ITEM 14

I thought I was done then realized I had missed two things. Wikis are easy to post and are a good way to share information with others. I like book lists organized by genre and do not believe I would used a list arranged alphabetically. Wikis would be an excellent way for teams to communicate and share information. Wikis would also be a great way for libraries to promote their collection, storytimes, programs and other events.

THING 30

Finally made it - there were times when I wasn't sure I would. I got behind right from the beginning and the emails every week talking about the exercises for the week just reinforced how behind I was. The beginning was rather boring and hard to get into. But the hands-on exercises were fun and made me want to move on to the next exercise.

I think the Learning 2.0 experience has been good for everyone. It has made us aware that there are so many resources and tools available on the internet and it was presented in such a way that even those who started with no knowledge came away at least being familar with the various topics.

The biggest drawback to the program was time. When learning something new I have a tendency to read everything I can find. With this program I tried to read/listen to all the options and found myself spending more than 30 minutes on each. Although it was time consuming I did learn a lot. I do think the time constraint, however, is a big problem for a lot of the staff. Breaking it down into smaller 'things' or fewer things to do in a week would probably help a lot. I also think spreading the hands-on activities out or making sure there are hands-on activities for each 'thing' would be beneficial for those of us who learn by actually doing.

I would definitely sign up for future programs. As the internet continues to grow and change it's hard to keep up with it. A program like this gives you the information and tools you need to learn so you can use it and apply it to your job and everyday life.

THING 29

I think this has been a great learning opportunity for me. I learned about things I didn't know existed or hadn't taken the time to explore. My favorite exercises were RSS Feeds, Del.icio.us. , Flickr and YouTube. I have already set up RSS feeds and started bookmarking sites on Del.icio.us. RSS feeds allow me to stay current on certain subjects in a minimal amount of time. I didn't think I would be interested in YouTube but found a lot that I was interested in and have spent quite a bit of time watching videos.

After checking out the blogs of several other staff members, I think most learned something. Familarizing staff with what is available on the internet can only benefit VBPL and the individuals involved.

THING 28

I explored Rollyo and did a few searches but it was not something I found to be intriquing or particularly useful. I have a few search engines I use on a regular basis, have set up some RSS feeds and started bookmarking favorite sites on del.icio.us and do not expect Rollyo will be something I use very often. I do, however, it will be useful for the library - creating a search engine of reference souces that staff rely on in their day-to-day work.

THING 27

LibraryThing was very easy to use and could be a great place to keep track of what you've read, what you want to read, etc. I added a few books to my list - it will take some time to get everything on it the way I would like it to be.

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

THING 26

Playing around with the online image generators was a lot of fun. There are so many things you can do with digital photos like mosaic maker and warholizer. Lack of time prevents me from playing some more but this will be something I will revisit in the future.

THING 25

Personally I prefer YouTube over podcasts but I do think podcasts are a great way for libraries to promote their collection and programs. It gives people who cannot make it into the library access to the programs offered. Podcasts are being used by libraries and do much to promote the library and everything they have to offer but the resources have to be available to be successful.

THING 24

I did not enjoy this exercise as much as some of the previous ones. Actually accessing podcasts to listen to was very limited since most were blocked. I don't really like listening to audio without the video so I don't think this is something I will use very often when I can access audio and video via other means.

THING 23

I didn't think I would like YouTube but a I did find a lot of interesting videos. There are a lot of great music videos and travel videos. You can explore places you've never been and relive some of the wonderful places you have been. One of the most beautiful drives in the world is the Road to Hana on Maui and there are lots of videos documenting peoples' trips. Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VPNAbQ3yHU for a short (45 second) sample of the beauty on the Road to Hana.

THING 22

There are many ways you can use your photos to make different things - trading cards, posters, calendars and postage stamps. I have used personal photographs to make calendars for a couple of years and they make great gifts. I spent the most time exploring Mappr and Montager. I really enjoyed the mosaics in Montager and will probably spend a lot more time with it.

THING 21

Tagging is an intergral part of Flickr for both organizing and searching. It allows anyone to go into Flickr and search using keywords (just as you search on any other site on the internet). I currently have thousands of pictures on my computer and looking for a particular picture can be very time consuming but organizing them on Flickr would make it very easy and quick to find any particular picture.

THING 20

Tunnels Beach, Kauai
Originally uploaded by Кoлдун

I enjoyed exploring Flickr and saw a lot of amazing pictures including the picture from Kauai. It has the potential to be a very useful site for the hundreds and hundreds of pictures on my computer at home. The tools for organizing pictures will be very much appreciated.

THING 19

I found several useful and fun sites on Webs 2.0 Awards. The useful sites included Yelp (for information in different cities), Flickr, Medstory and Librarything (where you can search for books, read reviews, etc.). Some of the more fun sites that caught my attention were Fun and games2web. I'm sure there are many more sites worth visiting when time permits - this is definitely a site to bookmark.

THING 18

I explored Tecnorati and looked at various blogs but was not particularly interested or impressed. This is not something I see myself spending much time doing.

THING 17

Del.icio.us has been one of my favorite topics so far. I have created a del.icio.us account and started bookmarking sites I have on my home computer. It will be great to be able to access these sites from any computer and not just at home. I'm sure this will be something I use regularly.

THING 16

I can see why MySpace is so popular - it is easy to use and is a good way for teenagers to express themselves and stay connected. It is not, however, something I think I would ever use.

THING 15 - SOCIAL NETWORKING

After reading several articles on social networking, it is evident that today's teens are very connected to the internet and social networking. Social networking has the potential to be a great marketing tool to promote programs and services offered by VBPL. To keep up with today's world and reach those who don't physically come into the library, you have to go where they go.

I don't think that I personally would create a MySpace or FaceBook account and probably would never check it even if I did. But it is a way for teens to connect with each other and that is important. It is also a way to get information out to those you want to get information to. In April after the tragedy at Virginia Tech I know that FaceBook was a very important tool for many - even those on campus used FaceBook to check on friends they could not get in touch with. Locally, a couple of people told me their kids had gone on FaceBook to check on friends of theirs from high school who were at Virginia Tech.

THING 13

Reading about wikis was interesting and I'm sure the possibilities for use in the library are endless. Every wiki I looked at had something of interest. I really enjoyed the Book Lovers Wiki (Princeton Public Library) and found several books I want to read and also enjoyed the Subject Guides (St. Jospeh County Public Library).

THING 12 - IM

I think IM is a great tool for VBPL to offer its customers and the public. It is a great way to reach those who cannot or will not come in to the library. Its popularity and usage should only continue to grow.