Beyond Method #12: last dance

Looking back on the course, I think for me the highlights were working with the screenshots, telling a story, and making a Google map and creating a Netvibes website. I now am creating the map with a different program, called CommunityWalk, since they have the capacity to display more than one photo of a location. I was also stymied since I wanted to link to site descriptions in the Texas Historical commissions, and if I copied the URL in the address bar, it would only be read by the Google interface as the address for the Atlas itself, the search page for the descriptions. Our IT person told me I could use "copy image location" to fix that problem. I'm happy about the map and I also liked the digital story very much. I didn't like music behind images, but narration seems to be great way to tap into people's experiences and stories. I think it would be great if we had kiosks up at the front of the library and people could tap on them and hear someone talk about how the library enabled them in some part of their lives.

Creating the page on Netvibes helped me to get more experience with RSS feeds and creating widgets, and seeing how they worked on a day to day basis and whether they made sense for me. I am exploring webpage coding now and believe this will help my goal to have some proficiency and understanding in this area, since I am not involved in our library's website.

An unexpected outcome was learning about the sites which create a virtual resume for you...there certainly seemed to be some pros and cons with those...con in that you had to be careful about your online privacy, but pros in the ease of accessibility and being able to track your job hunting online.

I appreciated taking this program, and would like to participate in similar ones in the future.

Beyond Method #11: Survey Says

I have only taken surveys online, I have never created one online. I have often run into very reputable organizations asking for a patrons' survey, and started the survey only to wish I had never begun it. So many surveys are TOO LONG...and it's also tiring to realize that you don't fit their patron idea, and so a lot of the questions don't apply to you. I sometimes think that when the organization is offering a chance at a raffle prize (contingent on completing the survey) that they then feel free to go all out and make it as long and as detailed as they wish.

That said, I enjoyed reading about the current offerings for doing surveys and getting feedback. I like the idea of the popup just asking 2 questions, so that you don't have to write: take a survey please.....it's right there. It also makes sense to use it for planning an event for a group of people and getting the input as to what details work for everyone. I would like to use that in my personal life.

We don't use surveys as a rule here, except for paper ones given to attendees of actual events.
And I want to remember how some people fill them out....carelessly, just checking something to check it. Perhaps doing the survey online would mean less response, but then the responses might be more genuine. I'd like to survey our readers about our blogs, and get some input there. We get almost no feedback from our readers, and yet I think people are reading them.

I don't know if we will do surveys of this type in the future, but it's certainly a possibility. I'd like to query our patrons about what activities they would like - although I know that's not always a guarantee that people will come to the things they mentioned.

Beyond Method #10: Meet you online

I have used Skype with family, but not using a webcam. I have participated in a couple of webinars. I found them very useful, after I got used to the process. One of the webinars was excellent, mostly because the presentation was very thorough and covered a large area. Others were more informal and superficial, useful but perhaps a one on one would have been better. Our library has had a virtual meeting with an author and the group really enjoyed it. I'm sure we will do more of those. We have no private area for skype calls for family with enlisted members, but that sounds like a good idea. When I have interviewed for jobs in the past, I had telephone conferencing but nothing more sophisticated. I like the idea of skype for interviews also, although it might be harder for the interviewee to make a good impression....I notice the video makes you notice things like movements or eye blinking much more than if you were actually with the person. I suppose that professionals and seasoned users are aware of this and make sure they are relaxed and engage well with the viewers. I also noticed that on "Skype an author", I didn't recognize any authors' names. I suppose the more well-known authors have no real motivation to join and have an interaction free of charge, or perhaps it has been used primarily for schools.

Beyond Method #9: Digital Story

MyPlaces

More PowerPoint presentations from Rebecca

I apologize that my example is not about our library...I wanted to just use photos quickly available, and the "story" is much longer than 5 minutes! I enjoyed doing this, and using powerpoint also, since I have only used powerpoint in a minimal way before this. I know this is minimal also, but still adding the voice narration was a step up for me. When the slides transition the voice narration breaks momentarily, and that would be something to work around, as I was talking while transitioning. Doing this made me think about how a picture can help your audience attend to what you are saying, and also of course distract the audience if the image does not really "mesh" with what you are saying. I found a lot of the examples very monotone and repetitive, especially those about some particular event. But there's a lot of challenge in this kind of show....I think mine is probably not very earthshaking also.

Oops...turns out I put it into Slideshare and now it is minus the narration. Now I've put it into authorStream and am waiting to see if it will "process" successfully. I definitely think there's a place for digital storytelling in our library. I'm hoping we can do some oral history work with our older patrons using these tools.

Beyond Method #8: Screenshots

I did like the look of these very much. I often watch videos on youtube or on ehow about how to do something, like spackling the ceiling for example. I find them very helpful since you can stop the video and replay that part until you figure it out. I wonder if all cookbooks will use those eventually for trickier methods, so we may not have to learn those kinds of tasks by reading anymore!

I used Screenr, the cloud tool. I was disappointed in that all it seemed to do was record, and there seemed to be no option for me to edit it or add pointers or text boxes to the recording. I did create an account, and this screenshot is registered to my account, but I saw no place for me to edit it. (Perhaps I was missing something.) But doing even such a simple procedure (setting up a Yahoo mail) showed me that there were things that you don't foresee - like how big the screen has to be, what about if the person has some errors, etc. I like the idea of taking more time to script a screenshot, and be able to have graphics and audio on it to make more of an impact.
When I first tried this, I went over the time because I was talking too much! And the voice over could use some brushing up. But it was fun to create.

Although we are not using screenshots at this point, I'm sure we will be using them in the near future.

Beyond Method #7: Next Gen Presentation

I chose Sliderocket for my presentation, and since I had no old presentations to use, I went ahead and created 5 slides about things I like about Houston, which is 30 miles away from me. The free version of Sliderocket unfortunately doesn't have any audio capability (except you can embed videos) so I used video, pictures and URL's. I found, like the review we read, that Sliderocket was too easy to just accidently sign out of, and like he said, the recover function was not that reliable when it happened. That said, I do like the look of it and think if you could add feeds like Twitter and invite comments and look at the statistics this would be good for a workplace. But I'm not sure if it would be worth the $24 a month. Each slide can be saved in the Library and reused. You can't crop a video, so the one I found about running in Houston is actually too long, and probably most viewers would not be interested enough to view it all. I must say, I didn't think about the copyright issue of using a video that is not mine, and not getting permission either. (!) I have worked with PowerPoint just enough so that the basic tools are easy to use. I like the idea of film and audio in a presentation. Especially for me, music has a potential impact for me that silent slides do not, although the music has to be skillfully applied. I especially liked the example of Sarah McLachlan's "infomercial" about film studio costs vs help for people.

I must say I do not do presentations for my job. I did one in library school....that's it. These online tools ones look very promising to me. I think we certainly could use them in the library...on our blog or at kiosks where people can see a local history overview, or a quick run-down of different book genres. As long as we have that internet connection!

Beyond Method#6: Ebooks and Ereaders

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/125
the above is the link to the book I viewed. The Kindle version is displayed, and I would imagine that the patron would just have to connect their device to download it. However, I note that our subscription to Overdrive currently requires our patrons to download the ebooks from their home computers or computers outside, our computers in our library do not work for downloading currently. I can imagine that some patrons would be interested in Gutenberg, but the plain HTML is not fancy....and of course only old books are available.
I have read books online for a long time. There are other sites besides Gutenberg I used, one I liked because you could change the colors of the background and text, as well as the size.
Ereaders are still a new thing for me, and I can't seem to get that excited about them. But I do accept that they will change libraries a lot.

Beyond Method #5: Social Cataloging and Libraries

I have heard/looked at LibraryThing before. I read the articles, and looked at the libraries using GoodReads. My problem with these sites is the same as my take on Amazon reviews: there is too much discrepancy in the reviews. Some are superficially accurate: using the jargon to nail the writer, talking about "being up all night reading it". But the responses are all over the place. One person "loves" the way the writer used one person's perspective to tell the story, another "hated" that device and felt distanced by it. Too me, they are just a waste of time. A lot of ego gratification. To me, if I have forgotten a book I read, that book deserved to be forgotten. I think small group discussions which grow and blossom because of the people getting to know each other are an important vehicle for every public library, but I don't think cyberspace can provide the equivalent. If someone wants to keep their bookshelf online for organizational purposes, that seems fine. But note - these "bookshelves" are what someone has read, and it doesn't mean they have them at home. So how much do we "own" these books we read, if we pick them up and read them and then move on? To me, the books I actually take home have value because they "remind" me of what they contain and why they were important to me - just by their physical presence. I guess my point is that I don't see the value of social bookmarking, just individual bookmarking.

For "Library Thing for Libraries" - I don't know how much it costs, but I did like their attempt to make the catalog more user friendly. I like the virtual shelf browsing.

It's interesting about being paid by Amazon for certain widgets of displaying your books. I do a lot of shopping on Amazon, but I am aware of its way of edging out bookstores. I wonder if the libraries are getting some revenue through this avenue.

Beyond Method #4: Employment 2.0

This was a very informative lesson. I looked at the websites for creating an online resume. Visual CV looked intriguing - with the opportunity to include samples and showcase projects that the patron has worked on. Moving on to the TWDL (Texas Workskills Development in Libraries)...I had seen this before, but my library is not a participant. I really liked the video explaining TWDL. It was very heartfelt, addressing a problem we do see in our Texas library. We have a Texas Workforce in our city, which is a good thing for our patrons. We have computer classes throughout the fall winter and spring, although they are in the daytime so not everyone can utilize them. We certainly assist people day to day in various aspects of their jobsearch; helping them use the Word resume templates, using email, accessing the Workforce page, and making their way through the maze of job websites. One patron brought to my attention how now there are these "companies" or websites that offer a "one size fits all" job application, so the poor patron thinks they can fill this out for Wendy's, Walmart, McDonald's, etc. We have to redirect them to go through the company websites for the best results. And of course so many websites are set up for the customer, not the job seeker....and when you try to navigate the employment page, it's easy to get bogged down and lost. One retailer has on their job seekers page, a link for the actual application, but the title of the link includes "pharmacy position" so you can miss it if you just want to apply for regular clerk positions.

Because Workforce is just down the road, our 1 hour computer time still holds, although we direct patrons filling out applications to see if they can save it and then resume it with a second time session. And we spend a fair amount of time helping people create a web email. (interestingly, gmail was easy except now gmail requires the person to have a cell phone to verify setting up the account - another example of technology moving on and leaving some behind.) I found the links on TWDL excellent - good guidelines (on the Riley Guide) about being careful when you use social networking and resume websites to job search - how you can spread out too much and hinder your chances, plus all the sites that just want to market your information...... I was interested to read their advice to not attach your resume, but insert it in the email itself so as to be more accessible! (unless the job notice directs you to use a Word attachment) That actually doesn't seem that professional, but the author may have a point.

I looked at the LinkedIn information. I am not convinced of the helpfulness of this site. I don't see why strangers will be willing to forward your emails to their managers to be introduced. But I may be mistaken! I like the idea of keeping an online resume confidential by disguising even the names of places you worked....the writer argues that the confidentiality should not hurt your chances and even make you look more desirable....

Since I am a librarian, I looked at the jobsites for librarian positions. This brought up a weakness that many of such sites do NOT have all career choices listed (like librarians or archivists, or even information professionals) and they also usually hinder the search by insisting you select a state (when the person may want to see country-wide).

I had not seen the Goodwill Federation computer classes before. I looked at a few of the beginning videos and one on using Powerpoint 2010. They seemed good, very straightforward.
Again, I found this information informative. The biggest hurdle is that so many patrons are not computer savvy, and just having skills to navigate does not mean that you can use these sites to your advantage. My boss pointed out that although we can assist patrons to a certain degree, we are not human resource professionals, and can not really fill those shoes. It's a good thing to remember - just seeing how I myself have gaps in my knowledge of what is out there and the best way to go about it.

Beyond Method #3: Where in the World

I already use Google maps quite a bit...and Google Earth. On MapMyRun.com I will use the satellite view of Google to help me plot my course more accurately (since MapMyRun free subscribers don't get a very good map...its visibility is not as good as Google's. ) I like the street-view perspective, taking screenshots with that.

I created a map at:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=212521631901758431747.0004a831465d57ffb471c&hl=en&ie=UTF8&z=13
(actually just began to create) a map of historical markers in our city. Some websites already have these, but not one just for our city. Not sure how to utilize the marker photos, the url of those on the web are not mine, so I have to get permission to use them or take my own photos and submit them to these historical sites? Also interestingly, my boss would like a link to the state historical commission's website which has all the historical marker listings - the trouble is, the pages are contained in a search "atlas", so that finding a page listing does not give you an individual url, the url still just reflects the search site. So I'm in touch with them to see if there is a solution. Other historical websites have these listings too, they are not official and I would have to get permission probably to link them. And then those listings have a small map on their page, making my map redundant? You can see what I mean by clicking on the "First Aero Squadron" marker, which I linked to such a website. Very interesting I think. I looked at our library's identification, but didn't have the authority to change it. (Also noticed that on Google maps, one of the historical sites in our city already has a "marker" on Google...but it's across the street from the location. So I called the organization and they will check it. ) I'd like to practice embedding a map onto my blog.....but that will have to happen later.

“Beyond Method #2″

Netvibes seems a lot more versatile than iGoogle. I created a Netvibes page and it's still in progress. I gather from our Web Admin that these applications, because they are free, can have glitches. (For instance, I wanted to access my Yahoo mail from the page, and Netvibes said at this time I couldn't, but suddenly it worked.) I noticed that one of the libraries using Netvibes had a regular homepage too, which seemed like it could be a bit much for some patrons.
I like how the Dublin City public library used Netvibes to create instant access to things like the News. We could access our local newpaper - with its blogs - and community happenings - and catch a little more attention to our community. We have local museums as well, and it seems that it would be great to have that kind of content available, along with local happenings.

Beyond Method #1: Tech Training (Two-Steppin')

Making a blog seemed fine, the site wasn't hard to figure out. Sometimes you realize you are spending a lot of time on something (like for me, uploading a photo the right size for background), but you know that the following times will be easy. I'm somewhat reluctant to join the whole "put it all out there" trend that seems so gung ho, with Twitter and all, but the idea of community learning appeals to me. I always enjoyed following other students in an online course. When I first typed "about me" I just thought I was being casual, but when I saw the words on my blog they didn't work, they were too negative, (something about having too strong opinions). So I rewrote that to make it sound more acceptable. Just like when I post book reviews on our library blog, I can't see problems until I'm reading it online, like a new creation. The "25 blogging styles" by Bhargava was useful for me, since I'm such a newbie to this.