Rickobloggins

The Midwinter Ballot.

2008-01-09T16:11:00.001-08:00

For my BBYA Crew.

Inside Librarian knowledge from the Modesto Bee.

2007-11-17T15:49:00.000-08:00

I learned more from this editorial than I did in 2 years of library school.

http://www.modbee.com/opinion/community/story/118769.html

The End of the begining. Which, I suppose, puts us somewhere in the middle of it.

2007-06-20T16:28:00.000-07:00

It seems the easiest way to work on our final portion of Learning 2.0 is to just jump in and answer the questions. So here goes!

How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
Learning 2.0 was instrumental in giving me the kick in the pants to get a blog going for our family. It has been fun to get my wife and kids interested in it. My wife got hooked on a website called human clock and has posted to that site as well as to our blog. Once we started, my sister-in-law started as well, and she and her 8 year old have begun blogging. I’m really interested in continuing on in my personal life as well as continuing on with the Web 2.0 projects I’ve started on at work as well.

What were your favorite Learning 2.0 discoveries or exercises?
There were a lot of really fun discoveries in Learning 2.0. I’m a big fan of YouTube but I already knew about that before this project. The most useful thing I found was bloglines. That has been extremely handy to help me keep up with all of the blogs I follow.

Did anything surprise you?
I was surprised at the huge variety of Web 2.0 technologies that are out there. And that they are free. (Of course, sometimes you get what you pay for.) I almost got lost when I was exploring the webbys. That is a site I will have to visit again.

Was there enough help available when you needed it?
I was an advocate, so I think I’ll recuse myself from answering. I hope everyone else says “Yes” though.

What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?
That is a though question. I think that the format was excellent. We took these projects in fairly bite size chunks, which was perfect. I think the only thing I could suggest is that it might be a little longer. Though, here I am coming in right on the wire.

Would you like to see similar training opportunities as new library-relevant technologies emerge?
I think that this is a great idea. It is hard for many of us to keep up with all of the great technologies that become available to the public. Having a program in place that helps us stay on top of all of this stuff would be great. There is always something new and interesting coming out that we might find useful.

And, last one, if you could go back in time and tell yourself to either participate in the program or skip it, what would you do?
I would tell myself to do it twice and encourage others to do it as well.

From part 27: Upon reflection of yesterday's reflection, we do have one more question for you - was there anything else you thought we should have covered?
I’ve been hearing a lot about something called Twitter. The only problem I see with delving into is program is that everyone would need to have their own wireless device. Perhaps in Learning 2.1 that could be the prize. Might I be so bold as to suggest an iPhone?

Video killed the podcast star.

2007-06-11T14:12:00.000-07:00

I could get lost on YouTube for days--and that is just talking about all the Star Wars stuff. I find that the quality of the YouTube videos varies widely. Plus, many of these videos seem so self indulgent, they can be painful to watch. Oh well, there is still plenty of material of adequate quality that one can find.

I've embedded a number of videos before. Last month, my post in my Kennewick trip, I linked to some coffee art. And last week, on the STABlog, I embedded a video on the "Library Neeenja!" Good stuff. But, for this post, I thought I should do something more library related. Fortunately, my friend from Allen County Public Library was in a library video. It needs little introduction, and I thought it would be appropriate for this posting. (By the way, my friend is the one gushing blood from her mouth.)

And the winner is . . .

2007-06-11T00:52:00.000-07:00

Having the opportunity to explore the Web 2.0 technologies on our own is a bit dangerous. I have to say it was easy to get lost in exploring these various options. I'm happy to say I'm doing this at home so I'm not wasting any work time. ; ]

I took a look at both of the Web 2.0 Awards and the Webware 100 to find a possible topic to explore. I played with both sites and found a number of interesting possibilities.

-Thinkmap Visual Thesaurus: What a great way to develop new search terms and exlore the language. All in a familiar word cloud format. Not to mention how versatile it is. And it is just a plain good thesaurus. Too bad you have to login to use it.

Wufoo: We are often looking for ways to survey colleagues at branch level, at the system level and on various committees. Very cool.

Internet mad science.

2007-06-06T15:45:00.000-07:00

Google labs is definitely an interesting place to get lost in for a while. The problem is, which has already been discussed a bit, is that so much of these are still in the beta stage that they really aren't very usable. For example, when I first saw Google Ride Finder, I thought it was a great idea. Sadly, it only lists Yellow Cab, which is fine I suppose. If I had a web enabled phone, then we would have something. But is rare when I am sitting at my computer wondering where a cab is.

I did like Google Suggest. It is extremely helpful for people like my self who are poor at spelling.

I found Google Trends to be really confusing and not necessarily helpful. It was interesting to play with and I'm a big fan a graphs. I'm not sure how well the service works, though, since some of the searches I preformed seemed like they would return more hits.

Google Mars will no doubt be useful for my next extra-planetary excursion.

Word-lite (or Diet Word with a touch of lemon).

2007-06-03T14:59:00.000-07:00

I really like the idea of having this online software available. Obviously, it will make collaborating with others much more convenient and expeditious. However, if one is without an Internet connection, it makes it a bit difficult to do ones work and/or collaborate. On the other hand, wireless access is become more and more prevalent. My mother was in the hospital last week and I happened to have my laptop with. I turned on the wireless and lo and behold I had a signal! For free! I'm not sure how wireless access can aid in convalescence, but it sure was nice to check my email.

I think that I prefer Google over Zoho. Though Zoho seems to have more little more flexibility and whole lot more options, I already have a Google account. Plus, I think more people have a Google account as well. It may have to do a little more investigating, but I think that Google will suffice since it seems the idea behind these products is not to produce complex or elaborate documents but to get information across in an efficient manner.

Putting the "O" in Library 2.0.

2007-05-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

This week (or from whenever since I'm so far behind) our assignment is to comment on 3 of these 5 articles from OCLC. I decided to focus on the overall themes of the articles, rather than something specific as they provoked a certain response in me as I read them.

The idea of the changing nature of libraries is something, in my limited experience, that has been discussed for years and years--well before there was a Web 2.0. I'm sure that Zenodotus of Ephesus was looking at new technologies like vellum over papyrus back in the days of Alexandria. (Ya know, back when libraries were still in beta.) Actually, I think that libraries, due to their very nature, will always be in some kind of a beta test. As society changes, people change, our patrons change and we respond to this change.

But I digress.

Obviously, our focus with Learning 2.0 is on technology. And I am a huge fan of technology. My wife is constantly picking up my "Rick-cessories" as she calls them. I suffer from techno-joy (and to a lesser extent techno-joy) not techno-fear.

But, I wonder if we are thinking about this in the wrong order. The articles kept referring to patrons who are incredibly technologically savvy. They are blogging. They have multiple MySpace accounts. They edit Wikis. They are posting to Flikr. They are creating webpages, etc. I know they exist because I have met one or two of them. More common are the individuals that proudly claim "I'm technologically illiterate!" Or who demand you create an email account for them. Or who have no idea how to use a mouse or keyboard. Or who can't tell the difference between a webpage and a Word document. Or want to know where to put their 5 1/4 inch floppy disk. (The last one I made up, but the others are real.)

The catch-phrase we used to use was "bridging the digital divide". We were trying to help patrons who did not have access to computers become computer literate. Now, apparently, patrons have suddenly surpassed us in their adeptness and it is time for us to play catch-up. When did that happen? Did we create the world's best educational system and somehow slingshot individuals with limited computer access past the edges of adequacy? Sadly, I doubt it. I think it is more likely that the adepts have always been there mixed in with those who have limited computing capabilities and we are just noticing them now because the technology has become even more prevalent. It is also something exciting and tangible that we can latch onto. It is an attempt to level the playing field and is the natural progression of "bridging the digital divide".

However, it seems to me that adept users are more likely to suffer in silence and work the problem out for themselves rather than come to us for help. I know patrons are using blogs, MySpace and Flikr, but I can't recall ever being asked for assistance on these sites.

So, what am I trying to say? I think that Learning 2.0 is a great program and I support it wholeheartedly. I think that we should continue to use the technologies we have been developing in the program. However, I feel that it is more likely that we will be using these technologies with other staff and not with the patrons. We will use them to communicate and cooperate with other KCLS staff as well as coordinate with libraries outside of our little piece of the world. We can use the technologies to communicate with patrons as well, provide them with access to our resources and promote our events and programs. However, it is unlikely that our next question from a patron will include phrases like "I'm trying to post to my blog . . .", or "My Rollyo search engine script is not working . . .". Rather, our patrons will continue to struggle with attaching a picture to their email messages and trying to find Google.

Goin' medeival on search engines.

2007-05-21T19:55:00.000-07:00

I hadn’t heard of customized search engines before starting Learning 2.0, but this is one of the most exciting aspects of the project yet. The uses of this technology are evident at work and at home and I’m looking forward to trying them out in both places. The real issue will be finding the best sites to use in these search engines.

My search in on sites based around medieval history, which I'm calling "Goin' Medeival". (Clever, no?)

Some of the sites I chose were:
http://labyrinth.georgetown.edu/
http://www.kyrene.org/schools/brisas/sunda/ma/mahome.htm http://www.library.yale.edu/rsc/history/medgde/ http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook.html
http://www.atrium-media.com/

This, of course, is a more personal search engine, and it is doubtful that my collegues here in Shoreline would find it all that useful on a day to day basis. But it was an interesting excercise and good practice for developing other search engines.

Blogging Kennewick.

2007-05-18T21:13:00.000-07:00

On April 19th, I had the opportunity to speak about teen advisory boards at the Washington Li brary Association’s meeting in Kennewick, Washington. I decided to leave home early on Wednesday, the 18th, enjoy a quiet evening in Kennewick to prepare my speech and then drive home after the presentation late Thursday night, the 19th. Nearly everything worked without a hitch. Except for the whole speech part, that is.

For those of you not familiar with Washington State, Kennewick is about 230 miles, south east of Seattle. I took the opportunity to take a little drive in the beautiful Evergreen State. The route took me through Snoqualmie Pass, where it was snowing. Driving over the pass also gave me a whole new idea of the phrase “as pure as the driven snow” , as the snow that has been driven on is not really all that pure looking.

I took a side trip to look at the lovely scenery at Lake Easton State Park . There was some snow on the ground in the park, but this was actually clean and tasted decent.

I stopped in lovely downtown Vader (real name, no joke.) to have lunch. I looked for a guy named Darth, but no luck. Mmmm, fatty burgers from a greasy spoon fuel your drive in a different yet equally important way as gasoline does. I can feel the arteries hardening as I speak (or write).

After lunch, I drove on until I saw a sign for a Manastash Ridge View point . It was right above the Yakima Valley. It was a beautiful look at the valley and a little wind farm as well.

After leaving the viewpoint, I proceeded to the Red Lion Inn located in glorious Kennewick. I had a lovely room, which, strangely, had a bathroom that was the twice the size of the rest of the “suite”. I dropped my stuff off and decided to explore the area to figure out where the convention center was located. It turned out to be a short walk from the hotel, which was convenient. Sadly, there was no espresso on the walk there. (Not to worry, there was one close by.)

As I was walking to the center, I saw Darlene, a friend from KCLS. She was carrying some boxes in, so I helped out. Once inside, I realized that they were setting up for a party , specifically the opening ceremonies. I also took the time to get my name tag and my mug (The mug was a gift for speaking. They probably paid too much.) Milling about during the reception, I started chitchatting with others at the convention. After many of the people I was talking to asked what it was that I was presenting on, I had to ask how they knew I was presenting. Finally someone pointed out that on my badge it said “Presenter”. Clever librarians.

The next day I finished putting the final touches on my speech and went to get my handouts printed up and then I had a tasty lunch at the neighboring Carl’s Jr. (Yum.). After my gut busting meal, I headed over to the convention center to hit the exhibits. The exhibits only took about 20 minutes since there were only about 30 booths to look at. It took me so long to visit the exhibits because while I was getting a free folding Frisbee, all of my colleagues were having a free lunch in the ballroom. (Note to self: Read the program brochure so you stop missing the free stuff.) So, during this somewhat self-imposed solitary speech sharpening, I sat in a corner and organized my notes.

Once the other conference goers were finished with lunch, they found me and demanded that I tell them my secrets of teen advisory boards. Or something like that. My speech was part of a presentation called Teen Triangle, the focus of which was to discuss ways to get teens involved in libraries. Kate Sellers from Seattle and Lisa Oldoski from Puyallup, also spoke on their teen programs. They have some great ideas that I’m excited about trying out. My speech, sadly, didn’t go that well. For example, I inadvertently left out a major point on communication. I also didn't bring my trademark energy or excitement. I guess I left my A-game back at the hotel or in my other pair of pants. Or maybe it was that I was wearing a tie. Or, due to the fact that I was recording myself, perhaps I was suffering from some type of observer effect . Or maybe I should have turned the lights up. In any event, I think it could have gone better. But you can judge for yourself by listening here (You may have to download it onto your computer to listen the whole thing.). You can also see my wonderful handout.

After my speech, I was fortunate enough to be able to listen to Gaye’s speech on Graphic Novels and children. Good stuff. Very enlightening. And I won a free comic . Sweet. Questions about how good comics can be for kids? Check out their handout.

Afterwards I was fortunate enough to go to the iSchool cocktail party. I chatted with people for a few mintues, but left by about 7pm because I had to drive home that night.

Luckily, I was able to find some carpool buddies. They were Snickers, Pringles, Swedish fish and Starbucks. They were quiet, but a good group nonetheless. I picked up a few more friends at a truck stop just outside of Ellensburg. Like a nice tall drink of Pepsi and a Cadbury Creme Egg. Surprisingly, I made it home without getting sick.

I rolled in to the garage about midnight and was met by a bleary eyed Gail and a couple of softly snoring kids. In the end, it was an exciting adventure filled with excitement, education and a touch of hubris. It was definitely a great learning experience and I hope to tell millions of others about teen advisory boards.

My little Daemon.

2007-04-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

So, the Golden Compass movie is coming and you can get yourself a Daemon. And here is mine:

I want to be in pictures.

2007-04-24T13:32:00.000-07:00

Once again I've fallen behind. But have no fear . . . I will catch up. For example, here is an example of what I did on my break week. Below are two pictures created using a two generators: one for South Park characters and one for Simpsons characters. (I'll let you figure out which is which.) One character is how I view myself. The other is how I want to look. (Again, I'll let you figure out which is which.)

Wiki witch of the west.

2007-04-11T14:26:00.000-07:00

So, wikis.

Yes.

I was confused by wikis before I started the Learning 2.0 sessions. And I still am a bit, I'm sorry to say. I see some uses for wikis, however, in the grand scheme of things, I'm not sure exactly how we can implement them into our work in the libraries. Ready reference is an obvious suspect. Also, it may be good for general communication among branches and clusters. Clearly, as with many things in Web 2.0 world, wikis require more than just a cursory poking and I’m sure my collegues who are more wiki savvy will have some great ideas on how to use this technology

As far as wiki sites go, (like Wikipedia, and the like) I think that they do a great job of maintaining current information and making it easy to access and to update. However, I still have concerns over authority. If anyone can just post willy-nilly, what kind of disinformation can we disperse? (Oh, I salivate at the opportunities.) I've heard reports that Wikipedia's error rate is roughly that of Britannica and that errors are typically caught and fixed within an hour of being posted. Though Wikipeida's usefulness is not in question (I use it often myself), I will still have concerns with a site where there is really no editorial board to oversee the posts.

Or maybe I’m just being fickle in my old age.

Del.icio.us, Technorati, and LibraryThing. Three things that just about made my spell check explode.

2007-04-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

In one fell swoop, I shall discuss all three aspects of this week’s section of our Learning 2.0.

First off, the tasty del.icio.us:
I think that this has a lot of promise for our work in libraries. I can see how this could be a great collaborative tool among staff, though I think it will take work to make it extremely useful. I think that it is more likely an interesting tool for personal use. Then staff who use del.icio.us will be able to use this together. The challenge will be to get people to keep the links updated. It is
definitely worth a try.

Now on the Technorati:
Looks like an interesting search tool, but other than that, I don’t see a great deal of usefulness. This may take a little more investigation, but I’m a bit under whelmed thus far.

Finally, LibraryThing:
This is my favorite project this week, and perhaps in all of the Learning 2.0 program. It was easy to set up and I quickly put together a list of 12 books to post on the list. I set it up and then posted the random widget onto my blog. Nice. I can see the usefulness in the Web 2.0 environment, specifically by linking it to the STABlog and MySTAB. I can also see how I can use this in my personal life as well. Very exciting. Very exciting, indeed. So exciting, in fact, I added the LibraryThing widget to my blog. Wahoo!

PS. Folksonomies:
Are driving me crazy. I like the idea of people doing informal cataloging, but without some kind of authority I fear the chaos that will inevitably ensue. I think that it is possible that this can fill in holes that are left by traditional cataloging methods. However, without some kind of way to focus and organize these tags, I think that we will still miss an awful lot out there.

How Brian Michael Bendis stole my baby. Or what I learned at Emerald City Comicon.

2007-04-02T19:42:00.000-07:00

To begin with, the title is completely inaccurate. I didn’t learn anything at the Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC). No, wait. That part is right. It was that Bendis didn’t technically “steal” my baby. It was more like I tried to trade her for a comic, but he didn’t wouldn’t take her.

But more on that later . . .

So, back to what I learned:

1. Bring a baby stroller with you so you have a place to put all the stuff you buy.
Gail and Brendan were out of town, but I was fortunate to have Aidan with me so I didn’t have to just bring an empty baby stroller to throw stuff in. Cuz’ I’ve done that before and it looks creepy. You can also use the stroller as a battering ram to get to the good stuff and break the blockades around the artists/creators.

2. Bounty Hunters take too many breaks.
I swung by the the 501st Legion’s booth to have my picture taken with characters from the Star Wars movies. However, the magic of the event was somewhat diminished when “Darth Vader” whipped off his helmet and talked about how he couldn’t breathe. (I thought he had some kind of mechanism for that kind of thing in that big old can on his head.) So, Aidan and I stood in line to have our picture taken and I was very pleased because one of my favorite characters from the Star Wars films was there, Boba Fett. However, as they leant me a light saber (I left mine at home) and a Jedi robe I noticed that Mr. Fett had gone away and he was not to be found. I hated to be a pain, but I asked if it would be possible to find him or we could wait. They did a quick search, but couldn’t find him anywhere. But that was when Darth stepped up.

3. Darth Vader isn’t such a bad guy and Storm Troopers are pretty friendly too.
Darth asked if a Strom Trooper and a Darth Vader would work for the picture. “Sure,” I said. So off we went. I figured Darth was kind of mean based on the movies, but I guess that is just another liberal media ploy to vilify the Empire. The Storm Trooper chatted with me while we were waiting for Darth to put his helmet back on. I asked him why he was wearing desert gear in Seattle and he said that he wanted to be prepared. It makes me curious as to whether or not the Boy Scouts and the Storm Troopers share training techniques.

4. Comic book writers and artists don’t want to trade their wares for kids.
Usually I’m not a geek when it comes to meeting famous people. I give them their space and just admire their work. Plus, I never have anything interesting to say. But there is something about being at a comic convention where you just let your geek out. And so I stood in line to have some artists and writers I admire sign some books. One of the individuals signing was a guy named Brian Michael Bendis. He is currently working on a series at Marvel called Civil War. Anyways, I was grabbing one of his books to sign and I said something to the effect of “Do you mind . . . ?” while shifting Aidan on my hip. BMB jumped up and said “Sure” and gestured for Aidan. “Uh. OK” was my sterling response as I handed over my child. He then started to make googly eyes at her which was actually really cute. Aidan seemed to be pretty happy with the arrangement. I almost asked if he wanted to watch her while I wandered around a bit more, but he had a line. Maybe next time.

5. Bounty hunters like to shop for toys.
On my way out, I was wandering by a booth and found Boba Fett shopping for action figures. So I had to stop and ask if we could have a picture. I thought, “Hey, he isn’t pointy like the Tuscan Raider” (pictured above), “Why doesn’t he hold Aidan?" However, when I tried to hand Aidan over, she started crying. Apparently, Aidan must think she has a price on her head. (Which she doesn’t as far as I know.) Regardless, we got our picture with Boba Fett.

6. It is always more fun to hang out with someone else at a costume competition.
Aidan and I made one last stop at the costume competition on our way out. We were accompanied by one of my librarian co-workers, Dawn. More than two-dozen people showed off their creativity at the competition. However, as Dawn and I noted, some people were perhaps “too creative”. When designing a costume, one should refrain from highlighting parts of the body that cellulite can, uh, collect in unpleasant ways. Plus, thigh high boots and hot pants may look good in a comics, but may not look so good in real life. Also, in my opinion, flesh colored tights can cover a multitude of sins.

All in all, it was a good bonding experience between a father and daughter. Remember, it is never too early to introduce your younglings to nerd-dom.

Tag! This is it! A number 9!

2007-03-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

I came across something recently that I thought was pertinent to our conversation on tagging and perhaps also to our work with del.icio.us and Technorati. I found it on the Library Stuff website (which is a great library blog if you are interested).

First, go to this Amazon.com link .

Then, read the posts and enjoy.

Now, read the rest of this post.

As you read, apparently someone was selling a house number for $250,000. (Though now you can buy it used for less than $1,500. Such a steal!) The greatest part of this is the user comments. My favorite is from the reviewer Gus the Goldfish of Fishbowl, WA:
"What most of the other reviewers seem to be missing is that this is no ordinary house number. It is 54'6" high, weighs 7 metric tons, and casts a shadow over the entire neighborhood. The guy next door to me, at #7, gets no sunlight from 2-3pm on most summer days. That alone is worth the price."

Perhaps. But my thought is that obviously this is the #9 that sponsors the Sesame Street episodes and therefore it needs the cash to keep the Muppets living in the style to which they have become accustomed.

Or perhaps this is the last #9 in existence in the universe. Then we will go right from 8 to 10. The next number we'll lose will no doubt be "3".

And I hope this qualifies for FREE Super Saver Shipping.

I could go on and on.
All that aside, if you scroll down to the bottom of the page in Amazon you'll notice something interesting. You guessed it. Tags. And look at some of these. I understand most of them. "Amazon oddities" is the best to my fevered little mind. And if you click on that link, a whole new world is opened up to you! Some of the items that will appear on my Amazon wish list soon include:
Throwing Axes
Gold Lemon Squeezer
Tropical Shirt Can Cover
The Darth Vader Dog Costume

From these items you can guess what I do on the weekends.

Regardless, of how weird this is, I think we can all see where this tagging thing can go. It has a lot of potential for good--and EVIL! The thing is, it is unlikely Amazon would go out their way to point out all the weird products in their inventory. Thank goodness people with nothing better to do sit around and take care of that for them.

Let me rewrite the above 2 sentences in KCLS terms:

The thing is, it is unlikely the King County Library System would go out their way to catalog all the wonderful materials in new and unique ways to make them accessible to the public. Thank goodness our patrons with intelligence and good taste assist us in making these items accessible.

LC takes care of so much for us, and yet with tagging, our patrons can fill in the gaps. Library 2.0 technologies can be extremely beneficial and I'm excited about how we can find new and inventive ways to incorporate them into our system.

You like me. Or is this just because we have an assignment?

2007-03-27T10:40:00.000-07:00

Now I have friends on MySpace. And conversely I am on their site. It is like some kind of virus. Or six degrees of separation. (I wish they had some kind of MySpace mash-up that would do that for you. I've looked but haven't found one.)

And I've made a comment on the KCLS 27 things MySpace page. As I commented, I think this is just an elaborate ploy to get lots and lots of comments.

On March 27th! Ha!

MySpace Star!

2007-03-27T09:52:00.000-07:00

I'm keeping up with the Learning 2.0 stuff-I'm just not blogging about it. But on this week's lesson , #9, I'm way ahead as you can tell if you listened to my starring role on the podcast! By the way, I'll be signing autographs later this week at the Lynnwood Barnes and Noble. (I do a feel a little over exposed since I was just in the PI, too.) But, enough about me.

Actually, no, more about me. MySpace is all about ME. Not Rick, but the collective "ME". It is social and about the exchange of information on personal basis. It can be a great tool for finding old friends, making new ones and keeping tabs on authors, actors, bands/musicians and anyone else who has deigned to create a MySpace page. Like libraries. Or Teen Advisory Boards. Like MySTAB. MySTAB is about connecting teens in STAB as well as providing them access to authors and readers advisory sites.

However, because it is about ME, I decided to create a separate MySpace site for this project. I enjoyed having a slightly different focus for this site. I'll probably keep it more "professional", though not too professional (note the dog picture). Special thanks to Miriam Driss for letting me use Morgan as my avatar.

Woof.

I made a comment!

2007-03-20T09:35:00.000-07:00

I just made a comment on Stephen Cohen site. It is really dumb.

Off my feed.

2007-03-16T12:28:00.000-07:00

This week’s Learning 2.0 focused on RSS feeds. I have to admit keeping up on Blogs seems like a daunting task, so I’m hoping this RSS thing works out.

I followed David’s wonderful directions and had very few problems setting up my account. My biggest problem was choosing blogs to subscribe to. I chose:
My colleagues:
Julia’s Blog
Alene’s Blog
The Seattle PI
Library Stuff
YALSA
And, of course, the 27things Blog
And a Lost blog, which I’ve already deleted cuz it was lame.

I think I’ll be able to add more blogs as I come across them. My major issue will be to remember to check the Bloglines account often so I won’t be overwhelmed. If I can conquer that, I’ll be good. I think that this will be great once we have the various blogs for KCLS set up, and I’ll just log in once a day to check what has happened in KCLS land.

Until next time,

Excelsior!

In the paper again!

2007-03-14T20:07:00.000-07:00

I'm in the paper again! Not technically me, but one of the teens from STAB. But I'll take credit for it nonetheless.

Also, I'm quoted on a Harry Potter Fansite out of the UK (Scroll down to the headline: HP credited in aiding rising numbers of teen readers.) Though, technically it is the same article I was quoted in the PI. But, again, I'll take credit for it none the less!

Flikr Mashup!

2007-03-13T14:16:00.000-07:00

This is crazy! And a little ugly.

Rick on the Front page of the PI.

2007-03-09T17:30:00.000-08:00

I suppose blogs are supposed to be a little self indulgent, so I guess I should post this here. Wahoo! I'm in the paper.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/books/306531_teenlit08.html

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/books/306478_teenlitsplit08.html

So I'm behind.

2007-03-06T09:54:00.000-08:00

So, I'm playing catch-up. Here is my 27things blog assingment for flikr. I've used Flikr before so I had fun trying to find pictures I knew were there. And this is what I found:

However, I really liked this picture too:

Also, I like to use Photobucket for a variety of reasons. You can find that link here: http://s153.photobucket.com/albums/s216/librarylad/

Harry Potter? When?

2007-03-06T09:20:00.000-08:00

I'm going to do something really complicated, like cut and paste.

Here is the countdown to the new Harry Potter book and movie.

Welcome to rickobloggins 2.0!

2007-02-27T16:24:00.000-08:00

This is part of the assignment for the King County Library System's Learning 2.0 project. I think I blog on issues implementing Library 2.0 technologies into KCLS espcially in regards to Teen Services. Or, maybe I'll blog about cheese. Who knows!