Week 10..the ihcpl jouney..

To be quite honest if it wasnt for the ihcpl learning assignments I would never have budged from my comfort zone to venture out into the unknown world of lib/web 2.0Right from setting up blog accounts..RSS feeds bloglines..del.icio.us..zoho..flickr..mashups..avatars..downloading media I sure felt a sense of accomplishment in not only knowing what they mean but also navigating thru the assignment with a hands on approach. I also saw that these assignments were a cake walk to the next generation of coworkers who just breezed thru..so for the computer novice like me I sure appreciated the ihcpl journey which kept me in the know..These that are considered basic web and technology skills are already the essentials for my teenager..
The best summation to me was from Michael Stephens.. "Lib2.0 also listens to staff and users when planning, tells the stories of successes & failures..learns from both ..celebrates those successses, allows staff time to play & learn & never stops dreaming about the best library services."..(Into a new world of librarianship)..A special thanks to our supervisors and coworkers who set up lab time every monday and friday and the assistance offered to work thru them.

Week 9... Post 22 Downloadable media

Though I was aware of the HCPL digital media I didn't really take the time to look into it till this assignment came up.I was able to download and listen to an african musical selection, put myself on hold for the adventures of sherlock holmes and also view a short video ..Aladdin and the magic lamp..All this for just practice but it also helped me get comfortable with accessing and listening to them.. there were quite a few items that allowed burning to cd.
I also looked at Librivox and was impressed that their goal was to make all public domain bks available as free audio bks and that it was all recorded by volunteers... I also noticed one could subscribe to RSS feeds, itunes and one chapter a day links sent thru e-mail.
While I personally prefer the printed word I can see the popularity of the digital media now..a quick help for a forgotten assignment when a classic bk can be downloaded is the sign of the times!

Week 9...Post 21..Podcasts

I looked at the three directories listed and used Yahoo to add a daily audio bible reading feed to my bloglines.I also saw that a lot of libraries had podcasts of their daily programs and activities listed..One library had a click a story podcast and also teen reviews.. I now seem to be getting more comfortable in copying and pasting url info to either my blog posts or the bloglines.

Week 9..Post 20 Youtube

Youtube definetly gives every video participant their 5 minutes of fame. I usally listen to my favorite music .. I hope to convince my son to have his group on it..The travel sites were interesting and I was able to see a lot of videos from Norway..scenes we did not personally tape during our visit there..Most of the time I watch youtube through recommendations from family and friends..

Week 8...Post 19 Web Applications..zoho

This week I am working on Zoho and trying to see its applications.. ..

I can use the various options..Add special characters..↓↓↓change the background color...

multifaceted useful application!

Week 8...Post 18 social networking

My first introduction to facebook was a few years back when my daughter called me very excited that her friend from elementary school who she lost touch with had made contact with her..now in college..through facebook. When I previewed the ning website and put in the name of my hometown, sure enough there were a lot of contacts, some with invitation only ..seemed to make sense when you want just a selected group.The rate your space seemed interesting and I can the connection between like minded interest groups including the linked. I just have some reservations of myspace....

Week 7 : post 17..High tech decade.

On the cutting edge of technology..Fire fighters in California using aerial images sent by NASA to direct their fire fighting efforts..Twitter blogs giving up to date information on evacuations,meeting points to the local residents affected by the fires...innocent people exonerated of their crime due to DNA analysis and vice versa..use of robotics , artifial limbs for the war wounded..instant info at your fingertips.
Power outages.loss of data ..trouble in the HORIZON? Its all part of the technology package.BUT the tenacity of the staff working behind the scenes..the happy smile of a child as she picks up her bk from the hold shelf ..the look of wonder as she uses the self check out machine and then hugs her book..Priceless!!

Week 7 : Post 16...wiki

As with any info that can be edited , there has to be a cautious approach to the authenticity of the material. When I saw that the library success wiki had an update to prevent vandalism I thought that was proof enough that all precautions are being taken to maintain its reputation. I see it as a useful tool regarding sharing ideas between between libraries, and the communities input as long as guidelines are followed.Having added my blog to the favorite blogs I was taken by surprise by all the e-mails regarding the updates..overall it did make an interesting read.

Week 6 / Post 15..To the square of 2.0 ?

Since the Web 2.0 is here to stay ...we shouldn't be too surprised that the library services are rapidly adapting to the technology incorporated in it. I found some of the comments in the articles quite true,quoting the librarian blogger "who says that the future of the libraries will be guided by how users access, consume and create content.. and redefining the word content to mean a conversation as well.. (I can very well see the surge in blogging..) users being able to create their own mashups etc..and the final statement sums it all "able to help users become their own programming director for all the content available to them" end quote..
As far as I can see I have been initiated into the technology world by enrolling myself in the ihcpl training session.. keep an open mind to new ideas..be proactive in educating myself..

What?? Is that Library 3.0 lurking in the shadows???

Week 6 / Post 14..Technorati

For starters I didn't register with technorati as I was already overwhelmed with the blogging info. I can see it as useful tool for anyone interested in getting their opinions / agendas across..probably trying to influence the outcome of the political scene too..Browsing thru the blogposts for learning 2.0 I was impressed to see all posts leading to Web 2.0.I can see that if I dont' want to be left behind I need to jump on the bandwagon!
I can see the impact it is having on education and the classroom..I was surprised at the amt of time I spent just reading...was I being snared in the spiders web!!
It sure is a poweful publishing tool..everything seems so interconnected..there were comparatively fewer blogs tagged and in the blog directory than the overall blog posts..I did find some interesting reads..
Regarding the popular blog searches and videos ..I didn't relate to any of them!!

Week 6 / post 13...tagging along...

When I first went for the ihcpl preview and the speaker talked about delicious, it just went over my head. Now that I have registered an account "I can see clearly now.." as the song goes. I have added a few websites and seen the various tags that people have added. As age catches up with me and when I find myself short of words it sure helps to see all those tags and sure enough something clicks!!
I see it definetly as a refrence/research tool. Its accessiblilty not dependent on location is obviously an asset too.

Week 5/ post 12..Library Elf...No small matter!

Library services seem to be getting faster, better by the day..Loved the multiple account info.. and renewal options right from the e-mail thru the hcpl login..Will wait for my notice ..

I did get back on my e-mail ..signed with hcpl and renewed my item..
Very convenient. The elf is pretty nifty. Gave one listing of all my items, due dates , calender ,holds in waiting and even a review on one of my checked out items..

The question of the day...Will HCPL be able to add that feature down the road ??

Week 5 / post 11 ..a library.thing

I added a few of my all time favorite bks. It was easy to use and self explanatory..

Added a widget too..


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

week 5 /post 10 (a) Calender (fd toys)

Week 5 / post 10

Just added my indian diva avatar!


http://avatars.yahoo.com

Week 4/ Post 9 ...Full from feeds already!

I think I literally had my fill of feeds!!. Once I got the hang of it I just kept on adding them..didnt seem to know when to stop..I added some newsfeeds from my home town which I was quite happy about. I was fascinated by how quickly everything was being updated..All the newsfeeds I added were through the bloglines search. Am going to try the feedster later.
Adding the widget through feedster was the highlight of the assignment for me.. I enjoyed the end result..I picked gardening tips to help me salvage my weed ridden yard..

Week 4 / Post 8 (RSS FEEDS)

Today I added quite a few feeds with the help of Naomi..so much information at my fingertips is quite mind boggling or is it mind blogging!!

I picked a news ,cooking,health,weather feeds and some of my library friends blogs to name a few.Will try to get back to them at my leisure..

Week 3/ post 7

Practiced using pixer/ flipped photo around,sharpened image/cropped/resized//mission accomplished!!

Week 3 / #6 trading card

My first trading card!

Week 3 / # 6 mashups

The simplest of the mashups .. as a starter.

Week 3...Post 5 (Flicker Practice)

We bid adieu to the magic wands!!




Whew!!!
Practice makes perfect... I'm sure it will all sink in as time goes by. Quite thrilled at the end result and glad I'm learning this new feature.

Online safety and Privacy

Taking cue from the Keep It Simple Series jargon all I can say is that like all things that hold true of life one has to take intelligent decisions on what information needs to be sent out.

Skimming through all the resources that were given and are available we just have to educate ourselves on the safety and repurcussions of open information.

My Learning Style

I am both a visual and hands on learner. I stress out on taking tests so I usually give myself time to prepare and practice.
The comforting thought about this whole exercise is I can take my time and learn new concepts just for the fun of learning. So I'm already beginning to enjoy this journey..
I'm not worried about getting my training hours as long as I have learnt something new and put it to good use.
Since it usually takes at least 3 weeks to form a habit I hope at the end of this brain stretching adventure I have developed some life long skills..
Its all in the ATTITUDE ..

Barefoot now...will need Speed skates at the end of the iHCPL journey!!

So here goes..my induction into the web savvy world that my kids were born into and whose help I can count on to ease my apprehension..

On the other hand might keep all this a secret and surprise them with a show and tell at the end of the course.This sounds a better idea.

I sure have mixed feelings as I get into the program but confident that I will learn a lot and since its at my own pace no need stress about it..