Blog Number 23 - Finale

Because the Summarization was Blog #22, I couldn't let this opportunity pass us blogdogs by and not create Blog #23 in honor of the 23 Things.

We blogdogs, Crooner Perry Como, Elvis, and Franklyn, wish to extend a Happy New Year to all our followers out there. May you all receive one "treat" per day in the new year.

Summarization

PHEW! Made it just in the nick of time! The 3 things I will use at home and work are 1) FlickR, 2) Blogger, and 3) NetLibrary.



FlickR is a great way to share photographs - AND FREE!

Blogger has just been a blast and I just may keep my creativity going!

NetLibrary I will stay in good form on so I can do my job well and serve patrons better. I think NetLibrary coming out with audiobooks is great. Just think how much downloading folks will be doing. AND, with all the commuting back and forth, listening to audiobooks will be super!



About the program in general - it's great! I am so proud of myself! However, it was hard fitting all this in and there wasn't really any time to do much in depth exploration, yet, I did the best I could. Also, most of us are users and we're a tad nervous about creating all these usernames and passwords, and the implications of having so much information out there in Cyberland. What are the consequences - security risks - for all this stuff?



I hear comments that folks would like this repeated, and, that would be a good thing. However, couldn't we do one "task" or "thing" per week and drag it out longer? Still, I'm fortunate that I got this opportunity and I feel a whole lot smarter! Just goes to show that you "can teach an old blogdog new tricks!"

Wait 'til I tell you what I found on the Web 2.0 Awards! I picked the winning site in the category of Social News because it was called "Digg It". You know us blogdogs - we like to dig! Anyway, this site is chock full of headlines and podcasts. But here's the one I found that interested me: Puppies Aplenty! California Great Dane Surprises Family With 19 New Ones

Can you even imagine? I've got to watch this film now. Maybe I can get a copy in this blog!

I kid you not! Here's the website (the YouTube film wouldn't work - they're memory hogs!):

http://www.breitbart.tv/?p=19124

Google Tools

http://docs.google.com/PresentationEditor


I actually used Google "presentations editor" instead of a document or spreadsheet. I didn't publish it but I put the link above. It was neat because it looked just like PowerPoint presentation software!

Sandbox Wiki

http://sppl-learning.pbwiki.com/Favorite-Blogs

Okay, I did the Sandbox Wiki thing. In my honor, I am adding Simone and Garfunkel to celebrate. They like sandboxes! Although, I must protest because I think there should be a Blogdog Wiki thing too! Maybe 3.0 could be Blogdog Wiki. What a good idea! I AM so clever - just like my cousin cats.

By the way, Simone is the one on the left - you know - the one that gets all "huffy" when dogs are around. On the right is Garfunkel - he tolerates dogs pretty well!

Actually, adding my blogdog page to the wiki was easy! It's a fun way to communicate too.

Rick Anderson writes about the "come to us" model of a library that he says, "worked well for those privileged with access to a good library", and I think that's true but it seems that both academic and public libraries work too hard to make themselves a "place" or a "destination". By doing that, it seems library staff spend an inordinate amount of time coming up with ideas for "entertainment" that will entice the community into the physical building. It's not that I see anything wrong with it, but library users will always be good library users (in most cases).

My concern is for those that are not library users. How do we reach them? Also, the importance of literacy - how do we reach parents that need to know how important it is to spend 10 or 15 minutes reading, doing numbers, doing the alphabet, spending "quality" time with their children in the evening? I think Rick Anderson is on to something when he states, "it means integrating our services into their daily patterns of work, study and play."

I did come across one public library system that, in conjunction with their Friends of the library, issues a literacy package to all mothers and fathers of newborn babies. They do this through the hospitals. The kit includes a board book and other information vital to the development of young children. In this way, all newborns and parents get a good start on how to encourage and develop their child's ability to learn plus an invitation to be library patrons!

One way I think SPPL succeeds to encourage patronage is their partnering with housing units (Rondo), and recreation centers (Highland) to make their library part of a multi-use complex.

Dr. Wendy Schultz talks about all the technological change, and change will go on and on and on. As a Blogdog librarian, we need to learn about and keep up with this change or get left behind. Lifelong learning, while hard, is so satisfying to this profession. And I think Dr. Schultz said it best, "Yet as more information becomes more accessible, people will still need experienced tour guides" That's us!

What do I think?

With regard to "tags" and "folksonomies", I think it's great for sharing ideas - particularly in libraries. The "Booked in St. Paul" blog is great and I can really see the benefits in that case.

I'm going to try this now!

Blogdog gets it!

I get it! I get it! I just read the assignment and it said that the bookmarking can be accessed from anywhere! Favorites are just "desktop" friendly and it's annoying when you can't access your "favorites" from every desktop. BLOGDOG BRILLIANT! (I also found the "color" tool as you can tell).

Okay, my favorite amongst del.ici.ous was fd's Flickr Toys. That is where I was trying to make a mosaic that failed, alas, I just put the photo's into my blog singly.

I don't know if all this bookmarking, tabbing, etc., is necessary. "Favorites" seems easy and aptly able to find me whatever I care to put in it. Also, I just downloaded the latest version of Internet Explorer and they've now added "tabbing" (probably to compete with other browsers). Anyway, it's interesting to learn but I don't know that blogdogs need to know all that stuff if they're not really in the business of computers.

By the way, did you know blogdogs have their own security? Did you check out my security company at the top?

Blogdog Dream Trees!

Not quite the mosaic I had in mind! I really did try to make a "mosaic" of these dream trees on del.ici.ous but didn't have any success and it took too long for me to try and figure out. However, I did want you to see the trees I love (did you know dogs love trees?). We're actually druids - but we don't "hug" trees - we mark them. Some of my trees turned out sideways but, hey, no ones perfect.

These huge pines are in Itasca State Park - one of my favorite spots! Gotta watch out for the nasty raccoons that hang around there though!

Crash Course

Okay, I'm on a crash course to get this completed. I just created my Rollyo account - not to be confused with the command to "ROLLOVER". I have some Rollyo links:

http://rollyo.com/dashboard.html

Animal Humane Society
Rescue a Golden of Minnesota
Feline Rescue
Petfinder.com


Of course, you'll notice ALL my links are to dog and cat sites, in particular, rescue sites! Need a dog or cat? Check out my sites and give an orphan pet a good home!

Okay, I am playing catch up! I fell behind quite a bit. I created my "Library Thing" account and added 5 of my favorite doggie books.

Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
My Life in Dog Years by Gary Paulsen
Marley and Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog
Beethoven by Robert Tine
Beethoven's Puppies by Wendy Larson

Here's the link:

http://www.librarything.com/addbooks

Now, I ask you, how could I not put "Shiloh" tops of the list as I'm a blogdog beagle? I pass children on the street and they run to me yelling, "SHILOH! SHILOH!" And, actually, I'm Perry BUT I tolerate the mix-up and I am ever so gentle when they want to pet me. My human owners would say, "Alright, good job Perry!" (and maybe I will have earned a treat!) Shiloh really does resemble me though, doesn't he? Maybe we're from a related litter.

Hi, Perry here. I need to caution you about cats - yes, cats! Some cats are okay and some are downright dangerous! Take me for instance, I have 2 cousin cats. Their names are Simone and Garfunkel. Garfunkel is an orange tabby that is just the nicest guy. Simone - she's different! She's a beautiful calico lady but when I'm around her, she hisses, gives warning meows, and gets her back all up and bent outa shape. I'm harmless. Now I ask you? What harm can a beagle do? However, I can't vouch for my bro' Elvis. Garfunkel and Simone have never been introduced to Elvis but I don't think Elvis would take too kindly to them. Don't get me wrong, Elvis is a great golden retriever but I think his hunting instincts get in the way. He might see Garfunkel and Simone as hunting "sport" more than buds!

Well, you know what they say, "You can pick your friends but not your family!"