Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Thing 18

As I stated in Thing 2, libraries, as most societal institutions, have to adapt to the needs of its patrons. Librarians are in the unique position of helping patrons bridge worlds. Given all the current and emerging technologies, the present and the future are both real and virtual and will continue on this way for many lifetimes. It is my belief that libraries and librarians will also continue on, in one form or another. It is up to us as professionals to determine what direction we will take. Librarians are typically forward thinking people, both individually and collectively as a profession. Our belief in "The Library" and all that libraries represent to a free thinking society will never change. What will change is how information is delivered and disseminated.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Thing 17

Note to self: Keep Blogging

Thing 16

One word comes to mind after viewing "Second Life." Creepy! I'd rather play online chess if I were to choose a virtual gaming interaction.

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Thing 14

I explored Podcasts and particularly liked Story Corps.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Thing 12

I searched my favorite author, Edith Wharton, on LibraryThing.

Thing 10 & 11

I mixxed, tagged and dug! It was a delicious experience.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Thing 9

I love Wikipedia and use it all the time as a reference librarian. It's an excellent way to begin a research query.

Thing 15

I'm a member of linkedin.com.

Thing 7

All of these new communication tools like meebo, Twitter, & IM remind me of the time, years ago, when my son had a Tamagotchi digital pet which he carried around with him on a key chain. This "pet" was adorable but needed constant attention. If you did not give it food or affection, after a certain amount of time it would "die." This was quite distressing. So much so, that schools were forced to ban digital pets in the classroom, for obvious reasons. One day, I promised my son that I would take care of his Tamagotchi and brought it to work. Needless to say, I had to care for it all day long and worried that it would die on me. I did not get a lot of work done that day!

Things 4 & 5

I explored Flickr. My cousin, Adrienne, has a Flickr photo account. Each month she e-mails pictures of her daughter, Maggie, to the family. By the way, Maggie's first birthday is today, June 14th. I'm sure I'll be receiving Flickr photos of her party shortly. What's nice about Flickr is that all family members, no matter where they live, can view online photos together. You don't have to wait for a family holiday and remember to "bring the pictures."

Monday, June 8, 2009

Thing 8

I created a map using Flickr's Big Huge Labs entitled Time to Travel. It's a map of all the places I've traveled. Hot, humid locations throughout the world are clearly missing from my itinerary!

Thing 3

I set up an RSS feed from www.unshelved.com. Unshelved is a comic strip that takes place in a library. It's quite humorous because it's told from the perspective of the STAFF who work there! You too can have a daily delivery of library funnies. All you have to do is RSS!

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Thing 6

ImageChef.com - Custom comment codes for MySpace, Hi5, Friendster and more

Thing 2.0

According to Wikipedia, "Public libraries exist in most nations of the world and are often considered an essential part of having an educated and literate population." For this reason, the concept of the public library will never lose its relevance in society. However, as most societal institutions, adapting to the needs of its patrons is a crucial step into the future, both real and virtual. Librarians are in the unique position of helping patrons bridge worlds. Where else can one pick a book off the shelf that was published in 1898 and purchased with community tax dollars, then sit down at a computer, powered by WiFi, and post a blog about what was just read?

Thing 1

Done and quite fun!