Thing #15 - Library 2.0 and Web 2.0

I hope Wendy Schultz's "To a temporary place and time" was not written tongue-in-cheek, because of all five viewpoints in this Thing #15 I think she gets it. She takes us full circle from being "management biobots" to Web 3.0's virtual reality information coach to Library 4.0's knowledge spa where with a little time on our side we realize that we like a comfy chair, good lighting, and the quiet to absorb what we came to learn or enjoy. But behind the scenes, we're working to keep the well full and sparkling; to incorporate some of John Riemer's suggestions on libraries beefing up bibliographic data and making more available in one's result list. If this is done "across institutions" who rounds these institutions up to make this work, and who pays for it? Right now to me, it's like pinning down fog. I'm partially in favor of his idea that "libraries should welcome the submission of reviews and other forms of user participation." I welcome reviews by those with expertise in the field but I cannot suffer nonsense reviews. They cheapen the product.

Thing #14 - Technorati

When I searched "Learning 2.0" I got 1,054 blogs. I read some and could see that the availability of information is just exploding. Everything is easily linked and there's no wait time. I got 28,099 blogs on education when I clicked on "Hey Jude's" 'Emerging technologies, the development of Web 2.0, and what this all means for schools and school libraries.' I also checked out "When in Doubt Ask a Librarian - Leaders of the Digital Age," and "2 cents worth's" web 2.0 newsletter. I like his "Content as raw material" which gives insight on how younger generations view text, photos, music, etc. Such a different way of looking at things.

Thing #13 - del.icio.us

I've had a del.icio.us account for about a year and the best thing about it is that it "travels" with you; you don't have to be on a specific computer to access your Favorites. I often use it for research, and use familiar subject headings for my tags. I've looked into other peoples' sites who have tagged the same link to see what else they may have tagged, which can be interesting. I also learned about Furl and Live Bookmarks in Us.ef.ul's site.

Thing #7

I scanned an image of Frida Kahlo and Kristen replied that she had received it. I'm only adding this here because I'm not sure the WebThings team needs a record of it.

Thing #12 - NetLibrary and WorldCat

I've had a NetLibrary account for years and help others create one. I find it especially comes in handy when students can't find a physical copy of a book they need for an assignment but can access the title here.
I've explored Project Gutenberg and am thinking of joining their proofreading team. One page per day is manageable. I browsed their Top 100 Ebooks recently to see what the demand is.
I've used WorldCat before, but I'm aware of its limits in that not all libraries participate. To answer the WebThings question, it has all of the elements that are needed to complete our ILL form. I also like the "My lists," and "Related subjects" features.

Thing #11 - Library Thing

Library Thing is great! It beats all of those little bits of paper I keep my favorites or books I want to read on. It's easy to navigate and add to my blog. I found that my titles are all over the place popularity-wise. The "I See Dead People's Books" is intriguing and I'd like to explore that part more. I read some of the discussions on my books but I'm more interested in the titles that show up when you click on Library Thing Recommendations and Member Tags.

Thing #10

I've just read Stephen Abram's 20 things. Wow. Is it me or is this written on a level designed to cement technophobes even further into their little dark corners that have no electrical outlets? Come on Steve, rub elbows with us. Don't make this harder than it is.
Also Thing #10
I accessed the Pets Category under Technology Blogs and was pleased to learn about Itchmo.com - a site devoted to essential news for cats and dogs. There is an article about help for low-income pets who can get help in paying their vet bills; and for owners who would like to lay to rest the mystery of what their cats (especially) do all day, a Cat Cam is available for the modest price of $30.00. Not bad for pet owner peace of mind. The Cat Cam takes a picture every minute for 48 hours and weighs about 2.5 ounces including batteries. My own comment to all of this is - information is just exploding all over the place.