Beyond Method #12

What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?

• I loved the Prezi presentation software and the survey software.  I will definately use it in my work as Children's Librarian.

How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?

• I might feel less intimidated to try new technology based on the fact that these lessons were simple and easy to learn.

Were there any take-aways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?

• I did not realize I would enjoy the experiences so much and be able to use them at home and work.

What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?

• I think the program is just fine.

If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you again chose to participate?

• I would absolutely participate in one of these programs again.

Thanks for the experience!!

Beyond Method #9

I used Smilebox to create a picture album online. It was very easy to use; I already use it at home. If you had all the picture gethered together it would be easy to show a patron how to create a similar document. It would be interesting for the library to create something like "The Story of Lovett Memorial" as a picture representation of how things have changed over the years. I created a simple album of children's books to try out the software.

Create your own slideshow

Beyond Method #11

I love the survey tools!  What a great way to get information from people about library events and services.  I created a survey to get feedback from our patrons about this year's Summer Reading Program.  The survey is below.  I can think of a lot of great surveys to get feedback from our patrons.  The only problem I see is getting patrons to use the link and participate in the survey.  Of course, this would not be the first time patron participation is a possible problem.

Click here to take survey

Beyond Method #10

I use Skype on a regular basis to keep in touch with distant family.  It came built into my laptop and works great!  Sometimes the picture is choppy or may freeze altogether if the person I am skyping with does not have a fast enough connection.  I also use Facetime on my Ipod which is an easier way to access the same type of program.

Though our library does not use any of this software on a regular basis, I could easily see the benefits.  Since we are part of a library consortium that covers all of the Texas panhandle, it would be great if the directors did not have to travel to have meeting, or if staff could go through training online instead of taking time to meet in one location. 

I am sure there are patrons who would like to use these types of programs on our pblic computers.  Unfortunately, this would only be possible if they could use it without talking.  We have a problem with people using the phone in the library and video conferencing is much the same thing.  Since we are a small library, we do not have private places for patrons to do such things.

Beyond Method #8

Screencasts are a great tool for library's to show patrons how to do things.  It would most useful, I think, to help patrons navigate our website and online resources.  Here is my attempt at a simple screencast about how to get information about children's services from our website.

Beyond Method #7

I used the Prezi tool to create a presentation. I think it was a great alternative to a powerpoint and kep thing interesting with colors and movement.  My only complaint about it is that it does make you a little dizzy if watching it up close.  I have only used Powerpoint in the past.  The one way I prefer powerpoint to Prezi is that you have more options for changing from one slide to another.  Presentation tools are something we use often in the library for classes or presentations.  I would definately recommend some of the presentation tools listed to our patrons as a neat alternative way to present their information.

Here is my presentation:

Dr. Seuss books Every Child Should Read on Prezi

Beyond Method #6

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/1342/1342-h/1342-h.htm

Was Project Gutenberg easy to use?
Very easy.  I liked searching through most popular downloads.

Do your think your patrons would be interested in a public domain service like Project Gutenberg?
Yes.  Many of our patrons have recently gotten an e-reader and would like access to free materials.

If a patron wanted help putting a title from Project Gutenberg on an eReader, do you think you would be able to help them?
Yes.  I do not have an e-reader but I do have an Ipod which has a Kindle app.  I have had no problem downloading ebooks and audiobooks to my devices.

Beyond Method #5

Do you think Goodreads and LibraryThing could be effective readers advisory tools?

I think either website could be useful for the library and its patrons.  I have been using Goodreads for about a year and find it a great way to read book reviews and track what I have read.  We could easily use it to feature abook of the month and have patrons comment on it.  LibraryThing would be better for expanding the user base since it is more widely used, but I prefer the look and interface of Goodreads.

Beyond Method #4

Do you think that you would be able to do this if you were not computer literate?
It would depend on how non-computer literate a patron is.  I think the websites are very easy to use and anyone with basic computer skills could use it.  I have to consider, though, that some of our patrons do not even know how to use a mouse or how to click in a box to enter information.  Those patrons need much more assistance to do anything on the computer. 

Do you think that this would be helpful for patrons in learning to use the computer? 
The websites with computer basics lessons would be very helpful to patrons and staff.  It is difficult for library employees to conduct computer training classes when everyone who signs up is at a different level of computer knowledge.  These lessons will help the patrons gain computer skills from the very basic to a more advanced depending on their current knowledge.

Beyond Method #3

Do you see yourself creating maps for your library?
I think creating a map to locate the library could be very helpful.  I do ot know how we would use it beyond the though because we do not do events beyond this location. 

If you created a map, add a link to your new map to the blog post.
https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=209388411456584590802.0004c468987564d110581&msa=0&ll=35.537325,-100.959527&spn=0.012118,0.01487

Was Google Maps easy to use?  Did you have any difficulties? 
Google Maps was very easy to use but it is a prorgam I have used before so am familiar with.

Beyond Method #2

Which customizable homepage looks to be the best option for librarians?
I think either customizable homepage could be usful for librarians depending on what is being used for.  I have always been a big fan of Google so iGoogle would be a great options to make a homepage to share within the library staff.  Netvibes would be an interesting option to make a public page. 

Explain what you think you could do with a customizable home page.
A customizable homepage would be a great way share the interworkings of the library between the entire staff.  Because we are open 12 hours a day, the staff works in shifts and we rarely have the entire staff here at one time.  The homepage would be great to keep staff informed of what is happening in each department (children's, ILL, circulation, etc.)  Plus we could add some great gadgets to access things we use often such as WorldCat or FantasticFiction.

Method 12

What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?

I like learning about the Wikis and podcasts the best.  I had heard the terms used but it was only a technical term that went over my head as far as I'm concerned.  Now, not only do I understand what the term means, I will use these in my personal life and look for ways to use them throughout the library as well.

Were there any take-aways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?

I was suprised that the technology was so easy to understand and something I would like to bring into my day to day life.

If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you again chose to participate?

Absolutely!

Method 11

I discovered a great nutritional podcast on Podcast.com called Nutrition Diva.

Did you find anything useful and/or do you think your library might have a potential reason to begin creating podcasts?
I definately found the information usefull and I like the idea of subscribing to a regular podcast for my enjoyment whenever I have time to listen.  I think the library could use a podcast for book reviews, literary discussions, or answering questions posted by the public.

Method 10

What did you find interesting?
I did not know Wikis existed, outside of Wikipedia.  What an interesting way for people to share information and ideas.

What types of applications within libraries might work well with a wiki?
Wikis could be used to coordinate projecs within the library staff or collaborating with the community.  We could create public wikis for patrons to post favorite books or discuss a specific book.

Method 5

http://www.flickr.com/photos/doug88888/6002884290/

I have included a basic photo from flickr to see how easy it is to take a photo and share it with the world.  I think saring photos online can be a great way to promote the library and show whats happening at our local branch.  But, being the wife of a police officer, it is also important to me to keep my children safe from people that might like the chance to abuse those photos.  I think it is fair for libraries to use photos that are taken in public and not label the names of the individuals in the photos.  The library is displaying what any person that was in the public place would have seen at the time, and not identifying the subjects' names is an effective way to keep them from being exploited by others.

Method 9

Tell us about your chat experience. How did it go?
It went great.  chatting is an easy way to communicate, especially in the quiet library.

What do you think about chat/IM and libraries?
Chatting is a great way to answer people's questions and get information out there with privacy and without unecessary contact.  We have a chat system on all our staff computers where we can IM each other from one desk to another.  This is a great tool if we need to give another staff member information without alerting a patron or leaving the front desk unattended.

Method 8

How do you feel about social networking sites in general?
I think it is a great way to keep people linked and share information.

Do you have privacy concerns and/or concerns about keeping your personal life separate from your professional life in the online environment?
I do have concerns, but all it takes is a little research to create the appropriate amount of privacty within your accounts.  People will gladly look on your facebook page to get an idea of what type of person you are.  this is why it is so important for people to be aware of teir audience when posting anything on a social website.  Plus, I think it is always important to have a seperate work and personal account on all social netwroking websites if possible.

Is your library already using some of these social networking tools and if not, do you see potential uses for any of these tools in your library?
We use Facebook to promote local events, send out announcements about things happening in the library, and interact with the public with weekly trivia and staff announcements.

Method 7

I think the use of the use of tagging and social bookmarking has a lot of great uses.  It would be a tremendous help to be able to access my bookmarks from any computer.  Also, It would be great to chare these bookmarks with friends and collegues.  I could see the library using this tool to share websites with the public such as reading lists, local event calendars, book review websites, etc.

Method 6

It is always fun to explore videas on youtube.  I love the variety of videos and that anyone can film and upload their own masterpieces.  On the other hand, it is sometimes hard to find a good quality video when so many people put questionable content.  I think the library can use youtube to reach out to the viral public and post videos we make.  We can also use posted videos, but only if we are sure of its content.

Method 4

CNN rss feed:  http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/26/world/africa/libya-msf-torture/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Washington Post rss feed:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/tom-toles/post/those-fine-looking-romney-boys-deserve-a-slice-too/2012/01/25/gIQA9KEfQQ_blog.html?wprss=rss_comics

Public Libraries rss feed:  http://www.publiclibraries.com/blog/will-libraries-pay-publishers-every-time-an-ebook-is-checked-out/

Method 3: library use of cloud computing

The library can be a great resource for people to learn what is out there as far as cloud computing and modern computer resources.  But, it is extremely important for the library staff to have a full understanding of how the technoloy works and the risks involved in using it.  This is why before using any of the Google services or any offered from another website, the services should be greatly researched and understood.  If a children's librarian uses a Google spreadsheet to keep track of contact information for children she reads to, and this becomes available to other entities online, the implications could be devastating to the program, not to mention the legal implications to the library.  Of'course this is a worst case scenerio.  The point is that these cloud computing resources should be well understood before they are used by the library or taught to library patrons.

Beyond that, cloud computing would be a great resource for librarians and patrons.  In our library, our computers are in a network with the city.  More often than anyone would like, this network is down and we do not have access to our documents.  If we used Google documents or calendars, this would eliviate the problem of relying on the network to access things we need.  Also we would have access to these documents from home if ever needed.  Patrons could also have the same benefit of not relying on a flashdrive or any other physical representation to access their work.  They can go to any computer at anytime and have full access to what they need.  Plus, the library can be their source for learning about these resources and making the most of them!

Methods 1 and 2

Technology is constantly changing and evolving.  Libraries will end up being a thing of the past unless we stick with the times and emmerse ourselves in the new technology.  It is great that there are resorses out there that help my fellow librarians and me to learn of these technologies and how we can use them to better our library and branch out to new venues.

Introduction

So this is my first attempt at a blog.  It is an interesting idea and I am curious what possibilities, if any, might open up from this.