Gee, it looks like I've reached the 23rd Thing. Gosh.
There really have been so many discoveries. For instance, I've discovered way more about Dan than I ever knew there was to know. And that my 23 Thinger has seen at least one anime that I have. Didi has never played Portal, but should. 'Cause everybody should. But all of these things just bring us closer as friends and colleagues! And that's really what 2.0 is all about, isn't it?
I've picked up some useful stuff. I use Google Reader now, and I check it every day. I think Google Docs will become more useful in the future as it gets a bit more tricked out, like Office (love me some Publisher and Powerpoint). I look foward to Twittering, even if the root is uncomfortably close to "twit." Rollyo sucks, but not everything is a winner.
I hope my posts have been at least mildly entertaining for you. It's been a good idea, and I apprieciate the chance to get nudged out of my comfort zones and explore--I don't get that opportunity much, so this has been fun.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
NetLibrary and Overdrive, Nothing Clever Here
I looked at a picture book in NetLibrary, because that didn't seem to be the kind of thing that readily lent itself to ebook form. The book was The Burro and the Basket. The illustrations showed up pretty nicely, I assume, except for having to scroll to see all of the picture. The weird thing was, there were great gaps of white space just where I would have thought text should have been. The text was then typed, smaller than I'm used to for a picture book, and in a kind of weird way and sterile typeface: it seems to have been wiped out from its original location and retyped at the bottom for the digitization. Why? There is no paper copy in the system, so I can't check on how it looked in physical form. A great mystery.
I have been through the Overdrive tutorial. Hooray for anime downloads. Yay for Read or Die, which is just awesome. It really doesn't get much better than secret agents of the British Library saving the world, now, does it?
I have been through the Overdrive tutorial. Hooray for anime downloads. Yay for Read or Die, which is just awesome. It really doesn't get much better than secret agents of the British Library saving the world, now, does it?
Attack of the Pod(cast) People!
It's really fortunate that we're getting to the end of 23 Things, 'cause I'm clearly running out of ideas for entry titles.
Ah, podcasts. I have long resisted podcasts, much longer than I have most other things on the Innernets, probably because I'm not really an auditory learner--it's hard on me to just hear, as opposed to having something to watch while I listen. Yes, I also mildly dislike talking on the phone. Yes, I know there are "video podcasts" or whatever.
ANYWAY. I did find some useful things! I listened to the Mugglecast (the podcast associated with the Harry Potter juggernaut fan site MuggleNet), and I also added Nancy Pearl's book review podcast to my Google Reader (and listened to her review of The Graveyard Book). I really think that listening to her reviews is going to be fun, and despite the fact that I couldn't manage to download a single episode of the podcast, it worked like a charm as soon as I added the RSS feed to my Reader. Woot.
Ah, podcasts. I have long resisted podcasts, much longer than I have most other things on the Innernets, probably because I'm not really an auditory learner--it's hard on me to just hear, as opposed to having something to watch while I listen. Yes, I also mildly dislike talking on the phone. Yes, I know there are "video podcasts" or whatever.
ANYWAY. I did find some useful things! I listened to the Mugglecast (the podcast associated with the Harry Potter juggernaut fan site MuggleNet), and I also added Nancy Pearl's book review podcast to my Google Reader (and listened to her review of The Graveyard Book). I really think that listening to her reviews is going to be fun, and despite the fact that I couldn't manage to download a single episode of the podcast, it worked like a charm as soon as I added the RSS feed to my Reader. Woot.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
YouTube! Broadcast...You Know...Everything
In the same way that GoodReads allows me to share a connection with my librarian friend on the far off East coast, YouTube provides a connection with a former film student friend on the West coast. Thanks to YouTube, a dear chum I don't see nearly enough of can periodically IM me links to videos for my amusement. If that's not the highest calling YouTube can claim, I surely don't know what is.
I believe I have mentioned before that I have seen people tag their own stuff with many completely irrelevant tags just to get more views--and I have seen this on YouTube. That is the worst, most annoying thing. Keywords that have nothing to do with the information object are in many ways the antithesis of what we do at libraries, obscuring information and making it inaccessible. HATE THAT.
There are some ways to incorporate YouTube into library Web sites; informational videos, building tours, the occasional advertisement about existence and services:
The usual.
And, I'm going to link here to a short video done by the film group of friend I mentioned above. I'm not going to try to describe it, but let's just say it reflects an, uh, interesting sense of humor, so, you know, be prepared.
I believe I have mentioned before that I have seen people tag their own stuff with many completely irrelevant tags just to get more views--and I have seen this on YouTube. That is the worst, most annoying thing. Keywords that have nothing to do with the information object are in many ways the antithesis of what we do at libraries, obscuring information and making it inaccessible. HATE THAT.
There are some ways to incorporate YouTube into library Web sites; informational videos, building tours, the occasional advertisement about existence and services:
The usual.
And, I'm going to link here to a short video done by the film group of friend I mentioned above. I'm not going to try to describe it, but let's just say it reflects an, uh, interesting sense of humor, so, you know, be prepared.
2.0 Toolbox: Shoo-bee-doo-bee-doo-tweet-tweet!
TWITTER! I CHOOSE YOU!
I would, at this point, put in a graphic of the Twitter logo popping out of a pokeball, but frankly I just don't have that kind of time today.
Despite having read some questionable things recently about Twitter's commitment to user care, I am still excited to try it (although what I read was vastly disappointing--I hope that it results in enough introspection for Twitter to change its approach). I have liked the idea of tweeting for awhile now, after a brief period of warming up, but I believe what really put me over on Twitter was Neil Gaiman's incredible, heart-felt Tweet post-Newbery win. Go look it up. Seriously, it's just awesome.
I really like that you can text in your Tweet. Even though I haven't really gotten into it very far yet, Twitter looks sort of like a persistent texting hub. I am really looking forward to seeing how all this is managed.
As far as library applications...I'm not sure. Maybe it's possible to Tweet in reference questions? I'm completely unsure about that at this point, since I just barely got started. But we could absolutely Tweet out library news and services updates. It could be used to make the library seem much more like a living, active entity--which, of course, we are.
I would, at this point, put in a graphic of the Twitter logo popping out of a pokeball, but frankly I just don't have that kind of time today.
Despite having read some questionable things recently about Twitter's commitment to user care, I am still excited to try it (although what I read was vastly disappointing--I hope that it results in enough introspection for Twitter to change its approach). I have liked the idea of tweeting for awhile now, after a brief period of warming up, but I believe what really put me over on Twitter was Neil Gaiman's incredible, heart-felt Tweet post-Newbery win. Go look it up. Seriously, it's just awesome.
I really like that you can text in your Tweet. Even though I haven't really gotten into it very far yet, Twitter looks sort of like a persistent texting hub. I am really looking forward to seeing how all this is managed.
As far as library applications...I'm not sure. Maybe it's possible to Tweet in reference questions? I'm completely unsure about that at this point, since I just barely got started. But we could absolutely Tweet out library news and services updates. It could be used to make the library seem much more like a living, active entity--which, of course, we are.
Newbery News
Ya know, I didn't mention anything about this on Monday, and I should have, because I was so excited when The Graveyard Book won the Newbery. Seriously, I was excited like I know Neil Gaiman personally and was going to call him later in the morning or something. Which of course I don't and of course I didn't. So I didn't have anything to do with that grand level of joy (except subject my coworkers to it). I do, though, adore that book intensely. It took me two days to read it. And now this wonderful book's won the Newbery, and I'm just so proud.
Neil Gaiman's been one of my favorite children's authors for a long time now (in the sense that I am just smitten with his children's/young adult/"all ages" books). I love his picture books, and Coraline is one of my all time favorites ever.
So, congratulations to Neil Gaiman. This librarian is mighty pleased with your Newbery win and the incredible story you told.
Neil Gaiman's been one of my favorite children's authors for a long time now (in the sense that I am just smitten with his children's/young adult/"all ages" books). I love his picture books, and Coraline is one of my all time favorites ever.
So, congratulations to Neil Gaiman. This librarian is mighty pleased with your Newbery win and the incredible story you told.
PS--I'd just like to indulge my smugness and point out that I put The Graveyard Book on the children's librarians' recommended reading spreadsheet after I finished it, so in a way I TOTALLY CALLED IT. GO ME.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
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