27 Reflections

I am so thankful for the opportunity we were given to explore Web 2.0 in a work context. I'd heard of Flickr and YouTube and podcasts, of course, but never took the time at home to poke through and experiment with this new technology. KCLS' 27 Things has given me a depth of knowledge and an opportunity to think about work, patrons and technology from a new vantage point. I'm mulling over how to incorporate blogs, podcasts, and YouTube into work life. Our teen librarian just showed me Kirkland's teen librarian's booktalk on YouTube and we both thought that was so cool! It's getting our wheels turning. I'd like to video the Fall City Library coming down and get that up on YouTube - I'll post a link if I do. I hope to incorporate this knowledge I've gained into publicizing library events, services, collections, resources, etc. Maybe do computer classes online by setting up a blog similar to David's 27 Things full of instructions, self-paced lessons and whatnot.

I very much appreciate opportunities for staff development and the fact that 27 Things was online, self-paced, well written and directed with humor and flair (kudos David and accomplices!)made it easy for me and every employee to participate. There was no pressure, only encouragement and support.

My favorite things were del.icio.us, YouTube, and I really enjoyed setting up my MySpace page.

I'd like to go deeper into some of these Web 2.0 things. I'd like to create a podcast, create an avatar in Second Life, post to YouTube.


Would you like to see similar training opportunities as new library-relevant technologies emerge?
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE . . . Yes! Although I wasn't able to make it to any of the speakers - I'm glad they were arranged and I wish I could've gone.

And, last one, if you could go back in time and tell yourself to either participate in the program or skip it, what would you do?
Definitely do it! I wish I would've been more vocal in encouraging other people to do it and mentor them through.

Thank you! Absolutely wonderful experience!

Podcasts

This was an interesting experiment because I haven't explored this field on my own very much. I work in the Snoqualmie Valley, and there is a fella that puts up regular podcasts of life in the Valley - what's going on around town, interesting features, etc.Snoqualmie Joe's Podcast Page.

I think Nancy Pearl has a great idea for use of podcasts in libraries. She's featured on KUOW and Podcast.net linked me to all her podcasts in one easy search page. Here's a link Nancy Pearl

Podcasts are yet another way to reach a different crowd than traditional libraries have attracted in the past. Many folks are audio-centric these days with looonnngg communtes. Children's librarians could do weekly story time podcasts (as if they weren't busy enough!), Teen librarians could do book talks and email them to teens, if there is a librarian with a particular specialty let's get a podcast on the website, or a YouTube

How to get away from a carjacker

YouTube is a lot of videos to wade through -- the joy is in finding that one hidden gem, like Will Ferrell's Landlord short, the dog fighting its own foot short, or treadmill band OK Go. I don't really have the patience to look - thankfully my husband does and he shoots me the odd link no and again.

I did find a useful DIY video on how to disarm a carjack attempt. Hopefully I'll never have to use it, but it's in the back of my mind now . . .



YouTube could be very cool for libraries to advertise/publicize library events, highlight the library in the community, as a way to do outreach. It certainly reaches a different audience than we're used to and our presence online in video form would be very cool. We could do online search instruction, catalog classes, tutorials on practically anything!

Webware Awards

I checked out Webware and tried out the Search category. I'm always thrilled to uncover a new, fabulous search engine. BTW, I tried out a new search engine touted in American Libraries webzine they send out weekly called Ms. Dewey. It doesn't seem like a great search engine, but it is hellarious to watch Ms. Dewey in action -- turn up your sound too for the full effect!

I looked at Google Web History -- web history info is good for when you want to remember exactly how you got to that really cool site, but can't remember what it was called or the web address (sometimes it is a very circuitous route finding information). But, I read some of the postings and tended to agree it's a little creepy keeping track of where you've been -- one poster was wondering "how do you turn this thing off?!"

Google Labs

Niiiiice -- I seriously love Google. They do nothing but try and try to make my life easier. They care about what I care about. They find me what I need when I need it with no hassle, no grief. They help me if I've spelled something wrong and don't make me feel stupid or inadequate. I'm seriously in l-o-v-e.

I tried Google Transit right away. It's fantastic living in Seattle because we're included in all the latest technology tests, and Seattle is one of the test markets for Google Transit. I'm trying to figure out how to take the bus from my house in Bellevue to my job in North Bend because gas prices are getting so high, and I'm trying to be kind to my wallet and the earth. Google Transit told me the same thing Metro KC tells me but without all the hassle and frustration. Thank you Google!

Online software!

Hey, I like it! Both Google and Zoho make my little blogger tools look puny and unimaginative.

I wanted to go with Google, since (as I've stated before) I am a Google girl through and through, but Zoho kinda kicked Google's a** on this particular test. Oh, don't get me wrong, Google was good, but Zoho stepped up the game offering more tools and stuff. Zoho had - what looked to be - a more professional looking set up. At first glance, I might use Google for more casual situations, and Zoho for more professional. I liked Zoho's digi-signature, the email, and export as features. But Google had some of this stuff too.
Oh, I can't decide, they're both awesome! And I will let patrons know about these wonderful free products. In fact I had a gal in this morning that would have found this useful. If only I'd done this exercise earlier!

Here's what I think

I've been reading other KCLS bloggers and there are lots of thoughtful comments on the topics of these articles we've been asked to read. Definitely a timely, tasty topic for our library world. Lots of directions we can go, lots of different needs to serve.

I had a couple thoughts on the Iceberg article. The "just in case" collection. I'm thankful that KCLS is a large enough system, a well-funded enough system to be able to have a "just in case" collection. I understand Anderson's point that books aren't circulating as well as they once did, there are other places to get this information. But it is nice, it feels good, to be able to pull up an obscure title a patron is searching for and KCLS owns it. So no, libraries don't need to be the print warehouses they were in the past, but if we've got them and space to keep them, it's a great service to provide our patrons this variety of informational materials. Not everything is online . . . yet.
And I agree whole-heartedly on Anderson's statement, "if our services can't be used without training, then it's the services that need to be fixed -- not our patrons." I mean, our KCLS catalog is NOT easy to use for the uninitiated. It takes practice and a good amount of wading to find exactly what you're looking for. Kudos to the Admin for exploring creating our our system with a consortium of other libraries and the intermediary step of redesigning our web page. Millennium is not the answer for KCLS. It's an awful, cumbersome system - not user friendly at all. It makes me think of discussions in library school about how, before, librarians were the tool makers of our trade -- librarians developed the Dewey Decimal system, card catalogs, systems to help people find information. Nowadays we are merely tool users -- we use the tools developed by software developer non-librarians and force them to fit our system as best they can. But libraries need to step back into that tool-making roll. We know our patrons, we know information, we need to develop systems that are user friendly and will link up our patrons with the information they are looking for with the least amount of effort. The new Explorer feature in our catalog is a nice step in that direction. You can actually get some pretty decent hits using as a patron, but it's still not perfect.


Finally . . . I got into library service because I love connecting people with the information they need. We have a diverse public that wants their information in different ways -- in person, on the phone, in the catalog, email, texting, virtually -- I am grateful for this web 2.0 training we are receiving because it is going to make me a more flexible provider. I've always thought of web 2.0 technology as being a variation of a different language. My language of choice is email. In my personal life, and in backroom worklife, I prefer communicating via email before the telephone and before face-to-face. I need time to carefully compose my thoughts and message and can communicate best if I can write it, re-read it, and send it. Even though I'm a librarian, if I'm a civilian in a library, I would prefer to email the librarian my question than go up to the desk and "bother" them, risk looking stupid in front of them, or risk not understanding their answer. If I don't have that email option, I probably won't contact the librarian at all. When I worked for Answerline it was not uncommon for us to get calls from people that had just left a library, or were actually still in the library, looking for items they weren't able to find. While working the desk at North Bend I actually watched a patron log-in to our Live Chat service at the computer right by the desk and ask virtual librarian a question. I promise you I was available, smiling, not busy, approachable, I had even made contact with her earlier, saying "hello", but this teen gal felt more comfortable chatting online than asking me even though I was five-feet from her.
If we can communicate with someone in the language that they are most comfortable using, then we are making ourselves and our services so much more accessible to them. Thanks to KCLS for recognizing and supporting this need for us to branch out to reach our patrons to provide them with information in a variety of ways.

Trade ya a Rollyo for a Rolo

I'm a Google Girl all the way -- anything Google makes, I buy (except for their stock, of course, nobody can afford that!) Google definitely brought back superior results when playing with the Libray Neighbors set up. I didn't like that Rollyo's ad placement was at the top of the screen, and I actually had to scroll down to see the results. Scrolling is for chumps! The results didn't seem as clear, as concise as Google's.

Here is my Custom Google Search engine on
Health Topics not very exciting, but it was the best I could think of :-( I'm not a big fan of customized search engines, at this point. I'm more of a general searcher and can't really think how custom search engines would be relevant for myself or libraries. I'm trying not to be a hater . . . I'm glad to know about custom search engines. Maybe in the future I will come across a situation where I'll think, " Ah-HA, a custom search engine would be perfect for this!" Maybe someday . . .

Triki Wiki

Wikis would absolutely be useful at work to keep folks updated on all the latest going on at our branch. Did anyone MapCon for that broken toilet in the Ladies room? Why are those strange men here nosing around in the HVAC area? Why is that patron asking me about a program I know nothing about that's happening this afternoon?

Communication with staff members that work full-time, part-time, at different libraries at different times is difficult. Email communication is a good method, but not everyone reads their email regularly, or they're so swamped with email it is easy to let one slip by. A wiki for each branch would be an easy way to let staff log in and see the most up-to-date info and not have to worry about digging through email for something that was sent last week.

It's a Library Thang

My favorite thing, by far, is del.icio.us. I figured out how to import William Poore's Explorer bookmarks into my account and I couldn't be happier with all the nicely organized, tagged weblinks I have access to from any durn computer I log into. This is especially useful in a clustering situation where I'm moving from library to library, computer to computer. That would be awesome if KCLS had our own del.icio.us account as a link from our web page for our patrons, and staff, to use. Very cool.


I like my Library Thing too. I've put up my books and seen other people's books. I need to explore more, but it looks like it could be a great reader's advisory tool.


Technorati is cool, but blogging isn't my thing right now . . . maybe someday, but I-heart-del.icio.us now.

Facebook and Friendster and SecondLife, Oh MySpace

Ahhh, now we're getting into some cool stuff. I like the whole idea of social networking online and this is *exactly* where libraries need to be to stay relevant to the upcoming generation. These youngsters are a new species that are using a completely different way of communicating than anyone over 20. It's a different language that we need to become fluent in.

RSS is Really Super Special

I like them, I like them a lot! What I like about newsreaders is they compile everything you care about in one central, easy-to-reach location and the feeds give you the quick headlines. Just enough information for you to make a quick decision whether you want to read more, or not. A quick glance can catch you up on late breaking news items and you can feel confident you are up to date.

I'm hooked up with my Mom's local newspaper in Ogden, UT; Unshelved comics -- they are really (really!) funny, but I never think to go to the website and get the daily comic, so this is awesome!

I added a feed on Angelina Jolie, so I can keep up on what her and Brad are doing. Plus I added a feed from a blog on dog behavior. I had more trouble with feedster than I thought I would (I like to think I'm pretty tech-savvy and hate it when I get flummoxed!), I had the easiest time with Blogline's search tool. I wish my job could be sitting here and figuring this stuff out for 8 hours -- it's hard to try to rush through in a half-hour, or between questions at the desk!

Flickr apps

Two posts in one day!

Those Flickr applications are really cool! All of them -- I didn't love the mosaics one, but I probably didn't give it enough time.

My favorite application was the Color Fields. Pick any color on the wheel and it brings back beautiful photos all sharing that same tone.
Fun!

Flickr Fun

Well, I've created my own account in flickr and, similar to blogspot, they make it very easy for the novice.

My photos haven't shown up yet, but I see others "kcls27things". I am particularly enamoured with ramparts54's photos -- that person has a keen photographers eye and some very nicely composed shots. Kudos ramparts54! Who is ramparts54 -- can anyone tell me?


This was one of the pictures that caught my eye. I like the colors, the composition, the variety of texture, the crispness of the crags. Rampart54 can see the angles and asthetics is an everyday world. I wish I could!

Look how far we've come, baby!

I'm really enjoying looking at all the KCLS blogs going up like weeds all over the Internet, however it's driving me crazy not to know whose is whose!!

I'm amazed at the leaps and bounds of technology, certainly over the last 100 years, but especially these last ten years!! And especially these last two years!!!

I think by the end of our 27-step program, the participants will definitely be ahead the game -- KCLS is helping staff to bridge the "digital divide", but it's more a digital divide of old vs. young, than rich vs. poor.

Bonjour dahlinks,

Who would have ever thought I'd start my own blog?! I'm thrilled for the opportunity to learn all about this crazy Web 2.0 stuff, and . . . you know what, . . . it might not be as hard as it seems. I never really thought of myself as a "techie" person, but shoot, these nice people at blogger have set up everything for me to be able to post my daily diary right her on the "interwebs" for all to see. And it looks good too!