Thing 3 - RSS Feeds and Bloglines!

I tried setting up a few RSS feeds - including two for the Librarian Blogs I am following (copy this blog and In the Library With the Lead Pipe), and CNN which I always followed online. I'm still trying to get used to how the information comes in (I'd always gone the "old fashioned" route of simply going to the website periodically) - But so far, I like it.

Since I am following the Charlotte Mecklenberg 'program, I noticed one of their "tasks" was to check out Bloglines - so I did, and also set up a Bloglines account - Went a bit nuts, since I couldn't decide which feeds to subscribe to so I subscribed to entire categories. OH well. I guess as I go further along, I can decide which ones are "keepers" and weed the rest. Meanwhile, I'm adding the link to my blog toolbar.

I can certainly see where these types of tools could be useful in a library setting - on several fronts: 1) I think librarians should keep informed on current events in a variety of areas, including news, books, movies, sports and the like and this is a very convenient way to quickly keep abreast of the "latest" news in any given area; 2) It is something that could be set up on the library's public computers for use by its patrons for the same purpose; 3) It could be a nice resource to tell patrons about, for their own use.

This time I tried an Image Editor or: Thing 2, Part 2

Here are some more pics I played with using an image editor this time... online-image-editor.com.

Couldn't get the animation to work on my saved pix, but that's OK. Same comments as before - Not sure I can see any application in a library setting save for letting patrons know that these types of sites are available.

Thing 2 or: Playing with Pictures

Had some fun tonight playing with an online image generator that I found at customsigngenerator.com. I've never done anything like this. Here are a couple of samples of what I did.

These were lots of fun to play with - I may even spend some more time looking at a few other sites I found to see what else is out there... Looks like there are some that will create calendars and the like. You could get really really creative, but I can see where inordinate amounts of time could be spent sorting through the templates and playing with the image once you've put it in the template.

On the other hand, I'm not really sure how something like this would be used in a library context - at least, in a strict sense. However, since occasionally I do have patrons looking for information on digital photography and the like, I think this would be a nice additional resource to direct them to. The one thing I would mention on the negative is that, if you want to have the site's logo or name removed from the photo template, you can -but you have to pay (so the template is no longer free).

OK - so I redecorated. And a Follow up re: Facebook

Ok - so I redecorated. I'm actually having fun blogging, so I thought I'd play around and liven up my blog a bit. Also thought it would be fun to play around with the lay out and design a bit to see how that all works. And, of course, I needed to show off my pups. Cute, right? The little one is a 12-year-old female and the bigger one is a male and is going to be a year old the week after next. They actually get on remarkably well together - which makes me glad, because I specifically chose the "baby boy" to get along with my "super alpha" female (she's a terrier, and for those of us who know terriers - they know that the definition in the dictionary under "stubborn" and also "independent" would show a pic. of a terrier...)

Anyway - after a sort of unintended hiatus, I'm back on my quest for 23... or at least 5 more things towards the 23.

I did decide to make my Facebook excursion count for the exercise - I may just have it as a "7th" thing, I'll decide later. In any case, I have given some thought to how Facebook and other similar social media might function in a library (and for the present purposes I'll confine myself to a public library). First off, as I suggested in my previous post, I think these types of social sites can be useful sources for information - Even if it's just staying on top of who might be playing at the local venue next week. Of course, the lawyer in me has concerns around privacy and protection of personal information etc. on line - both from the "risk management" perspective of having patrons accessing these sites that are fairly - well - open, content-wise - as well as from the patron's perspective (vis-a-vis concerns over their own personal information, and how safe is it on a public machine). I know that maybe a bit neurotic, but - well, there it is. Also, I'm off topic a bit. Oh well. It's getting late. Long day.

Anyway, on balance, I think if some reasonable parameters are adhered to - I can definitely see a library setting up a Facebook or similar (My Space) page, where the patrons on the site can "friend" the library, it can also be another way for patrons to contact a librarian (esp. a reference librarian) to ask questions and be able to actually interact directly. It is also a way that a library could reach multiple patrons - by putting up posts on its facebook page, and then alerting all its "friends" to check out the update. Just some random thoughts. From my brief experience on facebook, and now with blogging, I think both are really powerful methods for communicating virtually. I also don't think they are necessarily mutually exclusive - I think a library could use both very effectively to not only disseminate information (yes, even "advertise" a bit...) about its programs etc., but also as an additional means by which to interact with patrons one-on-one.

In our next episode: Image Editors.

First of Twenty-Three!

OK - Not sure if this counts, although I suppose I'll find out in class tomorrow night. I actually signed up for facebook for the first time. Funny story here: I actually did it to locate some lyrics to a song I have really loved over the years. The song is from the movie Swept from the Sea; it was meant to be the theme song but it was apparently (per IMDB.com) cut ("swept from the flick"?) from the final credits. The song is called "To Love and Be Loved".

Anyway - the lyrics were nowhere to be found online. I did a bit of quick research, and found out who sang the song (which was written by John Barry, with lyrics by Tim Rice). Her name is Corina Brouder; I found that she was on Facebook, so I thought maybe I'd just ask her directly if she could share the lyrics!! So, I went to Facebook, and set up an account (I used my two dogs' names, instead of my real name... ) and then messaged her! I figured, what could I lose?

Here's the really cool part: she e-mailed me right back, and is going to actually send me the lyrics!! I also have my first "facebook friend". :>)

Pretty good, right?! Like I said, I'm not sure if this will count for one of my 6 things, but it was something I'd never done before, and I think it does go to show that SOMETIMES you've got to go right to the source for information when you can't find it!!! And certainly social networking sites like Facebook can facilitate that.

Cheers

Cheryl

Associations Report URLs - Post 2

So as I'm working on my "Associations" Project, I thought I'd post the URLs for the two associations I have chosen:

1 The Association of College and Research Librarians
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/

2.The American Association of Law Libraries
http://www.aallnet.org/

First Post

OK - So I've never blogged before. I guess this is my "one new thing" for today... I have to give some more thought to what I want to do as my "next" of 23 things for this project. By way of introduction (I guess I need to introduce myself), this blog is part of a project I am doing for a Masters in Library and Information Science program I am in at the University of South Florida.

For those of you who are curious - Yes, the name of this blog is a reference to Star Trek the Next Generation, and the Borg specifically. I am a fan - Data rocks! In any case, I named the Blog X of 23 after the Borg convention of naming their young: so, 2 of 5, 3 of 7 and so on. Since we have to do at least 6 of "23 things" for this project, I am calling this blog X of 23.

Ok - maybe a bit silly, but I couldn't come up with anything better right now!! Anyone out there in cyberspace, if you have any better suggestions let me know!!

Later.