Thing 23: One Last Thing!

Well, I did it! All 23 things completed. I really enjoyed this program, and I've recommended it to several other people. It is a sort of security blanket, too, to know this site will be around for a while, so I can go back for a refresher course if I need to.

I did have a few experiences where links didn't work. I think it might be helpful to include citations to articles so in those rare cases we can get the information via another route.

I really hope the multi-types sponsor another program like this. I would be an eager participant.

I also want to offer a heart-felt thank you to everyone responsible for bringing us 23 Things. I know it was a lot of work, but library users everywhere will benefit from your efforts.

Thing 22: What Did I Learn Today?

I think the most helpful tool for me will be using RSS feeds. Like everything else in life, it's nice to have the information I need come to me rather than always having to go looking for it! The 15 minutes a day approach will work well, too. I have lots of sites in the Thing descriptions that warrant return visits. I also want to inform the people I work with about these sites and encourage them to spend at least 15 minutes each day exploring and learning.

I have found the Things to be fun (at least most of them :-) ). And I was encouraged to discover than I could do them. I was fortunate to have helpful people of whom I could--and did--ask questions. Thank you, everybody!

Thing 21: Beyond MySpace

This Thing has been interesting. I've looked at Gather and Web Junction, and I've created a Ning account. These networks are much less frenetic than are Facebook or MySpace. I joined the 23 Thing on a Stick Group on Ning, added a comment to a couple of people's pages, and uploaded a picture of me and Bill Durbin taken when he spoke on campus this spring.

I'm not sure if I read the right article Publisher's Weekly or not, since the link didn't work. (Suggestion: It would be helpful to include the citation as well as the link, so we could be sure we get to the recommended article.) I found the Web Junction article interesting and thought-provoking. The were lots of fairly doable ideas here that could be applied to marketing a number of library events.

I spent a little time looking at What's on My Bookshelf and goodreads. What's on My Bookshelf appears to be a book trading site rather than a place to share recommendations. Goodreads looks like it could be an interesting place to spend a little time--it includes author contributions as well as member ratings. I see Susan Wittig Albert has a page, and I just picked up her newest, Nightshade, at the public library yesterday. I plan to come back here and read her comments and see if any other of my favorite authors have pages. I also use the BooksIread application on Facebook to keep track of titles I'd like to read and to see what my friends are reading.

I looked at 43 Things, too, because I need all the help I can get in getting things done! I think this would be fun, but the time I'd spend here is time I would NOT be getting things done!

Of all the Things, this is probably one of them where I've encountered the most unknown territory. Although I am embarrassed to admit it, I really did not know all of these social networks existed. I can only imagine how many new ones are being created all the time. There seems to be an online community to meet every interest a person might have.

Thing 20: Social Networks

Facebook has been a major part of my day for almost a year now. (Okay, I know I got to it late!) I've gradually added friends and joined some groups. My library school has a group, but so far I haven't found any of my classmates. I've also joined some of our local groups, and I admit to monitoring some of the public groups that I haven't joined yet. One of my advisees created a group last summer for first-year students who were coming to Concordia. It was really interesting to see how these people from all over the country found each other on Facebook and how it provided a venue for them to ask each other questions and share information with other group members. These kids had formed a community before they arrived on campus!

I'm fairly cautious about what I post on Facebook--not that I really do anything I couldn't share! It just seems like so public a space, and I'm not by nature a public person. But at the same time I enjoy seeing videos and photos my friends post. But sometimes I see some pretty inappropriate things people have posted. I'm waiting for the first political scandal that focuses on information media folks pull out of a social network site!

There are lots of library uses for social networks. Our Circulation People are using their Facebook group as a student training measure. (Check out Soma on a Stick if you'd like to learn more!) The students used Facebook as a way to gather information about our Pay it Forward purchases. Both of these are good ideas, and I know there are lots of others.

While I know many college age people were appalled when the network opened up to everyone, many people of my generation are also interested. I held a small workshop for friends last fall, and we explored Facebook and became familiar with some of its features. Just as people of all ages embraced email and the web, people of all ages are embracing social networks. Everybody--not just young people--like to belong to a group.

By the way--did I mention Scrabulous? This application alone makes Facebook worthwhile!

Thing 19: Podcasts

I listen to podcasts quite often, but I've never subscribed to a feed before, so it was good to figure out how to do that. Most of the ones I've listened to have been news-based, and I've checked out MINITEX podcasts as well. One of the sites I explored were the MPR offerings. I love Grammar Grater--this one I'm sure I'll never miss!

I didn't have very good luck with other podcasts, though. The first thing I looked for was a Minnesota Twins podcast. I found one, listened to it, and found out it was this guy's final offering--sigh... Then I checked out Podcast.com and searched for "library." I located University of Oklahome podcasts, and I was excited to "see" what they had posted. Again--no luck. Nothing loaded or connected. Might there be security issues??

Then I looked at Podcast Alley. I liked the way the site looked, but I didn't find anything right off the bat that was work-related. Podcast.net also presented well. Although I didn't find any work-related files quickly, this sight also looked like I could spend a lot of time here checking out lots of interesting things. The final site, Educational Podcast Directory, was also a little disappointing at first glance, but I'll admit I didn't spend much time trying it out.

I probably won't do any podcasting myself, but I'm glad I figured out how to subscribe to them so I can listen to them at my convenience. And who knows--maybe there will be another Minnesota Twins podcast sometime this summer! GO TWINS!

Thing 18: YouTube and other Online Video Sites

I love YouTube! And I can wile away a great many minutes just searching for interesting videos--on any number of topics. Lately I've been missing having pets around, so I looked at some kittens. They are sooo cute! I could just take this one home with me!



Erika choose a YouTube video to use with our First Year Students last year. Most of them knew YouTube and were comfortable with it, so it was a great way to introduce some of the concepts of Web 2.0 and information literacy. It would be fun to produce a video of our own to focus on things in our library, but it would take a lot of time and require acquiring some skills I do NOT now possess! It might be kind of fun to sponsor a "promote the library with video" contest just to see what our users would come up with.

As for exploring other sites, that is a new Thing. I tried a search for "library" in YouTube, Google video, and Yahoo Video. I got about the same thing in YouTube and Google, but I was really disappointed in what floated to the top in Yahoo. Yuck! I'm always amazed, when I find articles like the Top Ten Sites for [whatever], how many sites there are already devoted to things other than the big ones everybody knows about.

Thing 17: ELM Productivity Tools

First of all, the legislature and all the entities involved in bring ELM to the people of Minnesota deserve a round of applause. This is a great use of tax dollars and exempliflies Minnesota's commitment to education and access to information for all it's citizens.

I probably use the ELM databases almost every day, even though I don't work at the Reference Desk very often. Even so, I wasn't familiar at all with the audio files the Student Edition contains. I've also set up search alerts in ASP, and I often email articles to myself and to students with whom I work.

I'm not sure why I would use the page creator. I already use Front Page to create web pages for the classes I work with. It is good to have the option available, but I don't see it as a viable tool for me personally. I also wonder how much work would be lost if these suite of databases were not chosen next time their is an RFP for ELM.

A word about netLibrary. I got an MP3 player not long ago, and I'm enjoying listening to the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency mysteries that I download from netLibrary. What a great service!

Thing 16: Student 2.0 Tools

I looked at the Assignment Calculator several years ago, so it was good to review it now. Both of these tools are good in that they break research down into doable steps. If a students stays on task, s/he will avoid the last-minute basket cases we sometimes see at our Reference Desks. I do think, however, that it would take a very organized and focused student to use these tools on their own. It seems to me the calculators would work best when used with the instructor--the person from whom students are most likely to accept guidance. We as librarians can work with classroom teachers to incorporate these steps into assignments, perhaps introducing the teachers to the tools and encouraging them to use them with the students. For this reason, I was happy to see lots of resources for instructors included.

I looked at the teacher materials, and I saw useful ideas. Many of these we already use when we work with classes. I think it is helpful that they are available in Word format, so they can (presumably) be adapted for whatever lesson one might be teaching. One comment on the student materials--I think there was way too much text. I just can't see students reading through all that information on their own.

I'm wondering why the phrase "research paper" wasn't used instead of essay. I did like that the tool offered several options for a final project.

But these quibbles aside, anything that encourages students to organize their research and follow the steps suggested in these tools is, as Martha would say, a good Thing!

Thing 15: Online Gaming in Libraries

Thing 15 has established one thing beyond any reasonable doubt--I am terrible at gaming! In second life, all of a sudden I was flying, and I can't believe how long it took me to get back on "land!" Puzzle pirates wasn't much better, but that looks like a lot more fun. I just have trouble keeping things straight--and I thought I was pretty good at multi-tasking! Although it was interesting to see these environments, I'm really not interested in pursuing this Thing on my own.

Research tells us that gaming is where our Gen Next people are, though, and libraries need to be in this venue, just like we need to be in MySpace and Facebook if we want to take libraries to our users. Librarians at our institution who are involved with the first year program have explored this environment, although I'm not sure if they have firm plans to create something or not.

Thing 13: Ooops--I skipped one!

I've spent several days experimenting with online productivity tools. I tried a MyYahoo start page several years ago, but I never really stayed with it. I revisited that page, and it's a lot more user friendly now. I added lots of things I'm interested in--news, weather, mail, a calendar, and a to-do list. It still needs some work--I'm not entirely comfortable with it.

Then I tried iGoogle, adding the same kinds of applications. I routinely use the Outlook calendar, and I take a paper planner when I'm away from my computer. Right now I don't see myself switching to one of these operations, but if I did, it would probably be the Google application. I've never gotten used to using online to do lists--just the kind I scribble on old catalog cards! Using an online list would probably make me more efficient, and I intend to convert this summer when things move at a slightly less chaotic pace in our library. I will also try to get used to a different start page--although right now I don't really see any advantage for what I do.

I've been using CutePDF for years now. It's a wonderful tool, and I've shown it to many people over the years. I was interested in the PDFconverter tool. It's nice to have something that goes the other way. It reminds me to be vigilant, though, knowing that PDFs can also be edited if they are converted, then turned back into PDFs. We tried it on several files, and it works great.

Zamzar also is intriguing, although I haven't tried it. There are always those frustrating moments when, for reasons unknown to me, a file refuses to open.

Thing 14: Library Thing

Library Thing seems to be easy to use--really intuitive. I can imagine several uses in the library, but I just can't see using this tool for my personal books. A colleague and I were considering the possibility of using Library Thing as a way to let somebody else know what titles we might have for sale. We haven't really explored the implications of that yet.

Even though I'm a cataloger at work, I don't have much interest in cataloging my home library. For one thing, I don't own that many books--I check many of them out from libraries. I also buy quite a few used books and resell them or donate them. I know I'd never keep up with the turnover on Library Thing.

A major disappointment was not being able to add DVDs and sound recordings to my library. If the tool does accomodate formats other than books, I couldn't figure out how to do it.

Here's the link to my library on Library Thing--by no means a complete list!

While I don't see myself using Library Thing for personal use, I do use Books iRead, a Facebook application. I like its "Want to Read" feature. Whenever I run across a title I'd like to read someday--usually when I'm reading reviews--I can quickly add it to my list. It's also easy to change its status after I've read it.

Thing 12, Part 2.

What can I say about StumbleUpon? This is really fun! But, boy, could this use up time...

Another thing--it seems like many of these sites have a "download the xxx toolbar" option. There is only so much real estate on my screen. I can't possibly have all these toolbars displayed and still have much space left in which to work. I need to make careful decisions about what is most conducive to productivity and convenience--for me.

Thing 12: Social Media News Sites

I've loved online news sites for a long time. I get most of my news--local, state, national and international--online. I have RSS feeds set up for some of these. I also share stories I think others might find relevant.

I don't, however, have much interest in sharing my opinions/reactions/insights into news stories with the world in general. I'm also satisfied with the news sources I use on a daily basis. Sometimes there are sites devoted to a special issue, such as politics, that collect stories from a variety of sources and make them available to others. One that I'm using now is realclearpolitics.com. It's one place I can see up-to-date polling data from a variety of organizations collected in one spot.

I think I might use some of these sites if I were at a public desk and had to be "up" on what was happening almost before it happened. But in my current situation, I think I'd spend even more time I didn't have on news if I tried to become familiar with all of these sites. Some of them didn't even seem very inviting. If I had to choose one, I guess it would have to be Newsvine--but I just don't see it happening.

This is really the first "thing" that doesn't have much appeal for me, either personally or professionally. IBut I know they exist now!

Thing 11: Tagging and del.icio.us

Social bookmarking is intriguing--I can see how useful it would be when you're researching. I've encountered the problem of where to put a URL, and it is helpful to add as many tags as needed to a single URL--rather than adding a single URL to a number of different folders. It is also very convenient to have access to your bookmarks from anywhere.

I do use bookmarks, but not very much. There are some sites--less than a dozen--that I use on a regular basis--those are displayed on my links toolbar in IE. As for other sites that I just might use again, I don't bookmark them--I just re-search on Google. I think del.icio.us would be more relevant to me personally if I used more bookmarks. When I created my del.icio.us account, I found I had a very short list, and very few of them had been used by very many others. Does that mean I'm not using the best sites? Many of the sites I use most often I don't bookmark--I just type in the address. Probably inefficient....

I think I've been a cataloger for too long--I'm really hung up on using controlled vocabulary. I have an initial, negative, gut reaction to anybody applying any terms they choose to a site. The same goes for applying tags that reflect only a small portion of the site. The Educause article mentioned some of these problems. I experenced the latter situation personally when I was tagging pictures on Flickr. I had some pictures of a group of guys who were pheasant hunting. I tagged only "hunting" since this is how I thought of them. I didn't make any attempt to be thorough--just because that would have taken longer, and I was only doing it for myself. I suspect the same thing happens to other people, too.

I have to admit, though, that critica mass would take care of that problem. If enough people use a site and tag it, it will eventually be adequately described. I just wonder what the critical mass might be. I just ran across an article on the subject of tagging in library catalogs--I'll have to track it down.

I also have to admit that Library of Congress subject headings, although controlled, sometimes have almost no relation to how people really talk. Even as I cataloger, I sometimes have to ask how on earth they came up with THAT language!
I know that social bookmarking sites are extremely popular. I need to be intentional in using them.

Thing 10: Wikis

I've been familiar with wikis for some time, but I've never edited one before I added a comment to the "23 tihngs" wiki.

Wikis are wonderful tools for collaborative work. The video pointed out how cumbersome email can be in certain situations. But I wonder if I'm the only one who find wikis somewhat cumbersome. For example, the 23 things wiki seemed to be pretty slow--almost unresponsive at times. When I've looked at a couple of others (not for this project) they also seemed slow. I don't think wikis are always the best choice!

The idea of a collective knowledge base is appealing. Also the idea that wikis are self-organizing and self-policing. Procuedure manuals seem like a great application--we all know how quickly procedures evolve. And the people who deal with the application of procedures should be able to add comments that others may find useful or that might clarify confusing situations. Perhaps I'm a sceptic, but I think they would need careful monitoring--first to be sure I kept up with changes, and second, to ascertain that the entries were accurate. One of the entries for this Thing discussed how wikis can be edited by opposing sides of an issue to promote a particular bias. Most of these uses would seem to be fairly obvious. Yet recently I read an article that discussed how some of the edits in Wikipedia articles are more subtle, that seemingly minor edits can substantially change the tone and slant of the entry. I guess that could be true--as we listen to the presidential campaigners, we can't help but notice how powerful a single word can be! It would be interesting to trace the edits of some entries on controversial topics.

I don't think our library catalog has any potential for adding user content, which is too bad. I think this is something our users would embrace. I know I like this aspect of Amazon.com! I think it would be fun to create wikis as public spaces for discussions of interest to communities--books, speakers, issues, events....

Collaboration, Pt. 2

I wasn't able to edit the Declaration of Independence--denied permission. I sent the email, so maybe later I can help out Thomas Jefferson. I went ahead and created an account.

Just today I met with Tri-College colleagues, and we are going to use Google Docs to create/edit our upcoming workshop session. I haven't used this tool before, but I'm looking forward to having a real project to work on collaboratively. More on comparing the Google and Zoho tools later...

Thing 9: Collaboration

I'm beginning with Zoho. The idea sounds good--I'm just not sure how easy many people are going to find it to get used to new tools. I like the idea of being able to collaborate online without the constraints of personal software. I'm just not sure how it will work. I'vde tried to import a word document and a spreadsheet, and neither worked (that I could see). I created a document and tried to insert a picture, but that didn't work either (that I could see). Like any software, I don't expect to be a competent user after just a few minutes, but right now I don't see any reason to pursue this.

I do think these tools might work well for people who don't have personal computers. Do libraries teach these tools to users? I'm going to watch for classes in my town.

I did try to create a small test spreadsheet. I thought I could post a link to it in my blog, but instead I inserted the worksheet itselft--not even the printable, formatted view. I'm sure there must be a way to do it, but it wasn't readily apparent to me. It's becoming obvious to me that I need to know more about html to deal with all these images in my blog. Maybe I need to know more about html in general. I know the ILS forms require a greater knowledge than I have.

Thing 8: Share your....

Some sharing tools are more user-friendly than others--at least to this user. So far every site I've played with has been easy to navigate and the results have been satisfying. Not so with PictureTrail. It seemed circuitous--I think I uploaded some images more than 3 times. I hope I finally got enough of them saved to create something worth saving.

Thing 7: Web 2.0 Communication Tools

1. E-mail. I've been using e-mail since the mid-1990s. I graduated from ESU's distance ed. program in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1994. It would have been so helpful to have used email then. I know at one point I was working with a group of 4 other students--all of us from a different state! And no e-mail. We used snail-mail to send our project back and forth! If these tools existed back then, none of us knew about them.

I did read the productivity article. I do use short answers, and I like email to send information to more than one person at a time. I confess I like to get real time notification of incoming messages. I don't spend a lot of time with them, and usually I don't read them right away, but since we use it within the library for communicating among ourselves, I like to see things when they are sent out. I know I could be a bit more productive by only checking at intervals, but...

One of my pet peeves is people who do not use correct spelling, capitalization and punctuation in e-mail. It seems like a common courtesy, and can it really take THAT much time??

2. IM. We use IM at the reference desk as one way to "Ask a Librarian." It takes a little getting-used-to, but I like it. I had to get comfortable asking someone to wait while I checked on something. The use of the service is increasing, I think. I also use IM for personal use. It's fun to send a quick message when I see a buddy is online.

You lose some communication cues, like gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language, when you use some of these Web 2.0 tools. I've used video chat, with Yahoo Messenger and Windows Live Messenger, for personal use, and I think these would work well for Reference service, too. Laptops have built-in cameras now, and wireless access is often available in our libraries. How great would this be for our distance ed. programs! As far as video chat for personal use, it was great to actually see those first halting steps my grandson took and to see that bloody little tooth clutched in those five-year-old fingers rather than just hearing about them. In those cases, a picture was worth much more than a thousand words!

3. I don't use text messaging personally, although my plan includes the service. I'd still have to pay for every message. There are access issues here, though. My husband loves text messaging because his hearing loss precludes easy and comfortable communication using the phone. I was intrigued by the idea of an ILS including texting capabilities. For those of us in academic libraries, that's really reaching students where they're at.

4. Web Conferencing. I've attended many MINITEX webinars, most recently last week to learn about the new features included in Connexion Client 2.1. They are convenient, and it is wonderful not to have to travel so much for training like we did only a few years ago. Much of the training for the ALEPH ILS is also delivered in this manner. My only reservation is that I am sometimes more reluctant to ask questions or make comments than I would be in person. (Do I think I'll look stupider online rather than in person??) I think this is related to the lack of visual cues again.

Many of the training sessions are archived. Could librarians take advantage of this functionality for frequently asked questions? The basics of using popular databases, how to get started with RefWorks, citation styles are topics we answer again and again. It would be convenient sometimes to direct students, or even entire classes, to archived training sessions.

Thing 6: Online Image Generators

This Thing was really fun! Web pages, brochures, bookmarks--really any materials library generate--can look so much more appealing using these tools. And they're easy! I didn't have to spend lots of time learning to manipulate these images before I had what I considered to be some pretty nice images. I'm going to try to upload a couple of them.

Uploading images to my blog and having them positioned where I'd like them to be continues to be a challenge.

Thing 5: More Fun with Flickr

Lots to do here--I only looked at a couple of them. Making puzzles was fun--and easy. Take a look at some of my grandchildren!

I did read about the 10 most intrigueing Flickr applications. I just so impressed with how creative people are--both in creating and using these applications.

I'm thinking about how I might use these tools in the library. They could really jazz up websites! And handouts, brochures, bookmarks, etc. could be a lot more appealing if people were to use these techniques. I'm primarily in technical services, so I see fewer applications on a daily basis. It's important, however, to be familiar with these tools so I will at least recognize opportunities to use them when they present themselves.

Thing 4: Explore Flickr

This is my first experience with Flickr, although I've used a couple of other photo sites. I probably should resize my photos before uploading them, since these are huge files and take quite a while to upload, as well as taking up quite a bit of online space.

This Thing gave me my first experience with tagging. It was fun to search descriptions and tags for photos others uploaded. There are some really great photos out there! I also easily created a couple of sets.

I have a question about tagging. Is it ethical to tag someone in photo without clearing it with them first?

Thing 3

Well, I can see that I could easily get carried away with RSS feeds. I had set up a few a couple of years ago, but I never did go back and read them. Now I feel more confident that I will read this information, and I can see that it will be helpful to collect information in one place rather than remembering to go out and check on numerous sites. I know several sites I monitor on an on again, off again fashion have RSS feed capabilities. This should make my life easier.

One of the problems I have with the Internet is that it could easily take over my life. My husband already says I'm addicted to my computer (although I'm usually playing Scrabulous when he says something!) I think using tools like RSS helps me feel in control of the information I need.

P.S. This Thing was easy, although I couldn't view the video. I'll try again tomorrow.

Thing 2: Library 2.0

Blyberg blog entry
A couple of musings...Blyberg comments that Library 2.0 is partially a response to a post-Google world that "the frantic search to find our niche is only beginning." This suggests that libraries are reactive rather than proactive. It seems to me the challenge is to react more quickly to technological change, being quick to see the possibilities new developments present and positioning ourselves to utilize these developments to our (and thus our users') advantage. Blyberg suggests there will have to be organizational changes to accomplish this. I'd say at least realignment of responsibilities and acquisition of new skill sets. And, with every opening, re-evaluation of position requirements. Blyberg's entry was posted two years ago. Since then there's been a lot of buzz about open source vs. traditional ILS systems. Perhaps the move to open source is one way libraries can provide some of the user driven content the library 2.0 community feels is essential.

Anderson's "Icebergs"
"Just in case" collections, reliance on user education, and the "come to us" model of service pose real challenges to everyone. In our library we've been talking about which aspects of IL are responsibilities of librarians and which are responsibilities of faculty in a discipline. We've taken baby steps in enabling students access information when and where they want. We still buy print materials and warehouse them, but I think every purchase is seriously evaluated. No easy answers, but we need to examine our practices to see if they are indeed "remnants of a bygone information era." I just find it so hard to know for sure. Maybe if I'm wondering, it is indeed out of date?? So how to keep up?

I'm excited about the 23 Things! While some of the topics are things I know something about, all too many of them are unfamiliar. I'm eager to begin learning about all of them, and I'm glad to do so through the structure this program provides. I watched the Stephen Abram clip, and I think making the time to reflect on the Things will be more difficult than actually accomplishing them. I know it will help that several people I work with are also doing the Things.

The avatar adventure

This part of thing one is now done. This is no easy task--what a plethora of possibilities when you create this avatar!

I appreciate the detailed instructions. I think navigating through this experience would have been frustrating without them. This must be how our students feel when we try to tell them how to do something that is second nature to us.

My very first post...

The first part of the first "thing"was painless and (relatively) straight-forward. Now for the avatar...