The End of iHCPL?

I am happy to say that this is not the end of iHCPL. We have only started to learn. Last week I attended a program on "Transforming Texas Libraries" and one of the major concerns was how to teach staff about all of the new technology. It was nice to know that so many of us at HCPL have learned and will continue to learn about this amazing new technology.

In the past few years so much has changed at HCPL and the changes will keep on coming at us; whether we are ready or not. Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 have changed how the customer relates to the library and to information. We used to be the gatekeepers of knowledge and information; today we are more like navigators. Our customers want to be more self sufficient but want us to be available to give assistance. The 23 things that we learned about and the new things that we will learn will help prepare us for the future.


Lifelong learning is a necessity if we are going to keep up with the pace of change that has become the norm for our society. Because all of us in the library field deal with information, we have even more reason to keep on learning.

Thank you to the iHCPL Committee and everyone who took part in iHCPL. Who knows what 2008 will bring?

Facebook

I signed for a Facebook account and have not done much with it accept but I can see how you can get "hooked" on it. Dale McNeill, who used to be at HCPL and is now at Queens, has friended me,as have a few other people. I have yet to put any pictures up ,but I did add my Hebrew name.

Tags, Technorati, Del.icio.us and Library 2.0

When I first looked into tagging I thought "what a good idea, subject headings that anyone can figure out. "Cooking" instead of "cookery". This ability to name things in common language offers everyone the opportunity to classify and find information in a way that is more intuitive. It certainly gives the user more power over information. I very much like Del.icio.us because it makes bookmarks portable and allows others to see what you have in your list. Another tool that makes it easier for users to get the information they want .

These tools are at the heart of Library 2.0. They have been developed and are so popular because users want to to be able to quickly and easily access the information they want when they want it and in the format that they want. The user wants convenience first and these tools certainly help meet that demand. Library 2.0 is a customer centerd view of how the library should be interacting with those who use the library both in our buildings and outside our walls.

Podcasts and Downloadable Media

I can't say podcasts are my favorit way to get information, but they may grow on me. I subscribed to the Sirsi Dynix because their online content is always interesting and well done. As the presidential campaigns heats up I may subscribe to some political podcasts.

I have often downloaded books and videos from Overdrive. I have listened to books on my MP3 player and I have watched videos on my computer at home. The only issue that I have is that it takes a very long time to download to my computer so you have to plan ahead if you want to watch or hear something. All in all, it s a good service and our customers certainly like it.

card catalog quilt

card catalog quilt
Originally uploaded by txlibrarian

I came across this "card catalog" quilt in the Feed Dog blog and remembered how difficult it was to keep the catalog up to date. The online catalog solved this problem(ok, there were more than a few bugs in the beginning) with the added benefit of increasing access to the entire HCPL collection.

As this first part of iHCPL winds down I still marvel at all we can do with the new technology and look forward to what comes next. iHCPL has been a learning experience that has inspired, frustrated and encouraged me at different points along the way.

A visual metaphor for Houston

The implosion of the Crowne Plaza Holiday Inn this past weekend that will make way for a new building in the Texas Medical Center struck me as a perfect way to describe Houston- always changing and making way for something newer. Sometimes, as in the case when a piece of the River Oaks Shopping Center was torn down, I am disturbed by it. In this case it seems like a good thing.

Say yes to Zoho!

 

 

I really like Zoho. This is a much better way to have access to files. There is no need to have a flash drive to access files from another computer. All you need is access to the Web. I will be learning more about Zoho.

Technorati Tags     ZOHO