Week Eleven - Explore and Play

Since this is the week to really just have fun, I thought I would play with a couple of image generators, as I am fascinated what can be done with images.

I started off with Easystreet, which allows you to create your own street signs. There are three sizes, five languages, and even MySpace and Live Journal codes so that you can insert your signs into those sites. Or, you can do as I did - simply create your sign, save it to your computer, and then upload it to your blog.

Not earth shattering, perhaps, but I found it fun. After all, who wouldn't want their very own street?

I then moved on to Trading Card Maker, one of Big Huge Labs large stable of image generators. On this site, you can create trading cards of your favorite TV casts, motion pictures, pets, friends, even library staff! What fun.

So, I made one for me:

And one for a friend:

After playing with images for a while, I decided perhaps I had better look at something library-related. So, naturally, being a reader and a cataloger, I headed straight for LibraryThing.

LibraryThing is a website where you can "catalog" the books in your own library and connect with others who share the same interests. Here is my LibraryThing Bookshelf

What are some of the features you particularly liked?
I liked being able to "see" my books as a "catalog"; as a cataloguer, this is not surprising, eh? I can now search and inventory what I have. However, there is a limit of 200 books on a free account. I have way more than 200 books, and I am not going to pay for an account, so already I see little use in continuing with LibraryThing.

The other main component of LibraryThing is to connect with others sharing your interests via tags (you have already read enough of my feelings on tagging) and groups. I did join Librarians Who LibraryThing, checked out some messages, and really didn't see anything I felt like discussing or contributing to. I looked at several other groups on SF, Fantasy, Tolkien, Harry Potter, and history. Once again, nothing I particularly cared about joining. I have other ways to connect with like-minded folks, so this just seems superfluous. I notice that this post is turning into another negative one, rather than describing features I liked. Sorry. Part of the problem is that I already have an active life on the web and all these social networks are fine for those who don't or who are looking for ways to connect with others. I am already connected, so many of these sites are just time-wasters for me. Obviously, I don't have the right mind-set for the social side of Web 2.0. :-(

Did you find it difficult to use?
Not at all. LibraryThing was very easy to use. I catalogued 23 books for my library, added a user pic, and joined a group all without any problem at all.

What LibraryThing features would work well in the library's catalog?
I am not certain that any particular features would work with our catalog. However, there is a version called LibraryThing for Libraries that might be useful. After checking out several libraries who use this third party product, LibraryThing for Libraries would utilize the database created by "LibraryThingers" to provide a tag cloud (enough with the tags!) and suggestions for similar book titles a patron might like. There are other third party products, such as Aquabrowser that would do something similar. These products would offer added dimension, information, and functionality to our catalog and provide an experience similar to many websites with which patrons are very familiar, including IMDB, Amazon, etc.

Are there other ways the library could use LibraryThing?

It might be fun to have a staff LibraryThing account, with staff able to add their favorites from their own libraries. Just like the favorites wiki, it is another way to learn a bit more about your fellow staff members and might be a bit of a morale booster to share interests with each other, though the 200 book limit would be a bit of a problem.

Week 6 - Images

I love searching the web for images and would like to develop some skills in creating wallpapers, montages, and icons. I have had a Photobucket account for several years, but I usually only use it to post photos to my LJ. I seem to have found other ways to share my photos with family and friends. However, this was an opportunity to explore something new, so in the spirit of the challenge, I decided to just jump in *aaaaiaiiiiii*

Hmmmmm. Well....... So this is Flickr. Obviously, I just don't have the right mindset. I searched through the popular tags. Uh-huh. Part of the problem for me is that tagging is great if I am doing it. I can create tags that are meaningful to me. However the lack of standards just drives me nuts. Trying to search tags is just an exercise in sadomasichism. Everyone tags things differently. Finally, I just gave up in frustration.

I found no groups of interest. Geez! Obviously, I am not in sync with the rest of the world. I think I will stick to LJ. And sadly, I am not that interested in someone else's vacation or birthday party photos. *sigh*

But, on to the Challenge.....

What was your favorite feature on Flickr?
Aaaaaah. Didn't have one? Just not feeling the Flickr love.

You have uploaded a photo from Flickr to your blog. Why did you choose that photo?
I confess I was unable to upload a photo from Flickr to my blog. *sad, so sad* So, I used an end-around. I saved several photos to my computer and uploaded them from there. Not sure if that's OK, but hey, it worked!

I chose photos from New Zealand, which is one of the places in the world that I hold in my heart. My adventures there have changed my life beyond all imagining. And if you didn't know the identity of this blogger by now, this will certainly give it away! :-)

And here they are: This photo was taken from inside Bag End at Matamata, New Zealand. This was the filming location for the Hobbiton scenes in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings. All of the Flickr photos were taken by Diane Rooney (Ironically, a lady I have met at a couple of LOTR cons. Small world, no?)

This is my photo, taken by our tour guide on my February 2005 trip to New Zealand with Red Carpet Tours. The view in both photos is from inside the Bag End hobbit hole looking toward the Party Tree in the background on the right.

This photo is of one of several rivers in New Zealand to portray the River Anduin, down which the Fellowship traveled.

This particular river is spectacular not only for it's sheer beauty, but because located here in Gravity Canyon is one of the most fabulous thrill rides on earth - The Flying Fox.

After hiking up a "wee hill," as our guide called it (translation: "wee hill" means something akin to Mt. Everest and you better have oxygen waiting at the top, 'cause you'll need it!), you are strapped face down in a harness and shot down a slip line for nearly a mile at almost 100 mph!

Certainly not for the faint-hearted. I almost didn't go, but I thought I would never have the chance to do something so daring ever again. Little did I know that this was just the beginning. Between the inspiration of my tour fellowship (some of whom have become the very best of friends) and the daring spirit of New Zealand itself, I would wind up doing things I never, ever even dreamt I could do.

My photos show "the deep breath before the plunge" and the supersonic flight without a plane.

We survived! And I would go again in a heartbeat!

This photograph is of Mount Sunday, which became for the film the Rohan city of Edoras, a hilltop fortress and settlement. It was exactly as Tolkien had described, a mount surrounded by a flat valley encircled by snow-capped mountains. Looking huge in the film, it seems tiny when viewed from a distance.

However, that view is deceptive. It's another "wee hill" to climb, and we had to cross three "streams" (translation: raging rivers that you have to cross together, holding each other up to avoid being swept away)

For sheer grandeur, beauty, and magnificence this was my favorite film location.

My photos show a far view of Edoras and a crossing of one of the "streams."

Well, I have indulged myself for far too long. Back to the Challenge!

Why is tagging so important?

Tagging allows you to both categorize your images and to search out photos posted by others. See my comments about tagging at the beginning of this post.

Did you explore any Flickr mashups? If so, which, and how did it work?

I looked at several, Motivator, DVD Cover (oh, I have plans for this one), and, of course, lolcat. I did make a motivational poster (at least it motivates me!) :-)

What was the most interesting thing you learned?

I loved the mash-ups most of all. Although I am not that interested in using Flickr to share my photos with the world, I am fascinated by all the things one can do with images.

What are some of the ways in which the Arcadia Public Library might use Flickr?

Since the Library already has a Flickr account, we are currently sharing our photos. It may be possible to "advertise" more that we have the account. Perhaps there is a way to get our teens involved in posting photos to a Teen Flicker account. Maybe we could organize a photo project in which patrons could post photos of the library, their favorite books (including the photos taken at the upcoming Library Week photo shoot), favorite places to read, etc.