Task 18. Take a look at some online productivity (word processing, spreadsheet) tools.

Big goose egg. I promise I'll try this later -- count me as finished with this task! I'm trying this from my Mac at home, and couldn't access it on Safari. Trying to load foxfire looks easy, but I wasn't successful in doing it (where the hell is the "applications folder"???

Tasks 16 and 17: Wikis

Wikis -- and YouTube -- are probably the Web 2.0 apps I use the most, since Wikis have been incorporated into everyday practice at my library: We have a staff wiki wherein resides the staff schedule (which I work on); and our events page is now a wiki. It was my first time editing and adding content to a wiki, though, with this exercise. Very easy process. Clear why anyone and everyone can alter or create entries on Wikipedia... I put my 2 cents worth in about adapting the wiki tool to the Spanish speaking members of our community.

Task 15: Perspectives on Library 2.0 and the future of libraries

Time to muse already? There are so many more tasks to complete, and the request for a summation at the end. I have to admit to only skimming the Library 2.0 and "Library 2.0" article. Why? The print was too small for me to read comfortably, and the usual tricks for enlarging didn't work. Too bad, because the snippets I did squint at looked very illuminating. A rational, measured approach summarized by the undeniable observation that some aspects of Web 2.0 will work, and some won't. Also, I noticed, "Take a deep breath and relax." Good advice. The Wikipedia article had some useful information. I use Wikipedia, but bring a dose of skepicism to my reading of it. Really, dudes, where's the authority? But often unbeatable for summaries of info. Oh, except for World Book. World Book still has excellent (and authoritative) information. Oh. Is it retrograde to mention that?

Task 14: Technorati

What was I just talking about? See Thing 13 for the beginning of a rant on the randomness of tagging, which I feel inclined to develop after exploring Technorati. None of the tags I entered led me to anything I really wanted, or wanted to read. I tried Library 2.0 tags (from Library 2.0 to Librarian). I tried fave pop culture things. Okay, I got lots of hits with that one, but they were too obsessive and creepy to read. The underside of social bookmarking: the creepy/obsessive factor. Not to mention the Who Cares Factor.

Task 13: Social bookmarking and Del.ic.ious

Okay. I already have a Delicious account and have found it very useful as a filing cabinet for odds and ends. I only wish it had folders, so I could organize things better. Why are there such an absense of folders with all these 2.0 applications? Tags aren't quite the same thing, though I suppose they are de riguer for the whole social aspect. And another thing about tags: pretty random are they sometimes, just like people's minds. I bet there's a debate raging amongst the librarian class about the controlled vs uncontrolled vocabulary nature of tags. You do get some idiot tags, though, and idiocy limits the usefullness, I've got to say. Or is that too elitist? Too professional, maybe. It's certainly worth bringing up, anyway. Same sort of problem as with Wikipedia, come to think of it.

Task 12: Rollyo

Interesting concept. Of limited use to me personally, since (is it so wrong) Google is fine for most searches, and it's easy enough to go to the sites where I usually go. Obvious application at work in gathering together much-used sites and sites on the same topics (e.g. Reference Shelf, with dictionaries, etc.; children's lit sites, and so on). How has Michele aggregated sites and databases by topic on our newly reorganized webpage? Via a Rollyo-type thing? The usefullness of organization by topic is instantly recognizable as useful to library users.

Task 11: LibraryThing

Easy to use; very easy to sign up for. Fun, too. Instantly interesting to see who else has added one's own selections, and explore their other choices. As a library application: aren't there other ways of sharing this information that actually link up to the library's catalog instead of to LibraryThing? I wonder how other libraries are using this.

Task 10: Image Generators

Now, here's a fun waste of time! Hazardous Sign Generator squandered many happy minutes, for example. Only, in my race against time, I haven't been able to figure out how to save or export the amazingly clever sign I made. Isn't this stuff supposed to be transparent and e-z?


This is also something that I can see having useful library applications, such as for signs. Such as my amazingly clever Hazardous Warning sign.

TAsk 9: Twitter

Right, then. I have a Twitter account.

This seems like an aptly named thing. I tend to agree with First Finisher J. Siegal and don't really get why people would use it instead of IMing or blogging, though I suppose its range of distribution is an advantage. Tons of people can keep up with your trivia at once.

Clearly, as I am playing catch-up, I won't be able to track my activities for several days for this assignment, but I could. instead, I will muse for a moment on possible library applications. This might be a good way to broadcast a lecture or program and get instant feedback from a number of people. Or a meeting. I suppose it's one way to inter-office IM other staff, though we use Trillium at RCPL. Might be a good way to get quick feedback on programs, too. Ask people to sit down and twitter their response to the Harry Potter Party even as it's going on.

Tasks 7 & 8: Bloglines and Library-related blog

Okay, then. I'm set up with an account, and have selected a couple of feeds. The Shifted Librarian naturally being one of them. There's Task 8.

Now what? Yes, yes, Dear Reader, the dealine for completion of the 23 things IS tomorrow, and yes, I am whizzing though the 23 things in a effort to complete them and on the theory that it is better to have exposed oneself than not to have been exposed at all. Right?

And so, onward.

Task 5: Mashups

Lots of new toys come with Flickr.
Tagnautica seems promising as a library ap, with its infinitely interconnecting tags.
Flappr is being used in our library now as a means of displaying our pix -- clearly a good ap.
The rest of the Top Ten list seem like a great way to burn many candles at both ends, but are essentially games. Of course, I get mash-up cred just by using Flickr itself, right, big honking mash-up that it is.

Task 4: Flickr

The best thing about Flickr so far are the sites that friends have set up.
Our library has also established a flickr link front and center on our web page. Not only does it demonstrate the clear application of a photo-sharing site to a library by displaying images from programs, etc., but those photos draw comments. So much sharing!

Task Six

I skipped Flickr for now since I have a Flickr account but forgot how to get into it. It's written down somewhere, but who needs more than one Flickr account? Not I.

So moved on to task 6: Checking out the web pages of other libraries. Things I want to remember about them are:

• PLCMC has a home page that's busy and about as appealing as the old Excite@home pages were, but it's okay because they are organized and they lead to great online offerings -- and things that make sense to offer online. Kid's pages: Links to Tumblebooks, but can't help but notice no podcasts of stories. Can't help but wonder how popular those would be. It's too difficult to go back from many of the pages you find yourself on. Book Hive, a central link to books, kid reviews, booklists, and activities is pretty good. They are selling the Harry Potter book at their event!
• Ann Arbor is okay all on blogger. But you can't get to, for ex., the kid's page right away.
• Denver is the spiffiest-looking and has the most pleasing kid's pages. Again, i wonder about podcasting stories. They offer well-voiced selections (by the YS staff, I take it), but what's the point? And when you play it on your computer, you get a canned screen-saver-like visual which distracts from the story. But, they have grea booklists, with what must be 50 categories. Again, nice looking layout, and kids' reviews. http://kids.denverlibrary.org/

Launching 23 Things

First post: Three, two, one -- blast off.