MySpace and Facebook

Hi 27'ers:

For some time I've maintained a Rio Linda Library MySpace presence. Lately there has not been the time or energy to keep it up. The new website changes made some links disappear or not have the same impact. Much of my enthusiasm for maintaining the site has dwindled or disappeared entirely. Thoughts of a Facebook presence for the library intrigued me since it seemed to be slowly overcoming MySpace as the place to be. Apparently MySpace is feeling the pressure to keep up as well.

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/04/22/confirmed-myspace-ceo-chris-dewolfe-steps-down/

Perhaps I'll keep an eye on what changes, if any, this will have on the resurgence of MySpace. Only a handful of patrons are listed as "Friends"; the majority are authors who are trying to get their product out there. This isn't the mix I was hoping for. While I've been able to get some prizes and goodies from authors to make Summer Reading more of an event than it already is, plus it is pretty groovy to have a famous author be your "Friend", beyond that I don't think there is much of a return in terms of program attendance or library use.

What have your experiences been with MySpace and Facebook? Do you have any design tips? Who visits your site? Have you given up maintaining them? Does your presence on social networking sites generate publicity, program attendance, and library visits?

Lolcats, P.I.N.'s, and mashups, oh my!

My creation, originally uploaded by Spritle1.

Michael T. (who was helped by his knit and tech-savvy wife) showed me the ropes on using Flickr, mashups, and blogs. The instructions are a tad lengthy and clunky; if you call one of us we'd be happy to walk you through the process. This picture has a SPLL2 tag (by the way how will the wizards who check our progress know we've tagged these photos with SPLL2?)

Now, I know some of you may be inclined to remind me of the need for a spell checker. However, for those in the elite Lolcats club you know that lolcats speak their own language.

This was fun; I always wondered how people created these!

What could a library do with this technology? That's for another blog.

Flickr versus Photobucket

Before this experience I've never played with Flickr. I first learned Photobucket and it served my purposes. Flickr, at first glance, seems easier to use in that you don't need to decipher which "code" you need. Photobucket asks you to choose one of four code options; I always had to try each one until it worked. Grr.

Here is a picture from Friday Finale; I didn't include one our Friends entry into the Litttle league Parade since people were included.

I tried to use the URL from my Flickr account but that didn't work. I know that I can use the picture on my computer but I wanted to try Flickr's sharing ability. Well, back to the drawing board. I did add a SPLL2 tag to this picture.

Easiest and Hardest habits

Easiest: That would have to be accepting responsiblity for your own learning. I won't say that I've never met a workshop I didn't like but you normally don't have to twist my arm when asking me to learn something new.

Hardest: Teaching/Mentoring others. When I learn a new skill or procedure it is usually mastered after a few repetitions. Maybe I'll make a word association out of the lesson to retain it. Sometimes I'll use visual cues to remember it. Fine and dandy. However, when demonstrating or replicating a lesson for someone else, who may not use any of the tools I use to learn, we run into a roadblock. Being a supervisor has, in some ways, forced me to look at explanations from many different angles until you find one that 'hooks' your listener. I'm still a work in progress.

Turning Gamers into Readers

Hi cyber co-workers:

Awhile back Lori Easterwood and Lindsey Wesson gave a "Gamers into Readers" workshop for all SPL'ers. Michael Thompson, one of RIO's LSA's, just finished "Epic" by Conor Kostick. It is a nice addition to Lori's list; the story is set in a futuristic world in which citizens all need to scramble and fight for any gains in a fantasy computer game. I'll add this to Lori's list; hooking gamers into books isn't that big of a leap after all. Thanks Lori!