Thing 18: online productivity tools

I was able to successfully post from my Zoho Writer account to my blog (see below post). This Zoho thing seems like a pretty useful tool. I would have used it in college if I knew about it then. I will recommend the site to patrons when they ask to buy a floppy disc (which we don't always have). This is probably going to be one of the 23 things I use and recommend most.

Untitled

This is my first time using Zoho Writer.

Thing 17: wikis and libraries

I have added my blog address to the list. Wikis can be useful to libraries. They are a good way to keep track of developing information on one page. It is less confusing than trying to keep track of emails. I already use wikis at work, mostly just to check if I am spelling the name of a book or author correctly while assisting patrons. I am glad to be getting closer to finishing.

Thing 16: Wikis in and out of the library

I like Wikis. I have been using Wikipedia for some time now. I even got away with using it as a source for a few college papers (it can be good for basic biographical info or definitions). I like that wikis are easy to update, they should be a good way to find out about new developments. They seem to be increasingly accurate too. I finally believed James Brown was dead when I read it on wikipedia.
I think library related wikis are a good idea too. People can get good book recommendations without even coming inside a library. It might be good to look at the way other libraries have done things to get ideas about how we should do things.

Thing 15: the future of libraries and library 2.0

I liked the "Away from Icebergs" perspective most. Libraries are definitely a changing place. If they are to continue to be used, they must change as technology advances and consumer demands change. Libraries have always used new technology, lots of technology has even been invented for libraries. He is right on about user education, it is already happening and libraries are not sufficiently staffed to do it well. I agree that libraries are increasingly trying to draw people in by offering a variety of technology and by marketing materials and providing things not traditionally related to libraries. For example, we already carry Motley Crue's "Lewd, Crued, and Tattooed" DVD (and video). I have a hard time with the "just in case" collection because while I believe electronic versions of things are sometimes useful and practical, books are just better to read. Staring at computer screens causes vision problems, posture problems, can trigger vertigo, and uses increasingly expensive electricity. I still think nothing beats finding good books while browsing or looking for a particular title.

Thing 14: Technocrati

Technocrati seems useful. It appears to do something similar to del.icio.us. When I searched for "Learning 2.0" I noticed substantially more results in blog posts than in tags. I didn't come across anything when I searched for "Learning 2.0" in the blog directory. When I searched popular blog searches and tags, I came across "Boing Boing: a directory of wonderful things (boingboing.net)." They have great pictures, good news articles, funny stuff, etc. Tagging seems good but it takes some effort, that is probably why there weren't many results when I searched specifically for tags.

Thing 13: Del.icio.us

Del.icio.us is new to me and seems useful. I created an account with the username of andelicious. I haven't posted or tagged anything yet. From what I can tell, it is just another blog site that makes it easy to search for information in other blogs. I think it can be useful to libraries because it is another way to search for information (that might not always be accessable through conventional search systems). It might make it easier to find information about how to deal with problems and/or challenges and provide examples of how people have dealth with them in the past. It is also nice because it is always being updated, and can provide current information.