Karen's 2003 Reading List

In 2003, I was still a student at the U of Minnesota, keeping up with class reading, not much time to read non-school books. I still managed to get a few things read.

Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl
The Dogs of Babel by Caroline Parkhurst
Marie Chapdelaine by Louis Hemon
Henry V, War Criminal and Other Shakespeare Puzzles by John Sutherland
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time by Mark Haddon
Eragon by Michael Paolini
Blacklist by Sara Paretsky
Blowfly by Patricia Cornwell
The Rule of Four by Ian Caldwell
The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
Dreaming the Eagle by Manda Scott

I'm back!

Gone from this blog for too long, I want to start posting here again. I've forgotten so much, but I hope to continue my learning odyssey here. Good to be back!

Thing 24 -- Refresh Your Blog

Hi, there! Here I am, on the last day to register for "More Things on a Stick," finally getting around to it!

I had planned to use my blog a little more diligently in the off season. It did come in very handy for me when I wanted to post a slideshow of photos for a group of friends. I used "23 Things" to point me to Zoho Show, made a slideshow, and had my group's webmaster add a link to my blog. I actually got a comment! And it was a very positive one!

You know, I wonder if I've been using Facebook as a mini-blog. That's been my favorite "thing" from the first project, and I am a fairly faithful daily user. I've linked up with people from all parts of my life--relatives, friends, library school people.

So...I did a little refreshing of my blog. I looked at the different templates, but I really like the current one, so I didn't make any major changes. I tweaked the fonts and colors a little, to try and brighten the look (I think I'll keep working on this). I added a "subscribe to" gadget (to make it easier for all of my fans to read the latest, don't you know?!) Actually, I think having the "subscribe to" functionality would be a very library-type thing to have. I changed my profile picture and updated the profile information. I've become fond of my current avatar, so I left that alone, too.

As I mentioned, I haven't done much blogging since "23 Things" finished, but the things I learned there have kept me in the world of 2.0 and social networking. I have used the 2.0 tools in practical applications. I've kept up with a few of the blogs I was watching as part of "23 Things" and have been really happy to see new posts every once in a while. I'm all set to get back into blogwatching mode.

So, here we go!

Minnesota Quilters 2008 Holiday Brunch Slideshow

Welcome to my blog! I'm Karen O'Brien, and "Library Ratatouille" is a blog that I started to help me learn new ways of being a librarian. If you are here just to see the MQ pictures please don't be confused by all of the "23 Things" talk going on. Just see the slideshow at the top of my blog. I'm using something called "Zoho Show" to present my pictures to you. Just hit the "play" button, or I find it pretty easy just to click through the 47 pictures one at a time. Some of the pictures may take a few seconds to load (please be patient).
We had a great time at the brunch, and I wanted to share these pictures. I'm hoping that there can be a link from the MQ website (http://www.mnquilt.org/) to this blog--in any case, I'm thrilled that you are here! Come back again, please!

Moving On from "23 Things on a Stick"

Well, I finished the "23 Things" twenty-four hours before deadline (phew!!) and had a great time doing it. Now, I want to continue the blog, going onward and forward to try to stay current and "invigorated."

I'm making some layout changes to the blog, so I'm moving the list of "23 Things" to this blog post, for posterity's sake (so I can remember how slowly the process went, at times).

What Are the "23 Things"?

01 Set up blog, post an entry, add an avatar - DONE!
02 Read/watch, then discuss Web 2.0 - Fini!
03 Learn about RSS - Done!
04 Explore Flickr - fait accompli
05 More fun with Flickr - Done!
06 Play with online image generator - Done.
07 Try communication tools - Done!
08 Share slide decks, photos, or presentation slides - Done.
09 Learn about collaboration tools - Completed; but would like to try editing with Zoho.
10 Learn about wikis. Add an entry to the "23 Things" wiki - Done!
11 Learn about tagging and del.icio.us - Done; but would like to have del.icio.us working correctly under IE 7.0.
12 Explore social media sites -- Dugg!
13 Try out an online productivity tool - Done!
14 Play with LibraryThing -- Done.
15 Explore some online games -- Done.
16 Learn about Assignment Calculator and the Research Project Calculator -- Done.
17 Use ELM productivity tools -- Done; would like to get NetLibrary to work better.
18 Explore YouTube and other video sites -- Done.
19 Learn about podcasts -- Done.
20 Explore Facebook and MySpace -- Done!
21 Learn about other social networks -- Done with the Ning Thing.
22 How can I keep learning about Web 2.0 and Library 2.0.? - Done.
23 Online evaluation and blog entry about the "23 Things" experience! DONE!

Thing 23 - Final Thoughts

I am mentally and physically tired at the end of a long day of finishing up my 23 Things on a Stick (yup, I let the later Things languish a little too long). (Ooh, nice alliteration! Now I know I'm tired!) But I am also invigorated by considering what I have learned, and the infrastructure I have established. I set up a blog, and have kept it fresh and vital (I hope I will continue to keep it active). I gained familiarity with Flickr and Facebook, encountered old friends and met new ones. I expanded on my use of RSS and Library Thing. I had a little fun break at YouTube, and envisioned what could be done in my library. I wondered at podcasts and Webinars, IM, and SMS. I visited other 23 Thing-ers' blogs, and learned from their creativity. I've become very "sociable" in social networks and on wikis.

I think I learned a little bit about maintaining a careful critiquing view of the "latest and greatest" tools. My time is valuable, and so I need to determine which tools will be most helpful to me in my personal life and as I strive to be the best librarian that I can be.

If I could choose one word to sum up the experience, it would "invigoration." I see so many possibilities in Web 2.0 and Library 2.0. I am very thankful for this experience, and I would definitely participate in "23 More Things on a Stick"!

Thing 22 - Ways to Keep Learning

Well, now I'm getting sad that the 23 Things is almost over! The thing is, it isn't. I plan to just turn right around and review and refresh my take on the 23 Things. I'll tidy up loose ends (like my del.ici.ous not working correctly with my IE 7.0). I'll look at the "Challenge" activities, and maybe try some of them out.

My RSS reader will be a great help. I've conscientiously added feeds throughout the project, and I think that this will be very helpful to me in the long run.

I will attempt to spend at least 15 minutes a day to maintain my blog, use the tools that I have learned, keep up with new tools, and apply those tools to my work in the library whenever I have the opportunity. These months working on the Things have reinforced my curiosity and ability to use new tools. I'll continue the process, and use my blog to tell myself (and the world), "This is what I learned today!"