Summer's End?

I've never liked the end of summer . . . and this year is no different. I like long sunny days and evenings, some unstructured time, and to finally feel WARM after months of freezing.

But alas, I am a midwesterner, and summer must always end. I appreciate all the things I've tried and used during this Library 2.0 training. I must be a person who needs deadlines, because I have been meaning to learn more about a lot of the things we covered for a long time, but only when it was put on a schedule did I actually accomplish these tasks!

I did enjoy blogging and I think I may continue with that. I really liked working with images in Flickr and I can imagine lots of applications of Wikis in our library work.

All to say . . . it's nice to feel more conversant and confident in these areas!

Thanks, State Library of SD, for pushing me in this direction

Twitter, part 2

This article from the New York Times says it better than I could:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/26/technology/internet/26twitter.html

Teens are NOT using Twitter, for the most part, and Facebook has been taken over by people my age! I am still resistent to Twitter for the same reason as quoted in the article:

"I just think it’s weird and I don’t feel like everyone needs to know what I’m doing every second of my life".

Inverewe Highlands

Inverewe Highlands
Originally uploaded by turloughmor

I just thought this was pretty and I want to remember how to upload from flickr.

Wiki

Sharing information and updates via a Wiki makes a lot of sense to me. I liked the example given in the short video of planning a camping trip, and using one spot to check as a group plans. I think wikis are great for larger scale events like SDLA . . . when information needs to be routinely updated.

I think it's most likely that I would start or contribute a wiki while we're undergoing some sort of change . . . . maybe a software that has lots of problems (Oh, I can think of at least ONE right off the top of my head)that a number of people are addressing. This is a great way to share success stories or tricks for work-arounds.

This said, I tend to be more suspicious of things like Wikipedia where just about anyone can edit or contribute information that is later believed to be true. The internet is all about the open sharing of information, but I'm still old-school enough to believe that sources should be vetted, checked, and authoritative.

Just sayin'.

It's Delicious!

It's funny how you can see something mentioned over time, but not really stop and learn what it's all about. That's me and deli.cio.us. I've seen it used, I've heard it mentioned, I've even learned how to pronounce it (ignore the periods!), but I've never known what it is.

Now, because of this required exercise, I do know more about it and what I see, I like. I think for me it will be most handy in keeping track of bookmarks in a variety of places, especially since I use two or three computers at work, and two at home, and occasionally one somewhere else. So that will help. I think the "cloud" concept is also a visual way of seeing what is going on, and that appeals to me too.

I guess the next thing is to set up my own delicious account . . . . and remember another password!

Happy Monday.

I really liked today's "Unshelved".

These guys will be featured speakers at SDLA in 2010!

Social Networking

Finally, something I already know about! I've had a Facebook account for over a year, and I must say that I use it more than email to keep track of friends and family. I especially like the photo posting part. The ironic thing is that, just as the article said, both of my college-aged sons have deleted their Facebook accounts around the time their parents started getting busy with FB! Our daughter is 16, and we did require that she "friend" us before she got an account, but I do try not to lurk too much.

We use Facebook with our student workers and have found it to be faster and more effective than their student email accounts. Like all technology, it's a matter of managing the influx of info . . . and being selective on what you use.

I am seriously thinking of setting my 85 and 87 year old parents up with an account, since most of their children and many of their other relatives are on Facebook. Any thoughts out there? They are already proficient on email. Well, "proficient" might be stretching it a bit. They can DO email.

Google Docs & more

My colleague Becky has been using Google Docs for some time, and now I see why she's sold! I'm working on a project now that is very much like the little Youtube example---compiling a newsletter, using lots of input from different people on staff. And so often the attachments, edits, and different types of software really cause problems. Could this be the answer? Stay tuned.

I also tried out Google Calendars. I've never really converted to an electronic calendar, but when I think about how often I don't bring my paper calendar home with me and I'm left wondering about the my schedule, I can see a real benefit of having all my calendars merged this way. This could be a good way to keep the home/family calendar managed too. Hmmm . . .