#23 The finish line!!! I DID do a marathon!!

I loved this opportunity. I don't have a computer at home, so this allowed me to become acquainted with so many things I've heard about. My knowledge of terminology has broadened vastly. I got stuck early on and was frustrated. My problem turned out to be with log-ins and passwords. A very simple concept, but confusing when they were different in different places. After that I was able to follow through. I think the idea that some things could take as little as 15 minutes to accomplish was totally off-base....at least for me. I had to read everything and follow step-by-step. (and often ended up in the wrong place!) I found that working in longer time frames helped me. I would forget so easily if I did one little thing and then stopped. I still need more exposure to each area. I would love to see the library expand this so we can go to each step and do more so we feel comfortable with the steps and how they work and connect to our account. I am still feeling like it's magic when it works!! I'm still confused about how and when the accounts I connected to my Reader get updated. Maybe as I see these things happen it will make more sense. I really liked the idea of all of us working on this project together at the same time because you could talk to people about it and get help and hints....and you could understand that your frustration was shared. I really thought this project was a great opportunity for all of us. The EPL Wikispace was my favorite thing to do, and I think it would be great to keep this updated. I never knew that terms like Wiki and POD actually had meaning. Already I can see that this will help me in cataloging of the computer books...all those Dummies Books especially.
I'm glad I followed through!! It was NOT wiki wiki however!!!

MyMediaMall

Hmmm...confusing. I'm assuming I couldn't check out from my computer. If so, I couldn't make it work. I've never listened to a book, but it would be fun to listen to David Sedaris. I looked around, but couldn't do much here.

I'm hooked! Podcasts!

I found a wonderful site quite by accident. I put in the name of an author and up came with http://feeds.feedburner.com/AuthorsOnTour-Live
It's a great location that does interviews with authors on their new books. The whole site seemed difficult to really narrow down what I wanted to find. I will have to go back and explore with more specific searches.

I'm in trouble!!

Oh my....I have piles of books to read on my bedside table, lists of books to buy in my purse, videos of tv shows I missed....and now podcasts. I love it, but I'm afraid it's only going to make me realize how much I miss!! I do love the technology though. I never knew that pod actually stood for something.

Web 2.0

All I can say is WOW. I know so little about the computer (but MUCH more after this project!)
that I was overwhelmed by just looking at the winners. I looked at I'm cooked and watched Bubbe make her stuffed cabbage and Christopher Walken roast a chicken. It was just fun, but also informative. I could see the Teens making their own videos. You could also put informative short videos on the library website. I have to go back to this one.

Google Docs

I'm taking a risk here and seeing if my document will show up.
Take a deep breath........
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dcnjhth3_1c5hg67gr&hl=en
Whew it worked.
That's really a convenient way to send documents.
I have lost files previously. I don't think that would happen here.

Wikispace

I think the Evanston Library Wikispace is great. Very easy to use. I think it would be great to continue to have this at the library. Sometimes you see new restaurants, but don't want to "risk" a meal. This way you know the price range, menu, and comfort level from previous customers. (and customers are my favorite critics) Nice to see stores and activities that you have missed in your own community, and a great referral for a tourist. I would think this would be a great help in Reference for questions on the area. I could also see it being used for committee work on long-term projects such as preparing for in-service. It could track what needs to be done and members could edit the site as their responsibilities are completed. If someone is having a difficult time doing a task or finding something, someone else could see this on the site and help out or provide suggestions. Perhaps Children's could use this when they search for objects for craft projects. Library employees could log on and see what is needed, and offer to help, or suggest where they might find objects. Maybe it sounds like Blogging or Twitter, but I think the great thing about using Wikispaces for these ideas is that each person can edit as they help out, so everyone can see what it being done and where help is still needed.