Saturday, March 31, 2007

Hairy Woodpecker

We've had a pair of Hairy Woodpeckers at the feeder for the past two weeks. They are similar to the smaller Downy, but a much more substantial beak and far more wary.
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Sunday, March 25, 2007

# 23 Woo Hoo - Last One !!

I found this journey through the various Web 2.0 tools to be time consuming, but of great interest. I feel I now have a better sense of what the patrons of tomorrrow will expect. I think the danger at this point, however, is Technology-Lust .. the irresistable desire to have all of this good stuff that people may not know they need.
This is the time to make sure we keep the library mandate clearly in focus. There is little point in setting up Web 2 functions just for the sake of doing it. It is worth putting time into applications that will move us closer to our goals for public service.

#22 E-books

I had a quick look at these sites - not sure how I feel about e-books. I don't think that downloaded to PC they would interest me. But I can see reading e-books on some of the trade paperback sized tablets that are desined for e-books. The ability to adjust contrast and font size would be beneficial to those of us experiencing a need for reading glasses. The tablets would also be useful to Large Print patrons who find books too heavy to hold.

Friday, March 23, 2007

# 21 Podcasts

I subscribed to The Web 2.0 Show for this task. Each episode is a conversation between two non-nerds and someone who has developed a new Web 2.0 tool. The one I listened to was with Chris Matthieu, the developer of Numly. Numly is an attempt to develop a copywrite system that can be used in a web 2 environment. A Numly Number is an ESN or Electronic Serial Number for digital stuff - podcasts, bloggs,etc. It is a unique identifier that allows an author or publisher to assign to content and track licensing of each id assignment.
Pretty heady stuff, but something that as Middlesex County Library's designated tracker of all things copywrite, something that was of interest to me.
The Web 2.0 Show is a worth while podcast.
Of more direct application to libraries are the Sirsi Dynix podcasts. The podcasts are seminars on a variety of topics.

# 20 YouTube

There is one fantastic entry that I've send to a few of you..It is a self described work of Digital Ethnography by Prof. Wesch of Kansas Statr University. He says he explores 'mediated culture, seeking to merge the ideas of Media Ecology and Cultural Anthropology." I find it a profound illustration of McLuhan's the medium is the message



But - YouTube is lots of fun too - one of my all time favourites ie the Evolution of Dance - a classic for sure.


Library applications -I think there could be possibilities in the areas of patron instruction, promotion of serices, tours of facilties - lots of good things.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

# 18 Online Productivity Tools - GD&S and me

So this is a new document I'm going to play with using Google Docs and Spreadsheets. I am going to write this paragraph and throw in a couple of features/links and then see if it is possible to paste it into my Blogger account keeping the links intact. Well this is a link to an URL and this one is a link to a document - now to publish to the blog (at least that is the plan).

Well, it seems to have worked! There was some dancing around interface issues between GD&S and Blogger Beta, but they were easily sorted out.
The GD&S too is useful for inserting links, publishing in various places and saving in more formats. I didn't like the fact that you have to save and close before you can tag - but this is a small quibble.
I also seem to have lost my formatting in the document I linked to.

# Extra - Squidoo

After my disappointed feeling about Wikis, I've found a tool that does excite me - it is called Squidoo and it creates a thing best described as "thousands of people creating a handbuilt catalogue of the best stuff online". Once you decide on a topic or "lens" , type the topic into the search box to be taken to a list of possibities.
Try the search term Library and you'll be faced with a number of choices - have a look at the Library 2.0 Lens to see an excellent summary of the topic from leading writers and thinkers in the field.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

#16 WickedWikis

Well, I looked at many many wikis and I think I have come to a brick wall. Almost without exception, there just seemed to be too much information presented in a single place. I am reminded of a friend who went to social agency for financial help and came away with all of the wonderful brochures - too many wonderful brochures - it was just too daunting to go through them all to find the advice that would be helpful to him.


Traditionally, one of our roles as librarians has always been to guide people through the information available. I understand that wikis are an attempt to gather information about a particular topic in one area and to organize it in an accessible manner- but I still find them overwhelming rather than helpful.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

# 13 to # 15 Idea Overload (in a good way)

I've gone through the del-icio-us, technorati and web.2 theory activities in the midst of a week that has set me back on my heels. At the moment I am working on many projects that all have library 2.0 components. From getting Overdrive launched, through creating an exciting new web 2 component for Summer Reading, to planning a branch meeting presentation that will introduce teens and web 2 in a subtle/fun way to staff, to planning presentations to the board and county council on our first actual web 2 success (Overdrive) - I come home from work with my mind reeling. I have always loved new ideas and the intellectual challenge of seeing where they fit into my world view - so these past few months of web 2 ideas have been wonderful.
I am stunned at the impact this will all have on our lives. Every since the early days when Katie and Jenny played with ICQ - I've been convinced that the experience of interacting with people beyond their immediate little world of Thamesford would shape their lives in ways that we can't even imagine. That conviction has only grown as I've learned more about all of these new web 2 tools - the fact that I've corresponded and exchanged ideas with Michael Stephens (a guru of Library 2) after hearing him speak at OLA - the fact that Ann at Library office has corresponded with a Curator of Photography at some British museum about the uniform a relative is wearing in a WW1 photo she originally sent to a person on a genealogy list serve - this is web 2 at is best - people talking to people about their passions with no barriers of distance or social position.
So, back to libraries, the library has always been a community service. We have to understand that the community is changing and that not only does the library have to change in responce, we have to step back from our historic position as the people who provide what the patrons most likely need or want and embrace our new Library 2.0 role as the facilitators that work in a 'socially rich' environment where we work with the users to bring them Library 2.0.

No one knows what the Library 2.0 will look like, but we at Middlesex County have to become active participants blogging and interacting with both our patrons and our professional peers as we move into the new age. Interesting times indeed!

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

My Technorati

Technorati Profile

ACK!


I seem to have had absolutely no time to get back to the 23 things - and this weekend is going to be full too. The Can Am Horse show is on at the Agriplex in London and since Anna's program in Fairview has been cancelled, we are planning to spend some time talking to people and seeing if we can come up with an alternate plan for next year.

This weekend is also College Royal at U of Guelph - the annual open house that showcases the campus. the main attraction is always the Vet college and the animals ( a favourite is the cow with the window into it's stomach that has been a feature since i was a kid). Jenny will be busy all weekend showing Socrates the vulture and her two new charges - crows named Poe and Loki. She has to field questions and keep people out of Soc's biting range. He thinks Jenny is his mate and always become very protective of her when there are people around. We are planning to go on Saturday to see the displays and take the girls out for supper because it is Katie's 25th birthday next week. Hence the title of this entry .... ack!!!

Monday, March 5, 2007

# 11 Library Thing

Well this activity was the one that I could have easily gotten lost in.. so many books to consider reading...so little time. The LibraryThing site did raise a question in my mind - each of the 11 things so far, on their own, could absorb a huge amount of time - exploring, playing with, becoming proficient at. It boggles the mind how much 'stuff ' is out there. Surely things will settled out with a few applications becoming commonplace, many others moving to well deservesd obscurity. For instance I heard on the news today that Second Life is where YouTube was last year in terms of reaching the tipping point in the mass consciousness.

Another interesting thing about Second Life - it was supposed to be a utopian meeting place for people. But , at the same time as multinational corporations are opening outlets in the virtual world, and politicians are setting up virtual campaign offices, the Second Life world has had its first taste of protest and rebellion. Certain politicians virtual offfices have been picketted - one, in fact, was swathed in Nazi Flags.

Sunday, March 4, 2007

# 10 Online Image Generator


This one was lots of fun. My attempt to make an avatar in Second Life was, at best, satisfactory - it is really easy to spot new people in the Second Life city - they are the avatars with no clothes or no hair because their people decided to skip the appearance section of Orientation Island !
I figured I 'd have another go and this time I was much more successful.
I used Portrait Illustration Maker to put my avatar together.

# 9 - Finding Blogs and News Feeds

Once I've found a blog that discusses an area of interest (knitting) I have found the easiest way to find other blogs on the subject is to look for links on the first blog.
I did try all of the suggested sites to find blogs/news feeds - in fact I tried a new topic I've been researching - tent pegging. In a never ending search for more dangerous things to do on a horse (for my husband, not me) I've run across tent pegging. It was a skill taught to cavalry officers in India who were likely to encounter elephants on the battle field. Apparently the most effective way to stop a battle elephant is to spear it in the foot. So officers were taught the skill by galloping around an obstacle course with a drawn sabre held out in front or to the side of the horse's head. Akaash Maharaj (a former Liberal party speech writer, former officer in the Governor General's Horse Guard, and one of the most brilliant public speakers this side of Stephen Lewis) is the Canadian tent pegging champion and is, at this very moment, in Oman competing in the World Championships.
I figured searching the topic tent pegging would be a good measure of the effectiveness of the various search sites (all pages were set to rank by relevance). Results: Feedster- got a tent pegging site within 3 suggested sites, Topix in 2, Syndic8 0 and Technorati got a site in 1.
There is going to be a demonstration of the sport in Markham on the 23 and 24 of May. I am planning on keeping husband Geoff busy that weekend!

Bloglines - Exercise #8

I've completed the Bloglines exercise - I'm not sure the added benefits of Bloglines would benefit me enough to switch over from just subscribing to RSS feeeds directly using IE Favorites. I guess Bloglines offers feeds to sites or Blogs that don't offer an easy to use RSS button on their site.
I think the RSS concept is one that will benefit me at work particularly. I've been using the SOLS RSS feed for the past couple of months and have found that I do actually check it weekly. The others I subscribed to at the same time- CBC news, Recent Recalls etc.- I haven't had the time or need to check at work, so I've deleted those.

ANYWAY - here is my sharing URL http://rpc.bloglines.com/blogroll?html=1&id=Northernstarweekly

Time to go for a walk and play with horses.

Friday, March 2, 2007

Colour Fields Colour Picker - My Mashup Posting

This is a neat Flickr Mash-up. In the centre of the screen is a colour wheel. You can select any colour on the wheel and pictures from Flickr are inserted in Thumbnail size surrounding the colour wheel that are completely the colour you chose. For example I chose a bright yellow and got pics of corn, sunflowers yellow raincoat. In addition your can manipulate the intensity of any colour you choose.
All these wonderful pictures filled with colour and texture - you could copy them and arrange them in a pattern to use for a quilt a la Kaffe Fassett.

Noses who's who

This is a picture of Jenny doing what Jenny loves best - just hanging out with the animals. The anmilas in this particular picture are Bandit and George (Bandit is the taller one).

Noses




Noses, originally uploaded by lake side.


Thursday, March 1, 2007

Freezing Rain Has arrived

March 1 has come in like a lion - heavy snow and high winds from the east. I cleaned stalls first thing this morning and waited for the rain to start before putting the horses in. By the time I got out, they were wearing snow coats - with a helmet like snow/ice head casing - they must be well insulated if the snow on their backs wasn't melting. They are all tucked up with hay and fluffy bedding and are problably all asleep by now.