NEWS
 Volume 2 No. 4
July 10, 2008
In This Issue
Keeping Up
Thing 7.
Thing 8.
Quick Links

Previous Newsletters

This newsletter is for participants in 23 Things On a Stick. It offers hints and tips, as well as news to encourage participants as they continue to learn.

Share any hints you have by sending them our way at [email protected].
Keeping Up
With more than 1,000 blogs registered on the "mother blog," it can be hard to know where to begin reading! Here are some interesting, fun, or cool blogs by participants in 23 Things On a Stick. Take a look!
Found an interesting blog in your region? How about yours? Recommend any you find by emailing [email protected].
  Thing 7. Online Communication Tools

Beyond Emailfortune cookie
Email is useful for many things from newsy updates to announcements. What it is less useful for is scheduling meetings.Web 2.0 tools can be more efficient for coordinating people's schedules. Try one or more of these tools the next time you have to organize a meeting date. All are easy to use, but each has a "personality" that will appeal to different users.

Let us know via your blog if you use any of these tools.

Webinars
Webinars are an easy, efficient way to experience
continuing education. No driving, no parking, no bad
weather! Archived Webinars are even easier, since
you can do them on your schedule. Thing 7. includes attending a Webinar or other Web Conference presentation via OPAL. Here are some possibilities.

MINITEX
Best Practices in Online Reference Services
This MINITEX session is a great complement to the online communication tools in Thing 7. You will learn how libraries are meeting the demands of an online community while providing the quality service that is a priority for libraries. See how libraries use email, chat, instant messaging, text messaging or other formats as new ways to provide access to information and their services for their immediate community and beyond.

There are still a few seats in these and other MINITEX Webinars:

MINITEX archives many of its sessions. Here are a few you might find useful:
You can find all archived MINITEX training sessions here.

OPAL Programs

OPAL offers a wide variety of continuing ed, book discussions, and more. These upcoming meetings
OPAL meetings sound interesting.

Land of Lincoln Book Discussion The Madness of Mary Lincoln by Jason Emerson is the first book about Mary Lincoln's mental illness based on the 2005 discovery of 25 lost letters pertaining to the situation, found by Emerson in a steamer trunk formerly owned by Robert Todd Lincoln's lawyer. Monday, March 10, 2008, 8:00 Central

A Casual Conversation with Jenny Levine, the Internet Development Specialist and Strategy Guide at the American Library Association. She works jointly in the Information Technology & Telecommunications Services unit and the Publishing unit. She also writes the very popular blog, The Shifted Librarian. Friday, April 11, 2008 1:00 Central

Scroll through the OPAL Archives for many choices. These are from the Book Discussions, Author Interviews, and Other Literary Events page.

  • Through the Eyes of the Sleuth: Setting the Stage for Mystery presented by Emily Howie from the Library of Congress on November 14, 2007.
  • Captivating Choices: High-Interest Books for Low-Interest Readers, presented by Megan Schliesman and Merri Lindgren on Wednesday, November 7, 2007. Sponsored by the Outagamie Waupaca Library System.
  • A discussion of the book A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink, conducted by the Johnson County Library Business Book Club on Tuesday, August 21, 2007.
  • An interview with David Weinberger, author of the book Everything is Miscellaneous, conducted on June 6, 2007.
  • "Ready - Set - READ! Children's Literature Resources at the Library of Congress", presented by Judy Graves and Patricia Steelman on September 20, 2006.

Note that to participate in either OPAL or MINITEX Web conferences, you will need to download software and/or a plug in. Check with the IT staff in your organization before downloading. Here are the technology requirements for MINITEX and for OPAL. You may need to download Flash Player or Windows Media Player archived OPAL or MINITEX sessions.

Posted by Ann WS

Thing 8. Share Your Creations
 
thing 6 sign

Web 2.0 is all about creativity and sharing. You have tried some of the creativity tools at Big Huge Labs , as well as other Flickr toys. We want you to share your creations on your blog. Here are two other ways to share, in addition to those listed in Thing 8.

Slide is similar to PictureTrail, with one big difference. In slide show mode, it works with your Flickr account. Sign in and your pictures are quickly uploaded. You can choose a variety of styles for your shows. Here are 3 versions.  I like the 8mm movie version, having grown up with lots of home movies!

PictoBrowser  is another way to put a slide show on your blog or Web site using your Flickr pictures. You can view a slide show made with PictoBrowser here. Make your own by clicking on the PictoBrowser logo on this show or any other or by starting on the home page.

So, try out the various tools and share your creations!

Posted by Ann WS

Reminders!
  • Check your blog on the mother blog to be sure the link works & the name is correct. Send an email to [email protected] with any corrections.
  • Label all your posts with the Thing # and title.
  • Keep working on the Things!
  • Stuck with a Thing? Contact your multitype for help and encouraging words.
Most people are making lots of progress on the Things. Others seem to be stuck on one Thing or another. If you have questions or need help, contact your multitype. We are ready and willing to answer your questions. There are links in this newsletter sidebar and on the "mother blog" in the orange sidebar. Don't hesitate to ask; we want you to enjoy 23 Things On a Stick!

 
Sincerely,
The 23 Things On a Stick Team
Patricia (CMLE), Ann WS (Metronet), Linda (NCLC), Ruth (NLLN), Robin (SAMMIE), Ann H (SELS), & Nancy (SMILE)
The Minnesota Multicounty Multitype Library Systems