Final 2.0 Post!!!

I've learned so much during our Staff 2.0 Challenge - I've especially learned that I have so much to learn!!  It was very interesting to learn how to blog. I'm still deciding if I'd like to start a Family Blog... at least now I'll know how to do just that! It was especially helpful to watch the videos "in Plain English" describe how Blogs, Wikis, social media, etc. work! Really simplified the ideas and made them easily understood! I also enjoyed learning about how to use RSS feeds and Podcasts. I don't know how often I'll use the RSS feeds, but know I know what the symbol means and how to use it! It was fun learning more about sharing photos and videos. I love sharing pictures and videos, especially with my family that doesn't live closeby. Social networking is also a great way to stay in touch and get instant information. I don't think I'll be using Twitter anytime soon, but at least I know how to use it and what it does! It was great fun learning more about the Google Tools available. I am utililizing these tools more and more.And learning about what is available on our library website was exciting.

I really enjoyed participating in this Challenge and appreciate being able to learn about all the information available at my fingertips. I learned that I have MUCH to learn! It's fun and important to know what's new!  I hope we can continue these challenges. It would be great to be able to share some of the info we learn with others, as I think we continue to learn from others each day. This project has truly provided many "Life's Lessons" for me.  Thanks for the opportunity!

VAPLD on the Web

It has been very interesting learning about all the tools on the web that our library has available to use. There's no end to the resources available, I've found!! During this 2.0 challenge I've learned more about downloading digital books, the wonderful subject guides available on the library website, the events calendar, and all the Research Databases. I was especially excited to try the ancestory database..it was great fun finding out about some relatives that lived in the 1800's...all by looking into this database!  I've also enjoyed looking into the Book News/Reviews area on our website, the Kids page, and teen scene pages..there is truly a "wealth of information" for everyone here at the library and using the computer is a easy way to see what is available.

My Media Mall Experiences

I enjoyed learning about My Media Mall...we have an outstanding collection of downloadable books available here at the library and I've been wanted to learn how to use this collection.  I was able to download the Overdrive Media Console onto my computer and download an audio book onto my computer without too many problems. It did take me a while to find out how to download the book... I guess I needed step-by-step instructions. Now that I've done it once, I do think I could help a patron, but I would like to try to download a book to a MP3 player sometime to see how easily that can be done. Practice makes perfect!!!

Learning About Google Tools

Well, again, lots of new things to learn about this week!! There continues to be so much to learn about and keep up with on the internet. I did look at the Google Tools and was surprised of the number of new products available. I have been using some of the products at home - the IGoogle page, google maps, and the phone service available through google. They have worked out well and the igoogle page is fun to use, although I don't always have time to check everything out that I've put there! I did enjoy learning more about Google Docs. I think  it might be useful to use the Google Documents product at work - when I submit monthly YS meeting notes and need them proofread, etc. I will forward to trying out this product. The Google spreadsheet is pretty easy to use - I set up a simple spreadsheet, and think that it might be useful for addresses, keeping track of some stats, etc. Excel is very powerful, however, and this is the product that I will probably use more readily because I am more familiar with it. I have not used the slideshow feature or powerpoint before, so can not compare, but I will be looking into these  features as well.

I did enjoy finding the Google Books product and think that I might use it from time to time. It was a convenient way to read a review about a book, find purchase information, or even see what library has it available! There were a lot of other Google products that I hope to check into when I have more time.

Google Labs were interesting too. Amazing to see what products people are working on!

The Google products are readily available and easy to use! I will continue to use the igoogle page and the map available are very helpful.

My Insights on Social Networking

I have been a part of social networking for a while and have a Facebook page. It just another way of staying in touch with family and friends, and it's been fun. I don't care to Twitter...too much unneeded conversation. But, saying that, I understand that people like up-to-the moment contact and updates, and Twitter is a way to do just that.

I did visit the Library's Facebook page and found that it is a good way to remind and update our patrons about current library programs. A very useful tool! It's also a way to elicit patron involvement and responses about our materials and programs. It also shows patron involvement by showing online pictures of the programs and the people that attend them. I thought it would be a useful way to highlight new programs and new books and think that patrons may enjoy being able to rate books on the site! By visiting the Library's Twitter account, I discovered another way to instantly share information about our library's programs and other community events. It's a convenient way to get patron's feedback to our programs and might be useful if enough patrons use it. I'm curious about how many people are using our library's Twitter site.

I was very interested in reading the articles about online safety. I do have concerns about too much personal information being available and realize that the only way to be safe is to keep learning about how to protect my privacy. There was interesting, current information about internet safety  on the website www.connectsafely.org. I think it is important to stay current!

Owen at 3 months

Owen at 3 months 
(picture taken by K. Leber)
Uploaded by lkleber

Our little Grandson, Owen, wearing his Bengals outfit! GO Owen!
I thought that I would share this picture of my new grandson Owen on this blog as he is such an important example of how quickly life changes! Not only each day for Owen, but also the learning that is taking place for his Mom and Dad as brand new parents and for my husband and I as brand-new Grandparents! Something neither one of us has ever experienced, but are looking forward to so much! He is a joy and we are very blessed to have a healthy and happy little grandson to love! Flickr is pretty easy to use; it was a little confusing to get the picture of Owen on this Blog, but I eventually figured out how to add it. I will have to try again to become more familiar with the site.

Besides learning how to share a picture on this blog, I've had fun checking out
videos. It was great to discover the internal video link right on our email site...something I hadn't checked out before! I watch the video of the library's15th Anniversary once again - what fun!! I had missed seeing a lot of people that I've known over the years in the first video.I'm providing the link to this fun video!
http://video.google.com/a/vapld.info/#/Play/contentId=8f2aab14963b2ae5

I also enjoyed searching You tube videos...just not enough time in the day. I watched several videos - from Jim Gill, a musician who sings music for preschoolers, to how to make bread, to learning how to make an origami frog    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luG7_nzBHjI&feature=channel . Maybe we'll be able to use this as a craft idea in the YS department someday! It was easy to add this link...much easier than I thought! All in all a fun experience this week!

Learning about RSS & Podcasts

This week I have been learning about using RSS to check out news and stories that I like to check on each day. This was a somewhat challenging task - I think learning new technology is always challenging! And learning where different icons, etc are located. I did join Google Reader and added several RSS feeds to my site...I was able to add Chicago Tribune, Chicago Weather and Traffic, Today Show Book Review, and several others. I don't know how often I will be checking out the Google Reader, but it was interesting to learn how to add these sites and hopefully I will get more comforatable using it.

Podcasts are another great way of getting information over the internet. I was able to listen to a Podcast from NPR titled "An Author's Personal Library Lost and Found" and found another interesting site called "Authors on Tour" that shares podcasts of authors and their books. Both of these podcasts were audio only, so I hope to find one that shares a video broadcast. Much to learn, but each new thing is exciting and challenges me to keep learning what is available on the internet!

First Post!

My First Post!!! Well, I am excited about learning this new technology! It seems like there is so much to learn! Another lesson in life! Learn something new every day!!