Week #10 - Podcasts and Audio

I am so excited that this course was offered. It exposed me to new information that is wonderful!

Downloading the audiobook was very easy following the steps that were given. And with high speed internet it took no time at all.

I can not wait to get my MP3 player! I am going to use it download audio books, music and podcasts. It seems I am always on the go and it will be nice to have something new to listen to.

Week #9 - Digital Music

I think that restrictions on music downloads is a good thing for the artist, it protects their work and ensures that they are given payment for what they have created. On the other hand some of the restrictions I think are a little excessive. After a song has been purchased through itunes you have to figure out the work around to be able to burn it to a CD or onto a player. I am glad that the artists can now feel confident that they are not going to be ripped off by companies who do not respect the work they have done.

Week #8 - Sharing Information

I really do enjoy online learning, I like the flexibility of it and being able to go at my own pace. My masters was all online, while this was nice I also missed the face-to-face interactions of a classroom setting. I have been a help to a few people, we have not worked on the assignments together, but I have been more of a support person for questions that may arise. I have also helped with talking about the new technologies and have at times given even more of a summary of what they do.

I have uploaded a picture to my Flickr account. It is called Week#8 - Explore Activity.

Week #7 - Fun Stuff

This week it was fun getting to see the lighter side of web 2.0, it is amazing how many places there are on the web to share interests with others. I enjoyed the puzzle player website, it even has a version of deal or no deal on it! Unfortunately the money is not real. Blufr was also fun, seeing how much or little I really know, what a great way to learn new things!

Week #6 - Library Thing

My favorite Web 2.0 library application is Book Mooch, what a creative way to share books with the whole world! The web really is bringing people together and this is just one more example. Sharing books provides community, no longer are the books only being shared in an office workroom but now all across the country. I am always amazed how new ideas are still emerging and there is always something new to explore.

Week #4 - Web 2.0 Defined

The web 2.0 video was very creative. I liked how it really defined what web 2.0 was, I have heard the term but until the video it really made no sense to me. I was not surprised to find OCLS on myspace or Youtube because there has been talk about it on the orange peel. I was surprised to see how many videos OCLS had on Youtube, I think the first time I looked there were maybe two videos there and now everything we are doing is online. I hope that our presence is helping to bring in more patrons that continue to come back. I wondering what is next for the web...

Week #3 - Finding Information

For my RSS reader I was not sure what to select, I did a search for www.ocls.info and the general announcements rss was returned so I added it. I was stumped trying to think of other sites that may have RSS so I used the quick pick subscriptions link and scrolled through the most popular subscriptions. In addition to OCLS general announcements I now have CNN, Dictionary.com, Quotes of the day and The Shifted Librarian. I am looking forward to gaining information in a quick and easy way!

I had not used Grokker before and I found the map view feature to be very similar to the reference interview. I searched for the very broad subject of horses, Grokker took my large subject and broke it down into smaller ones, to help me define my search to what I was really after.

I am a hands on learner, I learn by doing rather than watching. learn 2.0 is working with my learning style because I am able to explore what is being talked about and do activities with the new technology. I am thankful for the step by step guide because it helps me to really understand how to use the new software.

Week #2 - Introduction to Blogs

Creating this blog was very easy and fast! I think that blogs are a great way for the library to talk to patrons who are seeking us out on the Internet. It is a fast and free environment to promote the library with all of the great things we have going on and all of the fabulous resources we offer. I am looking forward to posting to this blog and learning about all of the great technolog that is out there.