MySpace

Ok, I get it. Kids like it. Adults like it. Business professionals like it. Gotta say... I don't like MySpace! I toured all of the Discovery Resources and I found the YouTube Video on How to sign up for a MySpace account very easy to follow. It looked like a very simple process to get you started. I'm sure I could do it. BUT I HAVE A REAL LIFE... a very busy real life that includes meeting people face to face and seeing their facial expressions as they tell me about their day... a life that allows me time to garden and read and sit very quietly and NOT touch a keyboard which I do all day at work... a life that is filled with moments and emotions and smells and tastes that create indelible memories that I can visit any moment of any day. My real life does not involve updating my MySpace page to tell countless strangers about the minutia of my existence. My real life does not involve collecting online friends like trophies. My real life does not involve ranting or spewing or listening to others do the same. I can understand that it's fun and fast and seems harmless, but what do we lose as we spend hours in front of our computers instead of going on a sunny picnic with a friend or viewing art in cool, dark, silent museums or listening to jazz 10 feet from the soulful musician as he plays? After viewing all of the resources and taking the online tours and even talking with my adult children about MySpace, I still don't like it, don't want to try it, and don't have time for it. Sorry.

Social Networking...

... is really about community & connectivity in the modern world. It's a way for people to share information, ideas and ideologies without the limitations posed by physically meeting. You can visit with several friends, maintain several conversations, share your latest photos/projects/musings all while doing laundry or cooking dinner or *gasp* working. While I can see the need for this in our very fast-paced society, I am concerned about the perceived privacy and overexposure of personal information. It can be a scary world out there... I guess I'm more of a pen and paper, go out for tea, hold the photo in my hand kind of girl.

RA Staff Picks Entry

I found it VERY easy to add an entry to the Staff Picks area of the Reader's Advisory... which really surprised me. I did have to ask a co-worker about tags. I thought the tags would somehow link or open or juggle and chew gum at the same time. It seems that they are just tags. So I rallied and created a hyperlink in the book's title to the website. What fun! I also enjoyed browsing what others had to say about their favorite books. Can't wait to learn more about tags, though...

Quick, Quick...

Wiki... I spent the most time so far on Wikis. I had so much fun exploring Wikis! Libraries can use Wikis in so many ways! Think of the easy collaboration when trying to complete a project or trying to rewrite a policy as a team. Think of the great program ideas that can be shared, revised, expounded upon. Think of the readers' comments and reviews that could be made available to staff and customers. As Johnny Five said in Short Circuit, "More input... need more input!!!" I think one of my favorite Wikis from the ones I viewed was that of the Library Goddesses. Wonderful program ideas here... I loved the one for Big Truck Day!

My experience with Library IMing

I was so excited... it was 4:09pm on a Tuesday... the VBPL IM site should be ready for me. I followed the link. I watched the window open. I waited with itchy fingers to type my burning question into the chat box and hit "send". But, oh, the disappointment of it all. VBPL was offline and I was instructed to leave a message. Bummer. This service would be great if it were there as advertised. I have heard other staff members talking about using this service, however. It seemed to work fine for them. Although my co-worker was told by the IM staffer, "We'll have to get back to you by e-mail with that answer." My co-worker then instructed the IM staffer how to give the correct answer, should the same question be posed by another curious IMer.

IM and Libraries...

...could be an exciting couple!!! Many times the telephone reference lines are busy, or a customer just has a quick, "What's the phone number for..." type of question, or we begin to offer services expected by the younger set. Building staff excitement and skill for this program is key. I mean, many of my 40-something friends are just getting used to e-mail! If I suggested IMing to some of them, I think I'd be eating lunch alone more often! But we are compelled to keep up with the times and this fast-paced environment we live in... what better way than to offer instant answers to the burning questions in the minds of our customers!

Exploring Feed Search Tools

SCARY!!! I clicked on the link to explore Feedster and was surprised to find that changes are under way and Feedster is currently non-functional. Ok, no problemo. On to the next link: Topix.net. This was actually a functional link, so I chose to click on the first offering which was a chat about the story, "NN eyes taking smoking off the menu." Well, within the first couple of posts the name-calling started, accompanied by ALL CAPS YELLING, and progressed to an invitation from one poster to another to finish the conversation in person... YIKES! Being exposed to insults and idiotic rants makes me want to quit 2.0-ing. Think I'll stick to seeking out in other ways the lovely, life-affirming sites that interest me.

Putting RSS to the Test

What enormous fun... having the world come to me!!! I must admit that adding feeds to my Google Reader account was a bit clunky at first, but once I got going, it really was easy. I really like being able to go to ONE place to catch up on numerous sites and blogs. Keeping up to date on world and local news is great, especially since I never have time to read the paper or watch the news on television. RSS is also an important tool to stay informed about changing technology in the world of libraries and technology, helping library staff to develop new and better ways to meet the needs of their customers. BUT, the best thing for me personally... I've added a few blogs from my favorite spot in the Virginia mountains, a small county where folks still hang out their quilts to dry and feed the animals before dawn. It's a place of clean air, warm hearts, fresh pies, simple pleasures... a place I run to when the world is too much. And now the musings of this place's people are delivered to me each day!!!

Library 2.0 Thoughts

We had a spirited discussion in our department about Library 2.0! I'm not sure that interactive Library 2.0 is new communication... the personal, one-on-one communication that all of us have with our customers and fellow staff is interactive as well. Library 2.0 just enables us differently to interact with customers. A new tool of communication. Simple thought from a simple mind.

7 1/2 Minutes Worth of Blogging

OK, so I am supposed to add a post about Thing 2... not the Thing 2 from Dr. Seuss's Thing One and Thing Two, you understand, because I could write LOTS about them... but Thing Two from the Learning 2.0 program.

After viewing the 7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners tutorial, I was surprised by what I found to be the easiest and the hardest of them:

The easiest for me was #2, to accept responsibility for my own learning. I am always seeking knowledge, taking a curiosity and exploring it, teaching myself new skills.

The hardest was a surprise, because I never think of doing this: begin with the end in mind. I usually jump in and get both feet wet before thinking about whether or not I'll need dry feet on the other side of the water!