I first visited the Merriem-Webster word of the day podcast and learned the meaning and background of the word "vamoose." It's a word I've used to before, but learning about where it came from was interesting. I then checked out the podcast directories - I didn't even know such a thing existed. I found them to be a little overwhelming, but if I had a specific need or something in particular I was looking for, this would be helpful to use. Then I checked out the podcasts on BBC to get some news about the royal wedding.
I haven't ventured much into listening to podcasts beyond the NPR app I have on my iPhone. But, I do enjoy listening to news, so I could see myself listening to different types of podcasts. Occasionally, I do enjoy listening to the woot.com podcast because they are hilarious. So, I might just become a podcast listener yet! I like the format and the ease of use.
Monday, May 2, 2011
NetLibrary
I have used NetLibrary on occasion, but still do most of my audiobook listening in the car on CDs. Most of the titles I listen to are children's and teen lit. and NetLibrary does not have a large selection of these titles. I have at multiple times in the last few years resolved myself to read more classics of literature. NetLibrary is a great place to find these. For example, Emma by Jane Austen. This title is 15 hours and 39 minutes in length.
Online Media
So, here is the video I chose to embed. Pete the Cat has become quite the children's literature phenom. Here he is with his break-out hit, "The Wheels on the Bus."
Monday, April 4, 2011
RSS feeds
I knew about RSS feeds but never really had the desire to use them. After playing around in Google Reader, I can see how it would be useful to group everything in one place. But, I don't do a whole bunch of reading online (either websites, blogs, news, etc.) so I don't know that I will ever really use a reader. I might look to see if there is an app for my iPhone that functions as a reader.
I first added the New Videos feed from LFPL. I check this and the New Sound Recordings list usually once a week. Then I added the feeds for NPR and a blog I read that is on the School Library Journal site - A Fuse #8 Production.
I first added the New Videos feed from LFPL. I check this and the New Sound Recordings list usually once a week. Then I added the feeds for NPR and a blog I read that is on the School Library Journal site - A Fuse #8 Production.
Research Skillz
This has been fun! I've always been a fan of scavenger hunts and this one introduced me to some library resources I've never used before. I've used plenty of the databases more age-appropriate for children and teens like CultureGrams, Searchasaurus, CQ Researcher, etc. I used databases like Academic Search Premiere a lot when I was in school and still use it mostly to reference articles in Consumer Reports for my own personal use. I think many people (kids especially) find databases somewhat intimidating. They don't understand the terminology, how a database works, and/or what their password is to access it from home. So, there definitely are barriers, but that's our job as informational professionals to model the ease of use and how great the results can be. If LFPL could keep only one database, I would vote for CultureGrams.
10b) I found the obituary for Ms. Betty Jean by searching ProQuest's Courier-Journal database. I limited the date range from 3/16/2008 - 3/30/2008. I got one return which was what I was looking for. The obituary was published on March 18, 2008 and indicated that she had 4 sons (and seven daughters!)
10c) I found each of these journals by doing a publications search in Academic Search Premiere (ASP). Here are my findings:
Telos: There are references available for this journal (3/1/90 - present), but it is not available in full-text and LFPL does not have holdings of the journal. I did a search on WorldCat and found that UofL has the journal available from 1983 - present.
British Journal for the History of Philosophy: ASP has full-text holdings for this journal from 3/1/98 - present.
Clinical Medicine and Research: ASP has full-text holdings for this journal from 2/1/04 - present.
11a) Vanguard Target Retirement 2020:
Manager: Duane F. Kelly
Stewardship Grade: overall B
Morningstar rating: 4 stars
**Now, if I can get a database to tell me what those things actually mean, that would be nice.**
11b) Yes. "LCD & plasma TVs. (Cover story)." Consumer Reports 73.12 (2008): 28-33. Academic Search Premiere. EBSCO. Web. 4 Apr. 2011.
11c) This is a cool database - never knew what it did (thanks 23 Things!). Yes, I was able to pull up a list of the coffee shops in the 402- zip code area (thanks for the helpful hint). Looks like in the 40202 area, Starbuck's will be the major competitor.
Answers to the scavenger hunt:
10b) I found the obituary for Ms. Betty Jean by searching ProQuest's Courier-Journal database. I limited the date range from 3/16/2008 - 3/30/2008. I got one return which was what I was looking for. The obituary was published on March 18, 2008 and indicated that she had 4 sons (and seven daughters!)
10c) I found each of these journals by doing a publications search in Academic Search Premiere (ASP). Here are my findings:
Telos: There are references available for this journal (3/1/90 - present), but it is not available in full-text and LFPL does not have holdings of the journal. I did a search on WorldCat and found that UofL has the journal available from 1983 - present.
British Journal for the History of Philosophy: ASP has full-text holdings for this journal from 3/1/98 - present.
Clinical Medicine and Research: ASP has full-text holdings for this journal from 2/1/04 - present.
11a) Vanguard Target Retirement 2020:
Manager: Duane F. Kelly
Stewardship Grade: overall B
Morningstar rating: 4 stars
**Now, if I can get a database to tell me what those things actually mean, that would be nice.**
11b) Yes. "LCD & plasma TVs. (Cover story)." Consumer Reports 73.12 (2008): 28-33. Academic Search Premiere. EBSCO. Web. 4 Apr. 2011.
11c) This is a cool database - never knew what it did (thanks 23 Things!). Yes, I was able to pull up a list of the coffee shops in the 402- zip code area (thanks for the helpful hint). Looks like in the 40202 area, Starbuck's will be the major competitor.
Hello again....thoughts on Flickr
I have taken a loooooong hiatus from the 23 Things project - but I am dedicating this week to catching up! Flickr is a super-cool application. For some reason, I have not used it much (probably because I still like to kick it old-school every so often and order actual prints of pictures and sites like Snapfish make it easy to do that). I have used Flickr to upload pictures of some of my hand-knitted items to a site called Ravelry (a social network for knitters).
The World Map search is neato. I did a search for pictures taken in Utica, IN which is where I live. It's a small dead-end town that gets little traffic except for city folks coming out to explore Bob Hill's Hidden Hill Nursery. So, I wasn't surprised to find most of the pictures were taken there. But, there were a few of the Hillcrest Cemetary in Utica. It's a small, but interesting cemetery. I've even found the grave markers of the gentleman who built our house nearly 200 years ago.
In my line of work as a children's librarian, I have not had many kids wanting to upload photos to sites like Flickr. A lot of their photosharing is done via sites like Facebook. I think a lot of kids and teens, keep most of their photos saved on their phones and don't even think about putting them in a more permanent place. The World Map search feature though could be cool to show kids who are working on research projects about other countries or states. The Google image search seems to be the first place they look, but I can see now how Flickr could be used similarly.
The World Map search is neato. I did a search for pictures taken in Utica, IN which is where I live. It's a small dead-end town that gets little traffic except for city folks coming out to explore Bob Hill's Hidden Hill Nursery. So, I wasn't surprised to find most of the pictures were taken there. But, there were a few of the Hillcrest Cemetary in Utica. It's a small, but interesting cemetery. I've even found the grave markers of the gentleman who built our house nearly 200 years ago.
In my line of work as a children's librarian, I have not had many kids wanting to upload photos to sites like Flickr. A lot of their photosharing is done via sites like Facebook. I think a lot of kids and teens, keep most of their photos saved on their phones and don't even think about putting them in a more permanent place. The World Map search feature though could be cool to show kids who are working on research projects about other countries or states. The Google image search seems to be the first place they look, but I can see now how Flickr could be used similarly.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Facebook & Twitter
I've always thought that Twitter was a silly thing. I really don't need to know what people are doing every second of the day. But, I'm going to try it out for a bit and give it a chance. I do get a little chuckle every time I hear a celebrity or news operation say, "Tweet me .... blah, blah, blah" because the word "tweet" is so corny. I hardly ever update my status on Facebook and so I think that Twitter will just be one of those things that I do once or twice and never again. When prompted to do a search, I searched for tweets about Justin Beiber's haircut that broke in the news a few days ago. Really people?? Really?? There are that many people who had to communicate that "news" story to everyone and anyone. Sigh.
Facebook on the other hand, I check regularly. I have the app on my iPhone and it is one of the first things I look at in the morning (right after I make all my moves in Words with Friends). I really enjoy staying connected to people I have known and probably will never see again. And, it's a great way to share information, updates, and opinions. I have played around with the privacy settings before, but I'm not overly obsessive about them.
I do think that Twitter and Facebook are great ways for the Library to communicate information about events and resources. Facebook is so much more widespread than MySpace ever was and it's a great platform for any organization or business (and it's free!).
As far as using these social networking tools in the library, there might be occasions. I think just knowing how to use these is important because patrons are using them and ask for assistance. Although, in working with children's and teens, they are usually the ones showing us how to do things on the computer.
Facebook on the other hand, I check regularly. I have the app on my iPhone and it is one of the first things I look at in the morning (right after I make all my moves in Words with Friends). I really enjoy staying connected to people I have known and probably will never see again. And, it's a great way to share information, updates, and opinions. I have played around with the privacy settings before, but I'm not overly obsessive about them.
I do think that Twitter and Facebook are great ways for the Library to communicate information about events and resources. Facebook is so much more widespread than MySpace ever was and it's a great platform for any organization or business (and it's free!).
As far as using these social networking tools in the library, there might be occasions. I think just knowing how to use these is important because patrons are using them and ask for assistance. Although, in working with children's and teens, they are usually the ones showing us how to do things on the computer.
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