Librarians Do It Quietly

Magazine Image Generators

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 23:07:45 -0400

I checked out the Wired magazine cover. Waiting for the Mets game to start (rain delay turned into a postpone, oh well) so I did a baseball themed issue. (I confess I did not upload my own photo. I found one online with Google Images.) I can't save the image with a right-click so I had to find an alternate way to save it. I went to print it and used the Microsoft XPS option in the Choose Printer box. This saved the file with a .XPS file extension. A quick check of Wikipedia told me that to open the file all I had to do was change the file extension to .ZIP and open it that way. I'll just have to update after I can upload to flickr in a couple days (my non-pro account already used up the upload limit for this month).

Image generators are always so much fun. I've previously extolled the virtues of typogenerator, which can probably entertain me for hours. As for the library, image generators can definitely provide for some interesting signs. I could see a magazine theme running through the library with fake covers in each section, the headlines being reading suggestions. Maybe seventeen magazine in the YA section with headlines pointing to John Green and Maureen Johnson, Boys Life and American Girl in the Juvenile room, Babybug with the Easy books like Eric Carle and Laura Numeroff. And of course several different topical magazines in adult fiction, nonfiction and Reference.

Photobucket

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 01:41:37 -0400

I have had a Photobucket account (linked it but trust me, it's not worth looking at) for three years but used it mostly to host pictures that I would post on other sites. I had no idea that now you can easily copy other peoples' pictures to your own albums, which actually made me take down several just now. I don't like that it's that easy. (Not that flickr is much harder, but still. I don't know why, I just don't like this one.)

Oh well, I stole some people's images for my album. One is Thomas Hardy, the other is a cover of Tess of the D'Urbervilles.

YourMinis

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 01:07:02 -0400

Call me old-fashioned, but I have yet to find a good use for widgets. I don't think I'll use YourMinis beyond a few cursory explorations. I am perfectly happy doing things the old fashioned way through bookmarks, FireFox extensions, etc. If I want a calendar, I'll sign in to my Gmail account and view my Google calendar. If I want to read my favorite blogs, I open my feedreader. I don't mind if there are a few extra steps involved.

Letterpop

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 24:20:39 -0400

*Quick side note: I only JUST remembered that the point of these Learning 2.0 and 2.1 programs are to explore programs and websites that require absolutely ZERO software downloading. Hehe.*

So this is about Letterpop. Before I even play around and see what it's about, of course I read the site's homepage. First thing that makes me sit up and take notice? "LetterPop is perfectly integrated with flickr.com." A fan of flickr since learning about it last time, this is a good start. The next thing I like is that there is a quote from lifehacker, which is a great website to check out in and of itself.

So I signed up and linked up my flickr account. Easy peasy. I like that every step of the way the instructions are links. On the My Newsletters page it tells me I don't have any saved drafts, but says "you should go make one" and "go make one" is a link to the page where I can start a newsletter.

I see that newsletters can be more than just one page. That could be interesting, but tonight I just did one page that points to my flickr page. The email feature is great, but it sends a link. I think it would be more useful if Letterpop let you save your newsletter as a PDF that can be printed up rather than just having a print option on the site. Still, the site is pretty easy to use and I'm sure I can find lots of uses for it.

Zamzar.com

Wed, 27 Jun 2007 23:00:43 -0400

I really like Zamzar.com because it's very intuitive. The directions couldn't be easier. The important thing is the ability to transfer to and from many different file formats. For example, if someone were to come in with a text document created in OpenOffice but all we have at the library is Microsoft Word, we can use Zamzar to convert the file to Word, edit it, and then use Zamzar again to convert it back to OpenOffice. The only issue here is that you need an email address to do it. However, I find many people who don't have an email address are willing to get a free Gmail or Yahoo! account. Even if they don't, in this type of situation I would be willing to use my own email address if it's a one-time thing.

I found the conversion of text files to PDF to be fairly quick, which is nice. I also tried converting a spreadsheet (created with OpenOffice) to PDF, which was good except that the gridlines didn't show up. To test the speed I tried my 20 page paper that I wrote in my Freshman English class in college (plus 1 page Works Cited), converting from a DOC to a PDF (59MB) and a short video file (74MB), both under the 100MB file size limit. The PDF file arrived in my email almost instantly. The MPG-to-AVI conversion was not so quick, but did arrive in under five minutes.

Overall I think this site is definitely going to come in handy, so I bookmarked it. For some reason it reminds me of yousendit.com a bit in theory... even though that one doesn't do conversions.

Learning 2.1 begins

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 01:48:52 -0400

I recently learned that Learning 2.0 was such a huge success that there is a newly-created movement called Learning 2.1, which will continue the program's focus on exploring web 2.0 technologies through independent and interactive discovery and play. It's really late so I will leave it to tomorrow to really get started. Tonight I just wanted to browse the basic information (like the F.A.Q. on the L2.1 site) and put up a new blog post before I add my blog to the L2.1 wiki.

And for the record, my loverly boyfriend Mark got me a 4GB ipod Nano for Christmas. :-) So I gave the one from B&BW to my sister.

23rd Thing: Summation

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 02:48:18 -0400

The past week and a half has been a whirlwind of learning new things, and relearning not-so-new things. The part that has me most excited is that after more than a year of desire, I finally made a podcast. Whether or not I keep it updated is another story. At least I know how easy it can be. Now I just need to find a free program that will do the same thing as ePodcast Producer (link in previous entry) in creating the .xml file... or I need to learn that part for myself.

Another thing I like is that through research for this, I realized that even though I am not in school anymore, I can still "take class" on my own, using the internet. I can publish a blog to keep track of assignments, and reward myself for completion of a new learning project. I can find resources to help me learn anything I want, and I can do it on my own timetable. This Learning 2.0 program was pretty quick since I was familiar with many if the sites, or with similar sites. Something else might take longer, but that's ok. I have my whole lifetime to be a Lifelong Learner!

eAudiobooks via NetLibrary

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 02:31:01 -0400

I created a NetLibrary account several months ago so that when I am asked about it by library users, I know what I am doing to set it up. I had browsed a bit but not much. A couple days ago I started browsing and came across Plum Sykes, whose book Bergdof Blondes had attracted my attention this summer. I had gotten the book out of the library and it sat in my room for weeks until I finally returned it. I did not read it, for lack of time or whatever reason. I decided to check it out in audio format, and downloaded that as well as the next book Sykes wrote, The Debutante Divorce. Both will fit on my MP3 player, and if all works out well then hopefully I will find more eAudiobooks to try out. If not, I can always stick to podcasts. I was surprised, by author searching, at how many well-known authors were not available. I can see this being disappointing to those who do not want to take the time to find anything but bestsellers. However, I don't usually read them anyway, and am excited to further explore the site when I am ready for another eaudiobook.

Podcasts - Part 2 of 2

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 01:22:31 -0400

Last night I used Audacity to create a short (minute and a half) podcast. I used two pieces of free music from Flashkit and did a brief intro, then read a poem I wrote, called Finding Myself. The podcast is very rough, but all in all I think not bad for my first attempt. I don't want to go public with it yet but I did register for Odeo. That was enough for one night. Tonight I used a free trial of ePodcast Producer to add an .xml file and publish it on my site. It took under 5 minutes, it was so easy! Then I used Feedreader to subscribe to my podcast, and listened to make sure it worked, and it did. How exciting! It's actually really simple, although I'm sure it will take time before I sound like a pro.

The .xml for my podcast is: http://www.michellemeltzer.com/iafb/IAFB.xml

Or, if you prefer the .mp3, right-click here and save the link to your computer: http://www.michellemeltzer.com/iafb/IAFB001-2006-11-29.mp3

Almost done with the Learning 2.0 program. I plan on continuing my blog afterwards as I continue to explore Web 2.0 programs and features. And according to the tracking from Bath and Body Works, my (not free, not 1GB, but still an exciting reward) mp3 player will arrive December 5... just in time for my second podcast perhaps?

Podcasts - Part 1 of 2

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 16:49:53 -0400

I am already familiar with podcasts, but I did find a library-related podcast to try out called the Rock and Roll Librarian. Looks like it might be interesting. The more interesting thing here for me is the idea of creating my own podcast. When I have more time later, after I get done at work, I want to come home and look at the articles on creating a podcast, and maybe even try it out.

Podcasts, like videos on YouTube, are a great way of disseminating information to library users, provided you make sure users can easily access them. Post a link on the library web page with clear instructions on how to listen to the podcast, even without subscribing to the feed. This can be a way of telling the latest news, or of giving instructions on how to do various things on the library site and in the library itself. It can also be a way of running a class online, like the Learning 2.0 class Helene Blowers created (in which I am now participating).

The main assignment for Thing 21 is done, I will update later after doing the optional part of it.

YouTube

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 02:05:58 -0400

I am already signed up on YouTube but have yet to post any videos. Maybe if I get a digital camcorder, which is on my Christmas Wishlist...

The video is a band called OK Go and the video is for their song “Here It Goes Again” from their CD Oh No released August 30, 2005.

I really like the site. It is easy to search for things, but it's also easy to navigate using the related videos feature, or to view videos by the same person. I chose this video because it is highly amusing. As one commenter pointed out, it's amazing that it is done in one take. As the video example in the Learning 2.0 Thing shows, YouTube is a great place to host videos that can teach library users about library services (such as self checkout). It can also host videos highlighting library programs, introducing staff, or as a virtual newscast to support a newsletter.

Discovering Web 2.0 Tools

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 23:09:17 -0400

I chose to look into box.net because I want to backup my digital photos without having to burn CDs. The site lets you sign up for a free account, with various paid upgraded account options. Of course, the Learning 2.0 class idea is to look at a free program with no need to download anything, so this site fits the specifications of this Thing. With a free account I can upload up to 1GB of files, each no more than 10MB in size. The site is easy to use, and fairly intuitive. There is even a drag-and-drop, multiple file upload option that runs as a Java applet. The upload process is time-consuming, as is the nature of file-sharing and uploading/downloading. And I may need to sign up with an alternate email address if I want more free space without paying a monthly fee to upgrade my account. But overall, it's a nice site, light on layout images. This could be useful for a library to use as a backup method for various types of files all together, without having to resort to several different sites (such as Zoho for documents and spreadsheets, and Flickr for photos).

Web-based Applications

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 22:23:44 -0400

I've tried Google Docs, since I do have a GMail account and don't have to sign up separately. However, that doesn't have a capability to share documents with the public. So I decided to sign up for a free Zoho account as well. There are a LOT more options in Zoho, such as adding emoticons that are images cool , adding layers, special characters, tables, and horizontal rules.

One benefit of both programs is the ability to save the file online and access from multiple locations. Also, both allow you to "share" files with friends by entering their email addresses. One detriment of both (in my opinion) is that the selection of fonts is limited. For things like fliers and posters I would still use Microsoft Word so I could use the many fonts I have on my computer.

Overall, given the choice I would probably still use Word for private documents. If I am at work, however, I can see that this is a good way to create documents that I do not need to put onto disk or email to myself.

Thoughts So Far

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 16:11:37 -0400

Many things I have done in the past highly-intensive week were either partially or completely new to me, and I will have to revisit them to explore and learn more. The plus side is that I have been keeping up with the blog entries for each new thing. While I may not have written long entries, the fact that I have something there will help jog my memory on the thoughts I had the first time through. I definitely do not consider myself on expert on the new (to me) websites, like LibraryThing or Rollyo, but I think getting my feet wet is a good start, and should I find a need to use them in the future I will at least be somewhat familiar with them.

I am not in the original library system that Learning 2.0 was created for, and I am doing this after they have already finished, therefore I am doubly out of the loop for the free MP3 Player. However, strange things happen- by coincidence, I recently got an email from Bath and Body Works about a 256MB MP3 Player with a special sale price of $25 (marked with the note that the regular price was $50) and decided to get that for myself as a reward for doing this program. It won't be as nice as the free 1GB one given to PLCMC participants, but I still feel good about it. If it arrives before I finish the last Thing, I will not open it until I have fully completed the program.

PBWiki

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 15:59:09 -0400

I like PBWiki. It is indeed easy as a peanut butter sandwich. Creating my own account was quick, and took under three minutes. So far I don't know what I will use PBWiki for. I think I will start by creating a private wiki and just play around with it for a while. The tips page listed on the Learning 2.0 blog for this Thing is now one of my bookmarks in Firefox, as it will definitely be a useful reference in the future.

Wikis

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 14:49:46 -0400

I have browsed Wikipedia before, so most of the basics in this lesson were things I already knew. I think it is interesting that wikis can be used in so many different ways, and that the scope of a wiki changes as a result of having many contributors.

One library application for a wiki would be a database of library programs. It could have information on programs run in the past, ongoing programs, and ideas for future programs. The site could be for just library staff, so they can share information and provide facts to library users. Or it could be open to library users as well, and they can contribute their reviews and comments on programs they attended, or submit a request for a future program (either something entirely new, or a repeat of a previously held program).

Library 2.0

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 13:25:39 -0400

After reading the various articles on Library 2.0 the one thing that has become clear to me is the focal point of Library 2.0 being the flow of information not only from the library to the user, but more importantly from the user to the library. Planning to renovate the library? Ask library users for input. Collection development? Focus on what the users ask for, and rely on ILL and other methods for providing other information -- don't spend too much money on the "just in case" collection.

Dr. Wendy Schultz says in her article To a temporary place in time that "Libraries are not merely in communities, they are communities." East Fishkill Community Library is a great example of this. There are many classes and groups that meet at the library, and the community rooms are used every day. The library also welcomes people to study on their own or in groups, as well as tutoring pairs. The public computers are a hot spot and there is even a waiting list at times.There are many people in and out of the library, and part of what keeps them coming back is that their suggestions are welcome. They can suggest books for the library to purchase. They can offer to run a program. Many library users have an ongoing rapport with staff members. This library is a fluorishing community, and while it may not be very up-to-date with Web 2.0 technologies, it certainly embodies the beginning of a Library 2.0 mentality.

Technorati

Fri, 24 Nov 2006 02:30:47 -0400

I have been here before and already had an account. I'm actually glad for the incentive to sign in again, as I haven't in almost a year, because I still had "claim" to my long-deleted blog about wedding preparations (before my engagement ended, and not in the usual way). While there I noticed that the site does seem a bit less clunky than last time I visited. I went to the popular page and saw one of the favorites is a site I do love, which is actually one of my subscriptions in Feedreader, and that is Postsecret. Again, if you want to make stalking real easy, use tags. All kidding aside, I can see how surfing around from blog to blog using tags can be more helpful and rewarding than without.

del.icio.us

Fri, 24 Nov 2006 02:03:03 -0400

I can see the potential of this site for various situations.

a person who wants to access the same links from home or work (or other) computers
a person who is away from their usual computer and wants to add a bookmark without forgetting to do it once returning
a group of people doing research, et cetera, who all need to access a common list of links
someone doing research who is stuck and needs alternate search terms (tags)
et cetera

However, I don't like that there is no option for privacy. Everything is open to anyone to see. Plus, I have no problem with bookmarks. If I can't remember a URL, it's often a hop skip and a jump away with a simple google search. I can definitely see why so many people use the site, but at this time I am declining the invitation to join.

Rollyo

Thu, 23 Nov 2006 02:00:57 -0400

My initial reaction to this is that I like the way I search things, and don't know that I have a need for this site. Why bother creating a search for one site when I can add an already-made Search Engine to Firefox? I don't even know what I would add to a search here. I kinda wish this "thing" had more instructions linked. So I'm kinda flaking out and not REALLY doing this one, but I did look around the site a little. I did at least read the Learn More About Rollyo page, and sign up. I think if I knew more informational sites to use for various patron queries, it might be useful. For example, if I had a few good free biography sites aimed at kids I could make a rollyo (roll?) with that. It seems like a good idea if you have a search topic goal, and you have a list of sites to add.

LibraryThing

Thu, 23 Nov 2006 01:19:28 -0400

LibraryThing is an interesting site, and if I had all my books on shelves instead of in boxes I would definitely add more to my catalog. I like that after adding a book I can view my catalog and then change the cover to show which I actually have. I think it's cool that an advanced search option for adding books is with the Borders product code (binc) since I work there. I also like the "unsuggester" - on the one hand it could be used to suggest unlikely books that you may find you like. On the other, it can be used in reverse as a suggestion system if you search using a book you absolutely despise. Then again, how accurate can it be? Searching for The Catcher in the Rye brings up a list where number 49 is... uh... The Catcher in the Rye...

Image Generators

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 21:55:25 -0400

I like TypoGenerator. It lets you put in the text you want, and then it randomly generates an image. Then you can choose to keep or change the text style, colors, and background. There are limitless possibilities! Here's an example:

Image 2 (kept the colors, changed the rest):

Finding Feeds

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 03:15:35 -0400

I admit, I've done just a cursory look through the sites listed. It's good to know where I can go if I want to search for RSS content, but I usually just stumble upon things that interest me and add them that way. Generally I don't like information overload. I like having many subscriptions but unless I'm very interested, I don't like reading long posts, or feeds that have many posts in a short period of time. I do like Syndic8 and will have to go back and check it out some time when I have a search topic in mind. Feedster would not load for me, maybe my computer is just being slow right now, so I should also go back there.

RSS

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 01:39:00 -0400

RSS is great. I don't have to try to remember all the sites and people I want to keep tabs on. I just add them into Feedreader and automatically get updates. It's a great way to keep up with my friends's blogs, those of authors I enjoy, celebrities and TV characters, and more. The best part is that I can keep track of myself by subscribing to feeds of my own blogs, my new Flickr account, my TiVo Now Playing list and To Do list, and even my library account at LibraryElf.

Blog about anything technology-related

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 16:50:07 -0400

My most recent discovery is Flickr, of course. Previously I have used Photobucket, which is decent as a site to host images, but can be hard to navigate besides my own pictures when I am signed in. I think Flickr is something to play around with, and get familiar with, and I can tell that the community aspects of it will be useful. I want to look into whether or not I can FTP photos to the site, and possibly use the site to backup all the images on my computer. If not, perhaps there is another site with that option. Unfortunately I have over 1GB of photos, so I will need to find a site with large capacity of space for little or no fee.

The next thing I want to figure out is movie editing, as people do with YouTube. Maybe that will be touched on later in this course? Otherwise I'm sure I can find a free online course for that somewhere...

Flickr Mashup: Movie Poster

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 16:16:48 -0400

This is fun and I can see it being a great time waster. It will be more fun doing it with a better high-res lotsofmegapixels image that would look good when printed out.

Flickr

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 16:01:02 -0400

I love this photo! Pink frosting and sprinkles on chocolate cupcakes- it's a confectionary dream come true. Princess birthday party, anyone?

Seven and 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners

Tue, 21 Nov 2006 02:29:58 -0400

1. Begin with the end in mind.
2. Accept responsibility for your own learning.
3. View problems as challenges.
4. Have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner.
5. Create your own learning toolbox. (Books, technology, classes, mentors, friends, websites...)
6. Use technology to your advantage.
7. Teach.mentor others.
7 1/2. Play!

The easiest habit for me is using technology to my advantage. I'm very comfortable with computers and easily pick up new tips and tricks. I am eager to use and learn more. The hardest is teaching/mentoring others because I don't have confidence in myself that I can do a good job with this, even if I know a lot about a topic.