I have never used (let alone heard of) Google Docs before now. I have to say it looks like a really nifty "suite of tools" to use! I like it better than a Wiki, probably because it's so similar to Word, and that's what I'm used to. The format is easy to create and edit, and I think it lends itself to group use very easily. I might even be tempted to create a spreadsheet using G-Docs, something I've never even been interested in trying to do! How's that for progress??!!
I went into the ppsemester2 docs and was tickled at how many experimented with colors, fonts, pics, etc. I then went into the Garden spreadsheet and added Nikko Blue Hydrangeas under shrubs - really easy to use! I plan to go back in and create my own doc and spreadsheet, just for kicks. Yes, being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st Century....HA!
I also want to go back in and look at that slideshow - do you download your own personal pics, or can you load something from Google pics/other sites, like the Flickr assignment? I hope to do that later, after my crazy kid and his friends GET OFF THE COMPUTER - doncha love No School Days??? NOT!!!!!
Yes, I'm learning and playing and fearing a little less today!!
Friday, January 25, 2008
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Semester 2, Week 1 - IM
Well, IM excited! Okay, I couldn't resist...At least I now have a taste of IMing. I was able to get a Meebo box embedded on my blog (finally! I remembered how to do it after several false tries). And thanks to Stef for her IMing and encouragement :).
I checked a couple of library websites and can see that IM is becoming a popular way to interact with patrons. IMing as part of a Reference service would be a useful thing - I just had to remember that it was like using a walkie-talkie (anyone else remember those??) and to use shorter sentences and hit ENTER more frequently :)! Or say "Over" or something like that....LOL! As I continue to explore the IM assignment, I'll post more later.
Later is Now - One of the article listed that I read involved a college using IM as an instant reference access point. It worked well, but problems arose if staff wasn't monitoring the IM and people weren't being responded to instantly. I think IM is a good Ready Reference tool, and might be good for initiating a longer reference question, if someone's willing to put some research time in. I understand that in these harsh economic times people expect us to be McLibraries, and that we have to provide worth for every support dollar we claim. Call me old as dirt (which I am), but I think this age of instant gratification is distressing. I see some of my 11 yo son's friends functioning with the attention spans of gnats. They balk at doing anything that requires effort, except for lifting a video remote. I wonder if we're feeding this Instant Gratification Monster. Yes, I guess I'm sounding a tad curmudgeonly. The thought of a librarian roller skating through the stacks with a Blue Tooth phone gig attached to his head or of a librarian locked in front of her computer screen just bothers me. Okay, Ive admitted it - I'm a Closet Luddite! There's probably a 12 Step program for that, somewhere online - harrumph! As I've admitted previously, I'm Connected-But-Harassed - LOL! But I will try to keep an open mind to all that technology offers to the Library World.
I see have I have some trouble with my blog not allowing comments - I'll try to figure out what I've done, and undo it!LOL!
I checked a couple of library websites and can see that IM is becoming a popular way to interact with patrons. IMing as part of a Reference service would be a useful thing - I just had to remember that it was like using a walkie-talkie (anyone else remember those??) and to use shorter sentences and hit ENTER more frequently :)! Or say "Over" or something like that....LOL! As I continue to explore the IM assignment, I'll post more later.
Later is Now - One of the article listed that I read involved a college using IM as an instant reference access point. It worked well, but problems arose if staff wasn't monitoring the IM and people weren't being responded to instantly. I think IM is a good Ready Reference tool, and might be good for initiating a longer reference question, if someone's willing to put some research time in. I understand that in these harsh economic times people expect us to be McLibraries, and that we have to provide worth for every support dollar we claim. Call me old as dirt (which I am), but I think this age of instant gratification is distressing. I see some of my 11 yo son's friends functioning with the attention spans of gnats. They balk at doing anything that requires effort, except for lifting a video remote. I wonder if we're feeding this Instant Gratification Monster. Yes, I guess I'm sounding a tad curmudgeonly. The thought of a librarian roller skating through the stacks with a Blue Tooth phone gig attached to his head or of a librarian locked in front of her computer screen just bothers me. Okay, Ive admitted it - I'm a Closet Luddite! There's probably a 12 Step program for that, somewhere online - harrumph! As I've admitted previously, I'm Connected-But-Harassed - LOL! But I will try to keep an open mind to all that technology offers to the Library World.
I see have I have some trouble with my blog not allowing comments - I'll try to figure out what I've done, and undo it!LOL!
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