Thing #19

Web 2.0 awards
I've been using Pandora for a long time now and have found it really useful for discovering new artists. I also really had a good time browsing yelp.com. My family often travels to the Charleston, SC area, and I'm always looking for great restaurants and activities for that area. I liked being able to focus on reviewers who live locally to get their recommendations. Lots of great info and a really user-friendly format. One thing I can't get used to thought, is the reviewers who feel it's necessary to use profanity in their postings. I'm not prudish when it comes to language, but I just dont' get it...I guess it's a generational thing.

Thing #18

I think I'll find plenty of uses for Google Docs. I can use it to keep running lists of titles I've used for children's programs, which I often need to access from different computers. I can see it used to work on drafts of handouts for computer classes and other training that is conducted by more than one staffer. I'm glad I can also suggest it to my daughter for her classwork, since she's frustrated by the software we have on our home computer (no PowerPoint).

Thing #17

"Playing in the Sandbox" was fun and easy. I appreciate how user-friendly the site is.

Thing #16

I enjoyed the Wiki challenge. My initial skepticism toward Wikipedia was blown away long ago when I realized there were articles on topics I couldn't find anywhere else, but I haven't had much experience with other types of Wikis. The "Library Success" wiki seems useful, although I guess with Wikis you have to accept the fact that some content areas are going to be much, much weaker than others.

Thing #15

In the "To a Temporary Place in Time" Dr. Schultz writes that libraries "are conversations, they are convocations of people, ideas, and artifacts in dynamic exchange." I like this thought and also the "this too shall pass" concept. I will admit to having some nostalgia for the pre-Internet library. But I feel that all that is to come, will, at some point become second-nature just as the Internet and the constant shift in new technologies is becoming just a natural party of library-life. The way we provide information can change, and change, and change... as long as it's still about community.

Thing #14

Technorati overwhelms me a little. This is a place where I feel that I need to learn a whole new language. I'm glad that I'm taking these small steps toward more knowledge. I did find a few new blogs that I will visit again, but most of the Library 2.0 blogs that I visited were a little beyond my current knowledge base and I found myself scratching my head pretty often when confronted with terminology that mean nothing to me, at this point.

Thing #13

I've had a del.icio.us account for a while now, and I've found it useful for keeping track of sites I visit regularly. After exploring further, I'm discovering more ways to use it. I will definitely be setting up a list of favorites, because I typically work at more than one computer, and actually, more than one library. The social aspect is useful as well. I'm finding great new resources that I would probably never have found on my own.

Thing #12

I've had a NetLibrary account for a while. I occasionally use it to refresh my memory so I can help patrons to use the database. It seems to be easier to use than it was in the beginning. I think it throws people off that they have to intially sign up for the service here at the library. Once that's out of the way, it's fairly user-friendly.

WorldCat is helpful. I've used it a few times for patrons who were on a desperate search for a title we didn't own, but needed right away. They were able to determine if the book was owned and checked in at a library with reciprocal borrowing, or at a local college or university.

Thing #11

I'm having fun with LibraryThing. I anticipate I'll use it to keep a list of titles I've read and enjoyed and also keep running lists of titles I come across that I may want to use in a future storytime. I like having the cover displayed - this helps jog my sometimes fuzzy memory.

http://www.librarything.com/catalog/cmeyscronin

Thing #10

I want a Kindle! Around Christmas, several blogs I read were buzzing about the Kindle. If I had $400 just lying around, I think I'd buy one. I love the idea of downloading a variety of titles I'd like to read and always having them with me - on vacation, in doctor's office waiting rooms - anytime I wish I had a book with me. They also have almost 3,000 children's chapter book titles. I've scanned the list and have found some I've been meaning to read. Sadly, I don't think I'll be buying one any time soon. Luckily, I have my local public library so I can access all the books I want, for free.

Think #9

Continuing with RSS/Bloglines - I appreciate having the opportunity to view Jill's public bloglines account. I found some great ideas there and I also found technorati to be useful. My blogine account is growing!