Thing 6: IM

on my experience with IM:
Well, having used AIM extensively and regularly in college, I feel I have quite a bit of experience with IM. (It kind of got to be too much, constantly taking any funny quote or activity and planning to turn it into an away message. Oh well - college.)
However, I did sign in to Yahoo!Messenger for the first time. It was incredibly simple since all it requires is our preexisting Yahoo (email) account info. Sadly, our library reference desk is currently offline, and I don't know if anyone I know is on Y!M. But through the website, it looks like a fairly simple and easy to use app. I do wonder if it's any good at having multiple conversations, as that's what often happens in AIM.

on IM communication:
IM is a great form of communication, but only if you and your friends are regularly on computers (though I think you can use IM on iPhones, etc. so it doesn't matter where you are). It's very similar to text messaging, all though I find typing onto a keyboard easier than into my phone. IM is very useful in many cases as it's free and there are no worries about charges for texts or talking on the phone.

on IM reference:
I think that IM is a great option for reference (provided the library is open and/or online). Many people don't want to talk to us to ask us questions. Having worked in a bookstore with a focus on customer service, it was always amusing when people would ask if there was a computer or someplace they could look up their answer, rather than just asking the bookseller their question. Corporate statistics claimed that something like 80% of customers would not talk to the booksellers (thus we needed to be incredibly helpful and take initiative). I think the library is similar to bookstores in the customer service aspect - and some people might be more likely to ask through a computer than talk to a real live person.
Also, BPL had a service which connected patrons to remote librarians for general reference 24/7 along with the option of IMing their reference librarians during business hours. That seems like a great idea (if people know about it and want to use it).

Thing 5: Podcasts & Video Sharing

on Michael Ian Black reading from his new book, Chicken Cheeks:
Chicken Cheeks is a new children's picture book. It's cute, and we actually own it (it's checked out right now). It is, however, by Michael Ian Black, who is one comedian/actor I would not have expected to write kid's books. As you can see in the clip from CBS, MIB (oh, he has fun initials!) has a strange sense of humor usually directed towards adults. Though I suppose a bit of strange or crazy can make adults good at working with/for kids. ;-)

on surprises:
I've definitely used YouTube before, and I've subscribed to podcasts through iTunes, so this wasn't too new. I guess I was surprised by how much is out there, especially other sites, because I hadn't heard of (or looked for) them.

on library use:
I think that posting book reviews or other information online in a video/vodcast would be great! This is something that's already started, but I could see it growing and succeeding here.
I also think that patrons might enjoy getting to record or post their own reviews too. The kids would get a kick out of that (ooh, program idea!). What if we tried setting up a camera/computer on the floor or in a group study room for a day or some time period (supervised, of course) and let patrons create their own short video for our website? It would require lots of publicity so that people would know what/how to do it, but it would be for all age levels. Something to think about...

Thing 4: Flickr

on activity 1/2:
I had previously used flickr to upload photos from my semester in Spain to an ND group account, but I can't find it anymore. I was able to find "fotos" of me in Toledo, Spain on someone else's flickr account by searching for my Spain nickname. I don't particularly want to upload pics of myself to the blog, so I found some of Toledo. This photo is of Toledo with el Alcázar the big building at the top. The arched arcade at the center of the pic is La Fundación Ortega y Gasset, where I had class. Looking for other photos of Toledo, I found this gorgeous one of the main plaza, Zocodover.

on personal photos:
Well, as I mentioned above, the ND kids abroad together in Toledo set up a site to share photos with each other and with family and friends back home. That's one option. It's also useful for families or friends to keep in touch/updated on each other by posting photos when they live far away.

on libraries and flickr:
I suppose libraries can use Flickr and photo-sharing sites to promote their activities and try to entice people to join in the fun, but I worry about putting photos on the internet without significant privacy settings. The library's goal of putting photos up for publicity would not work if it were a private site. Some people are much more open with sharing photos, so it's basically just a personal preference. However, when we take photos at programs and of patrons, do they have any idea those photos could end up on a public photo-sharing site? It wouldn't have occurred to me. If we did try to "exploit" the site, we would of course need to get everyone's permission, or limit the people in the photos to staff, etc.

Woot!

In Thing 2: RSS Feeds, I mentioned that Woot was a cool site. I knew they had deals for their daily product, but I never knew just how good their deals were or how much money they could save you. Today's Dirt Devil Kurv Cordless Vacuum Cleaner is being sold for $19.99. I checked the Dirt Devil site and it retails for $49.99. That's $30 off!

Now, I have the sudden urge to purchase a handheld vacuum. But I don't need one! Someone else should buy one just to take advantage of this deal. Please?

Thing 3: Social Networks

on Facebook/LinkedIn:
Since I haven't really used Facebook in almost 2 years, the new features confuse me somewhat. There's so much advertizing on the site and outside apps that Facebook isn't as stream-lined or easy to read as I remember/was used to.
LinkedIn looks like an easy to use site, if I were seriously in need of job networking beyond my current coworkers and friends. Since I'm not actually looking for other jobs, I don't want to be misleading in creating "links" and so haven't explored too much.

on social networks' popularity:
I think that social networks are so popular for some people because it's an easy and fast way to keep in touch with people you've met. I won't even say with friends because people become "friends", at least on facebook, within hours of meeting, or without ever meeting and just knowing the same people. (My little sister friended random people who were in the same clubs as me - just because.) Social networks take very little effort, but provide hours of distraction, especially if you have a lot of friends' profiles to look at, etc. They can also be helpful for connecting people with similar interests or needs, similar to some blogs/blog groups.

on surprises:
I didn't do anything surprising. This is probably because, out of all the Things, social networks (Facebook) were what I had the most experience with and knew best.

on Library use:
I think social networks could become a great way to advertize programs and events for the library. However, this would require our target audience to be online and connected on the site we use/ or with us. I know that, at least in college, where everyone is on a social network like Facebook, many gatherings, events, and parties are only advertized through the website. Perhaps social networks would be most helpful for our teens, and as a potential secondary resource for the rest of our patrons.

Thing 2: RSS

On RSS/newsreaders:
Having never used RSS or newsreaders, they seem incredibly useful for following different blogs, the news, sports, celeb gossip, or whatever it is in which you're interested. It's a great idea, and the technology is fairly easy to use! Theoretically, they should be time-savers: get lots of the info you want in one place, at one time. However, I've already subscribed to way more sites/blogs than I previously checked on a regular basis. I'm afraid I'll just end up using my new blogline account to try and stay informed on more topics than I really need to, and end up spending more time going through blogline feeds than I was by going to separate sites. Watch the point of RSS feeds backfire and take up even more of my time!

On library/personal use:
Well, see above ;-) For me, keeping informed/up-to-date on a variety of subjects could be helpful for both professional and personal topics. I haven't poked around bloglines too much, but I imagine there is some way for me to separate feeds so that I can check only library-related info or only personal/news-related. That would allow me to use my time more wisely and only check feeds related to what I need to do/find out.
...Done! Have created separate folders for various topics: Professional, News, Sports.

On new blogs:
Personally, I think everyone should subscribe to Blue Gray Sky, but I'm probably the only one actually interested in frequent updates on Notre Dame football.
I mainly added from the popular feeds from the site. While I usually check cnn.com, I do recommend the BBC News feed because so much happens in the world to which America doesn't pay attention. I like hearing what non-Americans think on different issues.
And Woot is a fun site from which you can buy the item of the day (often electronics) at a discounted price. I'd heard of the site, but never followed it. (Today's woot is a digital flip camcorder for $79.99) Find out what a Woot-Off is too! Their What is Woot? page (FAQ) is quite entertaining as well.

Must go catch up on my 10(!) feeds so I don't fall behind!
Playtime, did you really need to teach me new methods of procrastination? ;-) ...but I'm learning tiny tiny bits of html, too: yay!

Thing 1: Blogging

On Blogger:
I've discovered that (for me, at least) the hardest part of setting up a blog is naming it. So many options, so many characteristics that I could use to identify myself. Simple is better, or easiest: La Rubia = the Blonde. It's also what everyone called me when I was abroad in Spain because there were two of us with the same first name.

Other than the name, setting up a blog was pretty simple for me. Just fill in the blanks and click "create blog." My only problems with Blogger have been personal issues with remembering passwords for Blogger Book Club, but that's my fault, not the internet's.

On library blogs:
I hadn't really looked at library blogs before, so they were interesting and amusing to read. Michael Stephens' Tame the Web blog is one I had heard of, but never checked out before. It was a bit more technical than I was looking for, especially after the really funny "A Librarian's Guide to Etiquette." That one was quite amusing to read and gave me better an idea of what crazy things people experience in public libraries. The others were somewhat interesting, but these two stuck out in my mind the most.

On our library:
For our library, blogging might be a good way to keep in touch with other staff and stay informed about what's happening. I don't see blogging as an effective way to reach out to the community beyond building the Social Network in its current form. Perhaps within the social network, blogs could be created on different topics/genres/book discussions, but the message board currently functions in that role. Staff blogs kept up for professional (and personal) use might be nice to promote staff unity/effectiveness/relationships.

On blogs (and talking to myself):
And blogs are a great thing, if that's what you're interested in. I, personally, have never successfully kept a diary or journal because I never really have much to say to myself (which is how it sometimes feels to me). If I had something interesting to say, then maybe I would keep/use a blog. The good thing about Playtime is that you'll tell me what to write about!