wordle test

Image created with http://www.wordle.net/

maybe life IS a musical... :)

Given the option to search for anything on YouTube was a little daunting in my 1 hour of Web 2.0 time during the week. I watched the Library Dominoes video and decided I would start just looking at other library-related videos. Lo and behold, the suggested search terms included "library musical," so naturally I had to check that out. It was ridiculous, as a truly corny musical should be.

Urbanspoon is my hero

It took me awhile to find something I wanted to explore. All the practical, work-related categories contained a tool I already knew or used as a top 3, so I didn't think it was necessary to explore an alternative for something I'm currently happy with (and that obviously makes the grade).
Then I found Urbanfood. I've only lived here for a little over a year, and it embarrasses me to no end that I just don't know of many places t eat. We have several places we like, and occasionally we try somewhere new, but the breakdown by neighborhood or type of food is really nice on this site. I think I'll be referring to it frequently.
I doubt it has much use in the library, unless we get a question about a good place to eat, but for personal use, I'm on board.

Google Vs Zoho

I've used Google Docs & Spreadsheets for about 2 years now, since I was always back and forth between work and home computers, taking my work with me. I really like the convenience of it, and I found it very easy to use. My gmail even gives the option on all attachments to open using Google docs so I could have a copy of whatever I needed instead of having to dig through my email to find it later.

 

I'd never used Zoho write before. It has a lot more features than Google, like the invoices and the notebook. However, I just went back to review Google for an accurate comparison, and it has a form creator, which I think is a nice feature. However, I do love the tabs at the top of Zoho here, allowing me to quickly navigate through multiple documents! 

 

I'll probably continue to use Google for my online doc needs, but I'll keep Zoho in mind in case I hit a project that Google can't seem to handle to my satisfaction. It's always nice to have a backup plan!

I'm a sandbox fan from way back

I love the sandbox feature. I think it's a great way to allow people to get used to manipulating wikis before they have to worry about "hurting" anything. Plus, it's just fun to play around, and it's a good way to learn about the others involved in the wiki. For example, I'm apparently one of many House, MD fans in JPL. :)

I found it easy to use. The tool bar makes editing no more difficult than it is in Word or Outlook, so I can't complain about it. I didn't choose to alter my fonts or colors, but I think that would definitely add spice and excitement to the otherwise bland wiki-style that is rather common. Of course, I like that it looks like a wiki and not a crazy web page, but there's nothing wrong with a little pizazz!

Wikis

I don't think I really understood that wikis existed outside of Wikipedia prior to about 2 weeks ago. People used the term, but I just assumed it all went back to that same source. How wrong I was!
Of the wikis I viewed for this exercise, I liked the Subject Index by St. Joseph County. It seemed like an excellent pool of knowledge to draw from. I love, love, loved the reader's advisory. I really like having a multitude of reader's advisory resources on my hand, since I seem to suffer from "it's on the tip of my tongue" disease when I'm put on the spot to name a book that _________. I thought the Bull Run Library's use of a wiki as what seemed to be a homepage was an interesting idea.
I think really one of the best uses of wikis in a public library setting is a programming wiki. It would be something that any of the staff members hosting a program could add information to, and it would simply be that same staff member's responsibility to take care of that information. I've also seen ideas about using them at the departmental level for announcements and meeting agendas to keep track of the latest developments, changes, and other valuable information the staff needs to know. It might be easier for some people than having to refer to JPL Neighborhood for all questions, but the neighborhood is nice and thorough...and official. Dratted Web 2.0 and it's reliability weakness! In a smaller library system, I think the wiki would be a place to get organzied.

Library 2.0

I've recently been inundated with Web 2.0 and Library 2.0. My grad classes are all fascinated with the topic (naturally, being a Library Science program), and one of my current class textbooks is called Library 2.0. I really don't see the point in arguing about whether it's a new idea or just the continuation of what librarians and libraries do. Either way, it's a fact of life and is the future of technology. It seems to me, we all need to be as aware of it as possible and use it to our advantage as well as for the benefit of the patrons. ALL. That's where it's going to be difficult. This is the kind of change that everyone has to get on board with and use, or at the very least, understand, in order to really make it successful. I think that might be the source of the "it's what we already do" vs. "it's a whole new library" argument comes in. The old way wasn't wrong, but it also isn't one hundred percent effective anymore. In a few years, it won't matter how we used to do it, because so many of the patrons won't remember or care.
I consider myself fairly savvy when it comes to most computer issues. I know how to write basic code, and I can back-track my way out of most problems, but Web 2.0 is still overwhelming. I really felt the Librarian 2.0 Skills article was helpful and realistic. It offered good advice for keeping on top of things without getting overwhelmed by the glitter of new technology for technology's sake. It's one that I'll save for future reference.