Thing 23: Concluding thoughts

YIPEE...I'm DONE!!! I had fallen so far behind. Thankfully, I set my mind to completing everything I set out to accomplish. Of course, this is only the beginning. But this program has really opened my eyes to so many possibilities for learning and discovery. Some of the tools (RSS, Technorati, Rollyo) were completely new to me, and had it not been for the 23 Things program, I may have never experimented with them. There are other, more familiar tools, such as Flickr and LibraryThing, which I continue to enjoy.

I had a blast with Rollyo (I could spend hours here), but I also loved the Web 2.o Awards site and clips I discovered of favorite musicians on YouTube. Many of the exercises were intriguing enough that I will want to revisit them often.

I am thrilled to have taken part in this relevant, stimulating program. There are no limits to where technology can take us or to what we can learn in the process. The tools are ours for the taking..it is up to each of us to decide what to do with them.

Week 9: Thing 22 - Audiobooks & Project Gutenberg

I thought it would be great to look into downloadable audiobooks and experience it for myself. This is a wonderful example of how technology can make library services available to anyone, anywhere, with computer access. The concept of a library extends well beyond the brick and mortar building. As I had no experience with e-books, I listened to the introduction and installed the OverDrive module on my laptop. Back in BCPL's catalog, I selected and charged out 2 books of interest.

Up until now, the process was effortless, but when I attempted to download one of the titles and listen, it did not take me to OverDrive as I had expected. Instead, I was directed to a page from Abobe - "Adobe Digital Editions," asking that I download it to listen to my audiobook! There are numerous Adobe products already installed on my computer, and perhaps there is a default setting that I don't know about. How frustrating! I'll go back to this when I have a little more energy to figure out what's going on.

Instead, I explored Project Gutenberg - a very worthwhile pursuit! Imagine 20,000 free books (many available in a number of languages), either in text or audio format, all in the public domain! The most recent copyright laws put a major damper on this project. I view it as a positive step toward bridging the digital divide, but one still needs a computer! And unfortunately, computers are still out of reach for many, many people.

Week 9: Thing 21 - Podcasts

This gave me a much clearer picture of what podcasts are all about. I tried to a listen to a few, but had some technical issues. Finally, I accessed one that I thought would be interesting, and instead put me to sleep. I can understand the appeal of podcasts and potential uses, but don't believe they are for me. I'm far more of a visual person.

Week 9: Thing 20 - YouTube

This has really taken me by surprise! I was familiar with YouTube, but never realized how many categories are actually on the site. (It's not all cutesy, comical videos, thank goodness!)

I browsed the "music" category and ran a couple of searches. Most of my favorite musicians were actually represented! As a result, I spent WAY too much time with this. I was astounded at the number of classical music clips (many historic) and was tempted to post several to my blog. But, I'll exercise some restraint and choose one: Anuna (an Irish choral group) performing Siuil A Ruin and The Rising of the Sun. Gorgeous stuff...and I will be hearing them in concert at the Lyric in December!!! Also worth checking out: Martha Argerich's award winning performance at the Chopin International Piano Competition in 1965: Chopin Scherzo #3 (one of my perennial favorites). She is nothing short of amazing. Also worth investigating: Mikhail Pletnev (another incredible pianist) and anything by Richard Thompson, one of the most charismatic songwriters and phenomenal guitarists working today.

Aaaaah...I'm in heaven!

Week 8: Thing 19 - Web 2.0 Award Winners

I've created yet another account (!), this time with Upcoming, one of the Web 2.o Award Winners in the "Events" category. I figured that I could plan all kinds of adventures, cultural forays, etc., but there are concerts, for example, which I KNOW are taking place but can't be found on this site. I need to play with it some more - although it received 5 stars for ease of use, it does not appear intuitive to me. I did check out some of the other sites and want to examine "City Guides and Reviews," "Lists and Polls," "Books" and "Travel."

Who knew this stuff existed?!

Week 8: Thing 18-Online tools

I signed up for Zoho (used Creator) approximately one year ago when I was doing a project for a class. The alternative would have been to learn Access! Zoho Writer is new to me, though, and I plan on using it more frequently (eventually, I'll lean more heavily on this program or Open Office, which I love). MS Word is a growing source of frustration, so I am actively seeking alternatives that will meet my word processing needs without the hassles I encounter.

Week 7:Thing 17 - Sandbox wiki

Done! It would be fun to play with this for a longer period of time and read some other "favorites". But for now, I created a list (under the unimaginative title of "Favorite Things"), along with a photo of one of my spoiled-rotten cats!

Week 7: Thing 16 - Wikis

I became familiar with wikis after joining a group of library students who had organized a wiki as a means of studying and sharing information. What an experience! Each of us contributed by posting interesting articles, resources, relevant notes, etc. It was very helpful to be noified via e-mail whenever anything was added or edited. All in all, I have found it to be an invaluable learning tool.
That said, I do believe that wikis need to be approached with caution. There is no editor, and it can be difficult to ascertain whether specific pieces of information are accurate. This is one of the major problems with Wikipedia, which is best used as an additional, rather than the sole resource when seeking information. It's surprising to me that so many kids head straight to Wikipedia (only) for answers to their assignments!

Week 6: Thing 15 - Library 2.0

To think that just a couple of months ago, I didn't fully understand this concept! It is truly mind-boggling to contemplate the resources we have at our disposal. Ranganathan's Five Laws of Library Science are as timely now as they were in 1931, but the final law "the library is a changing organism," truly reflects the transformation that is taking place in libraries the world over. I chose 3 of the articles on the topic and especially enjoyed what John Riemer had to say about expanding bibliographic services and exploring new initiatives. He mentions the Endeca-based NC State catalog, which benefit's the user's experience with an exciting, intuitive interface which allows for various ways of navigating information.

I also enjoyed the following article from Library Journal (2006, Sept. 1), by Casey and Savastinuk, which not only gives an excellent overview (along with some terrific 2.o sources), but also clarifies that the Library 2.0 model is not all about technology. There is much that can be done to transform libraries with limited funding, or those struggling to bridge the digital divide.

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6365200.html

Library 2.0 is most definitely about embracing change and collaborating with our users to meet their needs.

Week 6: Thing 13 -del.icio.us and Thing 14 - Technorati

I have SO many favorites stored on my laptop that I figured this could be very useful to me. I proceeded to register and added a few bookmarks that I refer to frequently. Wow...so efficient! What I enjoy the most is that they are now accessible anywhere, regardless of location. No more Google searches for a specific URL!
As far as the "social" aspect of del.icio.us, I don't see myself taking advantage of that yet. Perhaps at some point.

I also established an account with Technorati and was initally overwhelmed, but this is the type of program that becomes much easier with a little use. Once I began to take the time and add tags, the concept became much clearer to me. I am so amazed by the explosion of blogs on the Internet...at least this allows users to browse areas of interest and discover some hidden gems. I'll definitely come back to this site often!

Week 5: Thing 12 - Rollyo

I was fascinated with Rollyo and would love to create 3 or 4 additional search roles when I have more time. For now, I created one for off-the-beaten-track travel called "Road Less Traveled." All of my favorite travel sites in one place for easy reference (plus a few additional ones that are new to me)! I will definitely refer to this when planning my next major vacation (long overdue!!).

There are so many possible applications for this, but first and foremost, I see it as a useful tool for anyone who wants to zero in on authoritative information on any topic without having to initiate a much more time-consuming search on the WEB. It's also a great starting point for anyone whose curiosity has been piqued and would like to learn more about any given area.

My head is beginning to swim with all of these registration procedures -- keeping it as simple as possible!

Week 5: Thing 11

I can't believe how easy it was for me to begin adding titles to LibraryThing (yet another addictive site!) One thing I am learning through the 23 Things program is that some of the sites I have stayed away from (for fear that they would consume too much of my time) appear quite effortless. And as long as I continue to add memorable titles to LibraryThing, organization becomes a breeze!

http://www.librarything.com/catalog/avidtraveler

Week 4 and 5: Things 9 & 10

I explored MERLIN a bit and was overwhelmed by the number of social networking sites! I'm not sure that this is something I want to invest much time in.
A couple of months ago, I created an avatar for Second Life (Nova Upshaw) but was somewhat disappointed to learn that one actually has to spend some money (US dollars converted to Linden dollars) to wear a spiffy outfit, buy some living quarters, and even change your hairstyle! Nonetheless, it was amazing to "fly" to Info Island and visit the library, where I browsed through the Chicago Tribune and the London Times. What a diversion!
I had great fun with playing with an online image generator, specifcally with the Meez program. I loved reinventing my avatar, and finally chose one which I can relate to, this time immersed in timeless music for piano.

Week 5: Thing 8

I've discovered RSS! To say that this is addictive is an understatement. I have subscribed to 15 feeds and the list continues to grow! This is truly a timesaver that will encourage me to check in periodically to my favorite websites and blogs. Some current favorites: National Geographic News: Animals and Nature, Tame the Web: Libraries and Technology,and Moose Peterson's Wildlife Photography blog. This is great!!

I've been tagged!! (actually a while ago...)

It took me a while to get back to this, but here goes...


Here's how it works: Each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, and then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged, and asking them to read your blog to find out how it works!

Eight facts/habits about me:
1) I am passionate about nature in all forms
2) Photography,writing and music are my favorite creative pursuits
3) Traveling is a rush (and when I can't get there in person, armchair traveling is the next best thing!) Next year: Galapagos Islands!!
4) Enjoy gourmet cooking & ethnic restaurants
5) Love animals, with a special fondness for cats
6) Classically trained pianist
7) I'm quite the packrat (a habit I would like to change!)
8) I'll always take the road less traveled

I'm tagging the following: Opera is Life, Birds and Garden, Fancy Santos, Pooh's Place, Birdwatcher, Cabbage Butterfly,Cat Lover, Diva of Butterflies

Week 3: Things 5, 6 & 7

Having completed things 3 and 4 (setting up & registering my blog), I am finally having great fun with Flickr! I'm way behind, but with vacation and some work priorities behind me, I'm ready to move forward. I have attached a few of the photos taken in the past year and posted on Flickr. This site is similar in many ways to Picasa, which I absolutely love: http://picasa.google.com/. I have set up numerous "Picasa Web Albums" that keep my photos nicely organized. Flickr allows a user to organize images into "sets," but an individual cannot set up more than three sets without considering an upgrade (yuck!!) Both Picasa and Flickr share the "mapping" capability. I haven't actually explored this but hope to in the near future. Way cool!

I have learned all about mashups (a totally new concept) and played with Flickr Color Pickr, Delivr Digital Postcards, and Montager. My favorite third party site (thus far) is Trip Planner (what a surprise!) - VERY addictive!!!

Week I: Things 1 & 2 (afer first completing 3 & 4)

I can't believe that I'm finally on my way! Finding the time is my greatest challenge, but now that I've set up the blog, things should proceed at a more predictable pace. I enjoyed the 7 1/2 Habits Tutorial and although the "habits" were not entirely new to me, they are welcome reminders. I loved the emphasis on "play," which not only provides much needed balance in our lives, but also enables us to be more productive at work. I have never been one to keep lists, but I do believe that whatever we write down can propel us toward our goals. So I intend on recording some preliminary goals in my (first!) learning contract and plan to focus on overcoming obstacles and meeting challenges along the way.