Instant Messaging Itinerary

I love instant messaging! I think instant messaging holds an extra special place in my heart since my husband and I met online and used instant messaging tools as a way to communicate and "stay connected" when we were far apart. We got really creative and used webcams and microphones. It was a great way to bond and feel connected and made the miles between us seem short. I have found IM a great way to communicate and am amazed at how personal it really can be.

I think incorporating a MeeboMe widget on library's homepages is a great idea! With the younger generation being so internet savvy, this is a great way to reach out to that demographic. IM, email, talking on the phone, and face to face interaction are all forms of communication and some people have a stronger preference than others. I know of some people who would prefer the IM method over face to face interaction or phone communication when it comes to seeking help and information.

As with anything new, there are pros and cons. Some pros would be, as mentioned above, appealing to the younger generation and get them excited about using libraries... libraries aren't just some old fashioned thing of the past - we are moving forward as times change and are keeping up with the latest trends. One con does come to mind though and that would be education... educating the public that this service is available and educating the reference librarians on how this technology works.

The biggest issue I can think of in order to make IM reference workable is making sure it is staffed during hours that appeal to everybody. (ie: late afternoon/early evening hours for school age children doing homework).

Although it took me awhile to figure out, I had a lot of fun learning how to add the Meebo widget.
It was very satisfying to able to get it to work. It makes me realize that I am learning new skills through this program! Whoohoo!

Blogline Island Hopping

Today's activity will be a treasure hunt for information... information about anything and everything you ever wanted to know... and then some.

I had a good time learning this unit. I really liked how easy the Google Blog search engine was. I stumbled across a blog of my cousin who lives in Vancouver, Canada and am now officially subscribed to her blog. Before I knew about Bloglines, I was doing it the "old fashioned" way and had her blog bookmarked and would just check it periodically for updates. I found the actual searching easier then going to my favorite sites. I tried going to the sites I like but was having trouble finding that "subscribe" icon on them so searching was definetely better for me.

With the exception of the really user friendly Google Blog search I found a lot of the other searches confusing... I never was able to get the Feedster page loaded and Syndic8.com had a little to much "clutter" for my liking.

I think RSS feeds could be very interesting if put to use in librairies. It would be a great way to keep patrons up to date on special events happening at the library, programs, announcements, bookmobile schedules, hours of operation, new titles, etc. If new policies are put into place it would be terrific to write up something informing the patrons of the changes (ie: self pick-up holds procedures, how self check-out works, $5 restocking fee, etc.)

From an employees' point of view, I think RSS feeds would be a great way for different library districts to keep in touch with each other. As I was trying to find some library related RSS feeds, I stumbled upon many librarians who have personal blogs who share funny stories about patrons and the day to day challenges that come up in their jobs. It would be a great way of uniting people who work in the library industry. It could be a very useful and resourceful tool for sharing/swapping program ideas or just building friendships based on common ground.

Where's My Map??? I'm a foreigner in the land of RSS and Bloglines!

Ok, while I understand the concept of RSS and Bloglines I'm finding the actual bloglines site very confusing! When I signed up I scrolled through the "quick" search and subscribed to a whole bunch of things that interested me with supposedly one click of my mouse button. I was quite excited with some of the things I found (Dilbert comics, Travel news, Cats, iTunes top 25 songs, Entertainment news, etc.). I was very happy that with "one click" I would have my finger on the pulse of internet land and all that was in it. I was feeling so in touch with the world! Well, it took me about 15 - 20 minutes to pick out my selections, only when I hit that infamous one click it said there was a problem with the database and to try again... so I did try again... and again... with the same problem... I ended up taking some of the URL's I liked and putting them into the "search for feeds" subscribing that way but it took a lot longer than I had anticipated. I did however figure out (all by myself!) how to subscribe to the Discover 2.0 blog and two blogs of the participants in this program. So even though it was a tad confusing at first and a bit inconvienent I think with a bit more playing I will get the hang of this unit. I do love how everything is so organized in the newsfeed section of bloglines and with a bit of scrolling you can quickly look at your feeds and if a headline interests you at that moment you can read it. It's a great way to organize what could be an overwhelming load of information.

Mashup Sightseeing Tour

WOW is all I can say! I had no idea Flickr had all these "extra" features! I had so much fun being a "tourist". :o) My favorite ones had to be Montagr and Spell with Flickr. I also thought the Trading Card Maker was fun but due to time constraints will have to do some more playing around with that one at a later time.

I loved the fact that in Montagr if you scrolled over it with your mouse the thumbnail view of the picture would enlarge so you could see it. With one click of a button and a few seconds a collage appears oozing with creativity... I remember making collages in school with magazine pictures, construction paper and glue... it took hours!

Spell with Flickr was tons of fun too! I loved clicking and reclicking all the letters to get the perfect combination.

I really enjoyed my "tour" of Mashups and will definetely be incorperating these into my everyday computer life. What a fun lesson! :o)

Round trip tour of Flickr

Ok, I have to admit it took me quite a few tries to successfully attach photos to my blog but that's the beauty and "fun" of learning right? :o) But now that I have this newly acquired skill it was hard to pick just ONE picture... I picked two pictures partly because I couldn't decide which image I liked better and I wanted the extra practice of attaching photos.
I LOVE the perspective of this image of the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. I have actually stayed here twice and the whole unique concept of this hotel is mind blowing! That light is one of the brightest lights in the world... so bright in fact you are supposedly able to read a newspaper ten miles into space! There are starving people in this world and many other worthy causes money could be spent on, but only Vegas would blow millions of dollars to own "the world's brightest light". Everything is so over the top there... should I be surprised they wanted this light? I think that's why I'm so intrigued by this bubble world located in the middle of the Nevada desert...


Sunsets... there is just something about them that makes me thank God for His wonderful creations... Everytime I see a sunset it always makes me pause a moment to just enjoy the view. This particular sunset was taken in Kansas but the bright vibrant orange and yellow hues with the flat prairie stretching to the horizon remind me of my home province of Saskatchewan. Anyone from the prairies can agree that we are treated to some of the best sunsets anywhere!!!

Discovering the wonderful world of blogging

Wow, so while I'm quite familiar with certain social networks (I'm a Facebook addict!) this whole blogging thing is new to me. I've read lots of other people's blogs but never kept one of my own... so I think this will be fun. :o)

Now onto the "assignment":
Out of the 7 1/2 learning habits the one I am going to find the most challenging is "Habit #3: Viewing Problems as Challenges". A lot of times when a problem arises that rocks my happy little life I have a tendency to get frustrated and over-react to the situation. I often times don't think the situation through logically in the beginning and imagine the worst case scenario's first which then upsets me and sends me into a panic. Not until I've talked it through with someone like my husband or my mom and they help me logically see the problem at hand, do I realize that taking things in small steps rather than looking at the problem as a whole helps. A lot of the times the problems can be easily solved with some persistence and effort and thoughts. Once the "storm" has blown over and I have solved the problem, I look back and think to myself... "wow that wasn't as bad or as hard to deal with as I orginally thought".

Out of the 7 1/2 learning habits that I find the easiest it is a tie between "Habit #6 Using technology to your advantage" and "Habit #7 Teach and Mentor Others".
My husband and I originally met online and as our relationship grew more serious over time, it was up to us to find creative ways to still feel a "connection" with each other when we were miles apart. We both ended up getting webcams and microphones for our computers so that when we talked we could not only hear each other's voices but see each other live as well. Currently, I have moved away from my hometown (Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada) and am now living here in the Northwest. Most of my family and friends are at home but it's always so fun to share digital photos of ourselves to them over email. It's so fun to be able to have that instant connection and be able to post pictures that we'd only taken a short while ago. It's like having them share in the event with us.
"Habit *7 Teach and Mentor Others" I totally agree with the video we watched about teaching and mentoring being something you can give back to the community. In addition to working at the library I am also a part time gymnastics coach. I teach parent/tot classes and preschool level classes to 3 and 4 year olds. I find it a very rewarding job as I have learned that I am not only teaching these kids the sport of gymnastics but am also teaching them to socialize with others and follow rules and directions. Since the kids I teach are so young, going to gymnastics class is one of the first things they've done outside of the home and I'm one of the first adults they've had contact with besides mom and dad. When parents tell me that bringing their kids here has helped them gain confidence and eased them into the structure of school I feel very proud that I have accomplished something in the community. :o)