Stick a fork in me, I'm done!
And what an adventure this has been. A fairly new HCPL employee, this was an exciting way to start. It shows a willingness to explore the great unknown, to improve the way of things, and boldly go where no one has gone before.
Er, I meant to say and boldly step into the cyber future. Or something.
Before I say so long (farewell, aufwiedersehn, adieu), a few things:
1. I think I've clearly established in this blog that I'm just the tiniest bit addicted to the 'net. I blog, I youtube, I download, I shop, I surf, I read... I have my technology favorites and they make me happy. I am more than happy to see many of the tools available on the Internet utilized in Library 2.0, if that's what is best for the patrons (and the librarians).
2. However, it also quite clear from this blog that I'm not gung-ho about everything on the 'net. I think I panned a few things. (Podcasts, come to mind, as does Library Elf.) It's not that I think these tools are useless, I just don't see the need for them in my 'net life.
3. BUT, I can see how these tools could be incredibly useful for people. Zoho for the patron who has forgotten everything from a disc to a flash drive. Library Elf for the mom managing several library cards for each kid from different systems. Podcasts for the person who wants to stay informed but doesn't have time to read. Overdrive for the patron on the go.
Library 2.0 is an exciting idea and many of the tools we've learned have a place there. It's been fun, and it's going to get better.
It is going to be an adventure, kids! Prepare yourself, because we are goin' in!
Ciao!
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Saturday, December 8, 2007
overdrive
Re: Technology Babble post, I have a Mac and an iPod. This, of course, means that I can't even use OverDrive. So I don't have a lot of experience when it comes to OverDrive for this very reason.
Browsing through OverDrive and the two free sites mentioned in the exercise post, OverDrive is certainly the best. The free books available from the non-library related sites were dated, of poor quality and generally uninteresting. If I were interested in reading a book online or listening to an audio book, OverDrive would be my first choice. (If I could use OverDrive, which I can't, and if I wanted to read a book online, which I don't, or listen to an audio book, which I don't.)
What does this mean? It means that OverDrive is a pretty exciting site, just not for me.
Browsing through OverDrive and the two free sites mentioned in the exercise post, OverDrive is certainly the best. The free books available from the non-library related sites were dated, of poor quality and generally uninteresting. If I were interested in reading a book online or listening to an audio book, OverDrive would be my first choice. (If I could use OverDrive, which I can't, and if I wanted to read a book online, which I don't, or listen to an audio book, which I don't.)
What does this mean? It means that OverDrive is a pretty exciting site, just not for me.
Monday, December 3, 2007
podcasts
So. What's the skinny on podcasts? (In this instance, we're going to pretend "skinny" translates into "my opinion.")
Podcasts are silly, plain and simple. They're basically a blog, only more time intensive for both the creator and the listener. Why worry about microphones and audio editing programs and hosting sites and if you happen to have a sore throat on the day you mean to produce a podcast session when you could simply sit down, open up your chosen blog site and type away? Why listen to someone (who, it is entirely possible is terrible public speaker or has a nasally voice or an annoying laugh) say their piece when you could read it at your own pace (in my case, speedy speedy)?
And here's another thing: As I am an incredibly visual person, my attention wanders during audio-only sessions and I come back to find that the topic has changed or the podcast has ended and I have no idea what was discussed. I just don't find podcasts practical.
What does this all mean? It means that podcasts are not for me. Oh, I can sort of (vaguely) understand why a host of people love them, but outside of this assignment, I will probably never actively search out a podcast to listen to.
(But did I mention how much I love youtube?)
Podcasts are silly, plain and simple. They're basically a blog, only more time intensive for both the creator and the listener. Why worry about microphones and audio editing programs and hosting sites and if you happen to have a sore throat on the day you mean to produce a podcast session when you could simply sit down, open up your chosen blog site and type away? Why listen to someone (who, it is entirely possible is terrible public speaker or has a nasally voice or an annoying laugh) say their piece when you could read it at your own pace (in my case, speedy speedy)?
And here's another thing: As I am an incredibly visual person, my attention wanders during audio-only sessions and I come back to find that the topic has changed or the podcast has ended and I have no idea what was discussed. I just don't find podcasts practical.
What does this all mean? It means that podcasts are not for me. Oh, I can sort of (vaguely) understand why a host of people love them, but outside of this assignment, I will probably never actively search out a podcast to listen to.
(But did I mention how much I love youtube?)
youtube
Psst! Come here.
Closer...
Closer...
*whispers* I'm addicted to youtube.
I really adore youtube. Of course, my love was deeper before Google (the monopoly trying to take over the world, one computer at a time) came along, but that is utterly beside the point.
When there is a bathtub to be scrubbed, dinner to cook, a bed to make, youtube is the perfect procrastination tool. I'll pull up the site to look at one video. But then something in the video will make me laugh so hard that I'll have to watch again. Then, because this is networking and advertising at its best, I'll spot a video in the "related videos" section that I simply must watch. So I will, because that bathtub doesn't really need to be scrubbed, right? Then I'll spot a video that clocks in at a wee minute and half and think, just one more. That just one more becomes 20 just one mores and, before you can say "youtube rules my not-so-spare time" an hour has flown by.
Yeah, I really love that site.
So, here's one of the last videos I watched. David Hewlett's My Favorite Line, where he re-enacts his favorite line as Dr Rodney McKay on Stargate Atlantis. Season 4, Episode 1.
Adorable.
Closer...
Closer...
*whispers* I'm addicted to youtube.
I really adore youtube. Of course, my love was deeper before Google (the monopoly trying to take over the world, one computer at a time) came along, but that is utterly beside the point.
When there is a bathtub to be scrubbed, dinner to cook, a bed to make, youtube is the perfect procrastination tool. I'll pull up the site to look at one video. But then something in the video will make me laugh so hard that I'll have to watch again. Then, because this is networking and advertising at its best, I'll spot a video in the "related videos" section that I simply must watch. So I will, because that bathtub doesn't really need to be scrubbed, right? Then I'll spot a video that clocks in at a wee minute and half and think, just one more. That just one more becomes 20 just one mores and, before you can say "youtube rules my not-so-spare time" an hour has flown by.
Yeah, I really love that site.
So, here's one of the last videos I watched. David Hewlett's My Favorite Line, where he re-enacts his favorite line as Dr Rodney McKay on Stargate Atlantis. Season 4, Episode 1.
Adorable.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)