As promised, Thing #4, photos of the new STC Library

IMG_1168,
originally uploaded by rubybeth.

As my readers know, I already use Flickr, but it's on the list of 23 Things, so again, I'm blogging about something I already like. I mainly use Flickr for personal photos, though with Facebook having unlimited uploads of photos, I often skip uploading things to Flickr and go to Facebook instead. I guess I do this because some photos are only interesting to those who are in them, and with Facebook tagging, this is easy and more fun for my friends than just seeing photos on Flickr. However, Flickr opens me up to a far wider community of awesome photographers. I love trolling for new and interesting photos, though I don't do it very often.

I used Flickr to find ideas for engagement and wedding photos, and our photographer uses Flickr, so I could comment on our e-photos as soon as he uploaded them, only a day after they were taken. I think this immediacy is what users want from libraries. As a millenial/gamer generation/generation Y librarian-to-be, I understand this need for something I want. Right now. That's what great about digital media; I take a photo of my friends out celebrating, and then before I go to sleep, I upload the photos to Facebook, and the next day we can already reminisce and solidify relationships, all because of technology.


All the photos of the new St. Cloud Public Library are on Flickr.

#3: RSS, Bloglines, oh my!

Thing #3 is another one I've already done. I use Bloglines, and I really like it. I have a few options that I do regularly: to skim for interesting posts from favorite bloggers, to read all posts by those bloggers since the last time I checked in, or to know it's been updated and to click through to their actual blog and read it from there. It's also one of those browser tabs that rarely gets closed once I open it in Firefox. I just keep it up and look at it once or twice a day when I want something to read.

I think one of the most useful applications of RSS could be for libraries and teachers to put out timely information on a feed instead of e-mailing or expecting users/students to login somewhere. RSS makes it easy to update the masses without masses of 'extra' information overload.

To be completely transparent, I will say that the only reason I found out about Bloglines 2 years ago was because I attended a session on Library 2.0 in Willmar, taught by Michael Stephens himself. I was the only one in the room of about 30 library staff who'd heard of or already used half the things he was talking about (last.fm, Facebook, Flickr, to name a few) and he literally told me, "You need a Bloglines account," so I went home and made one and never looked back.

I used to visit a lot of blogs on a regular basis, just to see if they'd added anything new, and now I don't have to waste time hunting around for updates. Aggregators, I find, are especially nice for keeping up with Michael Stephen's blog, Found Magazine's Daily Finds, and the combined list of LIS jobs. As of right now, I have 43 feeds in my Bloglines. Instead of hunting down where a feed is on a site, I usually just type the URL into Bloglines and let it search for the feed.

Thing #2: Web 2.0 and why I should care

For #2 of 23 things, I'm going to address some questions:

* We know time is always an issue--Stephen Abram shares some ideas on where to find the time for 23 Things. Where will you find the time?
* Why are you participating in 23 Things On a Stick? What do you hope to learn?
* How has the Internet and the vast resource it can be affected your use of time at work and/or at home?
* Where are you in your knowledge and use of Web 2.0 tools? How about your library?
* What are you looking forward to in 23 Things On a Stick?

To answer all of these, first of all, do I get bonus points for being Facebook 'friends' with Stephen Abram? No? Okay, well, anyway, part of why I want to do the 'things' is that I've got a few weeks before my next course begins, and so it will be fun to try these things and think about them differently. I already use so many of the 'things' that I'm going to be blogging about, and my hope is that I can think about these Web 2.0 tools in relation to what I will be doing as a librarian once I graduate and find employment as a 'real librarian.'

I think the perspectives of Millenials/Gen Y'ers are very important for libraries right now. Since most of us already use these Web 2.0 tools for our own personal uses (sharing photos on Flickr, using aggregators to keep up with friends' blogs, etc.) and don't even think about them as being anything 'new' or unusual, I think we can help bridge the gap between the seasoned librarians and even younger generations who simply do not find the library a relevant place. This is where Library 2.0 (or L2) comes in. As Blyberg points out,

"While there are a lot of non-technical components to L2, the fact of the matter is that technology is L2’s impetus. I think this is where a lot of confusion comes in to play. L2 is not about technology, but technology is an important component of it."

Also, I love this point:

"Also, it’s not terribly costly to integrate social software in ways that Jenny Levine, Jessamyn West and Sarah Houghton have been suggesting for a long time now. It just takes energy, enthusiasm and a will to do it."

It's like, come on, people! This stuff is FREE! Why not try it, play around, enjoy it, and embrace it? New things are fun and exciting; don't be afraid of change. Life is all about change. I love that I get to be on my library's Virtual Service Team, and talk about these things with librarians and actually implement change in my organization. What's hard is really making 'radical trust' work in a bureaucracy, which is essentially what all libraries are. I'm glad that our director has been supportive of the VST and overhauling our library's website.

Another Blyberg point I like:

"L2 is not an option. If we don’t acknowledge the weighty significance of L2, we will not just be running the risk of sliding into obscurity, we just wont be that important to society. We will become the functional equivalent of back-room storage full of green hanging-file-folder boxes."

Amen to that.

I'm really looking forward to the next 21 things, and re-energizing myself both in library school and in my current job as a library assistant.

Beginning 23 Things on a Stick

Libraries in Minnesota are involved in a self-guided Library 2.0 tutorial called 23 Things on a Stick, since everything at the Minnesota State Fair is 'on a stick.' The first session of the tutorial is over, but a new round is beginning May 15. The first 'thing' is to create a blog... well, we know I've got that down! I've decided I'm going to attempt the 23 things, and just label them as such with my current blog. I'm getting a jump on the things since they're already posted here.

The other thing I'm supposed to accomplish is to make an avatar with Yahoo avatars. That was fun! I added my little Beth avatar right over there -----> and I really like her! (Note: I would never wear a skirt that short to work, but y'know, she is cuter that way.)

My thoughts on the first 'thing'? Blogging is so easy and fun that anyone can and should do it, except that blogs really need a focus in order to be relevant for readers. As my readers know, I am kind of all over the map, but I write about how I am in library school, my fiance (who appears as 'S' in this public forum) and our upcoming wedding, food, family, and lots more. I'm into a lot of hobbies (knitting, movies, classical voice, etc.) and I also like to take photos. One of my gifts for my recent golden birthday was a sweet new Canon camera from my parents, so more photos will be appearing soon!

So, here's hoping the next 22 things are as fun as the first one.