Exercise 6: Commentary

Finally to talk a little about the idea of mashups. The first thing brought to mind from reading some of the articles is that necessity is the mother of invention. In many cases, an individual had a need which could be easily (well, easier for some than others - me included) fulfilled through the combination of two different software components. Certainly does my heart good to know that it isn't always about a profit. Sometimes it is about knowing what you need, creating it, and knowing that others might have the same need - rather innovative shareware, don't you think?

According to Robert Hof: The upshot: People are seizing far more control of what they do online. In the process, those efforts are putting skin on the bones of Web services, the long-delayed promise of software and services that can be tapped on demand.

And finally...here is my trading card!



Have a wonderful week.
Cat

Exercise 6: Bubblr

There are so many different mashups to look at and work with that I am having trouble limiting myself. So far, this one has been the most fun:




You may need to click on the image to scroll through the three slides! I think I will enjoy making these for friends and family!

Hope you are having fun as well.
Cat

Exercise 6: Montage!

I have been exploring mashups and I loved the Montage maker! One of the "problems" with all of these technologies is that I can get lost in them for hours on end. So many different uses and fun activities. This is not my final post on this exercise, but I wanted to share my montages.

The first one is of Catholic Churches.

The second is of the countryside.

This particular mashup uses Flickr API and Macromedia Flash! By accident, I learned that if you click on the montage you can actually see a little thumbprint of the individual pictures. I tried a few with cats and they just were not clear enough in the montage, but I loved the others.

Still working,
Cat

Exercise 5: Flickr

I am not really new to Flickr, but I was amazed at the number of libraries who have collections of photos available. It is truly fascinating how many different ways these social tools are being used. I saw that Florida State had a Flickr site for viewing pictures regarding a new information commons. While I suppose these photos could have been uploaded to a University website, why reinvent the wheel? With the capacity to upload photos, tag them for identification, and solicit comments from a wide group of people, Flickr seems perfect for this type of use.


The most interesting collection of photos that I saw were here. This is the Day in the Life of Flickr page and 3,891 people posted photos of their own lives on March 21, 2007. What a cool idea! To give others a better idea of what happens in libraries, each department (or staff person) could do the same!

As the library cat, I decided to look for other library cats and I was not disappointed. I really liked this tabby from Tel Aviv and posted by TLVshac :

Back to the library collections on Flickr - I saw some wonderful photos of libraries I have visited as well as some I hope to visit one day. It was nice to see that the search interface makes use of the same tools we are all used to in Google! I know, I know this is a Yahoo type product, but doesn't Google co-rule the earth with Microsoft? Another thing that I liked was the assignment of rights in Flickr. The photographer, or account holder, can allow total access to the image (with credit given, of course), limited access, or no access. The help screens explained all of this to me quite nicely and I was able to easily locate a photo that met my needs and allowed copying with credits. Students doing reports and seeking pictures for use in illustrating said reports should perhaps be directed to Flickr instead of Google image (where photos are lifted and copied by the second). At least in Flickr, the word copyright does seem to hold some validity for posters and users.

Moving on -

Cat

Week 2: 7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners

Hello again - after viewing the Lifelong Learners presentation, I had to stop and think about how I think about learning or go about learning new things.

The easiest habit for me seems to be the first habit - begin with the end in mind. My head is always popping with new ideas and new things that I would like to master. I also am pretty good at accepting responsibility for my learning - I love to read about what I am studying and talk to others.

Perhaps my most difficult (non) habit is confidence in yourself as a competent effective learner. It isn't that I can't learn. The problem is that I get easily discouraged. For instance, I want to learn how to crochet so that I can make a throw for my daughter. I looked at every SINGLE internet how-to guide, I bought books, and asked friends to help. The yarn and needles are sitting on my TV side table...I just cannot seem to do it right. Every time I sit down to watch TV, these supplies are sitting there as signs of my failure to learn. Instead, I should just keep trying until I get it!

Thankfully I don't usually feel that sense of frustration with technology or learning new skills for my work assignments. I am looking forward to the learning experiences here with PLAN and look forward to sharing what we have learned.

Cat

In the beginning!

I have created this blog as part of my participation in the PLAN Navigating New Technologies program. I have worked in libraries for the past 12 years. I have participated in Circulation and reserve activities, cataloging, collection development and many other aspects of librarianship. By far, however, the favorite part of my job is working with students. Because we are in a unique location, we often find ourselves serving under multiple hats. Technology questions come as fast and furious as reference or research questions. I keep my ears open and try to stay current - I am hoping this 23 step process will assist me in that endeavor.

I also participated in the Sirsi Dynix Institute webinar entitled "Learning 2.0: Make 'play' your New Year's resolution" and I am delighted to see that PLAN is offering this opportunity to people here in Northwest Florida.

Thanks,
Cat