Method 12 - Reflection and Evaluation

Exploring some of the applications that I was unfamiliar with was eye-opening and much easier than I somehow expected. Getting the practice of creating a blog and even keeping disciplined to make a number of postings opened my mind to continuing with this in some way. I was very new to Flickr, podcasting, and even chat and instant messaging. Trying these things out was very useful. Being exposed to the ways that you can search these different applications was very valuable.

I have been a Yahoo email user so it was also very helpful for me to get into Google apps and get a feel for the lay of the land in Google. The concept of cloud computing was new to me and now I feel like I have a handle on that.

It was fun and useful to see how other libraries were using wikis and Facebook and some of the other applications. These were inspiring. So much of this would not be all that difficult. Time restraints, I think, and being able to sustain a quality input would be the most difficult aspects to me.

In terms of life long learning goals, I feel that I have taken an important first step in getting more familiar with these applications. I would certainly like to integrate Twitter or Facebook with other areas of interest.

It was most surprising to see how very simple the mechanical aspects of these different applications are. I did not encounter any glitches or problems that would require a lot of trouble shooting. Most of the questions I had could probably be answered by another user. It was eye-opening to again realize just how vast the unlimited storage space on the Internet is. We are so fortunate that at this venture there are no charges for these services. Advertising seems to cover the cost of much of the applications, although I am sure there will be more sites charging for content in the future.

I would definitely participate in a future training program offered. I think it would be valuable to offer a selection of applications that participants could pick and choose from. Those who felt like they were advanced on a particular application could pass on that one. I also would like to see some more advanced exercises for those who have been using an application already.

I did not personally know any other participants in the training at this point which made me reluctant to comment on other blogs. It would be nice if some of the questions would generate more discussion. I think that most are reluctant to comment on other blogs because of the public nature of the comment, not knowing personally the participants, and because of time contraints. Of course, there is nothing to stop me from going back and looking more closely at some of the blogs now.

Kudos and sincere thanks to the Library Development Division of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission for offering this training!

Method 11 - The wide world of podcasting

Podcasting is another fantastic way of disseminating a wide range of information over the web. It would seem to lend itself to oral histories and author interviews. There are many who would prefer listening to material rather than reading it. Obviously, a big plus to listening to podcasts is that you can take them with you very easily with an MP3 player, Iphone, or other mobile device.


I was impressed by the Librarian Live programs presented by the North Texas Regional Library system and other Texas library consortia. There was a wide range of topics and it is especially nice to hear advice from someone in the nearby area.

Again, if a topic lends itself to this kind of oral treatment, searching for podcasts on a how-to type subject or even by a particular author could yield valuable results. In many instances hearing an author's voice provides a much more intimate and personal venue for becoming familiar with an author. Itunes, of course, are a great way of sampling many different types of music and a whole host of musicians from very amateur to professional in any imaginable style.

Podcasts would be another tool for recording a library program while not having to set up and deal with a camera and the pitfalls that a video might create. Lectures would certainly lend themselves to a podcast treatment.