Thing 23 - Reflections

My favorite thing was facebook. I am amazed at the ways that you can connect to people with this tool. I can definitely see how this could be useful in a library to capture the attention of younger kids as well as older baby boomers that are discovering new technologies. Another favorite thing was Google reader. I did not know anything about blog readers. This helps me by bringing some organization and control to the various subjects I like to read about. One of my least favorite things was digg. It seemed too arbitrary. Without knowing who was ‘digging’ articles, it would not be very useful in targeting any services for the library.

When I become employed, I will use facebook and flickr with my patrons. For my own intellectual development, I will use Google Reader to help me keep up with library news and websites. This will keep me informed of the ways other libraries are using new technology. I would like to make podcasts of storytimes so they can be shared with children. I would do this in concert with the outreach librarian who delivers books to the sick and homebound. Therefore preschoolers could both see the book and have it ‘read’ to them.

Through this course I have learned more than ’23 Things’. I have learned that there is a real community among the librarians in North Texas, and a real willingness for them to share their time and knowledge with others. I have learned that even librarians who have worked in the field for many years are as unfamiliar as I am (was) with all the new technology. I have learned that new technology can be fun and adventuresome as well as frustrating at times. I have learned that learning never stops.

I have also learned that the technology that gave us the internet has also given us the tools to organize and understand it so we can use it effectively. We just need to be pointed in the right direction. I am very grateful to the librarians who instituted this program here in North Texas and showed me some of the technology available. I will continue to learn about new technology. I have signed up for a website development class for this fall!