Thing #13 Library Thing

I am definitely a book lover. I think LibraryThing is something that I will use to catalog and keep up with books that I have read and plan to read. I added books to my library, created a widget and a link. The books I put in My Library typically had rating between 3 and 4. There were good reviews by members for these books. I also looked for local events under LibraryThing Local. There were no events within a 50 mile radius of Gainesville. There were listings for various libraries and bookstores n the area but I did not see Alachua County Library District listed. I think that LibraryThing can be a useful tool in the library setting. It would be useful for book groups, reader advisory and outreach or special interest groups.

Thing #12 WIKIS

I think using wikis within the library for staff members workng on a project, planning an event or an activity would be beneficial with everyone having the opportunity to add, edit or even delete information. Sometimes arranging a meeting with all interested parties is hard to plan but with wikis anyone could contribute information and add to the discussion.
I like the idea of libraries using Wikis as a place for community resources to be displayed, discussed, edited, added to or completely deleted by members of the community. This would help libraries become a center for information in their local community.
Wikis could work well for organizations, clubs or individuals interested in the same topic, event or activity.
The only problem I see is people who would add or change things or information inappropiately or inaccurately.
I edited and made comments on neflins23things.pbwiki.com.

Thing # 11 Social Media

OK! I browsed through Mixx, Digg, Newsvine and Reddit and thought it was a big waste of my time. Definitely a productivity detractor. I do not automatically read something just because it is recommended by others. I would rather rely on CNN, Gainesville Sun and the local TV news in the evenings because I feel these sites are accurate and adequate for my purposes and contain all the news information I need.

I really did not care for Reddit as the articles I happened to read were gross and contained some obscene language. Digg and Mixx to me were basically the same with Newsvine being the better site.

I personally do not see the Library using the social media sites when there are so many other tools availble.

I read an article in the Gainesville Sun and shared it in my Delicious account.

Thing #10 Tagging and Delicious

Well, instructions to browse Delicious were not very hard to follow. I set up my account and bookmarked "Gatorzone", a Digital Photography tips site and the AARP information site.
My family is wild about anything to do with the Florida Gators ball teams, I have a new digital camera that I can use all the help I can get with and AARP is needed to answer questions about my future retirement plans. With these bookmarks and tags I can obtain more information at a faster pace.
I wanted to browse Furl and Pagekeeper but did not want to create another account.
I believe I will use Delicious a lot , just need more time to get familiar with the tool.

Thing 9 - Sharing - Slides, Photos, Databases

I looked at SlideShare and it was pretty difficult to navigate. It is more suited for PowerPoint Presentations, etc. This is not a site I would use.

I navigated Picture Trail fairly easily. Created a Flick using fancy transitions and carousel. I also added comments to the photos and posted it in my blog. SEE BELOW!!!

Previously used Big Huge Labs to create a mosaic which is also posted on my blog.

I briefly looked at The 50 Tools - 50 Web 2.0 Ways to Tell a Story. This might be useful if there was a particular project you needed to do, but to review all 50 would be time consuming.

Working with the photos for personal use is great but I think they could also be used in the library setting to enhance and add interest to projects or programs.

Thing 8 - Communication Web 2.0 Style

FINALLY! I created an account on Google Talk. The computers at work would not allow me to download or launch Google Talk Gadget. There must be a problem or something is blocking pop-ups on the work computer. I was successful with the computer at home and was able to instant message with my daughter. I have used instant messaging in the past.

I read the articles on text messaging. I do not intend to use it. I don't see where this would be a useful tool for the library.

I went to OPAL and looked in the Archives. I found a WMA audio recording for finding health information online. I listened to and viewed the slide presentation. The presentation discussed the various resources for finding information on health related issues on the Internet. It discussed HON which is a designation that web pages can obtain showing that they have received a seal of approval for meeting specific quality and ethical criteria. It discussed how to always make certain as to the reliability of the information. It discussed various urls, such as .gov and .edu as being good sources of information.

I did go and create an account on Twitter but it is not a site that I am interested in at all. In signing up you had to see if any of your email contacts were members of Twitter before you could proceed. I had none and did not want to know what anyone else was doing.