Thing 8:Make Life Really Simple with RSS

In addition to some staff blogs, I subscribed to several news feeds, and the Unshelved and Get Fuzzy comic strips. I also subscribed to some book review feeds and a few library-related feeds.

RSS is a very good way to update library patrons on programs and materials that are of interest to them. In a previous library job, I ordered all of the videos and dvds for the adult collection and had many patrons who wanted to be notified when I was ordering certain items like BBC shows or foreign films. I had to use a variety of methods to keep them informed of new and upcoming arrivals. Automatically putting someone on hold for certain items, posting lists, making phone calls, and sending e-mails all worked to some degree, but were time-consuming for me and did not always ensure that a patron got just those items that he/she was interested in viewing. RSS would have been a useful tool for notifying patrons not only about dvds that were on order, but also would have allowed the inclusion of information about related books, programs, or databases. Since it can be tailored to an individual's interests, it is a way of using technology to add a personal touch to the information being delivered.

Thing 7: Blog About Technology

It is finally time for me to buy a car, so I have been trying to pay more attention to all the features of the new cars and decide what best meets my needs. I saw a television commercial yesterday for the new line of Volvos and they are promoting the fact that the key chain has a feature that allows you to remotely check to see if you have locked your doors. It can also detect a heartbeat inside your car to alert you that someone may be hiding in your car - or perhaps remind you that you have left the baby or a pet inside the car. Now, I have often wondered if I remembered to lock the car, but if I'd been asked by Volvo's marketing team about the features I'd like in a new car, I think heartbeat detector would have been pretty far down on my list (certainly after a good stereo but maybe before that thing in the James Bond movies that spills oil all over the road behind you so you can get away from the car that is chasing you). Nevertheless, I am intrigued by this gadget and wonder how long it will be before it makes an appearance in a show like the Sopranos where someone uses it to monitor the status of whomever they have locked in a trunk. Seems like only yesterday when power windows were a thing of wonder - we've come a long way!

Thing 6: More Flickr Fun

I used one of the Flickr tools to create a mosaic of photos of the Monster. It was fairly easy to do. The tool that creates Andy Warhol type images was fun too, but it didn't work well with the photos I had available. I had the most fun with the tool that let you grow "chia pet" hair on a person featured in a photo - I won't say who was in the photo I used for that one, but it was very entertaining and therapeutic too.