#18: Zoho: What if?

One of the issues for the public workstations @ the Reference Desk has been that Word is not installed on any of the computers. Is this a good substitution? It looks like Word, feels like Word--why not?

I'm looking at some features to see how useful this would be. What would be the problem with pointing patrons to this resource? In fact, this could be added to a library toolbar with other resources. Going to save and see what happens.

Saved this document then figured out how to export into an actual Word document file. This really is useful--and it has a spell checker button! Read some of the comments on Zoho's blog--others out there are figuring out how to use this resource and Zoho is supplying the apps needed to work interactively.

Reviewing some tools

Since I have links to other Rasmuson Learning 2.0 bloggers, I do spend some time checking out what they've been exploring. Reading Adasiak's blog I was curious to see what he'd done with Rollyo, since I wasn't that thrilled when I worked on it. His Rollyo is created for those looking for Fairbanks specific sites--aha, could I create something similar for the English Department? So I gave Rollyo another go!

You know what I'm really looking for? A search engine that searches both our licensed databases and freebie web sources. While I included CQ Researcher in the list of places to search and it was included in the search process, it didn't bring me results from Rasmuson's subscription source. Which brings me back to some work I'm doing on the federated search engine committee--we're looking at products that search licensed databases and freebie web sources. And I'm back to the usefulness of Google (one of my favorite lessons was creating a search engine via Google!) for the freebie sites. No, I'm not giving up on looking for new resources that can provide services I'd like to use; the exposure to these resources is great! I do believe that one day it will all come together.

And on Wendi Lyons' blog I found a recipe for falafels via her Epicurean link. The blogs are useful!

#27: Grokker

While reading the latest issue of Library Journal's Net Connect (Summer 2007), I came across this article about Grokker being used as a federated search product. I'm serving on the Library's committee, so read this with interest--and wondered with a bit of a whine why is the library world always behind the curve? Where were we when this was being created by Groxis? Okay, enough whining--went out to the Learning 2.0 to see what I could see.

Knowing that Grokker may be useful as a federated search engine, I couldn't get excited about searching only Yahoo, wikipedia, and Amazon. I'm more interested in how it's being used by other libraries, so will do some searching--will report back!

#26: MySpace

Imagine that! The hardest part has been typing in the security code at the time of setting up an account!! Have spent twenty minutes and no luck--it won't recognize what I type!

So, I went out and looked at some MySpace, specifically for library- or university-related pages. ALA has a neat page and some of the individual librarians have pages that work--links to services with descriptions, instructions.

Was looking around and discovered that UAF Student Activities also has a page--links to events, but not much else. Back to ALA's page: at least there are links to services. That's how I see using MySpace.

Read an article about universities using MySpace as an enrollment tool--mostly they provide links to information about the university.

Not real excited about MySpace.com.

#23: Library Elf

A moment of panic: first, I had to find my library card! While hiking the Crow Pass Trail (Girdwood to Eagle River), I was swept away by the currents of the Eagle River (had to ford @ mile 13! Didn't have a library elf to save me, but the Bob was there to wade in twice and make sure I made it across safely!) and everything went under. While the library's copy of One Hundred Years of Solitude was in the waterproof part of my backpack (not even damp!), my wallet was in a pouch that wasn't waterproof--my Noel Wien card got wet, the card number a bit mussed. Put everything out on the truck's dashboard on our way out of Girdwood and back toward Fairbanks to dry--will see if I can find it. Be right back . . .

You might not realize this, but lots of time has gone by because I've misplaced my wallet! Man, I could use some mechanism that helps me keep track of my things--what good's a wiki or a grokker or flickr (or my nifty book review search engine!) if I can't locate my stuff! Will finish this later . . .

Okay, everything is in order. What an easy program to sign up for! Logged in and discovered that I have nothing checked out--oh yeah, we finished the Star Trek: The Next Generation series before we went on our hike. Guess I need to get to my local public library!

#19: Replacing blog with wiki

Not easy to do. I've found some wikis that are designed to look more like web pages, sometimes even blogs. I created LibraryBytes (blogspot) as a liaison tool to communicate with the UAF English Dept., but found that no one was interacting with the blog--they were interested in pages I created and maintained, for example a page that explained how to use the library's databases with embedded links--static pages, static info.

Was happy to see that blog software was listed on the awards list. Tried wetpaint and got an initial page created, but how do I get rid of the advertising and the other commercial links I'm not interested in? Will keep working.

#10: Image Generators

So I created the flashing Natalie! Bubble-gum pink and flashy, flashy--okay, going back to see if I can find something a little more useful!


Is the tattooed back more useful?

Check it out!

I've added a search engine for book reviews to this blog!! Found the idea on another librarian's blog and went out and created my own search engine. I selected particular sites that have book reviews. So easy to do. This has to be one of the most useful tools I've discovered. Very neat!

#13: Is.not.it del.icio.us . . . & tag.gi.ng

Tried it. Here's what I posted on the Blackboard assessment page:

Gee, I don't know. I'm starting to get suspicious--am I really giving these products/services a chance. Looking at delicious--here again is another service that doesn't appeal to me. I rarely bookmark anything--with Google, one search is all I need to do. And, if there are websites that I go to regularly, they are saved in the bookmark section--I find I don't have too many, so manageable.

Ho hum!

How could this be useful to liaisons? As a starting place for subject-specific internet sites. But is that what our patrons want?

A librarian's canine companion

and my attempt at creating a librarian trading card!

#05: Mashups

I discovered Writer: the Internet typewriter and typed up the message below. Still not real clear how this could be helpful. I figured out how to make minor font, line, and font-type changes, but it certainly won't take the place of Microsoft Word.


Well, what is this? A typewriting tool? So, how would I use this? Often there are college students who want to type a paper, but we don't have Microsoft Word saved on our public machines, so they have a difficult time. Could this be a program that we could make available?

Note: italics is not available with Writer.

The question I've been asking myself: do I feel the urge the replace anything I'm already using with new tools I'm discovering?

Oh, and I've added my blogger heading--a photo from former UAF Librarian Debbie Kalvee.

#04: Flickr

Light in the Shadows 2
Originally uploaded by thepres6

Wanted to see if I could get this to post on my blog. Here goes . . .


And it worked! Okay, I'm headed back out into Flickr space!

My next challenge: to spice up the look of this blog. Will find photos and upload next week. Stay tuned . . .

#14: Technorati

Is it just me or is anyone else worn out by all the logging in and setting up that goes into using these sites? Technorati is an internet search engine--do I need another one? I'm perfectly happy with Google. Or am I settling, not pushing myself to explore?

#9: It's not easy being green!

Or maybe it is. For this assignment I was to look at library-related blogs and post about something professionally useful. I found this site and became fascinated by library buildings being judged based on their greenness. There's even an ALA roundtable dedicated to environmental issues! The other blogs were created by librarians interested in gathering environmental issues information and resources. That's an example of how blogs are useful to users.

#22: Colin Firth and sweet things

I was using ListenAlaska regularly when we first set up the program. It's a great resource--fun to listen to a good book as I'm processing books or just staring at my office wall.

I'm also familiar with Gutenberg--but still, fun to go out and see the link to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Read the first lines of chatter and was reminded of those long hours spent at Wendi Lyons' house watching the A&E production. Watching my friends swoon over Colin Firth as they reached for another sweet thing to pop in their mouths. That's entertainment!

#12: Holy-O! What is Rollyo?!?

I'm still not sure what this resource provides. Let's see---if I wanted to, I could create a place to go where all my favorite website addresses are located. If I publish these addresses, I could socially network with other people with similar interests.

Now, this could be useful for library subject guides. Liaisons could create a place for a subject and provide the information to patrons via Rollyo. Linking it to the liaison page would be crucial--I don't think I'd use this service because it's just one more place to go for information. Google does what I want, or the Bookmarks tool. But as a liaison . . . I'll have to think on this one!

#15: web 2.0, library 2.0

I'm less interested in the types of technology that are being introduced and more interested in our reaction to the changes. Learning 2.0 is a good example of what I'm referring to. You can choose not to do anything with technology (you can choose not to participate in this training opportunity!)--I have no doubt about that. You can even work in a library and not keep up--do the bare minimum without really pushing yourself to explore. I mentioned Tennant's column in an earlier post in which he describes his own mission to explore what's out there. He admits he won't use everything, but at least he's tried.

I can sum up my idea of the future and where librarians will be by pasting in a comment Tennant made when he visited Google headquarters where librarians were invited to discuss the future of bibliographic control:

The meeting was held in a room that had recreational equipment (ping pong anyone?) and a kitchen area. Google staffers constantly walked around the perimeter, making espresso and talking to colleagues or on their cell phones. “You may be discussing your future,” Google seemed to say, “but we couldn't care less. You will have very little or nothing to do with the future we envision.” If we can't get our bibliographic act together, and make bibliographic control easy and effective without being overly painful for too little return, Google may, unfortunately, be right. (Bibliographic Control Future, Library Journal. 4.15.2007)

web 2.0, library 2.0--did we ever embrace (web and library) 1.0?

#8: MyUA Portal

It must be a Friday during the summer for here I am posting yet another account of a lesson accomplished. (I wrote in an earlier post about technology issues. Well, here's another: I'm working on my laptop near the living room window looking out over our front yard and our black cat spread against the black rocks in our flower bed--1/2 his body in the shade. Had to log into the VPN, a "technology" not part of this lesson, in order to access Learning 2.0. Other than that, I've been working away!)

MyUA Portal: sometimes when I'm acting like a dean, I'm invited to dean-like meetings. Had the opportunity to sit in on discussions about the Portal. Frustration from the administrators at Statewide that more people don't use it. Why don't we like it? Well, where do I begin? The design thing first--I'd really like my screen to have tiny snapshots of each of the functions. What I've been doing recently is minimizing the windows--what's the different between that and accessing a site and keeping it up all day? Outside of the one login, I'm not real moved by this thing.

I'd been here before, so already had my pages set up. Interesting to get back and see that nothing had changed and I didn't miss it.

#7: RSS Feeds

Well, if I had read the last sentence, perhaps I wouldn't have spent time with my frustrations. Yes, this has been the most difficult discovery--I couldn't figure out how to download the bloglines notifier. Ok, stop right there--that to me is a discovery. It's fine to have RSS feeds, one place to read the condensed information I'm seeking, but if I have to remind myself to look at the feeds it isn't going to work. I was determined to get the notifier and finally did--perhaps it was all the sweets @ coffee hour that helped!

I added some co-workers--ooh, the sound of that little bell indicating I've got new items. So exciting! But geez, that whole public bloglines thang--I tried. Will see what happens!

How can libraries take advantage of feeds? Well, we could encourage RSS feeds through Goldmine so patrons could receive updates in the system. The operative word is ENCOURAGE. It's up to the patron to set these up, but we certainly need to offer it as a service.

#6: Technology web sites and news

Not to pretend that I'm anywhere close to being as "fanny" as Robyn, but hubby and I are plowing our way through the Star Trek: The Next Generation series--1-2 episodes a night, more on the weekend. In last night's episode, an alien wipes the short term memory of the Enterprise crew in order to use their expertise and the Enterprise's technological/weaponry advances. (It also creates the opportunity for Riker and Ensign Ro to have relations; since their memory has been erased, they don't remember they don't like each other.) The crew spends most of the episode attempting to recreate who they are and the nature of their mission--turning first to the ship's computer.

So, that's a logical first move--everything about the ship is stored in the computer's or Data's memory. I was fascinated by how quickly they turned to the computer, because I think it reflects an acceptance that is easy to incorporate in every aspect of human life. But, as we find out in the episode, Data is flawed and so is the computer: the alien has corrupted or deleted most of the data/files. It is human intuition that saves the day--hey, it's Picard, he always saves the day!

I'm reminded of some advice about technology I read recently. In his column Three Hard Things in the latest issue of Library Journal, Roy Tennant lists three things that are crucial in staying abreast of technological advances: take time to learn, try something new, and stop doing something. I appreciated Tennant's comment that while he has tried new technology, he doesn't embrace all of it (he tried social networking but found it didn't work for him), but at least he's aware of what it is and how it can be used. There it is, the idea that I will take with me throughout the rest of my career.

P.S. I'm not looking forward to flickr, but am working my way up to it!