Just to Keep my sanity I've done some work on Flickr, then brought the image, a painting by Georgia O'Keeffe, into Photoshop, made a collage & ... voila (w/ an accent grave which I can't figure out how to do) -- now I feel better......

Cheers!

Lesson 16 -- Find out about PBWikis & add your Blog URL to the CML Wiki list of CML blogs:

Okay, I just spent an hour & 5 minutes learning about PBWikis, watched the video, visited the sites, the whole bit (took me 20 minutes just to do that), then went to the CML Wiki, created an account, went back to my e-mail account to confirm, back to the Wiki, wasn't given access to Edit, went around the mouse maze several times, without success -- wikis are marvelous, Wikipedia is great, etc., etc. -- but this is an exercise in frustration!
Following is a copy of my e-mail confirmation & reply, just so you know that I did the work:

"I've done everything I'm supposed to do & I'm still blocked from editing on the CML Favorite Blog site. I have work to do. This is not a happy experience."

--- On Fri, 9/26/08, PBwiki Registration wrote:

From: PBwiki Registration
Subject: Email verification message from PBwiki
To: entercyberworld@yahoo.com
Date: Friday, September 26, 2008, 6:28 PM

Hi,

We received your request to add 'entercyberworld@yahoo.com' to your PBwiki account. To confirm, please click this link:
https://my.pbwiki.com/verify.php?email=entercyberworld%40yahoo.com&id=5bb86a2c6f61dc004f3b7a69939021b2dc47ed3f&key=8c7&redirect=http%253A%252F%252Flearnandplaycml.pbwiki.com%252Fsession%252Fjoin%253Fp%253DFrontPage

Thanks,

Your PBwiki Team
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Several hours later -- YES!!! -- finally received access to editing the CMLwiki & added my blog URL. That was a struggle, but I made it -- a certain sense of accomplishment there. Also, within 3 minutes of sending the above e-mail to PBwiki I received a reply apologizing for the inconvenience & telling me they were on it, & apparently they were. Now I'm off to my Yahoo Account to e-mail them a thank you.

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October 16 -- I just edited my first wiki! Added to the Favorite Books page w/ comments re. some of the works by one of my favorite authors, P.K.Dick. Fun, & gave me a chance to read some of the staff favorites, e.g., The Time Traveler's Wife sounds interesting. This could make for a cool library site, also a staff site.

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Lesson 15: Wikis & how the library can use them:

I just did the 1st 3 steps (watched the Wiki video, accessed articles about Wikis, one from Wikipedia, the other from Web Junction re. wikis & the library community, all of which were helpful). 2 things I want to note before moving on to the rest of the assignment:

1. I've been accessing Wikipedia for years, in fact it's one of my main resources for just about anything & everything, not only for it's coverage of just about every topic, but also for its Hyperlinks. So now I understand a whole lot more about how it's set up & why it's such a powerful online tool. Thank you.
2. After watching the video & reading the Web Junction article on Wiki & community I thought that this would have been a great way to approach the remodeling of the Whetstone Staff Area. It would've given everyone concerned a chance to participate while not diminishing the authority of those in charge of making the final decisions. Maybe next time!

Just finished the rest of the assignment (as if you could ever "finish" something like that!). Of those listed I was most impressed by Princeton's Wiki -- it was so clearly laid out that it was easy to move around, find reviews by categories, etc. (I chose Sci.Fi. -- I like Sci.Fi. & there were only 3 entries -- I could deal w/ that!). From the Wikipedia site I visited Oregon State University's site, less attention to visual layout but nice & clear, academic, usable.

The potential for this is so vast that it would be impossible, @ this point, for me to even state any more about specific uses -- a CML staff wiki would be cool, also one for the Homework Help Center.

Since I'm not @ the library right now I'm not sure how to log this entry into the Progress Log. I'll try next time I'm @ work. Here, again, I hope that the limitations of working @ home (or, in my case, @ a friend's house) can somehow be accounted for.

Lesson #14: Library 2.0 & Related:

I skimmed through all of the 5 OCLC articles, found Rick Anderson's article Away from the "icebergs" the most helpful to my frame of reference. Then I checked out the article following A Temporary Place, & found that to be actually the most helpful because it discussed actual ways in which these concepts were being realized at the local library level. That article, A Ripple Effect, also offered examples of ways in which libraries can assist customers who may not be technologically up to speed &/or may not have adequate access to computers & the Internet ( a subject near & dear to me since my old computer is not sea-worthy enough for web action). I also liked the fact that Starbuck's coffee was available (something I enjoyed at the Main Library in Portland, Oregon).

Here are some of the quotes & concepts that caught my attention:

1. "No profession can survive if it throws its core principles and values overboard in response to every shift in the zeitgeist." Rick Anderson, Away from the "icebergs."
2. Other services offered to our students and faculty include:
   A multitude of electronic databases and 23,000 cataloged eBooks
   MP3 players available for patron checkout with a new downloadable audiobook program in place for this fall
   Training on how and when to use Google™ versus other electronic sources
   52 computers on the technology island
   30 wireless laptop computers
   Digital motion and still cameras for student checkout
   Laptops for student checkout
   22 TVs that feature news and weather programs
   Cyber café with food and beverages (including Starbucks® coffee)
   Meetings with faculty each summer to review the library’s offerings
   Teacher-required usage of books, eBooks, ILL materials, databases and other library materials in courses. George Bishop, A Ripple Effect.

Lesson #13 -- Re. del.icio.us & Tagging:

Several hours later: have just explored del.icio.us, including watching the 8 minute video. I even opened up my own account, but haven't been able to bookmark anything. I'm working on a friend's computer (not online @ home) & I don't want to add anything to her Toolbar, so I just keep going around this mouse maze -- it doesn't seem to be as "user-friendly" as it claims to be, @ least not for those of us who aren't online on our own computers. I'll try again tomorrow when I'm @ CML. In the meantime. I will say that del.icio.us does look interesting, especially if it means that I can access my bookmarks from any computer.

Some time later -- Desi just walked me through Del.icio.us, helped me bring in some bookmarks, even download my Favorites from my CML account. The two coolest features for me right now are: 1. Access to other people's lists -- that's the "social" part(found a really cool one re. C.S.Lewis, complete w/ a cartoon of Lewis on horseback -- Lewis would love it! -- found @ http://personal.bgsu.edu/~edwards/lewis.html),





& 2. Now I can carry my Bookmarks w/ me & access them @ whatever computer I find myself.
http://delicious.com/entercyberworld
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One more note: in reading the Lesson re. del.icio.us, I noticed the instructions to record my Blogger URL in my Progress Report, which I will do. So far I've been recording my progress by copying the URL's for the service we were assigned (e.g., Flickr, Bloglines, etc.). So looks like I need to go back & re-enter only the URL's connected to my BlogPosts, somewhat frustrating. I'm new @ most of this, learning a lot of new material, & doing the best I can (recall that last week I went through a Category 1 Hurricane & lost power for a whole week -- not an easy week). Onward.

Follow-up to Lesson 8 re. Bloglines & RSS feeds:

Greetings. Finally was able to get into my Bloglines Account -- had a backlog of about 2,ooo RSS feeds on libraries; don't think I'm going to read all those! Did notice an interesting message re. digitalizing Medieval manuscripts -- that's cool, not all of us can make the trip to Oxford right now (though it might be worth it for the pubs -- you can take your dog into the pub! -- as long as he or she is well behaved, that is -- a reasonable request, don't you think?) Here's the link:
http://www.librarystuff.net/2008/09/22/library-to-digitise-middle-english-manuscripts/ -- oops, that's supposed to be an URL (?) -- guess I don't know how to do that yet; I'll learn. Later.
....Just right-clicked said web address & discovered that gives you the option to "find this web address" -- they think of everything. So there is a way around this, @ least until I progress to the next level, which seems always to be moving faster than I am -- a manifestation of living in an Expanding Universe, no doubt. "...& you will never get to the end of it." I like that.

2 minutes later: Just viewed my Blog & discovered that right-clicking within posted Blog doesn't give the same list of options. I'll ask someone @ work -- Desi'll know; I'll see her tomorrow.

A note about RSS feeds: I've heard about these for years but never got around to exploring them. I can definitely see the value of casting out an electronic net, so to speak, & just dragging in all info. to sift through. Valuable & overwhelming -- clearly I have a lot to learn. I can see that this could be used in library services in a multitude of ways.

Lesson 12: Twitter & Tweets:

Well the lights are finally on @ home -- came on @ 7pm midst much wild cheering & celebration in our little neighborhood. A week without power! Not my favorite experience -- we do need lights & refrigerators; washing machines are nice,too, & t.v.'s, ........

As for today, I'm back @ work & just "twittered" for the very 1st time -- unusual, @ least for me, & very present tense. I can see that this form of very brief message posting can be useful for both staff members & the general public (also staff interface w/ customers) -- it's quick & to the point, sort of like electronic Post-Its. Onward.

Lesson 11, LibraryThing:

In an island of Electrical Power 'midst a sea of power outages, candles-only for light, & failing refrigerators, I write today's Blog entry. Just visited LibraryThing, signed up, & started adding titles to My Library -- mostly C.S.Lewis, one of my favorites, seemed a logical place to start. LibraryThing looks like a cool site -- all those books! Now, back to the so-called real world of shelving.
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Later, much later, actually: A week has passed, the lights are on, my frig (which magically appeared on Channel 4's Wednesday night newscast, 9/17/08, when my husband was interviewed by David Wayne -- it's a long story. The short version: Desi drove me home to find an NBC truck in front of our home & my dining room full of t.v. cameras, crew, microphones, the whole bit -- the rest is media history; maybe I'll find it when we explore YouTube) -- back to my frig...is now back to it's cool self & we're trying to get on w/ our so-called lives.

Now for comments re. LibraryThing:
I've just started exploring it but I can see what a valuable resource it can be for keeping track of books, both content & sources, for personal use & library services. Looks like just the beginning of new ways of doing things. This will require both staff training (23 Lessons is a good start; @ least we're becoming familiar w/ what's available & starting to be somewhat comfortable w/ it) & also customer training. No matter how "user friendly" this stuff is, most people need some training not only to do it, but also to keep up w/ the changing technology -- even my geekie, techie, software-writing friends agree on that.

http://www.librarything.com/home/entercyberworld

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Lesson 10 -- Online Image Generators (& related):

More thoughts -- apparently I am not the only one who finds the Learn & Play process challenging. Staff meeting w/ Greg last Tues., 9/9/08, gave staff members a chance to share their feelings & frustrations. So good to know I'm not alone. Even for those staff members who already know what they're doing, it takes more than "15-20 minutes" to do an assignment. & for those of us who are doing, or trying to do, these assignments without already knowing how to do it, already having a Flickr Account, an RSS feed, etc., it takes way longer -- one staff member indicated it had taken 1 1/2 hrs. to do one 3-step assignment, some one else ( a brave soul) said, "More like 6!" It isn't just that it's new material, it's also that things don't always go the way they are supposed to, e.g., tried 3 times Tues., before the meeting, to open my Blogline to access my RSS feed, & got the stupid hourglass (you know the one) endlessly turning; once it actually got half-way loaded & then got stuck.

I actually made some headway on an Online Image Generator, but then couldn't figure how to save my work -- tried Copying & Pasting, tried sending the image to myself (it arrived as 2 pages of computer code -- not terribly helpful), tried everything I knew to do, & nothing worked. So here I am @ friend Beth's computer (I'm not on-line @ home, something else to factor in -- as amazing as it may sound, not everyone is connected to the Internet @ home). Okay, enough "Reality Checking," I'm now going to backtrack a bit a see if I can learn more about Flickr & other.

Later: "Meanwhile, back on the Online Image Generator..."

Some success w/ an OnlineImageGenerator: TaDaa!!!
This image created on http://logos.petrucci.ch/

Several weeks later: found an Online Image Generator that allowed me to save(http://tools.dynamicdrive.com/gradient/), so Ill bring in that image, a gradient, now. Oops, it materialized @ the top of this blogpost. That's the best I can do for now. I take that back -- I just figured out how to move images around -- Yes!





I can see the interest & value of this for personal use & staff, especially for quick memos, lists, notices, posters, etc. that need some quick-fix graphics. I also feel the need to point out that a lot of this can be done just w/ WORD & Clip Art (fancier stuff,of course, w/ programs like Paintshop, Photoshop, Canvas, & the like).

Lesson 8 (cont.), starting Lessons 9 & 10 -- Bloglines & RSS Feeds (cont.) & beginning Online Image Generators:

Hi, it's me again. I've sort of lost track of the entry #'s -- is this Entry 6? Nope, it's Entry 5 (if I don't count that beautiful golden O'Keeffe flower entered on August 31). After 7 or 8 I'll probably stop counting -- I"m on my way! Okay, so today, thanks to some intervention from friend Desi (over pizza & red wine -- this doesn't have to be all super serious does it? I mean, it is called "Learn & Play"), I have set up a Blogline (Yes!) w/ an RSS to Libraries (what else? I tried Dilbert, but kept getting this Error page so I decided to go w/ what I could get), & even explored the wonderful wide world of Online Image Generators. Tried to record my progress but apparently I have to be @ CML to do that (makes sense) so I'll have to wait till Sunday when I'm back in the saddle, metaphorically speaking.

Here's another Georgia O'Keeffe -- I really like her paintings!