The end!

Wow the 23rd thing! I learned quite a bit about this Web 2.0 deal. And I must admit I enjoyed more of it than I thought I would. From a professional stand point, what I have learned during this exercise is most useful. We are in the business of information, and technology is how we find and receive much of said information. Hence the concept of Library 2.0. I think it behooves all staff members to stay up to date on any new technologies that will improve the quality of service we provide to our patrons. This applies to those who work face to face with the public, as well as those of us who work behind the scenes.

I know I will use what I learned on a personal level. I am not sure if I will continue my blog but I will definitely look at others when I need a good craft project or knitting help. I can't say I will ever create my own podcast but I subscribe to a number of ones that I regularly enjoy. I love live-brary! YouTube can be useful and funny. I currently use and will continue to use Google Docs and any number of wikis both personally and professionally. Del.icio.us and LibraryThing will come in handy. I may set up some RSS feeds that I might actually look at but I can't promise. Flickr is something I always heard mentioned but didn't quite understand. Now I can log on to WFL account and see pictures from programs I conducted. that's cool.

Would I want to do something like this again? Maybe. I was fortunate enough to have time to complete the exercises at work. I know many others did not have the luxury of "off desk time" which made 23 Things a challenge.

#22 Audiobooks (or “The end is in sight”)

I just recently began to explore Live-brary and have downloaded both ebooks and eAudiobooks. In fact when I leave work tonight I am going to knit little Roo a sweater while listening to Orson Scott Card's Invasive Procedures on my I Pad.

I am very excited about Live-brary eAudiobooks. Now when it is the middle of the night and I am knitting away when suddenly my audiobook ends, I don't have to pay for a new one. Yes, unfortunately this has happened to me. Several times.

My only complaint is that the science fiction/fantasy section is a bit over run with vampire and witches. I prefer aliens myself. Oh and the teen section needs more selection.

#21 Podcasts, Smodcasts!

I have been listening to podcasts for sometime now. Of course most of them are about knitting. Knitpicks is my favorite. It has great interviews, book reviews and even yarn reviews.

Typically I use my i tunes to find new podcast that I may enjoy, but I browsed around Podcastalley for awhile. I discovered that there is pretty much a podcast for anything you are into. One podcast that I found to be interesting was AudioBook reviews. I added it to my RSS feed and will take a look at it from time to time to see what other people like to listen to.

#20 You too can YouTube

I am a fan of YouTube- to a point. I will be the first to admit that a lot of the videos are stupid and/or self indulgent. Having said that, there are also quite a few helpful ones. I know when I am having trouble with a particular knitting stitch, I can usually find a good how-to video. I also enjoy watching clips from SNL or comedians (Mike Birbiglia is hysterical and not too dirty).

Hmm. An application for the library website. We could have a video of the day/week. Maybe something techie or how-to.


Hope you enjoy this video. I met these ladies and they are great and so are there knitting books.

#19 Discovering Web 2.0 tools

I enjoyed looking through the list of the Web 2.0 Awards. While scanning the list I realized that I already use a number of the sites frequently. I listen to Pandora in my cubicle all the time. I found my sweet little puppy Roo through the Oodle classifieds. I search Kayac quite a bit for vacation deals. I have plans to look into Mango for some spanish lessons. It comes highly recommended from a friend. But my all time favorite is Etsy. I have lusted after many a handcrafted item (see photo). I am not sure this site has any applications for use in a library setting as some others might but I love it.

#18 Web-based Apps: They’re not just for desktops

I have been using Google Docs for awhile now. My first experience was when Dave Jones created a Battle of the Books document that we could all add to. What a great way for a number of people to work on a project and have all the info in one place. I also find it handy when receiving documents from someone who is not using the same software. I will definitely continue to use Google Docs both personally and professionally.

#17 Playing around with PBWiki

Like most of the "things" thus far, playing around with PBWiki was interesting but I am not sure how much I would use it. For the most part If I want to what anyone's favorite blog or movie is, I will ask. But I could see a use for it if the library wanted to have somewhere where patrons could see what the staff was into.