OGLING GOOGLE #8

I should write a haiku about Google! – but I NEED to get this done!

I had the most fun exploring Google -and I will definitely return to it to explore other aspects, but there just isn’t enough TIME !

First, I tried all the suggested items for GOOGLE MAPS, some with which I was already acquainted.  I have a few comments: 1) instead of the vertical slider, I found it more accurate and easier to control to just click on the city, etc. to zoom in, 2) I knew that I could get an aerial view of the library or the block we live on, etc., but I didn’t know that I could see the front view (except that someone else doing Great8 had told me that you could), so it was amazing to use the “yellow person” icon to manipulate the views available – this ability is both incredible and terrifying at the same time!, 3) just a small correction – I think that Firefox says “more”.  Anyhow, I will definitely go back to “maps” and explore some more on a slow day at the library.

Second, since I had not used Google Book Search yet (horrors! – I usually find everything I need in Amazon or WorldCat), I thought that professionally speaking it might be the most useful way to spend my time.  I have been searching the last few days in spare moments for a book I had read a few years ago and loved, but couldn’t find again.  (It is about restoring a villa designed by Palladio.)  I had tried to find it once before and remembered having trouble then, but seem to have a mental block about how to get to it.  I had already looked every way I could think of in our system, scanned the shelves, tried Amazon and WorldCat, all to no avail.  By searching in Google Advanced Search under the terms “villa Italy Palladio  1995-2007  English,  I found my book fairly easily!  The amazing thing I discovered was that you can click on “find this book in a library” and it comes up with the WorldCat listing with our system listed first!  WOW!  I’m impressed!  Google search programs and indexing must be better than any other service.  I’m a convert!  Buy Google stock!

The last comment I have on this  “adventure” is that I tried to print out LifeHacker’s Top 10 and found that it won’t print- anyone know how to make me a copy?

While I cannot outsmart Google by suggesting anything to change, I can see many ways to use it in both my personal and professional lives.  In looking through the “More” listing of services, it is truly mindboggling what Google can do – I’m not sure I’ll live long enough to do it all!

The following is why what I write I call “Haiku doggerel”:

HAVE BLOG TO OGLE.

Need Google?  Use “bloggles”.   Get

GOO GOO GOOGLEY EYES !

WIKIs #7

I “explored” all the suggested wikis under “Libraries and wikis”.  The Princeton wiki was Ok, but certainly not unique and didn’t seem to have a whole lot on it.      sSt. Joseph’s wiki looked particularly useful in the legal information section – I’m not sure, but maybe we could add some similar bits to our home page using this as a model.  I was interested that the “Library Success” site now needs a log in because of vandalism problems!  The gaming page there impressed me because Brian had logged in many times and WPL events were listed there – yeah, WPL!  The Blogging Libraries Wiki had many listed for the Midwest and Illinois, so this area is just as progressive as most.

I added a book review to the WPL wiki – I felt as though I were “beating it to death” to get my posting on and couldn’t manipulate it (without help and in the time I had).  I’m sure it’s not so hard as I’m making it!  So far, my impression of wikis is that they overlap our official e-mails in the library (OUTLOOK), staff toolbox, notebook at YS desk, etc.  By the time I get done checking all those things and my own e-mail for library e-mail, I barely have time to do assigned work and man the reference desk.

My overall impression is that it is excellent for all of us to have become familiar with these different tools as many of our patrons ask questions about them.  We are free to use those which might help us in our personal lives!

Instant Messaging # 6

Since I was an “Ask Away” reference librarian for at least one year, I have quite a lot of experience on this particular service.   Whereas I understand the use for such a service, I felt that many of the questions asked would be better answered if they were directed directly to the library concerned rather than to a pool of reference librarians; many of these questions would have been more easily answered by a simple phone call to the home library.  Because my life answers to many interests and schedules and I rarely sit at a computer at home, I have little need for instant messaging personally.  In the interest of time, I prefer to speak with a person directly, which is more “instant”, than to try and “read between the lines” in a so-called “instant” message.

I did look at the “Aim Acronym Dictionary” and was amused by “BIL” = boss is listening (but didn’t really understand how it could apply to typed messages) and like BTDT, NP, and GTG, as these are all phrases that I have been known to use (been there, done that; no problem; got to go).

Podcasts

I listened to podcasts on WFMT.com; their podcasts include “Critical Thinking”, “Critic’s Choice”,  Specials, “Writers on the Record”, and the New York Philharmonic.  To my mind, the advantage of podcasts is that if there is something that is essential to your life, and you haven’t been able to hear it when it is broadcast, it is available.  The disadvantage, for me, is that even at the high speed of the library’s internet connection, it takes time to download – and then you have to have time to actually LISTEN!!!!  In my busy life, at this stage, I can barely get through all the things I either want or have to do and have no time left for such totally indulgent, optional activities.

The main kind of programming that I think the library could podcast would be an audio version of  instructions for using the catalog for those who are not visually oriented – although I can’t really imagine who that would be.  Perhaps other possibilities would be things like briefly describing the upcoming “One Book Everybody Reads” with a brief interview with the author  – to help whet everyone’s appetite for his live appearance!

November 13, 1944

Since I just celebrated my birthday, I decided to see what was going on 64 years ago.  I found 386 listings in the New York Times historical index for that date and skimmed the headings for about 150 of them.  #11 was “All exits covered: Patton gains bring last German escape roads under big U. S guns.”  It was fascinating to look at the article and see that detailed maps were published showing  positions and movements of various companies – there was evidently much more interest in exact progress than in present-day wars.

#67 was “Children’s aid group to hold opera party” (much more in my interest range) and I found out that that Society was taking over the performance of “Die Walkure” with Lauritz Melchior at the Metropolitan Opera on December 14th – that would have been fun to be there!    Clicking on the view of the full page (“page image”) let me see another article (“Traviata offered to large audience”) and just by clicking on the article, I was able to see the whole article and find out that Dorothy Kirsten was Violetta and Jean Morel conducted.  The links are really neat!

Typically, I read a few obituaries and found that E. S. Kelley had died, a prolific composer of whom I have never heard.

Well, that was an interesting adventure indeed.  Since I use many of the databases regularly anyhow, it was fun to spend a little more time with the specifics of one of the most useful.  I know how to get e-mail notification of holds, but I do not wish to because Luciano’s dulcet tones are too alluring and I don’t always check my e-mail every day.

YouTube video of Lyric Opera’s “Lulu”

If you should be planning to see “Lulu” at Lyric, you can get a preview of it on YouTube.  The first part  of the video is a film shown between the second and third acts.  The black and white video was made in the opera house itself, using some of my fellow supernumeraries as actors ( I know the “judge” well) as well as the singers from the show.  The black and white video is about 3 minutes long when you see it at the opera house and is incredibly well done; it’s a real “hoot” to see your friends on the “silver screen”!

Comments on YouTube – You could spend a lot of time looking at these, time which I don’t really have or which I prefer to spend DOING things in the real world – like gardening or being in the opera or whatever.  Many of the videos are very entertaining, but I worry about “productivity” – are we all just going to sit in front of computers all the time?

I think a video on how to do a basic search on the computer would be most useful, but it would be best to have it on a screen in the lobby rather than on the home page.  That way, everyone in the library could see it without going on the internet.  I think it would be really wonderful to have it on the home page for those using the catalog from home.

Fallingwater – in the Fall!

Fallingwater – in the Fall!

First photo I ever took with my digital camera

First photo I ever took with my digital camera

“Reaction” to Flickr

Although I don’t think I have “mastered” Flickr, I did find it fun to navigate the process (with a tremendously helpful colleague working next to me).  I am sure that the process will be helpful in learning to transfer pictures from my digital camera to my e-mail, which is the next step.  As with anything new, the main thing is to “just do it” enough times to feel comfortable rather than frustrated with doing it.

My “next” life

Mme. Nordica (LOC)

Originally uploaded by The Library of Congress

In my “next” life, I would like to be an opera singer? Like this?