Ferretnews

Week 10 - #23

2007-11-20T14:59:00.000-08:00

The 10 weeks went by faster than I expected. My favorite exercises dealt with manipulating and posting assorted photographs. I never get tired of looking at my ferrets. I also liked learning about the Microsoft word program on the web. That will be helpful if I need to compose letters, etc. away from home. I will utilize the photo cropping techniques in the future for summer reading program photos. I enjoyed the opportunity to learn about so many different types of media tools.

Thank you for helping make this easy and relatively non-stressful.

Week 10 - #22 Downloadable Media

2007-11-20T14:13:00.000-08:00

I looked at all three downloadable sites and HCPL is by far the best, most inclusive and user friendly. I looked in "Series Starters" and was surprised to find juvenile titles mixed in with mostly adult titles. I found Desert Heat by J.A. Jance that sounded interesting to check out and listen to.
When I looked on both LibriVox and WOwio, they were very limited in their scope and did not have this title - or other popular fiction. There wasn't anything on either of the 2 free sites that appealed to me.

Keep up the great work HCPL !

Week 9 #21 - Podcasts

2007-11-13T09:42:00.000-08:00

http://www.podcast.net/play/82657/44
I went on Podcast.net and found this radio garden show from near where I lived in California.

I also went on Yahoo podcasts and searched for a butterfly garden connection. There were no audio clips. There were lots of other topics mentioned [where I clicked] but no butterfly garden.

I couldn't figure out how to RSS feed this podcast.

Week 9 #20 You Tube

2007-11-13T08:16:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0DCPK5SbwM

I found a movie of a ferret playing with a lion cub.

Week 8 #19 - Online Applications

2007-10-31T09:12:00.000-07:00

I first uploaded a photo of my cat & ferrets. When I tried to change the heading, it deleted the photo, but kept the text. I tried again just leaving the heading as "Welcome." I can see benefits in using this online word document tool, but it will take me more practice to get used to all its features.

Welcome

2007-10-31T09:11:00.005-07:00

This This a photo of my cat, Norman. I'd gone in the closet to change clothes and found him happily laying on the ferrets. The ferrets were sound asleep, so I guess he must have delicately jumped in the basket. I'm amazed at how their legs are entwined.

Welcome

2007-10-31T09:11:00.003-07:00

Welcome

2007-10-31T09:11:00.001-07:00

Week 8 #19 - Online Applications

2007-10-31T09:05:00.001-07:00

Week 8 - #18 - Social Networking

2007-10-31T08:45:00.000-07:00

I thought the video was cute. [Needed some ferrets in there stealing the cell phones !] I looked at My Space, Catster and Rate My Space. My Space turned me off. It was mostly 20-somethings. I set up an entry for my cat, Norman, on Catser. I loved Rate my Space because gardening and remodeling are my passions.

Week 7 # 17 - Technology

2007-10-23T13:50:00.000-07:00

I read through a couple of people's blogs. I feel uncomfortable "invading" someone else's privacy. Basically most technology is fine; there's no way to avoid it. I have let a lot of technology pass me by; ipods, fancy cell phones, etc. just don't interest me. Cell phones [and their obnoxious invasion into everyday life] bothers me a great deal. I have been enjoying learning about the various computer technologies through this 23 things training. The exercise I liked the most was photo editing and uplaoding. That was useful and fun.

I'll put a comment on Scott McCullar's blog.

Week 7 #16 - Wiki

2007-10-23T13:32:00.000-07:00

I read 2 of the wikis - HCPL Sandbox and the Library Success. The only aspect I found helpful and interesting in Library Success was the EZ Library Programs section. I browsed through this and found several ideas for possible summer reading program events. One I'm excited about is the anime program for young adults. This morning I went online and found a Houston anime club. I contacted their website to ask if anyone in their group might do library programs [like my ferret group does.]
I also added my blog to the end of the HCPL list of favorite blogs.

Week 6 #14 - Technorati

2007-10-18T14:57:00.000-07:00

I finally found some time to explore the Technorati. I did the advanced search, typing "Learning 2.0" in the 3 areas. In each, I found 1 item that related to learning 2.0, many unrelated items, and others that emphasized web 2.0. As a side venture, I clicked on some of the popular blog subject headings and found a few interesting things. I also typed in ferrets in the blog directory and found quite a few sites I'd never heard of. That was more rewarding.

Week 6 # 15 - Library 2.0

2007-10-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

I read 2 of the articles and Rick Anderson's article on Libraries 2.0 is the one I want to comment on.
To a point, I agree with his assertion that we can't fill our shelves with "dusty" titles "just in case someone might need them." Space is a premium and we constantly have to weed in order to make room for newer materials arriving. If given enough lead time, we can interlibrary loan nonfiction materials for school reports. However most students wait until days [or hours] before an assignment is due. This accelerates the need for materials to be obtained now. Many teachers won't allow students to utilize the internet for research because the internet is so easily available. This leads to upset and disappointed students and parents when we can't hand them information/books on demand.

I agree with Mr. Anderson's comment about relying on customers' education. There are only 2 librarians at my branch and we can't possibly tutor everyone about internet or computer use. We help those we can and the branch manager has been offering occasional 1 hour introductory computer sessions. We do the best we can, but we rely on our website and databases to be user friendly so that customers can access the library from their home or work.

I agree with his comments that customers should no longer always have to come to us. I've been proactive with all ages of customers for quite awhile. I remember customers' reading preferences and often suggest new titles they might like or I also put holds on things someone might enjoy.

Week 6 # 13 - Tagging / Del.icio.us

2007-10-15T14:12:00.000-07:00

http://del.icio.us/hcplbiblio/gardening

I watched the video and browsed around the HCPL Del.icio.us account site. I pulled up the gardening link [above.] There would be a benefit to tagging / storing various sites for easy reference retrieval.

Week 5 # 10

2007-10-13T14:30:00.001-07:00

Week 5 # 10 -avatar

2007-10-13T11:29:00.000-07:00

I played around with the avatars and came up with a gardener outfit and put it in a fall garden setting with a scarecrow. All my avatar does is blink her eyes [allergies?]
http://avatars.yahoo.com/

This is the link to my creation.

Week 5 #12 - Library Elf exercise

2007-10-03T14:40:00.000-07:00

I signed up for Library Elf and opted to receive email notices 3 days in advance for items about to be due back. This seems mostly like what I already receive from HCPL, but I did it anyway.

Week 5 # 10/#11 Library Thing exercise

2007-10-03T13:54:00.000-07:00

I decided to work ahead a bit because I'll be on vacation next week [week 5.]
I enjoyed reading about Library Thing and the possibilities it offers people with their own private libraries. I even emailed the site to one of our customers who keeps exhaustive lists and notes of all the various series she's read and planns to read. She also has a large paperback library of her own. I thought Library Thing might help her keep track of everything.

I signed on and added the first titles of several of the series I've enjoyed reading and always recommend. http://www.librarything.com/addbooks

Recently added
Blind Justice (Sir John Fielding) by Bruce Alexander
120 other members. Tags: None (edit)

One for the Money (Stephanie Plum Series, Book 1) by Janet Evanovich
2075 other members. Tags: None (edit)

The Beekeeper's Apprentice: Or On the Segregation of the Queen/A Novel of Suspen ... by Laurie R. King
883 other members. Tags: None (edit)

Silent In The Grave by Deanna Raybourn
113 other members. Tags: None (edit)

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
2679 other members. Tags: None (edit)

Some Danger Involved: A Novel by Will Thomas
96 other members. Tags: None (edit)

Week 4 #9

2007-10-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

I looked at the sites mentioned in the exercise, but only found interesting links on bloglines and Feedster. Bloglines led me to a link about backyard birds. I tried "cottage gardens" on bloglines and Feedster, but nothing was available. I broadened the search to "garden" and found a link on Feedster. I added both of the rss links to my bloglines account. When I typed in "cottage garden" on Feedster it brought up a list of restaurants. I don't know what that was about. I'm surprised there aren't any rss links to cottage garden.

Week 4 # 8 - RSS feeds

2007-10-01T15:52:00.000-07:00

Below are listed the feeds I added today to my bloglines account.

http://www.bloglines.com/public/gardener-ferret

12 feeds
About Animals / Wildlife (0) (0)
About Cats (0) (0)
birding News feed (0) (0)
Bloglines News (10) (0)
Comedy Central Insider (2) (0)
Comedy Central Videos (0) (0)
Ferret Fans News (0) (0)
Joke of the Day (0) (0)
Jokes2Go Daily Humor (0) (0)
Metacafe - Ferrets Videos by Metacafe (0) (0)
National Geographic News: Animals & Nature (1) (0)
The Shifted Librarian (1) (0)

Week 4 #8 RSS feeds

2007-10-01T13:30:00.000-07:00

It took awhile, but I was able to add about 12 RSS feeds to my blogline account. I couldn't find anything about gardening, but managed to find a couple of ferret-related feeds. I also subscribed to a cat , joke-of-the-day and librarian feeds. A lot of subjects I looked up and attempted to add were a dead end, saying there were no rss feeds for the subject.

Week 3 # 7 - Graham & Ian looking out window

2007-09-28T14:02:00.001-07:00

Week 3 # 7 - Graham & Ian looking out window
Originally uploaded by libby.nelson

I cropped the photo to zero in on my 2 deaf boys looking out the window.

Ian in costume at Mardi Paws

2007-09-26T09:56:00.001-07:00

Ian in costume at Mardi Paws
Originally uploaded by libby.nelson

Week 3 #7 - crop photo and post to blog

My creation

2007-09-25T14:50:00.001-07:00

My creation
Originally uploaded by libby.nelson

Week 3 - add Flickr trading card to blog.

Norman laying on ferrets

2007-09-25T14:22:00.001-07:00

Norman laying on ferrets
Originally uploaded by libby.nelson

Graham

2007-09-25T14:15:00.001-07:00

Graham
Originally uploaded by libby.nelson

Flickr

2007-09-25T14:13:00.001-07:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Flickr photos - week 3 #5

2007-09-25T09:08:00.000-07:00

I added some more photos to my Flickr account so I'd have more to choose from in the future exercises. I'm slowly getting the hang of this, so I think posting might be getting easier.
I apologize for jumping back and forth on the exercises.

Librarian trade card - week 3 - lesson 6

2007-09-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

I created a nice librarian trading card advertising library programs about ferrets. I was not able to copy and paste it onto this blog entry. It can be found at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/14146137@N08/1437698525

This was a fun lesson.

week 1 - discover learning

2007-09-24T16:26:00.000-07:00

This is week 3 and I've just discovered I'm not listed as a participant. I printed out and signed a contract, but didn't send it to anyone. I am a lifelong learner. Things that interest me, I soak up like a sponge. I'm always willing to try new things, even if I only use the skill once. It doesn't hurt to learn.

week 3 - Flickr setup

2007-09-24T10:27:00.000-07:00

I set up a Flickr account and downloaded a photo of my ferret, Graham. I tagged it "ferret."

Blog building

2007-09-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

This is so new to me, I was nervous about creating a blog. However the staff made this painless and relatively easy.
I encounter senior customers [during my work] who are new to computer use and are leery about surfing the internet, buying online, etc. I reassure them that the internet is a safe place as long as they use reputable online sellers and do not share too much personal information.
I'll look forward to posting my successes on this blog in the weeks to come.