Thing 69

Easy lesson related to Library 2.0 Thing #8 (Make life "really simple" with RSS & a newsreader-Bloglines).

FeedMyInbox is very easy to use. Just have to remember that when it asks for a website URL, it means the RSS feed address.

I signed up for CNN's Most Popular Stories RSS feed. Confirmation email was instantaneous. And as soon as I clicked the confirmation link, it popped up that the subscription was confirmed. It's easy to add additional feeds--you just keep clicking the Add Another Feed link.

Nothing much else to say. Good to recommend to news hungry patrons. Plus, it's great that it goes directly to your email instead of making you log into another web site.

Thing 68 Filtering Flickr

Fun lesson about 2 web sites that locate images posted on Flickr.

flickrCC: I like how once you pick a picture, it has links for editing inhouse or using Picnik.

Tag Galaxy: I like this one just for how neat it looks as you go from a 'galaxy' of pictures to a 'globe' to an individual picture.

Thing 67 Stress Savers

Very, very, very useful lesson.

I can recommend these websites to many people, along with using them for both myself and to help patrons.


Dial A Human: The best stress saver ever--tells you exactly what you need to do to reach a human being instead of being stuck in all those automated telephone menus for many companies.


Custom Guide: free quick reference guides to many computer programs. These may be useful to try with some of our library patrons that need a great deal of computer help.

Where is Your Username Registered?: I like how you can not only see if you can use that username, but remind yourself where you may have already registered accounts for yourself (or see who else really liked to use that name).

Thing 66 Directory 2.0

Lesson about two great directories of websites organized by topics.


AllMyFavs.com is very eye-catching, with all the website icons. It has lots and lots of categories of websites. Really seems to have anything you want right on the home page. As it's logo says, "Why Search?"


43marks.com is much more low-key. Text only and not as many categories as AllMyFavs.com. But does have nice searching, where you can toggle between Google & Yahoo search results.

Thing 65 Current Economic Crisis of 2008

Not a happy lesson, but it's true that it's on all our minds.

Lots of links to articles about the financial crisis.
Kiplinger.com: 15 Things You Need to Know About the Panic of 2008
BusinessPundit.com: Subprime Primer
Time.com: Credit Crunch: Where is it happening?
MSNBC.com: Economy in Turmoil: How the global financial crisis has unfolded interactive timeline
The New York Review of Books, www.nybooks.com: The Financial Crisis: An Interview with George Soros
HowStuffWorks.com: How can mortgage-backed securities bring down the U.S. economy?
Slate.com: Many articles found when you search: Mortgage Crisis
Wikipedia.com: Subprime mortgage crisis & Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008
NPR.com's Planet Money: Understanding the Crisis
Another radio show--This American Life (www.thislife.org): 365: Another Frightening Show About the Economy
Metafilter.com: Questions, answers and postings--link doesn't work unless you're a member of Metalife (which is not free), can search bailout or economic crisis and find articles to read.

Anyways, I guess it's better to be an informed depressed person about the economy instead of an ignorant depressed person about the economy. That would be why I had such a great drive back and forth to the Summer Reading Workshop last week in Wooster, OH, when the people riding with me insisted we listen to NPR on the radio. Such joy to hear all the bad economic news both here and around the world.

Thing 64 One Hit Wonders

Fun lesson of many sites to try:

CopyPasteCharacter.com
--I would definitely use this site sometimes when typing up foriegn language rhymes/songs for storytimes
Kuku Klok
--humorous, not useful for me
Stormpulse
--interesting to see storm track, sent it to my father (a weather addict)
Pixadus
--not really useful for me
Fake Name Generator
--the site to go to when a patron needs help coming up with a unique username
PicApp
--good picture searching site, I used it for the picture below:

I used Regator to locate a blog posting on Cool Websites and Tools. It nicely summarizes quite a few useful websites and tools out there.

Thing 63

Another interesting lesson about a different pdf tool to recommend to patrons. Foxit Reader 2.3 is nice, but I do wish that it worked right on the web--I dislike having to install more software on my computer. There is also the fact that the typewriter tool is actually part of the 'paid pro pack' version of Foxit Reader. You can use it free for one year, then you must pay for it.

Comparing Facebook and Myspace

I decided that since we finally had a lesson requiring us to make a Facebook page, then I should also try out the massively popular Myspace. So I now have both a Myspace page and Facebook page. In comparing the two sites, here is what I've found:

Facebook:
Limits layouts--you cannot have massively creative backgrounds (or annoying backgrounds as I've seen posted by some bloggers on their blogs) Facebooks alternative is that you can add applications to your page which will add pictures. Uses applications to add anything extra to your profile page, such as: video, music, pictures, etc. You cannot add HTML or Javascript to your descriptions of yourself or interests. Allows you to join Networks--very tricky to join college networks as they require college email (really cute thing--their discontinuing the college networks [maybe all networkds] soon. I got an email address from my college alumni to be able to join the alumni college network, and as soon as I completed the network sign-up, it came up with a note that networks would soon be discontinued!) Still, it's nice that everything in your profile is clickable--you click on it & Facebook checks for other Facebook people that have that item in their profile.

Myspace:
Allows you to add fun, creative backgrounds. Lets you add music to your profile & vdieos. Let's you add HTML/Javascript to your entries about yourself, your interests, etc.

Both:
Allow you to find and add friends and will show your friends on your profile. Allow you to join groups (found many Library-related groups to join on both sites), but only Facebooks shows your groups on your profile page.

That's pretty much all I've found so far in my comparison.

Thing 62

Good lesson to know; although, I'd rather find another PDF form filler that doesn't want to keep adding logos to the PDFs. If you mention this to a library patron, you kind of have to point out that they will only be able to fill out 2 non-editable PDF forms for free at PDFescape. After that they will have to buy some credits with real money.

I'm looking forward to the next lesson. Maybe Topia will be completely free and not add logsos.

Thing 61

It was interesting to do this lesson, researching libraries on Facebook. I found that both my undergrad & grad college libraries are available as apps on Facebook:

Alvernia Library Search

BISON Catalog-UB Libraries

I added some library apps to my profile: Library Gifts, Librarian, My Library Thing, National Archives Libraries & Museum. And I "became a fan" of: Library Journal and Internet Public Library. Finally, I joined some library groups: Libraries and Librarians, Librarians and Facebook, FacebookAppsForLibraries, Library 2.0 Interest Group, and Don't Mess With Me, I Worked in a Public Library.

I noticed that some libraries have created and made available a Ask A Librarian facebook app for their library systems.

I think it would be great if we could get the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County added as a profile page on Facebook. Plus, maybe Ohio's Know It Now could be added as an app on Facebook.

Thing 60

I completed the lesson. Facebook is another way to connect with people on the web. It is fairly easy to use, check out my profile. I had problems trying to add some networks--the colleges I attended required a college email address, as an alumnus I don't have a current college email. The good thing about this lesson is just getting some practice in for using Facebook so I can help any patrons if they have problems using it.

Thing 59

Great lesson for all of us librarians--and any bibliophiles out there! The Book Report Network is a great resource. I've used the Kidsreads.com site before, but never saw a link from it to the other sites connected by The Book Report Network:

TheBookReportNetwork.com
BookReporter.com
ReadingGroupGuides.com
AuthorYellowPages.com
AuthorsOnTheWeb.com
FaithfulReader.com
Teenreads.com
Kidsreads.com

Great for reader's advisory! I will definitely be using these resources again and again.

I would add that while these are great, they aren't the only reader's advisory sites. I was sadly disappointed that some of my favorite fantasy/sci-fi authors are not listed--however I know other really terrific specialized web sites for fantasy/sci-fi:
Fantastic Fiction
Scifan
Sf Site
and for mystery:
Stop, You're Killing Me!
romance:
Sequels and Prequels for Romance Novels
The Romance Reader
Still looking for a really great Christian Fiction resource with many more authors than FaithfulReader.com.
Another great all-inclusive reader's advisory site:
Reader's Robot

Thing 58

This is a good lesson to return to each year at this time for ideas for Earth Day. Of course, it can be used year round, too, to help us all live a 'greener' life.

Great sites listed in this lesson:
Going Green Matters
Daily Green
Yahoo! Green
Earthday Network
National Geographic's Green Guide
Time's Top 15 Environmental Websites

I think since Yahoo was listed, to be fair I wanted to include Google
Google Goes GreenGoogle 2008 Earth Day

Something I found using a library magazine & the web: Book Links just did an issue in March devoted to science and the environment--web connections for Green Earth Book Award, Appreciating the Wonders of Nature, and Wet and Wonderful Books About Aquatic Life can be found at: http://www.ala.org/ala/productsandpublications/periodicals/booklinks/webconnections/webconnectionsmar2008.cfm

My 'green' project at home this year is to replace all my light bulbs with the more enegy efficient bulbs. I do drive a fuel efficient car--not a hybrid (costs too much, maybe in the future if they ever lower the prices on those vehicles). Hey--why is it that healthier options for the environment and for ourselves always cost more???!!!

Thing 57

This lesson didn't really teach anything other than showing all of us a great web site with photos of food linked directly to their recipes--Tastespotting.com a photo-foodies dream cookbook. I liked how easy it was to add photo and recipe link, and I found some interesting recipes to try sometime. It was fun to read some of them as they came from other blogs (not just recipe sites like Allrecipes.com), so you got a real story behind the recipe. That Famous Chocolate Icebox Cake was lots of fun to read, with a sad ending.

Thing 56

Smilebox assignment. Easy to do. Similar to Scrapblog--but without viewing problems (Scrapblog never liked fitting itself into display so you could read & click buttons). You can make scrapbooks, postcards, email cards, slideshows, etc.

Here's the URL to my Smilebox creation:

http://smilebox.com/playEmail/4d7a41344d5455304d5877324d6a59324e5467780d0a&sb=1

I think it was easier to just post it directly to my blog than to email it to myself and then copy/paste the URL into a blog entry. Not sure what the point of that part of the assignment was.

Library uses--obvious, you can use it make computerized scrapbooks. Also, online invitation postcards to announce programs.

Austintown Library Smilebox creation

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

Computer Generated Flannel Boards updated

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Thing 55

This was both a learning experience and fun assignment.

I had never actually made a PowerPoint Presentation before. Now I had a reason to make one, and I even had an idea on what to put in it, since I had just recently come up with a tutorial for my fellow librarians. It was easy to do--may not be the most polished presentation, but for a first time attempt, I'm happy. Now I had something to upload into SlideShare. Uploading was interesting--I know we have a fast connection, but the presentation did not upload fast. I actually ended up uploading it 3 times because it didn't seem like the uploader was working--took over 24 hours for the presentation(s) to actually upload and convert to SlideShare's coding for the web. I did find searching, embedding presentations in blog, and embedding SlideShare widgets in blog very easy to do.

I can see this as being a very useful web application to promote to people needing to do PowerPoint presentations. Great that you just put your presentation on the web and then it's available anywhere you go that has internet access.

My Own Slideshare

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Slideshow found using SlideShare

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Thing 54

Great assignment! I really like Bookjetty. It's very easy to use. I like the ease in adding books to my library, easily marking them as wanted, reading, or read. The tie in with Amazon.com works great--I discovered upcoming books by my favorite authors that I very much want!

What more can I say...I just really like it alot. One of the best book-related sites that Library 2.0 and Library 2.1 have pointed out to us.

Thing 53

This was another interesting assignment. Good to know that there is a web site for book clubs like Litlover; however, I did find it very limited. Litlovers is devoted only to lovers of 'serious' literature. They actually call it "imaginative fiction" as opposed to escapist "formulaic fiction". And, according to the first lit course, they seem to say that all fiction is either one or the other. Looking at the Reading Guides for books, they are further limiting "imaginative fiction" to mainly those books suggested by Oprah's Book Club--must be realistic fiction of any time period, dealing with serious issues.

My main problem with all of this is that there is great literature done in other genres than just best-selling realistic &/or historical fiction. It seems like they are saying any other books are just pure "formulaic fiction". This is a severe limit to the audience for this web site--so many people read mysteries, romance, suspence, thrillers, sci-fi, westerns, biographies, other non-fiction, etc. Many books in these genres are challenging, not written to just one basic repetitive, simplistic formula. I, myself, read a great variety of books. I 'escape' into anything I read. Many times I learn new things from what I'm reading, whether it's non-fiction, biography, fantasy, sci-fi, or mystery. None of the authors I've read for myself are listed on their site. I guess my mistake is that I've never been fond of the books that make the bestseller lists or the 'classic books' assigned by teachers.

In all--I found it a 'stuffy' web site that looks down on other types of fiction. I've come across that attitude before. I once had a class where we were actually assigned to read a science fiction book--one student who did not like sci-fi wanted me to tell her all about the book so she wouldn't have to 'demean' herself by reading it.

For the library, I guess we can recommend the site to any book clubs and patrons working on books promoted by Oprah.

Thing 52

This was an interesting assignment. Clipmarks seems to have a pretty good webapp up and running. I wish you didn't have to install the button on Internet Explorer to do it, though. Once installed, I did find it easy to clip and post to the blog. I also embedded my clipcast in my blog--you can see it at the bottom of my blog page. I could clip sentences, paragraphs, images, and video, and post them directly to my blog and/or save them to my clipcast. I learned one slight bug with Clipmarks--apparently video clips can be posted to the blog but will not save correctly to a clipcast.

Library applications--I can see this as very useful for online reference work. You can send clips as answers. Great thing about the clips, too, is that Clipmarks automatically puts the source info. (website) with the clip.

Trying to Clip a Video

clipped from www.youtube.com

Dragon lore from www.strangescience.net

first time clipping

clipped from www.strangescience.net Despised in the West and revered in the East, dragons have a long history in human mythology. How did the myth start? No one knows the exact answer, but some "dragon" bones probably belonged to animals long extinct — in some cases dinosaurs, in others, fossil mammals. Starting in the early 19th century, scientists began to find a new kind of monster, one that had gone extinct tens of millions of years before the first humans evolved. Because the first fragments found looked lizard-like, paleontologists assumed they had found giant lizards, but more bones revealed animals like nothing on earth today. Did these terrible lizards ever coexist with people? No. Although some creationists claim that medieval dragons were really dinosaurs that survived into modern times, this notion enjoys no support from any credible scientist

Thing 51

I’ve recently read articles for and against having libraries join social networks on the web--librarians all for it while some non-librarians (but hopefully library patrons) are against it. One article I read was in Computers in Libraries (November/December 2007 vol. 27 no. 10 issue). For myself, I’m all for it.

Libraries & Librarians already do physical outreach driving to preschools, etc. Social Networking on the Web just means extending our outreach into the Internet. I really liked what I read in the sites linked to from this assignment. In searching the web for more examples of what other libraries have done, I found some other great sites:

http://www.webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=17981 has a really great article about how a library can set up a social network on the web

http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Social_Networking_Software is a great wiki with examples of libraries social networking on the web

Meredith Farkas' Informations Wants to be Free Blog has a great blog entry pro/con about libraries social networking

TameTheWeb.com has a couple relevant entries for this topic:
http://tametheweb.com/2008/02/25/links-in-the-hyperlinked-library-2008/
http://tametheweb.com/2007/04/the_social_library.html

These were just a few sites I found doing a simple search for Libraries and Social Networking. So much more came up, pointing out that many libraries & librarians are thinking about this and actually doing it. It is so great to see what other libraries are already doing. I just hope that my library will someday be doing those things as well.

Thing 50

Ok assignment. It was somewhat fun to look for something odd to cook or to watch a famous actor that I like cooking. I’m not really into cooking, so didn’t find anything I would actually want to make. I would recommend imcooked.com to any patrons into both cooking and computers, though--especially if they enjoy watching cooking shows on TV.

Thing 49

Great assignment for work. I really like Soundsnaps sound effects—I browsed by category under Animals, then Insects. There are great Insect sound effects to download for bees, crickets, etc. I can see adding that sound to our library web pages for Summer Reading this year—have insect sounds playing in the background as people read about our many fun programs for the theme Catch the Reading Bug @ Your Library. For other times of year, I can see just picking a sound to add to the website to identify that month. October Halloween spooky sounds would certainly be lots of fun to add.




I must say Musigy looks neat. I would definitely recommend it to any musicians I know.

Thing 48

It was fun to look for free songs to download. I like that you can play all of them for free at Music.download.com, even if you can’t download them for free. Easy to find the free songs--when you click on the yellow ###### beside words free MP3, it automatically brings up the free MP3s. However, once you change how the songs are sorted, the songs that now show up are not all downloadable free MP3s. It took me a while to find one that I liked which I could download for free.

The downloading was easy as well—just like downloading anything from the internet, Of course, you always want to keep track of where you are saving your download and what name you saved it as so you can find it afterwards.

I think this site would be really easy for patrons to use.

Thing 47

This exercise was a lot of fun. Even me, who is not instrumentally inclined--I can sing, but not play an instrument--could make music at Jamstudio. I emailed my song and you can try hearing it here.

Thing 46 Updates

Well, I didn't really need to do this exercise. Since our library system didn't start Library 2.0 until July 2007, most of the updates PLCMC has discovered to Blogger, Flickr & Mashups, Bloglines, Finding RSS, The Generator, LibraryThing, Rollyo, Del.icio.us, and Technorati were already in place. Obviously, The Generator blog is always updating, reporting new image generators out there. I have discovered that those image generators that I've used to add items to my blog don't always continue to work. And really, that's all I can say. In another year (or less), there undoubtedly will be changes that are new for those of us at PLYMC.