Delicious

I have been a user of Delicious for several years and I really like the fact that I access my bookmarks from any computer anywhere....I don't have to remember to send myself the link at home if I find something of interest at work or vice versa. I think that the library could create an account and share it with our patrons by promoting the fact we have found the most reliable sites for them to use in their research.

Twitter

Twitter can be a fun way to keep up with friends and family with short messages as to what is going on in your life. Celebrities also use it to connect with their fans. But some twitters would be better off creating a blog with the number of tweets they send out. Bad person that I am I unsubscribed from Ellen DeGeneres for this reason. But Ellen created her own tweet app so she is much easier to follow now. I think that Twitter could be great promotional tool for the library promoting new programs, registration dates, new or old collections, etc.

Virtual library

It's nice to know that there is a place I can go and find reliable sites to search for information. I wish that HeritageQuest would "translate" the handwriting of the census materials. Newsbank obituary searches was pretty good for finding my relatives in Illinois, California found nothing.

We need to promote these resources to our patrons.

Podcasting, IM and Downloadables

Hmmm. what to say...I don't particularly enjoy hearing books read to me so I think that is unlikely that I would ever download a book. That being said...I do enjoy radio plays (thanks Beth for ordering the Torchwood series) and if there was a particular actor that I thought would be entertaining to listen to I may 'deign' to listen to a book being read to me.

I have listened to some podcasts of radio programs that I either missed or didn't have live access to. I seem to always find the ones that you can't download and in most cases I would have like to have been able to download the podcast to my iPod so I didn't have to sit at my computer to listen to it.

Instant messaging. Again I'm not too sure that I would "chat" with someone that way. If I wanted a conversation I would probably pick up the phone. On the other hand if it is a quick and easy question it may be more efficient to IM. I could see IM being useful to library staff to find out if the person they need to talk to is available and if they are in their office or a service desk.

Wikis and Google Docs

Wikis are a great tool. However, from personal experience for personal use you need to find the right program to do what you want to do at your level of expertise. I have a used one of the free ones and when you have problems there is not always someone available to answer your questions satisfactorily.

Google Docs is a good way to maintain documents that edit/use via different computers. My only problem is that cell width with some of the Excel documents changes once the document is uploaded Google Docs. A small inconvenience for the ability to access your document from any computer. I had not noticed the templates before so I will be experimenting with those at a later date.

Social Networking

Well I've looked at Facebook, My Space and LinkedIn. While they are all quite interesting I'm not sure how I would use them. The people that I want to connect with have my contact information.

Searching Facebook was extremely frustrating. If I'm looking for someone and don't know the city where they currently reside how am I supposed to find them? I did like how libraries are using Facebook to promote themselves. Like all promotions we need to be diligent and keep updating everyday to keep our "fans" interested.

MySpace and LinkedIn were okay. For LinkedIn I didn't find many people in my network. I guess librarians aren't using it yet.

Ladybug, ladybug...don't fly away

2009_0915_3_ladybug_ForestLearningCntr_2080
Originally uploaded by joy_jla

Examples of the types of photos I like to take to use for the birthday cards I create.

Flickr

I take alot of photos that I need/want to share with my family so I created a Flickr account as I am exploring different ways to do this.

Flickr does a pretty good job of walking you through each step you need to take. It will take some more exploring on my part before I can make a recommendation. Using the blogging function with a picture is useful if you want to only show picture and link back to your gallery. Otherwise if you want mutliple photos in your post it is easier to use the add picture link in the new post form.

I think that Flickr would an excellent way for the library to off the programs that have occurred. The library account could also show how inviting our building is by featuring pictures of the interior, exterior, collections and surrounding land (i.e. the walking trail and marsh). Showing off the library could also be a contest for the staff members who take pictures of what they think showcases the services we provide and/or the features of the building.

YouTube

At times I think that you can lose days when you are surfing YouTube. The variety is endless...things you forgot about, didn't know about and want to watch again. It's all there if you can find it.

Now for the critque. I just wish that everyone who uploaded content only uploaded 'quality' recordings. A jumpy picture is an old home movie AND I don't want to encourage illegal recordings.

Pandora

It has been awhile since I last used Pandora and I admit at first I had a little trouble finding my way around the new version (they moved things on me). However, it is still relatively simple to use. I was slightly disappointed to see hear a commercial on "my" radio station but at least it is only ONE commercial not 10. The one thing that I never liked was not being able to see and rate the upcoming songs. But if everything was perfect and the way you wanted them to be there would be nothing to complain about or have the ability to improve upon. So if you don't have an ipod or the equivalent... this is a good alternative to being able to listen to music while you work.

Mistaken

Okay...so I was mistaken. I have tried Google Reader. Didn't like it. I will be sticking with Bloglines.

Feed readers

I have tried both Yahoo! and Bloglines as RSS feed readers. I found Bloglines to be more user friendly and suitable for my needs. As part of the Tune-Up I will take a look at Google Reader but I make no promises as to whether or not I will actually use it.

Blogs, part 2

In checking out the recommened library blogs I found Hennepin County's to be very confusing. How do I know which feed to subscribe to if I can't view what has already been posted? Denver PL was more user friendly. I think that the LaGrange Park and Glenside blogs are good examples of libraries promoting themselves and what they do.

Blogs

Sometimes I think that I have too many blogs to read even with Bloglines as a filter. My current count of blogs I follow is 87. Sometimes I think that they are necessary evil and othertimes I really look forward to reading them all. Either way blogs are the easiest and best way to keep current with what is going on with any topic that I find I need or want to follow.

I dislike Blogger

As in the first post I am being good and following the Tune-Up procedures. As the Chair of the Technology Planning Committee I feel that this the correct and proper think do. However, I don't have to like it. :) Personally I am a fan of Wordpress for blogging. You have more control over the template of your blog, there aren't as many steps to edit your post and I think that it is easier to use/navigate. Just my opinion.

That's number 5

Count em up.. I've got 5. Yes, that's right...I've got 5 email addresses.

Okay, okay...so I'm being good and following the instructions for the Technology Tune-Up. But do I really need a FIFTH email address? I don't think so, but I was good and did it anyways. However, I will delete it at the end of the program.