Silent Night....

It's been quite a week and for those of you who have missed me, rest assurred that all is well. I've just come back from a week away. It's funny to say that, sounds like I've gone and taken a vacation from my vacation. I've just returned from almost a week in the Holy Land. I'd heard that getting there was half the fun. First,you need to take a cab from Jordan to the border. Once there, you have to purchase a bus ticket to take you across the border.(This is a 6 minute ride that you wait an hour for.) Once across the border, you have to get through Israeli security.(This can be the tricky part, and requires patience. Like watching grass grow, answering rounds of seemingly pointless questions about your personal life, then returning to watching the grass? This is for you.) Then, you take a cab to your destination. Ours was Jerusalem. From our crossing point, the drive was a little over an hour, but it was Christmas Eve and Jerusalem was in high spirits. We had booked a hotel not far from the Old City and we hit the souks right away. Later that evening, I heard that the crowds in Bethlehem were soaring towards 70,000. That just wasn't my idea of Silent Night, Holy Night, so, after dinner, we headed back to the Old City to see if there was anything going on. The only church open was the Lutheran church, holding service in German for, appropriately enough, hundreds of German pilgrims. This church is, we discovered, just down the alley from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Finding this site at night, when the city was deserted, was really really helpful, because although it was closed, we knew we'd be returning the next day, and during the day, the passageways of the souk are difficult to maneuver, especially if you're not sure where you're going.

At any rate, Old Jerusalem is indeed a city of contrasts, with it's crazy busy markets selling everything from cell phones to spices, and while you're shopping you're heart out, wham! there's another holy site, for one of the worlds' monotheistic religions. It's been this way for 1300 years, so if it ain't broke...

Getting a Second Life In the Third World

It's not really the third world, not even close. But it's a little odd booting up the computer to access a virtual world from a house that doesn't have central heat. And the water gets delivered to your tank once a week. If you run out - well, the water guys will be back on Tuesday.
So I logged on, created a not so creative name for myself and materialized, fully clothed, thank God for small mercies, at the welcome center. Where I promtly rushed ahead to see everything I could and then tried to fly off the island. Five minutes later, I flew back, having skipped over the important stuff. First things first : I found the LIBRARY FIRST! cha ching for me! ( Oh, on a related side bar, I went to the souk yesterday and found about 23 childrens books for our children's foreign language (ARABIC) collection. AND they are published by none other than Scholastic, go figure. So close, yet so far to come. I considered writing the ISBNs down and simply ordering them from B&T when I got back, but when we inquired about the price, they quoted a little over a dinar for each. That's about a buck and a half, people. Huh. I wondered, if briefly, exactly what truck they fell off of.
Back to Second Life: I've gone through the tutorials, and may, in fact play more and more with this thing when I'm no longer on vacation, but I can definately see the allure.When I was downloading the shareware/software, one of the banners on the site mentioned that more than 1.25 million US dollars had been spent in the previous 24 hrs. That's commerce. Turns out, one of my sisters' -in-law (the very one whose computer now hold my Second Life) has passed her exam for her Doctorate in Economics, and she's looking for a topic for her paper. I threw Second Life out as a possibility. Given the opportunities virtually, and the opportunities here (really) it might not make for a bad study. In the frist 30 minutes of my virtual resurrection I've made one friend. I've changed my hair. I've got the figure of my dreams. All things considered, there are times when I might actually prefer my Second Life. Less mess, and no one has my phone number. However, I've only just scraped the surface, so....we'll see. So for me, for the meantime.... it's back to my vacation. I'm off to bask in the glow of my husband's family's love and cheer, and to warm myself by the propane heater. Cheers!

Putting the Face on Facebook

I know that teens are and have been obsessed with myspace for years, and I think that part of (the roots of) the allure can be found in our country's overwhelming obsession with image and appearance, combined with camera's in cell phones. This is the first generatiion that has been able to take a photo and upload it almost instantly to their myspace page, and so, as soon as school is out, they flock to their computers to see the latest in their ongoing life as photojournalist/subject of photojournalism. They are all media starlets in their own way. I started a myspace page a few years ago, but it has remained largely inactive. I have been slightly more succesful with keeping upwith facebook. I started a page a few months ago, and it's harder to keep up with that I thought it would be...I just don't have the time. But I do it. I checked in today, from my remote location in the Middle East,but had a hard time opening my page. That's okay. That didn't disturb me as much as the angst that went along with choosing my photo. Which face to put on my facebook page? Difficult indeed, for I am usually the one behind the camera, not in front. AND I'mnot really from the generation that is comfortable with the outstretched arm, self portrait style of photography that is so popular. Well...things change. So, after two or three months with a page, I got myself a photo. It's not sexy, or provocative in a cutting edge, artsy sort of way. More of a mugshot, really. Which is closer to what my original "facebook" picture was twenty years ago when Iwent off to school in PA.

For those of you keeping tabs on this... it's cold here. I can see my breath. Inside. But the family is wonderful, gracious and loving, and we are both having a wonderful time. The food just keeps coming, and there are two more children than when I was here last. I still don't understand anything (with the exception of good morning, good night, how are you and may God bless you. ) I smile a lot. And nod. The crisis of the bumped flight got interesting at the airport when we were checking in. Though we were officially bumped, the guy that checked us in put us on that evenings' flight -which was leaving at 9pm. Though they had originally told us 11pm. The time at check in was 8:20. Still had security to get through. My poor husband was as nervous as a kitten. All I could do was make sure that the bags got on the plane. That way, they couldn't leave without us without removing our bags. Long story short, we made it and we're here. Guess what - I've gotta go - it's time to eat. Again. I wish you all a wonderful holiday weekend. May you all enjoy your family's and holiday as much as I'm enjoying mine. Cheers!

Go Go GOOGLE! I love Google docs. Like one of my more prolific co-workers, I can't believe I didn't know about this and found myself thinking, "Yeah, this is awesome. Better that Google Earth, Google Maps..." and that's saying a lot.

So Zoho writer does basically the same thing, and I think that this is so so cool. I can think of many different ways to use this program and can imagine myself touting Google docs to our middle and high school patrons for their collaborative projects. This can totally change collaborative projects. Not just that, but I'm thinking also of the documents that I work on, but would love to continue working on from home. Of course, there's my flash drive, so so handy, Google docs is a giant suitcase that keeps my documents safe, on every computer, accessible from anywhere. Nicely done, Google. One step closer to world domination.

So so yummy....it's del.icio.us

I went to delicious, set up my account, and like so many other things on our list of 23 things, this was really as easy as could be! Now comes the part where I put it all to work for myself. Figuring out the applications of del.icio.us within the library framework is one of the things that make me go hmmmm.....
I was totally enamored of all of the great tags, and sites and helpful applications that I could scroll through and I definately think that I could lose myself in this vortex of information much the same way I lose myself in YouTube. Really, for the curious and slightly bored, this is GREAT. I can get info on how to improve my mac skills, I can sign up for more (non-credit, but) free classes at Yale University. But where does it lead? I need to think about how I can incorporate this into libary work, because as sure as I am that it is a handy tool to have tucked up ones' sleeve, I am equally certain that I can't think of when I might say to the average 10 year old, "Oh, you need information of Vasco da Gama? Well, nobody's published a book on him in 12 years, but I know that del.icio.us has this great link/mash-up." Yipes. Maybe I should go see if they do... huh. This could be the answer to my prayers.
Later....
Well, Vasco da Gama brought up 66 links. The most popular return was for netvasco, a soccer team (Spanish?) However, some of the hits were actual information about the explorer, so, all things considered, not bad.

Wile Away With Wiki's

Sure, it was weeks ago that I linked my blog to the Ferguson Wiki...but (here I go again...) I never blogged about the experience. As far a I can recall, it registered as barely a blip, it was so easy. Once on the Ferguson Wiki, though, I was able to find everyone else's blog, and BOY WAS THAT FUN! I mean, really, we are a talented and creative bunch of people. I also posted a photo onto the Wiki's photo page...I am sensing a trend - so far, only animals are showcased. One domestic, others, er... less so.


I like the idea and the practice of Wiki's, am drawn to the whole collaborative spirit. However, having said that, a few weeks ago, I was reading an article about a big brew-ha-ha at Wikipedia, how a bunch of the more regular and prolific "editors" have banned, or barred one particular editor. I don't know if he (the banned editor) was being subversive, or if they just didn't like him, but it made me sad - and not just a little angry - that Wikipedia was becoming more like high school.

Library 2.0 , Old School??

I read all of the opinions on Web 2.0 insofar as it pertains to libraries and was most intrigued, perhaps by the last one, by Dr. Wendy Schultz , To a Temporary Place in Time. Intrigued because she goes on to discuss the potential and hypothetical, and she's probably not too far off when she goes even beyond the VR experience (hello SecondLife) to a seemingly utopian, neo-library experience. In my minds' eye, however, she seems somewhat idealistic and old fashioned, as it seems as though she assumes that in this neo-library, this art house for mind expansion this "knowledge spa", her article makes no mention, no consideration for that aspect of society that uses the library as flop house and hang out. Libraries are communities, as she says, but I can't imagine that our patron base will change all that much. We have a core group of library users that might not consider themselves "thought leaders". Very often our most insistent patrons, they are waiting at the front doors at 9am, and sometimes they are among the last to leave at 9pm. They don't seem to come here seeking immersion in a luxury of ideas, and while it's nice to think that this is included in the future of libraries - this virtual wonderworld of meditative higher thinking, I can't imagine our particular landcape without them. Or the teen library patrons who approach me with only a single syllable, "net", and the hope of updating their myspace page. Subtle thoughts, fine words, smell of leather.....hmmmm... Coffee? Yep, we've got that!

Cousin It, Meet Library Thing...

I really like LibraryThing. As soon as I created an account for myself, I began inputting titles, and that was fun, but it felt a little self serving. I must say, I got a little hung up (read: disappointed) on the fact that I when I was searching for specific editions of some titles, it didn't come with the appropriate cover art. However, when I started using LibraryThing as a reader's advisory tool - wham! it was my new best friend! Now, I'm not saying that I won't use What Do I Read Next? as a searching tool anymore, not at all, however, I found that LibraryThing was remarkably helpful when it came to genre searching for books. As reliable as the bookmarks or tags that the LibraryThing users attached to the books, that is. Which brings me to another point: tagging is so great. And important. I realize I'm jumping to yet another thing on our list of 23, but tagging is so crucial in blogs, Flickr, LibraryThing, if you want to share or find anything... without tags your posts, photos-indeed catalogued books are all aloney, out there on there owny in the vastness of the internet, with no one able to find them, no one coming to see them. Like the island of misfit toys, untagged and unappreciated. So, thanks to all of the LibraryThing users who, so lovingly and accurately tag their books. I love you all. I aspire to tag as conscientiously as you.
My LibraryThing library will continue to grow, no doubt, as time goes on, and I added a short list of some of my LibraryThing books to my blog (long before I wrote this post, but what can you do? I'm blogging NOW, and that's the important thing. Ditto tagging, see below.)

What Would You Tube?

Okay, so I've hardly kept my growing addiction to YouTube private, I have to check on whether or not there is a 12 step programto help wean me onto a heathier time suck. Well, at least this is somewhat literary in nature. Tee Hee!

No, no to Rollyo

I'm just not feelin the love, truthfully. I wanted so much to love all of these exercises, to feel expanded and "WOW!" but I don't love this. I thought, when I first started playing with Rollyo a few weeks ago (yeah, that's me, playing and not blogging-again) that the problem was with me - and it totally may still be with me, but I tried to build my own search engine, and realized that I wanted more information, not less. I think that there may well be times when I want to cull my information from a select group of sites, ignoring others, but usually, when I'm going to the web, I'm casting a wide net. I looked at a bunch of custom searchrolls, and found some new favorite websites - that's always a good thing. I'm going to keep at this, though. There are applications for this, I know, it's a matter of putting one together with one and getting two.

Additcted to Audio

Let me just say that I love audiobooks. They revolutionized my commute back in the day when my commute was but an hour in bumper to bumper traffic from NY. It's possible that audiobooks have kept me out of jail, as I credit them with keeping road rage at bay. True, I try not to listen to anything too serious, heavy or dense. Nothing that requires too much concentration, and absolutely nothing that would/could get me fired up. I definitely have favorite narrators that I love to listen to. Jim Dale could read the phone book and I'd listen. Ditto Barbara Rosenblatt. I love audiobooks, however, I haven't really used our digital audio collection. I got an iPod a few years back, and probably because I don't have an MP3 Player (yet),and I know that iPods won't work directly with NetLibrary and Overdrive, I hadn't spent a lot of time perusing and following our collections. They've grown. A lot. If I didn't have a Mac at home, I probably would have downloaded a book to my computer there, to listen to while cooking or whatever, but that's my problem, I suppose. We have a lot of titles in our collections that I would definately listen to, if that counts for anything. Setting up a Netlibrary account was easy-peasy, and I had (in the past) already downloaded (kids) video and audio from OverDrive here at my work desk to make sure I knew how it all worked, so this exercise was so simple for me that I forgot to even blog about it.