Thing #23: The finale! Summary of "23 things"

Yay I did it! I think this was a really helpful program (even though I rushed through it - I'm a bit of a procrastinator). I was familiar with over half of the things, but I learned more about them and discovered new tools I didn't know existed. My favorite things were Rollyo and learning about RSS feeds and Google Reader. If another discovery program is offered, I would participate again.

Thing #22: Downloadable Media

I'm already very familiar with Overdrive, so I created an account with Netlibrary. I found it irritating to use - there was no way to browse through eBooks, only eAudiobooks. Since I was on a staff computer, I could only check out an eBook. I'm not much of an eBook or audiobook person (I lack the attention span to just listen), but I know that many of our patrons prefer audiobooks to print books. After playing around with Netlibrary, I think I prefer Overdrive.

Thing #21: Podcasting

I saw a ton of library-related podcasts on PodcastAlley. Some looked interesting, like Library Geeks ("Welcome to Library Geeks, where librarians, geeks, and geek librarians geek out about libraries.). I subscribed to the "Fresh Air" podcast on NPR and wish I had done this way earlier. I think I'm going to go podcast-crazy!

Thing #20: YouTube

I love YouTube and use it pretty regularly. I like that you can find a video of just about anything under the sun and that people post comments about them and rate them so you can decide if it's worth your time to watch a particular video. Here's one I thought was funny:

Thing #19: Adding to my 2.0 toolbox

I thought the food category would be interesting because I love to eat. I already use Urbanspoon, which won 2nd place in the awards. So, I looked around on Im Cooked and thought it was really cool. You can post your own recipe videos and browse other's videos. Since I love to cook, I'm going to start watching these at home. The savory "easy watermelon salad" sounds delicious!

Thing #18: Online Apps

I tried out Google Docs, and it was really easy to upload a document and create a new one. I can definitely see using this at home and at work - it's nice to not have to worry about what software version you or someone else is using!

Thing #17: Playing in a Wiki Sandbox

Adding my blog to the Favorites in the wiki sandbox seemed a little confusing when first reading the instructions, but when I actually went to the page to do it, it all became clear. I read through some of the other "favorites" categories and found them interesting too.

Thing #16: Wikis

One example that popped into my mind of how we can use wikis in the library is to create pathfinder or subject guide wikis that stay updated (after I read the "Using Wikis to Create Online Communities" discovery resource I noticed that was one of the suggestions). I also think that using wikis internally among staff is a great idea, although it seems that we already have SharePoint to keep groups up-to-date.

I found Princeton Public Library's book review wiki interesting and think that would be a good idea for our library. The Librarian Chick wiki has a wealth of resources that seem really useful.

Thing #15: Library 2.0

I think that integrating 2.0 tools into our work makes things more interesting for us and our patrons, and it makes the delivery of information more effective and convenient. Take Flickr for example - patrons can see the programs we have available for them on Flickr, and staff can get programming and display ideas from the pics too.

I read the Rick Anderson article, Away from the "icebergs," and I agree that we should bring our services to our patrons instead of making them come to us (putting our services online). That is how we will stay relevant.

Thing #14: Technorati

I haven't really used Technorati before, and I did find it interesting to poke around and find new blogs. In looking at the top searches, I found it interesting that both Jennifer Garner and Jennifer Aniston were listed. I don't get it. However, I didn't find it surprising at all that Paris Hilton was listed, though I don't understand the obsession with her either. Also, I thought it was kind of funny that cheat codes were listed as a top search because I always see teens printing out cheat codes at the library.

Thing #13: Del.icio.us

Although I didn't have a personal account, I've used del.icio.us at work. We have a link to our del.icio.us account on our SharePoint page so that everyone in the group can share links. I decided to go ahead and create an account for myself and start bookmarking.

Thing #12: Rollyo

I created a search roll for vegetarian/vegan sites because, duh, I'm vegetarian. It's called Veggielife and includes websites on veg cooking, shopping, health and general veg lifestyle tips. After I entered the websites I usually use, I checked Alexa and found some that I hadn't seen before.

Select...VeggielifeSearch The Web

Thing #11: Goodreads

This one is easy for me because I've been on Goodreads for a couple of years. It's a great way to keep track of the books I've read (so that I can recommend them) and the books I want to read. To find new books to read, I regularly check to see what my Goodreads friends have been reading.

Shelfari is also a great website that basically serves the same purpose as Goodreads, but the difference is that you can see your bookshelves with the book covers on them. So, Shelfari is definitely prettier. I've shown these sites to our patrons, and they seem to like both of them.

Thing #10: Online Image Generators

For this avatar, I went to www.customsigngenerator.com and chose "Avatar Maker" on http://www.txt2pic.com/avatars/. It was fun to play around with different image generators.

Things #8 & 9: RSS & Google Reader

I don't know why I haven't used RSS feeds before - they save so much time! I can read my favorite library blog posts in one place, and since I'm a news junkie, this is really useful for me. Now I don't have to jump around from CNN to Yahoo! News to NYTimes. I really liked this exercise because it will make my life simpler. And that's always a good thing, right?

I found a vegetarian feed by doing a keyword search on Google Reader. I also used Technorati to find a couple of other blogs I wanted to subscribe to. Both methods seemed easy enough to find feeds. I hope I won't get obsessed with subscribing to too many feeds and then not finding the time to read anything...

Thing #7: Technology

There are lots of "2.0" tools out there that are fun and useful, both for our jobs in the library and in my own personal life. We use Flickr, wikis and podcasts in our department, and I have a Goodreads account and love reading blogs. I recently got an iPhone and feel like it's attached to my hand. I remember when I was the last person I knew (well almost) to get a cell phone. I resisted setting up a page on any social networking site. Now I can't live without my fancy phone, laptop, Facebook, Goodreads and other techy things I've become addicted to. It does feel good to not be behind the curve anymore though...

Thing #6: Mashups and Flickr tools

After looking at some of the fun and interesting mashups and Flickr tools, I thought that something I'd like to use is Trip Planner by Yahoo! Travel. You can build an itinerary for your trip, then create a photo set on Flickr that everyone can see. You can also browse trips that other people have created, including their itinerary and photos. It's awesome.

Thing #5: Flickr

I love this display for teen programming that the Landa folks have created. It's bold, colorful and incorporates President Obama! What's not to like?

Thing #4: Exploring the Blogosphere...

I have to agree with the 23 things team, that the Judge a Book by its Cover blog is hilarious. I'm going to start hunting for awful paperback covers now to analyze their awfulness. Fun!