Online Productivity

Google docs is a great tool that we have begun to use for sharing "works in progress". A big downside of the application is that many of our documents are created in Publisher, and Google docs does not play well with Publisher. But, we have found it useful for lists and bibliographies, so we will keep on experimenting.

Tag You're It

I learned a lot from this week's lesson, although I had been using tags on Shelfari for a while. It is an interesting concept and certainly applicable for use with our patrons.
I have set up an account on Delicious, which I had been going to get around to doing (Thanks for the push from the CHPL 2.0 team). This is a tool that I will definitely be using.

It's all a game

For a person who is not much of a traditional board gamer, online gaming doesn't entice me much. Maybe I need to sharpen my competitive edge. Great to get familiar with some of these basic sites, because our patrons often need guidence in connecting to them.

Facing the Facebook dilemna

Well, I knew it was coming: facing up to Facebook. I have tried, I really have tried, to convince myself that I couldn't live without it...but I failed. It's not for me, I simply have no desire to lay it all out there.
Now, can this application be useful as a tool to HCPL and it's patrons? Most definitely. Users of Facebook now and in the future will expect no less from us.

Wonderful WIKIS

This was another good video that gave a clear explanation of how easy it is to use a WIKI. I use our CHPL programming wiki all the time and it is great to have a central location for all of that information. Our staff is interested in maintaining our own inhouse WIKI, for sharing ideas for programs in progress, and all of the many lists and reviews that we use at the ref desk.

Flipping for Flickr

This is one tool that I will start using with family and friends. It seems simple enough to get started.

Podcasts are for me

Well, now we're talking. I love podcasts and I am always happy to be able to catch up on a show I have missed from TV or NPR. Now that I know how to subscribe to the feeds... well, that just makes things a lot easier.
The Library of Congress link on the training page is a great place to browse. And if you have never attended the National Book Festival in September, really, you have to put it on your calendar for this year. Let's hope that it won't be yet another victim of the economic tsunami!
This page has all of the authors' talks from last year. It's an amazing group and there's something for everyone.

And speaking of amazing, thanks, 2.0 Committee for the tip about Netvibes. Just what we needed to corrral all of the blogs, feeds, posdcasts and vidcasts that we are discovering. Now if we just had time to actually read them all...