Thing 8 - Share your creations

Photo Mosaic,
originally uploaded by nierl13.

Slide shows are a great way to show the progress of library projects. We are finishing up a recarpeting project and a slideshow was put on our website so that our patrons could see how things were going along.

I find the tools on Big Huge Labs to be very easy to use. I clicked around for a few seconds trying to figure out how to login. If I had actually read what they were asking me to do, I would have saved 30 seconds. Not a big deal. (I don't have many pictures in my Flickr account, this is why the Prince keeps showing up. - I don't want to use someone else's images, for some reason.)

Thing 7: Web 2.0 Communication Tools

Our library uses email to communicate internally. We also use it to contact patrons about overdues and reserves. We have a "Contact a librarian" link for reference questions. Email has improved productivity, especially with reserve notification. We usually don't have to worry about someone not getting a message as we would with a phone call. Email is helpful in communicating with staff when people work part time, evenings or are on vacation. The information is passed on and can be read when the person is next available, and they will not have been forgotten in the communication. Email reference can be challenging because clarification questions may need to be asked, and the lag time in getting those answers delays the reference process.

I am not an active of user of text messaging or IM. However, when I was in grad school we did communicate in chat rooms (IM). Because my schooling was on-line, we would participate in lectures in the chat environment. The teacher would post blocks of text and ask if we had questions or what we thought.

I watched most of the R U Ready? Setting up and running Instant messaging reference from MINITEX. V. interesting. I have seen quite a few webinars by now. Our ILS company has webinars prior to upgrades and we have also had them for product demos and as an introduction to downloadable audiobooks for the Arrowhead Library System. If the connection and computer both work correctly webinars can save a lot of travel time and convey timely information.

Thing 6 - Online Image Generators

Frog Prince Trading Card,
originally uploaded by nierl13.

Well. The frog is showing up everywhere now. I created a Wanted poster and a license plate in addition to this trading card. I could see adding some of these features to the Teens @ Duluth blog.

Thing 5 - More Flickr fun

Frog Prince Badge,
originally uploaded by nierl13.

This was fun. We could make our own puzzles for our play area. We could create badges for all of the toys. We could really waste a lot of time trying to figure out things to do just because we could.

More Thing 4

P1010002,
originally uploaded by nierl13.

Here is my 23 Things blog loaded on the computer at my desk. Check out the stuffed animal on top. His name is Mr. Bug and he belongs to my cousin. My aunt donated many of her toys to the library and I found Mr. Bug in one of the bags and rescued him. Unfortunately, he has not made it home with me yet. (He has been living up there for a year already.)

Babymouse is sitting behind the keyboard. Just so you know.

Thing 4 - Photosharing with Flickr

P1010005,
originally uploaded by nierl13.

Well, here is the Frog Prince puppet that I have used at Storytime. He is wearing my glasses. They look good on him, but when I got my new license on Monday, the glasses looked really crooked on my face. I don't like to think that my ears are that uneven.

I have to say that I really enjoy watching the "Common Craft" videos. They simply explain why and how to do something, and they are funny. It is a great way to teach.

I'm thinking of using the Frog Prince in my glasses as my Avatar for my Teen Blog, but it may look to young for the teens.

So, the above sentence says that I may actually use Flickr at the library by adding a picture to my blog. Maybe we could post pictures from our programs on the website, but then we have the trouble of getting permission of the people in the pictures... I don't know.

I like that pictures can be marked private. And I like that groups can be made to share the photos that may otherwise be kept as private. There are many ways to use the program.

Thing 3 - RSS feeds

I like this! I picked Google Reader and I added: BBC, CNN, Readers Club: Graphic Novels for Teens, Readers Club: Suspense/Thrillers (F), a few comic sites (For Better or Worse, Foxtrot, and there was something else, too. More on that later), and the Duluth News Tribune.

I don't like how some of the postings only show the title of the post and/or the date of the post. I like the ones that have the title and at least the first few lines of the post so that I can get an idea of what the whole things is about. I really like the ones that have the entire post. Nice.

I removed the feeds from the comics site because they just gave me links to the comic posted that day, they did not show the actual comic in the reader. This is not the case for Unshelved, which I added right after removing the others, so that I could see if it could work for a different site. I love Unshelved, too. (I think I will still get it in my mail box, however.)

I was reading a library journal the other day and wanted to checkout some of the blogs that they mentioned. I typed them into my Google Reader and had them added within seconds. (The Shifted Librarian, Alternative Teen Services, 2 cents worth, and Tame the Web.)

I just set up a Bloglines account because Google Reader wouldn't let me set up a feed with Pop Goes the Library. Hmm. Different features... This one lets me have the whole post displayed, if I want. I do want.

Unfortunately, the feature where Bloglines offers suggested feeds (quick pick suggestions) isn't working correctly. I am trying to add For Better or For Worse in this form and I keep getting an error message - try back later... [I just got one to add. Still won't add FBOFW, though. Whatever.]

I did just find that in the options I can have the oldest posts display on top. I like that feature and I don't see that I have that option on Google.

Ok. I am spending too much time on this... I think that RSS feeds and newsreaders are very helpful. I don't normally spend a lot of time surfing the Internet. But, because this is so easy to use, I find I am looking at many more things than I normally would. If I keep my selections to the minimum and on topic, I would find this to be helpful in my job or in my regular life.

I think both sites make adding a feed easy. You know, if everything is working properly that day...

Really. I am now obsessed with checking both of RSS feed accounts. Great.


Please note that I have been writing this post for 3 days.