Finally, the End is in Sight

Just when it felt that these exercises would go on forever, the end popped up right in front of me. I will admit that much of what I learned caused me to think outside my usual "practical" box, but I still will use only those tools that directly benefit the needs of the public. I believe the original 23 things were far more applicable to the majority of patrons who seek us out for assistance. I have NEVER had anyone ask me about online communities and the like. Those folks who are attracted to the Internet for social networking don't need us to show them the way. If staff members would now spend an equal amount of time exploring/promoting the many useful databases available through the SIL website--now that would be a step in the right direction for quality customer service.

Yeah, yeah--I'm just a fuddy duddy, stick in the mud when it comes to online games and gaming in general, such as Guitar Hero etal. I do, however, understand the allure of online games and gaming for the younger crowd, but I also see a downside with regard to the way in which these formats appear to engender increased levels of competition, escalation of emotions (most frequently, anger) and flat-out defiance of parental guidance---and here I'm talking about the very youngest users on library computers. "Call them educational," bemoans more than one parent struggling to get their kid away from Dora, "but these computers and the games are not what we come to the library for. [the library] makes it hard for moms to get their kids excited about books."

As for how the gaming process might influence the future workplace---I shudder to think.

Google Maps Disappoints

Having gotten less-than-expected results from searching on several house locations, I decided to hunt for the Marysville Library. The closer I zoomed in, the less familiar the territory became until a swimming pool appeared where the library should be. Well, I gotta tellya, there's no pool here--a nice staff patio--but no pool. But because I'm such a Google fan, I'm not giving up. I think I'll try Terry's Disney search and see if I can find that bench!

Been There--Done That

I've had an avatar for years and I think it pretty much says a lot about me--that is, according to its definition as the incarnation of a higher being! I don't think I have a virtual self--what you see is what you get and I prefer interacting with people in the real world, thank you very much. SL is indeed an interesting place to visit, but I have absolutely no desire to set up residence there. On the other hand, I can see where it would be very popular for exploration and discovery via a virtual world---hence the presence of many universities in SL.

Go Google Docs

Zoho Writer was in the original 23 Things and I was thrilled to be able to show it to patrons in a pickle--specifically those who needed to create a document, but needed flexibility to access it beyond the boundaries of Word. Most folks use GoogleDocs because of its versatility and because folks trust it as a search engine, it's not a leap to trust Google's other online tools.

. . . But My Heart Belongs to Google

I remember the days when a search engine called Metacrawler was the fastest, best kid on the block. Then Yahoo came and went, in my opinion, to the dogs. Which is about when Dogpile plopped onto the search engine scene--not impressed. I've tried them all and always go back to Google.

Monopolize My Time

Well I gotta say that it feels a leeeetle bit naughty (12 years of Catholic schools can do a number on one's view of right and wrong!) to be having so much fun while getting PAID. I could have created funny Monopoly cards all afternoon, but summer reading signup is at a brisk pace and many other tasks vie for my time, so I'll tuck these treasures away for future use with the public---especially the scrapbook generator, for all those patrons who can never find a scrapbooking book on the shelf!