Hi to all those still here!

I set up a new blog-- yes., the addiction has taken hold. I can't promise my own random readings and responses will spark as much discussion as the class readings, but please visit and comment!

Rebecca Hedreen's webcast on blogs was one of the most informative sessions for me - after getting over some technical difficulties I was able to join in at the Opal room and was treated to my first ever live webcast. At first it was distracting to see everyone's comments on the side of the screen, but it was great to see people talking to each other about what Rebecca was saying. The many different uses for blogs and their relevance to libraries was something I had never thought about - but the idea that blogs are built in commenting systems was something that really rang true for me. Blogs are great, but it is the comments (and the community created by the comments) that really make it a phenomenal tool for libraries - and it is what one hopes for when a library institutes a blog of any kind, whether it is an internal staff one or a new materials blog, or a suggestion box blog. I was amazed at the gallery blog, the novel blog and her idea of using a blog to give presentations with - all of these things were ideas I had never even thought of!

Thinking back to week 1, I am glad to see that re-reading (or at least skimming again) and looking at the examples about blogs in libraries after finishing this course has allowed me to see so many more possibilities for blogs in libraries. I initially thought that blogs might not be the best thing for a library, and that wikis were the way to go as they are searchable and are not arranged by time posted. But looking at Kansas State's extensive blog has made me think again. K State's blog is extremely in depth, but the fact that you can subscribe to certain feeds makes it extremely useable and not overwhelming. I still wonder about upkeep and interest, but as I have learned over the course of this class, that is a constant concern and not one that there is an easy answer to. To maintain interest in a new technology librarians must be the ones who are enthusiastic about it and must make it a part of their everyday lives. The only way to do this is to participate in classes like this - at the beginning of this class I thought blogs were only used as internal staff blogs for library news and announcements - but after looking at K State's blog and VCU libraries blog suggestiong box I definitely have a different view point.

I remember way back when, Robin was asking about elderblogs. This morning, I was reading the local paper at my parents' house (I'm on vacation) and found an article about Millie Garfield (mother of Steve Garfield, a well-known videoblogger). The article mentioned something called The Ageless Project, which has links to the blogs of many elderly bloggers (as well as younger bloggers, they are linked by decade born at the top of the page). This list includes links to bloggers in their 90s!

Now that the class is drawing to a close, I am excited about the new possibilities that blogging offers me.  I have already started a new blog for my faculty and I think for the time being, blogs are a great way tool for outreach and communication.  Further, I would like more of my faculty to launch blogs of their own so maybe it's time to do a faculty workshop on blogging for academics.

After looking through the examples of blogging libraries for week 1 I have decided that there are two key ideas that I appreciate. The first thing that made an impace, and was also mentioned several times this week in webcasts, screencasts, and readigs, is the idea that new information should be posted continually. I think that students and users are more likely to be interested in something that is dynamic, and that includes reading new information about the library.

I was very impressed with the Virginia Commonweath University's blog. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I like that they have a comments blog. This way they are able to join in a dilogue. The patrons can voice their thoughts and opinions, and the library has an opportunity to respond to those comments. I think it is important for the library to hear directly from their users in order to make the best environment for them.

Ok, I'm playing catch up a bit now that I know our contract is settled and there will be no strike.  Yea!

When we started the course I thought I knew about blogs but I didn't realize everything that could be done with a blog.  I think I've seen the light.

Since then we have started a blog for our research guides at the library.  It's allowed us to be able to add things and change things without waiting for the one person who maintains our website to have time to make the changes.  I've also been introduced to the many different blogs in library world.  I guess I no longer think blogs are just for people with too much time on their hands.  :)

Yesterday, I wrote about authenticity, then today I came across this review by Richard Cox about handwriting in the digital age. I thought those of you interested in such things could check it out.

Cox's blog is a unique and helpful one. The posts are not always specifically about archives, but are always linked in some way. He can say it better than I can:

With this blog, I am planning to offer, as regularly as possible, critical observations on the scholarly and popular literature analyzing the nature of archives or contributing to our understanding of archives in society. I hope this blog will be of assistance to anyone, especially faculty and graduate students, interested in understanding archives and their importance to society.

In all my spare time, I like to think about food: what to put in it, how to cook it, how to burn it off.

I serendipitously, my favorite new word I've picked up since starting this course, discovered a new friend who loved to share her simple recipes. My daughter's 3rd birthday party was a soup extravaganza, brought into my house by my friend Elise, her parents, her family, and her own love of food.

Elise led me into her friend's kitchen, and I was smitten. Deb's dishes were gorgeous and her recipes scrumptious. Deb and her husband took a trip to Savannah, and shared this photo with me.

Maybe the title of this should be me and MySpace, but I think MySpace and Me is much catchier... ;) 

I know that this is somewhat of a repeat of one of the podcasts, but I wanted to share some of my thoughts on MySpace. 

I never thought MySpace would be a site I would be interested in.  To me, it was something that was only for younger teenagers.  Then more and more of my friends started using it and then more and more of coworkers.  Now, I don't know what I would do without it.  MySpace has become a priceless networking tool for me not only personally, but also professionally.  I have added many library professionals as friends to my account.  Through these library professionals it helps me keep up with what is going on in the library world.  A lot of them post relevant library articles to their blogs, post library related bulletins, etc.  Just today I was thinking to myself..."I am really going to miss all of this information that is being shared on this blog when this class is over.  How am I going to replace this information resource?"  Well, hopefully MySpace and some other blogs I have stumbled upon through this course will help with that.