NYC Librarian

lucy dancing

2008-07-18T11:47:00.001-04:00

How many things must one man do...before..

2007-12-11T18:34:00.000-05:00

Del.icio.us- Not convinced.

2007-12-10T20:52:00.000-05:00

I am not convinced. Once again I learned a few things while surfing and playing around with Del.icio.us, but I am not sure it is as indispensable as others think it is. As far as a keeper of bookmarks, Igoogle will keep track of bookmarks. I do think the value of Del.icio.us is the shared reading lists and tagging. If I used it more often or was part of a large group project, for instance a NYLA panel, I can see where posting a large list of reading materials or websites to visit on Del.icio.us. would be extremely helpful. While surfing and checking the tag cloud for QL.Learing 2.0, I found there was really too much information to absorb. To be fair I did just glance over it and skim the list. At home I did download the del.icio.us button and played around. It was easy to Tag bookmarks and to add websites. Again I think I would find it more useful if I had a "real world" application I was working on. Like many of the "things" I am glad to know about them and will certainly go back to them to see if I can make better use of the resources available. I also saved the link from one of the readings on Del.icio.us tools to wade thru them to see if I can find something that I can use.

One last note, I did take another look at Technorati and the discussion of the "magic middle" and "authority" when it come to blogs. I agree that with all the millions of blogs out there the most useful tool is a website that provides some way to evaluate or place some authority on what is being written. I also read the article "Information Access in a Networked World" and I very much agree that parents and teachers need to accept that youth get information in all forms from the Internet. Instead of demeaning it, damning it and rejecting it, we need to integrate the Internet (esp Social Networking) into the classroom and teach students how to evaluate and question what they read and view.

Pop Culture Junkie-Custom Search engine.

2007-12-08T17:16:00.000-05:00

I have been playing around with Rollyo to create my own customized search engine. I decided on Pop Culture Junkie. Using some sites that I use everyday, like Wikipedia, Internet Movie Database, and New York Times and some that I don't use that often, like Internet Broadway Database, Metacritic, and others, I created a search engine that I could use to search for information and trivia on Pop Culture. Through out my day I think of a movie, television show, book or something that I think, "mmmm when was the first episode of Bewitched" or "How did Tennessee Williams die?". I often find myself bouncing back and forth between Wikipedia or Internet Movie Database. So I did find Rollyo helpful in creating a search engine that would search all my favorites at the same time. I was not however overly impressed with the results. For one thing.. the advertisements and the sponsored sites, I know, I know they have to pay their bills, nothing is for free, but the format and the layout left something to be desired. The other thing is the hits themselves. Depending on the search, sometimes the first two pages were all from one site, say Wikipedia. I would rather have a page with hits from all the sites. I did discover some interesting things while working with Rollyo. While deciding what sites to use, I found that New York Times has a Topics Index that is very useful. I also found Internet Public Library site to be very helpful in identiying sites with pop culture information.

So near the end of this assignment I thought, I wonder if there are other Custom Search engine generators, so I search Google and found that Google themselves has a Custom Search Engine service. And since I have a Google account for Igoogle, I designed a Pop Culture Search Engine at Google using the same sites and compared. Google has no ads, well at least one version for non-profit orgs and schools. You can post your custom search to your Google home page, YES, now I can search only pop culture everyday from my home page!! And you can put a widget on your blog! I could not find the same at Rollyo, it may be there, but could not find it. So all and all I liked my Rollyo and Google Custom search engine experience. I will use my Google Pop Culture everyday, since it is handy on my home page. And I will keep playing with Rollyo and Google.

First Bewitched: September 17, 1964 Tennessee Williams died at the age of 71 after he choked on a eye drop bottle cap in his room at the Hotel Elysee in New York City. (Found both bits of info pretty quick with Pop Culture Junkie)

Generations & 2.0, Who participates and what they do.

2007-12-08T15:11:00.000-05:00

A Busineesweek data chart entitled, "What people are doing. Who participates (U.S. Online users) had some interesting, but not really surprising statistics. The chart divides online users of Web 2.0 into types of participators: Creators, Critics, Collectors, Joiners, Spectators, and Inactives. Then into generational age groups from Young teens(12 to 17) to Seniors (62+). Not surprisingly the largest group of Inactives are Seniors and the largest groups among the rest of the participators are the Youth 18 t0 21. The exception to the rule is Collectors, which the article defines as RSS and Tag users, and no one participates in large numbers, with the largest group being Generation X 22 to 26. Thought the chart would be of interest to the Learning 2.0 group.

My Library-Thing #11

2007-11-29T12:54:00.000-05:00

My Library(at Librarything)

I enjoyed learning about LibraryThing. I added a couple of widgets and with my reading interests reflected by LibraryThing widgets, I was able to eliminate my "Recently Read" list that Blogger provided. I will say that I think that one could easily get too carried away with widgets, buttons and elements and one's blog could become cluttered. But I guess with the size of the screen and formatted correctly or well, you could add things without getting cluttered. But still how much do people want to scroll down...AS IF...too many people are reading this to begin with. If someone blogs in the forest...

I don't think I will go overboard and tag or catalog my library list, unless it gets too large and I may want to organize it more. I also use the my library feature on Amazon and Worldcat.org, though I tend to use them for work related searches that I want to save. Both Amazon and Worldcat have features to print out your library list. If you have not checked out Worldcat.org, it has many useful features, including find the books in libraries, buy the book and import your library list to bibliography generators. Sample list from Worldcat.org.

I have not yet explored thoughly everything that LibraryThing has to offer, but it does appear to be a "Facebook" like environment for readers, with the groups that you can join. Another reader themed community website is Overbooked.

New Face-Thing #10

2007-11-29T12:32:00.000-05:00

You may notice I have a new Logo! Yes I used the Image Generator exercise to create a new banner, see above. :) I had always wanted a "spiffy" logo banner for my NYC Librarian, and with this exercise I was able to create one. One "problem" was deciding which one to use. I was looking for something that would say NYC. I guess concrete and subway yellow says it pretty well. Not so insinuate that all on NYC is concrete and subways, but we do have our share of it. But we also have lots of beauty. I was also thinking of perhaps a skyline logo, but could not find an image generator of a skyline, I will keep looking. I also may rotate images and create a Central park like logo, since that is one of the most beautiful places in NYC.

I was amazed to find so many Image Generators out there. I did find the most at Custom sign generator.com.

fredflare.com on EYEWITNESS NEWS!

2007-11-28T17:23:00.001-05:00

RSS-Redux-Thing #9

2007-11-28T16:53:00.000-05:00

#9...#9 (Beatles, get it...see if you hear what Charles Manson heard)

Okay on second thought RSS is a useful thing. What changed my mind is IE-7, which I downloaded to my laptop at home. With IE7 you can add RSS Feed directly from the toolbar and your feed is then available at anytime with one click. IE7 detects availability of RSS feed and when available the RSS symbol lights up on your tool bar, then thru a couple of steps you can subscribe to the feed. It is much easier than Bloglines. Now I may have to merge all my Blogline feeds to my IE7 feeds, but that should be easy.

I did take a look at Topix.net, Syndic8.com and Technorati: I was very impressed with the number of topics that were available to subscribe to feed. I was also impressed and can see a use for the "poll" information at Topix.net. Debate students or just students writing papers could find a wealth of information at Topix.net. Many school districts "adopt" a state wide topic for debate competitions, using RSS feed searches, I think students could find statistics, current laws, proposed laws, and polling information on thier topic.

Again as mentioned in other posts, I think libraries and any organization could also make use of RSS feed alert subscriptions to "track" mentions of their library in media and blogs.

While searching for library and librarian blogs with Bloglines, I subscribed to about 12 different sites making use of "related feeds". I see this as a useful tool again for students and researchers, once they find one site, they can then find related sites that would be valuable.

I also used the feed searches to find some "design" websites and subscribed to two:

Design Sponge
Fredflare (actually I take it back Fredflare does not have feed they have a blog and a podcast, I found them while surfing on Design sponge.)

Both sites gave me some Christmas gift ideas. So if you have time check them out.

RSS-Simple?

2007-11-27T17:08:00.000-05:00

Does RSS make things simple? I think the concept is good, but you still have to go to THAT website whether it is Bloglines or Newsgator to get your news. I think as the web continue to evolve RSS will just be a seamless part of the web, perhaps say as IE adds RSS features to the browser your RSS choices would just load up as "bookmarks". I also use Google Mypage options and you can add RSS like features to your home page so that when you are signed in, whatever sites you have set load up with "new" items. I then set (on at least my home pc) Google as my home page and my "RSS" is right there. I don't see my self going to a RSS reader on a daily basis to check my news. I can see how using to keep up with a group project, like Learning 2.0 to see updates on participants blogs is very useful. You (Hood and Hat) can see all updates on Blogs at one time/one place, without having to go to each blog. I can also see that libraries could use the "alert" feature to see if the library is mentioned in Blogs or other websites. Another use for libraries would be to make information on their websites available thru RSS feed. Personally, I would just have to make my newsreader a habit before it was very useful to me. And maybe that is the same with lots of the 23 1/2 things we are learning about, making it a habit to go to the websites and make use of the things takes practice and repetition to make it part of your everyday online life. While surfing the web I can tell that some people go to the same site everyday to post comments, etc. I can only think of one or two websites that I go to EVERYDAY! And they are mostly news or search engines. As much as I think I "live" on the net, I think there are people who spend much much more time on the net and it does become their "Second Life". So to come full circle, IF I spent even more time on the net and organized that time, I may find that RSS is a more useful thing. We'll see. :)

Kindle-Amazon Reader-links

2007-11-21T09:32:00.000-05:00

Newsweek cover story-Future of reading: Quote: "Computers may have taken over every other stage of the process—the tools of research, composition and production—but that final mile of the process, where the reader mind-melds with the author in an exquisite asynchronous tango, would always be sacrosanct, said the holdouts. In 1994, for instance, fiction writer Annie Proulx was quoted as saying, "Nobody is going to sit down and read a novel on a twitchy little screen. Ever."

What do you think of E-readers?

(More to come)

Comments on Comments

2007-11-20T19:10:00.000-05:00

"PS; Also be sure to add at least one comment to another participant's blog." I will with pleasure. I get a kick out of people leaving comments, and out of leaving comments. It is a sign that someone is taking the time to read, or at least skim, what I have written. So please feel free to comment on my comments on your comments. Okay enough of that.

These are a few of my favorite things. Thing 7-Techie

2007-11-20T18:25:00.000-05:00

Writing about one thing that interests me in new technology is hard, because there are lots of things that interest me.

Just today I picked up the TIME magazine issue of November 12, 2007. The cover story, in case you have not seen it, is Best inventions of 2007. They choose the Iphone is the best, but then went on to spotlight many other inventions in 12 categories, Cars & Buses, Aircraft, Space, Robots, Entertainment, Law and Order, Living, Environment, Architecture, Fashion, Computers, and Health. Here are three of my favorites:

ATM for Books: this could have a major impact on bookstores and libraries. How about the ability for a customer to print out and buy a Civil Service Test guide. Ondemandbooks.com

Good Morning Sunshine: I am not a morning person, and don't like to be awakened by jarring noises. This invention is a pillow with built in lights that create a natural sunrise to wake you up. NICE! Prototype.

The $150 Laptop: At that price we could buy one for every customer and pass them out at the door. Not the most powerful computer, but governments are buying them in bulk for kids in developing countries. Laptop.org.

I also recently read an article in New Yorker that I think we all should read: Future Reading Digitization and its discontents. by Anthony Grafton November 5, 2007. It is basically a summary of some of Google's plans to digitalize all the books in the world (not really) and how some people think it will not happen or to the extent that some think it will. And if it does, what does that mean for old dusty libraries? I end with this from the article: " But these streams of data, rich as they are, will illuminate, rather than eliminate, books and prints and manuscripts that only the library can put in front of you. The narrow path still leads, as it must, to crowded public rooms where the sunlight gleams on varnished tables, and knowledge is embodied in millions of dusty, crumbling, smelly, irreplaceable documents and books."♦

Mashup's-Chance to show off my grandaughter.

2007-11-08T22:44:00.001-05:00

originally uploaded by Libraryman1956.

Isn't she cute??

What's not to love?? This is my first granddaughter, Lucy Elizabeth. I took this picture the day after her 1st birthday. She is reaching for some little treat from my daughter Lia. I used the Mashup Motivator from BigHugeLab. I can see where applications like this would be great for library programs, mother's or father's day gifts, and just having fun creating things. I plan on sending this image around the world. :). It amazes me how much there is out there in the way of creativity, given the freedom that Flickr and other sites present to share and use the software applications, I think the user's imagination is the only limitation on what one can do with all of this. Bighugelabs.com also has calendars, "Press Passes", Name badges, and more. You can order prints of your creations, and of course share on your blog, upload to Flickr or save to your hard drive. I am anxious to see what everyone else has created with their mashups.

Detail Central Library-Public art

2007-11-08T21:56:00.001-05:00

Detail Central Library relief,
originally uploaded by Libraryman1956.

Look familiar? It should for everyone that works at Central Library. This is detail of the public art on the front of the library. I have a passion or interest in Public Art. And what a great city to live in NYC. There is always some new or old Public Art to be discovered.

How many people saw The Gates? What a beautiful sight! I was all over Central Park that winter. The starkness of Central Park in the winter. The white snow, and the ! Orange ! If you did not get to see it, check out these Flickr pics. It was something to see.

Does anyone know about Tom Otterness? I will save him for a future posting.

Okay on to the next big thing!

Flickr-Thing 5

2007-11-08T21:14:00.000-05:00

Okay so I am playing catch up. I have actually been using Flickr for a while now, just have not had a chance to blog about it. I love the community elements of Flickr. As varied as the Internet is, so is Flickr. I would imagine there is a photo group for just about every hobby, profession, town, city, country, animal, mineral, plant, or person, out there...well you get the idea. I also like the creative side of Flickr. If with Blogging everyone can be a writer, with Flickr everyone can be an artist or photojournalist.

I spent one entire Sunday afternoon organizing all of my digital photos into files and sub files on my hard drive, and I did upload a few to my Flickr account. I somehow ended up with two accounts, here is the other one. I have also added a Flickr badge in the lower right hand corner of my blog. So check out my pics. I love to take photos all around NYC and also from my road trips.

Teach your children well.(7 ½ Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners)

2007-10-02T21:18:00.000-04:00

The best part of life long learning is playing and learning. Okay it sounds hokey, it sounds corny, but learning something new everyday is why I became a librarian, and why I stay a librarian. I am like a sponge, tell me something that interests me and I have to soak up as much information as I can find. I know that is why I took to the Internet like a duck to water, I was surfing before it was called surfing, remember gophers, telnet, FTP, and USENET. I remember (now I sound like some old geezer) when the only thing you could "pull up" were text based lists and catalogs. We were all going, "where did you go today" and "wow, I went to the catalog of the University of London". Enough of the old days. Now there is Web 2.0, so much information! I think we all tend to get overload.

The hardest part of lifelong learning for me, when learning something new, are the set backs. I often view these sometimes little problems as big problems. But I persevere.

Best part of learning something new, is using it everyday and teaching others. I love to see the smile on some one's face when something I have passed along sparks their interest.

Teach your children well

New York, New York

2007-09-25T00:05:00.000-04:00

For a newcomer, and I would think for some or most natives, New York is an exciting place to live. Something is always going on! You never know who you may see walking down the street or WHAT you may see walking down the street.

One side theme of this blog will be to share some of my favorite sites, events, buildings, and more in New York City. I hope to build another blog for my out of town visitors that would answer some of their questions as they are planning trips to NYC.

I will also spotlight upcoming events in NYC.

Oct 6-7, Open House New York(OHNY)

Open House New York

If you have not taken part in this annual event, I highly recommend OHNY. Buildings, public spaces, art studios, and homes in all five boroughs, many that are not open to the public at any other time, are open free of charge during OHNY week-end. The full program guide to all the participating "houses" will be published in this Friday's (9/28/07) New York Times. You can also get the program from the website (After 9/28)

Check it out.

Brave Combo - The Hokey Pokey

2007-09-22T13:11:00.001-04:00

What if the Hokey Pokey IS what it's all about?

2007-09-22T11:11:00.001-04:00

As I get back to blogging in preparation for our Library 2.0 learning, I had to post a video from my favorite band Brave Combo. Brave Combo started out as local club band while I was a student at the University of North Texas, then known as North Texas State University in the 1970s. Carl Finch, lead singer, was even a neighbor of mine! Didn't know him personally (I did nod knowingly when I saw him at Piggly Wiggly) I'd go see them play at the "Sandwich Break" and other venues. I would jump around and do my best faux Polka. For you see Brave Combo was known in the early days as "that crazy band who plays polka versions of Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones" Good times, Good times. Over the years Brave Combo added 2 Grammys (Best Polka Album...who knew), 28 albums, and international fame (especially Japan) I added a family, twins, boy/girl, Jonathan and Lia (both Brave Combo fans!) and now a grand daughter, Lucy. And still 25+ years later I love to get out there and do the Hokey Pokey, the Chicken Dance, or just Pogo to the great sounds of Brave Combo. They have played NYC twice since I have been here, sorry to say I missed them both times! But when they come back, watch out!....you all have an open invitation to come with me and dance the night away.

Brave Combo

I pick myself up, dust myself off, start all over again

2007-08-10T15:35:00.000-04:00

Well looks like I fell down on the job of blog up-keep. I will try again soon. Keep watching, and don't be surprised if you come back and everything has been edited. :) Hey if I can I will.

9-22-07 -Decided not to edit. I will let it be an archive of one attempt at blogging. I did edit the title. Keeping with the music theme I was tempted for one split second to use "Oops, I did it again" as a title, but I just could not do it. I refuse to be apart of that Pop Culture Junket train. :) But hey it is hard to avoid. So I choose an oldie but goodie.

What I'm reading now.

2007-08-02T16:44:00.000-04:00

Thought I would let you know what I am reading, like you really care, :) No...
I just finished Thomas Mallon's newest novel, Fellow Travelers. The latter is set in DC in the 1950s McCarthy era. It is a very good read, a gay love story with fictional characters and historical characters intermingled. I am also reading Proust's "In Search of Lost Time" as a long term project. I am on Vol. 3, "The Guermantes Way" I can't say that I always "enjoy" Proust, it is difficult reading, but some sections are truly brilliant writing. Now of course I can hear you all saying Proust! What is he trying to prove? I am expanding my reading experience and perhaps proving that I can stick with it and read all 7 volumes of a masterpiece.

On my shortlist of want to read: Markus Zusak, Book Thief, Michael Chabon Yiddish Policeman's Union, and Brian Selznick, The Invention of Hugo Cabret. (9-22-07, read Hugo Cabret. Loved it, highly reccomend it.)

Life is what happens when your busy making other plans.

2007-07-31T10:47:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I missed a day. But I do think the trick to keeping it going is to keep it going, how Zen is that?

I am reminded of the movie Mr. Holland's Opus (which made great use of the Lennon song, Beautiful Boy, hence the lyric line above) I was touched by the movie and so after viewing it I saw my son and gave him a big hug and said "Do you know how much I love you?" His response was, (he was about 15 then) "uh? Dad, your kinda creeping me out!" :)

I think we all come to this conclusion now and then; Life is what happens...

Gulity Pleasures-Time, Time, Time, see what's become of me.

2007-07-29T18:37:00.000-04:00

So I may have answered one of my questions. How do you continue to blog. You make time for it. And in my life how I think I can make time is give up some guilty pleasures, like reality TV. Okay, I admit it, I am hooked on Real World, Kathy Griffin (which is really good by the way), America's Got Talent ( I know I know it's bad) and the last one and more than likely the worst! Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency. OMG, what a train wreck, but you can't help watching, well at least I can't most of the time. So I will give up one of them, and take time to blog. :) It should be a little easy, Janice is on hiatus. So what are your guilty pleasures?

Another thing that is a concern here, is proof reading, I mean in a world where everyone can publish, there is a need for editors, and spell checkers. That alone can take some TIME. Especially when you know your colleagues will be reading what you write. I mean you do what to make a good impression, and continue the impression that peers already have of you. Of course if we worry so much about what will be thought about what we write, one could get blog blocked and not write at all.

So...I also thought, perhaps I will keep a notebook and make notes of ideas to "publish". That may help with what to write, which could help with the HOW to continue.

July/August 2007-A beginning

2007-07-28T15:17:00.000-04:00

In the beginning....

"Let's start at the very beginning a very good place to start...."

"Aunt Em! Aunt Em!"

"Call me Ishmael"

"Where's Papa going with that ax?"

What is the best way to start a Blog? For that matter after you have started, what's the best way to continue? Keep it going? Well I guess I have taken the first step (well actually a second step I did start a Blog a few years ago, but did not keep it up-to-date.) So here goes!

I plan to post to this blog, my travels, real time and virtual, my random thoughts, and adventures in learning. I am excited about this adventure called Web 2.o, or Library 2.0 and Social networking on the Internet. So join me..., it may be disjointed, it may be entertaining, it may be informative, or it may be just nonsensical ramblings, but for those that know me, it will not be that much different from me in real time. Oy, that's a scary thought!