montana library 2.0 challenge conclusions

What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
I really like my blog, but I'm not sure I can keep it up. I don't look at it often enough but I love the rss feeds of the ny times movie sites. It's easier to see these on an rss feed on the blog and actually read them than to remember to login to the NY Times every day. I do try to do at least one blog post a week on the Flathead County Library blog (and encourage other staff to contribute) so that the blog stays fresh for our customers. I've always liked library thing but I've never been successful at keeping lists even though this is about the easiest way to do a "what I've read" booklist.

Were there any take-aways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
My 83 year old aunt in Seattle now loves our library webpage. She reads the blog religiously, and orders all the books and movies that I recommend. This has reminded me that what we post is for everyone including an 83 year old computer and library saavy mother of 4 of my boy cousins who happens to live in Seattle.

What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
I think you did a great job!

If we offered another discovery program like this in the future, would you again choose to participate? I most definitely would. It was wonderful to see staff showing off their blogs to their colleagues and here them saying, "Hey, have you seen the video that Karen put up?"

wiki work

I love looking up things on wikipedia to see the shifts and changes in information about a person or subject. In fact, this morning I looked up Irvin Mayfield, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the New Orleans Public Library (see earlier post). Can't trust the information? Sometimes no, but it's interesting to see what's there one day and gone a few weeks later.

I was not at all impressed with the SJCPL wiki. I thought it was messy and some of the subject guides had little or no information, which was frustrating. If you're gonna do it, do it big! I loved the Wyoming authors wiki, however. Clean, concise, easily navigable--very professional.

Under the tutelage of our ever exploratory technology coordinator, Brett, we are looking at using an internal staff wiki to keep track of daily staffing issues. Our library has five branches, four of which regularly have at least one person out sick, at least one person on vacation, and at least one person at a meeting. We need to shift staff around on a regular basis and a staff wiki will let everyone know where everyone else is. We have high hopes for this solution!

libraries and all that JAZZ!

While in Minneapolis last week for the Public Library Association conference, we were able to visit the new dowtown Minneapolis Central Library. It's a beautiful space with an interactive Children's area, cool Teen Zone, meeting space, and floors of lovely furniture and stacks literally hoppin' with people. The library serves as an anchor in the downtown and will be very close to the yet-to-be-built Twins baseball stadium. As both of these icons are family destinations the city is using an overage in ballpark revenue to open library doors on Sunday at 18 branches including the new Central Library.

We were also treated to the unveiling of the new master plan for New Orleans Public Library. Irvin Mayfield, Cultural Ambassador to the City of New Orleans, world renowned jazz musician, and president of the NOPL Library Board, talked about the themes of Jazz and how they relate to libraries, especially the NOPL. Jazz is all about trancendence and flexibility; it's about improvisatation (improve and create); it's about the Blues and American optimism; and it's about swing--"it don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing." Libraries embody all of these Jazz themes, by transcending the buildings in which they are housed and becoming the true heart of the community.

Del.icio.us

I get it. I like the tag clouds and the flat hierarchy. I've signed up for an account and posted a mtlib2.0 tag on my favoritie movie review site. I need to spend some more time with the actual Del.icio.us page however to really start using this. I know that some libraries have begun allowing tagging of library materials and I think this is a great idea. Though traditional LC cataloging and classification has served us for many, many years, it's time to get on the social network bandwagon for better access to library materials.

catching up again

Over a month since my last post to this blog. I do post to our library blog regularly though, so I can't feel too guilty. To do this morning: yoga (done); coffee (brewing); one Lib 2.0 lesson (on my way); pack for a week in Minneapolis for the Public Library Association conference (in progress); pack up a marinated leg of lamb (stuffed with a mixture of minced basil, rosemary, garlic, pancetta, olive oil and balsamic vinegar) and salad and risotto fixins' for an italian inspired easter dinner in Missoula. oh, and clean the house before I leave. Can I be outta here in three hours??!!

Okay, coffee and then del.icio.us....

video and the power to inspire

Personal politics aside, the video by Will.i.am, frontman for the Black-eyed Peas, called "Yes We Can" speaks to the power of music and video to inspire. It can be seen as a music video or a campaign ad; your choice. It's just very, very good in my book.

YouTube the Librarian's Song

A lovely day here on Echo Lake and I am frustrated with Google and my laptop! But things seem to have worked themselves out and I'm now being allowed to login to blogger.com. This library 2.0 is a wonderful learning experience, it's just a bummer that my time is so limited that I must spend a sunny, holiday-from-work morning to catch up with my assignments. Ah, well, fun with YouTube....

My cousin Mary, who is a school librarian in Colorado Springs, sent me this wonderful YouTube video song from the Joe Uveges "When Freedom Calls" concert on November 2, 2007 in Colorado Springs. He sings for us the "Librarian Song" that I'm sure you will like!