Done!

Now that I have finished 23 Things I look back and think it wasn't so bad. I certainly learned a lot about what is available online. I discovered some things I liked and will use and others that were interesting to know about. Some things were fun - image generator, Sandbox wiki, YouTube, audiobooks, RSS feeds - to name a few. For most all of the 23 Things I would like to have lots of time to play and experiment. Anyway, it wasn't so bad and I feel a little better informed and prepared for the library of the future!

Audiobooks

I listened to Overdrive and NetLibrary introductions but had to look for books in Project Gutenberg. This was an interesting experience and somewhat fun - having to look for a title and then get it downloaded. It worked and I listened to a book. At this point I am not a fan of audiobooks because I still enjoy a book in my hand and the written word. Also, I do not like being read to so I will be OK without this media. However, many people do like it and I think it works in a lot of situations.

Podcasts

I looked at several podcasts from the directory, then typed book reviews as a search term to be specific. There were a lot available. I had fun listening to a variety of podcasts - there was variety in presentation. Podcasts on library programs and information and book reviews are a couple ways I think they would useful for libraries. I enjoyed listening to a book review instead of reading one.

YouTube

Once I started exploring YouTube I found it rather fun. One drawback - you never know just what you may see in a video so it is an adventure. It is an opportunity for creativity and sharing. Libraries could possibly use it to post videos of activities and programs, or video tours of library facilities to name a few possibilities. Quality wasn't always great, especially audio. I checked out some other video sharing sites, too and found them all to be similar.

Awards list

Interesting - I did not know there were so many categories of sites and so many sites in each category. It was enlightening to explore and compare some of these sites and to see where the ones I was familiar with stood in the awards. I found some new ones to explore further.

Zoho and others

I liked this discovery! I was glad to find these sites and the tools available for free. I looked at several of the sites and the tools they had available. I found several useful ones and a couple I'd like to experiment with. This was good!!

Sandbox wiki

This wiki was aptly named! It was fun playing in the "sandbox" with others and checking out their favorites. Wikis can be fun and provide a place for people to share things and comment on things.

Wikis in the library

Wikis begin to look like useful tools. There are a lot of uses for them in the library setting as well as outside the library. I thought the idea of a wiki for book reviews and comments would be great and helpful; also a community information one for a community calendar and activites; or a travel one to share restaurants, motels, and sites to see. One of the biggest problems I see would be the accuracy of a wiki. Depending on their use and intent, I think they would have to monitered in some way - too many tricksters and scammers out there!

Libraries of the future?

From a lot of the predictions, libraries are going to face some real challenges in the coming years. Technology is changing the way libraries serve their patrons and the way libraries function. I think it will be important for libraries to know their patrons and their needs and wants in order to make the best decisions. Library staff will need to be more technology literate, too, especially since there are so many helpful tools out there. It should be interesting and challenging to see where libraries go in the future, especially in our system where we will be most impacted.

New image?

I said the image generator was fun! It was fun to play with it and create an image. Another fun thing is that you can change the image daily. Stay tuned and see what tomorrow brings!!!

Technorati

Technorati - I had trouble spelling it so you know where I am!! This was interesting to explore. I found some of the same blogs in several places. The number of responses varied with Blog posts having the most. I was amazed at the number of blogs out there and the rate they are increasing. It took some experimenting, but I can see this as a useful tool in searching for information or opinions in blogs. It was also interesting to read different blogs and see what they were about and what people had to say. I could spend a lot of time on this site!

Del.icio.us

I discovered Del.icio.us. I can see it's possibilities and use for research and for finding information through other people's tags. I also can see how tagging can help retrieve information quickly and easily and lead you to more information.

Rollyo

Rollyo has some possibilities! With some additional practice time I think I would find it useful and quick. It seems to be a quick and easy search tool - being able to search many sites at once from one place could save time. It gives you choices, too, so you can search your favorite or most reliable sites.

LibraryThing

LibraryThing has good possibilities for those who want to keep track of books they have or have read and who are looking for new authors or to share books and ideas. I think some patrons would like this. I was surprised at how easy it was to catalog books.

Image generators

This was a fun one. It was also one to get lost in!! I found a site and had fun making an image and changing it and playing around with it and suddenly lots of time had gone by!! I'll try to come back and play another day!!!!

Library related feeds

I subscribed to several book review sites, the Librarians Internet Index, and, for fun, word and quotes of the day. I hope these will provide current information on new books and what's happening in libraries. I like Quote of the Day and Word of the Day for fun and for a little "light" learning. I think I'd like to explore more sites to find other useful information and will try to do so later.

RSS Feeds

OK - I set up a Bloglines newsreader account and am now ready to be informed and up-to-date! This wasn't as hard as I thought. I am excited about seeing how this works as I check the feeds regularly. Maybe I will be better informed! It was a challenge to find the feeds and get them into my reader since I had to use several different methods to do so. However, I felt I had achieved and learned something when I was done. I think these feeds will be helpful in providing current information, book reviews, and a good word or quote to throw around!

Technology

All of this technology interests me - I would like more time to explore and play!! I think Flickr would be useful in keeping and organizing pictures as well as being able to share them - and no worries about them being bent in the mail!

mashups etc.

Checking out mashups and third party sites was interesting. I liked mapper and the idea of putting pictures at different places on a map. Lots of potential there - maybe a family location map with pictures of families where they live! This would be something I might like to explore further.