2 The Library

Thing the Last...

2009-06-21T01:20:00.002-05:00

It was definitely a marathon to finish, but I did it! I would not recommend the marathon finish, but life is always too busy so I guess that's just the way it has to be! I learned a lot and am glad I participated.

Things I am still loyally using:

-Widgets
-Twitter
-Delicious
-Library Thing/Goodreads
-Hulu

Things I am planning to use:

-Flickr
-Jing

Jing is one of my favorite finds!

Until next time...

Thing the 46th...Webjunction

2009-06-21T01:00:00.002-05:00

The things I found most helpful on webjunction were the tabs like Library Management that had resources, articles, and examples on various library topics. This is helpful for a new librarian! The site seems mainly geared toward public libraries based on my brief exploration. It seems like a great resource for MN librarians to learn and connect.

Thing the 45th...Cloud Watching

2009-06-21T00:39:00.002-05:00

I am on the fence about cloud computing. Delicious is similar to cloud computing, just not with files, and I think it is awesome. I think a Flickr account to store favorite photos is a good idea in case memory sticks get erased or lost. Google docs is on my list of things to try. I like the concept of having a virtual backup copy of my information that I can access from any computer, but I also worry about security again. Technology is rushing full speed ahead, but I'm not sure the security factor is running at the same pace. This is a HUGE issue for a world that is moving to paper-less!

Thing the 44th...The Economy

2009-06-21T00:24:00.002-05:00

After reading the Banking 2.0 information it made me wonder how safe private information really is. Technology is great, but there is a point where we should take a little extra time and do it our self.

I compared cars on FuelEconomy.gov and learned that the carbon footprint of my car is 9.2. It was an interesting site to explore! I also checked out the U of M Extension Gardening Information site. This was my favorite. I found some information on how to rescue my Norfolk pine tree that is currently looking a little brown. Another site for delicious.

Thing the 43rd...Who Lu?

2009-06-21T00:04:00.002-05:00

Hulu is something I discovered recently and I love it. It made my day when I missed the finale of Amazing Race and needed to find out who won. :) I am a big fan. I completely agree about Hulu being addicting! I was surprised at the amount of TV shows and movies available.

Having TV shows online has changed my tv watching in that I don't worry if I miss an episode or if the TiVo gets full because I know I have a back-up. I also think it would be possible for someone to not even have cable and watch shows completely online.

I'm not sure how this will effect TV networks...it sure doesn't seem like they would be in favor of it, but I am curious to know what if anything they get from having their shows on Hulu and their websites. It seems like computers are the medium of the future...maybe I shouldn't be worried about getting a spiffy flat screen tv. ;)

Thing the 42nd...Online Radio

2009-06-20T23:59:00.003-05:00

I have used both Live365 and iTunes online radios before. The major downside to 365 was that you had to log in each time you wanted to listen. It became a pain and was why I stopped listening. The station I mainly listened to was created by a friend and it was a great way to listen to the DIY music they put on the station.

iTunes is my favorite in this category. It is easy and free and has a whole lot of selection. I wish you could get the radio stations on your ipod though!

Thing the 41st...Consolidation

2009-06-20T23:53:00.003-05:00

I decided not to register for these mash ups because I do like to keep my accounts separate. I do have a combination for my instant messengers, but that is about it. I think it could be very convenient to have everything in one place, but for me it becomes an issue of how many third parties have access to my information. I think they definitely could make life easier, but it seems you might have to sacrifice some security.

Thing the 40th...Mashups

2009-06-20T23:47:00.002-05:00

The two mash ups I checked out were Lazy Library and the Flickr memory game. The Lazy Library mash up was actually funny because I could relate to people seeing a large book and running the other way! For some reason, long books are scary to some people. lol. I don't think I would use it, but it was a neat link! I really enjoyed the Flickr memory game. It was cool to play with my own pictures. It could become a family tree type game using family members pictures!

Thing the 39th...Digi-scapbooking

2009-06-20T23:36:00.002-05:00

I tried out Scrapblog and imported some of my Flickr photos. I was disappointed at the limited features, like the stickers and backgrounds that were only available for a price. I have used ibook, a part of iphoto and I think that offers more. It allows you to use your photos to create and write a book. I'm not sure I'm convinced on this "thing" yet. I also didn't like having to create multiple accounts (Flickr for pics, and then open a scrapblog acct as well).

Thing the 38th...Jing

2009-06-20T22:54:00.005-05:00

I think Jing may be one of my favorite "things." It was really easy to use and I can see lots of uses both personally and professionally. It would be a great way to make tutorials for school staff on how to use new technologies and also Web 2.0 tools. Here is my first try...

Ok, the first try was not as easy as I thought and I could not get it to link.

EDIT: Found it!!

Thing the 37th...Flickr

2009-06-20T22:32:00.004-05:00

I tried out Flickr and uploaded some pictures from a Space Shuttle launch I saw this year. I had some troubled getting it to work smoothly because it asked for my yahoo id and apparently I still needed to create a Flickr account user name. It took some time to sort out. :( I like the sharing aspect and I think I would use this to share pics with my family. I don't think I would use it for school use since there are too many privacy issues with pictures. I also tried the photo mosaic maker, but I didn't like the result. It was hardly recognizable. Here is my attempt at an embedded slide show...

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Thing the 36th...Generator some fun!

2009-06-20T21:17:00.003-05:00

I made a Wordle of my blog. Lots of fun and such a great name!

I liked the Read Write Think comic strip maker a lot. I have used the site before and it is such a great resource. I'd like to try using it in some of my lessons.

I also converted my name to a Dewey number...

Amanda's Dewey Decimal Section:

572 Biochemistry

Amanda = 131441 = 131+441 = 572

Class:
500 Science

Contains:
Math, astronomy, prehistoric life, plants and animals.

What it says about you:
You are fascinated by the world around you, and see it as a puzzle worth exploring. You try to understand how things work and how you can make them better. You might be a nerd.

Find your Dewey Decimal Section at Spacefem.com

I think the PDF generator, Son of a Citation Machine, and the Read Write Think generators are the most useful for educators. I rely on Son of a Citation Machine a lot! I think with generators you have to be very selective and choose the ones that will be helpful to you...or at least fun ways to waste some time.

Thing the 35th...Books, Books, and more Books!

2009-06-20T00:56:00.004-05:00

In my media center I see many kids who are truly excited about reading. I start each class off by asking at least 2 students to share good books they are reading. Nearly every hand is up! They love to talk about what they read. I'd like to set up some sort of book recommendation station for them next year so they can recommend books to their fellow students.

I am in love with LibraryThing and GoodReads. I haven't decided which I like better yet. I am working on getting my whole library in there and keeping it updated with what I am currently reading. I mainly use it for myself, to keep track of what I have and want to read. I am also developing one for use at school to keep track of books I have used in lessons and books to recommend.

I added the visual bookshelf app to facebook. I think i will use this one more to keep up with what my friends are reading and advertise what I am currently reading than as an archive like I do on LibraryThing.

I enjoyed the Silly Books site the most. A lot of free online books sites either have very old books or interactive books that aren't all that interactive. This site is free, has interesting stories, and great interactive elements like highlighted words, animation, and controls to stop/start/pause the story. One for the delicious bookmarks...

Thing the 34th...Online Answers

2009-06-20T00:04:00.002-05:00

My first stop is Google when I need to find an answer on the net, but I do occasionally find links to Q & A sites like the ones in this task. I think the appeal of these sites is that they provide a way to get answers fast, easy, and anonymously. The answers may be more opinion than fact though. If I am trying to troubleshoot a tech problem and I come across a post on one of the answer sites, I always back it up with proof from at least one other "official' site before I try anything.

I think the "Slam the Boards" event is a great way for librarians to create a show of force for libraries by showing people there are other resources available and also bringing more credibility to answer sites.

In a way, answer sites are similar to list servs because they let people share information and recommendations. I don't think reference librarians will ever go out of style, but I think they have to adapt with the times. Online reference and question services similar to the Q & A sites through libraries might draw people back to library sites instead of other places on the net.

Thing the 33rd...Trip Planning

2009-06-19T16:31:00.002-05:00

I liked the TripAdvisor site the best. It is definitely something I will use again, especially when choosing hotels. Some of those can be pretty hit or miss and it is helpful to hear what other people thought before picking.

These things were most helpful for personal vacation planning than for use in schools, at least at the elementary and intermediate level. I can see them being great references in public libraries for those people checking out travel books to plan a trip.

Thing the 32nd...Maps!

2009-06-19T16:22:00.003-05:00

Google Maps:

I made a customized Google Map that identified the locations of local public libraries. I liked this interactive feature of Maps. It would be a neat way for a library system to show patrons where branch libraries are. They could include a building picture and link to a website. A school project to create a walking tour of the town would be a cool idea. It would work better for older kids since a Google account is needed to log in.

I liked the maps of restaurants and points of interest that I looked at. It would be a big help in planning a trip!

View Public Libraries in a larger map

Thing the 31st..Tweetin'

2009-06-19T01:28:00.002-05:00

I turned device updates on for my phone and used it to follow NASA launch updates. I received a lot of messages, but I really liked the convenience. You definitely need to have a texting plan! It's nice that you can choose which updates you want sent to your phone.

I think Twitter can be a great tool if you are trying to promote something (Library, Product, Cause...) or stay connected with people. I like the real tie updates that can be sent to my phone when I am away from my computer and I like the "bite sized" pieces of information, but I am still more of a follower that a tweeter. I done want everyone to know what I am doing 24/7 and it's a lot of work to a status updated! I will continue to use it for news updates from a few organizations and friends, but I think my twitter page will remain pretty dull.

I played with the "Generate a status" site and it was a good laugh. Not sure I'd really use them as a status, but it was entertaining! One of my favorites was : "Inobtrusively traveling and organizing fish sticks." or "Utterly bemused and strategizing Scrabble letters." I guess if nothing else, it would make your followers think for a second. :)

Stage of Twitter: 2 of 5 Presence.

Twitter is... Information!

Thing the 30th...X Marks the Spot

2009-06-19T00:17:00.003-05:00

RSS Feeds:

I have RSS feeds added to Google Reader, but hardly ever read it. There just isn't time. I really like the format of Reader and think it is easy to use though. I am following some news feeds and library related blogs. I use the information from the list servs I am subscribed to more. Even if I don't have time to read through them, the way Google archives them I can search for keywords when I need specific information. I'm still on the fence about RSS feeds. I like the convenience, that I can get updates all in the same place, but I find I never have time to actually look at the information. While RSS feeds are probably not something I will take up right now, Delicious bookmarks are wonderfully useful!

Delicious Bookmarks:

I have been using my account here for the past year and I think it is a fantastic resource. I can open it at school and have the same information I found from home and vice versa. The feature I use most is exploring topics by tags. I have found lots of helpful websites that way. In this round of 23 Things, I did some experimenting with tag bundles and subscribing to tags. I think the tag bundle will make things more organized as the number of my tags grows and I am excited to see what information I find with the tag subscriptions. This is a little like an RSS feed!

An Update on Thing 27...I have been following NASA launch events via my phone and I love it!

Thing the 29th...Red Alert

2009-05-17T00:01:00.001-05:00

Search Tools

I tested out Google Alerts. It reminded me of an RSS feed you could set to sweep the net for information on your topic of interest. I could never figure out how to work those feeds though, so I love this a lot! It was a breeze to set up and I like that you can edit your alert if you get too many daily alerts to make it come once a day or week.

I think it can be used to help us keep up with the busy online world. I would test it out on a research topic to see what sites it pulled. They may not all be helpful, but they might provide a starting place. The video on using Alert to watch for copyright infringement was very interesting! What a great help...even though you might have a lot to sift through each day.

I put out an alert for author Cornelia Funke and have received one Alert so far. I like the site descriptions that come with each link. You can read the summary and not have to go to the site if it doesn't sound like what you are looking for.

Productivity

I have been a loyal Gmail User for awhile now. I love the way it automatically groups replies together (especially with List Servs) and lets you search for key terms in received emails. I like the Chat feature too! I recently learned how to use the label feature and have set up colored labels for many groups. It makes things easier to find and also makes it easy to recognize important emails quickly. The forwarding features on Gmail are also something I use a lot. It is a lot easier to have all my accounts manageable from one. I can receive email from many accounts and still reply as if I was logged into that account.

Google Sites is something I want to keep experimenting with. I haven't figured out a purpose for my Site yet, but I'd like to use it to expand my book blog. It reminds me a lot of iGoogle.

I'm not sure it would work in my school district because it is an outside webpage, but it would be a neat summer reading tool to connect kids with the media center and book recs. and new book release dates.

Thing the 28th...iGoogle, You Google, We All Google

2009-05-16T23:57:00.000-05:00

Yes, I went with the iGoogle homepage. The other homepages seemed like they could be more customized, but I use Google the most for other services. Convenience over prettiness.

iGoogle was very easy to set up! In fact, I added WAY too many gadgets and had to cut them back. The "Add Stuff" button and "Change theme" buttons are easy to find and there are endless things to choose from. The major downside I found was having too many gadgets makes the page too cluttered and thus harder to shift through and read.

Trying to keep my gadgets at a manageable level, I added
1. Google Reader--Very Nice! I might actually read them this way.
2. Gmail--I have Google Notifier, so this is kind of redundant, but I still like it.
3.Google Calendar--Can you go wrong with a calendar widget?
4.BBC News--I changed this to show 5 items. It would be nice if it scrolled like the Reader so you could see more stories.
5.CNN.com--More news
6. How to of the Day--Random fun that I put towards the bottom of the page
7.Dictionary.com Word of the Day--The ad is bigger than the word! Probably won't last long.
8. Quote of the Day--More random fun
9.Movie Times
10. Brain Tuner--fun game!
11 Weather-Great!
12. Turtles--I thought they'd be annoying, but I actually like them!

Thing the 27th...Tweetin

2009-04-17T21:34:00.003-05:00

I created a Twitter account (username: mandyste) and I was excited to try it out since it seems like everyone is tweeting lately. The trouble was that I had a tweet block and couldn't come up with anything to say. I think it would be easier if I had a group of people I was talking to, like a facebook status. I DO like following organizations though. I am following KidderLit and NASA's KSC so far. I also activated the mobile device updates and enjoy the conveinience of them a lot! For my personal use, I like Twitter, I just haven't figured out how it fits in yet. Professionally, I think it is a great library communication tool. More useful to public or university libraries I think. It could be used to sent out new book recs, event info, holiday library closings, circulation stats...

Thing the 26th...the Ning.

2009-02-26T19:11:00.002-06:00

I just joined the Ning this round. I added some information and an avatar. I also joined the School Media Specialists group, added a Ning badge to my blog, and surfed through some of the discussions and videos. I can see Nings being used for professional development purposes, especially for media specialists, who usually are the only librarian in their building or even district, to connect and share ideas with other media specialists around the state or country. I like that it allows people to create their own social networks. It is another option to Facebook that you can personalize to your own needs. It seems easy to use too. Like every Internet related techy thing in the media center, online privacy would be an issue if it was used with students, but it would be a neat way to create a media center social network to discuss books and other happenings.

Thing the 25th...the Black Hole of Widgets

2009-02-20T18:43:00.003-06:00

Widgets pull you in and never let you go. It was fun exploring the unlimited number of things I could add to my blog and I won't even say how much time I spent on this task!

Speech/Audio
I liked the idea of SpokenText a lot becuase it can convert Word docs and PDFs to audio. Great opportunity for auditory learners and those who don't like to "read." It was easy to use, my only issue is with the voice. It is very robotic and I don't think I could listen to it read a long piece of text. Most of the voices are like that, but Odiogo sounded a bit better.

Comment Tools
I almost added one of these, but I didn't like the commercial links that would come with them.

Photos
These all seemed like great resources, although Copyright always makes using pictures a little complicated. I appreciated Flickr's explaination of Creative Commons licenses and learned more about how this works. I like the idea.

Stats and Social Networking
These would be great if your blog had more traffic.

I don't like the clutter of too many widgets, so I only added a few. My favorite is the Goodreads widget to show the books I'm reading. This is one I would use on a library/media center blog. I started adding some of my favorite web links and the NASA image of the day. My other great find was a countdown clock. It took a little adjusting to get it formatted correctly, but it is counting away the days left in More Things on a Stick.

Thing the 24th...Making it pretty

2009-02-15T22:40:00.003-06:00

I randomly explored the 23 Things on a Stick last time around, and decided I'd officially join in the fun this time. So, for my first...or should I say 24th Thing I created a blog. I have another blog I started to keep track of the books I've read, so blogging isn't completely new to me. Blogging is a great way to share thoughts/ideas about things and it really is easy to do. In a school setting, I think it would be a tech savvy alternative to reading logs/book discussion.

As for my blog...The page layout settings are always fun to play with and I'm sure it won't stay the same for long. The gadgets/widgets are neat too. I think I would use more of them on my computer desktop than on a blog though. I have plenty of them already for my Mac and they are very handy! I also have a bunch of blogs subscribed on my Google Reader, but rarely have time to read them. I'm looking forward to learning about some new web tools...and hopefullly find the time to use them!