The End

Surprisingly I really enjoyed the 23 things assignment. I learned about a lot of programs, sites and apps that I normally would never have used or heard of elsewhere. Many of these tools I plan on using often because of their quality, effectiveness and creativity. Some of my favorite topics that were covered are flickr, LibraryThing, Librivox, Zotero and Diigo. Before I began the 23 things there were a few things on the list that I had already completed on my own, so I didn't think I would learn much more about them. Instead, I was surprised to find that there was a lot about these topics that I definitely did not use before. By increasing my knowledge about these topics I can now use the various tools much more efficiently. For example, I use Google on a daily basis but I hadn't tried out many of the tools that Google has created. Before I learned what Technorati is I had no idea that you could search blogs. Overall, I enjoyed the 23 things assignment. After completing all 23 things I feel that I am better equipped to deal with the evolution of libraries, media, technology and the web. I am looking forward to applying many of the tools we learned about to my everyday life and career as a librarian.

Kayak

For this portion of the assignment I choose Kayak! Lately I feel as if I have been bit by the travel bug. Sometimes I just like to search various travel packages and flight's just to imagine what it would be like to go...and get out of rainy Buffalo! I think Kayak is a great sight because when you enter a search query it compiles the results from every travel/flight booking sight out there. In this way it is somewhat similar to Rollyo, in that it combines many search engines into one. Kayak is also very easy to use. There aren't a whole lot of fancy graphics or annoying ads that are distracting or misleading. One of the best features of Kayak are the filter options for booking flights and trips. There is a filter for stops, flight times (take off and landing), cabin areas, airlines, flight duration, quality of flight, size of plane, price and sites. Although this site isn't a traditional or typical reference site that would be used in libraries, it is still a handy tool that patrons should at least be aware of.
www.kayak.com

Library 2.0

Over the past decade Library's all over the nation have seen dramatic changes occur. Some of these changes are not so great; budget cuts. While others are helping to created a new and improved library experience; technology, web 2.0, etc. The evolution of libraries is a sink or swim situation. Librarians either choose to embrace and grow with the changes or they choose to cling to the way things 'have always been done'. In his OCLC article about web 2.0 Rick Anderson explores this concept of accepting changes.

"No profession can survive if it throws its core principles and values overboard in response to every shift in the zeitgeist. However, it can be equally disastrous when a profession fails to acknowledge and adapt to radical, fundamental change in the marketplace it serves. At this point in time, our profession is far closer to the latter type of disaster than it is to the former.  We need to shift direction, and we can’t wait for the big ship of our profession to change course first. It’s going to have to happen one library—one little boat—at a time"

As librarians it is our duty to serve our patrons first and foremost, and our patrons require/demand new ways of thinking and doing things. A majority of today's patrons are must comfortable with the web and computers. At the same time we must not forget our patrons who may not be so tech savvy. Running a library today requires a balance of both old and new concepts. By melding the old with the new we are creating a new breed of libraries that will serve us far into the future. 

Zotero

Before completing this portion of the assignment I had never heard of Zotero. Now that I have played around with a bit I wish I had known about it earlier! It is a great tool for all kinds of research and a excellent place to store all of the sources in a organized manner. All incoming college students should be exposed to this tool because it makes research much more efficient and organized. I especially like how all the citations are linked to the original source so they are always available for referencing. I used Google Scholar to search for some Library and Technology related articles. I found several interesting articles about 2.0 technology in Libraries.
The only part of Zotero that I really don't like is syncing of the libraries. I have created a library with the 2.0 articles but the instructions for syncing are not very clear.

Rollyo: Sounds Tasty

At first I was a little skeptical when I learned what Rollyo was. Usually if I am just doing a casual search I use Google, which normally doesn't let me down. After trying out a few of the features I can see when Rollyo would come in handy. I created my first Rollyo search engine by using the preselected travel sites and I was surprised by how effective it was! When you are doing a more detailed search it is a much more efficient and detailed oriented tool to use than Google.  I also enjoyed using the explore option and viewing all the other tailored search engines that other users have made. Rollyo would be an excellent tool for anyone that is looking for more control and precision when it comes to their general search queries. Here is a link to my very first Rollyo search engine:
http://rollyo.com/bananalise/travel_search/

Library"Thingy"

LibraryThing kind of reminds me of Google Library but more in depth. I really like the tag option, it's great for finding works that are somewhat similar to the books you have already read. It seems like a great community for reviews and ratings, so you can get a better grasp as to whether you will enjoy the book or not. This is definitely a source that I will use more often in the future. Now to see if I like it better than Google library, that will be the true test. I made a brief catalog of some of the books I have read recently and I am looking forward to writing reviews for each of them:
My first LibraryThing Catalog

Google Mania

One of the Google Apps that I have heard of but never tried until now is "Google Books", particularly the "My Library" portion. I created my own Bookshelf and added some books that I have just recently read. I can really see myself using this app a lot now that I have discovered it. I am always trying to remember which books I have read and would like to read, and this is a great place to keep all of that information. I can even write reviews for each of the books in my library! Click here to see the mini bookshelf I created

Another really cool Google App that I like to play around with is Google Earth. It's a pretty incredible program when you think about it. Google Earth consists of satellite images of almost anywhere in the world. You can type in any address and it will show you the approximate location on your screen.