Wow, this has been fun!

I have survived Project Play First Semester!! This has been a very fun experience. I feel I can converse with my computer-geek sons a bit more about online tools and fun stuff. I have created a flickr album and a wiki for our family to share memories. I am looking forward to expanding my librarything collection so I can use it with my library teens.

Blogging still doesn't feel natural -- I have to almost force myself to keep up with this blog! (I've never kept a diary or journal either, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised at my reluctance to blog on a regular basis.)

I will definitely be back for second semester!! I am especially looking forward to learning about IM and customized search engines. Three out of my four children use IM to converse with one another daily. I want to be part of the conversation!

The format for this course has been wonderful for me. I like the opportunity to explore. I wouldn't use step-by-step instructions. The topics we have covered have been very useful and fun. I especially like the little extras at the end of each lesson!

Thanks so much to all of our Web 2.0 coaches! Keep up the good work!! Oh, and did I mention this has been fun??!!!??

That was scary!!

Well, it took me two days to work up the courage, but I actually posted our library website URL on Wikipedia!! I am surprised at my timidity. I have been posting on message boards for years. But I just didn't feel like I had the authority to edit the world's largest encyclopedia!! I finally did it, though! I want to be a part of Web 2.0!! (I did enjoy playing in the Project Play sandbox!! I also LOVE the term sandbox. What a wonderful image!)

Tonight I created a private wiki for my family. I have been trying to compile our family history. Now everyone in the family can help me!! I wish my aunt had a wiki to help us plan our upcoming family reunion. She has been going crazy trying to keep up with emails. I think I will feel more comfortable with a wiki than with a blog. I like the freedom to organize information -- blogs can be so linear.

I'm going to encourage our youth services department at the library to use a wiki format to plan for summer library programs. This tool really enhances collaboration.

Being social, playing tag

I just created tags for my previous posts. I am finding it difficult to shed the idea that there are "right" and "wrong" tags. In other words, I found myself agonizing over what words to use for my tags. Then I reminded myself: there is no right or wrong. I can use whatever tags work for me!!

I'm curious to know if this fear is more predominant among us baby boomers, as opposed to the millennial generation!

I actually created a del.icio.us account for myself about a year ago. (I love that name: del.icio.us!!) My computer crashed and I lost all of my bookmarks. I saw del.ici.ous as a great way to back up my bookmarks! I also wanted to be able to access my bookmarks on multiple computers.

Currently my del.icio.us bookmarks are private. But I'm beginning to see the advantages of social bookmarking. I'm going to start a family history project with my extended family (I'll explain it more fully in my blog about wikis.) I'm going to introduce social bookmarking to my parents and grandparents and sisters. (I'm sure my children already know about it!!)

As far as library-related applications, I plan on using social bookmarking when we update and upgrade our teen library website. It will be an important part of our homework help center.

Still playing......

Librarything might be useful after all!

I will admit I didn't want to get involved with Librarything. I don't really want to take the time to catalog my personal library or maintain said catalog online. (Maybe it's because I spend a lot of time cataloging new books at the library!)

So I begrudgingly created a Librarything account just so I could fulfill my assignment. I started entering a stack of childrens' books, thinking it would help me remember what I own. Then the light bulb turned on!! I deleted my entries and began again in a new direction.

As a teen library specialist, I've been trying to find an easy way to keep track of the YA books I have read. I've wanted to organize reviews and descriptions of these books, along with my own opinions, and make this information readily available to teen patrons at my library. Voila!! Librarything to the rescue!

So my Librarything "shelf" includes YA books I have read within the past year. I don't have all of them listed yet by any means. But I have begun... I hope to create a way to share this list with my teens via our website. A work in progress to be sure.....

Now, LibraryThing is a huge database. There may be other websites more suited to sharing smaller booklists. But I will experiment with LibraryThing for now and see what it can do for me.

The Suggester was interesting. I dislike the Amazon suggestions, so the LibraryThing option is refreshing: based on reading preferences and not just purchasing preferences. I actually used the Suggester to add books to my catalog. Many YA books seem to be inter-related, so every time I entered a title for a book I had read, I would find more titles that belonged on my list, so all I had to do was click on the link! I'm always looking for timesavers!!

You can see my short but ever-growing list by clicking here: PJ's List of YA books

Just experimenting.....

I am experimenting with flickr spelling! What a fun site!

I have also posted a link to my new flickr set. I have a few pictures from my summer vacation that might interest librarians and bookworms. You can find the link in the right-hand column.

I definitely plan on creating a flickr account for our teen website. I would like to feature photos from our activities to increase interest in the community. I also wish I had used flickr this summer to set up a scavenger hunt around town for the teens. Maybe I can use this idea for an upcoming teen activity....

A booktalk feature on the library website could also benefit from photos. The book cover and other appropriate pictures could complement a book review. For instance, my photos of Walden Pond and Henry David Thoreau's cabin (see them on my flickr site...) would enhance a discussion of the book!!

I'm late! I'm late!

Wow, I am falling behind schedule with my play!! But wait! Playing shouldn't run on a schedule, right? So I will not get stressed out about which Project Play week I should be working on. I'm having fun!!

I have created a survey about libraries and MySpace using SurveyMonkey. (Boy, was that a fun process! I can see all kinds of applications.....) You will find the link in the right hand column. I invite you all to take my survey.

I would also love to hear some comments from my fellow Project Playees. I missed getting to meet you all in Green Bay. Did you have a lot of fun without me????

Keep playing, everyone!

I know something my DH doesn't know!

As I was working on my Project Play assignment for this week, I asked my DH what RSS feeds he subscribes to. He didn't know what an RSS feed was!! For the first time since we bought our first home computer 24 years ago, I know something tech-related that he doesn't! Amazing!

Actually, I'm not sure whether or not I'm really going to enjoy reading all of the blogs I've listed on my bloglines site. I'm still uncertain about my TIME. But, at least I am experimenting!! Maybe RSS will really be simple!!

Hello World!!

This is my second, no, make that third attempt to maintain a blog. I LOVE communicating with people around the world. But how does one find the TIME to blog on a regular basis???

I already consider myself a life-long learner, so Project Play is an exciting new adventure for me. Indeed, I am currently finishing my bachelor's degree in management, even though I'm a grandmother! (Why do you think I'm using a bigger font? LOL) I was surprised, however, when I was labeled a "connector" in last week's Pew Internet quiz. I guess I am more tech-savvy than I thought!

So, let's see if I can make blogging a habit. Then maybe I can communicate with my library teens.....