Making choices

I've been noticing a trend when reading all of the Project Player blogs in Semester 2. It seems like there is an assumption that the PP instructors expect you to love all of the tools we are sharing in the blog posts simply because we are writing about them.

Well, I'm here to tell you, that's just not the case.

Sure we love a lot of the tools that we're teaching you about, but that doesn't mean we believe they should be received the same by everyone else participating in Project Play. There's no need to apologize if you don't like something or can't see how you would use it in your daily life. C'est la vie!

The point is to be open to exploring things you might think have no application at your library, to be aware of what's out there, and not be afraid to try new things. We all have to make choices about which tools to use, what we have time for, and what we can maintain in the long run.

The other thing I want to ask you all to keep in mind is that the point of a lot of the tools we're sharing is collaboration. Sure, Remember the Milk might not be something you would use personally - paper and pen might be your preference - but if you were working with a group, it might be ideal because it affords the ability to keep one central task list that anyone in the group can edit. I wonder if there just aren't as many people collaborating on projects in our libraries as I would have thought? If there's no opportunity provided to work in this way, I guess I can see why viewing these tools in that light would be difficult.

One last thing... Some of the tools are also about putting library services out where people are online rather than expecting them to come to you (or your library's web site). That's why RSS is so important - your content is automatically delivered to people instead of them having to come and check your site for what's new. It's also why sites like MySpace and Facebook should at least be considered - yes, the pages are usually ugly, but it would put your information out where thousands of people are interacting rather than assuming they'll find your web site if they're online.

I'm hoping that Project Play will help us all adopt a more 2.0 way of thinking. We're used to waiting for people to walk in our doors with some encouragement through traditional means. But that's just not the way the world is anymore. We can't wait. Some people might never walk through our doors, but they might be able to use our services externally and become library supporters because of it. That means we need to be out where they are, so happenstance can bring the library and new users together. Sure all of this has implications on service and the choices we make will become more and more difficult, but that's the way of the world these days, no?

Podcast addict

Yes, it's true. I am a podcast addict! If I'm in my car or on our treadmill or on a walk, I'm usually listening to a podcast. I love my iPod and the ability to take tons of music and broadcasting content wherever I go. If you're not very familiar with podcasts, I hope this week's Project Play post will help you learn more about this wonderful format.

I've been working on the "Enhancing Library Services via Podcasts, Screencasts, and Vodcasts" LSTA grant we were awarded this year. The grant will enable us to purchase the equipment and software needed to create podcasts, screencasts, and vodcasts. We will use this equipment and software to create instructional resources for patrons on how to use InfoSoup and its associated resources. In addition, we will provide training and support for OWLS member libraries to create their own online resources to share with their patrons. We'll have a "casting station" at OWLS in our meeting room, and a traveling "casting kit" that will be loaned to our member libraries for their use.

It's so exciting to think about all of the possibilities this grant will open up for us! I've been purchasing equipment and software this week and can't wait to get it all here, so I can start learning how to use it all and prep training for all of you. Stay tuned, 'cuz there's lots more to come!

Blogger hacks

Hey all you Project Players who want to do more with your blog! Take a look at these Top 10 Blogger Hacks and Tips and see if you find anything interesting. (Originally found on iLibrarian.)

Laugh out loud

I came across the video below when reading Project Player Katie S's blog. It's a humorous take on social networking from Demetri Martin. I couldn't resist posting it here. Thanks for finding it, Katie! :)

Social networks? Not so sure. But avatars rock!

I've been looking at social networking sites for quite a while now. I even went so far as to create a Facebook account, but haven't done much with it. I like the idea of using it to connect with old school- or college-mates or with other library colleagues in Wisconsin or elsewhere or even my nephews who are graduating from college this spring. But I'm also an introvert and a pretty private person, and I wouldn't necessarily share the same things between any of those groups I just listed. So I'm still on the fence... I thought the Meredith Farkas article did a great job of listing the pros and cons, though, so be sure to give that a read.

Here's my South Park character, created in honor of the freezing cold temps we're having at the moment. I also played briefly with the Yahoo! avatar tools, but had to make too many decisions about my hair and clothes. Fun, fun, fun!

InfoSoup YouTube Contest

This morning the InfoSoup PR Committee met to select the winners of our InfoSoup YouTube Contest. It was a blast to see what people had come up with, and I'm so happy with the videos we selected for 1st and 2nd place! Take a look at our winners:

1st place


2nd place


Other entries can be viewed on the contest page at http://info.infosoup.org/youtube/. This was a great experiment. I hope you'll consider embedding the 1st place video on your web site - it's a great advertisement for InfoSoup!

To do lists

I admit to being a to do list junkie. Mainly because if I don't write something down, it's out of my head 2 minutes later. Remember the Milk is something that I love playing with, but when it comes down to it, I really prefer putting paper to pen. That way I can add my own doodles. I think RTM would be great, though, if you were working on something collaboratively and needed a list that could be accessed by multiple people. I love how it interacts with other tools!

Jott is one of my favorite tools of all time. I'm often out running errands or going somewhere with just my cell phone on me. It's so easy and convenient to be able to call Jott if I think of something I don't want to forget and get that wonderful email reminding me later. I'm a mumbler by trade, so it took me a while to speak loudly enough and clearly enough to get a good transcript of my speech, but over time I figured it out and can usually decipher what I meant. :)

All tools won't work for all people, and I think one of the things we're trying to get across in Project Play is that a lot of these tools are for collaborating, for communicating, and for connecting. Yes, you might not use them on your own, but think of how they might be handy at your library to work with staff, volunteer groups, reading groups, or other colleagues who might not be in the same library, city, or state.