Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Thing 13 Blog Prompts
Well, as can be attested, I was unable to make the calendar function work. Nevertheless, I enjoyed looking at and using some of these on-line productivity tools.
1. I used the Google home page because I liked the graphic of the canoe (but I hated the little animals). Although I enjoyed looking at some recipes (I choose cooking as one of my interests), I probably will not make it my home page. I use my library home page and I am most comfortable with the links that it provides. I have the weather on my home page, but that's the only way it is personalized. The advertising and the "clutter" are what turn me off about these sites. If I had total control over my branch site, I would put in links to the local schools and newspapers--maybe DNR sites on fishing.
2. I did find the Backpack site to be useful. I liked the little training video about how it can be used. I think it would be good for planning the summer reading program. I could have links to the sites where we are buying items. I could write notes on the different activities we will be doing and the equipment needed for each day. I could also jot notes about who the entertainer will be and when they'll arrive (I always forget). I could keep track of participants and prizes so far. Maybe in the future, I can get participant's e-mail address so I can send out reminders and progress reports. Stikkit seems like it would be a useful site for keeping track of all those little details that can get lost in the shuffle. I know I end up with lots of little notes--mostly I remember to place holds or check on things that patrons ask me about, but I also tend to forget. It might be a good way of keeping track of some of the details of this job.
3. On-line calendars can be very useful. Sending out e-mail reminders of meetings would be great. If my Friends of the Library had computers, I wouldn't have to mail out the agenda. I'm sure many of the people in the book discussion have e-mail, so that would be good to have some contact with them. It also might be a good way to get the word out a little further if we have a visiting author. We have had some disappointing crowds for our authors. This would also go for the summer reading events, although usually we have a good showing for those.
4. Not sure if I need an on-line to do list. The one that I tried seemed a little cumbersome. There were separate pages for separate lists. The small one by my computer seems to work if I just want to remind myself to do some things.
5. I did try out Backpack (see #2).
6. I tried Spongecell. This seems like a good site for making a list of events. It also has a place to make e-mail contacts, so I may try this out for my book discussion group. Next time we meet, I'll ask if anyone wants an e-mail reminder and if they do, I'll put them in spongecell and see how that works. I tried Doodle, but my event seemed a little deadended. There didn't seem to be a place to send out e-mail. I also signed up for "Tadalist". This was the site that had separate pages for each list. I liked the Backpack site that seemed to have everything on one page.
All in all, Thing 13 was fun. It was very eye-opening in terms of resources available. I can see where these tools would be very useful for large projects.
1. I used the Google home page because I liked the graphic of the canoe (but I hated the little animals). Although I enjoyed looking at some recipes (I choose cooking as one of my interests), I probably will not make it my home page. I use my library home page and I am most comfortable with the links that it provides. I have the weather on my home page, but that's the only way it is personalized. The advertising and the "clutter" are what turn me off about these sites. If I had total control over my branch site, I would put in links to the local schools and newspapers--maybe DNR sites on fishing.
2. I did find the Backpack site to be useful. I liked the little training video about how it can be used. I think it would be good for planning the summer reading program. I could have links to the sites where we are buying items. I could write notes on the different activities we will be doing and the equipment needed for each day. I could also jot notes about who the entertainer will be and when they'll arrive (I always forget). I could keep track of participants and prizes so far. Maybe in the future, I can get participant's e-mail address so I can send out reminders and progress reports. Stikkit seems like it would be a useful site for keeping track of all those little details that can get lost in the shuffle. I know I end up with lots of little notes--mostly I remember to place holds or check on things that patrons ask me about, but I also tend to forget. It might be a good way of keeping track of some of the details of this job.
3. On-line calendars can be very useful. Sending out e-mail reminders of meetings would be great. If my Friends of the Library had computers, I wouldn't have to mail out the agenda. I'm sure many of the people in the book discussion have e-mail, so that would be good to have some contact with them. It also might be a good way to get the word out a little further if we have a visiting author. We have had some disappointing crowds for our authors. This would also go for the summer reading events, although usually we have a good showing for those.
4. Not sure if I need an on-line to do list. The one that I tried seemed a little cumbersome. There were separate pages for separate lists. The small one by my computer seems to work if I just want to remind myself to do some things.
5. I did try out Backpack (see #2).
6. I tried Spongecell. This seems like a good site for making a list of events. It also has a place to make e-mail contacts, so I may try this out for my book discussion group. Next time we meet, I'll ask if anyone wants an e-mail reminder and if they do, I'll put them in spongecell and see how that works. I tried Doodle, but my event seemed a little deadended. There didn't seem to be a place to send out e-mail. I also signed up for "Tadalist". This was the site that had separate pages for each list. I liked the Backpack site that seemed to have everything on one page.
All in all, Thing 13 was fun. It was very eye-opening in terms of resources available. I can see where these tools would be very useful for large projects.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Blogging Prompts
Of all the sites I looked at, Reddit had the most interesting articles. First of all there were more to choose from and secondly, they had more of a left-leaning slant. I read a few articles on each site, but the most compelling was on Reddit.
At this point, they detract from my productivity. If I am busy reading what the latest buzz on the web is, I'm less inclined to help my patrons or organize my books, make displays, plan activities etc. I know of one person who uses the StumbleUpon site and he is notoriously unproductive. I hate to be cynical. There are some great articles on these sites, but they don't relate directly to what I do.
I read a great article on the Reddit site (can't remember where it came from) that was about the 7 characteristics of a country about to undergo a revolution. The author successfully argued that the U.S. had all of the qualities of a country on the verge a major change. Heady stuff. Useful? Not sure.
At this point, they detract from my productivity. If I am busy reading what the latest buzz on the web is, I'm less inclined to help my patrons or organize my books, make displays, plan activities etc. I know of one person who uses the StumbleUpon site and he is notoriously unproductive. I hate to be cynical. There are some great articles on these sites, but they don't relate directly to what I do.
I read a great article on the Reddit site (can't remember where it came from) that was about the 7 characteristics of a country about to undergo a revolution. The author successfully argued that the U.S. had all of the qualities of a country on the verge a major change. Heady stuff. Useful? Not sure.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Mille Lacs Lake Comments
This is an experiment to see how Zoho writer works compared to Goggle docs. So far they seem quite a bit alike--like using a word document on-line. Although in the past, when I was writing for a medical facility this would have been perfect because there were a lot of editors involved with my story. It would have made it easier to iron out differences and put together a document that everyone could live with. Right now, I only do a newsletter for Mille Lacs Library and I am the only who who has to see the paper.
Comments on Blog Prompts
There certainly is potential in using del.icio.us as a research tool. As you mark sites for possible research, you can see what other sites are being used for people with common interests. If I were doing my Master's thesis today, instead of in the dark ages before computers, my research sources might be entirely different. I might have been able to contact people who were experts in my topic area (18th century English Lit) and get more perspective. I don't see a lot of academic research at the public library. Maybe in the future, the library will have more of an Internet presence, instead of just a card catalog. In that case, then sites for storytime or homeschoolers or tax information might be bookmarked for our library patrons.
Our library currently has "weblinks"--maybe in the future those links will be on a del.icio.us site instead of on ours. This might allow for more networking between patrons. Tagging is a useful way to track information but there are so many different contexts that a word can be used that it isn't always relevant. A search for "library" tags turned up many articles about the George W. Bush Presidential Library.
Our library currently has "weblinks"--maybe in the future those links will be on a del.icio.us site instead of on ours. This might allow for more networking between patrons. Tagging is a useful way to track information but there are so many different contexts that a word can be used that it isn't always relevant. A search for "library" tags turned up many articles about the George W. Bush Presidential Library.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
del.icio.us
Del.icio.us is a website that allows you to bookmark your favorite websites. You can then check to see what other people have bookmarked your favorite sites. It's sort of a network of websites. I have, for example, bookmarked ecrl.lib.mn.us as a website. Four other people have also bookmarked this site, including "bmisselt" (ECRL Director). By clicking on her name, I can see what other sites she has bookmarked. Her first five sites are SirsiDynix, Kananbec County Times, Internet frog.com, Chippewa Herald and Star Tribune. I only have four websites on my bookmark.
I haven't found a use yet for tagging--maybe it is like a shorthand way of finding a site if I have numerous. With four, I can keep track of where they are without a tag. I am tagging these blog postings though, for whoever evaluates them. I'm tagging each with their Thing number. Well, one more website with a log in. One more thing to occasionally check. It will be interesting to see which ones I keep up with.
I did finally get to do some IM the other day. A teenage girl said that she would be my Yahoo instant messenger friend. I was able to "message" with Leah so I consider that I have at least tried this type of communication. It was fun, but unless I can IM with someone about library business, I am probably wasting my time.
I haven't found a use yet for tagging--maybe it is like a shorthand way of finding a site if I have numerous. With four, I can keep track of where they are without a tag. I am tagging these blog postings though, for whoever evaluates them. I'm tagging each with their Thing number. Well, one more website with a log in. One more thing to occasionally check. It will be interesting to see which ones I keep up with.
I did finally get to do some IM the other day. A teenage girl said that she would be my Yahoo instant messenger friend. I was able to "message" with Leah so I consider that I have at least tried this type of communication. It was fun, but unless I can IM with someone about library business, I am probably wasting my time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
