Yay!! I am all done with the 23 Things. I must say it's a relief, and I am still keeping my fingers crossed for that nook. (We got a very cute new cover this week at B&N that I want for it!)
I did learn quite a bit from exploring the different Things, and I can definely see how social networking can be used in libraries; however, I will probably never be a big fan or really be able to get into it - I guess I'm just too old fashioned, and most social networking seems so impersonal to me.
There are a few of the Things that I will definitely use, such as Pandora and Hulu. I don't watch much tv, but it's nice to just be able to watch an episode of something whenever you want to. I do like to listen to music while I'm at home, so Pandora will be fun to play around with.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
Podcasting
Yay! I will be all caught up on 22 Things now! This is very exciting, and I am so hoping to win that Nook (since I work at BN, it would be nice if I had a clue how they work!) I never win anything, so I'm not holding my breath, but maybe... :)
Ok - podcasting. I went to the Sunnyvale Public Library's site just because it sounds like such a happy place. They had podcasts of different programs, and I listened to a couple of the Adult Programs. One was on Patent Application, and it had very poor sound quality. It was hard to hear, and the speaker had a very pronounced accent, which made the whole program hard to understand. The other one I listened to was "Taming the Credit Monster," which was much better quality.
I can see the benefits of podcasting for libraries and their patrons. If there is a program that someone is interested in but cannot attend, they can get the information from a podcast. On the other hand, maybe it would lower the number of people who would actually come to the library for programs when they can just stay home and listen to the information over the computer. Just another way to avoid face-to-face interaction. Hmm, that's sad.
Ok - podcasting. I went to the Sunnyvale Public Library's site just because it sounds like such a happy place. They had podcasts of different programs, and I listened to a couple of the Adult Programs. One was on Patent Application, and it had very poor sound quality. It was hard to hear, and the speaker had a very pronounced accent, which made the whole program hard to understand. The other one I listened to was "Taming the Credit Monster," which was much better quality.
I can see the benefits of podcasting for libraries and their patrons. If there is a program that someone is interested in but cannot attend, they can get the information from a podcast. On the other hand, maybe it would lower the number of people who would actually come to the library for programs when they can just stay home and listen to the information over the computer. Just another way to avoid face-to-face interaction. Hmm, that's sad.
Hulu
I did have fun on Hulu - it almost made me late for work this morning because I got involved in an episode of Glee! It is pretty cool that you can just log on and watch TV shows that you missed or even some movies. The commercials are a bit annoying, but not too bad, really. I watched some of the extras with cast interviews, etc. for a few minutes, and the clips are a good idea to give you a little taste of what a show is like. I think I will go back and watch some things on Hulu once my homework is all done and I'm feeling a little indulgent. :)
I don't really know how sites like Hulu will affect libraries' visual collections in the future. I still think people want DVDs to watch on their big TVs - watching on the computer is just not the same, and not everyone has a home computer, so I think people will still look to the library to provide them with entertaining DVDs - without the commercials.
I don't really know how sites like Hulu will affect libraries' visual collections in the future. I still think people want DVDs to watch on their big TVs - watching on the computer is just not the same, and not everyone has a home computer, so I think people will still look to the library to provide them with entertaining DVDs - without the commercials.
YouTube
I must admit that I'm not a big fan of YouTube - probably because my kids are really into it and find the most ridiculous things to show me. There are some helpful how-to videos on there (how to tie a sari, for example), which are much easier to follow than just reading step-by-step instructions would be, but most of the stuff people post just seems stupid to me. Sometimes funny, yes, but still stupid.
I did watch a few of the librarian videos. Super Librarian was kinda cute - I liked how it pointed out all the different things that librarians can do for patrons in a fun way. I think that libraries could use YouTube if they had a fun idea to promote programs, especially for older kids and teens. I know I've seen on the posters for the Youth Storyteller auditions that they can submit a YouTube video, so that's also a good way to use it.
I did watch a few of the librarian videos. Super Librarian was kinda cute - I liked how it pointed out all the different things that librarians can do for patrons in a fun way. I think that libraries could use YouTube if they had a fun idea to promote programs, especially for older kids and teens. I know I've seen on the posters for the Youth Storyteller auditions that they can submit a YouTube video, so that's also a good way to use it.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
User Choice
I found this cute site called Draw.to (http://draw.to/new) where you can draw anything you like and share it instantly via e-mail, instant messaging, Twitter, Facebook, etc. There is a box where you can draw with three different sizes of pencils, different colors, and an eraser. It's fun, but I'm not very good at it and would be embarrassed to post my picture anywhere. There is a gallery you can visit, and some of the drawings are amazing!! I think kids would love to do this and send pictures to their friends or the grandparents, who could print it off and put it on the refrigerator. My masterpiece can be seen at http://draw.to/DUakC !!
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Music Streaming & Sharing
Ok - I must admit that this was exciting!! This in one Thing that I will defintely be using in my everyday life. I went on Pandora and made several play lists this morning, and I have to say that the Michael Buble list made me very happy - I loved every song it picked! - Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Nora Jones, Harry Connick Jr.... It was pretty amazing that it came up with so many songs that I liked - I was singing and smiling all morning! I think I could easily become obsessed with making playlists because I don't have that many CDs now - I might get carried away making "theme" lists - Housecleaning music, Homework music, Romantic dinner music, Indian music, Italian music, Showtunes, etc. The possibilities are endless!
The next list I made I did with a song title, but it didn't start with that song, and when I tried skipping until I found it, it gave me as message saying that only a certain number of skips are allowed per hour, which was a bit annoying. I'm not sure that sites like this will necessarily discourage patrons from checking out CDs from libraries, but they might be less likely to buy them- I know I will be.
The next list I made I did with a song title, but it didn't start with that song, and when I tried skipping until I found it, it gave me as message saying that only a certain number of skips are allowed per hour, which was a bit annoying. I'm not sure that sites like this will necessarily discourage patrons from checking out CDs from libraries, but they might be less likely to buy them- I know I will be.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Wikis
I'm out of order here, I know, but I can't do the Things requiring sound on desk, so I'm skipping around... I must admit that I do sometimes use Wikipedia - it's easy and fast information. I wouldn't rely on it for serious research, but when you just need a quick fact, it's quite handy. I've never clicked on the discussion or history tabs before, and those were interesting. I was looking at an author's profile on there, and in the discussion section someone corrected a fact and said that he was the author's nephew and that's how he knew it was incorrect. Nice of him to take the time to do that.
I went to the restaurant wiki we created and added a comment there. It was fun to read what people had written. I like the idea of wikis - you have to be careful about the accuracy of the information, but they're useful.
I went to the restaurant wiki we created and added a comment there. It was fun to read what people had written. I like the idea of wikis - you have to be careful about the accuracy of the information, but they're useful.
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