Thing 23

I do feel more confident now when I encounter something new. My daughter gave me a digital camera for Christmas and showed me how to post my pictures on FB. Just this past weekend I was able to post pics from my sisters' visit without any help! She is still my technical adviser, but I am more willing to try something on my own. I have also shared things I have learned with her, so now it is a two way street. My mother is determined to learn how to use her laptop and after many failed attempts she now has a great tutor. I am so proud of her and see how she is not letting it intimidate her. I hope she gets a FB account soon, but I think she will mostly use it for shopping and getting information. Thanks for the lessons, I will try to keep exploring.

Thing 21

I would start by showing them something that is easy and addictive. I loved looking at and sharing pictures in flikr.com. It would be very easy to scroll through all of those beautiful pictures for hours! Then I might do something fun, like elfyourself.com. I think the staff here had the most fun with that assignment and even if it is not the Holiday season it people will get a kick out of it and see something concrete that they "created". For a new person in town (this is a very transient area) I would show them meetup.com, where they can see local people with similar interests and meet up with them in real life (not just online). Dictionary.com is a staple for me because I love words and word origins, but I can't spell! To me it is easier to see the definition and know I have the right word than to use spell check. I think Kidshealth.com is a great resource for first time (or anytime) parents. I would have loved this source when I was raising my children. I will encourage them to use it as they start their own families. For another fun site I would choose Thesartorialist.com to see pictures of everyday people (in Paris, Milan, NYC etc) looking fab. Much more interesting than fashion magazines because it shows how clothes are put together in the "real" world.

Thing 20 -Better late than never!

 Under Communicate, I looked at Knol (beta site) This is set up for people to share what they know on different topics. It is somewhat similar to Wikipedia. Under Search, I looked at Patents (also a beta site) that lists and gives details for over 7 million patents. This site would be very useful for people who have an idea for an invention to see if someone already has a patent.

I set up an iGoogle page and selected Entertainment (TVguide.com), Music (Concert listings/songs/music feed) and Humor (Calvin & Hobbs comics). It was very easy to set up and I did save it, because you can never get enough Calvin & Hobbs!

Thing 23

I've actually used some of the things that we have learned. I made the mistake of walking past the computers and got sucked into the blackhole of needy patrons. Where it starts with just one wanting help and then four more want help, and you were just going to quickly grab a book and run back to the answer center.
I hope I can just retain what I've learned. I've had fun with most of it and some frustration a few times.
Thank you Tammy, Diane,Pattie, Elizabeth, Tammie and everyone else who answered my whiney cries for HELP.

Thing 22 Survey

Did the survey.

Thing 21

My favorite sites that we used were:
Cardkarma-It was great for Christmas! We recieved a lot of e-cards this year, they were so cute!
Elfing- I LOVED that! It was so fun elfing the dogs and the kids.
Photobucket-So I could use the above apts I needed photobucket and it is also friendly with facebook.
Shelfit-I really love this site,it's fun to play with and keep track of what I've read,or had to send back. I have the memory of a nat.
Google doc- I like this because it's user friendly and practical. I'm recommending it to the knights they really need it. They are always updating documents and meeting minutes.
Podbean.net-I liked this because it had old time radio shows and some shows that I had missed. It would also be a place where you could post your show from there. My cousin is a preacher in the UP, I thought this would be a great way for him to still get his sermon out on Sundays that they are snowed in.
Webjunction-I liked this site for all of the unlimited info geared to librarians. It has everything you can imagine including a lot of advice on how to deal with difficult patrons. A lot!

Thing 20

For Thing 20 I did Google Calendar. I signed up acouple of friends hoping that they also have a calendar account, that way maybe it will make it easier for us to get our schedules figured out so we can go to breakfast. I had a hard time trying to get pictures to upload and find gadgets.
Then I made an IGoogle account, once Tammy got me started I got a little carried away. I plan on keeping it as my (page?). There is fluff and nonsense on both but there are also apts that I use when I'm at the answer center, like unit converter with currency exchange, Hubble telescope so I can see the alien invasion (the green kind) of the planet. Two weather apts one will tell you the weather here and where ever else you would like, and the other is Doppler Radar with alerts. My husband uses both of those at work. I stopped after page 26 of apts. Alot were games and vertial pets but there was also just as many useful and educational apts also.
The only one I had a hard time on was trying to get the Guide dog blog to actually show up instead of the vegetarian site. I think Yvonne wants that site, she was trying to convince me that jelly beans are a food group.
Just before she shanked me. Anybody have any bond money?

Thing 23

Even though there have been some frustrating times trying to figure out how to make things work, it has actually been fun and very informative. I had no idea what all is out there. I know I won't use everything that I learned, but there are some areas that I can't wait to explore more thoroughly.

This might be a good class for some patrons wanting to learn more about the internet and what it has to offer. But I think it would have to be small classes where they will be able to give more one on one help.

Thanks Tammy and Diane for putting this together! And thanks Patty for being our group leader.

Thing 23

I knew that it seemed like this project was going on "forever", but I was surprised in looking back that we had been doing this since November. I had no idea it had been that long! lol.

Eventhough I consider myself somewhat computer literate, I have been awakened to a vast knowledge and entertainment base that I was mostly unaware of. There is a never ending cyberworld out there if you only take the time to find it.

Thanks Tammy and Diane for getting us started and please keep the "23 Things Blog" active so when I have more time I can still go back and fully explore some of the sites that you have recommended. You know, may you should use that as a template for our patrons to get them started as well.

Thing 22

Survey completed

Thing 21

For Newbies:

Use I Google for your home page. Very easy to set up and navigate through.

For group collaborations use Google Docs. This is a site I would have loved to have been able to have had available for my past job. Everyone in your group contributes their own info and I really liked the comments section where you could explained the reasoning behind your entry.

For music use Pandora for the ease of use and that they pick "like" artists to add to your channel.

Searching use Google.com. and also use Google Chrome as your search engine. Both work well together. Chrome doesn't load a bunch of unnecessary background stuff that you don't need and only slows up the uploading and downloading.

For pictures use Photobucket. It takes a little while to set up, but after that it is a breeze.

For social networks use Facebook. This is a great tool to keep in touch with you friends and family. I very rarely check my email anymore.

Thing 22

Completed the survey.

Thing 21

Site 1 I personally think the best site for looking up pretty much anything is of course, google.com. I had no idea what all it has to offer. It's very easy to navigate even for computer newbies.

Site 2 Would be diigo.com. This site is really great for people who use different computers but still want easy access to their favorite web sites. I just went back to look it over again and there are several new features being offered now. Like web highlighter for Ipad. It's nice to know that they are upgrading the site as different things become important to people.

Site 3 Of course you can't forget about music. For that I would recommend last.fm. There are so many different types of music offered, even from different eras. So I think it would be a great site for people of all ages.

Site 4 Pictures are very important to most people and being able to download, edit and send them to family and friends without having to pay for an expensive program is great. I know a lot of people use and love photobucket.com. I didn't take the time to explore all of it, but I think it's something that I'm going to try to do in the near future.

Site 5 For people who like to keep up to date on news, crafts, books, etc... Google reader is the site to try. I still try to remember to look at my page a couple of times a week. I haven't added anymore to it, but that's because I've been busy.

Site 6 I will recommend google docs to anyone who is working in a group. I think it's great that you can work on the same project without having to be at the same place. I wish this had been available when my kids were in school. It was hard to get a group of kids together outside of school hours to work on a project. And this way no one can lose it like you can a paper.

When it comes right down to it, I think showing people some of the things that google alone offers will give them pretty much everything they are looking for.

Thing 23: The End

Read some of my earlier posts. One was "Help, you'll be hearing a lot from me". Well, I did need direction on downloading a picture to a post. After that I was able to go solo. The slide show thing - I recall plowing my way through that one without help. Guess you can teach an old dog new tricks! Appreciated the opportunity to learn what's out there. In the end I was able to navigate my way through these sites. Personally, I will still google for info., maybe You Tube for fun, maybe a music site. Now I'm going to cancel accounts that I had to set up.

Thing 22: Survey

Took the survey.

Thing 21: Show what you know

My suggestions to a person interested in:
1) general information on a variety of topics- try google.com; no account needed.
2) daily updates from a variety of sources- set up an account with Google Reader and add feeds.i.e., links to the newspapers and sources you want. Each day news from all your sources will be at one site.
3) cataloging family photos and sharing those photos- set up an account with Photobucket.
4) cataloging books read - try Library Thing. In addition to the cataloging, a person may share with friends what he is reading and also network with those who have similar reading tastes.
5) videos- try You Tube. A variety of videos are available: old TV shows, scenes from classic movies, music performances, etc.
6) music - try Last.fm. Listen to your favorite music and artists for hours. Can create a playlist, network with other music lovers and can even upload photos.
7) career opportunities- try LinkedIn. Can post your qualifications and interests and wait for feedback. If not job hunting, can simply post ideas or ask for ideas from others in your line of work.
Each of these sites is easy to navigate.

Thing 20

Checked out the calendar, but not sure if I will use it because I keep my calendar and alarms on my Iphone.

I changed my IGoogle theme and now can feed a hamster, use google maps, and see my horoscope.

I will have to admit that it was very easy to make these changes. (Haven't done it before because it just didn't matter to me)

Thing 19

This was a little cumbersome to find anything useful. I checked out the Sesame Street site (I had tried this when my grandson was smaller and you had to join and pay a monthly fee so had never explored it). It is now free and might be something that my grandson would like. I will let him try it today after preschool.

Read Print might come in handy when I have forgotten to bring more library books home for my grandson. Also pretty cool that you can publish your own stories!

Thing 19 Blogging

Boy I got nothing out of this one! And I really tried! I watched 50 Best Web blog sites. 10 Worst blog sites, Groupon...
I just ended up falling asleep in the middle of it. There was nothing that I want to waste my time with.

2/24 Ok, I went back and looked at the 50 top web sites, I belong to Open table, George told me about it acouple of years ago. I use it once in awhile,they send me alerts when a new resturant opens or on holidays they let me know about specials. When you make reservation through Opentable you get points and eventually a free meal.

I also went back and signed up for a Hulu account so now I can watch Glee instead of waiting for one of my kids to let me watch theirs. I just thought that my computer couldn't play it. So we will see. That wasn't me watching Glee in the answer center. Really!

Thing 20

For the Communication Show & Share I chose Google Sketchup. That's where you are design a 3D model of anything. It sounds like it could be fun. We are in the process of redoing our backyard, this might help up to visualize it. On Search I looked at Product Search. I liked that because it searched only the product you are looking for. I wasn't paying attention when I made my IGoogle page and was logged in so it stayed. I'm not sure if I will use it or not. It is kind of nice having a page geared strictly towards your own likes.

Thing 19

To be honest, the only "best of" websites that I've looked at before were Genealogy Sites. But this was pretty cool. I checked out the education sites. The first one was Read Print. It's a free site that offers you the ability to read entire books where the copy write has ended and books from new aspiring authors. This includes Essays, fiction, non-fiction, plays, poetry and short stories. This could really come in handy for students working on reports. Or just the average person wanting to read something no longer in print. The second site that I looked at was CHEGG. It's where you can rent text books for a semester at a fraction of the cost. Where was that when my kids where in college. They advertise being a Green company. Renting books is better than chopping down trees to make more.

Thing 18

I really don't like the idea of children being able to be on a social networking site, but now a days it seems like it's the "norm". I think the sites with more visible parental controls are a good way to go. Unfortunately in this day and age there are still too many people out there that can get on this sites. For the real young kids I like Scuttle Pad since there's guided communication, but I'm not sure how long it would take before they got bored with that. The learning games on the sites sound like they would be a good learning tool. I'm still just not that into social networking sites.

Linkedin would probably be a good tool for certain careers. Getting to know others in your field and job searching. The idea that the site even gives you info. about the companies is good too.

Webjunction - it's good to have a site that offers a place to hear about and discuss different library ideas. I wasn't thrilled that you have to pay for the classes, but at least you can find some there.

Thing 19

I looked at websites under Shopping and Travel (natch) and noticed that many of the 2010 picks were about saving money...Like www.groupon.com, which offers one day discounts on certain goods and services. If enough people buy the coupons, they can get over half off the price.www.gilt.com offers discounts on high end merchandise, that even with the discount is too expensive for me. However I loved the site www.renttherunway.com, where you can rent designer outfits and accessories, at 90% off the retail price, for special occasions! I love this idea because I would spend the same amount anyway, but I don't have to worry about something sitting in my closet because I have no other occasion to wear it. They will send 2 sizes to make sure of the fit, along with a return envelop (no postage required). Too bad I have nothing coming up to test this on, maybe one of my daughters would like to try it for weddings they are going to this year...The 2004 sites I looked at like, www.freshdirect.com, home food delivery service in NYC seem to empathize quality no matter the price. So economy has made a difference, also many of the 2010 sites have mobile apps.

Thing 20: More fun with Google

The first tool I investigated was "Translate" which will translate a foreign document into English. Certainly useful for those who have that need. "Picnik" was just another photo editing site. The "Knol" site allows you to write an article and share your knowledge. There were a lot of different categories. I logged into the science site and found an article on prime numbers, how dogs smell and a "Photographers' Guide to the Geology of Northumberland".

Setting up the igoogle page was easy- polka dots for the theme; Knol, dictionary, song lyrics for the gadgets. I did not save it. I do google for maps, song lyrics, humorous stories or poems for a newsletter I put out. Don't need a custom igoogle page for that.

Practical applications for the public? Sure! Maps, dictionary and any information they want to search for.

Thing 19: Best of Web

Explored the 2004 best of web. On the Words without borders.com site I found an interesting article regarding the revolution in Egypt to depose Mubarak ( who has stepped down recently). This site posts articles of foreign authors that have been translated into English. You are given a non American viewpoint. That can be refreshing.

For fun I went to an SSA. gov site which gave the top 10 male and female names for babies in 2009. My favorite, Michael, is listed in the top ten. Emma and Emily appeared for the girls.


Sites range from serious to amusing so satisfies many tastes.

Thing 18

Even though my kids are grown up, I do have a niece who just turned 8. I am not sure if my sister is aware of the different social networks that she could belong to (with Mom's approval), but I will send her the information. Some of them had some good aspects and all seem to take the security issues very seriously, but there is only so much that can be done. I am sure these sites are not completely safe and that people with bad intent may be able to get in. However, no matter how much society is turning toward online social networks, children/adolescents/teens still need social (face to face) skills. I heard just this week about a study that looked at the declining social skills many children have and linked it to their poor academic performances.
LinkedIn has some good information about different companies and looks like a great source for looking for a new job and/or networking.
The staff training sessions at Webjunction  look much the same as what is offered through TBLC and the city training classes. However the Patron training materials might be something we could use/build on.
While reading information about eReaders I found a section on how some of these devices can be used by the visually impaired without extra cost, just "out of the box". I also read about an iPhone app called Digit-eyes, that uses the iPhone camera to read item labels (like in a grocery store) out loud to the user . I suppose they could also use it to scan the Large Print and Audio sections in the library.

Thing 18 Social Networking

I looked at the different sites for the children, they all claim to be safe, but there is always a way around it. One site you have a monthly fee. On an other they can trade their toys. I would be really mad if my children traded their toys. So to trade their toys they would have to meet? How is that safe? They need to go outside and play anyway, how else are they going to help nice men find their puppies.

I really like Webjunction this I would use! Notice all of the angry patron articles on it.
As far as LinkedIn I don't want to sign up for anything else, but it is pretty impressive. I'm going to recommend it to a friend.

Thing 17

I looked at Gather, under the Life & Style section and found a post about making a Happy List. I love lists and I think this is a good one to create. List people/things/experiences that make you happy and see how it will brighten your day. It was posted by someone enduring a horrible winter up north, but even here in the Sunshine State we have dreary days that can be lightened by this little exercise. I also looked at Ning, where you create your own social network, since there is a cost associated with this ($2.95 - $49.95 per month) I think it is best for businesses large and small. I also thought that the author pages would be a unique way for authors and fans to connect. That being said, I probably would not join any other social networking sites at this time. I barley have time to read and sometimes post to FB.

Thing 17 Social Networking

I have a Facebook account,but sometimes I feel I have to watch what I post on it. I don't feel safe,I never know who all will see what I post, meaning friends of friends.
I checked out the other sites Gather and Ning. I like to quilt so that was what I searched, I found at group that paints quilt blocks on their barns. Apparently you have to join this group and be approved of before you can paint the pattern on your barn. This is in North Carolina.
I'm a little hesitant to join groups, I'm afraid of being a silver alert on US19, and having Nancy Grace showing my picture and screaming at my relatives. What I'm trying to say is it's probably good for someone who has a hobby, but not for me I don't like to jump in on discussions.
I just gave 2.0 a third chance. I finally found something usefull. I wasn't all that impressed. I would never use it as a source for anything!

Thing 18

Looked at the kids social network sites and the only one that I might agree with was Togetherville since it was self contained with no outsiders allowed.

I don't think it is a good idea for children under 13 to be involved in online social networks. They need to learn how to communicate face to face in schools, playgrounds and other social gatherings. Kids need to be allowed to be kids as long as possible before being pushed into the "real world". There is no substitution for outside play and interactions with friends and families.

I didn't actually explore LinkedIn because it required a sign up and I am not interested in a professional website.

Webjunction had a wealth of info for both the staff and patrons. There were numerous downloadable docs to assist patrons with where to go for some of there interests. I downloaded a doc for social technology sites. Site was easy to use.

Thing 17

I checked out some of the food threads on Gather. I like the idea of it being a world wide resource for new and different recipes that I have never tried. (My husband might be in for a few surprises in the near future) I have even bookmarked it!

I had no desire to sign up for a free trial with Ning. Anything that is not always free is not for me.

The only social network that I currently use is Facebook. I find it so much easier to stay in contact with friends and family rather than using email which is so cumbersome with all of the junk that you have to clear out of your way.

While I can't see myself ever using Ning (since I am beyond the career stage of my life and no longer have the need to establish a professional network), it would be useful for someone who is actively in the job market and has no idea of what is available to them.

Thing 18: More on Social Networks

Explored the 5 safe kid sites. Togetherville seemed okay since parents set up whom their kids would interact with- friends or family members. There are no outside links. However, What's What let kids interact with people they didn't know, but it was limited to the kids' grade level or one above or below that grade level. An adult wishing to get in could submit a picture of a child which could pass for that grade level. Red flag there. Gianthello had no search for friends function to eliminate that problem. I'd rather kids use a computer for school work and use other free time involved in sports. I'm an idealist.
LinkedIn seems like a good idea for a job search so I probably would recommend this to a patron.
Web junction had a host of information for the library profession. The site was very easy to navigate. It offers classes/groups /discussions ranging from management to technology to library services. Largo Public Library could probably find some very useful ideas. I came across a course offered online through Illinois State Library on "Dealing With Angry Patrons".

Thing 17 Social Networking

Facebook is the only social network site that I belong to. And I really am only on that so that I can keep up with my kids. Living so far away for them, sometimes the only way I hear about what they are doing on a somewhat daily basis is through their Facebook. I really don't take time to explore these sites. When I'm at home I have other things I'd rather be doing. Although I can see where they might be good for people who want to find people with the same interests.

Thing 17: Social Networks

Explored Ning and Library 2.0 Group. These are beyond my interests. I've heard about twitter and was invited to join Linkedon by a friend. I guess I don't want my name out there for friends of friends. Social networking is fine for finding job opportunites, finding old friends or new partners. I have no need for this.

Thing 16

This I might actually use. And I know that my husband will. I did have some trouble with a couple of the sites when I went to play the music. But that was because of Baracuda security still causing problems. I signed up for last.fm. Mostly I listen to soft rock.

Thing 15 Podcasts

I have never looked at a Podcast before. I guess there are some good things about them. Like you can look at the New York Times, watch some of your tv shows (if they are on there). But for me personally, I don't have the patience to search for things. I checked out three of the sites. Podcast, Podcastalley, and Podbean. Of the three Podbean was the easiest for me. I know there are a lot of people out there that spend hours searching sites like this, so maybe making podcasts of some of the library programs or even "how tos" for library usage might be a way for us to get our info. out there.

Thing 16

I tried Grooveshark and it was ok. It didn't really save what I really wanted it to, but I could look up artist that I hadn't kept up with but still like.
I liked Pandora better because it came up with other artist that resamble the one that I really liked, and it also had the lyrics. I thought that was great Bill and I have been arguing for years about the lyrics to Santana's Evil Ways.
Here we go again I just joined something else that I will never use because I have to down load an apt so for me it's not user friendly. So once again my info is out there. I signed up for Maestro I wish there was away to undo it.

Thing 16

Ok, now I am excited! I love Pandora because I cannot afford satellite radio anymore, so I am stuck listening to regular radio stations (and Music TV) that not only play the same stuff all the time, but they censor it too! I just cannot stand the fact that songs I have been listening to for 30+ years now (on a regular radio station, back in the day) have some words changed or bleeped out! In fact I just posted this on my FB page a week ago! I mean really, does listening to "...funky s**t going down in the city" really pose a problem? (I only censored myself bc this is a work related blog). Now I have a Pandora account that is set to allow "explicit" content, so I can clean my house and enjoy the music I want to hear, played the way it is supposed to be played! Now about the car...BTW my station is called "The Led Zepplin station"

Thing 15

I did not know where the term Podcast came from until, the video explained it as Personal On Demand. I do not have an iTunes account so I listened to a Podcast from podcast.com, New York Times Book Review from 12/31/10. It was a panel of book critics/authors discussing why critics are essential to and a part of literature. That in this day an age, a lot of "noise" is often generated about a book (people blogging, Amazon reviews, etc), but that a high standard of literary criticism is really needed to sort of weed through what other sources are saying about a particular title. One person even mentioned that he likes to read another critics' take on a book, even if he does not agree with them. Not sure if this particular Podcast would interest many of our patrons, but if we provide a link to something like this it may interest some of our more literary minded patrons.

Thing 14

Watched a couple of library related videos, thought "Party in the library" was cute, but a lot of the spoofs are send ups of current Pop music, so I think they would be funnier if I knew the song they were spoofing! So off I went to watch a few (5 or 6) videos with Golden Retrievers (natch). I posted the one I thought was the most original. Ginger the Golden has a whole series of videos, very funny. I must say that I really enjoyed the "Introducing the book" video too.

Thing 14 - Breakfast at Ginger's- golden retriever dog eats with hands

Dog cleaner

To go along with our doggie theme.

Daily Puppy

Todays puppy was an American Eskimo. That was the breed I owned before I got my two Chihuahuas. Very loving breed but licks you constantly. Tasha trained my youngest son to rub her belly in his sleep!

Thing 15

I tryed all of the pods. I found the first one hard to use.
I liked Podcastbunker I would use Fox radio.
Podfeed.net I liked the Jane Austin site and the Old Time Radio.
Podbean.net I liked the Fr. John Crappe and American Catholic sites.
As far as the Library having a site you know maybe it might be a good idea
if that is something that people do. I never look for something like this, it maybe my age and mentality. I look for a hard copy, but I do google items.

Thing 14 You Tube

I haven't really spent much time on You Tube before this, but when I finally got around to looking at it and looked for things that interested me not just some homemade movies of people, it was pretty fun. The video that I chose, was a tutorial on using Google Timeline. I'm finding more and more things that Google offers that I didn't know about. As you can probably guess, I really don't explore much on the computer. I'm not sure how much I'll use You Tube, but I think I need to explore Google more.

Using Google News Timeline for Genealogy & Family History

Thing 16

I use Pandora. It is an "Extra" on my Nook Color e-reader. I like old country (Tom T Hall, George Jones etc) and late 50's and 60's music. Have many artists set up so when I need to give my eyes a break from reading for awhile, I just switch over and listen to some of my old favorites. Pandora is very easy to set up and use.

Thing 15 - Podcasts

Used Itunes and listened to a couple of old time radio shows i.e The Shadow. Also watched a couple of craft podcasts. Itunes had some problems with connecting and I got frustrated cause I really wasn't into searching for anything.

Maybe when I fully retire and don't have anything to do but search for things on the internet I will find this more useful, but at this time I don't think I will subscribe to any podcasts.

The library could possibly have a news podcast weekly highlighting all events for the coming week.

Thing 14 - YouTube

Searched for and watched some old Elvis videos. David loves trains so we watched a number of old trains chugging and chugging along! Also found the old train song Casey Jones that he had never heard before.

I loved the video I posted showing a 3yr old talking about everything that we are all trying to learn now to catch up with her!

What digital natives want from their library

This should make us all stop and think of just how far behind we are!

Thing 16: Streaming Music

Explored Grooveshank, Last.fm. When I hit Pandora, it was a great time. Pandora was by far the easiest and most fun. I set up a Frank Sinatra, Rosie Clooney, Elvis Presley station. I enjoy music from the 40's to 90's. Then I had the annoying set up an account blurb. No more accounts for me right now. But, I'll keep it in mind.

Thing 14

I watched the videos of the Berkeley Librarians for about an hour and then it said the video was removed.(Yes!) Just stick a stick in my eye! That was so painful!
We have heard the term library 2.0 for a few years now. It was just explained a little better.
The book cart competition was just fun.

Thing 14

Thing 15: Podcasts

I listened to some BBC News and CNN News podcasts. On a "Things You Missed in History" listing,I came across a podcast on Hedy Lamarr, an old film star- dating myself again. Anyhow, supposedly, Hedy was an inventor and invented cellular technology. When I double clicked, I never connected. Don't know what that was about. Actually, I went through all of the directories. Lots of ads. Podcast.com seemed the easiest. Podcasts are not for me. Takes too much time. Quite frankly, in my browsing at home, my spyware flashed with 4 alerts. I didn't appreciate that. Guess I'm unable to think out of the box. I don't know how podcasts can be used to help our library.

Farting In The Library

Thing 14: Online Video

Explored You Tube: Magic Johnson on MLK; a football player doing a backflip; Debbie Reynolds on "What's My Line" (that'll date me); Frank Sinatra singing some songs; Paul McCartney on Letterman and some of the library videos. Here's the link to "Libraries Will Survive"- a takeoff on the song "I Will Survive" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8QjjKrEK7Y Thought this was a hoot. Verna has a great voice. She could lead us in song.

Thing 13

I started with Addict-O-Matic and saw 2 videos of the library, 1 was showing patrons how to place a hold (good) the other just showed a patron sleeping in the magazine area. It was posted from someone's iPhone on 12/6/10, it seemed a little weird and random. No explanation was given, not sure why someone thought it was necessary to put it on You Tube.

I then looked at Social Mention because I thought the rating information would be interesting. I used the terms "Largo Public Library" and "Largo Library" and most of the results did not pertain to us. It took a long time to load...since it was searching the entire universe! The positive entries that I saw were from staff and the negative entries did not seem negative, BUT some had "negative" words in them that I think triggered that rating. One talked about OverDrive e-books for library users (not a Largo patron) and said that Apps were all the "rage" and mentioned people playing "Angry Birds". Nothing else about the blog was negative, so it looks like an imperfect rating system at best.

I also created a Google Alert for Largo Public Library

Thing 13

I tried all three sites and really didn't find much of interest. While I spend a lot of time on my computer, I am a game-player, not into looking for answers. I also don't do well with a lot of choices. One answer is enough for me! Short and to the point is my motto. I guess if I was going to use any of the three I would pick Google Alerts since that seemed to be the more cut and dried.
Largo Public Library does not seem to have much of a footprint in the cyberworld. I have no idea if other local libraries fair better or not and really don't care to take the time to find out.

Thing 13: Track our Library

In searching Largo Public Library using Addictomtic and Social Mention I found a Times news article describing the library's classes for teaching English, a you tube video explaining how to reserve books at the drive-in online and in askme.com some comments on the library. Most comments were very positive.

I preferred using Addictomatic since its home page for the search categorized the sources of information: Yahoo, ask.com, google blg search, you tube, etc. It also showed where no information had been found.



I did sign up for a google alert for Largo Public Library at largo.com. Sure enough when I arrived at work, there it was. In manage alerts I immediately canceled that. I don't need more emails at work.

It seems to me that the library's website and newsletter provide the best and most recent information about us for the public. The search tools above can provide feedback from our patrons if they choose to post online. To keep people talking about us, it's the day to day positive contact of staff with the patrons that is very important. It's called the personal touch.

Thing13

I found a tweet about our library where some guy thinks he is the mayor of the library. Ok! Wonder if he is the King of the toe tappers too?

Thing 13

I opened an account with Stumbleupon. I really don't want my facebook account and this account to overlap. It took forever to finally get an account between my computer and maybe because everyone else is trying to use the computers, it's been an hour and a half to finally get an account.
I started out with it being Largo Public Library Drive-Thru. So we will see.

Thing 13

I didn't find much info. about our library on Addict-o-matic, it didn't matter how specific I got. Maybe I didn't search far enough into it. As far as Socialmention, I found that it worked better if you searched certain areas (like blogs, etc...) instead of a broad search. Google Alerts gave me mostly news related items for the library. I did find something about the teen room or teen programs on all of the sites though. Pretty much because the teens are the ones putting the info. out there. I think we are going in the right direction as far as Blogs, Facebook and things like that. We just need to make our patrons aware of the fact that we are using these sites. Not all of our patrons would think to look for us there. So maybe if we more hard copy advertising inside the library that would help.

Thing 12

I have also tried out shelfari and I like that one a lot better!

Thing 12

I like this! Shelfari is something I will use. I already commented on a book that someone wanted to know if it was worth her time.
Now I can keep track of the books I had to send back because they came in all at once and didn't have time to read.

Thing 12

This is my Shelfari Bookshelf

Shelfari: Book reviews on your book blog

Nancy's Library Link

Thing 12

Since I have trouble remembering titles I looked up by some of my favorite authors. Very easy to use.

Julie's Library Thing Link

Thing 12 Library Thing

Well, after taking almost 15 minutes trying to find a user name that hasn't been used... I hate that part of making new accounts. I have heard of Library Thing before and even looked at it but never started an account. It's interesting. I think it would be a good place to keep track of every thing that you've read and maybe get some ideas for new authors.

Thing 12: Library Thing

Took the Library Thing tour and opened an account. Listed some of Andrew Greeley's books- one of my favorite authors. Popularity ranged from 100,000 to 170,000 on the books I listed. The ratings were 3 and 1/2 stars. This does not concern me whatsoever. I like his books. That's all that matters to me. Here is the link to my Library Thing account: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/sokane.


Guess this is a good way of keeping track of what you've read, and getting suggestions from others on the types of books you're interested in.

Geri's library thing link

Thing 12 - Library Thing

I had already created an account in July 2010, but I had not done much with it. Today I added all of the Anne Perry titles I have read and added tags. Her earlier titles were the most popular, but I did not see any discussions (maybe that is just for current/best sellers). I found it to be extremely annoying to have to add each title one by one from the list. I did try to see if you could search another way and add more than one title at a time, but I did not see a different way to do it.

Thing 11 - Better late than never!