Thing #8 - Communication

I'm *usually* an early adopter when it comes to new Internet sites, gadgets etc. So I'm already quite familiar with instant messaging and social networking.
Most of the time I just like to see how these things work but actually fail to use them in day to day life because a lot of it is just to stalker-y for my comfort.
Like my Twitter page that still sits empty after signing up several months ago. For unknown reasons, I kind of hate Twitter, maybe because I hate what I don't understand? Anyhow, I'm still convinced that it's just some short-term fad with no long-term benefit to the library.

I am however guilty of frequenting texting. It's almost like a covert form of communication, you can talk to someone without having to interrupt them (or others around you) with a phone call. The downside is that it's not free. Having said that, I don't think texting would ever be a feasible way for the library to communicate with patrons. I really don't see too many people willingly signing up to receive texts from the library.

Instant messaging is already being used in the library with tools like "Ask a Librarian", which is actually a pretty cool feature. I've also seen some of my co-workers do the web conferences and I can really see how that may be the way of the future when it comes to teaching....we'll see.

Lucky #7 - Online Image Generators

I'm not really sure how I feel about these, mostly I'm failing to see how they could be useful to the library. Perhaps for flyers, brochures, etc? Other than that I'm at a loss.
They're a great time waster though, I made several, even one using my super photogenic cat Oscar.

Thing #6 - Flickr Mashups

Okay, this was by far the most fun "thing" I've done yet. There are so many tools and little gadgets you can use with your flickr photos. It makes the idea of starting a flickr account a lot more appealing to me. I can see how these would be great resources for avid bloggers too.

Thing #5 - Flickr

I was already somewhat familiar with flickr, once upon a time I even had an account. To me, Flickr is kind of like a very visual blog minus all the words.

I don't have much time to upload photos myself though and I'm not much of a photographer for that matter. But I do use it on occasion to keep up with friends, family and even the library: http://www.flickr.com/photos/acld/

Personally, I'm not really sure how great I feel about the whole world having access to my photos. I do understand that you can make photos private but then that seems to defeat the whole purpose doesn't it?

Flickr is also a really great to find some amazing and cute photos (see above)

Thing #4 RSS Feeds

I've never tried RSS feeds before, mostly because I didn't understand their intended purpose. Now after registering for google reader I can see how it would be a great time saver if there's certain sites you like to keep up with daily. It's very easy to set up and the search tool in google reader is a great way to add subscriptions.
I can see how this could be useful in the library world, in keeping up with library news, authors, new releases, etc. all in one place.

Thing # 3 - Blog search engines....

Okay first off I have to say I was pretty disappointed with Technorati as a blog search tool.
After typing 'jewelry making' into the search, I received some rather odd results, one being a blog post about cleaning your dryer vent for fire safety. Huh??
I then discovered that google has it's own search engine for blogs (too cool!) and the results ended up being things that were actually pertinent to my initial search. I will defintely be using this feature more in the future.