23 Thoughts

I enjoyed this program because it introduced me to a lot of technology that I was unaware of previously. The most helpful tools I learned about were the online applications for word processing, spreadsheets, and slide presentations. I will definitely be using these in the future. I also enjoyed learning about Wikis and YouTube. I enjoyed learning about the digital audiobook collection on our web site, which I had never took the time to explore before now. It is a very useful and helpful tool for our patrons, and I am glad I can now talk about it with them.

The online applications will be very useful in the future when I go back to college and thus will definitely help me with some of my goals. I was suprised by some of the more difficult exercises. Like the tagging, the RSS feeds, and Technorati. All these were new to me and were slightly difficult to understand so I was suprised that we were exposed to them here. Though they were interesting nonetheless and they provided useful knowledge into the many diffferent uses of the internet.

The program's concept was a very good idea. It helps us keep up to date with the internet and its many uses and allows for us to see how the library can be incorporated in many other areas as well. The format was well layed out yet sometimes it seemed there was a lot to do one week and not as much the next. However every exercise per week usually related to each other, which was helpful. I would participate again in another discovery program such as this.

Digital Audiobooks

I listened to the excerpt from"When You Are Engulfed in Flames" titled It's Catching. The book was written and read by David Sedaris. Our library's Digital Media Library Collection is a great resource! It is very helpful for people who can't make it to the library or don't want to make CD copies. Here is the description of the book I listened to:

"Trying to make coffee when the water is shut off, David considers using the water in a vase of flowers and his chain of associations takes him from the French countryside to a hilariously uncomfortable memory of buying drugs in a mobile home in rural North Carolina. In this remarkable new volume, Sedaris proceeds from bizarre conundrums of daily life--having a lozenge fall from your mouth into the lap of a fellow passenger on a plane or armoring the windows with LP covers to protect the house from neurotic songbirds--to the most deeply resonant human truths. Culminating in a brilliant account of his venture to Tokyo in order to quit smoking, David Sedaris's sixth collection is a new masterpiece of comic writing from "a writer worth treasuring" (Seattle Times)."

Podcasts

I searched NPR's podcasts and found The Environment Report Podcast and added it to my bloglines account. It gives up to date environmental news about animals and conservation issues. The Library of Congress has podcasts featuring popular and literary authors and highlights the 2007 Book Festival. These two sites were very informative and have many interesting podcasts to listen to.

YouTube video

I like to surf youtube to find music videos and shows. I searched library videos and found this one. I thought this video was very unique.

Last

I explored the music site Last.fm. For any artist you find there are tracks to listen to, the bands/artists videos, their biography, discography, photos and much more! You can buy and download the music as well. I really enjoyed this site and cannot wait to explore it more at home. I don't see exactly how this could be used for the library, however offering it through the library website will probably make teenagers and young adults very happy!

Zoho Writer

    As I continue along on these weekly exercises in 23 things, I learn more and more. For example I had NO idea that there were free word processing software on the internet that could be accessed from any computer. This is a great idea and one I REALLY wish I knew when I was in college. And who knew about the spreadsheets and slide presentations on Google Docs? I sure didn't! There were so many times in college when I forgot my zip drive or had to use my email to get my documents from one computer to the next. I had no printer the last year I was in college thus was constantly in the computer lab printing and I never failed to have problems with the transfer. But if I knew about this software on the internet all I would have had to do was just type the paper (spreadsheet/presentation) here or upload it here and just get it on the next computer with internet access. Zoho Writer has all the features of Microsoft Word thus it is not that different and easy to use and figure out. I guess the only potential problem with this is internet connection. If it goes out and you don't have a back-up copy that could be a problem. But of course that is always something that has been necessary...always have a back-up!  Now to try and post to blog.....

The PBCLS wiki

I enjoyed playing around with the PBCLS wiki. It really showed me how wikis work. I posted in the Favorite Movies and Books. And posted my blog here on blogger on the Favorite Blogs. I also enjoyed reading what other people added to these Favorites and looking a the blogs they posted.