Podcasts Smodcasts

I just happened to get a link to a podcast from a coworker regarding roving librarianship, just yesterday! What are the chances? As luck would have it however, this rss requires I download additional software. It came with a niffy how to guide and I see many of the directories and finding tools from our list. Only this podcast goes a step further and tells me what operating system it will be compatible with, very helpful. I might add I have Mac at home and have for over 4 years, I just don't know how to use it. Anyone feel for me? Is anyone out there? I digress...I am now looking over Podnova cause I like the way it sounds and I'm really not all that into music. I am more discriminating and dislike most new music today! Give me the old stuff. I did however see Bruce Springsteen when he popped in earlier this month. Good Times! Never mind, Podnova stinks, just a blank screen...let's try Odeo! Guess what popped up on Odeo...yup Podcasting in Plain English. I'm downloading this clip now having subscribed to the RSS feed it came from first. I suspect I am getting the non-pod version due to shortcomings with our software but we'll see. Come to think of it I may have searched and arrived at this podcast site via the Bloglines podcast search feature. I can't recall...too many windows open now. I'm glad I got to experiment but time to move on. Hmm, how will you use your MP3 player? Speaking of players, I found I can search for videos in RealPlayer too! Unfortunately, what I picked to view has not loaded. Time to move on!

You Too can YouTube

I think by now regardless of your web savvy we have all watched something on YouTube. While I don't believe I appear in anything that's posted to date, my car is in a video. I have not tried to load to YouTube before much less to my blog but I am downloading something now that is library related that is supposed to be the best introduction ever to familiarize your kids with the library. Tomes and Talismans: The Lost Earth Library. Sounds spooky. I am going to attempt to add it then watch it as soon as it finishes downloading. Instead of posting and watching I watched what I downloaded and then could not find where it went on my computer beyond RealPlayer to browse and link. Oh well, perhaps next time I'll have a better clue.

Discovering Web 2.0 Tools

I'm writing about Omnidrive, from the category Digital Storage and Remote Access. I inadvertently was exposed to this web tool about 2 weeks ago purely by accident. I had no idea what it was but was helping a friend who had been directed to this website/tool. You see, this business had stored his materials in their Omnidrive account. Although, my friend had trouble accessing the files, it was operator error. When I instinctively stepped in, again since that's what we do here at the library, that is to say help out people using computers, I found Omnidrive very simple to use and immediately brought up all the stowed material so my friend could begin to download and save said material for himself. I don't think we did anything but scratch the surface of its usefulness as an account with this business but certainly it is an awesome accessory for the business to utilize and share with their clients.

Web Based Apps

A blub from my roving librarianship research:

Wait, no, I take it all back. I'm probably just being too cynical I've been told that's a problem of mine. There are probably plenty of students who could be trusted to walk around the library offering all kinds of helpful help. I'm also trying to convince myself that this retail model these librarians are so excited about is delightful. Maybe imitating Wal-Mart in the library is really a GREAT THING, and it'll become a HOT TREND. And then maybe all the librarians could start wearing matching cheap polyester shirts with name tags and working split shifts and having their benefits taken away.

But try as I might to squash that little cynic, it still whispers in my ear, "If they like Wal-Mart so much, why don't they just go work there, and leave the academic library for scholars."

source: http://annoyedlibrarian.blogspot.com/search?q=roving+librarianship

JPL Learning 2.0 Sandbox Wiki

OK...cutting corners here left and right. My blog is on the roll in our sandbox! See me? Need to spend more time but trying to speed it up. Lucy and Ethel would be so proud! Not a piece of chocolate out of place too! Will need to go back for more details in the future, however I will not likely be maintaining any wiki pages soon. I prefer forums for that matter. Not that I post in forums. There is one and only one to date that I have ever posted on and that is something fun not even work related so I will not elaborate here.

Wikis

I have some experience with wikis, so I feel fairly comfortable clicking away for my credit. I have never posted mind you just a history of many google hits when researching for Florida collection material, reference and resources etc. Of the available options for viewing from the collection I gravitated to the following: http://libres.curtin.edu.au/libres16n1/Kille_essayopinion.htm Also, as I perused the library wikis, I found a tight, bang up, user guide aka "help sheet" to viewing online Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps from the St. Joseph's County Public Library System in apparently South Bend, Indiana of all places. This location ties in really well with the Indy Car theme I have going on the side as I learn to use all the new tools and doohickies!

Library 2.0 and Web 2.0

So I am looking over these essays from a variety of Librarians and see some immediate application. Coincidentally, I am a member of the JPL Main staff ROVING committee. We have been tasked with rolling out Roving Library/Librarianship here to better assist customers. I have also nudged my coworkers who are not enrolled in these Web 2.0 skills modules to read and digest these essays. I am not a librarian but I can see how we must reconfigure to be ready to assist to meet the needs of our customers. I had an opportunity to help out just last week using some of the skills I have picked up in these lessons. I helped a customer with her bookmarks on AOL. Even though I had not actually worked with AOL bookmarking, I could follow my nose and lead this customer to what she was trying to accomplish. Before this training, I think I would have just had to call a colleague to help out but I was unfazed from the get go and could figure it out all by myself. This customer thought I was a genius. Ha, I did not correct her. You'll also note I am linking my posts in our comments now. Can I please have a pat on the back? Someday, someway, maybe?

Technorati

Whoohoo, look at me go, already up to #14 only 2 maybe 3 weeks behind. I am supposed to have finished all by end of August. Last week's 3 day work week was not helpful here! I am thankful I had no major storm related issues but seriously I can't learn much if I have to whiz through this maze. I've looked at Technorati but am truly not impressed. I will not rule out using it in the future but having clicked on the features Discover and Popular and being taken to the same exact page I have to ponder the logic. Also, I will not claim this blog as it is for the purpose of these exercises only, my beta blog if you will. Tune in again in a few more minutes to see my posts regarding #'s 15, 16, 17...etc.

Del.icio.us

Here I am up to thing # 13! First thing I've learned about tagging using the tool, Del.icio.us, is that I need to learn where the dots are and commit that to memory. I see at a glance there is much to learn about this thingee that I can't learn quickly. Does anyone else think we are having too many tasks to learn in too short an amount of time?

JAX Cat Search Gadget

Well, here I am again today. Blasting thru the thing list. Check thing # 12 off my list. I can't say as I'll ever use the JPL cat on my blog page but others can maybe use it as a shortcut when not in the library, if they add it to their personal applications. I wish more customers would a) learn we have an online catalog and b) use it before they come and ask for what they think they need. Don't mean to be negative but they do stand to learn more if they could learn this step!

Library Thing

OK folks I'm buckling down and ready to plow thru these exercises! Just created my "library thing" and I think I will really enjoy this web product very much. I've added my five books plus and already deleted the file of books I had been collecting in my f drive! Should be very interesting going forward and plan to share it with my book loving friends! This is the link to my new catalog system on Library Thing: (isn't there a more eloquent name out there?)

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