Hooray! I Dit It!

I am so pleased and proud of myself! Surprised too! I actually completed the Library 2.0 Challenge!

I disagree that it doesn't take a lot of time. Some of these lessons seemed to take me forever to figure out and complete. It was difficult finding time during the day to do them. I spent several evenings at home studying, listening, registering, etc. That was hard for me. I spend a large part of my work day on the computer, so when I go home I want to do something else (like sewing, gardening, even cleaning my house!).

But I did learn a lot. I may not use all these tools, but now I know about them. I'm more aware of what's available, and ways we could use them at our library. And most of the "fear factor" is gone. I'm not afraid to try something new!

I hope to maintain this blog, continue to explore ways to use Google Docs, and post more photos on Flickr. I think I may be moving up the ladder from "Low Tech" to "Mid Tech." The view looks okay from here!

I Can't Believe I'm on My Space!

Okay, I did it. I created an account on My Space and I am freaked out! I am a private person, and having all that information about me on the web for others to see freaks me out! I see an ID Thief lurking around every corner just waiting to take my information and run with it! Am I being paranoid?

Or am I just too old for all this technology? My idea of connecting with friends is talking on the phone, or having everyone over for an evening of games and root beer floats.

I will be honest when I say I will probably delete my account as soon as this exercise is over! Writing and posting this blog is about as public as I want to be!

It was quick and easy creating the My Space account, but I know I could spend hours fine tuning it, adding photos, backgrounds, etc. I honestly do not have that kind of time to commit to it, nor do I have the interest.

Wikis: Pro and Con

I am standing firmly in the middle of the road on my opinion of wikis. I can see both pros and cons to using them. Maybe making a list will help clarify my thinking.
Pros:

• Easy to add information
• Anybody can add to it
• There are wikis on tons of topics (Who knew there were so many experts out there?!)

Cons:

• Because anyone can add to a wiki, the information may not be accurate - (Can you restrict who is able to add content?)
• Because anyone can add to a wiki, the creator of the wiki has no control over the content

Our library is planning for the future and exploring the possibility of building a new facility. I can see how a wiki could be helpful in gathering opinions from our community. Not everyone is able to attend community meetings: a wiki would be available 24/7.

On the flip side, I wouldn't want a wiki to become a place for library bashing because a patron is angry about an overdue fine or a long hold queue. But I guess that's the chance you take....

I heard a young patron the other day refer to my library" (not the library). That is what we strive for: that the community values the library and feels a part of it.

I'm still in the middle, but I may be leaning towards the positive....

About the wikis listed on the 2.0 Challenge, I did find several articles on the Library Success wiki that I want to read or listen to (library podcasts). And the Rapid City Flood wiki is great. Having not grown up in South Dakota, I know very little about the flood (only what I've read in local histories). Having this site with first-hand accounts and photos is amazing. Good Work, RCPL!

Google Docs

This lesson on Office 2.0 has taken a while for me to complete. I actually watched the tutorial last week, then I went to Google Docs and viewed a variety of templates. I tried to think of a document I could make and actually use.

Then I received a flier in the mail about ordering t-shirts with a reading theme. I was going to use Word to make a sign-up sheet to post by the In-Out Board. Then I thought, "Eureka! I can use Google Docs, make an order form, and share it with our library staff!"

Voila! My very first document is here:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AuzoF9i-2QMmdGQyZ05fUXpIX3N2cS15N1FFRUNodkE&hl=en

I can see that this will be very useful when sharing documents. We could use this with the Children's Book Award Committee when compiling our reading lists for one example. I'm sure as I think about it, I will come up with other uses as well.

Delicious

I feel like the White Rabbit from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, who scurried along saying, "Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!" This is the last week of 2.0 Challenge and I am late doing my lessons!

The lesson on Delicious (tagging, social bookmarking) is intriguing. I used "quilting" as a search term and had a ton of responses. I discovered a lot of new sites to check out (someday, when I'm all caught up on everything else!). That's the problem with Delicious: I'm afraid it could become addicting!

I did sign up for Delicious. I can see how it will be helpful for organizing my favorite library, story time, children's literature sites - and maybe lead me to some new ones as well.

Thoughts on Podcasts and Youtube

The Summer Library Program has ended, it's Fair Week, and school starts in five days! There is a lull in activity in the Children's Room. I have a moment to report on my Podcast and Youtube experiences.

I had heard of podcasting, but had not listened to any before this lesson. I was surprised at the variety of podcasts that are available! I did sign up for a children's author podcast, and it has been faithfully showing up on my RSS. However, I have been too busy working to actually listen to it!

On a non-library note, I am a quilter and I did find several podcasts on quilting that I think would be fun to listen to. However, it's hard to find the time at home to be at the computer listening to a podcast. And if I am at the computer, I can't be sewing! I have too many projects and not enough time!

I am discovering that while technology can be a time-saver, it can also be a time-waster! I spent most of one evening watching "library" videos on Youtube! My favorite was Cookie Monster (from Sesame Street) at the Library. [Maybe our patrons would be happier if we had cookies and milk at the circulation desk!? :o)] Unfortunately, while I was watching Youtube, neither the Dish Fairy nor the Laundry Fairy visited my house....

I do wonder about copyright issues. If our library wanted to post videos on a site like Youtube, or link to such a site, I think we would have to make sure we were in compliance....

Trading Card

I know I am behind on this challenge and that most people have moved on to YouTube or Facebook or whatever else comes next, but I do have a good excuse. This past week was very low tech for me as I was in the mountains of Guatemala, helping to build a fence around a community school (I learned how to mix cement by hand as well as make rebar!), and doing Bible school activities with the children. We sang songs, told Bible stories (going through two translators), did craft projects, and played soccer.

It didn't really matter that we did not speak the same language. A smile is the same in any language.

It's hard to get back in the swing of things at the library after being gone. It has been a challenge to make this card and post it here on my blog. Thanks, Hannah for helping!

About Flickr

I needed help to complete my Flickr assignment. So I reached into my Toolbox and pulled out Kim to help me. There is a photo on my blog only because she walked me through it! Thanks, Kim!

I watched the tutorial and read the articles, and I can see that Flickr can be a good thing. Saving your photos online and organizing them with tags sounds good. I can see personal applications for this. I confess I did spend quite a bit of time looking at photos, but they were not related to work! I took a trip down memory lane by looking at photos of my hometown!

But uploading a photo to my blog was very confusing! Another email account, another registration, another password,.... Hopefully I can remember how to do it. I would like to upload some photos I took this weekend at the Storybook Land Festival!

As for using Flickr in Library Land, it could be useful for sharing photos of programs and activities. But I agree with other posts I've read about being careful when posting photos of our patrons, especially children.

My favorite summer time place

Aberdeen, SD 2008
Originally uploaded by wellman.andrea

Thanks to Kim, I have successfully uploaded my first Flickr photo!

This is the entrance to Storybook Land, one of my favorite places to visit. The library co-sponsors Fables & Fairytales at the Castle every Friday morning during June and July. We tell stories, sing songs, and do art projects. What a perfect way to celebrate reading!

This past weekend was the 4th Storybook Land Festival. Five thousand people enjoyed the beautiful weather and fun entertainment: author, poet, and songwriter Barry Louis Polisar; concerts by Penny and Pals; balloons and magic with Mr. Twister; photos with Clifford, Curious George, and Martha Speaks, and free ice cream ! Could anything be more fun than that?

RSS and the Blue Screen of Death

Here it is - Sunday night, past my normal bedtime - and I'm trying to wrap my tired brain around RSS feeds. I would like to be watching these tutorials in my office at the library, but my computer there has the "blue screen of death" and I am waiting for the IT guys to come and tell me if it's terminal.... (sorry, bad joke...I am really tired...I know I should have done this earlier, but I really had to watch "The Next Food Network Star" to see who was eliminated!)

I actually like the idea of RSS feeds - instead of me going to the blogs, the blogs will come to me!

As a test, I have subscribed to a couple of blogs. We shall see if I have been successful. If so, I may just go wild and subscribe to a few more!

On another note, I'm rethinking twittering: if I only could write 140 characters, I would have been done with this post much sooner.

Twitter

Even after reading the articles and watching the tutorials I'm still trying to figure out Twittering. When I hear the word Twitter, I think of birds chirping, not the latest thing in technology!

It seems egotistical to me to think that people care about what we are doing every minute of the day. And what happened to actually talking to people? Twittering seems impersonal. I don't think I will be personally twittering any time soon.

However, I could see the library twittering: "Story Time registration starts today," "A new Find Art clue has been posted at the Library," "The Library is closing at 5 pm due to winter weather," etc. Even if the library would begin twittering, it's important that we continue to use our traditional media outlets such as the newspaper and radio stations to keep our patrons informed.

Habits

As librarians, it seems to me that all we do deals with lifelong learning, either for ourselves or our patrons. Our goal is to have people in our communities value learning before, during, and after the years of formal education. Much of my time is spent selecting materials and planning programs that will encourage parents and their children to find joy in reading and learning - to have fun!

So for me, the easiest Habit is to accept responsibility for my own learning. To say, "I need to learn this," and then take the necessary steps to do so. I'm glad we have this opportunity to take this challenge. I do need to learn about new technology.

That being said, there are two Habits that will be hard for me: to have confidence in myself, and to play. There is so much out there to learn, and sometimes it feels as if my head is plum full and there in no room for any more information! How will I remember all this stuff? As for playing, who has time for that? I see that I will have to make time to play - to be free to explore and experiment without actually producing anything tangible.

I Actually Did It!

I did it! I am now officially a blogger! Setting up this blog wasn't hard at all (except for coming up with a name...). Now comes the hard part: actually writing something.

I am not a writer. A reader, yes, but not a writer. I love words. I love the way they sound, how they look, how they evoke images and emotions. I have profound admiration for people who put those words together into coherent sentences. But I am not one of those people!

I'm a list maker. My desk at work and my table at home are littered with lists: Grocery lists, To Do lists, Books I Have Read lists, Books I Want to Read lists, Freezer Inventory lists, Quilt Fabric lists, and so forth.

I will endeaver with this challenge to improve my writing skills and graduate from lists to sentences. Wish me luck!