New Blog

I've just added a new blog to my blog list and that's the blog for ALA's virtual presence. They have an island on Second Life and are hosting programming there!

I was hearing a lot about Second Life and libraries back before I knew what Web 2.0 was and then I stopped hearing/reading about it, but here it is, back again.

I was fascinated when all my various crime television shows began working all the new Web 2.0 technology into their story lines. A live murder of teenage girl on web cast, could that be Michelle Trachtenberg otherwise known as TV Buffy's little sister/key, Dawn on Law and Order? Then Gary Sinese's Mac from CSI: NY had to have help creating a sexier, more appealing Second Life Avatar to track a killer. It is pretty funny that all of the shows felt the need to have the younger cast members be the ones hip to the new technology.

Though I certainly fit the bill of this ageist stereotype, I'm willing to be thanks to ELL and an unbridled addiction to television, that, come the holiday family time, I know more about these new technologies than, even, most of my younger family members. I can't wait to find out.

The Learning Continues

Here's a great PDF presentation I found on Librarian in Black blog.

It has some great tips for adding services and some things we didn't have time to explore in ELL.

Worst Halloween Costumes Ever!

Alright, ELL is over, but I can still blog. Only now my blog can be more personal or pointless. You decide!

I actually got this link from a blog I've subscribed to called Shelf Talk, but to check out the terrible costumes from bygone days go here.

Journey's End

My trip on the ELL is finished! It has been quite a learning experience, too.

I have to say that while parts of it were fun, it was a lot more like work than I think it was intended to be, at least for me. Even though I am a full time employee, because at EPL we all spend most of our time, at least in the public service areas, on a busy public service desk, I think I did quite a bit of this trip on my own time. Staff with no access to technology at home I think would've been at a disadvantage to complete the "trip."

I have ended up being quite an RSS feed addict. I am regularly following a few library and library-related RSS feeds. I haven't discovered too many that support my personal interests, but that's okay.

I have found that my desire for a new computer or laptop for myself has increased.

A really good by-product of this whole experience has been the opportunity to read some of my colleagues' blogs. It was great to see the creativity, intelligence and personality of some folks with whom I don't get to work as closely as those in my own department. (I already know how smart, creative and funny they are.)

I think this has been a great look at uses of technology and Web 2.0 applications for fun, work and lifelong learning. I now feel like I have some new tools in my toolbox.

My Media Mall

So this exercise was probably the most practical exercise. I have been trying to "sell" the e-audiobooks without really understanding them.

I downloaded the player to my laptop at home, selected an e-audiobook, but alas, didn't have my card to check it out.

Well, I'll have to get that far after after the ELL has ended it's journey.

I will comment that I'm glad Apple or Overdrive have come to terms and are now offering Mac compatible books because I'm much more likely to use this on my iPod than the laptop. I listen to audiobooks mostly in my car, and don't see myself using these from my laptop from home.

Once I am able to give this a try at home I think I'll be a better salesperson at work.

Finding Podcasts

I checked out Podcastalley, iTunes and Podcast.com. Of the three I have to say iTunes seemed to have the most tempting selections. I was very tempted to subscribe to Pandora and NPR books, but since participating in ELL I am already spending way to much of my limited free time on the computer. Before ELL I had never even strayed into the Podcast portion of iTunes before. Oh the lure of new technology!

I did find my Just One More Book podcast source in the Podcast.com directory.

I could get as badly addicted to these as I am to my RSS feeds, but I dare not.

Web 2.0 Tools

Podcasts

Okay, I know I've skipped number 19, but I was just so excited by this new website that I received an e-mail about and it's podcasts related to children's literature including interviews with authors and book reviews.

Check out, Just One More Book!

I am still puzzling about how I got the e-mail, but I suppose I'm on enough library-vendor mailing lists, my e-mail was bound to leak out. How can I complain about that when it turned me on to this great site?

Newbery Speculation

Let the masses begin the Oscar buzz on the new crop of fall films.

It is our time for Newbery (and Caldecott) Medal Buzz.

Check out SLJ's Mock Newbery blog, Heavy Medal.

Happy reading and buzzing!

Web Tools-Thing #18

I tried using Google Docs. It's a very handy thing. Though I, unlike many posters about this topic have only one place I usually use word processing, and that's right here at the library.

I have, on very rare occasions, used word processing for home use, but I tend to use my home computer for home and my work computer for work.

While I have enough work that I could work at home and still never get ahead, I resist the urge to take library work home. So, while being able to access word documents from anywhere, I won't be using it much, it's good to know the application is there.

As the proverbial, "They" say, "No one ever died wishing they spent more time at work."

I did type up the minutes from our Staff Development day in Google Docs but then I selected all and copied them into the Shared/Everyone Inservice Folder.

I share the concerns of other ELL bloggers, in that, I am not completely convinced these documents are secure.