Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.
The trading card feature on Flickr was interesting to me so I decided to make a trading card with a picture taken by a digital camera at work.
It was pretty easy. I had a little trouble loading the picture but once that was accomplished I was able to continue on and finish the trading card. I then connected my 2.0 blog and flickr which was also fairly straight forward.
I'm sure there are many more things I could have done with the options available but that's for another time.

Flickr and Tags

The use of tags for the images on the Flickr website are important because they allow you to share your photos in many different ways.
One article I came across subdivided the tags into different categories:
-'medium' tags - ex.-photos, drawings, paintings
-'genre' tags - ex.-cameraphones, comics, landscapes
-'subject' tags - ex.-live music, animals, "me"
-'name' tags - ex.-name of the person in the photo
-'location' tags - ex.-New York, Los Angeles
A common knowledge of tag categories allows users to more easily and accurately search and share themes and genres. This enhances the social networking capabilities of a photo sharing site such as Flickr

Flickr

I created a Flickr account and uploaded some pictures taken on a digital camera. Creating the account and uploading the pictures was easy. I can understand why the Flickr service is so popular.
By using Flickr you can save, organize and share photos with relative ease.
Using Flickr in the workplace makes it convenient for various groups to share photos when needed.

Web 2.0 Awards List

I explored the LinkedIn website who's main purpose is to allow registered users to maintain a list of contact details of people they know and trust in business. The list of users are called Connections who can invite anyone (member or not) to become a connection. There are first, second and third degree connections on the list who might want to gain an introduction to someone they wish to know through a mutual contact.
These contacts can be used to find jobs, people and business opportunities. Employers can list jobs and search for potential candidates. Job seekers and use the site to review profiles of hiring managers and discover which of their contacts can introduce them.
This site could be used by library personnel to "link up" with other library professionals (or nonprofessionals) to explore job opportunities as well as maintain a contact with others in a similar field.
I didn't really find anything particularly negative about this site. The one drawback that I found is that there is no automated way to remove yourself from the site. A customer support ticket must be filed.

Blog for Tag Searching

This blog will be tagged so that it can be searched.
Social bookmarking tools serve two general purposes: helping you keep track of wht you've seen and showing you what you may have missed.










Technorati Tag: VBPLL2

Social Bookmarking

With the information explosion brought about by use of the internet, it's only natural that a tool to categorize and manipulate this information would be developed. Del.icio.us is just one of many social bookmarking services designed to allow users to create a powerful network of information using tags to produce a folksonomy which in turn helps the user navigate through the information.
The absolute convenience of being able to share copious amounts of information or knowledge with a limitless number of other internet users makes it a very powerful tool.
I believe Del.icio.us is great for saving and sharing the knowledge found on websites. Being peer driven makes the social bookmarking services even more valuable within organizations.
I think they will undoubtedly be refined as more and more people use them in a collaborative effort to share resources.

MySpace

Creating a MySpace page was very easy. The only real issue I had was finding a URL that had not been used. I could not load pictures because access was denied by the city. I have asked for permission from the city to load pictures and hope to eventually be able to put some more things on the page.

Online Social Networking and the Library

If the 21st century library's aim is to "go where the customers are" then VBPL could certainly maintain a social networking site to engage it's teen customers.
The site could become an important information warehouse and forum for our teen customers. The OSN site would have links to valuable resources such as colleges, dating, health advice as well as a homework page that connects them to local middle and high school online sources.
This site might also feature music, community events, etc that the teen might not otherwise have access to.
Having a teen VBPL OSN would acknowledge our ability to stay current with the times and technology. While offering relevant services to our teen community we might also pick up on teen interests and needs that would allow us to fine tune our services even more.

VBPL Reader's Advisory Wiki

I found it very easy to add my comments and edit the RA page for VBPL. I can now easily find out what other books are being read by VBPL employees and get feedback just by accessing the RA page.
Wikis can be developed by other library groups such as programmers, reference services, training and development, management and leadership, collection development, etc.
A wiki can be of great benefit to users of the library to get up-to-date information concerning the fiction and nonfiction available at the library (as well as what's coming up.)

Wikis

A wiki is an information sharing website that can be edited, changed or rewritten by users of the site. This technology-based tool can be of great value in the field of library science whose job is the dissemination and sharing of information.
Several levels of information sharing take place in a library system. There's the professional level which needs to share information in order to provide the best possible service to its customers. There is also a customer-based level that needs considerable input and feedback from the customer in order to once again, make sure we're providing the services that are needed or requested.
A wiki can provide valuable, current information to a large number of people in a short amount of time. For the customer, a wiki can provide information concerning book clubs, reader's advisory info., subject pathfinders, community events, education, business, hobbies, recreation, etc.
For the library professional, a wiki allows information sharing concerning management and leadership, materials selection, programming, reader's advisory info., reference services, marketing the library, training and development, technology, and workplace issues.
Used as a tool to share information, a wiki can make a world of difference.

Library Reference Work and IM

Instant messaging at the library by the reference staff can be an interesting way to experience a new mode of communication. Once the challenge of training and scheduling the staff in instant messaging, the reference service can then be offered to the general public in the hopes of attracting the IM users.
Instant messaging from cell phones can be an even greater convenience for the library customer, especially teens. According to statistics, teens are using their cell phones more and more to IM with their peers. Using this information, the library can tap into that age group and be of great assistance in the homework/school assignment/ project area.
Hopefully, as technology changes, we will be able to upgrade and enhance library services in "real-time" type interactions with our customers.

IM and the Library

Instant Messaging can be used to broaden our range of library services, especially reference services.
According to PEW statistics, IM is used mainly by a younger population to communicate with same-age online users. If the library targets this population for IM reference services, we can give them immediate feedback in a less formal setting. This may be a way to reach the fast-paced world of young internet users who may be multi-tasking and need reliable reference information right away.

I conducted "library" topic searches on Technorati, Syndic8, and Topix.net.
I was able to successfully feed YALSA to my Google Reader. I also added Library Journal to the list.
Searching the directories gave me lots of information I didn't need.
The advantage to searching the directories is the gathering of information that might not otherwise be found.
Undoubtedly, the more I use these directories the more skilled I'll become at finding just the type of information I need.

The best thing about the RSS or news reader service is that it is becoming the standard purveyor of up-to-date information for internet users. Whether through the personal computer, cell phone or PDA, the news reader will grab information at it becomes available and feed it to the individual user in a concise, easily obtained manner.
Its usefulness in the workplace can be directly linked to the availability of current information. The same point can be made when applying it to personal use. For example, when using RSS feeds with cell phones, the consumer can easily find out which gas station has the cheapest gas.
In addition, the libraries can take advantage of the current technology by using RSS feeds to give notice of the availability of best sellers at the local libraries.

The 7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners

1. Begin with the end in mind.
2. Accept responsibility for your own learning.
3. View problems as challenges.
4. Have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner.
5. Create your own learning tool box.
6. Use technology to your advantage.
7. Teach/mentor.
71/2. Play.

I believe each habit listed is important and I would like to think I'm acquiring or have acquired most of them.

Library 2.0

Library 2.0 is a technology-based tool the library used to better serve its customers by:
-Allowing the customer to decide what they want, how they want to get it and how
the library can help them meet their objectives.
-the new service must be continually reevaluated and fine-tuned to better serve our
customers.
-The technology must be used in tandem with other customer-driven services to
ultimately provide reliable access to information.

All Mashedup

The first blog is happening as I write and I have to say it's pretty easy to blog.
As to publishing my thoughts about lifelong learning, I guess I'd better address the issue and say that lifelong learning is a necessity.
Keeping up-to-date with the latest technology is going to be challenging but it's a tool that will be increasingly valuable as we move into the future.
However, it's not all about technology. To learn is to gain knowledge through study, experience or to just become "aware". I'd like to think this "learning' takes place everyday in many ways.

The "71/2 habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners" published by the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County are excellent habits to have and I'll be keeping them in mind as I go forward with this exercise.