Week 5, Thing # 11, Award-winning Web 2.0 Applications/Ning

LibraryThing is fun. I remember seeing this site before. Put in five books only and got some pretty good suggestions. (added 8-2-07) Spent some time adding the books on my "to read" shelf. Looked at the tag and author clouds, which I think are pretty neat. Let's see if I can insert one here:
Yeah! it worked.
I also checked out Arcaplay. Probably a mistake...they had Fowlwords, which is a game I try to avoid, but fell off the wagon for a while there.

Week 5, Thing # 10, Image Generators

I was very excited about the "Simpsonizer", as my husband is a real fan. Tried many times to "Simpsonize" him, but no luck. I don't know if the photo didn't have enough contrast or what the problem was: "the thing-a-ma-bob can't read the do-hickey" (or whatever) didn't give me much guidance as to how to improve my chances. I like the Flickr Toys because you can use your own photos as well as those you find on Flickr.
Tried Image Chef, and created this READ sign. Possibilities there, too.


Found a button maker from the list at www.imagegenerator.org. Having spent countless hours last school year creating buttons for my library web site, I can definitely see the usefulness of this program...now, if I can just get it to work...


Another find on the imagegenerator list: Logo Maker



Lots more to explore here.

Week 5, Thing # 12, Custom Search Engines

Tried the Rollyo search engine "thing". I see definite possibilities, especially in planning with teachers for specific lessons. I have "class resources" on my library web page, with sites to use when teachers bring students for certain units, but they need to be searched individually. I can see using the custom search engine process to allow students to search a carefully selected group of web sites for more efficient sessions in the library computer center.

Also tried Google CSE (Custom Search Engines). I read a blog entry from one of the library feeds which said that you didn't have to list sites URL by URL, that Google would give a bit of code which would search any site already listed on a page...seems like what I was discussing above. But I found the process to be pretty identical to the Rollyo "thing". I must spend more time playing and reading the blog entry again to find out what I missed. It would be much easier to add such a search box to each teacher's resources page than to re-list all the URL's. On the other hand, I found I can just go to my bookmark organizer, highlight and copy all URL's in the (in this case) html folder, and then paste to Google's CSE. Not really too hard.

I read something recently...science fiction, a joke, whatever...which mentioned Google taking over the world. I get it.

Week 4, Thing #8, RSS

Okay, here is a perfect example of why I don't love blogs: I'm looking at the discovery activities for RSS feeds; click on the "differences" among bloglines, RSS feeds and Google Reader; get to some guy's blog which discusses iPhone for an entire page. So I search for Google Reader, then bloglines and Google Reader, then Bloglines Google Reader rss feeds...I get some clues, but no "discussion of the differences..." half hour gone, and I am none the wiser. I assume that in order for a blog to be efficiently searched, the blogger must attach tags that are intuitive to most readers... perhaps we need Sears for bloggers?

Be that as it may, my new Google Reader will be a great help with the need to know vs the time I have. Linked to the local paper's local news may actually allow me to at least scan the news each day so as not to miss anything going on in town. Ditto the BBC and NYT headlines. Getting daily book reviews will help with collection development, of course. Hope to find an appropriate "for high school" book review source...that delicate cross between adult and YA... Anyone know of one?

Week 3, Things #6 & 7, Flickr fun: motivational poster

CATS
Originally uploaded by cardinal reader

As a part of "Tech Truffles for Librarians", we explored some fun Flickr mashups. I especially liked the idea of using trading cards to promote library use and increase check outs. I would like to try cards of staff listing their favorite books or... Then when someone checks out a book, they get a card. Perhaps one a month? "collect them all and win a prize?" "trade with your friend (if you didn't check out a book this week)?"
This time I tried out the "motivational poster creator". We should all be so relaxed!

Week 3, Thing #5, Flickr

spidergirl
Originally uploaded by cardinal reader

This is one of the favorite photos I have ever taken. This little lady lived in our garden for most of one fall. This post was added using Flickr's blog tool.





This photo was added using Blogger's "Add image" tool. It shows the computer center in our library.

Week 2, Thing #4, Register a blog

Okay, registering was a piece of cake. Reading the blogs of others is interesting...maybe I will make my peace with this form of communication before I become one of the "in my generation" types!

Pictures next...let us forge ahead.