Friday, December 12, 2008

Web 2.0 Continues

From visiting http://www.seomoz.org/ , I came across this website: http://comiqs.com/
You can make your own comic strips, using your own photos and text! How fun is that?!
How will this help me or the patrons? Since it is FUN, I think it would be a great suggestion (especially for younger patrons). Not only will they have a good time, but they will also learn in the process! It is a chance to be creative, artistic, and reflect your own personal style.
I also learned about http://www.myheritage.com/ . My family has been using http://www.geni.com/ in order to input our family tree. It really caught on quick! There are people linked to my family tree I have never heard of (we have a BIG family)! However, now that I see the My Heritage site is marked #1 (above Geni), I wonder what makes it a step above. I read that it has a face recognition widget, which sounds amazing! I think these are both great tools for my family and to recommend to patrons! It can really create a feeling of interconnectedness and make you more fully aware of your family (from the past and present).

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Chain, Chain, Change......

I connect with the "continuous innovation" part of the OCLS mission statement. Not only do I think that is the key element of a successful library, but it has been one of the big reasons I am so excited to be a part of this system. I see us creating a "well-informed, well-connected community, making Orange County a great place to live, learn, work and play" by doing the following:
Promoting and conducting various educational/entertaining/informative programs to adults, teens and children
Finding new and different ways to connect to our patrons (ocls website, text, well designed fliers/posters, YouTube videos, etc)
Offering free computer classes & continuing to add updated classes (such as they just did with adding Mac classes)
Giving the patrons access to their account online and by phone
Offering instantly accessible books/movies/etc online
...And so much more!

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Open Source Information

Since I have joined OCLS, technology has changed the way I provide information. For instance, I can now refer to or recommend various online databases (I am amazed at the resources provided through the OCLS site). Also, I find it fascinating that the library can keep in touch with patrons in new ways, such as through text messaging.
As technology makes information more open source, libraries should be open to this change and willing to experiment with it to see where it takes us. Perhaps new advancements, such as editable sources of information (such as a wikipedia-type site), can be taken to new heights within library systems. In addition, I think technology can create a more "global" feel for libraries. Locations all over the world will have the ability to communicate in new and different ways and can bring us together like never before.
Finally, when I search my name online, I find many people with the same name... but, I have yet to find myself. :)

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Health and Technology

Hello again! I like the "Gimme20" website because they have information on all types of workouts and exercise techniques. I enjoyed the "Nutrition Data" website because they offer a Nutrient Search Tool. This tool allows you to search by a particular nutrient in order to find the types of foods that offer the most of this nutrient. For instance, if you need more vitamin E in your diet, they suggest Pinon nuts!

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

First Blog

Hello! My name is Ren! Technically, my name is Karen. I got my nickname when my best friend from elementary school (also named Karen) and I decided to split our name in half. That is how she became "Kay" and I became "Ren."
This is my FIRST blog! I am participating in the "OCLS Learn 2.1" online course. Through this course I intend to expand my knowledge about technology and how it has changed the way we handle different types of information. Blogging is the first step!
I look forward to continuing this journey!
 
Meez 3D avatar avatars games