Reflection - Method 12

I really enjoyed the Dozen Ways to Two-Step program. The lessons were short, full of useful information, and thought provoking. Some of my favorite discoveries were wikis, Facebook, Flickr, and Zoho. My biggest surprises were probably Zoho and Facebook. I really like saving money with Zoho by not having to buy all that special and expensive software and hardware (MS Office, scan drives) needed for school and/or work. Facebook is also a nice surprise, with it I have communicated with friends, family, and co-workers and discussed subjects that are both work and non-work related. I really enjoyed this program so don’t make any changes. Learning while having fun is great, so if another program like this were offered in the future then I would definitely participate.

Podcasts - Method 11

Podcasts, like other subjects in Library 2.0, are another useful tool for libraries to consider. It would be a great way for the library to reach preschools and daycares who lack the ability to come to the library for our story times. It could also be used for educating people on our services and how to use them. While I think podcasts would be great for reading books in short segments, not just little kid books for story time but large and popular chapter books (Twilight, the Shack, Lost Symbol), there are probably limits on what can be done based on copyright laws.

Wiki - Method 10

I was taught that "wikis" were NEVER to be used as an information source, although that has supposedly changed. Wikipedia has turned out to be a good reference to find out what book is next in a series like Hank the Cowdog.
The use of wiki’s for organizations is interesting and has the potential to be very useful. The library could use wikis to share information about special book collections, events or programs, book reviews, set agendas for up coming meetings, etc. This would also be great for those planned family get-to-gathers, like Thanksgiving, were everyone spends all their free time on the phone trying to connect with others about everything that is being planned for the holiday. The wiki would eliminate much of this hassle.

IM - Method 9

We have IM at my library but it is for employee-to-employee use only. There are several good library uses for the IM. My worry is that people using IM generally expect instant gratification, never realizing that others may also have requests at the same time, and even with a person hired to deal solely with IM requests there could still be extended delays in a reply thus making the patrons experience a frustrating one. Nor does today’s economy promote the hiring of more staff. Personally, I prefer reference questions done through e-mail instead of IM. Overall, I do think that IM is another useful tool for libraries that should be further explored.

FaceBook/MySpace - Method 8

I really enjoyed reading the articles and viewing the various web pages, they were very informative. The articles helped clear up some worries (and confirm others) about Social Networking. Hopefully our library will use some of this modern tech to reach our patrons. I believe it would really help bring in some of the younger people who think that the library is just a place were older people go because they have nothing better to do.
I did create a personal FaceBook account, mainly to view the pictures of my son’s wedding, and found it surprising at the number of people I know with an account. FB has been a good experience so far and is a cheep and economical (no stamps, paper trash, phone bills, matching up free time, etc.) way to keep in touch with family and friends, although I wish there was a lot more ability to personalize your page like you can with MySpace. I’ll probably keep up with my page until I get bored with it, which will probably be only a month or two from now. Until then, I might as well have some fun while keeping the important information to myself.

Delicious/LibraryThing – Methods 7

Social bookmarking is a great tool that should be incorporated by more libraries. The ability to mark what is liked or not liked by an individual and then share it (if preferred) with others is neat thing. The use of these sites would help to inform the public of what the library contains inside its walls and the many and varied services it provides. I would like to have a partnership between public libraries and the schools. This would help with various required reading lists, information sources, reading contests, etc. Seeing what others have read, written about, or like to read could help students in finding books they might be interested in reading. To combine books with socializing would be great for the kids and help promote reading.
Personally, I like the thought of having a place (like Delicious) to save my bookmarks where I can access them if I am at work, home, or just out bee-bopping around. LibrayThing will be great for cataloging my personal book library, wonder if it works with music?

Titanic: Past and Present

Titanic: Past and Present

YouTube - Method 6

I’m a little familiar with YouTube from e-mails and watching my kids look for weird videos on there. I like that you can search for videos by subject and if the Shows channel continues to grow then paying for TV may go by the wayside. I really liked the TeacherTube with all the informative videos, channels, audio, pictures and documents that could be viewed. This is a very useful tool for both teachers and librarians. While you can send links to videos on YouTube, it appears that TeacherTube lets you upload whatever information you would like to your blog (The settings on my work computer will not let me do this, I plan to try this at home and see if it works).
The first time I viewed this video it was from an e-mail a friend sent me, I later used it to inspire my students for a writing exercise will doing my student teaching. The students, working in groups, were required to write down things they were constantly hearing their teachers say and then turn it into a song with most of them choosing rap as the means of their musical expression. This lesson turned out to be a lot of fun for everyone involved. Here is the link to that video on YouTube along with a follow-up song.
“The Mom Song” and “Dadsense” by Anita Renfroe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXgoJ0f5EsQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtNGFh-dCe0

Flickr - Method 5

Alaska Bald Eagle and Flag
Originally uploaded by akphotograph.com

Having an easily accessible repository for photos is great, although obtaining and understanding all the information needed to put the photos where you want them is a bit confusing. This service allows friends and family to share experiences and stories with more than just words. On a personal level, it is a great way for people to stay close while physically being far apart. Libraries could use this service to personalize its staff and its place in the workings of the community it serves.

RSS - Method 4

If you're a person who likes to stay informed with on just about any subject, then RSS readers are a great tool. I have very little free time to spend on searching for information about the subjects I"m interested in. The RSS readers are a great time saver. Here are links to some of the sights I enjoy.

http://foxnews.com/

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/

http://www.npr.org/

Clouds, Methods 3

Clouds, Method 3

 

The advantages of access and/or convenience and cost make "cloud" computing a resource that should not be ignored by the libraries, especially those with very small or limited budgets.  It's only recently that our library allowed the patrons to use flash drives. Before that a patron could only save their work to the computer till the end of the night (when it was erased) or print the needed information.  Because of privacy and security issues, I think library staff computers should probably use a program like Microsoft Office instead of instead of a similar program that is found in the cloud.  The Public Access Computers (PAC) are a different story, these computers don't need all the individual programs loaded on to them and the cost savings could be applied to other areas of the business.  Most patrons who use PAC would also enjoy the easy access of cloud computing since they could access their information from anywhere.  Having a staff that is well informed about cloud computing is a benefit to the patrons and cheaper than purchasing a bunch of programs for these computers.  Cloud computing is perfect for public computers and would probably work just as well for schools that have student access computers.

 

P.S. This rambling paragraph was written using Zoho Writer.

 

 

Methods 1 and 2

What are your thoughts regarding Web 2.0 and Library 2.0?
Knowledge of Web 2.0 or Library 2.0 is an excellent tool for the library staff to use in helping patrons with their own needs but to also help patrons get more involved in the library and the community it serves. Unfortunately, libraries don’t seem to receive the funding needed to keep up with the advancement of what is taking place in the Web World, especially libraries in the smaller communities and/or towns.

What do the terms mean to you? To your library? Or libraries in general?
To me, Web 2.0 and library 2.0 is a term that refers to the new generation of web technology that deals with more personal or face-to-face capabilities. The library is a public source for information and knowing the terms and understanding the evolution of the web will allow us to continue serving the public in the best way possible.