Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Week 8 Post 2 1/2 Google Docs
Tried Google docs and didn't like it nearly as much as Zoho. Looked almost like MS Word. Also, I tried and tried to post my doc here and never could get it loaded. With Zoho it was a snap. The great thing about several of the new tools we've tried is that you can store your stuff (spreadsheets, photos etc) off your computer which saves space and allows you to access your things from any computer anywhere. And your friends can see it too if you choose. They really make sharing and editing work so much easier and faster.
Week 8 Post 2 Zoho
Welcome to My First Zoho Writer Document
I had no idea something like Zoho existed. What a great thing for people who don't have a computer at home. Also, since MS Vista doesn't seem to recognize it's older siblings, these types of tools would help solve that problem. 
This program seems to have many more features than Microsoft Word, such as HTML, smilies, etc. 
Monday, October 29, 2007
Week 8 Post 1 Social Networking
I love myspace! I have a page and enjoy keeping up will all my friends who are artists and musicians. I have several library sites as "friends" including ALA, Banned Books and Ask a Librarian. Many of my favorite authors also have myspace pages and it's fun to keep up with their book signings and progress on new novels. Plus, I have discovered many new writers and musicians because they "find" me and ask to be my friend. I've also been invited by people I wouldn't want to be associated with and it's easy to deny them. I have a blog on myspace and there are actually 7 people who have subscribed to my blog. http://www.myspace.com/pattijanel
I checked out several of the other social networking sites. I read that Yahoo 360 is undergoing some changes and there's lots of buzz about that on their site. I had no idea there was a networking site for cats! I'll have to create a page for Bandit cause I know he'd like lots of new friends! I've browsed Rate My Space on HGTV before. I didn't really think of it as a social networking site.
Ning was interesting. There were groups for firefighters, high school and college alumni groups and people with various diseases. Looks like anyone can start a group and have their own pages and members.
I checked out several of the other social networking sites. I read that Yahoo 360 is undergoing some changes and there's lots of buzz about that on their site. I had no idea there was a networking site for cats! I'll have to create a page for Bandit cause I know he'd like lots of new friends! I've browsed Rate My Space on HGTV before. I didn't really think of it as a social networking site.
Ning was interesting. There were groups for firefighters, high school and college alumni groups and people with various diseases. Looks like anyone can start a group and have their own pages and members.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Week 7 Post 2 Technology
I posted a comment on Native Reader's blog. Could be fun to randomly go around and comment on different avatars, libraries etc. Everyone has been very creative.
What amazes me about all the tools and technology is that it's FREE! I spend a lot of time on the net at home and most of the things we've discovered through IHCPL are totally new to me. So much for me being any kind of net savvy expert! Because I'm an avid photographer, I am tickled pink to find all the free photo editors and especially the extras at flickr. I have a lot of old photos of grandparents, great grandparents that I've scanned and stored on a flash drive. Now I have the tools available to restore, enhance, enlarge, embellish and share those pictures with the rest of the family. I can also do a lot more with the pictures I take. And one thing that's great for someone like me, many sites take the fear and worry out of having to know html codes because they do it all for you with the click of a mouse! Amazing! And it's FREE!
What amazes me about all the tools and technology is that it's FREE! I spend a lot of time on the net at home and most of the things we've discovered through IHCPL are totally new to me. So much for me being any kind of net savvy expert! Because I'm an avid photographer, I am tickled pink to find all the free photo editors and especially the extras at flickr. I have a lot of old photos of grandparents, great grandparents that I've scanned and stored on a flash drive. Now I have the tools available to restore, enhance, enlarge, embellish and share those pictures with the rest of the family. I can also do a lot more with the pictures I take. And one thing that's great for someone like me, many sites take the fear and worry out of having to know html codes because they do it all for you with the click of a mouse! Amazing! And it's FREE!
Week 7 Post 1 Wikis
I've had fun looking around at various wikis. I added my blog to the list and then I added a favorite book, movie and music. I came across an article in USA Today today that brings home the power of wikis. Seems a tv show could have been canceled after a couple of episodes this season but the network is now looking at more than viewers at air time. People are watching tv differently since they can dvr shows or watch full episodes online. Network brass are also monitoring blogs and wikis that talk about a show to gage how much buzz there is or how people feel about it. Can you imagine saving your favorite show by starting a wiki ?
The only real problem I see with wikis is that there is no "authority" control and some things like wikipedia have to be carefully monitored. But the good thing is, if there is an error, someone can come along and correct it and the editing shows.
And, having something like the Marketing and Programming wiki available through Harriet allows us to keep up with print and sign requests and to follow the status. That is a good thing!
The only real problem I see with wikis is that there is no "authority" control and some things like wikipedia have to be carefully monitored. But the good thing is, if there is an error, someone can come along and correct it and the editing shows.
And, having something like the Marketing and Programming wiki available through Harriet allows us to keep up with print and sign requests and to follow the status. That is a good thing!
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Week 6 Post 3 Library 2.0
That was a lot of interesting reading! I try to think of myself as a progressive person, somebody who is willing and able to change mindsets and adapt to new thinking. However, as I read through the topics, I couldn't help but recall the prediction of 15 years ago that computers would make libraries obsolete. While I whole heartedly agree that we should provide our customers with the latest best techology, downloadable books for example, I do not think we are yet at the point where brick and mortar buildings filled with books are going to disappear.
Anderson is at a university library and I can understand how college students will rely more heavily on databases and online services than the general public. A decrease in book circulation of 55% at a university does not translate to a public library. A university does not house large fiction collections, foreign language collections, books on cd or books for children. These items aren't available online and I see the circulation of these mateials rising rather than falling. Also, until the schools stop limiting the number of internet resources a student can use for a report, we will still have to keep a large number of nonfiction books for them to use. And it really doesn't matter how much we offer in terms of data bases if we don't have twice as many computers to allow more access. And judging by the use of our computers, the notion that everyone is connected at home is foolish.
"Come to us", now that's an interesting topic. Seems to me we go out of our way to get people to "come to us." We have programs for kids, teens and adults. We celebrate Hispanic Heritage, Poetry Month and have a huge summer reading program. We want the community to know that we're not just about books or computers but that you can learn to scrapbook, start a business, build a robot or write a book. I think that library 2.0 disounts all the things a public library can be and should be to a community. While we have a great ebranch with all our resources available from home or office, the public still wants libraries open more hours and they want more staff to help them. In our neighborhood there are hundreds of new homes under construction. The builder told me that one of the "perks" they are using as a selling point is the library.
While I think we are and should be planning for future technologies, I don't think we should cancel the book budget just yet! And just a little blast from the past. The local community college went to CDROMs back in the 90's when those were the hot new thing. They didn't buy books for four or five years. Then CDROMs became the new dinosaurs and the school was stuck with a book collection that was out of date and they have never been able to catch up.
Anderson is at a university library and I can understand how college students will rely more heavily on databases and online services than the general public. A decrease in book circulation of 55% at a university does not translate to a public library. A university does not house large fiction collections, foreign language collections, books on cd or books for children. These items aren't available online and I see the circulation of these mateials rising rather than falling. Also, until the schools stop limiting the number of internet resources a student can use for a report, we will still have to keep a large number of nonfiction books for them to use. And it really doesn't matter how much we offer in terms of data bases if we don't have twice as many computers to allow more access. And judging by the use of our computers, the notion that everyone is connected at home is foolish.
"Come to us", now that's an interesting topic. Seems to me we go out of our way to get people to "come to us." We have programs for kids, teens and adults. We celebrate Hispanic Heritage, Poetry Month and have a huge summer reading program. We want the community to know that we're not just about books or computers but that you can learn to scrapbook, start a business, build a robot or write a book. I think that library 2.0 disounts all the things a public library can be and should be to a community. While we have a great ebranch with all our resources available from home or office, the public still wants libraries open more hours and they want more staff to help them. In our neighborhood there are hundreds of new homes under construction. The builder told me that one of the "perks" they are using as a selling point is the library.
While I think we are and should be planning for future technologies, I don't think we should cancel the book budget just yet! And just a little blast from the past. The local community college went to CDROMs back in the 90's when those were the hot new thing. They didn't buy books for four or five years. Then CDROMs became the new dinosaurs and the school was stuck with a book collection that was out of date and they have never been able to catch up.
Week 6 Post 2 Technorati
I liked the reference to Technorati as the "World Live Web." It certainly does keep track of what's being said in real time. An interesting tracking module is how many times a topic, 'learning 2.0" for example, is blogged per day. While searching around, I found a couple of interesting blogs that sent me out looking for further information. In the WTF section, the top blog was about a free audio website for material in the public domain. So, I just had to go check out librivox.org. Then I found a blog on delicious library 2.0, a product for Macs. It's a program that allows you to scan the upc code from books, audios, dvds and the item appears on the shelf in your virtual library. Looked really fun but I don't have a Mac......plus you can do books for free at Library Thing. I always wondered how I could find blogs about topics I might want to learn about or get other people's opinions on, now I know where to go.
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