Week 12. Wrap- up

Thank you for the training!

I've traveled the world twice over,
Met the famous; saints and sinners,
Poets and artists, kings and queens,
Old stars and hopeful beginners,
I've been where no-one's been before,
Learned secrets from writers and cooks
All with one library ticket
To the wonderful world of books.
Unknown

“What can you do?” has been replaced with “What can you and your network connections do?” Knowledge itself is moving from the individual to the individual and his contacts”- Jay Cross

Week 11. Twitter

What kind of information is being posted by the library accounts above? What kind of information should libraries post?

Each library account has information about events taking place in the near future. It’s probably convenient for the customers who use only one certain branch, that is located closer to them, to get into Twitter and find out what’s happening today.

Libraries should continue to post advertisement about events, book reviews, customer’s comments, and maybe some photos from their own branch.

However, Twitter seems to be an interesting tool to communicate with the world. But at the same time isn’t it replacing any personal contacts?

“The best of my education has come from the public library...”~Lesley Conger

Week 10. Library Thing.

Was the site user-friendly? Did you find it difficult to navigate?

Library Thing is a great online service for people who can’t imagine their lives without reading. At the same time it’s a biggest book collection and a worldwide book club. It allows everyone the opportunity to join the site’s user- friendly cataloging and organizing system but more important, communicate with others and share information. The best part is the possibility of getting people’s recommendations and personal opinions on books, libraries, and events.

I did a search on my favorite author Mitch Albom, and was glad to find his biography, as well as the details about his education, occupations, and even the number of fans and reviews on his page! Thanks to this wonderful virtual Library Thing!

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn” ~Alvin Toffler

Week 9. Online Productivity Tools.

Do you see yourself using these tools or will you stick to more traditional methods. If you were to use one of these tools regularly, which would it be and why?

For now, I see myself using traditional methods. If I were to choose one of the advised tools, I would prefer products such as Google Calendar and Google Docs because of their availability, variety, and popularity.

“An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest”- Benjamin Franklin

Week 8. Flickr & YouTube.

Comment on Flickr and YouTube. Were they user-friendly?

I am familiar with YouTube, even have some video pieces displayed there for public observation. That commercial “Alberta Libraries, Books and Beyond” is wonderful!

Flickr is a new source for me, and it compares to Picasa and Vimeo that I have used before for the same purposes. I find it very useful and interesting. Being a free online photo and video storage site, Flickr also gives a possibility to upload materials fast, edit, organize, and share them. It’s fascinating that anyone is able to customize calendars, cards, even maps by using this site and a home computer!

“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow”- Albert Einstein

Week 7. RSS

Were you able to successfully set up your RSS feed? If not, where did you run into problems? If you were successful, does this make information-gathering more convenient for you?

I was able to set up an RSS account with my colleagues’ help (thank you, Maureen, Donna- Lou, and Sylvie!) but it took a while to activate it. I had to wait a few days for e-mail verification, then switch into Gmail address, and after that, got it finally working. It wasn’t Really Simple in my case!
I realize that for someone it might work, and it’s probably nice to have all your favorite blogs, web-sites, links, etc. in one “web-storage” but for me personally, it’s another account, and another hassle. I am perfectly fine with saving my feeds under Favorites.
Anyway, thank you to our trainers for showing Bloglines as another useful resource of Twenty-First Century Literacy.

“Knowledge is knowing... or knowing where to find out”~ Alvin Toffler

Week 6. Google Universe.

What do you like about the Google product? What do you dislike? Would you recommend the product to friends and colleagues?

Google is my favorite source for searching out any subjects in any field!

Who hasn’t used Google Maps at least once? Google Maps compete with GPS, and some people with “topographical cretinism” still prefer directions on a piece of paper instead of an annoying machine’s voice…

Gmail- a free webmail service provided by Google. We opened our Gmail accounts to be able to participate in this training. I’ve notice that more and more CPL customers use Gmail now for their E-mail address which proves its efficiency and popularity.

But I had no idea about Google Earth and other interesting and useful products! Thanks to our trainers who give us an internal approach to this site!

Google Translate- the most useful tool for me; a fast on- line dictionary, and real time saving! Of course, anyone trying to translate a phrase or a web page, might come up with some very interesting result, and even more ridiculous answer…good reason to laugh…

I’ve tried Google Images by simply inserting my name and was surprised to get so much information. Then I put the “Slavyansky Club” name and was even more surprised to find out all the articles I had written for the Club’s web- site, along with all the pictures illustrating those articles…Wow!

I would recommend Picasa Albums, another free product from Google, because some of my friends already have created their photo albums there, and I’ve seen those albums. Editing and sharing seems easy and quick.

In conclusion, Google offers wonderful products, and as the Russian- American co-founder of Google Sergey Brin has said "…in our lifetime everyone may have tools of equal power”.

First Mayan Book (on the bottom of the picture) or shall I say first comics? And modern library in Mexico...

Wonders of Mexico for your enjoyment!

“Never discourage anyone... who continually makes progress, no matter how slow” - Plato

Week 5. Facebook

1) Why do you think social networking sites are so popular? What are the main appeal factors?

At least two clue words answer the question: networking and social. Now days, in our busy life it’s convenient to contact your colleagues, relatives and friends through Facebook, Classmates, etc. There is a possibility to send one to all messages that reaches its participants right away. Pictures, video inserting is another appeal factor for Facebook fans.

2) For you, is Facebook useful or a time-waster?

I joined Facebook before this training, and became more and more comfortable using it on an every day basis. It gives me the opportunity to keep connected with the Russian community, especially overseas friends, and inform them about any important news in my life as well as to find about theirs.

Quick access from this site to different links definitely saves time and makes the resource user friendly.

I like being a part of Calgary Public Library group where I can find information about events at Central and other branches.

Recently, I’ve joined a new group I’ll Bet I Can Find 1,000,000 People Who Think Libraries Are Important. It’s very interesting to read about library and books impact on people all over the world.

And, last but not least, as a Facebook member I am able to place advertisement about the events of the Organization “Slavyansky Cultural Club”. This is an example of the latest one.

Musical Play Mama
Date: Saturday, May 8, 2010
Time: 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Location: Ukrainian Cultural Centre
Street: 3316 - 28 Avenue SW
City/Town: Calgary, AB
Details on web-site http://sccalgary.com

“Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty” ~Henry Ford

Week 4. Wikipedia

1) How easy or difficult was it to find articles that needed editing? Were the errors you found factual or grammar / spelling?

I use Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, a lot when I need to find a quick answer on a certain subject. It was interesting to find out more about how this particular resource is working, thanks to our training!

I think that the articles are written very well because they have been created and corrected by many Internet users, some of them are real experts in their field of interest and knowledge. At least, we believe so.
I’ve tried to check out information in Russian and found only one minor grammar mistake in one of the articles. Not bad!


2) Were you able to find a topic obscure enough that Wikipedia doesn’t cover it? If so, congratulations! If you managed to publish an article, comment on the process.

I don’t feel that I can be an expert for any of the articles, even though when I tried to find one topic that interests me, I couldn’t get it. Back to Google!

>"We learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself" ~Lloyd Alexander

Week 3. Delicious

1) What are the advantages of storing, sharing, and tagging web content this way? What are the disadvantages?

Advantages are:
Access from any computer at any time- very handy
Organizing and keeping bookmarks by using tags
Combining sources under tag bundles
Sharing with anyone on the Web
Quick and systemized search and browse
Having favorite, most popular bookmarks for CPL

After all, somebody has done the work for you!

Disadvantages are:
There is no material written in Russian!
Tags are personal choices. They could be varied, and inaccurate or difficult to figure out

2) How comfortable are you using Best Websites, after this practice? Do you have any tips for using Best Websites on Delicious?

This bookmarking web service is new to me, so I’d like to practice it more to become more comfortable. After talking to my colleagues Melanie and Maureen, to whom I am very grateful for their help, I realized that this is a good tool for Reference Assistance but I don’t see how it could be used by Circulation staff in our busy branch other than to recommend for curious customers.

Yes, the founder Joshua Schachter with his 20,000 links had to come up with something innovative like this to organize the chaos. For me personally, I am going to stay loyal to Google for searching, especially information in Russian, but will try Delicious for expanding and organizing my search as well.

“Learning is a lifetime process, but there comes a time when we must stop adding and start updating” ~Robert Brault

Week 2. Blogs.

1) What do you hope to learn from CPL 2.0?
I’d like to learn how new technologies could be applied to Customer Service at the Library

2) Which aspect of Web 2.0 are you the most intrigued (or scared) by?
A typical conversation between concerned parents and their high school students might, theoretically, begin with a casual inquiry about homework.
“Get off Facebook,” the concerned parent might ask. “Do your homework first.”
“Okay, fine,” comes the reply. “I’m just saying Bye.”
Ten minutes passes. The furious typing continues. The backpack remains unopened.
“I thought you were getting off Facebook to start the homework?”
“I am! I’m just saying ‘Bye!”
“Why does that take so long?”
“Because there is more than one person on – everyone is on!”
Everyone is on it… Internet, iPod, Laptop, the latest version of cell phone, Wii- my teenager has got them all! And she is good at it! Sometimes I feel that I am a “dinosaur”, tech- savvy “digital immigrant”… Even though, I am at the computer every day checking E-mail, editing posts on my Non Profit web-site http://sccalagry.com, visiting friends’ personal blogs, chatting on social networks, etc. I still feel left behind… How to make up to our computer advanced children? How far shall we go? Are the old fashioned books going to be replaced by machines eventually? These thoughts are pretty scary.

My Library (poem by Varda One)
It' only a room with shelves and books,
But it's far more magical than it looks.
It'a a jet on which I soar
to lands that exist no more.
Or a key with which I find
answers to questions crowding my mind.
Building my habit of learning and growing,
asking and researchig till I reach knowing...

Hello!
Zdravstvujtye (zdrah-stvooy-tee) (hello in Russian)!