#16 Sandbox Wiki

Fun. I enjoyed the simplicity of the entry. Just like the YouTube video. Edit, write, and save. Nice of you all to host a wiki just for us to practice! Our District is using eChalk which has a blogging feature. Can't wait to introduce it to the librarians.!

#15 Web 2.0 and the Future of Libraries

My experience of libraries has changed so much in the past ten years or so, that I am excited that we are still on the move, and while we can identify general directions, the future is still just possibilities. However, the role of 2.0 technologies and applications, is to help us "test the waters" and jump in. I have already stepped into the unknown and am just a bit uneasy. We librarians often like to think of ourselves as "in-control" when many of us are already behind.

Wendy Schultz sparked my imagination with the possibilities. Not only am I to master 2.0, but 3D and 4.0 as well----when we get there.

David Warwick is amazing. He led me to Teachertips.com and 50 Useful Blogging Tools for Teachers and a Florida site: Web Tools 4 U 2 Use.

The possibilities are staggering! Like Wendy, I can't wait to get there.

#14 Technorati

I am not nearly as excited about Technorati as I was about Del.icio.us. I am struggling with how to use it for my own benefit and the benefit of librarians. What I did learn from Technorati was that we, who are are doing the 23 Things through Spring Branch are not alone. Everyone, including NEA and School Library Journal, and 170 others are blogging and exploring all the networking possibilities of Web 2.0. We, at least some of us, were listed, thought it was hard to tell. I went to the top blogging spot, Boing Boing, but was not too impressed. What I am learning is that there is a lot of blogging activity going on out there!

Tags are very helpful, especially because you self-select; no reason to memorize a key list of any type. The suggested tags on side menus are very helpful, particularly related to size of the type. The bigger the more popular. I did learn however, that just because the tag is large doesn't mean that it is what I am looking for.

Thing #13

What a gift! I had signed up for a Del.icio.us account a few months ago and a friends suggestion, but then didn't have a clue as to what to do with it. Finally, I can clean all those really important links off my desktop! It's the tags, the wonderful tags! The Common Craft videos from U-Tub are so great - so simple, even the technology challenged can get it.

I can see great possibilities for sharing not just professionally, but also with family, friends, Church, etc. "favorites" folders never seemed to work for me. I saved and saved and saved; then couldn't find them when I needed them.

I thank you for including Del.icio.us as one of your 23. I would like to see it moved closer to the top of the list. I wish I had it to use early on...

Thing #12 Creating Community

I am finding that I am probably not a great blogger. I love exporing the 23things; just hate having to write about them. I move ahead to the next "thing" and "forget" to blog my comments. Then I have to go back and try to remember what I did.

I have to confess that I am a lurker, not an active participant. I have to get really excited to join in a conversation in a blog or a list. I have been a member of LM-Net, TLC Listserve, and read many blogs without ever commenting unless asked directly. So, to go to some of our group blogs and comments was really work. Loved to read them though and especially loved seeing examples of their work - especially the image creators. I had to make myself comment, but I did do it and left my personal stamp (picture) so the recipient would know who I am. I feel safe doing that within this group. I loved The Mean Old Library Teacher's blog. So beautiful, creative, flowing, and very different for the rest. I would have told her but I couldn't find any place to comment. Comments were posted on Life's a Garden, Born to Travel, Karen's Space, and Practicing what I Preach - Teach sites. They were all way ahead of me .... finished even.

I am still struggling, knowing that time is short and I have a lot of blogging to do. I have listed some of my favorite blogs on my site and am adding as I go....Put Library Thing on this morning. I am always interested in any and all conversations about books and reading.

Thing #11: The Library Thing

What an amazing website! I signed up, catalogued a few of my books, and took them up on their offer to evaluate some free books. I am on the email lists, and found an invitation in my email this morning to join their bookstack picture contest.

In addition to personalizing one's own book collection - it will take quite a long time to catalog or even list them all - this is a site that might appeal to young bibliophiles, with particular reading tastes.

I added it as an RSS feed. I am still struggling with feed concept. E-mail or Reader?

Thing# 10 Image Generators

I found Image Chef easy to use and created both trading cards and a magazine cover to celebrate my son's recent wedding. The wedding and summer break has focused me on family and family celebrations and I think how wonderful it is to be able to generate magazine covers and trading cards to commemorate such happy occasions as a wedding, or a birth and post them on the web for the world to see. There are so many wonder family things to celebrate!

Sign generators were also very helpful. We are temporarily without our graphic designer, who has always helped me with Drop Everything and Read (DEAR), our annual District reading promotion. Using sign generators, I can create and show librarians and school staff how to create easy individualized signs to promote our reading event.