Week 10: #23

I am from the era when we used manual typewriters to compose our work and memograph machines to print. I love that we have come so far from that time. Some weeks ago, I had never even heard of Web 2.0 and now it has become a major part of my life. Social networking clearly is expanded with MySpace, Blogger and Flickr. Access to Goodreads, Readers Robot and Library Elf are a real plus for librarians and patrons. YouTube blends the 2 areas (personal and professional) together. YouTube is not only just a fun spot on the net, but a great place for online training videos. I feel the library should do more of this. It is a time saver and economical as well in this time period of expensive travel. Web 2.0 has not only enhanced my internet communications personally, but has altered my networking abilities professionally as well. Someone on the internet called it a “shift of attitude”. We have gone from thinking we have it all at the library to knowing we need more.

Week 9: # 22

I was able to download a particular title to my hard drive and listen to this version for my mystery book club discussion. It was also available to burn to a CD so I could listen to it in my car during my commute to and from work. The process is easy;just follow the instructions and read the necessary requirements for your computer.

In WOWIO the search engine was not user friendly, while the search engine for HCPL was very usable. The catalog in LibriVox was easy to use but just did not have the title available I wanted. I appreciate having more than one site accessable for my needs.

Week 9 # 21

On Podcast.net, I subscribed to SirsiDynix Institute and placed it on my bloglines. I found this item: How to Understand your Library Users - The Better Futures of their Communities and Institutions.

It said our mission should be for the library to be a tool to build better futures for the individuals, communities and institutions you serve.

Then there was Creating a 2.0 Library: Bringing your stacks to life

I am coming to life myself as I learn and expand outside my comfort zones. The best way to encourage those patrons who are reluctant to learn new things is to first try them ourselves.

Week 9: # 20

This past weekend, a friend was telling my husband and I about a particular presidential candidate, whose name I will not mention. His identity is not relevant to the point of this discussion. The conversation sparked my interest, so I searched YouTube to discover his views and experience. Needless to say, I found all and more than I expected. In fact, I went from never having heard of the man to being able to put him in my list of candidates to consider as a future leader of our country. What a great resource for library patrons and students searching for information to use in debates.

In addition to searching for ways to increase my knowledge about politics, I have found YouTube to be an amazing source for listening to and viewing my favorite music and singers. I hear a song on the radio once and wish for other opportunities to listen to that tune again. YouTube allows that to happen. This could be a good source to help patrons identify musical data needed for pleasure or educational purposes.

Girls, Girls, Girls