23 Things - # 23.

1) All of the exercises were interesting and educational. I learned something - usually a lot - each time.

2) Learning and using new technology is my Lifelong Learning Goal as well as my career (HCPL) Personal Development Objective.

3) One unexpected take-away was in Thing #15. It was very interesting and stimulating to speculate about the direction of the Future Library and the part I will play in its development.

4) I do not have any immediate ideas to improve the format or concept of 23 Things. I was learning with every exercise and the links throughout each topic made it very easy for me to move along and concentrate on the content without fumbling with the navigation to each new site.

5) I would certainly choose to participate in another Discovery Program. Expanding my knowledge of technology and my ability to effectively use technology are not only my 'at work' goals, but also my individual achievement goals.

6) My overall impression is "surprising". I did not realize how much - and how much, much more - is out there. I was also pleasantly surprised about my own learning curve. As I progressed thru the Things, I become faster, more confident, and was learning more each time.

23 Things - # 22

Watched the Overdrive Digital Media Tour and the Introduction to Netlibrary. Explored HCPL eContent Collection (A couple of Sherlock Holmes adventures.)
These eBooks use a lot of memory and are slow for my on-line connection at home.
Looked at Project Gutenberg. Noticed on the Top 100 eBooks many varied non-fiction books (New Discoveries at Jamestown) and classic novels (Frankenstein).
The first thing I saw on World eBook Fair was 100,000+ books from Project Gutenberg. (Now I see that Michael S. Hart founded both!)

23 Things - # 21

Explored MERLIN Podcasting and Podcastalley.com. Could not connect with Podcast.net.
From Podcastalley, added Great Books Audio: http://www.greatbooksaudio.com/feed

Visited Pod Sites for book reviews on Mystery, Science Fiction, and Tecnology. All of which can be used to serve our patrons and to keep up with current publications.

23 Things - # 20.

Explored YouTube and added the following hockey video:

"190 Foot Goal On Ondrej Pavelec 11-22-2009"

23 Things - # 19.

Visited several Web 2.0 Awards sites including: TeamSnap (a sports team management tool), VuFind ( a library cataloguing system), and imcooked ( yes, a cooking site!). On imcooked, I watched a video on "Best of Welsh Cooking". MaryAnn prepared an Organic Chicken Cassoulet with Trealy Farm Italian Fennel Sausage. (And I have frozen piazza waiting for me at home. Yum! Yum!)
TeamSnap is an interesting organizational tool for managing an amateur sport group.
VuFind claims to be an alternative user-friendly digital cataloguing system. Not sure.
The imcooked site is definitely user-friendly with videos, channels for various categories such as Vegetarian and Seaford, and linking with friends such as my buddy Alton Brown!

23Things - # 18.

Posted the following from my Zoho Writer account:

TAG SRP Brainstorm:

The TAG's came up with the following ideas:

• Cooking with microWAVES.
  
• Create a Sonic Boom.
  
• Have a Science Fair.
  
• Surfing a WAVE: Lists of books, CD's, movies.
  
• Creating a Heat WAVE.
  
• Make Rap music -- which is poetry to music.
  
• Rebel (Make WAVES) thru books, music, movies.
  
• Catch a WAVE: Make a surf board to Beach Boys music. (Shannon)
  
• Make ankle bracelets for the beach. (Shannon)
  
• Have boat races with paper boats. (Shannon and Dave)
  

23 Things -- # 17.

Created a login account at Md Libraries Sandbox. Added my blog as my website on MY PBworks Profile.
Tried to take the PB Wiki Tour but found only the error message "404 Not Found".
Tried to visit the PBWiki Video Gallery but found error message: "Oops! Page Not Found".
Explored the PB Wiki Tips (Site Map): Looked at"Add a guestbook" but did not understand it!
Could not access the PB Favorite Blogs page -- "You aren't a member of this workspace."
I am also not a member of the marylandlibrariessandbox!

23 Things - # 16.

By using, viewing, and creating wikis, librarians can learn and borrow from other libraries to see what may be successful in their communities. Library wikis all seem to have similar features. For instance, the Princeton Library, like the HCPL site, both have events, homework help, and of course, the requisite begging (I mean) supporting the Friends. Wikis can also be produced for just one specific event like the ALA 2006 New Orleans Wiki or the Official Web Site of the Edgewood Branch of the HCPL: wikedge! The Bull Run Library site (not identified as a wiki) offers various movie programs/showings including two of my favorite: Charlie Chan and Dracula with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee! Curiously, registration is by phone! There is no link for email/immediate registration. Would not that be a state-of-the-art application? Finally, MERLIN has Social Networking and a Virtual Meeting Setup for online meeting and training.

23 Things - # 15.

In two of the perspectives on Libraries: The Next Generation, Rick Anderson and Michael Stephens both discuss eliminating the barriers to patrons access to information. Chip Nilges argues for the direct accessibility by patrons to web tools that previously were librarian exclusive. These ideas will empower patrons to self-serve their information needs without having to use a physical library or to go through a librarian. Thus libraries will need to not only keep up with web technology but to lead these technologies in order to continue to serve a user population. More and more, future librarians may be stationed at their computers (plural) inter acting with the library community only through the world wide web.

23 Things - #14.

I read the Technorati Tour because a download is needed to open the file. I looked at the Movies on the Popular Features, navigating thru the links and around the Internet. Did the keyword search for "Learning 2.0". On Blog Posts, I got 23,930 hits. In Tags, 23,932 hits. In the Blog Directory, I got 23,901 hits. On all the first pages, the first items listed were all the same. At one of the Top Searches, I learned the Jennifer Garner's "life is very full these days:. I'm so happy. Exploring the Top Featured Blog, I visited BoingBoing the world's most popular site. Here, I read about rape, mysticism, and viruses. Finally, on Top Blogs, I visited Gizmodo and discovered that a Russian built a miniature living room inside a PC. Congratulations.

23 Things - # 13.

The 12 minute Del.icio.us tutorial is no longer available.
Created an account on delicious.com ( as nottaclue ) to explore the site.
Presently, I am not sure of how I, personally, would use this tool, but will continue to explore (play) with it to learn more.

23 Things - #12

Created the search roll - davesearch: http://www%20rollyo.com/dashboard.html rollyo.com/dashboard.html. Using these shortcuts as tools, the librarian can better and faster serve our patrons. We can more easily keep up-to-date on current topics and quickly research questions from our customers.

23 Things - #11.

Joined LibraryThings. Added five books to my library on various topics: Vampires, Infinity, Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes, and Quantum Computers.

http://www.LibraryThing.com/home/DavidRule

23 Things - #10

Created a Norse Motto at GENERATOR BLOG: a'st ok visdo'mr (Love and Wisdom).

Visited LETTER JAMES. Browsed "1001 Image Gallery".

Looked at FD TOYS.

Joined YAHOO AVATAR to create "me in my own avatar"!

23 Things - # 9

Subscribed to Merlin. Explored Merlin including the Twitter site and social networking (definitely Adult material!). Checked the Bel Air events on Topix.net, nothing exciting. On Syndic8.com search for hockey news, nothing new (can't wait for season to begin). Could not reach Feedster. Watched the tutorial "Blog Finder" on Technorati. Unfortunately the play was in Dutch and English at the same time. Mr. Hans Mestrum (.blogs.com) needs to tinker with his blog!

23 Things - # 8.

Opened a Blogline account and subscribed to 23 feeds including: ESPN, iTunes, Publisher's Weekly, and Rotten Tomatoes - movies. Also subscribed to : Library Journal News, PLA Blog, and Unshelved (Library cartoons).

23Things: Week 3 - #7.

I was just reading about quantum computers which will revolutionize communications by "talking" to one another on either side of the universe instantaneously!!!

Week 3 -- #6.

Explored Facebook. Set up an account. Communicated with friends.

23Things: Week 3 - #5. Explore Flickr.

Read about Flickr. Played with images. Posted image to blog.

Blue Hills of Home

23 Things: #2

7 1/2 Habits of Life Long Learning.

• I am a Goal Setter.



• I do take personal responsibility for my self.



• I do see problems as challenges and over coming obstacles as New Adventures.



• Self-confidence not a problem.



• Learning toolbox needs to be expanded to include new technology - which is my Goal!



• I have to learn the technology before I can use it.



• I have formally and informally mentored others and, yes, it is the best way to understand a subject.



• I play too much.

23 Things: #1

Read about 23 Thing Program at Maryland Learning Libraries 2.0.