CPL 2.0 Wrap-Up

I have just completed the survey after having to delete the relevant cookie as someone had already completed the survey on this computer. This is also a useful bit of knowledge. Overall, I enjoyed CPL 2.0 and do feel somewhat more tech savvy.

CPL 2.0 Twitter

Twitter is used by several branches and departments of CPL mainly to promote library programs and events. This seems to be a very good idea--the short posting format really lends itself to this type of information.

CPL 2.0 LibraryThing

I found the site quite easy to navigate, however I don't believe I will use it. I don't keep track of the books I've read--although sometimes I wish I had. Another similar site is Goodreads, which will allow you to keep a record of more titles. I thought LibraryThing was user friendly and easy to navigate and I was able to find all of the titles I searched for. I didn't find the comments and reviews particularily useful, although it is nice to get a general idea of readers ratings.

CPL 2.0 Online Productivity Tools

I toured Google Docs and uploaded information from a file I am currently working on to create a booklist. Now if I want to add to the file I can do so from home.

Will these online tools replace MS Office, etc? I think they just might. Especially as they are free, more and more people will use them. And the ability to access from any computer is a wonderful bonus. But will Google maintain these in the future, and will they remain free? Maybe a bit of a gamble.

CPL2.0 Flickr and YouTube

I really like both Flickr and YouTube. I have used YouTube before to find how-to videos. Viewing an instructional video is so helpful when you are trying to learn or teach something . For example I viewed a couple of videos to learn how to make pinch pleated curtains.

Flickr looks like it would be good for storing and sharing your photographs. I have not used it yet but plan to in the future.

CPL 2.0 RSS

So far I have added two feeds to my Bloglines account. I did find it a little confusing when I first went into Bloglines. I tried adding a feed from a site by clicking on the RSS icon, but this did not work. But using the "Add" feature and entering the URLs did allow me to successfully add the two feeds I selected. This will be something I will use, and I am grateful to learn of this tool.

CPL 2.0 Google Universe

I spent some time exploring Google Books. I liked the fact that some books and magazines are available in full text, although this is limited mainly to those in the public domain. The link to Google Earth was very interesting--letting you view a map of places referred to in selected books. The downside is the limited number of titles available. I would recommend it to others mainly for entertainment.

CPL 2.0 Facebook

Is Facebook useful to me or a waste of time? I have to say that right now it is not useful. I do not want to spend more time sitting at a computer when there are so many other things to do, and I maintain contact with friends in other ways.

CPL 2.0 Wikipedia

Today I viewed several Wikipedia entries. As I work on the information desk, I am quite familiar with Wikipedia, so it was mainly a review. I did not feel that I had the expertise to edit the entries, so instead I did a bit of editing in the Wikipedia Tutorial sandbox section.

It was quite easy to find articles which needed or actually requested editing. One of the articles I looked at was on quilting. It only had three references, which is very minimal, so it would be easy to add additional sources. I did not find spelling or errors in grammar in the articles I looked at, although I might have changed some of the wording/format if I had done the writing.

CPL 2.0 Delicious

I spent about 30 minutes poking around in Delicious. I had done a couple to brief explorations before, but did not find it to be very useful to me. Having now spent more time there I feel more comfortable with the site, but unfortunately the content is mainly related to BSSS and I work in the Arts department. I also tried to get to the Calgary Public Library Favorities area on the Delicious site without using the link from the CPL website, or the link provided. I used the "Search Delicious" box and entered "Calgary Public Library" but the results did not include CPL favorites.

I did find the options to be helpful, particularily the option to get the tags in a list rather than in the "cloud" format, which I find busy looking. And being able to display a brief description of the target site is useful. The site "Cufts", which I was not aware of before will also be useful for some customer questions.

CPL 2.0

By participating in CPL 2.0 I hope that I will be more knowledgeable of the trends and developments in computer technology. I find that I do not always remain current, and I feel this experience be very helpful in increasing my knowledge, which should also translate into better customer service.

It's Always Interesting

Working at the Central branch of the Calgary Public Library is always interesting. Our customers are unique and varied. The location near several homeless shelters adds to the diversity of the public we serve, and helps to make the service we provide feel valuable. It is truly mostly a joy to work at Central.

Maeb