Finally moving forward

I finally practiced IMing with staff at work while at the reference desk. Staff who are already using IM are helping to ensure that I continue to learn. I appreciate it.
I can see its use for reference and for teamwork.
Using it reminds me of using a TDD when talking with the hearing impaired until the relay system replaced most of those calls. I think using it for multi-tasking, staying available while doing other things does seem useful.

Thanks. This has really helped

Hi all,
I'm pleased to make it to the end of semester one. As someone else commented, I may need to repeat this semester. I have learned so much although it may not look that way. It depends on your starting point. So I do plan to continue with the second semester. I've even found that this has made me more confident when dealing with other Internet/pc issues, updates, upgrades, etc. with my home pc.
I too appreciate the ongoing support and encouragement I've received.
And I'm really glad that others are better at this than I am.

wikis

No surprise, Madison Public Library was listed in the links from Madison.
It may have been there before this assignment, but there is also an advantage in being a week late.
I think we will be starting a wiki for tech tips for reference staff trying to help the public with library computers. This won't be open to the public, but it will be open to all ref staff.
We won't have to search back through emails to find out someone's neat way to solve a problem.
I'm even more interested in wikis than blogs.
Wikipedia has certainly been useful to me, especially the links at the end of articles.

Tagging

Tagging and del.icio.us seem to be a way to organize sites to which staff want to have joint access. It might provide the answer to the question of how to organize bookmarks for a variety of people with a variety of approaches. Book mark lists become too long and unwieldy even with Dewey or major subject breakdowns. There could even be very specific headings for parts of sites.

LibraryThing for book clubs

I'm not sure I'd ever want to enter a library of items, even a small one, but I can see that it would be useful for keeping track of what bookclubs are reading and for comments by members.
I've put in a few of the books a group I'm in have read. I think I will try to add others from our history as we're often trying to remember books we read years ago. The tage would help with that.
It might be nice for library bookgroups to do the same thing to give new members an idea about the group.

Curious Cat

Curious Cat, originally uploaded by thedarkangel.

Nearly 6,000 photos in FlickR for curious cat. I'm not sure if this one is curious or gentle. It's certainly cute.
I'll move to a darker theme with another assignment.

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ROUTINE

I still haven't finished this week's project although FlickR has some amazing pictures.

But I will share this revised version of the old Abbott and Costello sketch, "Who's on First".
We may know more than we think.
For those of us who sometimes get flustered by our computers and who can hear the voices of ABBOTT AND COSTELLO in our heads, please read on...

COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: No, the name's Lou.

ABBOTT: Your computer?

COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou.

ABBOTT: What about Windows?

COSTELLO: I don't know. What will I see when I look at the windows?

ABBOTT: Wallpaper.

COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.

ABBOTT: Software for Windows?

COSTELLO: No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business. What do you have?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?

ABBOTT: I just did.

COSTELLO: You just did what?

ABBOTT: Recommend something.

COSTELLO: You recommended something?

ABBOTT: Yes

COSTELLO: For my office?

ABBOTT: Yes

COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for my office?

ABBOTT: Office

COSTELLO: Yes, for my office!

ABBOTT: I recommend Office with Windows.

COSTELLO: I already have an office with windows! OK, let's just say I'm sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal. What do I need?

ABBOTT: Word.

COSTELLO: What word?

ABBOTT: Word in Office.

COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.

ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.

COSTELLO: Which word in office for windows?

ABBOTT: The Word you get when click the blue 'W'.

COSTELLO: I'm going to click your blue 'w' if you don't start with some straight answers. What about financial bookkeeping? You have anything I can track my money with?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: That's right what do you have?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?

ABBOTT: It comes bundled with your computer.

COSTELLO: What's bundled with my computer?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: Money comes with my computer?

ABBOTT: Yes, no extra charge.

COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?

ABBOTT: One copy.

COSTELLO: Isn't it illegal to copy money.

ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.

COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copy money.

ABBOTT: Why not? THEY OWN IT!

(A few days later)

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off?

ABBOTT: Click on 'START'.