On RSS, Newsfeeds, Widgets and Other Tech Toys

Continuing with our library system's staff exploration project, we took a look at RSS and how to organize newsfeeds and podcasts in a news aggretator.  We used Bloglines to subscribe to newsfeeds and podcasts.  I subscribed to the following newsfeeds: BBC News, NASA, Entertainment Weekly, and I also subscribed to Mugglecast, a podcast devoted to all things Harry Potter.

Last week, before I even knew about this assignment, I had placed a widget on my blog:  a RSS reader that contained updated news about Senator Barack Obama's primary campaign.  A widget, or desktop widget, is an "applet that gives you access to infomation and frequently used functions such as clocks, calendars, and news aggregators.  (www.wikipedia.com).  I also added a widget with videos of "Battlestar Galactica".  

I have been using other widgets (virtual sticky pads, calendar of moon phases, etc.) as part of my customized Google page at work.  I have also been listening to podcasts on scifi.com to keep up with my favorite shows like the aforementioned "Battlestar Galactica".  My Macintosh computer at home automatically displays the RSS symbol in the address bar if one is present on a particular website.  (Internet Explorer will be adding this capability in its next upgrade). So I have been familiar with these technology tools (tech toys) before we began our "23 Things" Web 2.0 assignment.

As I mentioned in a previous post about using blogs in libraries, I think RSS can also be used to enhance a library's electronic newsletter.  An RSS could be used to inform patrons about library happenings and events.  For example, instead of using our scrolling news link on our web site, a link which points out such information as holiday closings and new branch openings, we can use RSS to provide that type of information directly to a patron.  

Given that I came across quite a few library-related newsfeeds while browsing through Bloglines' RSS list, this technology is obviously being used by librarians to keep up with and share information about the library and information science field.  I subscribed to one of the American Library Association's RSS feeds on Public Programming.  I've already been a subscriber to that section's ListServ, so by subscribing to the RSS, I will be able to get the same information in a more convenient way.  The endless postings on ListServs tend to tie up your email account and is cumbersome to go through, whereas a RSS provides the same information in a more streamlined fashion.

These tech toys can be both useful and fun.

Namaste.

Our 2008 American Idol!

David Cook Rocks!
image by dustindonlove


There is Justice in this world. Yes, I know this is a singing contest, but the idea that someone you care about wins something -- in this case his dream to be a rock singer (not to mention a recording contract, a car, publicity, etc.) -- it just gives me a sense of hope.


Although I've been watching "American Idol" for the past few years, other than Chris Daughtry, David Cook was the first contestant that I cared about winning the competition. ("caring" equals "would buy his record", "go to his concert").

See, I have this sense of Justice. I hate when the "underdog" doesn't get treated fairly. Even though the Idol judges praised David C. all along, during the last night of the competition, they blew him off by declaring David Archuleta the champion.

Yet, unlike during past seasons where the viewers voted for the "wrong" person (Taylor Hicks) and the judges picked the "right" one (Chris Daughtry), this year the viewers got it right. David Cook is clearly the better singer. While he may not be as technically precise a singer as David A., he is certainly a more intuitive and emotive singer. Overall, he is the better performer.

So, there is Justice in this world. Now if only Senator Barack Obama wins back the White House in November for the American People, then I'll really have something to write about regarding Justice...

Rock on!

Idol thoughts

"American Idol" is the one reality show I allow myself to watch. In my previous life, I was a music journalist, and it was mandatory to be up on the latest pop fare, as well as the more "serious" rock and alternative music that I covered while living in Athens, Ga., during the heyday of R.E.M. and the B-52's.

I admit that I'm an "Idol" fan. It's musical "brain candy". After watching fabulous but emotionally draining dramas such as "Battlestar Galactica" and "House", not to mention the equally emotionally draining cable news shows detailing the latest casulty in Iraq or the never-ending Democratic Primary, a little brain candy is in order.

Since today is my birthday, as well as the final show of the 2008 "American Idol" season, I get to make a wish:  that David Cook wins the "Idol" competition, and most especially, that he and his family have much health and happiness.

Now, of course I don't know David Cook, but he seems to be a genuinely nice person, who happens to be hip, talented, and smart.  (Can I add that he's cute, and that I wish I had a boyfriend like him?  Or, should I say,  him as a boyfriend?).  Okay.  Okay.  It is my birthday, after all...

After seven seasons, "American Idol" has now become a part of our zeitgeist.   Despite criticism saying that the show has run its course, with all those millions of people watching this tv show, there must be something about it that captures our collective imagination.  Something beyond reality-show voyeurism.  Perhaps it is the good old-fashioned idea of the American Dream, the idea that anything is possible as long as you work hard and follow the Golden Rule.  

Namaste.

It's a High Tech Life

My 21st-century technology:


I adore my I-Pod Nano. I can download songs for a minimal charge. Any song I want (provided it's in the I-Tunes catalog). Current hits and old favorites. I hardly buy CDs anymore, mostly because I have no more storage space, but also because I like the idea of not having to spend $15.00 for a whole CD. Especially if there are only one or two songs from that I like from the CD. I now can spend 99 cents for each of the songs I like.

I like my digital camera. It's light-weight and easy to use. Just download the photos to my computer and print out on photo paper.


I think my Mac is brilliant. It's so intuitive and easy to use. The sleek white acrylic flat screen, wireless keyboard, and egg-shaped wireless mouse exemplifies high-tech design, of a quality suitable for a MOMA exhibit.


My 20th-century technology:


I still have all my records: 33 1/3 LPs and 45s. The album cover art is something that has gone by the wayside with the advent of audio cassettes and CDs. Now, digital music is all about the music. A completely different way of experiencing music. The nostalgia of albums, record stores, and the rock and roll experience is something only Gen-Xers and Baby Boomers can savor as the world goes digital.


I have my dad's camera collection. Old SLR cameras. They're gorgeous examples of mid-century design and how we experienced light and image. I took a photojournalism course in college and remember the detailed process of adjusting F-stops, flashes, and all those rolls of film.



I don't have my electric typewriter or my word processing machine or even my first Apple computer anymore. I first learned to type on a manual typewriter. I even won an award for being the fastest typist in my high school class; although that was not as cool or prestigious as getting a varsity letter jacket for basketball or making the National Honor Society. I don't miss using a typewriter. I sometimes wonder how I made it through two bachelor degrees using such primitive technology. By the time I got my master's in the late 1990s, we had these lovely personal computers, electronic databases, the World Wide Web, and other technologies that 21-century students couldn't imagine being without.


It's a high-tech life now, and the only thing is to enjoy the ride. Or get left behind.


Namaste.

Flickr Fun

Potterpalooza 2007,
originally uploaded by nesta2007.

Library staff dressed up as Hogwarts professors and students for the Wellington Branch Library Potterpalooza 2007. This program celebrated the release of the final book of the Harry Potter series. The library staff had as much fun as the teens who came for this magical event.

I uploaded this photo to my Flickr account as part of our library's Web 2.0 exploration project.

Namaste.

Palm Beach County Reads "Memory Keeper's Daughter"

For the past 6 weeks, all of Palm Beach County read Kim Edward's best-selling novel, 'The Memory Keeper's Daughter", for the 2008 Read Together, One Book One Community campaign. Our library sponsored book discussions and programs on Down Syndrome.  These programs were well-attended, and the book was checked out by eager participants of this event.

Last night was the campaign finale at the Harriet Himmel Theatre, City Place, West Palm Beach. The evening featured a performance by Palm Beach Dramaworks, which provided a moving re-enactment of the story.  This dramatic performance captured the book's essence much better than Lifetime Channel's made-for-tv fare which starred Dermot Mulroney and Emily Watson.

Following the performance, author Kim Edwards spoke about the book and how she researched her background material.  She also spoke about the process of writing.  Ms. Edwards gave the audience a sense of what she, as a writer, tries to accomplish when telling a story.  As Nadine Gordimer said, " A writer is committed to trying to make sense of life.  It's a search." (www.theatlantic.com/unbound/interviews/ba2000-02-09.htm).

In all, it was an enjoyable evening celebrating literacy and reading.

Namaste.

On Blogs and Public Libraries

Library blogs potentially have many applications, but primarily they can be used to inform your patrons about your services. A blog can be an extension of a library's web presence, that is, its web site.

As the adult programming coordinator for my library system, I can use a programming blog as a marketing tool. I can let patrons know about upcoming events, perhaps providing some more details than I can offer through our web site or print articles and announcements.

After the event, patrons can post comments about their experience. While we get feedback about the program by handing out evaluation forms, patrons might also want to share what they learned at a workshop, for example, by posting comments on the programming blog.

A programming blog might also be used for our book discussion series or our adult summer reading program. The interactive nature of a blog makes it conducive to talking about ideas, about literature, about life.

Ultimately, blogs are just one of the many tools librarians can use to communicate with their community.

Namaste.