Final Thoughts on Learning 2.0

I really enjoyed working on this project though at times it seemed almost overwhelming and I nearly gave up. But, somehow I found myself captivated. Learning about all the new 2.0 web tools was so fascinating that I had to keep coming back to find out what the next discovery exercise would be. I am actually using some of the new tools I have learned and I plan to continue my learning journey! It has been a mental challenge, but I have thoroughly enjoyed it. What amazes me is how much I now know, but there is still so much more I have to learn. There is a lot I can do with these new web tools and I am going to see how I can apply them to my everyday needs!

Netlibrary Revisited

I searched eAudiobook titles on Netlibrary and found "The 11th Element: the Key to Unlocking Your Master Blueprint for Wealth and Success." I clicked on "download eAudiobook" and got a message which told me that this book was now checked out to me. Then, several options for downloading this title were given. I clicked on download radio quality because it is much quicker, although I understand the quality might not be as good. I saved the eAudiobook to my computer. When I opened up the file to listen to it, I was prompted for my Netlibrary username and password. I was able to listen to the book in a matter of seconds. One great feature about it is you can listen to the book while working on other projects. What a great tool!

Bloglines

Bloglines is one of the web sites listed on www.seomoz.org which received a 2.0 award. I personally have enjoyed using this site. It allows you to add your news feeds, blogs and other other weblogs or just about whatever interests you. You can share your page with others and friends can subscribe to your bloglines page. One of the things I like about it is it is very simple to use. The best thing about it for me is that I can put everything that I use or that interests me all in one place. I think this could be a useful tool for libraries. Libraries could add useful web sites, guides, online directories, library news feeds or links to information frequently requested by library patrons.

Zoho Writer

Discovered zoho writer which is an online based tool which offers a word processing feature. Zoho Writer can be accessed from anywhere. You can use it to create documents, edit and save files in a variety of ways. You can publish your document, email it or work on it with multiple users. This is new for me, but I think this is a tool I might really use! Very handy.

Wikis

Wikis are an interesting concept which I knew very little about until I began this learning project. Although I frequently visited "wikipedia" for example, to find definitions and information about different subjects I did not realize that people could add or edit information on it. Many of the wiki sites require that you register before you can add or edit information on the web site. I particularly enjoyed reading "Library Success: a Best Practices Wiki." It is a wiki where librarians can write about successes in their libraries and exchange ideas with others. Articles are arranged alphabetically under each topic and they cover a wide range of different areas. You just click on "edit" if you want to add something, but you have to login first. Wikis can be used by libraries to provide information on different topics for example, library programs and services or community events. It could contain articles and bibliographies of items in the library's collection or provide any information about the library that could be of interest to the community or the library staff.

Thoughts on Library 2.0

I have to confess, that before working on PLCMC's 2.0 Learning Project I had only a generalized idea about the impact on libraries of the new technologies. In fact, I knew little about these new technologies. It has really been a pleasant surprise to discover the new possibilies for learning and being able to participate in what is written on the web. I am still discovering all the new things that I can do.

In view of all of this, I think that libraries need to be aware of the way that the emerging technologies have changed the way that we respond to information on the web. The new 2.0 Web tools have enabled users to be able to post thoughts online, publish, create images, put information where they want it and share it with others. Internet users can decide how or where information will be delivered and have it delivered more quickly. Users no longer have a passive role when looking for information on the web; they expect to participate in what information is being diseminated and how it is being used.

The library of the future should be aware of the emerging technologies and should be supportive to the needs of internet users by helping to educate them about these new technologies as well as to provide greater access to them. The Library 2.0 will recognize that users have different expectations than before. The library's role in my opinion, is to stay abreast of user needs and help users achieve their goals.

Technorati, Tagging, Folksonomies...

Since I am "UFO Piloting" I thought it only befitting to use Technorati to find blogs dealing with UFO Research. I searched through Technorati users' tags to find related blogs. Tags are a system of classifying online content that make it easier to find information. The tags I searched were "UFO", "UFO Research" and "UFO's". I found it fascinating to read what others had to say on this topic and to see links to their research sources. I also tried searching for blogs on Alternative Medicine and Herbalism. I searched users' tags "alternative medicine", "natural medicine", "herbalism" and "herbs". I was able to find a number of interesting relevant blogs.

Online Image Generator

confucius1_www-txt2pic-com
Originally uploaded by suri1746.

I had fun playing with this online image generator which I found on txt2pic-com.

RSS Feeds

A few weeks ago I learned about RSS Feeds and Newsreaders. Before then, I hadn't a clue as to what they were, although I heard people discussing them. I learned that RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication." In other words, RSS feeds or news feeds are news summaries. In accordance with my 2.0 learning journey of "The 23 Things" I got an account on Bloglines. I found that the easiest way for me to add news feeds to my bloglines was by searching for the rss feeds icon on some of my favorite websites. Another way is to let bloglines search for you. I was surprised how much news you could receive quickly by looking at your news feeds. You have the option of only getting a summary or you can click on the feed to get the entire article.

NetLibrary

Netlibrary gives you access to its collection of over 1300 eBooks and eAudiobooks. It can be accessed through the PLCMC website (you must have a PLCMC library card). Just go to the "online resources" page. Once you have an account you can log into Netlibrary directly.

It is browseable by subject, author, title or keyword. The eBooks can be viewed online, downloaded to a file or your MP3 player or emailed. I tried searching "genealogy" by subject and got 12 books. One was "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Genealogy", by Rhonda R. McClure. I also searched "French language" and got 30 hits. A nice feature of Netlibrary is that it keeps a list of your recent searches and suggests related topics.

Meez

I have been having a lot of fun with Meez. Meez lets you create 3D identities which you can use in your email, IM or blog. You can select the physical features you want on your meez, animate it and dress it. I am still playing with it to see what it can do. There are many similiar programs like Meez.

Suri's Greetings

suri
Originally uploaded by suri1746.

Hello Friends,

Suri wants to welcome you.