From Screencasting to Fun Sites

Well, I really hoped I'd be done with my Aur Things training by the end of this year, but it's not to be (new years is about 2 hours away!). I missed several days in December due to a family emergency so I'm behind in my training schedule. I still need to complete week 6 (or at least part of it) through week 10 (e.g. from Screencasting to Fun Sites). I guess it will all have to wait until 2011!

Screencasting

I'd love to dabble in some screencasting so I can complete my Aur Things training, but to do that I need a mic on my computer, and seeing as I'm at home and my home computer doesn't have a mic, then I'll have to wait until I return to the Library on January 3rd to do this. That's frustrating!

YouTube

I chose the following YouTube video to add to this blog

It provides a very interesting look at how Twitter can be used in business.

I've used YouTube many times before, though I've never added one of their videos to a blog before. These videos can be (depending on the video) very useful instructional tools. They can not only be informative, but entertaining, and provide color and texture to any website, including and especially library ones.

Instant Messengers and Twitter

I've used chat extensively.  Primarily when providing IM Reference at the Library.  Also, I've set up a screen name with AIM (via my Gmail account).  Chat is an excellent way to do Reference, and it can also be a good way to interact with friends and colleagues, especially when two parties need to both read a particular document or piece of text and comment on it (though in other instances I still prefer the telephone).

I signed up for a Twitter account today!  I requested to follow two of my colleagues at the Library, as well as CNN, BBC and the Guardian.  I also sent out my first "tweet" to my colleagues. 

Following these news sites is interesting!  The number of items they generate under my "Timelines" tab is quite literally endless.  When I scroll to the bottom of the page the arrow stays there for a second, and then bounces up to accomodate additional entries.  One minute the last story on the list is about a woman who was badly mauled by a dog, and then it's one about the evacuation of a Paris airport because snow was making the roof buckle.

Twitter is very interesting!  I'm going to explore Searches and Lists a little more, and see what I can do with those.
 

Facebook (cont)

I read Joe Murphy and Heather Moulaison's article, and I agree with their primary contention that Librarians need to develop the skill sets necessary to utilize and leverage social networking sites so as to provide quality services to library users.  In fact, there is nothing I read in their article that I would disagree with.  Social networking sites are so popular that for libraries to remain relevent we have to integrate our services and resources into this medium as much as possible, and also have a deep understanding of how it works.  However, from a personal standpoint I still don't understand the fascination with these sites, including Facebook.  Is posting your birthday, a few photos of yourself, and some maps of the places you've traveled to that interesting to your friends?  More importantly, I often wonder if we're giving up to much of our privacy as we engage in social networking.  I know that's a shockingly "20th century" way of looking at it, but I still wonder if it's true!  However, I'm willing to keep an open mind.  Maybe as I use Facebook, Twitter, etc more extensively, I'll change my mind.  We'll see!

Facebook

I now have a Facebook account.  I'm trying to learn how to navigate it.  I'm having problems signing onto Outlook through Facebook (as it prompts me to do).  When I try to sign on Facebook tells me that "We can't import contacts from this address yet".  What does that mean?  I'll see if I can figure it out.  I joined three groups today: Library 2.0 Interest Group, Libraries Using Facebook Pages, and Librarians and Facebook.  Yesterday I searched for and found a friend, and sent her a friend request.  I tried to post a comment on her "wall", but I can't see where the "wall" is on her page (sorry I must be missing something!).  So I send her a message from her Facebook page instead.  I also looked for an application that interested me on her Facebook page, but I couldn't find any applications!  What am I missing here?  I've updated my status at the top of my profile page, and checked my Facebook Profile at least once this week.

RSS Feeds!

Now I have a Google Reader account, and I've set up RSS Feeds to Cambridge Journals Online - The Journal of African History (which I found using Google), CNN (I already knew the URL), Handheld Librarian (from the list of Library Blogs Worldwide that Karen put on the AurThings page) and World History Blog (I used the Google Blog Search to find this).  I also looked for more feeds on Topix.net and Technorati, but didn't find anything in which I had an interest.  I tried to search Syndic8, but the link is dead.  I all honesty, I didn't find Topix.net or Technorati to be especially useful (I liked Google Blog search a lot better!), but I'll keep trying them and see if my opinion changes.  I'd like to find some more feeds to library related blogs, especially those dealing with library-related software and technologies, but I haven't found any that interest me yet.  I'll keep looking!

My new wiki page!

Well, I've created a wiki page!  It's called Tom's Auraria Page.  See it at http://intranet.auraria.edu/wiki/index.php/Tom%27s_Auraria_Page.  It tells the reader what I and my colleagues are working on, and also gives some tips for how to better do reseach in Professional Studies.

Well, now I guess I'm a Blogger!

I've just started my first blog!  A new experience for me.  I hope to learn a lot from doing it, and perhaps teach a little too as I go along.

I work at the Auraria Library in Denver, CO, which serves the Community College of Denver, the Metropolitan State College of Denver, and the University of Colorado Denver.  So far as I know we're the only college/university library in the country (if not the world) that serves more than one institution of higher learning, so AL is a pretty special place!  I'm a Collection Development & Research Librarian (which in "libraryspeak" means I spend a lot of my time buying books and subscribing to journals and databases for the Library) for Professional Studies (another "libraryspeak" term, which in this case means various kinds of Business, Law/Criminal Justice and Sports & Leisure).

My intention is to use this blog to keep my faculty and students up-to-date on what I and the Library are doing to better serve them, and to let my colleagues know what I'm up to.  Their comments and questions are welcome!