My experience with this project couldn’t have been better. I’ve had fun doing the “things” while learning about them. It has made me want more, and so I’m going to look for new things on my own, posting the ones that I find more interesting.
Some of my favorite things are: wikis, RSS, librarything, tagging, and picture trail.
I don’t know about the others, but I was pretty excited about this whole 23 Things thing, so I took every chance I had to help my co-workers get their “things” done.
I can’t think of any way to improve it personally, although I’m pretty sure that some people would appreciate more time to do it.
Yes, if there is another program like this in the future, I’ll be there.
My learning experience in one word or in one sentence: mind-opening. (art by Nicole Mizoguchi).
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Thing 20
Are Games Hurting Libraries?
This article presented a good topic. Mr. Gibson stated that “libraries are helping to contribute to illiteracy in America”. Reading this and working in the library makes me think that maybe there is some truth behind his words. How many times have we seen children and adults come to the desk with a huge pile of DVDs and no books? In fact, this reminds of something interesting that occurred on the first floor during my shift yesterday: a woman approached the desk with a pile of DVDs that seemed about to fall off her arms any second. Almost immediately her two sons followed her while asking her to get some books. The mother turned towards them and her answer was an emphatic “no”. I understand that is easier to watch a movie than to read a book, but if your children want to read I don’t see why you can’t let them. Anyway, the beginning of this article reminded me of that and I wanted to share it with you.
I also read the answer to that article and I agree with the author in that times change, and so it is better for libraries to change with them. We live in an Information Age, with screens, computers, and electronics everywhere. This is the way children are growing up now, learning from a screen instead of books. Therefore it’s normal that they feel more comfortable participating on activities related to computers in any way, like the games that are the focus of this article.
For me, the difference between video games and table top games is that the second ones allow participants to interact with real people, face to face, and this helps build good interpersonal skills.
If we try to do it here I’m sure that we would get reactions from both sides, those in favor and those against it, but that would be just at first, until people got used to it.
It does make sense that in order to get teens to use the library, the library should have something that interests them. If games are the solution, why don’t we try it?
This article presented a good topic. Mr. Gibson stated that “libraries are helping to contribute to illiteracy in America”. Reading this and working in the library makes me think that maybe there is some truth behind his words. How many times have we seen children and adults come to the desk with a huge pile of DVDs and no books? In fact, this reminds of something interesting that occurred on the first floor during my shift yesterday: a woman approached the desk with a pile of DVDs that seemed about to fall off her arms any second. Almost immediately her two sons followed her while asking her to get some books. The mother turned towards them and her answer was an emphatic “no”. I understand that is easier to watch a movie than to read a book, but if your children want to read I don’t see why you can’t let them. Anyway, the beginning of this article reminded me of that and I wanted to share it with you.
I also read the answer to that article and I agree with the author in that times change, and so it is better for libraries to change with them. We live in an Information Age, with screens, computers, and electronics everywhere. This is the way children are growing up now, learning from a screen instead of books. Therefore it’s normal that they feel more comfortable participating on activities related to computers in any way, like the games that are the focus of this article.
For me, the difference between video games and table top games is that the second ones allow participants to interact with real people, face to face, and this helps build good interpersonal skills.
If we try to do it here I’m sure that we would get reactions from both sides, those in favor and those against it, but that would be just at first, until people got used to it.
It does make sense that in order to get teens to use the library, the library should have something that interests them. If games are the solution, why don’t we try it?
Thing 19
A Content Management System (CMS) sounds almost too perfect to be true, but if it’s a reality, then the library could totally benefit from it. It allows you to protect and add information to make whatever it is that you’re announcing more available to the public. For example, here in the library, we can use it for the web page; by updating what’s going on here faster, people would feel even more comfortable using the library because they’d know what, when, and where is happening by just a few clicks of the mouse.
The second article, the one about tips on how to choose your CMS, gives the reader some simple and easy steps to avoid finding yourself with a program that you don’t know how to work with. I especially like when they talk about “Mistake 5: Never, ever, ever allow an IT guy to choose your Content Management System. It is a rare breed that understands both code and a friendly user interface”.
After reading the article that talks about CMS applications for libraries I can see that my previous idea of using it for our web page is kind of ridiculous, if only because it looks like it can do so much more than that.
I found the articles very informative, explaining everything with easy-to-read English so the dumbest one of us can understand them. They were great.
I think that the new LInt is awesome, although after learning so many things I have it all mixed in my head. Now I have to take the time to separate all the layers and put them in their specific compartments. Hopefully I’ll be able to, and who knows? I might even try to create a website with it ;-)
The second article, the one about tips on how to choose your CMS, gives the reader some simple and easy steps to avoid finding yourself with a program that you don’t know how to work with. I especially like when they talk about “Mistake 5: Never, ever, ever allow an IT guy to choose your Content Management System. It is a rare breed that understands both code and a friendly user interface”.
After reading the article that talks about CMS applications for libraries I can see that my previous idea of using it for our web page is kind of ridiculous, if only because it looks like it can do so much more than that.
I found the articles very informative, explaining everything with easy-to-read English so the dumbest one of us can understand them. They were great.
I think that the new LInt is awesome, although after learning so many things I have it all mixed in my head. Now I have to take the time to separate all the layers and put them in their specific compartments. Hopefully I’ll be able to, and who knows? I might even try to create a website with it ;-)
Thing 21
I used Pageflakes because that was the one whose content and principal page caught my attention the most. Also because since I read that Friendfeed was one of the most popular ones I felt like I should give the other guys a chance. One thing I don’t like about pageflake, and this is after the first 15 minutes of using it, is that it is too slow. It takes a lot of time to do anything you want, like adding new stuff to your page, or just opening the applications you already have. That is too bad, because it turns an otherwise cool tool with lots of potential into another time-consuming network that I will probably discard in the future. Anyway, here’s the link to my page if you want to see it.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Thing 22
I’ll definitely add links and web pages about Library 2.0 and Web 2.0 to my RSS aggregator, so I can continue learning about all the interesting and cool stuff that you can do nowadays in the fields of technology and information.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I can waste humongous amounts of time surfing the “net” without getting anything done (thank you, Facebook and YouTube!). Seriously, though, if you’re like me, then one way to keep updated with some of the new technology we’ve learned about is to say, “ok, instead of looking at the last pictures of my neighbor’s pet doing something cute, gross, or both, I’m going to do some work, or I’m going to read about…” whatever you think it’ll be useful to you in the future. You don’t have to put a lot of time into that to see some results, just a few minutes every day will do the trick.
Unfortunately, I haven’t discovered any other tool than the ones we learned while doing the 23 Things, but I’ll keep searching and I’ll post them in my blog whenever I find them.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I can waste humongous amounts of time surfing the “net” without getting anything done (thank you, Facebook and YouTube!). Seriously, though, if you’re like me, then one way to keep updated with some of the new technology we’ve learned about is to say, “ok, instead of looking at the last pictures of my neighbor’s pet doing something cute, gross, or both, I’m going to do some work, or I’m going to read about…” whatever you think it’ll be useful to you in the future. You don’t have to put a lot of time into that to see some results, just a few minutes every day will do the trick.
Unfortunately, I haven’t discovered any other tool than the ones we learned while doing the 23 Things, but I’ll keep searching and I’ll post them in my blog whenever I find them.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Thing 15
I used Podcast.com to listen to “Terror y Nada Más”, a podcast in Spanish about horror stories. I had never used podcasts before, but I found it pretty straight-forward, so I didn’t have any difficulties to use it. I don’t think I will be doing any podcasting in the future if only because I don’t like listening to myself, but I will definitely try to listen to this podcast on a regular basis. The story I listened to is called "Sentencia de Muerte". And even if you don't understand Spanish, you can listen to the tones of the people talking; when the woman talks is really creepy, just like I like it! ;-)
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Thing 17
As I said in one of my previous posts, I’ve had a Facebook account for some time now and I enjoy it very much. I must say that after reading the article in the Time magazine I was surprised to learn that there are so many other social networks that I didn’t know about. It makes sense that MySpace or Facebook wouldn’t be the only ones, but I never realized the extent of social networks of any kind. The Internet really is amazing, isn’t it?
When I read the article that talked about the online social library a couple of questions came to my mind. They said that people started sending messages to the library from all around the country, but I don’t understand what purpose those patrons had when they did that because in case they wanted to check anything out they would have to go to Tacoma in person, unless they checked out virtual books, which is what I suppose. Another question is how do they do it for patrons to check out movies? Do they let them download them from the Internet and for just a specific period of time? They don’t say anything about it and I want to know. Whenever I have more time I might ask them about that in the Discussion Boards they have.
Still, I find the whole idea of making a virtual library very optimistic; I don’t know if it would work for everybody, and I don’t really see this library doing it, but who knows? Maybe the future will say something different.
Goodreads looks interesting and I will definitely check it out because I’ve been thinking for a while now that it would be a good idea to keep a record of the books that I’ve read and to exchange opinions about them at the same time that I try to find something similar that I might enjoy.
When I read the article that talked about the online social library a couple of questions came to my mind. They said that people started sending messages to the library from all around the country, but I don’t understand what purpose those patrons had when they did that because in case they wanted to check anything out they would have to go to Tacoma in person, unless they checked out virtual books, which is what I suppose. Another question is how do they do it for patrons to check out movies? Do they let them download them from the Internet and for just a specific period of time? They don’t say anything about it and I want to know. Whenever I have more time I might ask them about that in the Discussion Boards they have.
Still, I find the whole idea of making a virtual library very optimistic; I don’t know if it would work for everybody, and I don’t really see this library doing it, but who knows? Maybe the future will say something different.
Goodreads looks interesting and I will definitely check it out because I’ve been thinking for a while now that it would be a good idea to keep a record of the books that I’ve read and to exchange opinions about them at the same time that I try to find something similar that I might enjoy.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Thing 12
Mixx is an awesome way to share stuff that you care about. I could totally see the library using it internally to spread important (or not) news rapidly, although I don’t think that it would help with productivity because we would spend time looking at it, reading what other people had posted… so we’d have to use it during our breaks if we wanted to.
Digg seems very similar to Mixx. People say that it’s been there longer than the other similar social-media sites, although I’d never heard of any of them. Digg allows you to create a profile, which I don’t think you can do with Mixx (at least they didn’t say so when I took the tour), and that makes sense if you want Digg to be part of your daily routine, to communicate with your friends, meet new people… The library could use it, of course, but I think that Mixx is more than enough for a workplace where pretty much everybody knows everybody.
Newsvine is more of the same. I kind of like it a little more than Mixx (which I prefer over Digg) if only because it looks more professional, like something that we would feel comfortable to use in the workplace.
Reddit looks intended for young people. I wanted to take the tour, so I clicked on the link that said “take the tour” and it took me to a page that didn’t explain much; it just told you some of the general information that you needed to start posting or reading news but it didn’t say anything about the different options that would allow you to configure the site to make to “yours”. The way they use to rate the comments on Reddit confirms that its users are mostly teenagers and/or young adults.
I hadn’t heard of any of these sites before, but after taking the tours and reading the comments people made about them, I would use Newsvine as my preferred social-media site. For me, it’s the most complete one and that’s something that makes me feel good and confident about it.
Digg seems very similar to Mixx. People say that it’s been there longer than the other similar social-media sites, although I’d never heard of any of them. Digg allows you to create a profile, which I don’t think you can do with Mixx (at least they didn’t say so when I took the tour), and that makes sense if you want Digg to be part of your daily routine, to communicate with your friends, meet new people… The library could use it, of course, but I think that Mixx is more than enough for a workplace where pretty much everybody knows everybody.
Newsvine is more of the same. I kind of like it a little more than Mixx (which I prefer over Digg) if only because it looks more professional, like something that we would feel comfortable to use in the workplace.
Reddit looks intended for young people. I wanted to take the tour, so I clicked on the link that said “take the tour” and it took me to a page that didn’t explain much; it just told you some of the general information that you needed to start posting or reading news but it didn’t say anything about the different options that would allow you to configure the site to make to “yours”. The way they use to rate the comments on Reddit confirms that its users are mostly teenagers and/or young adults.
I hadn’t heard of any of these sites before, but after taking the tours and reading the comments people made about them, I would use Newsvine as my preferred social-media site. For me, it’s the most complete one and that’s something that makes me feel good and confident about it.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Thing 18
I’ve used SurveyMonkey before to create a training-oriented survey for the Circulation department, and the only difficulty I found was to remember my username and password. The way they let you choose your own design and the options they give to place your questions and your answers wherever you want makes it really easy to use. I tried PollDaddy and I think it is very similar to SurveyMonkey with the only difference that PollDaddy lets you choose whether you send out a survey, a poll, or both. I guess this might be interesting for people who want more specific statistics, but if you just want people’s opinion about something, then SurveyMonkey is more than ready for you. I created a survey that you can access by clicking the link "Survey 23 Things". Thank you for your interest!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Thing 16
It's been a while now since I created my account with Facebook, and I love it. I didn't think it was gonna have that big an impact on me, but I find myself checking my account every chance I get. I also have a MySpace account, but I barely use it; I created it to communicate with my friends from Spain, because that is the social network they use, but since I just send them emails now and then, I'm thinking of deleting it.
I joined the Library 2.0 Interest Group on Facebook because it sounded interesting and because I figured that it's a good way to keep learning about this project.
About the reputation of Facebook, I want to say that it's well deserved because it came after some other social networks and it's known how to establish itself to gain people's trust. It complements the regular services for professionals(e-mail, notes...)with all the other fun stuff that young people are thrilled by (different applications to play or/and serve your community, sharing pictures...).
I joined the Library 2.0 Interest Group on Facebook because it sounded interesting and because I figured that it's a good way to keep learning about this project.
About the reputation of Facebook, I want to say that it's well deserved because it came after some other social networks and it's known how to establish itself to gain people's trust. It complements the regular services for professionals(e-mail, notes...)with all the other fun stuff that young people are thrilled by (different applications to play or/and serve your community, sharing pictures...).
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Thing 14
Here is the video I chose from YouTube. I chose it because it takes place in a library and because I liked the contrast between what you might expect from a place that is supposed to be quiet and the little musical the librarians played.
I had used YouTube and Hulu before and I just love them. It is true that you can waste a lot of time searching for silly things on YouTube, but sometimes what you find is worth it. The following video is just too funny to go unseen. Enjoy it!
Thing 11
Tagging can be a time-saving tool when you have to look for something specific in any document you have to work with, and it certainly is much more comfortable than having to read every single paragraph. I can see us, or the librarians, using tags to find what they need in just a few seconds. Not that I know how much time they waste looking for stuff now, but tagging would be to their advantage. Originally I used tags on my webpage, but since there isn't much stuff on it yet, I took them off. However, I think that they are very useful in general.
Thing 7
I think that chat reference at the Library could be very useful, especially for our patrons. It would be a way for them to ask the librarians about specific items in a timely manner. Since internet is so present in everybody's lives nowadays I think that it could surpass the use of phone by a lot or even e-mail because they would be getting the answer immediately after they ask.
About the chat room I have to say: Yes, let's try it internally to communicate inside and outside our departments in a more efficient way.
I created a Twitter account and I sent an invitation to chat, but I'm not sure if I did everything right, so I don't think it would be wise to use it in the library unless it goes with some classes to learn how to use it.
About the chat room I have to say: Yes, let's try it internally to communicate inside and outside our departments in a more efficient way.
I created a Twitter account and I sent an invitation to chat, but I'm not sure if I did everything right, so I don't think it would be wise to use it in the library unless it goes with some classes to learn how to use it.
Thing 8
I just made a slideshow with Picture Trail and it was easier than I expected. I don't know why I thought that it would be harder to upload the pictures and that I would have to register here and there to get it to work, it really wasn't that big a deal. I have a facebook account that I've been using for some time now and it seems to me that it is harder to share your pictures on facebook than on picture trail. Anyway, I would recommend it to others. Now what you all want to see:
Thing 13
I just read about LibraryThing and I found it a very interesting way to share your favorite books with other people. I'm sure it's great to make and/or be part of reading clubs. The following link will take you to my catalog for this Thing, where you will be able to see if we have similar tastes. There are only a few books for now, because I wanted to get started with this Thing as soon as possible, but I'll add more books to my collection in the future.
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/johnnymepeino
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/johnnymepeino
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