Week #5 Post #11

I can see where this could have a good application for an instructor after a lecture in the studio or online session in distance learning. Occasionally a student may want to explore a previous topic in further detail. Titles which are not referred to on the syllabus "Further Reading List", could quickly be cited on the instructor's blog.

In this particular exercise I choose books from my personal design collection about the Hearst Estate on the Central California coast. My grandfathers and father were commercial fisherman off that beautiful coastline and I grew up visiting the estate on vacations from Los Angeles. In 1991 I took my daughter on her first set of tours of the estate.

Faces of Hearst Castle by Jana Seely and Keri Collins is the most recently published of the set (September 2007). It is also the first imprint of the Hearst Castle Press.

Week #5 Post #10

After a self-tour of the image generators, I selected Meez for the combination of features I originally had in mind for my avatar. As you see below she is nosily gliding across her studio's wood floor in a task chair. She actually spins in the original created avatar on the Meez site. For those of you familiar with the task chairs at our branch, you will notice that both arms of my avatar's chair are securely still in place. What a concept!

thelibrarychair

Week #4 Post #9

At the end of this task, I have constructed 7 folders: "Animals", "Book Reviews", "Cooking", "Design", "iHCPL Blogs", "Librarian Stuff" and "Sustainable". The "Sustainable" folder really provides a good example of how I put together the other 6.

My husband and I recently purchased a Ford Escape Hybrid and I am not the most technical person on the block so to speak. However, I am really intrigued by the technology of driving 400 miles on one tank of gas (city) and the car's near silence while idling at a traffic light.

Technorati and Feedster were frustrating to use when searching for hybrids. I did find the Hybrid Car Blog and GreenHybrid - Hybrid Cars utilizing the Bloglines' tools. TreeHugger (a new popular site which I initially found referenced in an ASID newsletter) and Wind Power News from RenewableEnergyAccess.com I added to the "Sustainable" folder by the URL copy/paste method.

Week #4 Post #8

I particularly enjoyed the initial profiling for the Bloglines newsreaders. It quickly identified for me some of the more popular newsfeeds. Of particular interest to me were the book reviews from USATODAY.com, Washington Post Book reviews and NYT Book Review. I later added Los Angeles Times - Books. There was a good representation for my interest in cooking, design, animals and library topics. I also subscribed to various blog feeds from the iHCPL participants in the department.

Week #3 Post #7

bookshelves library
Originally uploaded by maindzn

An interesting experience in photo editing with Picnik. I attempted every combination of feature in the editing mode and had about 5 or 6 pics in my account, but nothing could expand or really bring into good focus the chairs from an earlier posting.

Week #3 Post #6

For my purposes in design the Colorpicker (or colrpickr) would be a most useful tool.

Week #3 Post #5

beinecke
Originally uploaded by paul goyette

I really like this photo.

Week #2 Post #4

I feel comfortable sharing information online as long as it is not of a personal nature. The finding and sharing of information forms the basis of what we have dedicated our current careers to. Finding an exact point or for teachers explaining that same point within a body of knowledge is why we are employed at the library. I remember in a workshop I attended at ALA Midwinter one year, the facilitator speaking about how within every good library worker there is the heart of a teacher wanting to get out and about. That struck a cord with me.

Week #2 Post #3

In the September 2007 issue of Consumer Reports on page 32-33 in a special highlighted box #6 is listed: "Use public computers with care. Avoid using computers at libraries, hotels or airports conducting financial or other personal business. The same goes for using your own computer on a public wireless network, especially if you're not on a secured Web page or haven't disabled your system's computer-to-computer connections." [Have they seen Monday afternoons and evenings at our branch?]

In a teen program here at the branch that we gave on Internet security we handed out 2 items. One was an informational brochure from the Harris County Sheriff's Department, which was actually based on a more detailed work from the National Crime Prevention Council, entitled "Cybersafety for Kids Online: A Parent's Guide". Copies are free and available in quantity, simply by calling the Harris County Sheriff's Department Crime Prevention Unit at 713.759.9454.

The second item was from the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, Fact Sheet 21: Children's Online Privacy. This is available at www.privacyrights.org

Week #2 Post #2

One calendar is about all that I can handle in my life. That calendar will include all work events, family appointments and etc. [If it were lost or misplaced, which I have never done, I know I would be totally lost.] A 2-page calendar in a planner of some sort is how I usually run with my schedules. It's worked for years. Additional notes from meetings and etc. then fit in rather well.

Early on I had been a traditional/conventional learner. I don't think we had a choice in Catholic school with the nuns. However in the 90's I went through a total transformation and began the formal study of the interior built environment. It was difficult at times, but the transformation is now complete and I am a total visual learner.

Week #2 Post #1

A little late but never-the-less, I have begun and propose to continue.