Thing 23

OK, I'm confused about why there are 23 Things, we could've compressed this into one entry. I guess the survey would make 23 Things, but it's no longer accessible, as noted.
I've expanded my understanding of Web 2.O utilities with this project, and I'm impressed with Ms. Blowers for setting it up. I would participate in a future 23 Things. Maybe the Big Stick my more advanced class mates used could be my next project with this blog.

I'm going to go through and add Web 2.0 blogs to my RSS feed, and list them here.

Web 2.0 blogs added to my RSS feed
http://librarybytes.com/ - Helene Blowers' blog
http://www.opal-online.org/ - OPAL
http://www.lifehacker.com - Lifehacker

The only things I didn't like in 23 Things on a Stick were the Online Gaming Thing and the over-the-top social networking Thing.


This was a fun and educational project, and I feel like I really benefited from 23 Things on a Stick.

Thing 22 - What I Learned

My favorites in 23 Things were as follows:

Thing 13 - Online Collaboration Tools - I'm frustrated we don't use these in my work, though!

Thing 2 - RSS Feeds. I may not keep up this blog, but I love my RSS feed, and will keep it.

Thing 14 - LibraryThing - Thanks, Dr. Martens for supplying me with my latest addiction. :)

Thing 10 - Wikis - I love wikis, and 23 Things gave an good overview of them, which I will return to for my final project in this class.

Things 4-6 provided info on Flickr and images that I was not acquainted with previously.

This was a great exercise for me, because I've always thought I knew alot about Web 2.0, but due to my natural inclinations and disinclinations, there are things I missed. I don't have a camera, so I don't use flickr, so I don't pay attention to any of the other image editing stuff, because I didn't feel like I could use them as much. 23 Things on a Stick made me go over lots of information that I would have missed otherwise.

Thing 21 - other social networks

Ugh, I am tired of being forced to look over social networks. EVERYTHING is a social network, or has a social network aspect. For real. I don't even like social networking so much, but it's become kind of necessary. It's how I get my news of my small world - my cousins, my high school friends.
I DO NOT want ANOTHER smarter, better, social network JUST FOR ME. I have Xanga, Hi5, doostang, LinkedIn, LibraryThing, Ning, Twitter, SparkPeople, Instructables, Facebook, Myspace and probably other accounts. That's too much already. I don't need to make more friends, I cannot keep up with all the ones I have at this time.
I've heard ads for Gather on NPR. I love NPR, but due to all my other overcommitments, I probably won't love Gather. I would join WebJunction if it was beneficial to my work.
So here I am on Ning now, per THings' request:

Visit 23 Things on a Stick

I've seen 43 Things, but I don't want to join. I've seen Craftster, which looks awesome, but I don't have time for that kind of hobby in my schedule, and I don't want to create another login, get other email clogging my accounts. I see where these things could be useful to specialized segments of the population, and Craftster particularly looks pretty user friendly and cool, but it's not for me.

The social network market is saturated. Get you a facebook group and get over your hyper-specialized self. I cannot keep up with so many groups, and I bet most other people can't either, librarian-types or not.

10/11/09 - Social Network thoughts update:
Livejournal is an early blogging/social networking site that is going strong, perhaps because they have many, many diverse groups. If you have an interest, they have a group. And if you change interests, you don't have to make a new profile and password. Note the security risk if you use the same password for your multiple profile logins. ) And it's all in one place, one profile, one password.
Another option for diverse groups is to become an app for another site. Xanga, a blogging site is now connecting to Facebook, and allowing users to post xanga entries to facebook. This gives Xanga some more "face time" with a wider community, and it may help xanga users see a continuing relevance in maintaining their accounts. Not everyone is happy about Xanga and facebook coming together, though.

Thing 20 - Facebook and MySpace

I have both Facebook and MySpace profiles. I use both to stay in contact with people that I know and I also use MySpace also to promote roller derby via bulletins, messages and networking.
In the past, I've considered MySpace more of the party site, and thought Facebook to be the "clean" version of Facebook, because using it, you were less likely to get viruses than on MySpace. With all the new ads and apps on Facebook, that may not be so. I use MySpace, and I do not intentionally visit bad links or click on suspicious-looking links there, but I still get viruses from MySpace.
I could see where this would be a problem for libraries and lead to them blocking MySpace. In addition, MySpace is a big bandwidth sucker, and could detract from more "worthy" web use.
The Myspace and Teens Library Success page looked to list about 90 library MySpace profiles, but hadn't been updated since May 2008. When I searched MySpace for "libraries," I found about 500 related items. Not all of these are actual libraries, but many of them appear to be.
Libraries can and do promote themselves the same way. Often, if I am visiting a homepage of someone who's work or writing I appreciate, I'll find out they have a fanpage on facebook, or a MySpace profile. If they have either of these, I'll add them, so I can keep up on them. It's a good way for me to stay updated on artists and organizations I like, and when I add groups or pages now, my facebook friend's see it, and they find out about the page and get the chance to add them too. It's free potential exponential advertising for an organization or persons' work or services. There's no reason for a library service NOT to have a facebook or MySpace page.
While doing this Thing, I searched "Oklahoma" + "library" on facebook and found that the Oklahoma Library Association has a page, and I added them and became a fan. My library-inclined friends (and all the others) will see this the next time they check facebook, and they will know about OLA and have the opportunity to fan the page also. Free publicity, just like that. Only drawback - the virus issue.

Thing 19 - Podcasts

EPN and Podcast.com had more library-related podcast options than podcastalley.com . EPN's format was easy to use and find information in. Podcast alley had an interesting variety of podcasts - in the education section had podcast series on Byzantine rulers, and then also a series on white supremacy, specifically why it was important that their be no interracial sex. Wow. So podcastalley.com was pretty much open to anyone. I may subscribe to the Russian language education webcast.
I eventaully listened to Invisible Ancestors podcast from the OPAL archive on EPN.
Ideas and strategies for recreating their stories. It was about using LOC primary sources available online to find more information about ancestors.
It was put together as a webinar with questions allowed at the time of taping. So another web 2.0 technology was used within the podcast.
The recording was live, and people making mistakes, learning to use the tech was interesting as well. There was some good information in the podcast, so I'd recommend it. It wasn't the most gripping thing to listen to all the way through.
I'm adding my friend Wetootwag's Bagpipe Podcast to my RSS feed. He's a bagpipe playing, kilt-wearing, Ojibwe-speaking Park Ranger, and he'll probably get back to the updating when Grand Portage National Monument closes for the winter.

Thing 18 - YouTube!

Yeah, I spend a significant amount of time on YouTube.

My husband doesn't like it when I leave YouTube windows open, but it happens, because I play music to myself, because my CDs are still in storage, and I never uploaded much music to my PC. Tonight, I've been crabby and by myself, so I've been hitting the Patsy Cline pretty hard. Here's her first TV appearance, in a little cowgirl outfit her momma made her:




How would I have ever seen this video if it weren't on YouTube?


YouTube has made some careers - Kimbo Slice, the MMA fighter, and Lauren Luke, the makeup artist come to mind. It's a pretty basic method of web 2.0 communication, and librarians need to be fluent in it, to better understand and aid their clientele.

I don't have TV, so being able to watch video online is really nice for me. I also like that youtube doesn't have audio ads. YouTube is also amazing for communicating information to anyone who wants it, even if they are far away. Example: I play banked track roller derby here in OKC. Bonnie D. Strior in San Diego is really good at banked track roller derby, and I learn the best stuff from her. Bonnie's YouTube broadcasted moves benefit roller derby leagues around the world.




She doesn't know I'm interested, she doesn't communicate directly to me, but the available info is helpful to anyone who searches, or whoever stumbles upon it. Think of all the derby leagues and individual skaters who benefit from this!

One more gratuitous YouTube vid: The Whip It movie trailer, starring the track that I made with my own hands and skate on here in OKC.



It's so beautiful.

Thing 17 - Electronic Library Productivity Tools

I didn't know if I could access the ELM stuff that the 23 THiings on a Stick gives an overview for, but I was pretty sure that there was database access from OKC's Metropolitan Library system website. And indeed there was. Behold, Metropolitan Library Database Access .
To access this cite, you have to be a member of the Metro Library, and enter your card number and the first 4 letters of your first name on the website. It is nice that this information is available for local patrons, but kind of a downer that this isn't accessible to the public outside the metro area. (Note: i read Tara A's blog, and she found the Oklahoma Digital Prairie. Problem resolved).
This is a valuable resource, but maybe not good for a novice user working solo. A librarians help getting started would be a big boost in the customer's ability to use this resource.
One of the best part of the Metro's database collection is the OKC area photos. I found some pics of old public schools. One is Emerson high school, which I believe isn still standing, but the building doesn't look the same. This picture was linked to an essay called "Early Public Schools in Oklahoma City by Larry Johnson, This is fun and imformative local history. I'm impressed by this database of interlinked local information, aside from the giant EBSCO-type sites, which are also available.