Summarization about my experience with 23 things

1. My favorite exercises on this journey were learning to blog, adding pictures, You Tube and the fun clips, success in putting Rollyo on my blog, working with other people to accomplish some steps.

2. It is a step in becoming more aware of technology and the realization I need to be more than aware of technology but to fine tune skills on certain sites.

3. I was surprised that I like You tube and that it was easier to use than so many other sites for a novice. I was surprised I needed as much assistance as I did from others. I thought it would be more user friendly for a novice. I like to read and follow directions but I found steps of importance were left out.

4. I think it would help to do levels: novice, intermediate, advanced. I think for the novice to give specific projects for each site to find and clearly give steps in advance to follow in how to do it would be very helpful. To have the step by step help sheets in advance of each step would be nice because without the sheet from Rollyo that a colleague got at the help session, we would never have accomplished putting it on the blog. Help was offered but inexperience makes it impossible to ask helpful questions.

5. If offered again I would try it since I want to improve and grow in my use of computer technology. The incentives would help me to do it again also. I'm not sure I would complete it if it was not broken down and more clearly explained.

6. Frustrating but I made it! Accomplishment but tempered by not being able to go immediately to the sites and use them without work.

e-books

I've been fascinated with e-books for sometime. I think the available titles are amazing. Although I've told customers about them, I'm not sure how to market them to customers as I can't show them how it works from within the library. After working on the computer all day, I find sitting at the computer to read not a pleasant thought and to read from a hand held device is fine for short pieces but something with length is not enjoyable to me.

Project Gutenberg

I used Project Gutenberg. After perusing it, I think it is helpful to know what books are past copyright or not under copyright for possible use in other programs, book clubs or book talks. I'm not sure from there what else I would do with this project. I looked at other group project ideas but am not sure where I would go from here.

#21- Useful search tools for locating Podcasts

Today I experimented with the Pod cast Net. etc. I found that they would not work for various reasons on the computer. A colleague said they failed to work when he/she attempted. I went to merlin... and had success. I found the LibVibe News to be helpful and interesting. I need help putting LibVibeNews into my blog. I copied imformation about creating my own podcast and look forward to trying this as well. I went into yahoopod and found thisRSS: http://feeds.feedburner.com/TheLibraryCh... on the library channel. Interesting. Also I was pleased to be able to add this to the blog.

You tube

I went back to Youtube today and discovered under the category libraries some interesting videos. Since My husband loves the A- Team,I especially liked the L-Team. It gave me ideas of how to use this to promote libraries and their services to Youtube users and to add it to our website to explain or demonstrate how to use- the dewey decimal system or any of our databases. A podcast or video could be added. Once I figured out the problem with my not verifying my google account I found this one of the most useful and fun sights.

The reason I chose the donut video from the muppets is that It was national cream doughnut day. I was also just trying to get youtube to work.

Muppet Show - Swedish Chef - making donut

Happy Cream Donut day! I was in Youtube and found this video about donuts from the muppets. I had trouble using YouTube because i had not verified my google Account. Here goes !

Web 2.0

Today I experimented or explored Web 2.0. I tried one sentence .org and read one sentence stories. It was an interesting interpretation of what that means. I looked at games. I experimented with travel. The first sight kept telling me to check my departure date which of course I did but received no travel information or prices. I then checked realtravel where people can blog about their trip. I put in Japan and read the blog. Since the person was on a work related trip there was not much on sights to see. It was interesting but I'm not sure how useful. Maybe someone explored web 2.0 and found a sight they found interesting or helpful, if so let me know. Thanks

Zoho experimenting

Here I am back again to try zoho. I had tried this a few minutes earlier and was going to add it to my blog when it disappeared. I will try again to insert a table
1 gallon
4quarts
1 quart
2 pints
1 pint
2 cups







Now that I've added color to the background I'll explore some otherchanges before trying to put this in my blog. It works very similarly to Microsoft word.

I saved zoho as a word document. Then I copied it into my blogger post. The table disappeared and so did the color.

Wikis/ learning 2.0 sandbox

After exploring wikis, I found that I enjoyed the one where the subjects were set up, books were listed and pictured - etc. My only question is where is the time found to do such a wiki. it would be great to promote and easy to send customers to use but the time involved to keep it updated and helpful would be a major job.

I also wrote a favorite on the sandbox wiki. I did not succeed in placing it in the list- but it is on the sight somewhere. It is a fun sight to visit and read.

Del.icio.us, Technorati, Tagging,Library 2.0

I used Del.icio.us PLCMCL2 and went to What the Director is reading. I found this might be helpful for reader's advisory but am not sure of how to use it myself. Technorati was also looked at. I looked at several of the top blogs and favoirte searches. It definitely seemed more like a social thing then anything of great value to me. Library 2.0- After reading articles on icebergs , I think it would be interesting to meet with librarians in the system and discuss the changes in the future or as I get more comfortable with the blogging and chatting to discuss it on line. Being in a branch that likes printed material, I'm wondering how this online will go over. I do agree that if you have to train than the system is too difficult to use.

Librarything.com

Today I started to catalogue books that I am currently reading. I'm adding notes and am planning to use this for reader's advisory. I think that this tool will prove most helpful to me . I'm hoping I'll update it with books I read or find for customers who like a certain genre. If someone asks for a good mystery , etc I'll be able to pull up this list to help. I have not explored how to include other's opinions from this tool. My goal is to look at this step in the future.

Play Week--image generator and Rollyo

I have played around a bit with online image generator. I have looked at the Library Thing and at Rollyo. I attempted to make a search tool and did but it did not save. I will need to start over when I have more time to play. Attaching what I do to this blog is another challenge for me for another day.

RSS & Merlin visited

Today I visited to see if RSS had received the feeds I put on yesterday as the site had problems and shut down. I was pleased to see the feeds and enjoyed reading several of them. I'm intrigued by the gaming oportunites to all libraries and their customers to join a free gaming tournament. I wondered if the teens and early 20"s would be interested in this and how it was made available and if it was made available at BCPL. I've enjoyed this but wonder how often I'll get to check this sight. I am getting help to put this on my blog.

technology related

At home we've signed on to skyp in order to communicate with many friends , we have overseas. We are especially glad to be able to communicate with our friends from France in Japan. We still have to get a headset with microphone to make it work more conveniently.
I feel spoiled by this type of technology.

Flickr

Sure enough I find it challenging to keep up with blogging and Maryland 23 things. Today I went into Flickr. i registered . I brought up photos by downloading them to the desktop and then uploading into flickr. I gave the photos tags and descriptions. I'm not sure what to do with them now that they are in flickr but maybe that's next.

Thing #2 71/2 things observations #2 71/2 things

This will be fun and I don't mind playing with it. The toughest things will be having confidence and keeping up each week or each day. Here we go with trying some other steps. Accepting responsibility for my own learning is a strength where having confidence is a weakness.

Goals: Become aware of technology and become comfortable using it.
2. Time and not growing up with technology
3.
4. Resources: Library, friends, books
5. first do 23 things; then go back and revisit each when complete and have time and need to use it.

This is my contract which I signed.

Address for blog

I once again had difficulty getting into the blog but here we go. I set up a blog address:www.giraffe2.blogspot.com. . This is easy to access and I discovered that one is for the public to access and to add to my blog I must go into blogger.com. I used the name giraffe 2 because I collect giraffes. they are a symbol of peace. They are up and Lookin up is what I need to do daily.

starting MD 23

My fingers are sliding on the keys because due to illness in the branch, the keyboard has been disinfected.

My first time and day with blogging has proved eventful. After writing , the first blog I could not get back in to change or add to the blog. A co worker helped me to realize that I will need to keep records on how to sign in to all these activities. Each will have a different password--etc.

Now I will attempt to add a picture.

Keep looking up!

What up:

Pikesville's new ceilings are up
Wires are hanging from some ceiling

Goldfinch are up at home!

The sun is up and radiant!

God is up!