#23 - The End

#22 - Web 2.0 awards

#21 - Online productivity tools

#20 - Library/Web 2.0

Only connect! That was the whole of her sermon.
Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted,
And human love will be seen at its height.
Live in fragments no longer.
Only connect...

--E.M. Forster, Howards End
(as quoted in "Only Connect"--E. M. Forster In An Age Of Electronic Communication: Computer-Mediated Association And Community Networks
by Mary E. Virnoche and Gary T. Marx

Connection. Community. Conversation. That's what Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 are all about. These cool tech tools are only as good as tools in building community, in enabling conversation between Library and people, between people and people and connecting people to ideas, to knowledge, to each other. That's what libraries have always done (sometimes accidentally or in spite of ourselves) but now these tools make it possible on a different scale, in a different way.

#19 - Technorati

I've used Technorati since I started my Pete's Picks blog. Oddly enough I had never "claimed" my blog however, so I have now done that. As to the search function: Ever since Cadence Weapon (aka Rollie Pemberton - local rapper) stopped updating his music blog I've looked for an Edmonton-based music/MP3 blog along the lines of Said the Gramophone or I (Heart) Music (Ottawa). Technorati is still no help!

#18 - del.icio.us

I've heard about del.icio.us for ages but haven't tried it until now. I've built up quite a hierarchical list of bookmarks over the years, at work, at home, so it is hard to start anew. And here at work it is relatively easy to share bookmarks on the network drive so that I can access them from various workstations. But the tagging and social aspect is intriguing, so I'll continue building it up.

#17 - Rollyo custom search engine

Interesting. Not sure how useful it is to me, either personally or professionally. The most useful thing search-wise would be a federated search or link resolver style search across several different online databases. I often have to duplicate searches in Ebsco's pile of databases and then InfoTrac's. Rollyo doesn't get help there I'm pretty sure.

#16 - LibraryThing

I signed up for LibraryThing in 2006 but only catalogued 2 books. I'll try and get a few more in there as I'm curious about what suggestions it may have (based on people's libraries of similar books). Key problems: my library is at least a bit aspirational (books I should read); most of the books are my wife's. But all the same, here's a random dozen:

#15 - Image generators

Hey - these are fun! Here's me on the cover of SI, honouring my managing Glenora U14Boys soccer team to gold medal at 2006 powerplay tournament perhaps? Absolutely! (photo is on the train from Ottawa to Montreal). Thierry Henry is complaining to me about Zinedine Zidane in my earbud.

Create Fake Magazine Covers with your own picture at MagMyPic.com

Discount Magazine Subscriptions - Save big!

#13, #14 - RSS

Thank goodness Kathleen told me about Bloglines ages ago. It has saved me lots of time over the past year. I have 34 feeds in my Bloglines aggregator at present. Most of the blog feeds are book and library related, with my favourite being Bookninja "The deadliest book site on the web". Head ninja George Murray is a Toronto-based (Newfoundland-leaning?) writer with a wickedly biting sense of humour (what's that word - modant? Yes "wicked and caustic" sez the dictionary). George has daily gleanings from the web about books, introduced with a witty blurb. It is a disappointing day when Bookninja doesn't appear with new stuff in Bloglines.

But Bloglines is especially useful for keeping track of blogs which have only occasional postings. Local Journal writers Todd Babiak (culture) and Sandra Sperounes both blog sporadically via the Journal, so the RSS aggregator is quite handy for them.

#12 - Blogging technology

I love the 2.0 technology. I love finding cool podcasts from around the world. I love connecting with old friends on Facebook. But my wife wonders how the heck I can spend all day at a PC and then come home and spend hours on a PC there! That's the problem with technology - very addictive!

Christie has some good thoughts on time and tech at her blog, Infomaniac. And I enjoyed Mary-Ann's memories of the olden pre-tech days in her blog, Mat-on the Mat. I remember the old cut and paste photocopy days too!

#11 - Flickr fun

Librarians In Shower Caps Mosaic
Originally uploaded by libraryman

Again with the ALA photos, here's someone's* Flickr photo mosaic of ALA attendees:

Librarians In Shower Caps Mosaic


* Edit: actually - not just someone: Libraryman, Library 2.0 guru Michael Porter!

#10 - Discover Flickr

I forgot to bring my camera to the ALA conference in Washington DC. But my friend Heidi (librarian at the University of Windsor) did - and she shared her photos on Flickr! And even cooler, I was able to look at photos of ALA and DC by some of the thousands of other delegates who went to the same seminars, museums and events (the Rashomon effect again - one event, many views).

Here's the French embassy, where I went to a wine and cheese reception put on by RecordedBooks:

Heidi took this one of the bar "RFD" (between conference venues) which had some puzzling sidewalk marketing going on:

And finally, pal Dale and I helpfully supporting the Washington Monument on the Mall in DC. You're welcome, American friends and neighbours!

#9 - eAudiobooks

I really like this service, and a day doesn't go by that I don't notice a new book that I'd like to listen to. I've been looking at end of the year "Best of" lists lately and have been pleased to see some of them available through the service. We're still low on users however so tell your friends and family!

My favourite eAudiobook so far was Cormac McCarthy's The Road. A completely horrifying, post-apocalypse novel about a father and son walking through the wasteland. But having it read to me was soothing somehow - the voice of the father speaking to his son was moving and helped give a bit of optimism to the book.

#8 - Podcasts

Ever since I got my iPod I've been a bit of a podcast addict. Specifically I like CBC Radio 3 and their primary podcast. This Radio 3 podcast has been going a long time (in terms of the web) and has been one of the most downloaded podcasts in the entire world at times. Essentially it is some CBC hipsters, led by host Grant Lawrence, playing Canadian indie music (mostly rock). I heard Arcade Fire, Two Hours Traffic - an entire list of great bands - on the podcast first.

#7 - Youtubing

My first "Hey, I'm on Youtube" experience was when a friend video'ed a visit a bunch of us made to visit a sick child at the Stollery Hospital. I was taken aback at first - I don't really want someone in Googleville watching me sing Happy Birthday. But then I got all 2.0 and stopped worrying. I'm just part of the web now!

Here's the video:



My favourite Youtube use is watching videos the day after a concert. It is like the film Rashomon (where every person has a different view of the same event).

#6 - Play with PBwiki

That's PeanutButter Wiki not "Peter Bailey's wiki"! Although my wife's dessert recipe was the first entry I think!

I think this wiki could really be useful for staff. I suggest putting procedures, lists, "how to" things here (I've put a couple in - like how to do B & T ordering). Once place to look vs crowded filing cabinets or, ahem, my desk.

(our family's favourite peanut butter below: no trans fats, no sugar, but salt (gotta have salt))

#5 - Learn about wikis

I extensively edited the "St. Albert" entry on Wikipedia many months ago. It was pretty crappy and inaccurate before that (he says modestly!). It is still not great but at least it isn't entirely misleading. I had meant to get back to it, and add a Library entry, but have not as yet.

#4 - Register your blog...

All good.

Blogger re-uses my Pete's Picks user profile on this blog, so not entirely applicable.

#3 - Get Blogging!

I've enjoyed blogging for over a year now at my Petepicks.blogspot.com blog for the Library. It is indeed more time-consuming than I had thought and I regret not blogging more, but I'm happy to have been able to get regular, mostly timely posts up there.

#2 - Why Web 2.0 Matters

When people express surprise at parties or concerts that I'm a librarian ("Really? You're really a librarian?") I still am sometimes taken aback. I forget that people's images of professions are molded deep in their youth. So then I know I have a sell job at hand - one of those hideous "teachable moments". And the thing is, books and information are certainly a key reason I became a librarian, but for me it was people too. Many folks view librarianship as a retreat from people, and certainly the cliche image of the librarian in pop culture is a shy people-phobe, but I have always seen the profession - and the institutions we work within - as connectors - connecting people, the public, with information, with a book - or more broadly, with the world of knowledge and ideas that empowers the user. And to me Web 2.0 is an extension of the basic connecting work of libraries and librarians.



Bring it on!

#1 - 23 Things

I've been completely remiss in participating in 23 Things, but am attempting to go through as many as possible before Christmas. I know I use most of the Things already but need to go through methodically.

Allons-y!

(google image search for "libarbarian" gets this:)