Thing #17 - Learning 2.0 Sandbox Wiki

I used Ellen's modified directions to get my blog on the Sandbox Wiki. It's amazing to see how many people have contributed. I'm hopeful that this will propel Maryland librarians to a better understanding of the tools of Library 2.0, and that most of them have not looked upon this as a chore rather than a learning and bettering opportunity.

Thing #16 - Wikis

I looked at a number of the wikis suggested in Thing #16

I liked the way the Oregon library's Library 2.0 page was organized. Everything at a glance is both aesthetically pleasing and useful for learning. No scrolling is a good thing :-)

I've used and contributed to the libsuccess wiki, in the Gaming section. The BCPL collection is included in the section of libraries circulating games, and I've received a number of emails looking for further information due to our collection being referenced there.

I didn't care for the Princeton PL's BookLoversWiki. Perhaps with more time it will be more fleshed out. It was unclear who was reviewing the books, and for Malcolm Gladwell's Blink to receive a 2-star review on a library's page needs very obvious clarification to viewers.

The Bull Run Library wiki is an interesting way to communicate, but again, aesthetics are a problem. The header is muddy, and the white space and bullet points going down the left side quickly bored me.

The ability to edit in a wiki is clearly the most important. I have edited numerous Wikipedia entries for spelling and grammar issues that I couldn't pass unchecked. I've also removed subjective material from entries on Wikipedia. I find Wikipedia immensely useful and a great addition to online research, but when I put my librarian hat on, I feel the need to separate fact from opinion.

Thing #15 - Perspectives on Web 2.0, Library 2.0

The YouTube video by Michael Wesch is astounding. It should be required viewing for... everyone. The comments by Rick Anderson were very thought-provoking from a collection point-of-view. Michael Stephens and I have never really been on the same page, and I feel about the same about our viewpoints after reading his essay. Generally, I feel that much of the Library 2.0 cheerleaders have terrific theoretical concepts, but in practice the majority of changes and attitudinal shifts will come, maybe just not as fast as they want or expect.

Thing #14 - Technorati

Looking over the most popular blogs on Technorati, I was not terribly surprised by those on the list -- money making, technology, and the ubiquitous Boing Boing. What I found surprising was the wide range of top searches. Some were expected, like Eva Longoria and the Zune, but others included words and people I don't even know, in addition to rape - a highly unexpected top search term. Learning 2.0 was one of the top searches, too, which made me chuckle.

Claiming my blog was a little more trying, and I will attempt to do this again as time permits.

The numbers varied considerably about Learning 2.0 between a general search on Technorati and doing a search on which blogs included that tag (far fewer).

Thing #9 - MERLIN & other library related blogs

MERLIN is an interesting compilation of personal, librarian, and "organizational" input. I thought it could be a little overwhelming to the technophobe, though I don't have any obvious solutions. Taking it in small bites (via a Bloglines feed, for example) would most likely lessen some of the "check this out... and this! and this!" feel that a first-time viewer might have.

I added a couple other library-related blogs to my Bloglines, including my friend Louise's.

Thing #8 - RSS/Newsreader Bloglines

I really enjoyed this "Thing". Collating a lot of my interests (animals, dogs, sports, books) in one place makes me very excited. I will be interested in making a better, more cataloged list as I continue to work on this past the Oct 3 deadline. I was having a hard time figuring out how to find the public Bloglines URL, so I will attempt to get back to that at another time.

Thing #2 - Pointers from lifelong learners

I found the information in the PLCMC tutorial to be very useful for starting a new learning plan. The most difficult of the habits is viewing problems as challenges. As an example, for various reasons, my ability to cook has always been limited. In the past, I have always fabricated excuses as to why I could not. Now I am willing to find solutions to these problems and put together a toolbox of time, recipes, food, and cooking utensils that will allow me to finally make a meal. On the other hand, the easiest habits for me are teaching and mentoring others, and of course, playing!