#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?

#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)

#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.

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 #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...