#24 All Done

Well what a wonderful journey I've been on! I really appreciate NVDPL providing the opportunity to learn about web 2.0 programs, many of which I would never have discovered without the Playground. I enjoyed the self-paced program and despite having a few technical glitches trying to link items on my blog, the process was fun and painless. As Julie Andrews loves to sing....these are a few of my favourite things:

Del.icio.us - love using this to find my favourite sites quickly
Wikis - can't wait to play around some more with these
YouTube - who needs TV?
Social Networking - haven't found Facebook overwhelming and did connect with childhood friend that I haven't seen in over 30 years!

I would definitely participate in any online training that NVDPL offers - thank you again!

Nearly There....#23

I had already looked at the Library to G0 website and found it very easy to use and navigate. However, I haven't actually got round to downloading any audiobooks yet, eventhough I've found some great titles in the catalogue. Part of the problem is that I have an iPod and although I could listen to books on the computer, I'd rather do it when I'm taking a walk and moving around. I listened to Overdrive's Guided Tour and found that helpful, so assuming I do receive an MP3 player after completing the Playground, I'm all set to go!

#22 Podcasts

My iPod is loaded up with tunes but sadly lacking in podcasts. This was a great exercise that helped me explore just what I could be listening to instead of the Beatles! I decided to focus on finding a podcast on children's literature through podcastalley.com but found the process completely overwhelming. There were so many podcasts to choose from and after clicking on a random selection, I didn't find many that were current. I tried PodcastPickle.com and had the same mixed results. So, I went back to my old friend Google and found the ever-reliable CBC radio where I added the RSS feed "The Next Chapter" and "Vinyl Cafe Stories" to Google Reader. I'm going to enjoy listening to stories about Dave on my new MP3 player..........only two more "things" to do!

Addicted to YouTube

I hadn't really looked at YouTube until a few months ago. I just didn't seem to find the time. However, since it was listed on the Playground to do list, I became curious, took the plunge, and now I can't seem to stay away! I'm an avid Beatles fan and I love looking back at the clips of the 4 moptops. I can happily spend hours on this site. It's both entertaining and addictive at the same time.
I think there's lots of potential to use YouTube as a training tool both for staff and patrons. I found it was really helpful when used as part of the Playground Discovery Exercises. It could also be used as a link off the website to show patrons how to search for information from the databases NVDPL subscribes to.
I picked Sesame Street's "No Cookies in the Library" because everyone loves the cookie monster and the clip shows how far libraries have developed - it's not just about books anymore!

the library

the library
Originally uploaded by antonious (www.anthonyaphoto.com)

A place I could spend hours in.....

#20 Askaway

Had an initial hiccup trying to connect to Askaway. I assumed I was doing something wrong.....again, however, turned out there was a problem with my internet settings. Systems came to my rescue (thanks Lisa!) and in no time at all I was chatting with Sherry on Askaway about driving routes down the Oregon Coast. The information came fast and furious and I had websites about Oregon popping up all over my screen. Not that I should be surprised, but Sherry the Librarian was very friendly, found interesting and relevant sites for me to scan through, and made Askaway such a positive experience that I will be back to use it again!

DDDDDD Databases - #19

Had lots of fun learning about NVDPL's databases. As a user, I've only accessed the Research section of the website a couple of times and that was to go into EbscoHost (side note, I found this database quite difficult to navigate and produce the results I was looking for but that might have been due to poor search techniques!). This time, I gravitated to the children's and teen related databases and found both Novelist K-8 and Worldbook Advanced both informative and easy to use. I really liked the Recommended Reads section in Novelist which had broad categories like Fantasy, that were broken down further to witches, mermaids, wizards etc. I will definitely use this database at home when my kids are restless for new reading material. Worldbook Advanced was another winner and great for school projects. I found the site easy to search and found some interesting articles on global warming and the affect on oceans which one of my daughters is keen to learn more about.
When I have more time, I will definitely go back and take another more thorough look through those databases, especially Library to Go E-Audio. I need to know how to download e-books when I eventually finish in the Playground.