The Return of the Native

Text messaging, as taught to me by our Library Intern, is simple. Learning face to face, or sound to ear (instead of screen to eye) was so much easier. Unfortunately, while I now know how to view my text messages, I find texting with such small keys and print, tedious. As the owner of a 35+ year old washer and lawn mower, I certainly will not replace my phone until it gives up completely. I do think I would prefer texting to leaving a voice message though, since writing is my preferred method of communication.

Communicating through library e-mail is a time saver. Not being tied to taking or returning phone calls allows frees the researcher to an answer or act on a request before responding. E-mail documents time and date of requests or instructions (and the instructions themselves). Also, everyone is able to receive the same message. E-mail connects and informs a whole library district at the same time. Can't find anything wrong with library e-mail. Other on-line communication also documents and allows freedom of time to research and respond.

On-line reference using e-mail or chat - as used through Ask-a-Librarian - is a convenient service: professional, fast, and inclusive. Responding in anonynimity can allow the librarian to relax. Sometimes not seeing non-verbal clues but carefully "listening" to what is written can be freeing.

And speaking of listening, webinars are cost efficient. They allow broadly scattered participants to share ideas and understanding with each other without the stress of time consuming travel. They usually document the discussion as well as the presentation. Drawbacks include equipment failure and registered participants who don't show. Also, you miss that "time consuming travel" that allows you to visit a different city or meet new folks face to face.

I enrolled in Yahoo messenger and am ready for my first IM on Friday, the day aroudn here when more than one person has time to IM.

New tools for old games Flickr Puzzle

Created at http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/jigsaw.php

Mashups are fun because the applications are so varied. There are combined applications that make the first application useful to artists, teachers, players, and general learners. Since my first Flickr posts were professional, the mashups I chose were for that use also. Among other uses, I can see that Flickr Speller, Color, and Puzzles could be used for display and games for youth programs. The photos displayed here are a few from the Hawthorne Branch Library Summer Reading Program 2008. The kids are World Wide Readers who had their photos taken in the photo board after reading ten books. A puzzle picture would make a great incentive or we could enlarge and display with the caption "where are you?" Flickr Speller would make great captions.

Note to self: Try a mosaic. Learn how to eliminate glare.