Libraries411

I learned that from my zip code (53403), Kenosha's Northside Branch is 3.8 miles away, and RPL is 3.5 miles away. Since I can walk to work in 15 minutes, and I know I don't walk a 5-minute mile, I think there's something goofy here. But it is interesting to see how close Kenosha's branch is. A lot of patrons use that library because they can shoot right down Ohio and get there faster than coming here.

Hot titles carousel

This is very cool!

Mashups

I just checked my daugher's address in EveryBlockChicago. I shouldn't have...

YouTube and libraries

I think we can have a lot of fun with YouTube. They definitely make libraries come alive in very different and fun ways. Takes a lot of bandwidth, I know, which patrons don't always have.

I used YouTube for the DragonBoat races and we linked them to the website.

YouTube - this is my song

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=KMhuAtyFCrw

Second life

I'm wondering where Second Life is going to end up. It seems to be more popular with older folks than younger ones; maybe because our avatars can look so different from us. It has to be fun, innovative, and interesting to keep my attention, and this doesn't do it. Maybe after I retire?

Podcasts

When RPL had the Pimp My Cart contest, LibVibe interviewed me for their podcast. These are so simple to do, all you need is a mike... and an audience. I love that I can download podcasts and listen to them at my convenience. Why can't we do that with TV shows?

It would be pretty simple to do podcasts of how to use the library's catalog, BadgerLink, AskAway, etc. and stick them on our website. Simple if we had enough time, that is! Maybe Becky could do a "what's happening this week" podcast...

Doodle

Doodle is a big time saver when communicating with committees. I just used it this morning to set up a meeting with some city folks, and I got this message back from one Administrative Manager: "Use Outlook." This person didn't take the time to even follow the link. I wonder if I'm going to be that rigid when I finally get old...

Automatic flatterer

I'm putting this site on my toolbar...
http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/%7Egeoffo/humour/flattery.html

SurveyMonkey

I did a surveymonkey for the SHARE group on the use of DVDs. I was amazed how many people are irritated that they can't see where they are on the list of holds anymore. I was also surprised that people didn't care whether they reserved wide screen or not; I thought people were going more towards wide screen. They also didn't care whether their "home" library had the item or not. The library has a subscription (just renewed) so we can use this any old time. Great tool.

Jott

Again, the RPL username and password didn't work; I registered for my own account and now have to call back from my work phone. I'll learn more about Jott later!

RTM

I must have waited too long, the RPLAIT username and password didn't work -- boo hoo!

I added a couple of tasks, did them, and got a "whoohoo!" message which instantly perked me right up. Amazing how we respond to these little "attagirls" isn't it. I don't like to think I'm glued to Outlook, but it's on my PDA and synchs to my computer wonderfully well. I'll be playing with RTM in the future.

This was helpful:

http://sheenonline.biz/2008/06/super-charge-remember-the-milk-with-smart-lists-and-tags/

I used another tool that would help me pack for trips by sending me reminders a month ahead, a week ahead, etc. but after signing up for it, I forgot my password. Note to self: don't do that!

Tagging

I just added tags to my blog reviews. It changed the look of my blog! Fun! However, it is onerous to go backwards and keep adding tags. As a cataloger, I know that a controlled vocabulary provides the most organized access to information; however, I know that coming up with just the right subject or label is incredibly difficult. Automobiles or cars? My brother-in-law, a computer genius, has been working at UI-Chicago for years on a human-like interface that will intuitively provide a searcher with the right information for that individual, based on a complex profile. Whoever gets there first will rule the world.

Instant messaging

This has become a useful tool; I'm not startled anymore when the box pops up!

Am I smarter than a fifth grader?

August 19: Jill says I have to document what I've learned. I added a slide to the Adventures in Technology Google docs, of the Santa Monica Public Library. I never saw a library with a river running through it before! I set up an account on Flickr for the library. I upgraded my Firefox version.
I'm subscribed to bunches of RSS feeds, using Bloglines as my aggregator, including: aldaily.com/ (Arts & Letters Daily; today it says, There was huge drop in semicolon use from the 18th through the 19th centuries, from 68.1 per 1000 words to 17.7. And that's just the start of the trouble..)
fastcompany.com/bigideas (from Fast Company, one of my favorite publications slash websites; today it says,"Sites like Twitter and Facebook will never make much money from advertising: social media users are too busy being social to pay)
readwriteweb/weekly/ ; last week's wrapup says, Imeem is a site where users can listen to licensed streaming music, as well as upload music and blog about it - all for free. Now, Imeem is the third-largest social network in the United States after MySpace and Facebook; and it's now the No. 1 streaming music site in the US.
Benton Foundation Headlines ; today it says, As the switch to digital TV nears, concern about old TVs piling up in landfills has prompted state and local governments to develop recycling programs.
And of course the Dewey blog, and I've got an alert through Ebsco to new articles about the Rolling Stones. Bloglines works through Netscape and sometimes gets weird.

I have my shiny toy, a flash drive, as my reward for slogging through the first session of Adventures in Technology. Ready for round two!