Thursday, July 10, 2008

Zoho to Go

Being that I earn my living using much of MicroSoft Office software, I was curious to test the user friendliness of this program. Well, I'm impressed! Not only was this very user friendly, it's the Cadillac of office software. You could conceivably create a single document that utilizes just about all that MS has to offer with just the click of a few buttons. Even more impressive, a number of individuals could have access to and work on a single document. If you're familiar with MS, this is a piece of cake to use!

The follwing was created and posted to my blog from Zoho writer.


On the subject of my boys...

My son Torrey is much like his mother was growing up. He has no definitive career direction. The problem lies in the fact that he's good at most things he puts his mind to. He's a 'jack of all trades but master of none' type of child. Torrey has a sweet disposition and a willing heart. Upon meeting him for the first time, you would think he was the typical teenage boy and in many ways he is. But spend a little time with Torrey and you would discover a very observant individual. He's got big, beautiful brown eyes that takes in everything --human behavior in particular, much of which he'll ponder. And at some point in time, when you least expect it, he'll verbalize his observations...some of which are quite insightful. Maybe he'll become a psychologist one day!wink

Unlike his older brother, my son Tristan is an aspiring artist and novelist. He came out of the womb,, with a pencil clutched in his fist. When we sent him off to kindergarten he could read, draw and chicken scratch. Reading was a breeze. And drawing was as natural to him as breathing is to the rest of us. But his penmanship was no less than horrible! I remember the sitter and I lamententing on how his teacher would manage to discipher his scribble scrabble. Our prayers were answered. Today Tristan's penmanship is perfect, so much so, that Torrey says he 'writes like a girl.'

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Wiki, Wiki, Wiki


Prior to this exercise, my only other experience with Wikis was Wikipedia (cited as a 'very unreliable source' for research purposes by my former professors). And now I know why. There's a certain amount of trust that's assumed with Wiki sites. Its expected that users/contributors will only provide reliable information and should an unscrupulous act be committed, detection and correction is reliant upon site managers and users. On one Wiki site in particular, contributors are required to sign in as measure of security/accountability.

Nevertheless, Wikis are fascinating in that even a novice such as myself could potentially be a contributor---no knowledge of programming required! I was able to add my blog to the Favorites list as well as explore links provided by others. Wikis can be tailored for specific needs, events or periods of time---temporary or long term. In browsing several library Wikis, differences in layout, content and organization was evident. Some were very detailed in how information was presented and categorized while others were more loosely laid out. Everything from readers advisory and youth programming to research information categories are readily accessible.

Monday, June 30, 2008

Delicious Technorati

Well let's see, Delicious, Technorati, Technorati, Delicious...

What are my thoughts? Interesting concepts, possibly even ingenious. Both are very useful in a practical sense. I could see the value of being able to have access to your personal bookmarks no matter where you happen to be. As a test run, I was able to tag three webpages and load them onto Del.icio.us very quickly and efficiently on my very first attempt! Its also nice to know that should I need to view any of these sites from home or elsewhere, I can now do that.

Technorati...a warehouse of blogs---also a very interesting concept. Having done my share of research papers, I can appreciate this site. Why spend valuable time searching for something that has already been tagged and made public---sorta like reinventing the wheel.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Away from Icebergs

Like many things in life, it is often a shrewd move to stay involved and informed ---in the case of libraries, this is sage advice. In the perspective piece, Away from Icebergs,the author pointed out that 'libraries no longer have the monolopy on the information marketplace.' In order to meet the needs of today's patrons and remain in the game of information service provider, stepping outside the traditional box is crucial. Patrons expect more than books on shelves, they want access to digital collections, journals, blogs, podcasts---anything that is available in cyberspace. Libraries wishing to remain competitive must find ways to navigate away from the potential disaster of stagnation and proactively incorporate technologies that best meet patron needs and demands.

What does this say to me personally? Inspite of the fact that I won't be using much of technology available in cyberland, it is important that I make every effort to stay informed of the possibilities and try to engage others who are more technologically savvy.

Monday, June 9, 2008

Library Thing

Okay, just how long has this site existed and why didn't anyone tell me about it? LibraryThing has got to be the best kept secret among book lovers. Had it not been for 23Things I would forever remain in the dark! Oh the pain, the hurt and the dissapointment. But now that I do know...the joy of it all. This isn't only a useful and practical tool for booklovers the world over but the process of creating an account was such a breeze. Long live LibraryThing: )

My Library