The End of the Beginning!

My favorite exercises were posting image generators, creating a customized search engine, exploring Technorati, posting to a Wiki and putting a podcast on my blog because they were new and, therefore, more exciting than the other exercises. There were many take-aways, but none that suprised me. I expected to and wanted to learn more about Web 2.0 applications, and the program allowed me to do it. In fact, I don't think I would have done it without the program. To complete this kind of program requires direction, discipline and focus. I could provide the discipline and focus, but not the direction. The plethora of Web 2.0 applications is daunting. What to learn? Where to start? The program gave me answers to those questions.

The program has affected my lifelong learning goals. After completing the program I am better equipped to realize them. One of my lifelong learning goals has been to remain current with Web technology. With what I have learned, I will be able to do that. By taking this program I not only learned about Web technology, I learned how to learn about Web technology.

With regard to the program's format and concept, I say if it ain't broke, don't fix it. You could make a few tweaks here and there, but overall I think the format and concept are fine.

Audiobooks

Can you believe it? As an Information Services librarian I often get asked at the Information or Telephone Reference Desk about audio- books, and I direct customers to the Digital Media tab, but until today I had never downloaded an audiobook.

I bought an MP3 player a few months ago. I recently was given a pair of Bose QuietComfort 3 noise-cancelling headphones. Now all
I need is a bus ride.

And the bus ride is coming right up. On Monday I'm going by bus to Boston for Christmas. Before I go, I downloaded two or audiobooks from Queens Library: The Camel Club by David Baldacci and The Fifth Horseman by James Patterson. Now with my MP3 Player, by noise- cancelling headphones, my audiobooks and my bus ticket, I won't even miss the Acela train --much.

Podcasts

G-r-r-r-r-r! Or should I say A-r-r-r-r-r-gh! There are only two days, nine hours and 33 minutes to the 23 1/2 Things deadline (see my Thursday, December 13, 2007 Image Generator post), and I'm trying to put a podcast on my blog. I found Promonet and applied for access so I can get some podcast HTML to put in my HTML/Javascript widget page element (I almost sound like I know what I'm talking about), and a got the following response. "Thank you for applying to IODA Promonet! Your request for access to IODA Promonet has been received. We will contact you within two business days with your sign in information if you are approved, or to request more information to process your application."

Will my blog be graced by a podcast by the deadline? As I've said before, stay tuned. I will not be deterred.

Check out LibVibe on the right. Yes, as you can see perserverence pays off. So doesn't a little help from your friends. When I told Stacey (see my Tuesday, December 18, 2007 Wiki Wiki post) about my problem, she recommended LibVibe, a great weekly podcast about library matters. I visited the LibVibe website, where Marv Kaminsky graciously and clearly explains how to put his podcast on your blog.

YouTube

OK, my YouTube post might be a little premature, but not by much. Nevertheless, as an avid cyclist, I believe this video captures my feelings as I approach the end of 23 1/2 Things, the Queens Library Learning 2.0 project.

I like YouTube because its easily searchable. And besides, it's great fun. Sure I believe there are applications for YouTube in libraries, especially since younger customers are more inclined to use video than print sources.

Crossing the Finish Line

Web 2.0 Awards

Web 2.0 Awards

I decided to create this post on Google Docs. No time like the present to use what I've learned. Right? By doing this I also learned that your headline is not automatically posted as a headline in the default font. You have to edit your post, cut the headline from the body of the post and paste it into the title box.

Yelp.com a city guide that boasts "Real People Real Reviews" looks interesting. I'm a Bostonian, but I've lived in several cities. I realized recently that I have spent most of my adult live in Chicago, so that's the city I'll explore.

I did searches on "theatre" and "theater." The results were almost identical, but they were listed in different orders, and for some reason the Art Institute of Chicago topped both lists. I was happy to see that the lists include legitimate theatres and indie movie houses as well as chain movie theatres. And the reviews are pretty accurate. I'm pleased to have been introduced to this site, and I will refer to it for information about New York City as well as information about other cities when I'm making travel plans.

Yelp.com encourages you to find or write reviews. It lets you bookmark sites. It also gives you lists of events this week and event updates and lets you list events you plan to attend (Beware of stockers). As a social networking site, it encourages you to add friends and invite friends to become "yelpers."

I think this would be a valid site to use for answers -- or at least leads to answers -- to questions from customers about attractions in New York as well as other cities. Most of this kind of information is subjective, anyway, so why not get it from a local source. Just remember to cite your source.

Google Docs Revisited

I posted my Google Docs entry from Google Docs. When I checked my blog, my post wasn't there. I logged out of my blog and logged back in and behold. There it was, sans headline. Google Docs asks if you also want to publish your headlline, but it doesn't provide a box to put the headline in. I assume you just have to put the headline in the same text box as the rest of the post and Google Docs or Blogger publishes the headline in the same font as other headlines automatically. Now I'll go back and email my document to myself. Just for the hell of it.