Chapter 12--The Grand Finale

I've enjoyed the 23 things experience quite a lot. It has exposed me to tools and technologies some of which I had been unfamiliar. And it went beyond mere exposure to include actually using and getting comfortable with them. At the outset, the program explained that it was intended to build a toolbox for a librarian to use and I think it has done that.

The program has also had a collateral impact on my thinking. Specifically, I had conceived a librarian's role in knowledge building as maintaining a gateway to published materials so that members of the community could use it to promote their own lifelong learning. I still believe that, but I now sense that the librarian may be able to do something beyond that--namely, to show the members of the library community how to be better readers. It seems to me that many of the tools in the 23 things can have considerable impact on the social side of the learning community, whereby members can coach each other by sharing insights and the like. That sharing will, in turn, enrich the reading experience group members have.

I was sufficiently impressed with the 23 things program that I went to the article and website on which it was based. This is a really cool approach to self development starting with the simple concept of putting goals on a list and tracking progress. You can also see how others are doing and get terrific ideas for new things to try and explore. Check it out.

Chapter 11--Podcasts and Netlibrary

Podcasts--I will admit it--I love podcasts. They are on every conceivable topic. They can be audio or video. And for the most part, they are free, Of all the podcast directories that are out there, two are the best for those people who to be lifelong learners. The first is Itunes U and its companion "Beyond the Campus." Itunes U has an unbelievable number of lectures, courses, occasional talks from a continually expanding group of schools. Many of the schools have companion websites for those courses where they present course outlines, bibliographies and other supplementary materials. "Beyond the campus" features educational podcasts from organizations like the Library of Congress, WGBH and similar groups. My second favorite directory is at learnoutloud.com. That organization sends me a daily email highlighting a usually free introduction to a course or a complete audiobook. Sometimes the originating website charges for the content but it is often worth it and, for the most part, you can sample it for free.

Netlibrary--I used to thoroughly love Netlibrary. I could download both audiobooks and ebooks. Unfortunately, the Netlibrary content that you can access is controlled by your home library. Consequently, when I belonged to the Basking Ridge Public Library I was able to access both ebooks and audiobooks from Netlibrary. But then Basking Ridge changed and restricted the Netlibrary content to just ebooks. For audiobooks they shifted to Overdrive Media. I was never able to get my Basking Ridge ID to work with Overdrive. I then paid a $100 fee for an out of state membership in the New York Public Library. It also uses Overdrive Media but it has from 5 to 10 times more content than Basking Ridge has on the same system and considerably more than Netlibrary does. Getting these systems right is crucial for a library. The future belongs to audiobooks and ebooks.

Chapter 10--Part II

Here's me cheering her on, and there's the superstar. I love when people reach their goals! It's the best!

Chapter 10--You Tube

I've always been a huge fan of you tube. It seems that if I miss one of my favorite shows, I can always look to you tube to catch the repeat. There's nothing I particularly dislike about the site. If there is something that particularly offends me, I simply won't watch or search for it. For this exercise I looked up the NYC Marathon from November 1st. My sister reached her goal of losing 100 pounds and ran the marathon for the first time on Sunday. Gotta be proud!"

Chapter 9--18 & 19

I tried the Zoho word processor first. As far a an individual's word processor goes, it didn't seem to be much of an advance over the word processors that are packaged with computers. It does have an attractive appearance on the screen and the commands are clear at a glance. It can give a document some nice features, but again none of that seems like a big deal. The main attraction it has is its ability to furnish real time collaboration on a document . It would be worth seeing that in operation--especially the feature that lets all changes be shown on all screens at the same time. The questions I have about a program like this include: (a) what's the practical number of participants who can be working on the same document at the same time? , (b) what kind of editorial discipline do they each have to have?, and (c) what about security? How do you lock up text so that it won't take further changes?

I was very impressed with SOEmoz Web 2.0 site. While the assignment called for picking one of the award winners and exploring it, I explored SOEmoz instead. What a great collection of the best web sites in the 40 or 50 categories they have! I was particularly impressed with the leaders in photos and digital images. The awards shown on the link in the 23 things is to the 2008 awards. I looked for 2009 awards and found that they are still accepting nominations. I think it would be cool to revisit this website after those awards are made.

Chapter 8--"wiki, wiki"

Hawaiian's have the right idea: "wiki, wiki" means, quick and fast. (If only it were that easy to actually get to Hawaii.) That is certainly what the wiki technology is all about--quick and fast access to information. Most people automatically think of wikipedia when considering wiki's. However, there are wikis for almost anything. The advantages of wikis are obvious: quick access to information that anyone can contribute to. Anyone can add content and contribute their ideas to a particular wiki of interest. The disadvantages are almost the same. Because anyone can contribute, it is easy to be misled by information.

If used correctly, libraries could use wikis in a number of ways. The library community can contribute to topics of all genres. For example, in a high school library, the wiki could be a useful tool for research. The librarians could update articles of interest based on subject matter and include books that pertain to the subject being researched. As a 9th grade English teacher, freshmen tend to be quite overwhelmed when they receive their first research opportunity. This tool would be ideal for them. On the same note, the librarian could recommend books for independent reading for the teenager. The students could also update the wiki adding information that was useful for the. Because a wiki is interactive, the librarian would have the ultimate say in what is posted. They have the ability to track what's been changed. A high school library wiki allows the student to become a part of the library community in a way they weren't able to before. I found a useful wiki here. Enjoy!

Chapter 7--Part Deux

It looks like "teamwork really does make the dreamwork." This access project really got me in a bit of a twist! But thanks to Mara (for sending me directions for '03, and helping me realize I needed directions for '03), I was able to finish. (Also a quick shout-out to my teammate Terri for offering to spend the afternoon working on this together. That meant a lot.) Anyway, I think I've got this access concept down. I also hope I never run into Larissa Tuttle, Driver #30 in Hansen, Florida. I blame her.