Monday, December 1, 2008

Thing #23 - Summary

This program was interesting. I had already experimented with many of the "things" that were mentioned but having a structured Discovery Exercise was helpful.

I enjoyed the delicious and RSS feed discovery exercises. Even though I have used them post in the past - it was a nice refresher and I was able to think about other uses for them.

The program was interesting and I would participate in a similar program if offered. I'm looking forward to my flash drive - a sense of accomplishment.

Thing #22 - MOLDI

MOLDI seems to get a lot of hits from out customers, which is great. I think "e" formats have really started to take off.

It was fun searching around and seeing what was new on the MOLDI site. It is great that they are now compatible with iPods - that was a big downfall when this site was launched.

I liked the assortment of titles and will continue to explore the collection.

Thing #21 - Podcasts

This "thing" is very timely - I was looking for some podcasts to experiment with on my iPod. I was able to use the sites mentioned to find some interesting podcasts that I might consider downloading.

I think CML could use podcasts to promote events but this seems like it would be to a limited audience so I think some research should be done to determine what audience this would be serving prior to putting much time into it. I also think it should target a specific audience, such as business leaders.

Thing #20: YouTube

YouTube is amazing - you can find all kinds of things on video. Check out the Happy Feet dance. He is so cute :)

I can see how this could be useful for libraries and a simple and inexpensive way to post videos - similar to how libraries are using Flickr

Thing #19: CML's Tool Box

I enjoyed StumbleUpon. It was fun to use - I was able to search my interest and get results of different sites that the tool found. I liked the way the results came back one at a time. Then if you just keep clicking on Stumble you get more.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Thing #18: Web 2.0 Tools

I love Google Maps. Not only for driving directions and viewing different areas, but the functionality to search for attractions in the area is great.

I was also able to create a map featuring area sites. You can plot the locations on the map and change the images that are associated with them. You can also make your map private or public. It can be very useful when trying to plot things for friends that are not familiar with the area.

Thing #17: Online Productivity Tools

Google is amazing. They create so many cool and useful tools.

I think Google docs is very useful for people who do not have a dedicated PC that they work off of at all times. And it can act like a backup mechanism for your important files.

I think libraries could benefit from some of these free tools by teaching customers to use them and maybe not have to license so many instances of Office.