#20 YouTube

I have previously watched hundreds of things on YouTube. I can see it as a useful tool for libraries. I didn't know that user submissions had to be 10 minutes or less. So, I learned something new!

I watched several bookcart drill team entries. The video was fairly terrible on all. One (an Austin Library group) did use my new favorite song -- "I want to be a librarian". When I went to the song's official video it was well worth the viewing. I cannot recommend it highly enough. It is by "Haunted Love"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne_WXP7lUWM

I noticed that several library-related YouTube videos have very low hits and 0 comments in many cases. Maybe it was just the ones I tried. But it does make me wonder how successful this is if few are viewing what you are putting out there in YouTube Libraryland.

I also enjoyed an open access occupational film about the library profession shot in 1947. The purpose, sayeth the film, is bringing people and books together. Today, I suppose it is bringing people and computers together.

I also don't know how people actually post something on YouTube. Is is fairly simple to do?

#6 Blog Readers

Well, I pretty much enjoy all things google so I'm sure this will prove to be helpful as well. I can see the advantage of all the sites in one place. This will personally save some time. Or waste it as I am constantly distracted by new things to the sites I have subscribed to from this time forward. I can't see this as much of a boon to my library but I will probably find it useful in my spare time.

#19 Google docs

I can see the advantages of google docs. I have never used it before. The ability to upload, edit from anywhere, store files securely and share changes in real time would be helpful. However, I never really work collaboratively on any documents. If this was an activity I engage in frequently I would find google docs helpful. It is certainly very easy to use. It is clear, clean and uncluttered.

I'm not sure of the advantages of using google docs to publish a web page. I do see how group presentations would be facilitated by utilizing google docs. Like everything else, the google bloggers really show how to increase the value of this free service.

#18 Wikis

I created my wiki but I did have a few problems. I didn't realize that the sub-page titles could not be identical to any others that had been named. So when I tried "interests" it just kept taking me back to the home page instead allowing me to enter text. Once I changed it to reading interests it finally accepted the new page. However, the hierarchy didn't seem to work. I added 3 subpages but they don't all display correctly. It only shows two. If you click reading interests then you see all three. So I am not sure what went wrong with my posting.

Some of the Wikipedia entries are much better than others. I do use Wikipedia, of course, but I don't know how much I would trust it as a sole source.

#17 Libworm

I loved this Library-oriented RSS feed search engine. When I searched for my Library, alas, I came up with nada, nothing, bupkis, zilch. That is really too bad.

I searched for several other items and found many interesting stories, comments, blogs etc. I searched for Netflix and libraries and came up with some helpful and thought-provoking information. Some compared the "netflix model" and library model as well as articles about libraries who have used Netflix as their default DVD provider.

I also found a link to Libraryman writing about the upcoming closing of Seattle Public for a week. I thought libraryman's blog had a great idea about how to help people see the impact of the closing and reminding the public of the Library ROI for the community

#12 Twitter

I first heard about twitter a couple of years ago at a TLA conference in Dallas. I remember the speaker was covering several different 2.0 areas and mentioned twitter. His take on it was that he really didn't see the use in it. The last time I heard of twitter was reading about some celeb's latest 140 character mindless missive.

Of course since that long ago TLA conference Twitter has exploded in popularity. I just don't understand why. It is the perfect example of our self-centered naval-gazing population. I don't care if someone is enjoying a ham sandwich at 3 p.m. on a Tuesday. Truly, I do not care.

However, through the trending Twitter topics I did find out that Angela's Ashes author Frank McCourt died today. So, I got some very sad news through it. I enjoyed his books very much. I read Angela's Ashes when I was sick with the flu. It helped somehow. At least I wasn't in Limerick I thought at the time.

But back to Twitter. Although I think it is mostly ridiculous, I did subscribe to the Newsweek tweets which then linked to a short piece by Ben Bradlee remembering Walter Cronkite. I did enjoy that.

#15 Digg

How did I ever live without Digg? Oh yeah. Quite easily.
Sarcasm aside, this is an exceedingly fun way to waste significant amounts of time. Here I go viewing the current top entry "Zombie costume" as well as "Man sues dentist after he dropped tools down throat TWICE." Of course it is the "twice" that really makes the story. Who could resist reading the story after that compelling headline??

And this certainly beats CNN if you are looking for the offbeat. The comments on various articles seem to be readable and thoughtful at times which is refreshing.

I can't see any application at all for my Library. But I am glad to have been introduced to Digg and I will be returning to it frequently much to my annoyance. I had really hoped to get back to my book (remember books?) Disquiet, please! More Humor Writing from the New Yorker. But the book will just have to wait because I just spotted "Top 10 Anti-Microsoft Quotes" Here are two: Difference between a virus and windows? Viruses rarely fail and Computers are like air conditioners, they stop working when you open windows.

Oh Digg where have you been all my life?