Saturday, December 20, 2008

OCSL and Learn 2.1

The Orange Seed is an excellent resource for "putting our ideas into writing." Many times we share an idea with co-workers and everyone says, "excellent idea," but nothing ever gets done to implement the "excellent idea." Orange Seed is a process in which our ideas can get looked at more closely and reviewed to see if they would be beneficial and feasible to implement. OCLS and myself as a staff member can benefit from Orange Seed. If a new idea can save time or money, provide better customer service, or promote library resources, then everyone benefits from that idea.

I love the concept of Orlando Memory. I have to admit I love history. They were my favorite classes in High School and College. I like to look at old photographs and hear stories of how things were "back when." I hope Orlando Memory catches on and others will add historical photos and events of Orlando. I did not grow up in Orlando, however, my husband did and he has "oodles" of old pictures (many taken in downtown Orlando) that I need to take the time to download to the site. Possibly a New Year's resolution for 2009. Again, OCLS, myself and the general public all benefit from this resource as it preserves the past and makes it available to the future.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Web 2.0 Apps

I checked out the web 2.0 apps. I really like Colorblender. As an artistic person who loves color, I found this really interesting. It is very easy to get just the right shade. However, too many shades make it hard to choose from. There are so many wonderful colors. I use iGoogle on my computer at home. I can get news feeds, stock quotes, recipes, a virtual aquarium, map search, etc., right on my homepage. I tried NetVibe which is also cool. However, Google is my friend and I "google" everything, so I guess I will have to stick with Google.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Change

Change will come if we want to be a vibrant library in the future. Change is very exciting (and a bit scary), but necessary. Meeting the needs of the public are what Libraries do. OCLS has been a leader in innovation and technology in our community. I'm truly amazed at all the technology that the library is already utilizing. I think that a large part of the success of OCLS is the transition that has been taking place from an information center to a center of culture. The Library has so many programs and events that bring the community together. It is very refreshing to come to the Library and find a brass band performing right smack in the middle of the Library. It is great!! As I read through the Da Vinci Insitute article, I noticed that many of the recommendations for Libraries are things that OCLS is already actively engaged in. We have committees to constantly re-evaluate the needs of the public and offer surveys for patron feedback as far as services they expect. We have teams to evaluate and explore new technology and a great staff of individuals who are up-to-date in the latest technology to keep us all aware of current trends. The Orlando Memory Project is helping to archive local memories and while we don't have art or recording studios, we do have meeting rooms, public computers, info spots, and now an OverDrive download station to make technology opportunities available to our patrons. I think all of the spaces listed in the creative space section of the Da Vinci Institute article would be really cool and would definitely bring the public to the Library.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Open Source Information

I think Open Source Information is great if you want to know how to do something, like bake bread or fix a smalll engine because you can gain knowledge from other's experiences. However, I would not want to rely on Open Source for history or science without verifying the information with a reliable source. I would want to know that the information I am receiving is correct and accurate. Well meaning bloggers could completely re-write history. However, I think that Open Source is a great resource for personal histories. There are many stories to be told that have never been published and this is an easy and feasible way to tell your story. Open Source is also a great resource for lesson plans, experiments, etc., to help children learn. You just need to be careful about what you read and verify the information with a reliable source. So, seek, research and verify. I think our role as a Library is first to provide accurate and correct information. However, Open Source does provide other resources for our patrons to explore.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Health, Wellness and Technology

Well, I am in that category that could stand to use more exercise and watch what I eat. My husband and I started eating healthier about one year ago. While he has lost quite a bit of weight, I have lost very little. However, the benefits of eating healthier and exercising has had other benefits by having more energy and just feeling better. Now that the weather is getting a bit cooler, I will continue my daily walks. I find that I don't really benefit from cardio coaches as I like the time walking to reflect on my day, my children's schedules and things that I seldom have time to pause and reflect upon in my busy world. While I would be interested in tracking food, calories, etc., I found the Nutrition Data site to be too complicated and not directed to my needs. Most of the food listed was fast food. I cook my family's meals each night and just wanted more simple, general foods to track, such as roasted chicken, squash, okra, etc. I generally keep technology out of my workouts as I enjoy the peace and solitude of exercising without technology. I have to admit though, that DDR can be quite fun and good exercise, too.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Introduction

My name is Debra and I work as a Questline Reference Assistant with the Orange County Library System in Orlando, Florida. I am a busy mother of three teenagers and have never had time for blogs, texts, games or mindless numbers of other 'tech' related activities. Since I am employed full time for the first time in 16 years, I find the need to introduce myself to the 'tech' world. I can't hide behind the vacuum and stove any longer. Plus, with three teenagers, I need to "get with it" as I am somewhat outdated. So, I am hoping to learn everything there is to know about cyperspace and communicating in 2008.