What happened to October?

October blew right off the calendar! Now that it's November, we can await the birth of our first grandbaby. Webby's due date is today. We're grateful he or she wasn't born before today because DDIL's maternity leave is significantly better than it would've been yesterday. It's the one-year anniversary at her workplace today, which is the date the benefit gets higher.

DS got a digital movie camera for his birthday. We hope this will provide a few video clips for family who aren't nearby enough to see the baby and family often. Between birthdays, family gatherings, being really busy at work, re-roofing our house, the engagement of DD and her newly affianced, all I can say is "whew". The leaves are waiting today, so I'd better get out there and help. It's a deliciously bright and sunny day, even if it's a titch cold. Raking is not my thing so I hope I'll be able to use the leaf blower. I'm all for automation!

In a week, my library will partake in our annual In-Service day. One of our guest presenters will be the local director of our multi-type library system, Metronet. She will be talking about the successes of the first 23 Things on a Stick (Web 2.0/Library 2.0 technologies) and talk about the next Things we in libraryland will be encouraged to learn. I am thrilled to see how many of my colleagues completed 23 Things on a Stick.

Enough here. I'm stickin' the earphones in my ears and hitting the switch on that leaf blower. DH will think I've procrastinated enough! Remember to turn your clocks back tonight.

How time flies

I can't believe it's the end of September already (Happy Birthday, DA!). I haven't had much to post about lately, and I haven't really listened to the myPod either. Haven't been gardening, haven't had a lot of free time, and a few bouts with nasty cold germs have kept the family sharing them.

It's high editing season for j2 and I'm up to my eyeballs in alligators, as they say, keeping students happy (most of them are psychology students -- haha!). I'd like to get back to figuring out that myPod thingy. We didn't have the Internet at home for 2 weeks of this month either. Now that the Internet came back home (the modem-that-really-isn't-a-modem went walkabout), maybe I'll get to spend time with the machinery. Well, whatev ... what will be, will be.

Audiobook woes again!

This past weekend I had enough time to do some significant weeding in the flower beds. Had irises that needed trimming and culling, as well as getting rid of the weeds that threatened taking over. Even though I enjoy the fruits of nice flowerbeds, I have to work myself into pulling weeds. Did a few gentle stretches, downed a big glass of water and steeled myself into the work. Had myPod inserted in my ears, with the right buttons pressed and got down and dirty. About 45 minutes into the new story, it stopped! What? It's not supposed to stop.

After a brief break to get up, take off garden gloves and finding some shade, I advanced the myPod (by holding down the button -- my fancy vinyl clip was in the house) past the part where it stopped. The story continued and I went back to my weeding. Some 15 minutes later, it stopped again. By now this was wearing thin. I don't want to take the time to stop what I was doing and move the dumb player past its points where it stops (remember this is the player that always goes back to the VERY beginning each and every time). The third time it stopped I just quit on it and turned on music. myPod has an FM tuner too. I might've preferred listening to the Twins game on the radio but there are lots of things I'll listen to on the FM band. Guess I'll have to check into the licensing on the audiobook to see if it expired yet -- it was a compelling story, but with its idiosyncracies and abrupt stops, it's not the download I can count on. I do want to listen to the story (I think I do anyway) so I'll re-check the bits and bytes and hopefully will make it work. Will update on this later ... sigh. In the meantime, I have to heal the blister from cutting back plants with a poor scissor.

Came up with a workaround

I ended up not using the alligator clips because I found a vinyl covered clip sort of like a clothespin. It didn't scratch the player, advanced the time quicker than my sore finger would've, and with my timer set (5 minutes per hour), I advanced it. When the timer went off, I was close to where I remembered stopping. Voila! It worked. And I finished the e-audiobook.

Not sure how it got off myPod, but in my computer's Windows Media software, I removed it from a playlist. Plugging in myPod to recharge the battery and sync it, somehow it happened (can you tell I have little faith in this technology?). Made a new playlist and sent the next title to it. The new title got there so I will have to find time to start listening to it. Next I have to figure out how to renew what I have "checked out." The 3 titles I checked out were optimistically checked out at the same time. I had no idea it would've taken me as long as it did to work out the technical machinations, listen to it, and consider the next title. Baby steps will help me become more confident, that's for sure!

Waffling

I hate it when I waffle. First I don't think I like listening to audiobooks, now I do. But at a big cost. Time is what it costs. The mp3 player (myPod) I have from Sansa works well enough for me, but I kept losing my place in the audiobook I was listening to. If I don't hit the UP button (pause is what this does), the audiobook starts over from The Very Beginning. There is no fast forward (well, not fast enough for me), nor is there a bookmark feature (You Stopped Here).

What I have to do is navigate into the audiobook and advance the run time to approximately where I stopped. The audiobook I have is about 11 hours long and at least 3 times I've had to re-find my place at about 4.5 hours. And this doesn't count the times I stopped incorrectly before I reached 4.5 hours!! Yesterday I showed the player to a friend who has iPod and yep, you guessed it! Back to zero. Now I got smart enough to know my finger hurts after holding down a button for 20+ minutes, so I discovered a pencil with an eraser placed on the button jumps this ahead with more comfort than my finger pressing down. Ever the automator, I will have to try getting a *really* wide rubber band and using some sort of clip on the button so I can set a timer to re-find my place. This is the clip I envision using: (don't tell me if they look familiar :-)

The wide rubber band will protect the case from getting scratched too. I'll let you know how it works later on.

To think - Perchance to change my mind

So in my last post I proclaimed I don't like audiobooks. Bah! I downloaded one of J.D. Robb's In Death books and started listening to it. It indicates on myPod that it's 10 hours long and before you know it, I'd listened to an hour already. Yikes. I've become my own worst enemy one minute proclaiming I don't care for a medium or format, and the next, changing my mind. Well, I am a girl -- haven't we always been allowed to change our minds? :-)

Sound, noise, downloading

Yes! I successfully downloaded an audiobook onto an mp3 player (myPod, not iPod) from the library's website. Techies always make things look so easy, but there are about a million steps I had to do to get this right. I've had my little refurbished myPod for about 3 weeks and accidentally downloaded all the music that DH had on my home computer so have had something to enjoy. Good thing it also has an FM tuner because before I accidentally downloaded the music, the only thing to listen to were the 20 preloaded songs, only one of which I enjoyed hearing. I listened to music stations from the FM radio. One day I'll figure out how to delete the pre-set stations and enter the local frequencies but for now, I know how to scroll to get to them.

I was feeling rather like a luddite when I couldn't get a downloadable audiobook downloaded to a place in my home computer that I could find. What? I failed. I was not a happy camper. Anyway, when I had my success I was at work using the Windows 2000 OS or whatever version comes before Vista. Research-lite showed Vista isn't happy with DRM permissions that allows a user to copy or re-download to another device (like iPods and myPods--mp3 players of some sort). A DRM acceptance screen flashed by at one point at home but disappeared quicker than I could see where I had to click to agree to abide by the law to not making bootleg copies. Who knows where it put the copy of "Hitched" that I think I downloaded. Maybe one day I'll find it even though by then it will have been returned on my library record. The goal now will be to find it and remove it (erase it?) to keep from loading up the computer with useless bits and bytes of illegible data. Regardless, I did get one book loaded on myPod and will have to figure out now how to delete it. Did I ever say how I don't listen to audiobooks? I just had to know how to really do it (for work's sake). :-)

I was rather driven to this goal of having a personal portable listening device by my last airplane trip. It was one where if it wasn't that I had a ton of stuff to do when I got home I would've purchased a few adult beverages to dull the pain of the annoying 6-to-8 y.o. child who was being ignored by his Dad THE WHOLE WAY HOME. If you've ever been trapped into a situation such as this ('dad' 'dad' 'dad' -- Dad Dad Dad -------- DAD DAD DAD DAD DAD DAD [who never responded except with the occasional elbow jab to say "SHUT UP"]) and 'I need gum.' 'I need gum.' 'I need gum.' 'I need gum.' 'I need gum.' Dad: no you don't. Mom: no you don't, I just gave you gum. And annoying kid: I need gum -- this piece doesn't have any flavor left. I need gum -- it just fell on the floor!. And this was before we freakin' pushed away from the jetway. Lord help me! This kid was relentless and I wanted to pull my hair out -- every last strand -- exquisitely painfully, so I could enjoy the distraction away from him. It was at some point of this 3 hour torture I decided I will never again fly without earbuds (even earplugs would've worked) to allow me to drift off into some remote oblivion and never again hear a pesty child while trapped in an airplane. So worth the hassle of having to figure out the million steps to download a talking book I don't plan to ever listen to and will have to spend time equivalent to the worst flying experience I've ever had to find the file and delete it from my computer. I'm set now. Just have to remember to keep the device charged!

Paranoia?

Seems like my dentist's office is among the latest to have become paranoid. Earlier this week, before they would begin cleaning my teeth, I had to have my picture taken -- "for security reasons" was their formal answer. Come on! What do they think I'm going to do? Send a proxy to have dental work done? ;-) Maybe it's that there's fraud in the dental insurance industry ... Don't they use dental x-rays for identifying people? And wouldn't that suffice?

DH says to get over it, and I will, but seeing as there is so much fraud out there, wouldn't you think they would use the tools already in their possession instead of using one that has greater potential to change?

Oy.

Thing 23

Yippee! I finished 23 things. Having joined Ning, I'm going to contact back some people I 'met up' with, and then work on my other blog, which is hobby-related. I'll let you all know how that goes! Happy blogging, everybody. Remember to keep it to 15 minute increments to make it manageable . . .

Thing 22

Staying current. I can do this in 15 minute increments -- there are few people I know who don't have 15 minutes to experiment. It's gratifying to see how some things were easy to do, and that I really didn't break anything ;-) Wahoo! In a PL setting, I don't know how we could help but at least overhear about these new technologies. They're pushed at us from every direction, literature, email, message boards, IM, meetings, etc. Now if we have access to tools and time, yes, we can do it and make these blogs presentable and valuable.

Thing 21

I was invited to Ning by the first librarian in my PL who finished. These social networks as well as other Internet applications are growing faster than kudzu in the south! When it all shakes out, who knows what will be 'top dog.' Somebody who was on Ning contacted me out of the blue (which is fine with me, I guess), but then another friend found me and I realized I hadn't kept track of what she was doing work-wise these days. Maybe Ning is a little more professional than spacebook is/are, but I think the networks I end up enjoying will be those I seek -- not ones that I started.

Thing 20

Facebook and MySpace: I've had a Facebook account for a couple of years but haven't really used it much. In fact, I'd forgotten my account login and had to request password assistance ... FB is logically organized and for me it is intuitive. When sites aren't intuitive, I don't think I want to take time to figure them out -- what's the point? Since deciding to work on 23Things, I've stalked nieces and nephews (who are kind and have taken pity on me), found a volunteer contact I needed to ask a question of (long story), and decided that FB might be the best way for me to post the ton of photos I have gotten recently due to many family events. DSis in FL has married the terms and calls them SPACEBOOK! lol I realize that 'poking' is the official term when someone wants to contact you, but that term is a little smarmy to me ;-)

Thing 19

Podcasts: DD streams audiocasts from her computer at work and enjoys being able to listen directly, but hasn't collected them via podcast much. When she runs or exercises, she generally listens only to music on her portable digital media player (iPod). The runners I know though do download podcasts to keep current with their favorite programs, and if I were one to listen to a lot of audio, I'd do this too.

Thing 18

YouTube and other video sites: I've had a lot of fun watching favorite comedians on sites like YouTube, but some of them can get to be long. A great fun one is of cats set to music. The hyperlink didn't appear to have taken, but you can find it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkuBhQaCOJQ. Funny how the hyperlinks don't work from the editing page but do work on the blog itself. Guess one must have faith ...

Thing 17

We were shown these productivity tools by a librarian from MINITEX who presented at our Staff In-Service day. She explained about a subject she's closely related to, and how she receives automatic updates, but at that time it was via email notification.

Thing 16

Research efficiency: These looks like they would be a good tools to use for serious students. DH teaches and thinks 'good' students can use efficiency tools for the right purpose; others would just waste time with them and never refer back to them to keep themselves back on track. He says these are the ones who cannot remember to bring a pencil to complete an assignment, let alone fill in and appropriately use a tool to remain on track ... For those who really rely on electronic methods to keep themselves organized, these types of tools would work well.

Thing 15

Libraries and games. Had to read on this and will find other blogs that have actually done it as we cannot download some of the software needed, nor the games to play. I'm not much into game playing but I do love teens. I found a saying saved from when my own children were teens:

I like the fresh way they look at life ... and their free and easy style.

I like their confidence, their courage, their optimism.

I like the way they walk ... limber, free, and friendly. They are young people with tomorrow in their eyes.

They are the future of the world with young hope in their hearts.

They make things happen!

I like teenagers.

It would be a sorry, stagnant, boring, standstill world without them.

(Author unknown)

Thing 14

Library Thing is something demonstrated to me by my Director. Happily she shared her lists, and I agree that this content-generated tool is like a snowball rolling downhill (but in a good way). It collected more as others link to titles and authors, but I wish it wasn't as limited as it is without having to pay fees. I guess somebody's always going to be giving something away for free, but with a limit. At least we get to try it and learn it.

Thing 13

I love these little gadgets. On a relatively new computer I access, I love the Google gadgets that let me customize my weather forecasts and other Internet-y items of interest. A long time ago (in computer-time, that is) I received a software package that was Post-Its(tm) for your desktop. Great concept, but it wasn't to be downloaded on work computers. Friends who blog a lot have lists of wanna-dos that they edit and cross off and demonstrate progress (to themselves as well as viewers of their blog). Fun tools! Who wouldn't want a hit counter on their site? (me, for one!)

Thing 12

Digg, Reddit, etc. Rating and recommending content. Hmm. Interesting concept. I would be tempted to use a tool like this to find patron perspectives on topics such as Reader's Advisory.

Thing 11

I think tagging is one way that libraries have imaginatively reinvented themselves. Dewey? Of course we do. Should we do more? Maybe tagging or labeling is the answer.

Thing 10.5

Forgot to post on Thing 10.0. I edited the 23things wiki!

Thing 10

The concept of a wiki is good. Eventually the cream will rise to the top of the "reality" bottle. I can see great value in this tool and may find occasion to use it if I don't have to log in. That's the most tiresome part of this whole exercise, and not one that's unique that I've read.

Thing 9

Document sharing would be fine with any of these tools if one didn't first have to ask for permission. Already knowing how to edit, highlight & change text attributes is something I already know. In these cases, it would be just a matter of finding the tools in however they're laid out on the page.

Thing 8

Thing 8: Photosharing. Aye. Again. Regardless of being able to use Slideshare without creating another account, I created another account. And then received this message: This slideshow is currently being converted to SlideShare's format. It will be ready soon. Please check after sometime. I only added one picture and created the account, and this was a long wait. Having used and seen Flickr for photosharing and other pic sites for photo manipulation, I'll pass on this site and stick with what I know. It was good to explore tho'.

Thing 7

Thing 7 Tools: I've participated in a few Webinars and have found them to be successfully useful. If I had images to insert, this would receive two thumbs up. We use Instant Messaging regularly and have had great conversations that have taken place of gathering for a meeting. My favorite 'convo' was about stickering at one of our branches. I can text message on a cell phone but won't be doing this routinely until I possess a cell phone with a QWERTY keyboard! Have known people who use Meebo and Twitter but because I am tired of creating accounts, I'll pass on these. Besides, since creating a Facebook account, my nieces and nephews are probably tired of me stalking them! lol

Thing 6: image generated!

Fun and easy to do. I used ImageChef

Thing 5

Mary updates family and friends but hasn't done the jazzy photomontages. Guess that's up to us to figure out. Friends in the lace world have created some really nice puzzles if you're into electronic jigsaw puzzles, that is.

Thing 4

We've used Flickr to follow a former librarian's life after moving to Norway. Since moving there, she got pregnant, we updated each other when she was in labor, and saw their family grow. The Flickr site is quite clean and logically laid out for me.

RSS

Thing 3 and RSS feeds -- convenient for those on the go, or for those with no other options (i.e., email newsletters not available), RSS would be fine, but man, I didn't find setting this up very easy. Or perhaps I was just making it too hard all by myself ...

There is an email newsletter I currently receive that will be dropping the email subscription part. If I can wrangle this RSS setup easier (Google Reader), I'll add that RSS feed. In the meantime, does anybody know how to see a full screen? I added Unshelved, the library-set cartoon (which I really enjoy), but I don't see a way to scroll to see the right side of panels. This makes it pretty useless imho.

Thing 2

Thing 2:

Access and web 2.0 thoughts. We're not exactly luddites at my library but our access world is rather tightly closed. Technology staff determine what's permissible and possible at this point, primarily to maintain security.

It does feel like the appropriate time to learn about possibilities because many patrons have their own computers AND come to the library to learn about many computer technologies. Even though I've not read all the books possible (and sadly, fewer than I'd like :-( ), patrons still approach me for what I do know. Patrons may not be able to do or see everything possible on computers in the library, but if I have at least a working familiarity with what's possible, that will help patrons in their quest for computer knowledge and skill. Timing is everything!

Linking along

knitcampread.blogspot.com will be someone to link to. We're both in the learn-as-we-go mode.

Thing 1 redux. The directions on 23thingsonastick's blog were excellent on how to add elements like avatars. I modified my avatar from Yahoo! and also added a photo of a lace piece I made for a friend.

LibraryLady'sList lives

THING 1: This is the initial post for the LibraryLady'sList. I am doing this to work on the 23thingsonastick exercise to learn more about technology.