Library + IM = Good

Libraries that are currently using IM messaging are on the right track!!! I think it's a great idea incorporating IM messaging with our patrons. It's a whole new ball game, but an exciting one at that! SO MANY people IM today, therefore we should attract SO Many of those patrons that do use IM on an everyday basis. Libraries that don't use IM communication should. IM allows for close interaction between the librarian and the patron but it never gets too personal as a phone conversation would. This allows the patron to feel more comfortable and at ease to freely ask questions. On the other end it is an advantage to the Librarian because they do not have to give a long drawn out explanation that a phone conversation or e-mail would require. IM messaging is precise and gets to the point. Another great factor about IM messaging is you immediately know if that recipient is available- you don't have those 'but's' or 'what if's' to worry about. 2 BIG thumbs up for IM Messaging!!

The Big 10!

The search tool I found to be easiest when looking for RSS feeds was Topix.net. It was user friendly to me : ) It easily organized polls and forums from Entertainment to Sports to everything from world news, politics, and Business. I liked how everything was broken down into categories making for easier searching. I favored this tool over the others because it allowed me the option to search solely for articles and not have to worry about the presence of web blogs. It also had a nice visual graph showing how much attention any given subject is receiving at the moment- very puurty!!!

Capital RSS

After learning exactly what RSS means and what it's purpose is I found I really like it!!! RSS quickly caught my attention when I found it stands for 'REAL SIMPLE syndication'- I stopped at real simple because who doesn't like the sound of something being real simple. In this day and age anything that can be done in half the time is A O.K by me! Especially when it comes to the constantly changing news who wouldn't want a great tool like RSS to help with that. With RSS you can get the latest up to date news without having to actually search for it. RSS saves time by having that news delivered to you, and no registration is needed....... and the cherry on top is hands down- No Spam!!!!! I Like it!

My Library 2.0 view

I have mixed feelings about Library 2.0. For the most part I I feel it will, without a doubt, steer libraries in a whole new direction regarding positive interaction with customers. By bringing our services to patrons through 2.0 instead of relying solely on patrons coming to us we will broaden how many people we reach....... the more the merrier,right!!!!! Customers will have much more access to libraries through communicating and sharing info, digital collections, book dicussions etc.
The only thing that worries me with digital collections and being able to obtain so Much info with 2.0 is that less people will actually take the time to step out away from the computer and into a library. So many people already have become comp potatoes!!!! I'd hate for people to start to think why GO to the Library when I can STAY at home and still access all the info I need w/ just a click of the mouse. I've always loved the concept of a Library being a concrete pillar of knowledge and learning and not a web based one. Also with all that emphasise on digital collections I just hope our concrete collections will still be upkept and not wither away. Time will only tell!

what's easy AND what's hard!!!

So after reading the 7 AND 1/2 Life Long Learning Habits I've come to my opinion on what's the easiest to me and what's the hardest. I've got to say I always find setting a goal( Habit 1) a piece of cake. It's the follow up to that goal that seems to be like jumping through a blazing ring of fire! So Habit 4 ( Confidence) is the Hardest to muah.
Setting goals is easy peesy....... for instance I have numerous goals like becoming the next Martha Stewart, a famous artist somewhere along the lines of Monet or even that o.k artist Picasso, and of course one day having my very own alpaca farm. Obviously my goals are all Long term meaning I have a lot of hard work and sweat cut out for myself- good grief!
Goals require work and when hard work is a factor sometimes failure is lurking silently around the corner- cause we all know very few people master their life the first time around. There are just too many forks in the roads!!!! When I mess up I can get blue and that's a big damper on my confidence. So a mess up in life occurs and shortly after I'm saying I can't do this, it's too hard, etc. But a ray of light shun down- Habit 4 suggested "Don't say it or think it- unless you want it to be true.".............. so now I will be a tad more quiet ; )