Thing 27 - twitter

On a personal level, I am not an extensive user of Twitter. I can't imagine anyone I know wanting to read about what I do each day. But I can see that for this generation growing up with Twitter, it is one of the many great ways to communicate. So on a professional level, I think that Twitter is yet another significant Web 2.0 tool. On a side note, I have a younger relative that I was trying to track down. He uses a cell phone for his home phone, and he does not have email or voicemail. However, he does text. I finally got a hold of him through texting. In other words, as librarians, we must go where our users are, and many of them are on Twitter. But that is not the only place. They are also on Facebook, blogs, websites, IMing, calling and even still reading the newspaper. So we must make a concerted effort to communicate the many good things going on at libraries in these many ways in order to reach our diverse users.

Thing 26 - 23 Things on a Stick ning

I joined the 23 Things on a Stick Ning previously. I have to admit that I am not as excited about this tool since there are so many other communication options out there. I can see how a Ning can be very useful for individual projects where a discussion group is needed. However, usually there is a specific end product that is also needed. Therefore I have found tools such as Google Docs and wikis more useful since all members can add and modify the content as needed. However, I do appreciate learning about this option and will keep it in mind for future reference.

Thing 25 - bloggers' toolkit

Wow - there are so many options out there now. I could spend a great deal of time trying out all these different tools. My solution to keeping these many choices under control is to link to this wiki page and reference the tools as the needs come up. The gadgets I added to my blog were "search this blog" and feedjit. I also tried out the Typealyzer (Myers-Briggs of your blog site). Apparently my blog is typical of an ISTP or Mechanic. Hmmm... As I said, I could spend a many hours on this wiki page alone. Thanks for putting so many interesting gadgets in one place.

http://morethingsonastick.pbworks.com/Thing-25-Bloggers-Toolkit

Thing 24 - refresh your blog

I finally took the time to create an avatar. I looked through a few sites - there is so much to choose from! I was just thinking that using the avatar sites is a great segue for lessons and talking about Internet safety - discussing with students about not using real photos of themselves online. I also like the flexibility and ease of use of Blogger. I have tried other blog sites, but have not found any as user friendly. So, here we go again!

Thing 23 - final thoughts

I have taken away many useful tools from 23 Things on a Stick. But more importantly, I have taken away some great resources for organizing this information and helping me to educate staff and students on these many wonderful options. Before 23 Things on a Stick, I was feeling that I was falling behind with keeping up on all the Web 2.0 resources. While I know that there are still many more "things" to learn, I do feel that I am now better prepared work with staff and students. 23 Things on a Stick has been a great experience, and I look forward to learning about more "things" in the future.

Thing 22 - what did I learn today

As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, I need to make time to keep up with all this great information. I am happy to hear that the 23 Things on a Stick resources will remain up indefinitely. I have created a link to Thing 22 and hope to take some time to explore the many resources listed. I have also found that if I focus on a few items, rather than trying to keep up with many resources, I am much more likely to follow through. I have to say, the focus of 23 Things on a Stick has been ideal for me since I could go to one place for so much great information!

http://23thingsonastick.blogspot.com/2007/10/thing-22-lifelong-learning.html

Thing 21 - other social networks

I think that the concept of social networks is a great idea for people with common interests to have a way of connecting. I have yet to find a site/group that has resonated with me though. However, it has been great learning about Gather - I had not heard of it before. I have heard of Ning and have kept it in mind for small group discussions. There are so many options to choose from - blogs, wikis, collaboration tools, etc. - that I believe it is very important to match the tool with the purpose of the event. I also think that it is important to recognize what tools work for you and/or your library but continue to stay of aware of what else may be out there. Thanks 23 Things on a Stick!