar with and one of the first URLs to come up was Wikipedia. I thought "Wow, what an awesome resource." It was several months after my first exposure that I found out that it was a compilation of opinions and expertise and that anyone could add or make changes to it.

After that, I stopped relying on it too much as I wasn't sure whether or not the information I was receiving was correct.

For this exercise (23 Things), I searched the term "Cloud Computing." The first thing that came up was a box with a large orange exclamation mark....which is basically a warning. It said:

• This article has multiple issues.
• It contains too much jargon and may need simplification or further explanation. Tagged since January 2011.
• It reads like a personal reflection or essay. Tagged since April 2011.
• It is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. Tagged since April 2011
• In some paragraphs, after certain statements there were the words "Citation Needed". When I clicked on that it took me to the discussion page which contained the following: "To ensure that all Wikipedia content is verifiable, anyone may question an uncited claim by inserting a {{Citation needed}} tag."

It also advised the reader to "exercise caution before relying upon unsourced claims."

When I clicked on the header "View Source" a box with a lock came up stating:

"This page is currently semi-protected and can be edited only by established registered users. "
This doesn't mean that the registered users have any more expertise than anyone else., they just have to create an account, which is free. Wikipedia is trusting that the people contributing to a topic have some knowledge of the subject matter. They also rely on other experts to review posts and make comments or changes where necessary.

So I guess if you read Wikipedia keeping these things in mind it can be a valuable resource. But as with any type of research or quest for information for your own personal enlightenment, it's always best to check out more than one source for your information.

Blog Reader

Having played with the RSS feed as well, I think I prefer it to the Blog Reader. I prefer to have items come to me (in my Outlook) rather than me go to them, even if they are all in one place.

It is however useful if you don't have access to your email.

I found it very easy to set up, and another good feature is that you have all the posts from one place so if you don't get to read them for a few days you can read them all at once.

Reflection

I've always considered myself to be somewhat technologically challenged, but after going through the 23 things and building on the knowledge I already had, I feel much more comfortable with it.

I definitely see some applications that would help the adult services team, especially the programming committee. For instance, a Wiki would be great when creating programming schedules, or even just agenda items for meetings. Would eliminate alot of emails flying back and forth among the team.

We're also starting to expand out Computer Class offerings to include things like navigating digital downloads and the Web 101 which is awesome, as our patrons are very interested in learning new things.

I regret not starting the 23 things sooner, but I know myself and I work best under pressure. I hope to expand on what I've learned so far and put some of these ideas into practice and implement some new tools.

My Choice

For my choice, I've chosen to review LuLu.com. This is a website designed to help people "publish, create, buy  and sell their digital content on demand". They also sell other books as well, but their hope is to " have 1 million users that sell 10 books instead of 10 authors that sell 1 million books"

They are headquartered in North Carolina, but also have offices in the UK and Canada.

The site is pretty cool. You can publish everything from regular books, to eBooks, Wedding Books, Yearbooks and even Cookbooks. You can even do calendars. They have the templates and walk you through the process from start to finish. For instance, for a cookbook, you:

1. Choose your binding (Hardcover or Paperback)
2. Type in your recipes
3. Add photos
4. Publish

For authors they also offer the following packages:

• Pre-publishing service packages
• Marketing Packages
• Distribution packages

This month at the library we had a session entitled "Is there a book inside you?" If we decided to follow on with this theme and offer classes in "getting started on your book" we could also provide a list of valuable resources of which this is one.

Podcasting

I'm running out of time to get this finished and am having difficulty finding podcasts that are short and easy to access.

I did however come across one called "The Library Minute" podcast by the Arizona State Library. It's an entire ongoing series, but the one I found was called The Library Minute: The Social Connection. It focused on "wanting to be YOUR library" inviting patrons to connect with them on Facebook, Twitter or in person to tell them what they (the patrons) want.

I decided to use TinyURL to create the following URL so that you too can check it out. http://tinyurl.com/3ofs65l
Podcasts seem like a great way to make an impact, but may be a little too time consuming to set up in order to do a good enough job to keep it interesting.

Hulu

This past Christmas I received a BluRay DVD player from my brother and his kids. Until then I very rarely even watched movies at home. But all that has changed. I signed up for HuluPlus and the rest is history!

I work most nights of the week at the library so I'm hardly ever home to watch some of my favorite shows (Bones, Glee, and Private Practice). Nopw with my new suscription to HuluPlus it's no longer a problem. I'm able to catch up on all my shows at my leisure either on my TV or my computer. It's made me a very happy camper.

But these perks all come at a price. A subscription to HuluPlus is $8.99/month, so not everyone can afford it. Although there are alsodiscount places like NetFlix and RedBox to get movies, I think there will always be people relying on libraries to supply this service. Right now we seem to be having some difficulty in keeping up with the latest and greatest, however that's a supplier issue which should soon be resolved. I also heard we're getting some Blu Ray DVDs, so we're moving forward.

Who knows, you may eventually see streaming allowed through places like Hulu in libraries down the road.

YouTube

In the past, I've watched a few of the more popular videos promoted through the news, talk shows etc., but had never really spent much time on the YouTube site. I was amazed at all the different videos available. While searching under the heading "Library" I found everything from Library Virtual tours,and instructional videos on how to renew your items online to hip hop dance routines with library carts at a TLA function to a Mr. Bean at the Library episode....quite the broad spectrum.

At our own library I know that we have used YouTube to allow teens to submit their entries for the StoryTelling Festival, and I also found videos on our 2010 Year in Review and How to Download our Digital material.

I think YouTube is a great resource, but we really need to educate our patrons as to what's available and they can best use it. One step towards doing this is a "5 Things" session that Adult Services is going to be holding during the Summer Reading Program this year. I'm not sure if they've decided on which 5 they are going to feature, but I think it's the first step in a continuing program that will help our patrons get used to technology and how they can use it in their daily lives.

Music Streaming and Sharing

I can't remember who first introduced me to Pandora, but I fell in love with it instantly and couldn't wait to tell all my friends.

I had so much fun setting up different stations featuring the music of my favorite artists....from Blue October,  the Scissor Sisters, and Kings of Leon, to Shania Twain, Duffy, and Sting. It was amazing the way Pandora could then feature other similar music that appealed to my taste. It introduced me to several artists I'd never considered before. I also liked that I was able to let Pandora know if it played something I didn't like and they never played it again. Another feature I like is that you can choose a "random" mix and it pulls songs from all of your stations.

The only problem I've encountered is inthe actual streaming. When I play it through my Blu Ray player it often gets hung up....possibly not a fast enough Internet connection. That's the only frustrating part.

It's so great to be able to have a constant stream of music and not have to worry about getting up to change CDs. I also just noticed that OI can share Pandora with my friends on Facebook. Not sure they have quite the eclectic taste that I do, but it may introduce them to something they'd never considered before and that's a good thing.

Google Docs and Cloud Computing

We currently use Google Docs in Adult Services at the FPL to share the schedule. It's great, because no matter where you are, you can log into a computer and find out when you're supposed to be at work. It used to be that all team members had access and could edit the schedule, but this became to difficult to manage, so now only two team members are able to make changes to the schedule, but we can all view it.

I'm currently doing some lead generation for a software company and we are planning to hold a webinar in the next couple of weeks. I've been tasked with creating the invite. I originally created the document and sent as an attachment in an email to my boss for review. He made some changes, added some graphics, and then sent it back to me as a jpg file. Now I cannot make any changes to it and there are a few items that need to be deleted.

Had I loaded it into Google Docs originally and shared it with him, then we both could have made changes until we arrived at a product that worked for both of us.

I will have a chat with him on Monday and see if we can't get the latest version into Google docs so we can work on it together.

I think this is a valuable tool as it's easily managed and doesn't take up space on your hard drive.

No need to ask for directions ever again

Google Maps is a great resource for everyone and has definitely come in handy while assisting patrons in the library. We often get people coming in and asking where something is, and how to get there. All we have to do is bring up google maps, plug in the name or address and up it pops. We then just hit the "get directions" button, plug in the library's address in the "From" line, and their destination in the "to" line and hit enter. Voila, step by step directions ready for printing.

For this exercise, I selected the Maribelle Davis Library as my destination. I decided to stick with something I knew so that I could confirm that Google Maps knew what it was doing.

I tried following steps to embed the map in my blog, but it doesn't seem to be working properly. I talk to Adam and decided to try to add it here.http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=10704+Tallahassee+Dr.+Frisco+Tx+75035&daddr=7501+Independence+Pkwy+%23+B,+Plano,+TX+75025-2489+(Maribelle+Davis+Library)&hl=en&geocode=Fd9V-QEdOSg7-inBqNI3Bz1MhjHLMRd9sxgqPg%3BFfvD-AEdprU7-iGuZmTlTqpYnilNE3ryVT1MhjGxOAkgO0FgWg&mra=ls&sll=33.104197,-96.750069&sspn=0.121365,0.3368&ie=UTF8&z=13

TinyURL/You Send It

Not sure if I would use either of these very often, but of the two, I would likely use TinyURL. It's quite common to have long URLs with combinations of letters followed by a series of numbers so it would be great to shorten these up to something more meaningful and easy to remember.

The more I think about it, You Send it could eliminate the need for "zipping" files which would be handy.

Focus on Facebook

I've been on Facebook for a few years now but have to admit I primarily use it to keep up with my teenage nephews and niece.

Until this exercise for 23 things, I'd only ever had friends, I'd never become of a fan of any companies or organizations.

I sought out the Frisco Library site and liked it, but it seemed to have a heavier focus on Youth Services than Adult Services....is it up to both departments to keep it updated with their own events?

I think it's a great way for companies and organizations to keep their followers/friends/fans up to date on the latest events/promotions etc.

Going to the FPL Facebook page, I learned that Janet Evanovich's first book, "One for the Money" is actually being made into a movie. I also downloaded and read the winning entries from the 2011 Poetry contest....very cool!

I also became a fan of So You Think you Can Dance and can't wait for the new season to begin!

LinkedIn Lover

I'm a huge fan of LinkedIN and have been using it for years. http://www.linkedin.com/in/lpuchala

As the Resource Manager (Recruiter) for a Telecom Consulting Company I used LinkedIn all the time to find consultants who possessed the skills needed to fill the roles on the projects.

When I started a new part time job generating leads for a software company, I used LinkedIN to leverage my first-level contacts for introductions to potential customers (HR Managers, IT Managers, and Workforce Planners that were their first-level connections).

Another valuable function of LinkedIn is the ability to join groups of like minded individuals. Two such groups that I joined were a) Library and Information Technicians  and b) Social Media for Libraries, Library Friends, and Library Foundations. I follow discussion threads and offer my opinion when I feel I have something to offer.

One of the downsides to LinkedIn is the fact that in order to be able to contact people or get introduced through your connections, you need to subscribe...lowest fee is $19.95/month which is still worth it in my book.

LibraryThing

I find this site confusing and I wasn't able to find ThingLang, ISBN Check, and MARCThing.

I think it will be useful for reading book reviews and to see what items are most popular.

What am I missing?

Favorites are Delicious

I really like this concept and found it very user friendly.

Had I done this earlier, I could have recommended using it when Adult Services was helping put together useful websites related to "copyright." Everyone was sending in their picks when they could have easily just bookmarked and shared them.

I look forward to adding more items to my favorites and then seeing how the tags come into play. Right now, I just have one instance of each tag.

I think this is definitely something I will use often.

Tagging

I have to confess, until I read up on the subject, I thought the tags accompanying blogs and other online articles were just a jumbled mess. I didn't realize that the importance or frequency of the words contained in the document were more prominently disiplayed....e.g. bigger, bolder, more colorful, etc.

I think it's a good concept given that most people's lives are so busy these days that sometimes all they have time for is a quick scan to find pertinent information or articles of interest.

As long as people don't get carried away and include every term featured in the article I think it's great. Otherwise it can be overwhelming.

I'M Talking about IM

While working as a Resource Manager for a consulting company, I used to be connected to instant messaging (IM) all day, everyday. It was great in the beginning, as everytime I needed to reach out to a consultant (usually urgently) it was often an easy way to reach them.

But, as I soon discovered, it also worked the other way around and people also had easy access to me too. Given that there was only one of me, and 50 or more of them, I found I was constantly being "pinged" for one reason or another. It became very distracting. So, I ended up having to sign in and out periodically on an as needed basis and that worked much better.

I haven't had the opportunity to use the "Communicator" system at the Library very much, but I have been contacted a few times. I still need to figure out the colored dots and what they actually mean. It's definitely a work in progress.

The Dirt on Dig

On a basic level, Digg.com and Libraries are similar in that they both provide the public with access to information from a number of sources.

Although the library patrons don' actually contribute and vote on the information libraries provide, Librarians base the purchase of materials on the local demographics, past checkout habits and what materials have the highest circulation.

That being said, if patrons are looking for an item and the library doesn't carry it, the patron can submit a "VOTEORDER" which is a request that the Librarian consider adding the item to the collection.

Do you have a "tweet" tooth?

I have to say I'm a lover of chocolate but, Twitter, not so much.

That doesn't mean it doesn't have its benefits. I'm not really interested in knowing if people are "catching up on their favorite soap opera," or "making tuna salad for lunch", but I would like to know if Firehouse Subs has a $2.00 special on their 8 inch Italian Sub today. That has value for me.

I think that Twitter can be a useful tool for libraries if they have a special event coming up and want to get the word out fast, but I'm interested in knowing how you build up your number of followers. How do you get the word out that the Frisco Public Library (FPL) is a site worth following? I'm not sure.

Once you have a large number of followers, you could use the search tool to find information about what people are reading and what topics are currently top of mind and can gear things like book displays and programs to target them.

Practicing with Picasa

This particular exercise, posting photos and creating an album in Picasa, proved to be quite challenging. I'm not a big picture taker, so everything I had in my "picture" folder was quite old. However, my niece is quite the photo fiend and she had tagged some photos of our ski trip to Banff last year and put them on Facebook for me. It took me awhile to figure out how to get them from Facebook to Picasa, but I finally managed...please see for yourself at https://picasaweb.google.com/105974512528941963477/BanffSkiTrip?authkey=Gv1sRgCI6u7LP9nueTeQ#.

I've been thinking about applications for the library and thought that it would be a great way to promote a program I've been working on called "Armchair Traveler". I'd like to hold a series of travelogues at the library over the fall and winter, focusing on destinations we have featured in our travel kits. We could use travel photos on Picasa in our invitations to patrons. Hopefully it would peak their interest and entice them to come in and checkout our Archair Traveler sessions.

Keeping up with what's going on

RSS feeds can be used for many things, including keeping up with the latest news feeds from the major papers or news stations; however, I think it would be very helpful to keep up with what other libraries are doing in terms of programming (e.g. upcoming events and classes) or other things such as tips and tricks for eBooks and other downloads.

With RSS feeds it's easy to scroll through them quickly and only reading the ones that catch your eye or that have some relevance to you.