28 October 2007

"librarians are hiding something"



Even though I am feeling a bit better now that I was earlier, I can still come up with enough minor annoyances from the last few days to fill up a notice board.

Thus: generators are endlessly amusing. My heart belongs to the Bob Dylan video (even with the advertisement at the end). Too bad I can't make it load right now. It was Dylan meets Ranganathan. Total dorkiness. Yay, for that. (And yay, Red Sox!)

comparison shopping, news style

Speaking generally, finding new sources for information isn't really a problem for me. On the contrary, my challenge comes from deciding which of the myriad of options I should actually pay attention to. Usually, the process is pretty organic. I have the sites and the sources that I like. Sometimes they link to others, so maybe I will like that one too ...

Very rarely, then, do I avail myself to things like news feeders or searches. And when I do, it tends to be Google News. These other utilities get a lot of buzz though, and I admit that I like to know what people are buzzing about, so it was swell to do a bit of exploring.

Now then, I was planning to write my usual expansive response here, but I'm on the edge of getting a cold, so my headspace is a little trippy. As such, I will offer only scant impressions. Sort of the way we are supposed to, only usually I like typing to much to do so (I've always had a problem with self-editing my writing. I was critiqued for it in front of the class in elementary school, so you know it's true. And my sharing that fact with you now, even at a moment when I say I'm not going to write very much right now is an excellent example.)

So, Technorati seems to be popular, but I find it overwhelming. Probably not for me. As short as my attention span frequently is, you still go too fast for me. Also, your search results seems hit-or-miss and not quite as intuitive as I like.

Syndic8 only appeals to the part of me that wants to pretend that it's still the early-90s and I've just started using this new-fangled Internet thing. (Um, hey - why aren't I using Mosaic to look at this page?) And that part of me is very, very, very tiny. Practically non-existent, even. Also, when I did searches I got zero results on topics that the other places were finding hundreds.

I do like both Feedster and Topix. I worry that I only like Feedster because it is so pretty (so green! so mod!) , but I'm also very keen on the podcast search. And, even when I searched for semi-obscure topics, I found timely, interesting blog results. Which I may have found on other searches too, but not before mining a lot of inapplicable links. Topix just seems to have a lot of good qualities overall. It's well-designed, pulling and mimicking aspects of both print and new media. It's easy and intuitive to use and the presentation is clean. Of all of them, it's probably the one that I will actually use the next time I want to do a little information scavenging. Which, knowing me, will probably be within the next hour. After I have taken some more vitamin C.

26 October 2007

feed me (wait, has someone already used that one?)


Dear Bloglines,

Okay. I admit it. You've won me over. Sort of. I know I was skeptical at first. In fact, that first time we met? I didn't even bother bookmarking you. Yes, plenty of people I know told me you were great. And you did seem to have your good points. Overall though? Totally underwhelmed. I mean, it's really not that hard to visit a few links on a regular basis. Do I really need to see what people are saying the very moment that they say it? Will I totally be left out of the dinner table conversations if I wait a few hours? I don't think so.

And yet. I gave you another chance because I had to. You were assigned. Sorry if that hurts your ego, but it's true. Further fire for the angst: I didn't even remember that we'd met before. Your memory though, or at least your database, is better than mine and my e-mail was already on file. So I took you for another spin. And I decided I'd try you out a bit more before offering up commentary. In that time, I came to see why people seem so very keen on you. You have your charms.

I honestly don't know if those charms are strong enough to keep me around forever. Meaning, I don't want to get married or anything. There are so many ways in which you aren't perfect. Aesthetically, I find you lacking. Your search function seems finicky. You're a bit slow sometimes. I do think that there's much to be said for seeing and reading things in the context that they are presented.

You are, however, fun to play with and I'd be lying if I said I haven't logged onto you a whole lot this last week. I like that you aren't dependent on my computer. You won't freak out and lose all my bookmarks every time Firefox installs updates. You save me seconds at a time when you keep me from checking on links that will disappoint me with no new content.

It's not quite love and there is a very good chance that what we have might die when the novelty wears off. So let's enjoy it while we can, okay?

xo Jenn

21 October 2007

i love you, except when I don't

So then, technology ... I have to admit I'm a little flummoxed over what to say. And believe me, I've been thinking about it a lot the last few days. In part, the trouble comes from the fact that the topic is so broad. I tend to get overwhelmed when I have too many choices. And what exactly doesn't qualify as technology? It pervades our life and even when we think we aren't going to succumb to it, we frequently find ourselves seduced.

I don't think it's inherently a good or a bad thing. It just is, a fact of life if you will, although it sounds so pedestrian when you state it in those terms. Most of the time, I'm cool with it. Some might even call me enthusiastic. I'm not cool enough, nor do I have enough disposable income, to be an innovator. Early adopter? Sometimes. Most frequently somewhere between that and early majority. I like technology, I like having new toys to play with. But I'm not buying an iPhone until they work out the kinks.

That being said, I do find it very frustrating when things go wrong and I can't figure out how to fix them. Computers are a good example of that. Lately, I've been having slight issues with mine. Not huge ones; if it didn't still function relatively well, I wouldn't be typing this right now. But I'm getting the subtle indications that tell me I've topped the peak and am heading down the mountain. As such, I should probably get used to the idea that I'm going to have to spend a sizable chunk of money replacing it in the not-so-distant future. Or, even more unlikely, be content to not have one at home.

Which, quite frankly, is impossible to imagine. That's the thing about technology too. Once you get accustomed to it, it's hard to conceive of being without it. While there are days when I don't use my computer or talk on my cell phone or turn the tv on. But the option to do those things are always there. And the days when they aren't there? Like, when storms make the cable go out? Or when your phone just suddenly won't turn on at all and even though you've re-upped your contract for another two years and T-Mobile tells you that a cute new Razr is on the way, you still can't make phone calls because the replacement UPS driver can't seem to find your address? Color me crazy, until I'm connected again. And then I'll be happy and carefree until the next snafu.

19 October 2007

oh, so this is how they do it

I think maybe using bloglines means that I will finally be one of those people who posts a ton of links (because look: it's so easy! they're right there!), instead of rambly, personal screeds. Well, maybe not entirely, but perhaps with a little practice I'll manage a nice little balance. Balance is key to virtually everything, no?

Thus ...
* Want to listen to a little Jane Austen on the way to the library? Or think maybe you'll finally get Ulysses, if only you hear it out loud? This article on free audio books may help you get the goods. (via Digg)

* Addictive way to brush up on vocab and help with world hunger. I'm so going to be recommending this to kids I know struggling as they study for standardized tests. (via the Longstockings)

* Poor celebrities - and pseudo-celebrities! People don't believe you really wrote your book or they think they're bad or you get accused of plagiarizing them. (via a few different places)

Ah, the predicted rain just started up again, although I think it's light enough still that I can make a quick dash to the coffeeshop. An afternoon there seems a cozy way to wind down my vacation week.

18 October 2007

feeling like a neophyte


So, even though I've been on flickr for ages, I must confess that I've never really played much with the apps or enhancements. I think I browsed them, briefly, oh so long ago. But they mostly seemed to deal with searching more efficiently. And, hello? I'm a librarian. I spent much too much of my graduate school career working the Boolean operator and thus I think of myself as a pretty decent searcher.

Seeing how you can play around with images though? I'm all about it. I'm thinking that the color fields pickr might be useful when I want to do some decorating. Because I have these random postcards of lucha libre over my sink and, as much as I love them, it might be nice to look at something else when I'm doing the dishes. And the calendar maker could be handy at Christmastime - how old school is it that I can distinctly remember having one of these made for my mom one year at Kinko's?

Today though, I'm feeling artsy. And I hear that the NYLA conference is going on right now. I didn't go this year, perhaps obviously, but I did have a great time there last year, when it was held in ever so lovely Saratoga Springs. One of the things I noticed about that town is how many great old motel signs were around, just begging for a retro-fiend like me to glory in them. This particular sign was right by the much more modern (and not nearly as full of character) hotel where I was staying and we walked by it everyday as we were going to meetings and such. To commemorate, I've Hockneyized it and am pretty pleased with the results.

Interesting to note: when I first read about this particular exercise, I was very keen to learn how to add notes and captions to their photos, as seen here. After lots of app searching and googling, I realized that it wasn't an additional application but an option right from your flickr photo page. There is probably a lesson there about learning all the built-in features before you go looking for outside toys, or maybe just in not making things more complicated than they have to be.

i've got your history right here


When I first transferred to Glendale, one of the things I was geekily excited about was the opportunity to work in a building with a nifty heritage. Which isn't to knock the functional-60s era-government-building aesthetic of Central - at least not entirely. But, I'm one of those girls who likes things to have a history. I shop at thrift stores. I can spend hours at a time browsing used book and record. I love coming across old notes and photos and, as such, think that found magazine is one of the greatest things ever. If I ever get to that grown-up, buying a house stage in my life, I totally want a cute little Craftsman cottage.

Thus, the idea that the physical building where I would be working day in and day out would have a rich history, of which I would play the smallest of parts, was very cool. While Glendale isn't a Carnegie building, it was opened in 1936 and the construction of it was a WPA project. Hadn't I spent hours online, looking at the WPA posters digital collection? Do I not love stories from that historical period? Could I not look at old pictures of the original librarians in this building and marvel over how different they seem and how foreign they would find much of our daily procedures, whilst also noting how remarkably unchanged our mission and regular activities are? Yes, yes and yes.

And now, a year and change later, I still get excited about that stuff. Sure, working in an older building doesn't come without it's difficulties. The occasional leak, odd placement of this and that, the challenge of updating pipes and phone lines and what have you. But those difficulties are far outweighed by the pleasure that comes from discovering a hidden nook, gazing at the lovely interior beams, eating lunch on the front steps, and many other small, daily joys. And, most significantly, I love that I am constantly reminded of the way I fit in with the great tradition of this building, of this neighborhood, of this city and of this profession. It's an admittedly small role, but incredibly satisfying one and I've learned that that sort of thing counts for quite a lot.

05 October 2007

tutorial thoughts

I suspect that the fact that it has taken me oh so many days to make my second post here - the one that specifically addresses the tutorial and how it relates to my own learning process - is somewhat indicative of my personal challenges when doing new things. Meaning, sometimes it's really difficult to make the time to do the things you want. My interests tend to be all over the place. I think that's one of the things that makes me a good librarian, and for that I'm thrilled. But, at the same time, it makes it difficult for me to prioritize and say, "Okay, this is the thing that I'm going to focus on right this very moment."

Actually, no. I'm okay at prioritizing. I am not, however, the queen of focus. I get distracted. "Hm, what is the guy currently on Fresh Air talking about? Ah, he wrote a book about Jews and Arabs during World War II. I wonder if Amazon has any new recommendations for me? Ooo, there's a new Nancy Drew video game coming out next week. I wonder if that Nancy Drew movie was really as bad as I heard it was - maybe I'll Netflix it when it comes out on DVD, probably pretty soon. I really should update my Netflix queue. And mail back the movies that I have out. But, I fell asleep while watching the last episode of Deadwood. Maybe I should finish it now and mail the disc in when I go to the grocery store. Gah, what am I going to have for dinner tonight?"

You get the idea. And I'm actually hugely more focused, with a longer attention span than a lot of people that I know. It certainly isn't easy though. Maybe that's why it's such a good idea to make a plan, something else I don't consider a strong point. I make them, but mostly vaguely, in my head. Concrete might be a better idea. Probably in the form of a list, because I like to make lists and enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes from crossing things off of them. And look, that was recommended in the tutorial, so here we have an illustration of how things do indeed come back around.

Other aspects discussed in the tutorial are easier for me. I've always been a big puzzle person, so assuming that it doesn't totally mess up everything, I sort of like it when obstacles come up and I have to figure out a way to meet the challenge. I'm pretty confident about my abilities in this arena - I've dabbled enough to know my way around these new technologies (which is a much nicer way to phrase the fact that I sometimes spend way too much time online). I like to learn new stuff and think it's fun to teach others. Which, I hope, I am successful at, although maybe you should ask my friend B., whom I taught to knit.