Later>Never

Final Exercise

fashionablylate23thinger — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:45:16 +0000

Overall, I think 23 Things was a valuable exercise. Although I had learned about a lot of these applications in school or already knew about them through my own personal use, it was useful to work with them some more and to learn new tools as well. I think there is value in looking at these applications with the thought “How can this be used to serve library customers” in mind. I think this program certainly encouraged us to do that. I think it’s unfortunate that more staff were not able to complete the program. I found it challenging if not impossible to accomplish many of the things while at work, even while on phones, because there are always other things that need to be done or customers who need help. I’m glad I took the time to complete the program, even if it meant doing it on my own time, because I think I gained a lot from it. Also, I found the fabulous prizes so very difficult to pass up! Thank you Innovations Team for putting this all together. I’m sure a lot of time went into organizing this program!

Thing 23: Library 2.0 and Future of Libraries

fashionablylate23thinger — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:30:41 +0000

With concerns about libraries losing users and perhaps ultimately being replaced by the the Internet and other competitors, the reoccurring conversation and challenge is how to make libraries relevant to users, especially young users who have grown up with computers in their homes. I think that appropriate use of technology is in fact an important part of the solution and libraries would be wise to put Web 2.0 to good use. However, technology is not the complete answer, and librarians should use their judgment when initiating new strategies.

I think the most important challenge is to figure out what the community needs and to effectively meet those needs in the best and most efficient way possible. Librarians should not use technology just to be able to say they are doing it. While using a lot of technological bells and whistles may be impressive at first glance, regular customers are likely to see through them if the service provided is not meeting their needs or simplifying their lives. Technology should make lives easier, not more complicated. I think that if libraries can show customers what they can offer and how they can simplify their lives, then libraries will have a secure future. Librarians must be in tune with what the people want, how they seek information, and how they want to be served. Librarians should strive to continue their own education so they can continue to instruct and assist their customers. A program such as 23 things is one such way of fostering continued education for the benefit of library customers.

Thing 22: Podcasts

fashionablylate23thinger — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:29:54 +0000

At first glance, I was really pulled in by the look of Podcast.com. I liked the browsability of the homepage, with the icons for the different shows and the different selections to look through, such as newest podcasts, recommended podcasts, and most popular podcasts. I liked that you could also browse through subject headings to find something interesting. However, once I started really exploring the site, I decided that it is not as user friendly as I had hoped and that I actually preferred Podcast Alley. My initial reaction to the icons was ruined because many had a generic icon and then it was difficult to even tell what the podcast was about. I also found the descriptions of the podcast to be difficult to read. Orange font certainly does not help in the legibility department.

I found Podcast Alley to be very usable. I liked that you could search by topic and then scan through a list of titles. I also like that I could easily read a description of the podcast. This site also added some features to increase the opportunities to discover something new: top 10, 5 newest, and 5 featured podcasts. I was initially concerned about the quality of the site when all five of the featured podcasts were of a sexual nature, but when I browsed through the subjects, I found a lot of podcasts that I would be interested in hearing.

I like that podcasts can be downloaded and listened to on the go. I think that individuals are cramming more and more into their days and that this type of technology really caters to a busy lifestyle. I think that libraries could use podcasts to better serve their customers. While many people may not be able to come to a library program at a certain time, they might be interested in listening to the presentation while driving or cleaning the house. I think podcasts are a great way to improve accessibility to what the library has to offer.

Thing 21: YouTube and Video Sharing Sites

fashionablylate23thinger — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:28:14 +0000

I’m a pretty big fan of YouTube. I love that I can find just about anything on it. I realize that there is a lot of garbage also available but am willing to sort through it to find the good stuff. I love and hate that after you watch one video, you get offered several others that are supposedly related. I don’t have very much self control, and I often end up watching video after video when I’m meant to be doing something productive. However, I did once learn that if you have a maggot living inside your head, you can slather some Vasoline on it and it will crawl out on its own because it won’t be able to breath. I guarantee my original search had NOTHING to do with maggots living in human heads!

When I read the description of MetaCafe, I was pretty intrigued. It sounded like it would be an artsy sort of YouTube with less garbage. After looking it over, I have to say the description is a bit pretentious and not very accurate. The description said I wouldn’t find hard news stories, but I did. It said I wouldn’t find TV episodes, but I definitely found America’s Next Top Model, which of course is NOT “original video content”. Mostly, I just thought it was a lot like YouTube, but that they’re trying real hard to sound like they’re better than YouTube. I also checked out Google Video very briefly. The first video I clicked on directed me to YouTube, so I figure why wouldn’t I just go to YouTube in the first place?

I think YouTube has some productive uses. My grad school profs have used it in class, and I’ve seen library websites make use of it as well. The original video on the library website was useful. However, the problems arise when the video ends and the supposedly similar videos are recommended. The videos I was able to view on the library website were not very appropriate and it wouldn’t be great PR to have them associated with the library.

Thing 20: Widgets

fashionablylate23thinger — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:27:01 +0000

I think that like most other web 2.0 tools, widgets can be either really useful and convenient or just really unnecessary. I checked out yourminis and found a couple useful widgets, namely the weather.com widget and the calculator widget. I also thought the streaming radio widget was pretty neat because you could pick what type of music you want to play. Other widgets just seem pointless. I’m happy with the digital clock that my computer already has, so I don’t need a widget for a fancy clock. A also don’t need a ladybug to sit on my computer and stare at me.

What I find most interesting is that people have spent time to create certain types of widgets, so someone must think these things are superb ideas. I tried to think of some things that would be very handy that perhaps a related widget would be useful. Besides the three examples I listed, I couldn’t really think of much that I would love to have to makethings more convenient for me. Because I’m a terrible speller, I do tend to use dictionary.com a lot, so I suppose a widget could save me a couple steps. Yourminis did not seem to have a good widget for this, although I did find one when I looked in Yahoo widgets. I guess I already feel like clicking once to open a web browser and then doing a search is not so bad that I would actively seek out widgets to solve all my problems.

Thing 19: Web 2.0 Awards

fashionablylate23thinger — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:25:27 +0000

For this Thing, I decided to look at Twitter. Before hearing coworkers talking about “Twittering” I had never heard of it. Even after the first couple mentions, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what it meant. It sounded suspect. After hearing explanations from avid Twitter-ers, I still don’t get it. I mean, I understand what it is, but I don’t get why people are so into it. I feel like if I want someone to know something instantly, I can just text message the information. I’m no so sure that there is really information that is so captivating or urgent that I would need a mass message sent at that very moment. It seems like one more way for people to share every mundane detail about their lives to a whole bunch of people who have too much time on their hands that they bother to follow people on Twitter. I can’t think of a single person who I care enough about to want the play by play of their day, and there are a lot of people I really care about! It seems like Web 2.0 is providing so many ways for people to communicate and express themselves virtually, but having the ability to communicate doesn’t necessarily make me care about what is being said. Sorry to the avid Twitter-ers out there; maybe your lives are just much more interesting than mine!

With that being said, I decided to investigate Twitter to try to discover it’s hidden gems. I figure, there’s got to be something special about it if even libraries are jumping on the wagon (e.g. www.westlakelibrary.org). I checked out the Twitter website and watched the CommonCraftShow video about it (those videos are so awesome, they usually make me love anything they talk about!), but I’m just not convinced. Does it mean that my mom loves me less if she doesn’t care to know when I’m eating soup? I don’t understand what’s wrong with regular communication between two people who want to catch up with eachother. Twitter just seems a bit stalker to me.

However, it seems like Twitter could be a good marketing tool for libraries. Instead of just sending out a newletter with three months of events, Twitter enables libraries to send information (to anyone who opts in for these updates) closer to the actual events. It seems like a pretty simple method for sending reminders to those interested in getting them. I wonder if libraries could have different categories for the kinds of updates received via Twitter. For example, maybe someone could opt in for updates/reminders related to children’s programming but not those related to the latest DVD releases. It seems like an application worth investigating for library use. I personally think these kinds of messages would be annoying, and I’d rather go to the library website, but it seems like some people may like them.

Thing 18: Online Calendars, Personal Organizers, To-Do Lists

fashionablylate23thinger — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:59:02 +0000

I prefer not to depend on computers to manage my life. I like having a pocket size calendar that is with me at all times. I like handwritten to-do lists. When my computer went on a hiatus, it seemed pretty impossible to complete my work for school, pay my bills, and carry on my everyday routines. I didn’t realize how much I relied on computers until I had to try to schedule in time during my already crazy days to get access to one outside of my home. Even though I’m part of the generation that is supposed to think computers are the end-all/be-all, I don’t, and I don’t think that every minute detail of one’s life should be managed by computers.

1. Customized homepage: I think the best aspect of this feature is having the weather for your local area right on the homepage. I frequently visit weather.com, and a customized homepage would save several steps involved in checking the weather. This certainly would be a timesaver for me. When it comes to picking which customized homepage to use, I would be most likely to use Google, just because I’m a sucker for marketing and I tend to lean towards anything Google because of the brand recognition. In this case, they all have the weather feature, so it wouldn’t really matter to me; I might as well use the homepage for the search engine I always use.

2. Calendar: I HATE the idea of online calendars for my own personal use. I don’t want my calendar visible to others. If people want to know what my plans are, they can ask me. I also don’t want to pay extra towards my monthly phone bill to have Internet available on my cell so having to go to a computer to check my schedule is not appealing to me. I like having my schedule in an actual paper calendar and being able to access it weather I have a computer and electricity or not. For events I think I need a reminder about, I can simply schedule an alert on the calendar on my phone. I can see that online calendars would be useful in the work environment. However, it seems like scheduling tasks can be managed in Outlook, which most companies use already for email. One feature I would be sold on is if I could use an online calendar to keep track of birthdays for friends/family and then get a text message reminder on their birthdays. This would be amazing because I’m terrible with birthdays and I wouldn’t have to write in birthdays every year!

3. List Tools: I feel the same way about online list tools as I do about calendars. I like the process of handwriting lists because it helps me remember things better, the list can be transported with me, and I don’t need electricity to do it. I also the notepad feature of my phone to keep lists, because my phone is always with me. I don’t like the extra steps of going to a computer and logging on to yet another site, remember my password, etc, to keep my lists.

4. I don’t need a backpack because I don’t want to use the stuff in the backpack!

One personal organization tool that I absolutely LOVE is desktop post-it notes. I used this extensively in undergrad because my million actual post-it notes would always fall off my monitor where I stuck them so I wouldn’t forget them. Desktop post-it notes were the perfect solution because they stayed on my desktop until I deleted them, they never fell off, and I didn’t have to log in to anything to access them. These were great for my to-do lists that involved use of the computer or for reminding me about birthdays or other events. I haven’t used this lately, so hopefully it’s still as good as I remember: http://www.download.com/Post-it-Software-Notes-Lite/3000-2351_4-10060027.html

Thing 17 – Del.icio.us

fashionablylate23thinger — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:07:45 +0000

I already have a Del.icio.us account but have not looked at it in nearly a year. When I revisited it for Thing 17, I rediscovered sites I had bookmarked and then forgotten about. It was fun to have that “oh yeah!” moment about sites that I used to really like but then never thought about again. Call me antisocial, but I like Del.icio.us more for the ability to bookmark pages in a fancier high tech way that allows me to access my favorites from any computer. I see the benefits of the social sharing aspect of Del.icio.us, but feel that if everything is communicated to friends via Web 2.0 applications, then what the heck do you talk about when you see those friends? I don’t have so many favorite sites that I wouldn’t just say to my friend, “Hey Friend, I found this really cool website that I think you should check out”. Furthermore, I do not wish to get myself hooked on spending inordinate amounts of time surfing through others’ bookmarked pages! I do however like the popular bookmarks feature. I think it’s a neat way to see what other people are interested in and reading. I also think tagging is a clever way of organizing the bookmarked sites. In honor of Del.icio.us and tagging, I will make this the first blog I tag. Perhaps I will be swept away in the excitement of a tagging frenzy and tag old posts as well.

Thing 16 – Facebook

fashionablylate23thinger — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:06:57 +0000

Social Networking sites have for a long time been one of those things I was just never going to do. It sounded like a silly way for people to put all their business out in the open or stalk people, and it didn’t sound like my thing at all. I finally could not hold out any longer once all my friends were posting pictures from fabulous outings (Karaoke!!!) on their Facebook pages, and I had to become a member to view them. Once I investigated Facebook with an open mind, I figured out how the whole inviting and accepting friends thing worked and also discovered flair, and I was sold. I like that besides reconnecting with people you’ve lost touch with, you can share interests (movies, books, music), chat on IM (gave that up after undergrad and now I’m remembering how much time it sucked up), or even play online games against friends. Of course my favorite feature is the ability to share photos with your friends… now all I have to do is actually add some to my page!

Thing 15: Social Media Sites

fashionablylate23thinger — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:05:07 +0000

Mostly I think these kinds of sites are pretty silly. First of all, there are so many sites that do the same thing. It seems pointless to use Mixx which gets votes in the low double digits, as opposed to Digg which gets thousands of “diggs”. It seems like if people are trying to find out what is most popular, then they would pick the most popular media site to do so. Besides that, the various sites featured many of the same stories so it all seemed very redundant to me to look at more than a couple of the social media sites. With so many opportunities to waste my time, this would not be my time waster of choice. I would much rather read a regular news source and continue on with my day.

With that being said, I will admit there are some features that are appealing. I think perhaps the most attractive feature is that it pulls stories from multiple sources so that you can see the most popular, without having to scour through multiple sites. I don’t think this is as useful for headline stories that are mostly going to be the same in the various sources, but it does seem to be useful for finding the more obscure and kooky news. I like the opportunity for finding random information that you might not otherwise find.

With so many sites available, I took a fairly superficial approach to evaluating them. Reddit looks ugly, so I wouldn’t use it. Mixx looks boring and unpopular, so I wouldn’t bother with it. StumbleUpon looks like it’s trying to hard to be the cool kid with it’s black background color and hard on the eyes font colors. No thank you. Newsvine is attractive and simple; I like that it looks like an actual news source, but the font is a bit small for my liking. Digg is simple and easy to read. I looks like it’s the cool kid in school without trying to be flashy and show off. The number of “diggs” various articles receive seem to prove that it is the social media site of choice for a greater number of users. If I were to start using a social media site, I suppose I woud choose Digg.