Old Dog, New Tricks

Thing 23 "THE SUMMARY"

2008-02-21T16:52:00.000-08:00

Wow-o-Wow. So happy to be finished, and so pleased to have had the opportunity to learn these new technologies. Actually, I don't think I would have known what was really going on with the Web, the changes, if I hadn't been lucky enough to do 23 Things. Some I'll use more than others, and some I liked more than others. Naturally. But I'm glad to have had exposure to all of them.

I probably won't remember every detail of what I did. But I'll make up a little cheat sheet to refer to and help others.

Bottom Line: time well spent.

Thing 22

2008-02-21T16:41:00.000-08:00

Love the Overdrive and NetLibrary resource for our patrons. At this time, it is not something I will use. Also, love Project Gutenburg as a resource for our patrons. We have several patrons who are really bright, often searching for things we cannot get or find. I can't wait for them to come in to tell them about PG.

You Tube -- Total Momsense

2008-02-08T18:43:00.000-08:00

This is outrageously great!!

This one too:

Web 2.0

2008-02-08T18:18:00.000-08:00

I am really getting into the 2.0 stuff! I went to the Web 2.0 awards list. Since it's a Friday night I thought I'd check out "Fun Stuff." The current first place winner is Cocktail Builder. You can plug in ingredients you have in your bar -- and up comes a recipe. We have some horrible stuff we carried back from France several years ago, Calvados. I believe it is an apple brandy. They suggest a simple recipe using apple cider. Might be a waste of good cider! Second place is One Sentence--true stories told in one sentence. Now that sounds like a fun combo -- Cocktail Builder AND One Sentence.

I bumped into a fantastic article by Tim O'Reilly that really gives a great summary of "where we've been - where we're headed" regarding the web and communities. Here is the link: http://www.oreilly.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html

Previous Post--Zoho

2008-02-08T17:52:00.001-08:00

The previous post, Untitled, was created on Zoho Writer. I could go back and edit it but I like keeping it as produced -- missing title and all.

There seem to be so many useful tools on the web. They are not difficult to use! It's just a matter of knowing they are out there and working through the steps!!

Untitled

2008-02-08T17:51:00.001-08:00

Well, online word processing is certainly a cool idea. I can create this document at home ... and access it from work, even if I forget my flash drive!!

The Unsuggester

2008-02-08T17:07:00.001-08:00

One fun feature on LibraryThing is the Unsuggester -- it looks at what you've been reading and suggests books you should definately stay away from! It really works! From the small amount of books I've listed on LT it unsuggested Thud, by Terry Pratchett. As fate would have it, that is a science fiction book I am trying to read! I can tell if I could/would read science fiction this is one I would enjoy. But... there are too many characters, doing too many wierd things... I just can't follow the plot. I can see a lot of humor in this author... just wish I could get into the genre.

Point of this: have fun with the Unsuggester on LibraryThing!

23 Things, Items 8-15

2008-02-06T13:31:00.000-08:00

Wow. Big day. This has been a lot of fun.

I have had feeds via google for some time. Looking forward to expanding this resource now.

LOVED the image generator information! I can't wait to play with it at home!! What a hoot.

LibraryThing is going to be a useful tool. I already keep track of what I read. But I can tell my reading was going to outpace my notekeeping. Plus the addition of the cover of the book is a strong attraction for me.

Rollyo has limited appeal for me at this time. It's a useful tool to know about -- and maybe at some point in the future if I am doing research on a particular topic or project I can return to it.

Del.icio.us and tagging have some appeal for me -- I'll have to see how useful it actually is as time goes on.

Technorati also seems a bit, well, techy and not necessary for me at this time. But I'm glad to know about it and will probably return to it in the future to see if time and my changing needs have made it more relevant.

I very much enjoyed the articles on Web 2.0 and Library 2.0. Rick Anderson's article, "Away From the Icebergs" was particularly intriguing. He outlined three icebergs, the "just in case" collection, reliance on user education and the "come to us" model of library service. I found this all to be significant to our changing roles. I refer to the changing roles of both librarians and our buildings.

Image Generator - FUN, FUN, FUN

2008-02-06T08:42:00.000-08:00

I've got to remember this blogspot: http://generatorblog.blogspot.com/. The owner lists dozens of image generators. What a hoot. Everything from a funny alphabet soup generator to a program that gives you a "Blues Name" from you own name. Fun, Fun, Fun!

LATI Milestone

2008-02-06T06:20:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I completed a milestone in LATI -- I finished the review of 35 resources. WOW. My colleague told me no dancing on the desktop -- so I'll be dancing in the street. I feel a tremendous weight off my shoulders. Today I hope to complete 23 Things. If computers/technologies cooperate it should be doable.

Books on Tape

2008-01-10T12:21:00.000-08:00

Books on Tape

I have listened to several books on tape during the last few months. Here are some thoughts and reviews in the order I listened to the books:

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – I could not finish the book when it came out years ago. (Please, have mercy, don’t stone me.) I simply can’t/don’t/won’t read fantasy. However, I fell head-over-heels, madly-in-love with Hogwarts and the whole lot of characters on tape. The professional reader is magical himself.

2. Blink by Malcolm Gladwell and read by the author. Part of this book is on our local IB highschoolers reading list. A book about what I know as our sixth sense. Malcolm refers to this as a book about how we think about thinking. An overall positive experience to listen to this book on tape. I have a hard time staying awake to read non-fiction. On the downside I had to order a hard copy of the book anyway to look up some of the information he referred to.

3. Mad Dash by Patricia Gaffney. A perfect book on tape for me to listen to. A book I felt I “should” read to keep up w/ the patrons, but one I would normally have no interest in.

4. Power of Three by Laura Lippmann. Another book I felt I “should” read. Laura often places her setting in the Baltimore area. A good mystery, a bit gruesome for me, and a bit too close to home since I have three teenagers. But I will listen to another of her books eventually.

5. Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver. Her writing is balm for my soul. A character is looking out a window she has looked out of for a life time. Barbara writes, “she saw first with her memory and then with her eyes.” And later, “her mouth hung open, as if the words were caught between her mind and the world around her.” I was driving to work early yesterday morning when I “heard” this. The sky was magnificent. I had to quickly turn off the tape so I could absorb the words. If I had been actually reading this book, there were many times I could have paused, just to let the words soak in, and re-read paragraphs just for the pleasure of it. Barbara herself read this book on tape. At first I didn’t think I would enjoy so much of her voice. She is not a professional reader, I guess. But the beauty of this book won me over and I couldn’t stop listening to it.

Conclusions:

The reader makes all the difference.
A good use of commuting time.
A good opportunity to broaden my horizons.
Save the jewels, like Kingsolver, for print versions.

E-Books

2008-01-10T11:47:00.000-08:00

E-books

I tried an ebook at home about four months ago. I wanted to know what the patrons experienced on their end. I, personally, did not enjoy the experience. I can’t remember what I downloaded through the AACPL website. But I do remember this: It was an easy process. I felt tethered to my computer. My computer does not have a “bookmark” so I had to fast forward to where I thought I was supposed to be. Overall I did not enjoy this and will not do it again unless some circumstance requires it.

Amazon's Kindle

2008-01-10T11:35:00.000-08:00

So what do you think of Amazon’s Kindle? The cover article of the 11/26/07 Newsweek did a lengthy article on it. I was impressed – not all positively, not all negatively.

The Kindle is not just a book reader. It can subscribe to newspapers, blogs, search w/in a book, highlight and capture passages and has many more tricks. But will it be like my cell phone – w/ many bells and whistles I neither need nor want? The Kindle is wireless but not dependent on Wifi.

[The article used a new term for me – ludic reading, a trance-like state that heavy readers enter when consuming books for pleasure.]

Bill Hill, Microsoft’s point person on e-reading, claims we already use the internet as a reader and that 20% of the time we are browsing on it and 80% of the time we are reading on it.

I wonder how always being connected would affect my reading personally. Will I be able to get down the “rabbit hole of absorption” if the cyber diversions are just a finger twitch away?

For the next generation who does everything on a screen this Kindle may fit them perfectly.

Advertising is not yet a part of Kindle but may become so to make this industry profitable.

Kindle has the potential to allow the community to become a part of the writing process much like Flickr, YouTube, ebay or wikipedia.

I like being able to share books – remember parts – with friends and family. A drawback for Kindle is that you cannot share it in that way. I like browsing my own bookshelves to remember my book friends. Sometimes I remember the person who gave me or recommended a particular book. Or I remember where I read it. Or I remember why I read a particular book – what chapter of my life I was in. Somehow I don’t think staring at an electronic box will ever evoke those emotions or memories for me.

Happy New Year

2008-01-02T08:27:00.000-08:00

Ann Lamott is one of my favorite authors. As we move in to the New Year I thought you might like to read her uplifting words about how we spend the greater part of our days. Enjoy, Mindy

Here’s what she says about libraries in her book Plan B: Further Thoughts On Faith:
I am going to walk to the library, because my church is too far away to go to on foot…In a library, you can find, small miracles and truth, and you might find something that will make you laugh so hard that you will get shushed, in the friendliest way. I have found sanctuary in libraries my whole life, and there is sanctuary there now, from the war, from the storms of our families and our own minds. Libraries are like mountains or meadows or creeks: sacred space. So this afternoon, I’ll walk to the library.

And here is what she says about librarians in Grace Eventually: Thoughts on Faith:
We were there [Ann and fellow authors were at a library] to celebrate some of the rare intelligence capabilities that our country can actually be proud of – those of librarians. I see them as healers and magicians. Librarians can tease out of inarticulate individuals enough information about what they are after to lead them on the path of connection. They are trail guides through the forest of shelves and aisles—you turn a person loose who has limited skills, and he’ll be walloped by the branches. But librarians match up readers with the right books: “Hey, is this one too complicated? Then why don’t you give this one a try?”

Most people walk... all women carry burdens...

2007-11-28T11:53:00.001-08:00

Most people walk... all women carry burdens..., originally uploaded by Laura Grace.

Besides the baby on her back, she is holding the hand of another child, and carrying a huge amount of bundles, etc. She is probably walking for miles.

Children Pray in Malawi

2007-11-28T11:49:00.001-08:00

Praying, originally uploaded by katester.

They have nothing and share everything.

23 Things

2007-11-28T07:25:00.000-08:00

23 Things. Week Two. Done. Rollin' . Next.

23 Things, Take 2

2007-11-28T07:20:00.000-08:00

Well, I'm starting over on 23 Things today. Too much time has elapsed. My branch did not schedule LATI time for several weeks, holidays, etc. Hopefully, that is remedied now and I can get some consistent LATI work done.

23 Things, 9 weeks.

Week One complete. Next.

Life Outside LATI

2007-11-13T07:58:00.000-08:00

I've had a few great personal weeks. I went to Pittsburgh last weekend for a conference on Malawi. It was so excellent. There were three folks from Malawi there, a dozen Malawians now living in the U.S., 10 long term volunteers to Malawi (including Dr. Sue Makin--who has celebrity status with this group) and about 40 other folks from across the U.S. who are keenly interested in the politics, culture and future of Malawi. It was a learning 4 days full of workshops, singing, worship and conversation.

FYI-Malawi is a land locked country in SE Africa. Over 10% of the population are orphans due to AIDS and Malaria. Malawi is to that hemishere what Haiti is to us. They face a long list of hardships. They are a lovely, spiritual people. Economically poor and rich in love and relationships.

Different subject:

Saturday was my birthday and also my husband's birthday. Yes, we are exactly the same age within minutes of each other. (My daughter, at age 6, was amazed to find out that her best friend's parents were NOT born on the same day.) Friends came for dinner on Friday. Our teenage son made dinner on Saturday, college son called home, and daughter played a card game with me and we generally were lazy and hung out on a rainy day. Church and work on Sunday.

Life is good.

Mediocrity Is Highly Underrated

2007-10-24T11:11:00.000-07:00

This quote is from a cartoon I saw years ago when my children were little. The graphic is a mother and grandmother having tea in the kitchen while the children are playing outside.

Life doesn't always have to be in Big Bang mode to be good.

And so it is in LibraryLand. I like to look up from the Info desk sometimes and take in my surroundings. How nice it is to see patrons enjoying themselves. Patrons at the stacks scanning a book or looking over shelves, people at computers that are working properly, people working diligently at tables, maybe someone in the magazine section, families in the J area, and neighbors greeting one another.

We don't have to be conducting "over the top" programming to be servicing the community. Don't misunderstand, I love the programs, too--but simple contentment for the everyday rhythm of the library is a good thing as well.

Getting the Hang of Things

2007-10-18T14:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I've had to admit defeat in my goal to print less (not just in LATI but always). I find the material to be confusing enough that I have to have a hard copy to organize my work flow. Also, I printed a 6 month blank calendar to keep in the front of my binder. Whenever I see a date (or deadline) I mark it on there. So I don't have to have to worry if I am missing something and I don't have to retrace my steps to find something I have a vague recollection of.

A Better Day

2007-10-09T10:44:00.000-07:00

Feeling a bit more pulled together today. Able to proceed in an orderly fashion. Hope to backtrack a few steps to really try to understand some of the work I've been zooming through.

7.5 Habits of Lifelong Learners

2007-10-06T08:27:00.000-07:00

Great summary and very motivating.

The easiest habit for me is number one: Begin with the end in mind. That's in sync w/ some of my personal living philosophies.

The toughest habit for me is number 7.5: Play. See above--I tend to get focussed on the end of the journey and forget to enjoy the trip. Will have to work harder at playing ... hmm, is that an oxymoron?

Technology Trip Ups

2007-10-06T08:23:00.000-07:00

The learning curve has been steep. Lots of technology oops. Our computer lab at headquarters spent about an hour today cleaning some old "stuff" off the computer I'm using and installing necessary and updated programs. Lots of other tech bumps along the way.

Next week will be frustrating too as I will probably be moved to a different computer. We'll see.

Perhaps the glitches are all behind me and I can really dig in and gain some momentum on LATI. Feeling left back at the gate and playing catch up.

First Date

2007-10-04T11:49:00.001-07:00

Looking forward to getting to know you.