#23: I Made It...and other fabulous things

I can't believe it is finally here! I cannot believe I am writing my twenty-third iHCPL response! First, I particularly enjoyed: making my avatar, spending more time cataloging my books through LibraryThing, blogging about all of my investigations, discovering all the fabulous e-Audiobooks HCPL has available, getting some training credit to play around with Flickr and YouTube, registering my own del.icio.us account, and playing with image generators and editors. I don't know particularly if iHCPL has modified my path of life-long learning (as many of the exercises involved using services and technologies with which I was already familiar and sometimes frequently used); but it has made me hopeful that I can stay in touch with new and emergent technologies throughout my career. Since the Children's Department here at Freeman has been discussing setting up a blog, we in the YA department have also considered doing something similar as a way to get the teens involved in the planning of programs, voting for what movies or anime they might want to watch for movie nights or our future anime club, giving us feedback on programs they have attended, highlighting new materials, and eliciting book, movie, music, etc. reviews from our teen patrons. I know that this is not the end of the road, by any means, and I look forward to spending more time discovering new resources on my own, in collaboration with friends and coworkers and our patrons, and hopefully to share my knowledge and experience to positively influence interactions with library patrons.

#22: Downloading the Motherload

While I spend time looking for e-audiobooks and e-books for patrons who come to the reference desk, I've never had the time or thought to look for myself...so it was an eye-opening and infinitely enjoyable experience to find so many young adult authors with e-audiobooks available through HCPL (Jerry Spinelli, Stephanie Meyer, Christopher Paolini, Eoin Colfer, and Walter Dean Myers...and more!! oh my!!)!!

Although LibriVox was certainly cool, I thought Wowio was amazing! So many comics and manga available to download for free! Wowio also seemed a little more aesthetically flashy than LibriVox (at least to me); but I can see myself recommending either.

#21: Podcasting Your Heart Out

I looked at both Podcast.net and Podcastalley.com and added the podcast "This Week in Houston," where local citizen/journalists describe upcoming events in the Bayou City. Because I'm still relatively new to the area, I thought it might be fun to hear about some of the great events, attractions, and individuals that make Houston a fabulous place to live. Of course...I'm one of only two subscribers...but I'm sure the word will spread (as I am doing right now!).

I think podcasts can be really fun. I have friends who have made crafty or d.i.y. podcasts and I can definitely see the usefulness of podcasting as an alternative media source and for community information/community building. I fairly recently taught a Teen Podcasting, 101, class and made a brief podcast from home (using audacity to record; iTunes to export as MP3; feedburner to make my blog's rss feed podcast-ready; and uploading my audiofile to OurMedia) as a demonstration. We only had two teens show up and they seemed a little peeved that there were so many steps to the process; but, nevertheless, once you kind of understand the process, it can be really easy and rewarding.

#20: Mr. Bean Does a Dance...but is it legal?

If you cannot view the hi-larious video of Mr. Bean, click here!

I've always enjoyed playing around with YouTube: whether to find videos of random people doing crazy things (putting a bar of soap in the microwave, for example); to find videos that friends have uploaded (songs, dances, jokes, greetings); or to find footage of New Order performing Temptation. I think it is an interesting social space bringing individuals together via one of the most powerful medium to date - the combination of sound and image.

Nevertheless, while I can certainly see the usefulness of YouTube for libraries (what if we could bring programs and tutorials to a wider audience online??), I do have concerns over copyright protections. Is it all really legal? And do most people know where they can go to find media (whether images, videos, audio, etc.) that they can use, manipulate and re-fashion in the free and clear?

#19: Web-Based Applications

Online Application: Zoho Creator

I'm using Zoho to create this message and while many of the features I understand (being relatively familiar with many separate software applications), I feel also that Zoho has some labeling and organizational issues that might interfere with an optimal use of all available features for beginners. Zoho creators, however, seem to be aware of these types of problems after some usability testing/feedback, the results of which they posted to their information blog:

• Accessibility (some features buried deep into modules)
• Navigation ( unable to reach a screen or module quickly)
• Too many clicks
• Complex screens, etc

While I think that this can be an incredibly powerful tool, the interface and some other hindrances to usability will need to be corrected or accommodated before I can see it really taking off.

#18: Social Networking, or, Is My Life Really that Interesting?

Okay, so maybe I don't really believe that MySpace or FaceBook or whatever are for losers (as the graffiti tag might have you believe), but I've never really gotten the whole online social networking site phenomenon. My friends and I have done a pretty good job of keeping in touch without the need to "expose" our lives and our whiny-selves to the world; and I'm not sure I need another (albeit virtual) social venture to remind myself that I do not always make friends so easily. Moreover, I'm not sure that I could really spark others' interest with my textual/graphic/visual output to make many new friends.

However, I did enjoy Dogster and made a profile for my baby Lilly (a.k.a. Lilly Fried Chicken). I found it really helpful in finding a vet and off-leash dog parks in the area (since we recently moved). Threadless was certainly cool and crafty (things I certainly aspire to be) and really sparked me to think about some teen fashion programs. RateMySpace only made me wish I could put more time and effort into making our home decor a little jazzier and did not make me really wish to share my ideas with the world (to have them rate how my partner and I choose to make our living quarters comfortable) or to network with other home decoration savvy-deficient people.

I don't think I'll ever be a MySpace or FaceBook kind of gal. It isn't really my scene on or off-line.

#17: Technology

Technology n. 1a. The application of science, especially to industrial or commercial objectives. b. The scientific method and material used to achieve a commercial or industrial objective. 2. Electronic or digital products and systems considered as a group: a store specializing in office technology. 3. The body of knowledge available to a society that is of use in fashioning implements, practicing manual arts and skills, and extracting or collecting materials.

Blogging about anything related to technology is almost like asking someone to blog about anything related to the environment or to history. I suppose I could focus this post on bras, automobiles, kitchen cupboards, or books. All of these are technologies. I don't mean to be persnickety, but this is a difficult task for anyone whose entire life is surrounded by disparate technologies each with different lasting effects on culture and society.

All ranting aside, the technologies introduced thus far have many practical applications; nevertheless, some I perceive as being more useful to my life and work than others. I do have to say that I have a soft spot for LibraryThing. And I had a good time playing around with photo editing and Flikr. And....I had a good time making an avatar and trying to figure out del.icio.us. And I've already had very positive experiences with subscribing to RSS feeds and wikis. Maybe I'm just a techno-floozy !

#16: Wikis and Working 2.0

What I appreciate about the wiki format is that it is simple, open to editing by everyone or only a select few, viewable by the entire online world or completely private, and a means to create a digital workspace for however many people one so desires.

In libraries I see this as another effective and efficient tool for staff collaboration and (if monitored) an excellent way to foster creative engagement between our libraries and communities served.

#15 Library 2.0, or: How to Learn to Stop Worrying and Embrace the Future

I think the perspective that most resonates with my own and inspires me in my future work comes from Michael Stephens of OCLC, when he suggests that: "'the Library is human' because it makes the library a social and emotionally engaging center for learning and experience. Librarian 2.0, then, is the 'strategy guide' for helping users find information, gather knowledge and create content" (Stephens, Into a New World of Librarianship, 2006).

I agree that Library 2.0 must reach beyond simply engaging with new technologies, but also focus on facilitating patron use of new technologies in creative, community-building, and personally fulfilling ways. Expectations of the library as a social institution have changed; a massive shift towards more digital and less analog content may be becoming an increasingly real phenomenon; and the demand for more responsive, user-friendly, intuitive, and constructive systems has certainly begun out-weighing the need for info-mage intermediaries. But I consider the future to be bright, exciting, and challenging for all information professionals! Google may very well become the one-stop information shop of the future, but Librarians will always be here to separate useful from unuseful, unauthoritative information; to help our patrons interact with new technologies in successful ways; and to bring together communities and bridge communities - whether in physical buildings or virtual spaces.

#14 The Glitterati of Technorati

I could probably spend a little too much time on technorati searching for cool blogs (to again, spend way too much time indulging myself in), but found it to be a surprisingly interesting network through which to build and sustain communities, whether those focus on political affiliations, professional or personal interests, recreational pursuits, etc.

I thought it interesting (and somewhat perplexing) the way in which technorati determines "authority," as though having hundreds of blogs link to one individual's actually indicates that the one individual has more authority than a national, professional organization (...I won't name names...).

Hmmm...

#13 del.icio.us and social tagging

I find it appealing to be able to access my bookmarks anywhere (as, obviously, I am a somewhat selfish person who enjoys technologies that make my life easier and my work more efficient); I can locate excellent professional websites at home and scurry back to them at work (fabulous!), without spending fifteen minutes on google trying to retrace my steps!

But, moreover, I think if more and more groups and individuals took advantage of del.icio.us, research (for pleasure, for profit, for school, for work) could become an even more engaging, socially beneficial, and productive exercise. For librarians, investigating how our cyberspace users engage with information in a digital environment and how they conceive of its usefulness, determine quality, and conceptually categorize information can open up another sphere from which we can improve our services (both in person and through disparate technologies).

Nevertheless, I think it is somewhat telling that some of the most frequent tags include: blogs, blogging, opensource, linux, java, programming, software, and web design. Right now it seems as though del.icio.us is used primarily by the techno-literate and techno-front-runners (come on...linux, java, opensource...these are not the average men and women on the street). I think if we give del.icio.us some time, it will be an incredibly diverse and rich social environment of resource sharing, and shared resource discovery.

#12: Library Elf

I reviewed the demo and FAQs about Library Elf and it seems like an interesting and exciting service! Too bad I got the very unwelcoming message of:

Service Unavailable

Sorry for the inconvenience -- the server is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later.

Thank you for stopping by.

Maybe another time. I'll check back later :o(

#11: Library "Thang"

I started using Library Thing just a few months ago as I was finishing up library school. My father always kept a notebook of what he finished reading and when (I think he probably has them going back to the 70's...très cool) and I always really wanted to start keeping tabs on what I'd been reading for enjoyment.

Library Thing was actually recommended to me by the same woman who got me hooked onto Netflix. So far I haven't cataloged too many of the books I have read in the past and currently have hanging out on my shelves; I certainly haven't had as much time to write book reviews. But I've had a great time looking to see how "unusual" or "popular" the titles I'm reading are and what other people have on their virtual shelves. Highly Recommended!

Check out my Library Thing widget on my blog - and - check out my Library "Thang" catalog :o)

#10: A Me Avatar from Meez

I had a great time making my Avatar with Meez. I also checked out the comic strip generator, which was fun but made me slightly suspicious about whether or not all of the images available were licensed for use...hmmm...

#9 Finding Feeds...and everything glorious

As with bloglines, newsgator has its own search feature, which can prove both eye-opening and overwhelming in terms of the number of RSS feeds available from a variety of sources.

I think in the past it has been easiest for me to go through my favorites/bookmarks and check to see which of those sites have RSS feeds available, but the search feature through many feed readers can lead one to find both some of the most popular (as well as some incredibly unusual) feeds.

In experimenting with Feedster, Topix, Syndic8, and Technorati, I think my most favorite (and somewhat surprisingly) is Syndic8. Although it doesn't look as "pretty" or flashy as some of the others, I found it was the most easy to use, the most clearly organized, and an over-all great resource for searching. I felt with some of the others (Topix in particular), I got a little distracted from my task of searching for feeds...and just starting searching at random. Oh well...it was fun for a while.

Meredith's Recommended Reading: FEED

Since we've all be experimenting with RSS feeds,


Check out: M.T. Anderson's Feed

Titus is your average teenager - suffering through school, taking a quick "road" trip with his friends to the Earth's Moon, and interacting with the world around him much as every other normal person (enhanced by the ever-present "Internet"/multi-sensory hardware wired through their brains). Then one night out clubbing on the Moon, a hacker disrupts his feed...


Find Feed
@ HCPL

Amazon.com

#8: Feeds...mawhahahahaha...

I've been an RSS feed subscriber for almost two years now (with newsgator). At first I went a little crazy for it (subscribing to dozens of feeds) and I have since scaled back to a more manageable number (twenty or so). At the time I just kept thinking "Oh! The Kremlin has an English-language RSS feed...what are they saying, I wonder?"...or..."Wow! The White House Press Office has an RSS feed...I need to see this!" Now I realize that I didn't have time to be reading hundreds of articles each day before...so why should using the RSS reader change that...hmmm...

Since I got more used to it, I find it is a much easier way for me to go through news, to get updates on what my favorite bloggers are saying, what the Librarian's Internet Index has just added, what Netflix is recommending to me today, and what the "nerds" over at Slashdot find exciting. With newsgator I can save clippings (which I didn't have the option of doing before when I was just going to several websites each day) and the one-stop shop attitude has really cleared up some of my bookmarks/favorites space in my browser.

Get out the vote!!

Hey all you readers out there! Do not forget to vote or to encourage any young adults in your lives to vote in the Teens Top Ten poll during TEEN READ WEEK!

And, of course, through YALSA'S TEEN READ WEEK website, you can check out this year's nominations and TEEN'S TOP TEN lists (from 2003-2006).

YALSA'S TEEN'S TOP TEN

iHCPL #7: Beach Fluffy

Beach Fluffy
Originally uploaded by hcplyalibrarian

I have always loved photo editing software. But...it seems as though perhaps I have just a few too many pictures of my dog...

iHCPL #6: Super YA Librarian...to the Rescue...

Super YA Librarian...to the Rescue...
Originally uploaded by hcplyalibrarian

I had a great time with this exercise. I'm going to recommend (at the very least) making a trading card to everyone...

iHCPL #5: Pleasant Valley & Holly Street Power Station

Pleasant Valley & Holly Street Power Station
Originally uploaded by hcplyalibrarian

This used to be within walking distance of our house. My partner took several pictures of graffiti all over the east side and, other than pictures of our friends, it reminds me of how grateful I am to have lived where I did.

Privacy and Protection in the Digital Age

I tend to be a little too "oh my gosh...this is so Orwellian" whenever I have conversations about privacy and internet safety. Perhaps I'm just a little too hyper-sensitive about keeping myself safe and anonymous online (like I won't even go close to paying my bills online and whenever I check my bank account, I'm in and out of there like nobody's business and I guard my passwords with extreme vigilance and I'm always checking and double-checking urls and those little security locks in the bottom right hand corner of the browser to make sure I'm not giving my information away to just anyone...).

But this trembling awareness about my privacy and protecting my personal information has also had its downsides (I know, I know, I'm probably not supposed to say that...). For example, I know tons of kiddos (including my 18-year-old brother-in-law) who have developed incredibly safe and supportive online communities that I have missed out on in fear. And talking to young adults, many of whom certainly need a healthy dose of awareness about staying safe on the internet and the value of keeping personal information private (would your grandma really want to see those pictures on your myspace page...I didn't think so...), I realized that I might kind of be in denial about my own safety through hyper-awareness. My information is available to anyone who wants it...and creating an online "me" (that may seem a little too upfront and personal) may be just as much about controlling access to my off-line me as my currently presumed anonymity...

I suppose this is just a big ramble...

But I can only do so much to protect myself and to inform others on internet safety and best practice. Even my checking account with [enter name of great big banking corporation here] could be exposed through no fault of my own, but rather a breach in security on the part of [enter name of great big banking corporation here]. I suppose as a librarian I'm very much on the side of privacy and an advocate of free and anonymous information seeking and exploration...I'm just a little afraid that the next few generations of library patrons might not be as concerned about maintaining this privacy - and is it me or them that has it "wrong"? I'm just positive it is them...

The Learning Experience: My Strengths and Pitfalls...

I'm a planner; I rigorously make myself lists of things to do (sometimes adding things I've already completed, just to cross them off...I know, I know, it is sad, but true) and feel tremendous satisfaction getting organized and setting goals. In this sense, I motivate myself very easily; if it is on my list...it is gonna get done.

I love to laugh and think that I have a very positive outlook and attitude. Not that I can't get a little grumpy from time-to-time, or completely and utterly frustrated when I'm having a hard time understanding something (like physics...argh...why do I care how long it will take for the stupid ball to roll down the hill and why is it so tricky to figure out!?!), but I also like to keep things in perspective (which, again, can sometimes be incredibly and surprisingly difficult).

I can acknowledge that I have a harder time giving myself credit for my accomplishments. I tend to blow my mistakes out of proportion (ahh! I only waved when she said goodbye, is she thinking I didn't see/hear her? Is she thinking I'm totally rude...? :o( - ). I also tend to focus on what I perceive as my weaknesses and push myself a little too hard sometimes. And, of course, I will many times devalue my own achievements (I didn't really struggle for this, it must not be worthy - or - I have such a supportive husband and family; I was only able to do this because of them...no other reason, nothing else makes sense). This is something I really need to work on; but I'm very willing (and I think able).

One Quick Note...

In deciding on a title for my blog: an homage to Margaret A. Edwards and her fabulous book Fair Garden and the Swarm of Beasts: The Library and The Young Adult, whose work inspired me to pursue a career in young adult librarianship.