Box o' Rocks
found beside book drop
Friday, November 23, 2007
Thing #24
While I'm home recovering from eye surgery I took the time to watch "OS Revolution." The subtitle could have been "The history of computing from the viewpoint of Open Source legends". While anyone alive today in the US over about the age of 30 and a computer user would have at least a passing knowledge of the events in the video, it was great to see the interviews of the people who lived the history . There was not too much Microsoft bashing, with a whole lot of Linux is wonderful. Here we are at Howard County Library, adding our own piece of history with our decision to embrace more and more Open Source. It leaves one with a sense that we are experimenting within a grand tradition as old as computing itself, but endlessly expanding and variable and Open.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Thing #23 Thoughts
Favorite discoveries: Absolute favorite was LibraryThing, close second was a tie between Del.icio.us and Zoho.
Lifelong learning/goals: I don't always want to take the time necessary to learn something new, especially with net technologies. Because I had a guide here and a goal I did take the time. There's tons and tons of stuff out there and it's difficult to sift out what to study and what is totally useless.
Take-aways or unexpected outcomes: it surprised me that most of this could be figured out on ones own, given some time and effort. Others here in my branch looked over my shoulder and gave me advise on something they ran across they liked, or what worked for them.
23 Things was something completely different to me in terms of self-training, but once I started digging in I found "Things" I already had exposure to or was actively using. The "Things" that were new and interesting gave me confidence to keep working and trying the "Things" that were new and not as interesting. When the realization hit me near the end that I've been around technology as it has been slowly evolving, remembering the late 70's and early 80's and what computers were like then it seemed like I was revisiting some old friends. Some things about technology are the same, they just work better now (I used a TRS-80!).
A phrase that kept being bandied about was "social networking". I'm not sure I understand that part even now. So...young people log on to LibraryThing and look over others collections and they post comments...and then... what? How does this online community thing really work?
One of the surprises was how much time was required to get something to work. It was good that I could just close things down, go do something else and come back another day. I have to wonder just how much time people really spend online? I like the tactile world, I'm happy to turn off the computer. And I'd still rather read a book than a book on computer.
Another surprise is how many people are saying, "there's not going to be any more books". I've heard for twenty years there wouldn't be any libraries, computers would take care of all that. Big changes have happened in our lives with technology, but libraries are still here.
Books started out as something for an elite, only a chosen population could read them, and perhaps that's where they'll go again, for only those few who choose to read them. Don't count books out yet though, just wait and see what happens. Changes in batteries, computers that are smaller, lighter and still readable and don't crash and lose everything would help. But keep looking for the unexpected...
Click here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6929404.stm
Lifelong learning/goals: I don't always want to take the time necessary to learn something new, especially with net technologies. Because I had a guide here and a goal I did take the time. There's tons and tons of stuff out there and it's difficult to sift out what to study and what is totally useless.
Take-aways or unexpected outcomes: it surprised me that most of this could be figured out on ones own, given some time and effort. Others here in my branch looked over my shoulder and gave me advise on something they ran across they liked, or what worked for them.
23 Things was something completely different to me in terms of self-training, but once I started digging in I found "Things" I already had exposure to or was actively using. The "Things" that were new and interesting gave me confidence to keep working and trying the "Things" that were new and not as interesting. When the realization hit me near the end that I've been around technology as it has been slowly evolving, remembering the late 70's and early 80's and what computers were like then it seemed like I was revisiting some old friends. Some things about technology are the same, they just work better now (I used a TRS-80!).
A phrase that kept being bandied about was "social networking". I'm not sure I understand that part even now. So...young people log on to LibraryThing and look over others collections and they post comments...and then... what? How does this online community thing really work?
One of the surprises was how much time was required to get something to work. It was good that I could just close things down, go do something else and come back another day. I have to wonder just how much time people really spend online? I like the tactile world, I'm happy to turn off the computer. And I'd still rather read a book than a book on computer.
Another surprise is how many people are saying, "there's not going to be any more books". I've heard for twenty years there wouldn't be any libraries, computers would take care of all that. Big changes have happened in our lives with technology, but libraries are still here.
Books started out as something for an elite, only a chosen population could read them, and perhaps that's where they'll go again, for only those few who choose to read them. Don't count books out yet though, just wait and see what happens. Changes in batteries, computers that are smaller, lighter and still readable and don't crash and lose everything would help. But keep looking for the unexpected...
Click here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/6929404.stm
Thing #17 Learning 2.0 Sandbox Wiki
I had some trouble getting this to work as it wasn't intuitive. If you go into Maryland Libraries Sandbox Wiki I'm there with "Another Page". And I got my blog listed on the Favorite blogs page. It was one of the hardest for me to get through but eventually with much trial and error it is done. I'm happy.
Thing #22 Downloadable Audio
As I looked at these I wondered if I'd ever really use them. I have used books on cd because my car has a cd player, and before that books on cassette. I have read part of a book online with hypertext links to more info and that was great, but so hard on the eyes! I read of some of the issues with downloading to our little MP3 players and haven't had a chance to try that, but I did take a book on Vikings from cd to computer to MP3. I listened to a little bit of it on computer, and some with the MP3. I gave up on both of those and have been happily listening in my car. I find the player and the computer very hard to listen to. It's easier to hear a book over road noise than it is to adjust the volume on the MP3 or the computer. Add to that the issue of cd players (and computers) that will not hold the point you've stopped at, even though it works in one's car, and the issue of Windows Media Player being awkward and strange about anything not music and it all becomes kind of more trouble than convenience. I'd rather just read a print book!!!
Thing #16 Wikis
Wikipedia is one of the ways my husband entertains himself when he's too tired to do anything else. We also look at it as a first stop when we have a burning question on some trivial matter. Yes, we know it's not always authoritative...I have read some entries and said to myself, "is that really true?" and unless you really get worked up about the matter and investigate you may not know. But it has something no other reference source has...it's fun. You can look into where the info came from, you can see the edits, you can see what's under construction. The homepage always has something different you didn't know about.
What applications within libraries might work well with a wiki? My first thought was any kind of policy a committee is working on. An idea can be floated and edited and revised and worked on in an open environment until it has a concensus.
I enjoyed the BookLovers Wiki from Princeton Public Library and would love to see HCL do something similar. There are a few of our regulars I'd love to see do a "booklist" kind of wiki because they are always reading something interesting or they use our Interlibrary Services to great advantage to bring materials in that we don't have (at the present). To have their knowlege and input available for everyone to see and comment on would be tremendous. We have a very educated population (literally we have rocket scientists using our libraries!!) and bringing them into our web world can only enrich us all.
What applications within libraries might work well with a wiki? My first thought was any kind of policy a committee is working on. An idea can be floated and edited and revised and worked on in an open environment until it has a concensus.
I enjoyed the BookLovers Wiki from Princeton Public Library and would love to see HCL do something similar. There are a few of our regulars I'd love to see do a "booklist" kind of wiki because they are always reading something interesting or they use our Interlibrary Services to great advantage to bring materials in that we don't have (at the present). To have their knowlege and input available for everyone to see and comment on would be tremendous. We have a very educated population (literally we have rocket scientists using our libraries!!) and bringing them into our web world can only enrich us all.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Thing #20 YouTube
My husband has been a YouTube fan for a long time. He's called me many times to his computer to view silly cat videos, some old short videos of commercials and training films from the 40's and 50's and what can only be called "electricians humor". The video of the big arc is pretty neat though, and occasionally we see something so amazing, like a tugboat that ran into a bridge in high water, turned sideways, went under the bridge and then righted itself downstream. It ran as still pictures before YouTube.
It seems that many are viewing and having a great time making and posting these short films, and why not? What's on regular television is pretty dismal. There is a broad range of subject matter out there and one could spend hours and hours downloading and watching. It's a great way to use up time.
It seems that many are viewing and having a great time making and posting these short films, and why not? What's on regular television is pretty dismal. There is a broad range of subject matter out there and one could spend hours and hours downloading and watching. It's a great way to use up time.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Thing #21 Podcasts
I already have a bit of experience with listening to podcasts. My husband and I will sometimes listen to a radio program we heard part of earlier on the road, and for the exercise I put Prairie Home Companion's News From Lake Wobegon monologues on the RSS feed. I noticed that Yahoo was closing their podcast site tomorrow (Oct. 31) for unknown reasons. I will look into the radio podcasts more after we are finished. There is so much I miss on Public Radio because I'm working when they broadcast.
Thing #19 Web 2.0 Awards
I clicked on the Visual Arts award winners and was kind of apalled. Color Blender? Swivel.com with graphs? The Broth sounded more like what I had in mind for arts oriented web. There was some art that looked a bit serious, but only a bit. Then there's some (ok, a lot) that looks like grade school kids submitted it. Grade school art is ok,(and even fun) if you're expecting grade school art and I guess I just expected higher quality from something billed as an award winner. I see better artwork on commercial websites. Is it just the difficulty of many trying to create together? I guess public art is just a messy business.
I also looked at two other award winners, Backpack and Be Green. Backpack is an info and to do list organizer that I'll be visiting later to see what I can use there. Be Green sucked me in, I was entering my information to see how my carbon footprint stacked up. I'm feeling a bit green because I drive an old Honda and haven't had any airline travel this year, giving me below the average for my car/fuel use. I have to sit down with my electric bill though, I'm sure we're better than average with our energy useage there too. It was fun to do and made you think.
I also looked at two other award winners, Backpack and Be Green. Backpack is an info and to do list organizer that I'll be visiting later to see what I can use there. Be Green sucked me in, I was entering my information to see how my carbon footprint stacked up. I'm feeling a bit green because I drive an old Honda and haven't had any airline travel this year, giving me below the average for my car/fuel use. I have to sit down with my electric bill though, I'm sure we're better than average with our energy useage there too. It was fun to do and made you think.
Thing #18 Online Productivity
I tried Zoho. I like it, I figured out how to publish to my blog, with good results. It's really wonderful to have the ability to use any computer to do work and be able to get it later from anywhere. It's working out well enough that I'm sure I'll be using it later.
I haven't had the opportunity to share and edit, it sounds great.
I haven't had the opportunity to share and edit, it sounds great.
Thing #15 Web 2.0, Library 2.0, the Future of Libraries
"Web 2.0: Where will the next generation of the web it take libraries?"
(from MD Libraries 23 Things #15 page)
Exactly. Where will the web it take any of us. Better spelling and grammar?
Icebergs... (from Rick Anderson's OCLC Newsletter post Away from the "Icebergs")
Just in Case collection...
Of course we have to look at what is new and trendy and what we will offer beyond books. Some books are still hard to get. There is still something more permanent about a reference source on paper. The day may come when a source online will be more trusted than a source on paper, but we're not quite there yet. And you never have to change batteries or make sure it's plugged in and not crashing. Please ask our customers what they want. Some still want books. Give them what they want. Some want cd, downloadable, net based. Give them what they want. Some just want to be able to come in and check their e-mail and surf the net. Give them what they want.
The "come to us" model...
"it wasn't a good system, but it worked, sort of..."
Nonsense. It was a good system. If you couldn't find it where you were, interlibrary loan was a godsend. Or librarians found where what you wanted lived and you went to it. No choice? No there was a choice, it just wasn't 50 choices and it wasn't an instant choice and good heavens you maybe had to talk to a human being! The choice was buy or borrow. Far from being a burden, it was a blessing not to have to buy, especially big expensive items. It was considered a privilege to be able to participate in something bigger than any one individual. It's like voting. The Library, what does that name mean to millions of Americans? Change has to happen and moving out of old patterns isn't easy. If we are able now to offer more choices, then we should do it. But don't forget why there are libraries in the first place and don't be so worried that there will be no books.
"...no profession can survive if it throws its core principles and values overboard in response to every shift in the zeitgeist..."
The shift has already happened. When libraries decided they were about information, not books and let computers in and embraced them, that's when the shift happened. The rest has been just dealing with that shift. What will libraries in the future look like and what wonders will be offered? How that question gets answered in every different library and library system is what's important.
(from MD Libraries 23 Things #15 page)
Exactly. Where will the web it take any of us. Better spelling and grammar?
Icebergs... (from Rick Anderson's OCLC Newsletter post Away from the "Icebergs")
Just in Case collection...
Of course we have to look at what is new and trendy and what we will offer beyond books. Some books are still hard to get. There is still something more permanent about a reference source on paper. The day may come when a source online will be more trusted than a source on paper, but we're not quite there yet. And you never have to change batteries or make sure it's plugged in and not crashing. Please ask our customers what they want. Some still want books. Give them what they want. Some want cd, downloadable, net based. Give them what they want. Some just want to be able to come in and check their e-mail and surf the net. Give them what they want.
The "come to us" model...
"it wasn't a good system, but it worked, sort of..."
Nonsense. It was a good system. If you couldn't find it where you were, interlibrary loan was a godsend. Or librarians found where what you wanted lived and you went to it. No choice? No there was a choice, it just wasn't 50 choices and it wasn't an instant choice and good heavens you maybe had to talk to a human being! The choice was buy or borrow. Far from being a burden, it was a blessing not to have to buy, especially big expensive items. It was considered a privilege to be able to participate in something bigger than any one individual. It's like voting. The Library, what does that name mean to millions of Americans? Change has to happen and moving out of old patterns isn't easy. If we are able now to offer more choices, then we should do it. But don't forget why there are libraries in the first place and don't be so worried that there will be no books.
"...no profession can survive if it throws its core principles and values overboard in response to every shift in the zeitgeist..."
The shift has already happened. When libraries decided they were about information, not books and let computers in and embraced them, that's when the shift happened. The rest has been just dealing with that shift. What will libraries in the future look like and what wonders will be offered? How that question gets answered in every different library and library system is what's important.
Thing #14 Technorati
Thing #14
Ok, I have visited Technorati over and over and my eyes are glazing over. This one is not getting me interested. Perhaps later when I've got some time I can go further, but it's really not a first choice for how to spend my time right now.
Ok, I have visited Technorati over and over and my eyes are glazing over. This one is not getting me interested. Perhaps later when I've got some time I can go further, but it's really not a first choice for how to spend my time right now.
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