If you can, picture me patting myself on my back.
I have really enjoyed the Discover 2.0 program. There are several things that I learned about from this program that I use frequently now. Blogger, MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube, I had used before, but now I use del.icio.us, last.fm, Pandora Radio, and Goodreads as well. I also really enjoyed the Common Craft Show.
I think that Web 2.0 is very important for library staff to be aware of, because it is changing how people find and create information. I found this video through my "Prospective UM MSI Students" Facebook group, and I think it is a really good visual of where information is going.
It is a lot for libraries to keep up with. The best place to start, I think, is to get patrons involved as much as we can.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Alternative Blogging
I found a tumblr page called "Garfield Minus Garfield" that I had read about in Entertainment Weekly a couple of weeks ago. It's hilarious. I recommend it to anyone who is a human being.
I checked out Twitter and watched the Common Craft show about it. The Common Craft show said that Twitter is what happens between emails and blogs. Twitter is life. It seems like a pretty obsessive thing. I don't know that any of my friends are on it, so I didn't sign up. MySpace and Facebook have similar features. I don't think you are able to look back on old "updates" that they wrote, but I'm not really interested in it.
I like Tumblr. It's very user friendly and even has a little guide to walk you through it. My tumblr is http://rstandal.tumblr.com I also like the clean look of the pages. It seems like a great way to share things you find on the internet more visually than the other ways we've explored. I might continue to use it.
I checked out Twitter and watched the Common Craft show about it. The Common Craft show said that Twitter is what happens between emails and blogs. Twitter is life. It seems like a pretty obsessive thing. I don't know that any of my friends are on it, so I didn't sign up. MySpace and Facebook have similar features. I don't think you are able to look back on old "updates" that they wrote, but I'm not really interested in it.
I like Tumblr. It's very user friendly and even has a little guide to walk you through it. My tumblr is http://rstandal.tumblr.com I also like the clean look of the pages. It seems like a great way to share things you find on the internet more visually than the other ways we've explored. I might continue to use it.
Videos
I looked at several of the video sites, but didn't like any of them more than YouTube. I searched "library," and the two funny videos below are some of the ones that came up.
I try not to search videos on YouTube very often because it really can be a time-waster, as everybody knows. Still, there are a lot of great things about it. FVRL has started utilizing YouTube with its One Minute Critic videos and with the YAAB robot dance contest. There are also a lot of instructional videos available that can be helpful. Obviously, we have been using them for this program, but others for crafts and computer explanations could be helpful for both library employees and patrons.
I try not to search videos on YouTube very often because it really can be a time-waster, as everybody knows. Still, there are a lot of great things about it. FVRL has started utilizing YouTube with its One Minute Critic videos and with the YAAB robot dance contest. There are also a lot of instructional videos available that can be helpful. Obviously, we have been using them for this program, but others for crafts and computer explanations could be helpful for both library employees and patrons.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Podcasts
Okay. After some initial frustration about whether or not I could listen to these podcasts, I am now listening to something called "Library Geeks" which is not, um, interesting. I don't like listening to people talk to each other on the radio when one person is always saying "Hmm..." I added the podcast to my Bloglines anyway. I haven't found Bloglines to be something that I use except when prompted to by the 2.0 blog.
Of the podcast directories, Podcastalley.com was the only one that worked for me. Thanks to John at IT, I learned that I don't need the software to listen to the podcasts, but I can use the links to cut and paste my way to the website of origin and just listen from there.
I can see how podcasts can be a good resource for libraries. From what I saw on Podcastalley.com it looks like there are a lot of libraries who do podcasts on research tips and library/information news. The Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library do podcasts of events they sponsor. I wanted to listen to one in which they talk to Louise Erdrich and her sisters, but you have to download it, so I will probably do it later at home.
Of the podcast directories, Podcastalley.com was the only one that worked for me. Thanks to John at IT, I learned that I don't need the software to listen to the podcasts, but I can use the links to cut and paste my way to the website of origin and just listen from there.
I can see how podcasts can be a good resource for libraries. From what I saw on Podcastalley.com it looks like there are a lot of libraries who do podcasts on research tips and library/information news. The Friends of the Minneapolis Public Library do podcasts of events they sponsor. I wanted to listen to one in which they talk to Louise Erdrich and her sisters, but you have to download it, so I will probably do it later at home.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Music and Audio
I went to all the sites suggested by the 2.0 program. Of the music sites I liked Last.fm the best. For me, it is the most user-friendly. I like to use MySpace to listen to music, and last.fm has a similar set up, but offers a lot more. There is a really generous selection of songs as well as music videos, and I like that it links you out to places where you can purchase the mp3s or the albums. What really sets last.fm apart though is the user created tags and the sidebar of similar artists. Pandora is good also, but different. The way it sets up a "radio station" for you based on who you like is great for exploring new music or having something to listen to continually which you can guide by ratings of what you liked and didn't like. But as far as finding specific artists or songs to explore in more depth, it really isn't that helpful. I did not really like IMEEM; it didn't seem to offer anything unique or in a better format than the others.
As far as the other audio - I have used Internet Archive before, and I've mentioned it in this blog. It is pretty easy to use and offers a lot of great things without lengthy buffering. The absolute sound effects archive would be useful if you used sound effects, but I don't really... I had also looked at Gutenburg.org before and found it difficult to navigate. I wasn't familiar with its audio book selection, however. Maybe sometime at home I will download one and see how I like it. If it is good, I think it would be helpful to mention to patrons. I am a little confused with how these can be in the public domain, though. Doesn't the reader have some sort of copyright on his or her reading?
Mango languages was interesting. I started a little of the first French lesson, and it reminded me of the CDs I used in my introduction to French class. It could be a great resource for patrons, especially ones who are traveling and need to know some basics for pronunciation.
The Discover 2.0 blog asked if CDs were dead. All I can say about that right now is "Not yet." I still buy and listen to CDs. Although I don't have an ipod, I like to download music and listen to it on my computer (or on a CD) as well. Right now there is room in the market for both things, but it may not remain so. I believe that there will continue to be some physical form of music, like records or cassettes or CDs have been, just as I believe that books will not die even when everything is available online.
As far as the other audio - I have used Internet Archive before, and I've mentioned it in this blog. It is pretty easy to use and offers a lot of great things without lengthy buffering. The absolute sound effects archive would be useful if you used sound effects, but I don't really... I had also looked at Gutenburg.org before and found it difficult to navigate. I wasn't familiar with its audio book selection, however. Maybe sometime at home I will download one and see how I like it. If it is good, I think it would be helpful to mention to patrons. I am a little confused with how these can be in the public domain, though. Doesn't the reader have some sort of copyright on his or her reading?
Mango languages was interesting. I started a little of the first French lesson, and it reminded me of the CDs I used in my introduction to French class. It could be a great resource for patrons, especially ones who are traveling and need to know some basics for pronunciation.
The Discover 2.0 blog asked if CDs were dead. All I can say about that right now is "Not yet." I still buy and listen to CDs. Although I don't have an ipod, I like to download music and listen to it on my computer (or on a CD) as well. Right now there is room in the market for both things, but it may not remain so. I believe that there will continue to be some physical form of music, like records or cassettes or CDs have been, just as I believe that books will not die even when everything is available online.
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