Thing # 22 Trading Card

Flickr sure is fun! I used this site to make the trading card. There are also many other cool things you can do through this site and having a flickr account makes it that much easier. I can seamlessly grab a photo from flickr, change it up using the various tools and then upload it right back into flickr. Done!

Thing # 21 Flickr and Tags

Tags are essential in allowing browsers (humans) to find your creative content. In flickr tags are especially important because images are the content and search engines require words to do their job. A picture without a tag is very difficult to find and with the millions and millions of photos on flickr and the internat your tagless photo will not be found. Which is one of the reasons I do not tag many of my photos. I am not interested in the casual stranger looking at my pictures. They certainly can if they would like but without a tag they will have a hard time even coming across them. I however am not hindered from sharing the photos with family and friends which is the main purpose of my account.

Of course if I was interested in the community aspect of flickr I would tag with abandon, letting any word that came to mind become a searchable word for my photo. On my personal blog I frequently use tags to attract the wandering internet surfer. Not that I get many on the line but at least the hook is baited.

Thing #20 Flickr

I've been using flickr for some time now as a place to display and share my photography. The picture above is the front of the Francis Land House taken this fall. If you click on the image you will be taken to my flickr account.

What more can be said? I find flickr to be very convenient and easy to use. I have often searched for photos with Creative Commons permissions to use in class presentations. Additionally I have put a license on my photos that allows use as long as I am attributed and the photo is not used for commercial purposes. I know this is kind of like the honor system but I'm willing to give folks the benefit of my doubts.

Thing #19 Netvibes

For my Web 2.0 Awards selection I am revisiting Netvibes a service that allows you to have all of your web "stuff" in one place. Right now I use iGoogle because of the convenience of having Google Reader and Gmail all in the same place. Right now I'm investigating whether it is worth it to move all of my activity to Netvibes and if my life will be any easier. So far I can't tell. I can't find out how to integrate Google Reader into Netvibes which would automatically keep me away since all of my RSS Feeds are there. I do not want to even consider moving all of that stuff.

The nice thing about Netvibes or Google Reader is that the web becomes a friendlier place where I can have a homepage that has enough content and features to keep me on the page. Less mouse clicks and keystrokes and the same amount of information makes me happy. And staves off the inevitable wrist pains that come with so much computer time. I look forward to the day when I can get the information I need off of the internet using voice commands. Surely that day cannot be too far away?

Thing #18 Technorati, tags and blogs oh my!

Technorati is blog heaven. If there is something going on then surely someone somewhere is talking about it. Or rather blogging. I skimmed the top tag searches in Technorati and most were about a French swimmer whose nude photos have surfaced on the internet. Brittany Spears also made the list which leads me to believe that some serious research is being done via this site.

For one with tons of time on their hands and a penchant for random browsing Technorat is the site for you. As an up and coming blogger you can learn about the top blogs and see if you have the stuff to make your way up the ladder of blogdom.

I claimed my blog which means that Technorati has some information about me and my blog is a recognized member of the blogging site. My authority is a lowly 4 and blog rank is 1,644,723. These numbers do not depress me rather inspire me to write, write, write!!

VBPLL2

Thing #17 Deliciously easy

I'm a huge fan of Delicious! Primarily I use this site so that I can bookmark from anywhere and keep my bookmarks all in one place. Adding the tag and delicious buttons to your browser makes it that much easier to save an address for later use. I am finding that tags are absolutely essential in keeping all of the bookmarks well organized and fit for recall. I now put as many tags as I can think of in case I forget where I might have put a site.

Libraries can also benefit greatly from this service. Internally staff could create an easily shared list of websites that provide information about a particular subject. Creating a tag cloud and embedding it into our library website would be a fantastic service to offer patrons interested in browsing a topic of study. Check out San Mateo Public Library's deweyfied version of delicious. I think that we could do this!

I've added a delicious link on my sidebar if you'd like to check out my most recently saved websites. I've never explored the wonderful world of social bookmarking but I am willing to give it a try if you want to add me to your network.

Thing #16 MySpace...how about Facebook?

I know. I am supposed to create a MySpace profile or even a page to complete this thing. I just don't want to. I've seen plenty of MySpace pages and I've done the behind-the-scenes for another more-engaging social networker Facebook. So let's talk FB, shall we?

One remarkable difference between the two online networkers is that in FB practically everybody uses there whole name. MySpace profiles are many times pseudonymous. FB has a sleek look where MySpace gives users the flexibility to impose backgrounds that bring on motion sickness and at the very least irritate.

Privacy will always be an issue in the online sphere and FB is no different. Friends can look at whatever you decide to put on your page. A good rule to follow: if you don't want people to know do not put it online. You may think it funny to post on your FB wall that you are wasted yet again on a Tuesday morning but that ill attempt at humor may have unforeseen ramifications. Take care to present yourself on the web the way you would like to be seen. Someone may misinterpret information you provide even if you make the good effort but you will at least control what lies in your hands.

So far the greatest benefit I have found from FB is the application Scrabulous which allows you to play Scrabble with your friends. All else is fluff.

Thing #15 Social Networking Library

Should VBPL be a part of the online social networking scene? Hmmm...

I'm not so sure. Do people want to be in touch with the library in this kind of format? Would I want to "friend" my library?

There are libraries out there that have successfully delved into MySpace and seem to be benefiting from the involvement. Denver Public's Evolver and Hennepin County's MySpace page both seem to be thriving in the volatile world of teenage online relationships. I would be curious to know what kind of practical benefits the library systems are reaping frpm the maintenance of the website. If you'd like a little more insight into the benefits/costs of libraries involved with MySpace let me recommend two classmates who recently wrote reports studying this phenomenon.

On the flip side the staff time commitment would be minimal and the benefits could be substantial. Find a small team of two or three people who already have MySpace accounts, give them a couple of hours to create a snazzy looking site and then pull content from other sources to fill in the holes. If we ever get a blog (Hint!) then the posts could be put in two different places to maximize exposure.

At this point I wonder if we should let go of the MySpace idea and turn attention towards Facebook. Isn't everyone on the move to the next cool thing?

Thing #14 RA Wiki

I am on the Reader's Advisory Team and was glad to assemble the bare bones of the RA wiki. I looked around to find a wiki host and though I would have loved to try out Mediawiki (which hosts Wikipedia) server space is required and most importantly the knowledge to put said wiki on the server. If I knew how to do that I would be working for the IT department. So Wikispaces just because I had never used it before and you can easily change the look and feel. I must have been feeling the coming fall when I picked the colors. Any votes for an alternate hue?

I love that so many people will be adding content to the wiki over the coming weeks. Truly a wiki is only as good as the people that take the time to add content and organize sections. (I'm not forgetting that the recent additions are mandated) If you would like to have behind the scenes access to this wiki you can either send me an email mbrobert (at) vbgov (dot) com or click on the the link at the top right of the page that says "Join". We'd be happy to have you! I am only one person, if you'd like to see some changes you can engage your wiki prowess and make it beautiful. Or better organized. Or content rich. Your choice.

So I have dutifully added my book to the list, give Henry Miller a try if you are between books and want to romp around 1930's New York and Paris with an intellectual, morally questionable, free-spirited, lovable tour guide. Happy travels!

Thing #13 Wikis for the HTML-impaired

I cannot remember the day but sometime back in the early part of 2007 I created a user name and password for my very own wiki. Exciting, I know. Pbwiki hosted it for free and all I had to do was play around and discover how to handle the editing software. With a little practice I had conquered and claimed my own little piece of the World Wide Web--without a lick of HTML knowledge I had my own webpage. The browsing peon uplifted to geek creator.

Since I've started this wiki thing I can't seem to stop myself. I created one for a library team and another is the RA wiki we are all posting on for Thing 14. Since my schooling all happens in the online environment I have found wikis to be an invaluable tool of collaboration. When your classmates are geographically separated and a group project looms, a wiki can allow editing and sharing that minimizes the clunkiness of email attachments.

This little wiki I use to keep my notes from the ALA Conference. This is a class project turned in via wiki. So many options for one who has no computer programming skills.

Thing #12 IM and VBPL

I have been a part of the IM reference service here at VBPL since we "went live" a few months back. Given the soft opening of the library's IM service the patrons have been few. Questions are similar to what you would receive in person or over the phone except for the occasional query regarding the possiblity that you may be a robot. I assure them I am of flesh and blood and the dialogue continues. I enjoy the often casual tone of these exchanges and marvel at the shorthand used by the IM-savvy patron. Although I too would like to lessen the keystrokes I retain the professional standard and reply in complete sentences.

Are libraries and IM a good mix? This is a question that is long past its prime. Many libraries have been using this service for years and though new to our system IM is a proven alternate mode of communication between patron and staff. We are a careful library system and wait until many other libraries are using a given technology before we dip our toes into the stream. Yes the water is fine, feel free to wade in.

Thing #11 IM and Libraries

Instant Messaging is real-time communication via the internet. Naturally libraries have become interested in this format because IM offers the patron a different avenue to have a conversation with the library staff. And if you use a service like Meebo the cost is nonexistent. The only difficulty is finding willing staff who want to make the leap into the sometimes volatile waters of the IM arena.

And though the format may be a little strange for the newcomer its quite easy with a little practice. Give it a go!

Class Video

This video is a class assignment I recently completed and my first attempt at integrating, voice, sound effects, images and music. I'm pleased but I know there are parts that can be improved.

Thing #10 Let's go find some feeds!

Technorati is a blog hotspot. Want to find a post on a certain subject or browse the hot blog topics? Technorati is a good place to be. You can also register your own blog with this site, adding a description and tags to help bring your site more traffic. While searching around I noticed that you can also find related videos that touch on your topic of choice.

Topix.net: Too happening of a place for me. There must be about a thousand different clickable places on the frontpage alone! Though if you are really interested in people's comments about a certain popular topic you can chime in with your own thoughts and engage in thoughtful debate. Or be cyber-bullied. Either way something is always going on here at Topix.

Most of the feeds I subscribe to I have found through other people's blogs. Here's how it works. First you find a site where the content sits well with you. This could be a library blog or World of Warcraft website, anything that may interest you. If it is a blog then the author has probably put in their sidebar some of the other blogs they like to read. Most likely you will find some other sites that appeal to you. Alternatively you can look at the comments on a post and check out people's sites who have left intriguing feedback. Subscribe away!

Thing #9 Google Reader

A little over a year ago at the VLA Conference in Williamsburg I attended a session where one of the speakers first introduced me to RSS. I let the information percolate in my brain for about a month before opening up a Bloglines account. Using the search feature in Bloglines I discovered different websites of interest that offered RSS and I started subscribing. Ten became twenty and the more I read the more I found sites that could be subscribed to. Librarian blogs, writer blogs, news and sports feeds: anything that I might check out by surfing the web could be conveniently kept in one place. My web of interest could be condensed into one site and I would no longer have to bookmark a site in order to find it again.

Fast forward to now and a few things have changed. I now use Google Reader. Two reasons for that. First I found that Bloglines was making mistakes and marking some items as read when I had not read them. Annoying but I've heard that the new version has taken care of that problem. Second is the ability to integrate Google Reader into my Google homepage. Rather than having to log into my Reader account I can place a smaller version on my Google homepage and read articles right off of the screen. Here's a screenshot of my homepage: (Notice Google Reader on the left hand side)Click to enlarge.



Keeping one internet window open (my homepage) I can scan through any articles available by subscription through my Google Reader. Have I lost you? No worries, send me an email and I can help. Or jump right in and explore: it is all free and you can't hurt anything. If you get frustrated, leave it for now and right a spicy blog post about the ridiculousness of this exercise.

If you do get the hang of it you might find that the internet becomes a little more personalized and easier to access. Its been a little less than a year since I first experimented with RSS and now I couldn't imagine navigating the web without it.

I am not going to share my complete blogroll here and instead offer you recent articles I have shared through Google Reader. They can be found to the right under "Articles of Interest". Enjoy!

Thing #6 #7 and #8-Weblog Setup

The logistics for setting up a blog are complete! Almost a third of the way done to MP3 heaven and downloadable audiobooks. Just curious, has anyone ever taken advantage of the Netlibrary downloadables?

Thing #5-Share Your Thoughts With a Friend

Dear friend,

Have you got a minute? I keep hearing about this web two point o and I'm wondering if you too have heard this phrase bandied about. Promises of patron-rich experiences and cutting-edge technologies all free right now if only you log on and explore. Personally I like the web a whole lot more than a few years ago. I couldn't even imagine putting content on a web page back then--the code beyond my reach or interest. Now I type into a box just like I'm writing a document. A couple of clicks on the old mouse and boom a picture appears or my favorite Youtube video. Even better folks just like me can leave comments on these words and I can respond in kind. Virtual communication barriers fall away with the rise of the non-techies. Shall we join in the party?

Thing #4: Library 2.0 and Web 2.0

Yes my head is in the clouds after reading some of the articles for this week's discovery exercises. Lots of ideas and possibilities are presented by the different librarians and even a futurist. Some of my thoughts on Library 2.0:

Big shifts are happening technologically but the services provided by the library will always be driven by the human interaction. Libraries can blog or provide IM reference as communication extensions to the community. Designing friendlier catalogs with tagging features will enable patrons to more easily navigate and personalize our collection. We allow the patron into our library 24 hours a day and explore non-traditional library activities (i.e. gaming) to attract a new generation of patrons. We change because we recognize that innovation keeps our library vital and vibrant.

At the same time we continue to provide the traditional library services that the patrons demand. We check books in and out and keep an up-to-date collection of materials that appeal to the community interests. We store knowledge in hard-copy and virtual formats in order to give access to the greatest breadth of resources. We say hello when a patron comes into the building and provide the best customer service we can. We do the best we can as individuals while taking into account that our life at the library is only an aspect of our being.

Library 2.0 is finding the balance between changing technologies and traditional library services. When we are understaffed, overworked, or just plain uninterested--how do we find the time to explore blogs, wikis, IM and social networking? Can anyone say free MP3 player? ^-^

Thing #3 - Registration for Learning 2.0 @ the beach

Perhaps the easiest of all "things", I have duly registered to take part in VBPL's Learning 2.0 extravaganza. Now that it is done what else should we talk about? I'd hate to leave a perfectly good blog post with only a few lines.

Ah-ha- I've got it. For those of you that know me you are aware that I am in graduate school at FSU a little over half way done with my MLS (though I believe it has a different name at my school). Anyways I spend a lot of time outside of the forty hour workweek reading for class and working on assignments. I also have plenty of work around the house with a bathroom in the middle of remodeling and basic upkeep duties. Time is a commodity. So for fun this month I am going to try and squeeze a little more out of every hour by participating in National Novel Writing Month. The premise is this: you have the month of November to write 50,000 words of a novel, novella, what-have-you in order to be a "winner" by the end of the month. Think I can do it? Want to join the fun? Haven't you ever wanted a hastily written novel all your own?

Thing #2 Discover a Few Points About Lifelong Learning

To complete Thing #2 I needed to watch and listen to the online tutorial provided by Charlotte & Mecklenberg County Libraries and reflect on the lifelong learning habits that are the hardest and easiest for me. Let's start with the easiest first:

Accept responsibility for your own learning: It became very apparent to me during my undergraduate years that I could not rely on the classroom to teach me what I really want to learn. Like Wikipedia the classroom is a good jumping off point when exploring a new subject. But also like Wikipedia if you rely on just the classroom for your learning then you will only get a piece of the puzzle. When my undergrad classes were over and I had the piece of paper in my hand I could begin my real education. I started to read the classics. I moved out of my comfort zone, living and traveling in new lands. My immersion in the participatory culture of the web is a similar journey--the best lessons are learned through my willingness to explore and play.

Begin with the end in mind: This is probably my weakest point mainly because I'm more in the moment than the future. That doesn't mean that I can't make plans, more that I see plans for what they are: projections into the unknown. I think if they work for you great, if not then discard them and get back to the lifelong learning.

Thing #1-Find out about the program

Here starts the list of thirty things that will pave the way towards a new MP3 player and help spread the 2.0 love. I've familiarized myself with the program and look forward to connecting with staff members throughout the system as we play with the new technologies.

One thing that I have learned from my own experimentation with blogs, wikis, etc. is that it is more fun when you socially interact. Writing on a blog can feel like entering the void--if you feel touched by something someone says than let them know! Wikis can be wonderful but collaboration is the real magic that turns a one-person effort into a team-building extravaganza.

Thing #1 is done!

Picture from a recent trip to the Shenandoah Mountains.

Inaugural Post

Every blog must have a beginning, a first post to punctuate the air and announce to the rest of the sphere its arrival. And here it is, a drop of bandwidth in the great storm of user-created web information. Working in a library I will sprinkle in content that appeals to that crowd and reflects my own biblio-leanings. Maybe I'll share about a good book I read or some photos I just took. If I run across anything worthwhile and it seems like it wants to be shared I'll make some space for it here. Please feel free to leave comments and enjoy your stay.