Thank you, Winston...

Maybe the analogy isn't perfect, but I am going to use it anyways. During the throes of WWII when things were still going pretty badly for the British, Winston Churchill rallied his fellow countrymen time and time again. This one applies to my 23 Things learning journey the last several weeks. "We are not at the end, nor even the beginning of the end, but perhaps we are at the end of the beginning."

This learning process never ends but it has helped me... get...more...organized! My digital world has had too many loose strings the past few years. My learning more about Del.icio.us, Letter James, RSS feeds, podcasts and dozens of other "organizers" has made a big difference in how I "handle" business- and personal-related "stuff".

PBCLS will need more of the same programs to keep its staff up-to-date. We also need forums where staff and patrons can brainstorm what is do-able within a library setting. Thank you, Winston, for helping us realize that this is a long road...

Digital Media Collection

I like downloading these books and listening to them while I'm working on something else on my laptop computer at home. My next title will be A New Earth. I listened to the excerpt read by the author, Eckhart Tolle, and I was convinced to now do the rest. Actually, my wife read the book (hello, Oprah) but I found the print very small and light. This is the next best thing. I am always convincing my neighbors to make use of this library service -- especially people who say they don't have time to read anymore.

Casting for podcasts

You know, we're always weeding our library collections. Guess what? I am going to have to start weeding my Bloglines account. Too much is going in and nothing is being taken out. Just a thought...

I looked in Podcast Alley for something library-related and found a nice little library orientation tour produced by Emory University entitled Library Survival Guide. In the NPR Podcast Directory I went for the books and found a ton of them under the Book Podcast section. Of course, Fresh Air podcasts are always entertaining and informative. In the library, we could set up an NPR section where patrons could be entertained and informed all day long!

YouTube

I have utilized this site often over the last year or so. The family always sends funny or thought-provoking vids -- depending on one's mood. Of course, whenever I tried a search, the library's server blocked it -- so that's a minus. But a patron could get some great videos if they browse. I liked the 2008 Port Townsend (Washington) Blues Fest where artists were jammin'.

Read, View, EAT!

Wow, there's so many sites to choose from. My favorite of the half dozen I looked at and the other dozen or so that we have learned about recently was Im Cooked. It labels itself as "a web community for video recipe sharing". The motto is "cook it, film it, share it" -- that pretty well sums up the purpose.

So, you have a favorite recipe. You gather all the ingredients. You get yourself a cheap video camera or camera that is video-enabled. You start to put together a script (or not). It turns out to be: educational, informative, selective, and -- last but by no means least -- funny! I'm talking about some pretty raw yet creative videos here, folks. Besides the instructions for creating and uploading your vids, the homepage directs you to groups (based on food interests) and channels (all different kinds of recipe groups such as "soups and stews", "cakes and pies", seafood, meat. cocktails, barbecues, etc.).

Can I see any use for this in a library setting? It would make a great comedy program on a rainy afternoon. It would also be great for anyone remotely interested in cooking (even the "Unchefs" group is worth it). I can see patrons utilizing this site for a searched-after recipe. It's also a great vehicle for uploading your first created video onto the world's stage. As the old commercial said: "try it -- you'll like it!"

Soho Zoho

I need all the bells and whistles I can get when I type. I love the toolbars and all the extras, except the smiley faces! Maybe I'll write from here and just send the doc over to my blog. Another thing I like about this Zoho tool is that I use meeting agendas, planners and PowerPoint. Soho has all these and more. Plus they are easier to share! What more can you ask for? Tough to find the Spell Check (my most used tool)!

Sand...

Okay. I played in the sandbox. And I now know how to utilize peanut butter (goes good with jelly, on bread or toast). I expressed to my fellow pbclsers what my favorite music and food is. I am almost fulfilled. After reading the music favorites, I have got to know how one "shreds" a banjo!