Tagalicious- Thing 11

Tag, YOUR IT!!! Naw, I'm just joking. I wont be discussing the most awesome game that many of us indulged in while still children. (And some of us even later...cause honestly, who can resist?) Instead, I'll be delving into the deep dark world of Tagging and Del.icio.us.

Tagging. It's something that you (or in this case, I) see everywhere. Miss Sticky reads a blog, and there are many small highlighted words at the bottom. Some make sense, some do not. If she clicks on one, it'll take her to a new and exciting world...or something. Before this I never really understood tagging to be quite honest. It was something that was done and I'd be all like, "Well, that's cool....what's the point?" So, I can say now that I feel much more 'aware' of the benefits that can be had through tagging. In fact, I have started to tag on my own blog. If anything, it will help me be more aware of what is going on.

Del.icio.us is like a way to 'super awesome book mark.' I can see a lot of positives from using the service. I have (multiple times) been up late at night found an amazing website! I'll bookmark it on my computer, but who knows- the next time I want to look at it ...I may be somewhere else! This would give me the opportunity to really track down and organize my favorite internet sites. But for research, I can honestly say that I can see how this would be extremely helpful for students who are doing TONS of research. Through this site they can organize and do more research. Not only that, but when I was still a student, I sometimes had to print out an article or try and jot down tons of info because I wasn't certain if I could find the site again. Through Del.icio.us, a student can save paper and still have their research materials close at hand!

Bravo!

Wikis (AKA- Can I use this as a source in my paper?) Thing 10

Wikis started to become really big when I was just starting college. (I'll let you guess which year....) At first, I didn't really pay attention to them or give them much credit. Most people (at least my age) have heard of Wikipedia. I heard this site get both a lot of respect and a lot of criticism while in school. Teachers' lips would curl at the mention of the site, and students would pop over to it for a quick look at a subject for a quick study. I for one was a bit unsure of how to feel, but soon enough jumped onto the 'love it' wagon. I love Wikis, because they allow a free flow of information that is continually going to be the newest and most updated. It's bookmarked on my computer and I stop over there at least once a week.

One of my professors (or one of my professors told me about another professor, I can't remember) that HATED all things Wiki tried to disprove their credibility. He purposefully went on a Wiki website that tried to have factual info, and listed incorrect things. Unfortunately for him, within 24 hours all of his 'mistakes' had been removed and he'd received a warning email. Although I'm not sure if Wikis should be allowed as sources, I will say that dismissing them as total rubbish is incredibly foolish.

Four hundred billion seconds ago... (Thing 9)

I played around with both Google Docs for awhile. To be honest, I had a bit of a problem with Zoho. I for one didn't even get it to do all the things that I wanted. Hmph. So, instead I played around a bit (more) with Google Docs. The slide show I published was my first attempt, and it reminded me a lot of Power Point. (My later attempts were even more sweet- but no one can say that hat isn't amazing.) It actually brought back some high school memories...(shudder) I can see this tool be helpful for libraries over a long distance that work together. It could be an awesome communication tool that could allow libraries to really work together. Of course, not to be a Debbie Downer, but although there is potential to use it- I for one am just fine using some of the other tools that accomplish similar things. For me, I've decided that it is all about who can offer the most. This tool, though useful, is somewhat limited. I don't particularly want to have to open many accounts to do all the different things I want to online. If I can accomplish something, even if it isn't as nice, while accomplishing something else, then why bother with having two accounts when you can have one?

I guess I'm just lazy that way.

Where you get to see what makes me tick- Thing 8

Things That I Love to Read

Above there is a link that lets everyone in on what makes me 'me.' Most would claim that my wit and style sets me apart, but in truth, its my mad reading skills (look out books, I'm coming for you...). Making a database was a bit harder than I thought it would be... because again... I didn't read the directions completely. I sort of just went with it. Suffice to say, not doing what I should have done from the beginning made everything a bit more difficult. Hopefully this time I really did learn my lesson. Once I did read the directions, using the 'database maker' was relatively easy. I can see how this could come in handy for patrons. It's a great way to share what you're all about. Because you can do things like add ratings and keywords, a user is able to share so much more than a simple list. In fact, it would be an awesome tool to create a way for patrons to interact with each other. An online community that wasn't as time consuming (or weird!) as many others.

Many online sites allow a user to make these sorts of lists. Facebook has a 'favorites' section, and it has expanded to include bigillions of other applications that personalize a user's Facebook page. Because it is relatively easy to 'share' now-a-days, it does seem a bit like overkill to have ALL of the different tools from the multiple sites. I probably am going to do a bit more exploring before deciding on one to stick with. Otherwise, I'll end up with tons of accounts that I wont even use. (Which seems perfectly ridiculous!)

OMG - Thing 7

Technology and I aren't always the best of friends (why is my computer screen blue and what the heck does that error sign mean?), but if there is one thing that I am pretty comfortable with, its the many ways that individuals communicate online. I may not have been sending email messages to my doctor from the womb, but I sure as heck was sending them in the seventh grade to my current BFF (her name was Katie and she loved horses, piercings, and her mom's porkchops). I never grew up in the age where people sent actual paper letters to one another. Seriously, how many trees were killed so that one person could give a shout out to another? I was a part of the group that created false email accounts and then emailed their crush embarrassing love notes so that the crush would be clueless. Although, I never did that myself, I can count out at least five friends that did (those were the days).

Today, I have four email accounts (one of which I don't even remember the password for and therefore haven't been able to check in 5 months), IM on MSN and Yahoo (although I'm always 'away' so that the people I'm friends with but don't want to talk to never know when I'm around), a Facebook and MySpace account (the MySpace one being old and rarely updated), and I text constantly from my phone (my sore thumbs prove it!). For people who think that online communication tools should be learned because they're the 'wave of the future' I have one comment. What hole have you been living in? They aren't the wave of the future, they are the primary source of communication for millions upon millions of people now. And most of the people that use these communication tools are those who will truly influence what the library will become in the next 50 years.

At my college library (back in the day....cough cough) the librarians had just begun to really embrace the new techno world. You could email or IM a reference librarian, you could be a 'friend of the library' on Facebook. My boss used Facebook to make sure all of her library workers were on the same page, to keep us updated and create a fun space for us all to communicate and bond. Just like how you can order a pizza online (the best idea ever!) so too can you renew a book or ask a question about a late fee or item you ordered. The library has no choice but to move into the online communication world (and most are more than on their way!!), because if the library doesn't go willingly, the patrons will undoubtedly drag it kicking and screaming.

In Which I Have Way too Much Fun- Thing 6

Again, there are so many ways now to connect with patrons on another level. Through this sort of stuff (the many online crazy things you can create using many websites) libraries can hopefully connect with those who are younger and looking for things more 'happening.' Overall, I think that libraries that are familiar with these websites and the possibilities they offer will gain a whole lot more in the long run.

Here I Go Again- Thing Five

Hmmmm....So, this was one of the most fun tasks that I have done so far. Miss Sticky enjoys the fun that can be had through third parties and Flickr. Not only would these help make library posters/websites/etc... more creative, they're also incredibly easy to use. Creating posters for library events using pretend trading cards, movie posters, or other unique qualities could really draw attention to the library. In fact, teaching a class on how to use these item would be equally awesome. I think that there are a lot of things, such as the awesomeness of flickr, that many of our patrons would really enjoy if they simply knew about them. I know that I find it highly enjoyable.