Podcasts

I found a podcast from LibVibe that talked about current library news. It talked about the reopening of libraries in Oregon after having to close for seven months due to a funding crisis. It was scary because that library system has 15 branches. A librarian was interviewed four hours after opening her branch and she talked about the number of teens anxious to use the internet. The podcast also talked about how California libraries are dealing with the fires in their areas. I had trouble listening to the entire podcast because my computer would stop broadcasting every few minutes. I think that podcasting gives a perspective of various topics that you might not find anywhere else. Hearing someone talk about something has a bigger impact than if you just read a transcript of what was said.

YouTube

I visited YouTube and posted this clip of Barbra Streisand performing "Papa Can You Hear Me" from the film Yentl. It is easy to see why she has so many fans!

Quest 11

I rewrote an article in Zoho and successfully published it on my blog. I like the idea of being able to use word processing on the web and being able to save my work in various formats. This would be great for patrons who would like to use the internet at the library but have a different software package at home. All I had to do was type the article, save it and click publish. It prompted me for my blog address and password. When I checked my blog, there it was. It could not have been easier!

This article has been on the internet several times and is believed to be a hoax. I think it is because if it isn't, I would like to meet the person who wrote it. I have some very interesting thoughts to pass along to him.

The Good Wife's Guide

• Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they get home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed.
  
• Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.
  
• Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.
  
• Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Run a dustcloth over the tables.
  
• During the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.
  
• Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Encourage the children to be quiet.
  
• Be happy to see him.
  
• Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.
  
• Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.
  
• Don't greet him with complaints or problems.
  
• Don't complain if he is late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through at work.
  
• Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or lie him down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.
  
• Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.
  
• Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.
  
• A good wife always knows her place.
  

Quest 10

We did not have to blog our experiences with any of these websites but I enjoyed this one so much that I had to comment on it. The website is called evite.com. It is a social event planning website and it is full of everything you need to plan the perfect get together. There are free invitations, checklists for your party planning, a budget estimator, thank you notes to send after the event, and a blog to see what ideas others contributed after planning their special event. There were all types of events to plan for - birthday parties, family reunions, barbecues, baby showers, movie nights, the list goes on. You can even order your party supplies online. You can take photographs at your event and upload them on the website to share with people not able to make it. This is a website that I will certainly suggest to patrons who are planning that special event that just has to be perfect. There was also a link to help out of town guests find hotel rooms!

I chose one of the events, BBQ, and followed the links. There was information on selecting free online invitations, attire and other essentials, and activities to play outside. There were food ideas, a link to food and beverage gifts, and music to play. The music included title and artist. There was a blog that listed other events that people hosted and ideas that they wanted to share along with photos. I will definitely use this site in the future. The best part is that everything is free. I never saw a link to get further information if I paid a fee or that I had to register with them to use their site.

Quest 9 - Wiki

I heard the word Wiki before but did not know what it was. After visiting some of the Wiki websites I have a better understanding of what they are and how they can be used. Wikis remind me of blogs. They appear to be websites of certain topics where people can post comments, reviews, or their experiences related to those topics. In the Book Lover's Wiki it contained reviews of books. I have seen those before on Amazon. I always ignore the publisher's review of their books because those are always positive. Reading what a consumer wrote about a book or product is usually a more accurate description and review.

The Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki was very informative. I visited that website and learned what the policies were in various libraries on topics that we deal with everyday. Many of the libraries' policies were similar to ours. The unattended child policies were very similar to each other. I think it would be good for us to have a Wiki section on our Intranet. We could post patron problems that we have encountered at our branch and how those problems were solved. It would also be a good networking tool for us. Staff that are interested in the same topics could form committees to create or update current policies.

Social Networking

I looked at several of the articles listed in this quest. Your Guide to Social Networking Online was very long and gave a great history of social networking. It included names of networks that I had never even heard of. I was able to follow the links of those networks and see what each one looked like. They all basically served the same purpose of networking with other people. I thought the article on How to Talk to Young People About Socializing Safely Online had great tips. Getting your young person to follow those tips might be a challenge. LinkedIn was interesting. That one is directed toward networking with professional people. I am familiar with My Space and Facebook because my son used those sites on a daily basis. Now that he is in college he has cancelled his My Space account and now has a Facebook account. I opened a Facebook account so that he and I could be "friends" and I could also see what he is up to. I don't think that I will open a My Space account since he cancelled his. I actually heard about Classmates.com because it pops up occasionally when I am searching for a name on the internet. I like Friendster because I can search by name just like My Space.
I did not realize that there were so many networks out there for people to socialize on. Some of the people had very interesting web pages. Others are just plain scary!

Flickr

We have a Flickr account here at St. Andrews Regional. Kathy is our resident photographer and keeps our account updated with new photos. The leader of our book club that we have had for years recently passed away. The remaining members purchased a beautiful art print in her memory and donated it to us. Kathy took photos while the group was having their first meeting since her death. The print that they donated is hanging on the wall. The link to the picture is http://www.flickr.com/photos/standrewslibrary/1419073496/in/set-72157602110763565/.