The Constant Learner

Week 10 #23: The End.....

2007-11-21T11:23:00.000-08:00

My favorite exercise was the photos and avatars. This program has helped me with my lifelong learning goals by forcing me to go to site I would not normally wouldn't visit. This is definitely a good thing. The biggest unexpected outcome for me was getting comfortable with blogging about my thoughts. I agree with other employees in that HCPL should have some podcast on our website. Otherwise I believe that HCPL does a fine job in keeping up with the latest technologies that are out there. I am currently taking several Library Science courses and I have mentioned this training in those classes. Many of my classmates have stated that they wished their library had a similar program. I agree, I think that trainings like these are an essential compontant in our mission to meet our patrons information needs.

This training has been loads of fun, I really enjoyed every minute. :)

Week 9 #22

2007-11-16T09:04:00.000-08:00

I found lots of titles that I want to check out through the HCPL digital site. I downloaded a small children's book onto the library's MP3 player. It did not take long at all. I noticed that on the HCPL digital site that just like the book collection, popular titles go fast and have a waiting list.

In regard to the free site HCPL's is so much better. Especially since volunteers are helping in recording materials offered. This tidbit makes me question of the quality of the piece. Nothing would upset me more than listening to an audio and halfway through the sound levels start fluctuating. I would only use a free site if the library didn't have what I was looking for.

Week 9 #21

2007-11-16T08:54:00.000-08:00

I decided to search for an author on Podcast.net, but no results were found. I did a second search on library and discovered that many libraries have a podcast discussing what is new at their library. I even found one called "The Library Channel". I can see myself using this site as an alternative resource. I am not sure how popular this medium will become, I have never heard anyone discussing a podcast they saw. I have never heard of any of the listed sites either. It will be interesting to see how it progresses.

Week 9 #20

2007-11-16T07:52:00.000-08:00

I really like YouTube. I know there are tons of copyright issues here, but I still like it. If I miss an episode of my favorite show, I am just one click away from seeing it on YouTube. Did I mention that it is going to free from commercials:) You can also find videos of some of the most hilarious clips I have ever seen.

In regards to YouTube features that can be utilized within the library's website, I would have to say that tag clouds are becoming more and more popular. I also like having the user ratings listed right under the video. This would be a great feature to add to our catalog. Overall, I think our site is wonderful, the only improvement that I can think of is adding some tagging features. It could turn out to be a mess, but it would be worth a try.

Here's a great video about a teen that has discovered that he has a library fine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDnSP35T0QA&feature=related

Week 8 #19

2007-11-12T12:42:00.000-08:00

I had set up a Zoho account earlier this year, but the document I wanted to save was considered too large for the site. So there are some limitations. However, I can see the benefits of using Zoho. A example that come to mind is group assignments, in which each user can manipulate the data. The other benefit is being able to publish the documents onto the Web. for some of our patrons that do not have computers at home or money to purchase a Flash drive this site would be an asset.

Week 8 #18

2007-11-12T12:27:00.000-08:00

We have finally reached a topic I am not so crazy about "Social Networking". In my last post I talked about my adventures on Second Life. I'll have you know after my first visit I delete my account. I haven't had a bad experience with social networking, it's just not for me.

In one of my graduate courses I was forced to create a "My Space" account. I decided to make up a person along with a make-believe job and town. Doing it this way is really fun. All joking aside, I do see the point and relevance of these social networks.

One great example of how "Facebook" helped during a crisis occurred at Virgina Tech. Students were about to communicate with each other and begin the healing process by leaving messages on each victim's page.

Many of the other sites listed on iHCPL were new to me. I can definitely see people using each one of these.

Week 7 #17

2007-11-12T12:17:00.000-08:00

We were asked to discuss technology this week. I am interested in all the latest gadgets out there but they are so expensive. As soon as I purchase an item, within six months a newer, faster, better one emerges. I just can't keep up.

A few days ago I logged on to Second Life in an attempt to reach Info Island. Two hours in I had only customized my avatar and left Help Island. I was so overwhelmed with this site. I am glad that this site was not part of this training.

I can see how technology is currently and is going to continue to change library services. Overdrive is a great example of how technology has added a user service. I am excited to see what changes will take place in the next ten years or so.

Week 7: #16

2007-10-23T10:56:00.000-07:00

I had some trouble spotting the password at first, but after a co-worker pointed it out I kept seeing it everywhere. Go figure! Once I got logged in, I tried several different ways to add in a link to my blog onto the favor ties page. After a few minutes I realized that all I had to do was click inside the box to be able to edit the page. This tool is truly dumb-dumb proof. I can think of several ways in which I could use a wiki. I really think its neat that we can share photos and TV shows in one organized place. My only reservation is that I or someone else would delete some important information from the wiki without realizing changes were made. In regards to libraries using a wiki I can see staff building a great set of resources for everyone to use. How cool is that!

Week 6 #15

2007-10-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

I chose to read the article titled Away from the icebergs by Rick Anderson and Into a new world of librarianship by Michael Stephens. As Anderson sees it there are three icebergs that Web 2.0 presents: "The 'just in case' collection, reliance on user education, and the 'come to us' model of library service". The first iceberg describes building collections around the notion of maybe users will need the items ordered. I agree with Anderson in that this type of collection building is becoming less useful with each growing year. The second iceberg mentioned is an important point that is not always addressed when discussions revolving around Library/Web 2.0. the library users need to have a desire to want to use the technologies available through the library. Lastly, Anderson pointed out that the library model is no longer "come to us" but rather a we'll bring it to you model. I can definitely see this shift occurring.

I was trilled to see Stephens' article listed, because I have done many course assignments on his thoughts. His blog is the very example of what a blog can achieve. This particular article focuses on the Librarian 2.0. i enjoyed how Stephens places emphasize on the human side of the 2.0 model. I agree with all of Stephens points.

What does Library 2.0 mean to me?
I think Library 2.0 means getting everyone involved in the process of using the resources available. When I think about Library 2.0 I think about a library that is keeping up with the latest technologies to better serve their patrons. This entire iHCPL training program is a great example of Library 2.0 in action.

Week 6 #14

2007-10-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

I had never used the Technorati site before this exercise, so it was a new experience. There is a huge difference in the search results for "Library 2.0". There are 4,723 posts and 457 blogs that contain this set of terms. a few of the blogs listed in the results page have been mentioned to me before by professors , the "Shifted Librarian"and "Tame the Web"are two blogs I have had to read through for past assignments. One thing I really like about this site is that the information is very readable an the layout is very organized. In the last assignment, the site was extremely busy and the colors all blended together. But on Technorati each entry is clearly labeled and viewable. the extra features such as the "Top Blogs" is good to look at since it may contain blogs I wouldn't normally search for.

Week 6 #13

2007-10-22T09:37:00.000-07:00

Del.icio.us is a pretty neat site. I viewed a bookmark on comics and read several comments left by other users. I can really see the possibilities this site offers. It's cool that I can learn about links that others have found on the Web. I really like this, because there are URLs that I may have never found otherwise. The tag clouds and subject links really do organize the information stored on the site. It is convenient that you can access your bookmarks from anywhere because they are all bundled within the del.icio.us site.

Week 5 #12

2007-10-10T15:23:00.000-07:00

I viewed the Library Elf site. Ok, I'll give my honest opinion here, I very much dislike getting tons of emails about the items I have checked out. It drives me crazy. I am glad that it was included in the training, many people really like this service. A feature that Library Elf has that I found useful is the bestseller lists and reviews.

Week 5 #11

2007-10-10T14:43:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed the Library Thing assignment, especially the widget feature. A professor introduced the class to this site as an example of the benefits of tagging in the social networking environment. Below is a link to my library catalog.
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/monkio

Week 5 #10

2007-10-09T09:39:00.000-07:00

This was my favorite exercise yet. Meez didn't have a sun hat, so I guess I'll have to go without. I often daydream of this scene, it's a perfect reminder for me to just enjoy life.

Week 4 #9

2007-10-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

I looked at Feedser for this assignment. It wasn't too hard to search for feeds and blogs. I did have trouble figuring out how to get the Feedser Wigit onto my blog. A co-worker helped me get the box into the right place on the blog screen.

Week 4 #8

2007-10-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

I set up a Bloglines account with ten feeds. I picked a few co-workers iHCPL blogs. I really like being able to have all the rss feeds in one place. It really wasn't that difficult to add the feeds to my folder. One thing I never noticed before is how many websites now have rss feeds.

Week 3 #7

2007-10-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

Boo! I used Pixer to create this spooky photo. This was a very basic program, but that is not a bad thing. I think next time I'll try one with more features.

Week 3 #6

2007-10-01T15:19:00.001-07:00

My creation
Originally uploaded by monkio

This assignment was pretty fun. I learned about mashups and picked this 3rd party program called fd's through flickr toys.

Week 3 #5

2007-10-01T14:20:00.001-07:00

Bayou in Crowley, LA
Originally uploaded by monkio

I took this picture a few years ago, while I was on a morning walk. That is what I love about photography, there is beauty all around us.

Week 2 #4

2007-10-01T10:38:00.000-07:00

I'm glad this topic was discussed early on. It's a dangerous virtual world out there. Personally, I am very frightened of online identity theft. I try to be smart when providing information online, but I'm not parnoid about it.

Week 2 #3

2007-10-01T10:32:00.000-07:00

I learn best when I have hands-on instruction. For example, if it were left up to me to repair a space shuttle and all I had was a paper manual, we would be in some serious trouble. One area I need to work on is waiting until the last minute when meeting deadlines. Why can't I just do things ahead of time?

Test Post

2007-10-01T10:31:00.001-07:00

This is my test post.