Thing # 23 Wrapping up

Sometimes what appears to be the end is really just the beginning



This is the end of the 23 Things. Begin with the end in mind... but this is not really the end! If we accept responsibility for our own learning, the process will be ongoing. Viewing problems as challenges helps develop confidence as a competent lifelong learner. Through this challenge I've acquired a few new tools for my learning toolbox and learned to use technology to my advantage. I am sure I will be able to use these skills to teach and mentor others - and I have a few ideas about that too. Finally, there are so many fun things that are available to play with on the web. A friend of mine said once "I used to have a life, now I have a computer!" I don't want to live my life online - so will be judicious in my use of these technologies. They don't call it a web for nothin'...

This project has been one of the most worthwhile training opportunities I've participated in. Thanks to the committee for their careful planning and hard work and support.

Thing # 22

It seemed like all I had heard about Listen NJ was that it was difficult to use, so I had put off downloading the software to my home computer. Surprise - it was no big deal and there is a wide selection of books, both fiction and non-fiction.
I downloaded a book from a series I had enjoyed listening to on CD. I had no trouble logging in but it took a couple of tries to get the Overdrive Software installed because my Window Media console needed to be updated. Then it wouldn't let me check out the book, so I had to go back and out and in again. Eventually it all worked out fine and I think I'll be using this service frequently.

Thing # 21

I've heard a lot about podcasting and listened to part of one on my computer but had no idea there were so many different sources. I found some interesting things - like Book Expo America and the Brooklyn Book Festival. Great Performances has a site and I caught a James Taylor program that I saw a few months ago. I wonder if I can find the Library of Congress program honoring Paul Simon.
I'm a fan of NPR and found links to their podcasts on various topics. All Songs Considered was on Odeo. I think I liked podcast.com better so far.
Since I don't have an MP3 player yet, I'm stuck listening on my computer. That confines me to one space. When I'm home I don't sit still for very long. If I can download the podcasts to a portable device that will be better. I'm not real tolerant of headphones or earbuds so how much I'll do with podcasts remains to be seen.

Here is a link to Book Expo America
You play and download this podcast at: http://podcast.com/show/18147/

Thing # 20

I love YouTube. I've found videos of some of my favorite performers and some very funny ones that usually my kids or their friends show me. If you miss your favorites on Dancing with the Stars, it's usually up and running on YouTube the next day.

QandANJ has the commercial running on YouTube and OCL is promoting events and programs. I've seen some clips from our Library programs posted by library customers. How's that for word of mouth marketing?

Here is one of my favorites. Introducing the Book. It has subtitles but it is kind of appropriate for this Web 2.0 challenge.

Thing # 19

There are so many good websites here. There are a few I've used regularly like kayak and del.icio.us and the various special Googles - Google News is one of my favorites, but wetpaint has some creative content and wikis. I clicked on Pandora and it opened with a singer-songwriter ( not particulary well-known) that I really like, singing one of his best songs. Spooky. How did it know?
I'll be coming back to check out more of these pages.

Thing # 18

I've tried out Google Docs, a few months ago when I worked on a project with my son using a spreadsheet. This is a great way to work on group projects when the group is not all in one location. I think this would be really useful for some committee work.

I added my name to the webchallenge list for this exercise.

Thing # 17

I added some favorites to the Sandbox and managed to link my OCL Challenge Blog to the PBWiki. The Sandbox was fun, sort of like a graffiti wall. I've been thinking about how we couls use something like this...to play of course.

Thing # 16

Wikis are fun, like a common wisdom website. So OK, common wisdom may contain errors, use with caution - but there is a history and discussion to check. It's another form of community. I had been watching the Library Success Wiki for a while and was disappointed to find so few postings. ( did I post anything? ....nooo) Things are picking up there-the OCL Diversity Cookbook has a link and so does NJ Library events - Yea for NJ. We will have to be sure to include some OCL photos on that flickr site.
I've used Wikipedia when there is little or no info on a topic, often there is some sort of citation or links for the information, though not always live links. There is a garden wiki that has just begun. Only a few postings so far.

Thing # 15

The interesting thing about Web 2.0 is that it is about community. It lets people share ideas and information. People with common interests can communicate any time and anywhere. Blogs are one way that people talk about shared concerns, interests, political views, religion, knitting, gardening...you name it. Will it change the way Libraries do business? Surely it will.
A very interesting report was put out by OCLC which showed libraries were not even in the top 5 places people went to for information! Most people will ask a friend or co-worker first. QanANJ is a service that might bridge that gap. It's live chat and allows customers and librarians to share webpages, talk in real time - anytime. QandANJ uses software that is developed with OCLC.

Thing #14

I'm not crazy about Technorati. Maybe I'll play around there a little more and feel differently but for now I'm not a big fan. Using Techorati I did find a few feeds for my bloglines back on Thing # 9 including Lifehacker. Lifehacker has some really useful tools and websites. I prefer those to most of the things I've seen so far on Technorati overall.

Thing # 13

I've been using del.icio.us for a quite a while to save pages I like or would like to access quickly. I liked seeing how many others saved the save page but didn't really think of using it as a social or sharing tool. I like the suggestions for tags, though I don't always use them. The index along the right column is really helpful to me to find the articles again.
Tag clouds are pretty cool. One way I've seen them used is with a program called AquaBrowser which attaches itself to the OPAC and creates a "web" of tags related to a particular item.
Tagging is a good way for customers to search using the terms they try to find (unsuccessfully!) in our catalog.

Thing # 12

I have had a NetLibrary account for a long time. I've used NetLibrary to research a particular topic but do not read the books online. The format is awkward and slow. I have demonstrated its use to library customers when a book on a particular topic cannot be found. I will show them the Table of Contents and if the book has an index, show them how to use it to locate a particular page or section.

WorldCat has been helpful in finding bibliographic information for ILL's. I searched for a book written by one of my cousins and found it had 302 entries. Then I searched for anything written by William Dunlap who was born in Perth Amboy NJ and is one of the first American playwrights. Copies of his work are held by several NJ colleges and universities.

Thing # 11

Library Thing could be fun, I'll need to play a little more. I made a list just for fun and posted it on my blog. I haven't tagged them but there is a theme....

I like to keep a running list of books I want to read and cross them off after reading them. I may try to use Library Thing to organize my lists. It is unlikely that I'd use ISBN's.

Thing #10

New developments in technology are coming along very quickly. Though I'm not the sort who runs out to get the newest shiniest gadget and gizmo, I do agree they are useful and fun - and doesn't mean I don't want them.

Sooner or later a really good book reader will be developed- Kindle looks pretty good but still has limits.


I'm interested in seeing how all the various services will be provided through one source and on one device .....tv, wireless, cell/phones, internet, email. As long as they don't have tiny print and tiny pictures on a tiny gadget it will work for me!

Thing # 9

I looked around on Bloglines, Technorati and Syndic8 and found a few things that I read on a regular basis so added those feeds to my Bloglines account.

Of all of them I found Bloglines easier to use and picked up some interesting things on Technorati. I do subcribe to the NYTimes Book Review and Circuits through email and switched these over to the Bloglines account.

Now it will be a matter of checking my Bloglines account.

Thing # 8

About a year or so ago I went to a presentation by Michael Stephens and Jenny Levine about Web 2.0 and they talked about an "aggregator". It sounded interesting and useful but I never got around to doing anything about it.



There are some blogs I like to read but I'm not all that into them. The blogs that share information and news are interesting. The blogs where someone is merely "holding forth" that everyone is entitled to his or her (the blog owner's) opinion....not so much.



I did finally create an account using Bloglines.

Thing # 7

I've used the scanner for some time. I have one at home and it is pretty easy to use. This is Boomer's baby picture. He is a terrier mix and full of energy even at the age of 11. In this picture he is focusing all his energy on sitting. The caption on the side is from an advertisement but it seemed just right.

Thing #6

I uploaded some photos to Flickr and then discovered that it was attached in some mysterious way to another person's account. Could not figure out how that happened and it was impossible to undo, so made a new Flickr account and uploaded my pictures again.

Here are the few uploaded as of yesterday .http://www.flickr.com/photos/26420708@N03/

Harlequin Drake

Harlequin Drake
Originally uploaded by J Gilbert

I found this photo on Flickr. The harlequin ducks come in late winter early spring and then are gone again. They are so colorful and unusual that many nature photographers come to the Barnegat Inlet to see them. This photographer has some wonderful photos of birds, I really enjoyed seeing his work and I hope you will too.

Thing # 5

I took the tour and signed up for a Flickr account. This was something I had thought about doing for a while. Participating in the web challenge gave me the push to just do it.

I found a photo that I liked and blogged about it

I also uploaded some photos to Flickr but that is a story for Thing #6.

One, Two Three, Four....

When else fails, follow instructions....




I've been reading and following the Web 2.0 challenge, but posting, that's been hard. It's been busy, so now I'm playing catch-up. It feels like cramming for the final.


Thing #1 was to read the introduction, Thing #2 was about lifelong learning. Those were easy. I posted about the 7 1/2 habits. Beginning with the end in mind is the easiest, getting there is where the learning takes place for me. Mentoring and teaching is also one that is easy for me - I've been a big sister, a teacher, a parent...and in all those areas leading by example is one of primary ways to help others learn.


Thing #3 Grab a blog....did that. Two in fact. One for the Web Challenge and another (which remains still water) for some other interests of mine. Keeping up with posting is a big challenge for me.



Thing #4 The blog is registered....that's why you are reading it here!