Library Thing

I have used Library Thing ever since I heard about it after attending one of our Readers Advisory classes earlier this year. I found it fun and useful and plan to keep up my entries as best I can. I have not yet played with all the features, but will try to do so in the near future.

Flickr/Picasa

Okay, I decided to make it easy on myself and use all Google accounts so I chose Picasa to download my pictures. I just happened to have a cd full of pics from our last year family xmas. It was very easy to figure out and it allows you to upload all your pictures at once, remove those you don't want, create an album cover and much more. After you do that you can look at them in a slideshow format, order actual prints and of course share them on the web, if you so desire. I know that I will use this site a lot and can't wait to play with it more.

I do see it being useful to create albums for organizing pictures at each of the libraries and their many programs.

RSS (Really Simple Syndication), Who knew....

What a great way to receive information! I have subscribed to a few different feeds and anxiously await new information to show up in my reader. I can see where this type of technology would be handy for someone that likes to keep up-to-date on many different things.

Social Bookmarking, etc.

Tagging is a wonderful tool! I can't wait to see how it will be used by library staff and patrons. I am generally a very organized person and so this fits right in with my desire (or need) to keep everything in its place and accessible. I especially like the idea of being able to access my delicious account from any computer I might be at. Using keywords (tags) to categorize websites is really helpful if you have a tendency to forget what you may have saved a particular site under, as I frequently do. I don't remember off hand whether KRL has started a "Cloud" on their website, but I think it is an aesthetically pleasing way to present tags and very easy to use. Sites that I have added to my account are ones that either I use regularly or plan on using more frequently in the near future.

Reading Assignments......

Article: Library 2.0 describes the next level of services a library will be required to provide in order to stay current with the ever changing technologies of today. The second article, 20 reasons why learning emerging technologies is part of every librarians job, looks at the "big picture" and the need for libraries to see themselves as viable businesses with much to offer the customer (patron) in the way of services in a highly competitive, and consumer driven world. People want to know "what can you offer me?"

Both articles I read were informative and gave me a better perspective on what KRL is trying to accomplish by having us learn all of these new "social computing" technologies. The sharing of information, no matter where you are in the world, are the stepping stones in community building.

What the @#$%^^

I suppose I am proud of myself for making it thus far, but I am seriously confused on what it is I have just accomplished. These may seem like rudimentary questions, but are a source of consternation to me at this point. What is my Display Name used for and where will it appear? When do I use the URL address I created on blogspot.com? How do I get to the KRL tracking log without going to the e-mail link that was provided by Bob? I guess in the end it will all make sense, but for now this whole new technology business is what I call a real kerfuffel.