My Library-Thing #11

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

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!

RSS-Redux-Thing #9

#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?

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

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

"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.