24th 1/2 Thing - too cool!

oSkope is a very cool free online service that searches Amazon, eBay, Flickr, and YouTube (more sites to be added). The intuitive visual interface displays your results letting you browse quickly with minimal amount of paging. If you register you selected items can be saved to your account.

Amy Degroff sent this to me and within seconds I was hooked.

Web 2.0? 2.1 and beyond!

Helene Blowers, the creator of 23 Things (originally called Learning 2.0) has taken her library system beyond the number 23 - they are doing Learning 2.1.

I think a lot of staff at our library and other systems aren't quite sold on this idea of Web 2.0 or Library 2.0. To those folks, I have to say - I'm sorry but it is here to stay. Long gone are the days when a customer just wanted a good book to read or an answer to a homework question. Information staff have certainly seen their job, and the skill set needed to do it, change from just being able to find the correct paper source to give someone the correct answer to things like electronic databases, web sites and more.

When we did a survey of our customers and why they used our PACs we discovered that many of them saw it as just another service (not unlike our collection and programs). Many of our customers are already familiar with the Web 2.0 technology and in order to serve them better, staff should be familiar with the technology too.

I know change scares a lot of people. But the power lies with the individual - you have the power of choice. You can choose to ignore, run or hide from technology. It won't go away and you'll just be further behind when you are finally forced (either by necessity or otherwise) to face it. Or you can choose to embrace the fact that technology has changed every one's job (not just library staff) and the best thing is to learn it now. Learning it now gives you the edge - it helps build stepping stones to the the next technological advance.

I love how Web 2.0 has put the power of the internet into the hands of the people. No longer are "just the experts" allowed to comment, share or instruct but your average Joe who happens to know a few things too can do the same.

Power to the People!

Omnivores Unite!

I was reading a friend's blog - (she used to work for HCL but now works at Harford County and has completed 23 Things)- 'Nette 2.0. I clicked on a link to HCPL Tech Fair. In that blog I found a link to the Pew Internet & American Life Project. I've actually heard Lee Rainie, director of P.I. & A.L.P. speak several times at CIL conferences. So I was intrigued when I saw on the HCPL Tech Fair page a link to a survey they are conducting. I was curious to see how I'd fit in the grand scheme of things. Turns out I'm an Omnivore.

Funny thing is I don't fit the profile -
Who They Are
They are young, ethnically diverse, and mostly male (70%). The median age is 28; just more than half of them are under age 30, versus one in five in the general population. Over half are white (64%) and 11% are black (compared to 12% in the general population). English-speaking Hispanics make up 18% of this group. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many (42% versus the 13% average) of Omnivores are students.

I'm not young, male or a student. Guess I'm just one of a kind ;)

Take the survey and found out just where you fit in the Pew Internet Project's Typology of Information and Communication Technology Users.

Playing with Widgets - Updated

Since I love Woot! so much I was thrilled to find a Woot widget so I can be updated on the Woot! deal of the day.

Rolling on down the line

"Let it roll, baby, roll. Let it roll, all night long." The Doors

So gave Rollyo a try. Not quite sold on it yet.

Not sure I did it right but I created a Rollyo for lighting. We are still renovating/expanding several rooms in our house (although the light is at the end of the tunnel - no pun intended). I don't know how many other folks will use my Rollyo but it is a bunch of sites that we've liked (good prices or good selections) and even ordered from. We were not impressed with Lowe's or Home Depot and places like Annapolis Lighting or Jones Lighting are nice but expensive. We have found that ordering off the Internet is cheaper and gives us the same quality product that you would have paid extra for in the showroom stores.

Not the most exciting Rollyo but it is something near and dear to my heart right now.

It's all 23 Things fault!

After getting about half way through 23 Things I've gotten slightly hooked on this blogging bit. Still not 100% sure about it but since I was on vacation I thought - hey, why not blog it. Unfortunately, due to not always having a WiFi connection and having to fight my computer junkie 16 yo and husband for time on the laptop, I gave up the idea.

But once I got home I thought what a great way to share some of my photos and thoughts/experiences with friends and family. Saving them a huge email that would have bored them to tears. Now they can go to Blogger and read or look at the pics if they want to.

So, if any of you are interested in my holiday blog - check it out here! And remember it is all 23 Things fault.

Avada Kedavra

MERLIN's beard! Order of Merlin, third class....

Every time I see the name MERLIN I think of Harry Potter if not then King Arthur. On some odd occassions I think of my home state (Yeah, I'm from Bawlmar, Merlin, Hon!).

Actually I was recently invited to be a site supporter for MERLIN. Trying to catch up on just what that entails but I hope to help make the MERLIN site even better.

Now remember...."it's Levosah not Levosar!"