Bibliocommons Is a Blast!

I'm very excited about the features that BiblioCommons brings to our library catalog.  I have already added a few lists myself--Sustainable Food, Women's Studies, My Favorite Fiction and Childfree/Childless By Choice Resources--and I am working on adding some more.

I love that I can access my For Later list by logging on to my library account. I don't like to miss out on a great read so I'm constantly tempted to check out more books than I can handle.  Thanks to Bibliocommons, I can stop grabbing every book that I see, wait till I've finished my current check outs and I can access my For Later list for ideas. I love the convenience and that it helps me to cut back on the clutter at home.

I don't have any complaints about the new catalog at this moment. I think it's really great and will bring the library up to date with the latest trends. I do, however, have a question about the Community Credits. When you create lists, rate items and make comments you earn community points. The FAQ section mentions that the Credits can be used to earn prizes at your library if they are partipating with this sort of program. Will we be implementing this in the future? That might be fun.

Library Blogs and Newsfeeds

I’ve subscribed to many of the suggested library blogs & newsfeeds but I’m most likely to read the following 3 feeds:

Library Journal-Latest News-
http://feeds2.feedburner.com/LibraryJournalNews
I’m generally more into newsfeeds than I am into personal blogs so I have selected the Library Journal feed to keep up on the latest library headlines.

Librarian Activist-
http://www.librarianactivist.org/
I try to keep up on political and social issues and I like the idea of advocacy in world of libraries. This blog put together by activist librarians is definitely my cup of tea.

Library Avengers-
http://librarianavengers.org/feed/
I do enjoy reading some personal blogs and I started reading this one a few years back when I was still working at my university library. This blogger is a sassy gal and that’s just the way I like it.

My Top Three 2.0 Winners

I've sifted through all the 2.0 Award Winners at http://www.seomoz.org/web2.0 and I've selected my top three choices. The following sites have some features that I think could be improved but I'd rather let you figure out what you like and don't like about each. Check them out if you haven't already.

1) Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/

I'm sure many of you already know about this social network. Some people consider Facebook a time drain, but I love it and I think that a balanced use of this site has enhanced my personal connections with friends and family. Many of my old friends have scattered across the United States and the globe so I really enjoy keeping up to date on their lives. Through FB I've reconnected with dear friends from the past that I love and miss. I couldn't keep up with people as easily before FB came along. Don't get me wrong, I still use the the phone, email and snail mail, but Facebook is easy and enhances my communication options. Just today I helped a patron get started with her Facebook account. She was so excited about seeing photos from her daughter's page.

2) Care2.com
http://www.care2.com/

I have been using this site for around four years now and it's one of the best online sources for green living. I don't do a lot of posting on the forums but I do enjoy reading the articles and I subscribe to the newsletters that they offer. Annie B. Bond writes some of my favorite articles with tips about safe and non-toxic cleaning with every day household items like baking soda, vinegar and more.  (On a side note, we have many of her books in our collection at Columbia Public Library.) I'd recommend Care2 to any patron who would like an online source for sustainable living.

3) Pandora
http://www.pandora.com/#/stations/create/

Music is what moves me. I don't listen to the radio much (except for KOPN and KBIA) but sometimes all I want to hear are some fresh tunes.  I know that I can put iTunes on shuffle but I think it's fun to listen to music outside of my own collection.  I really enjoy using Pandora when I'm cooking in the kitchen and I need some inspiration. I just enter some of my favorite artists and Pandora matches my search with similar artists that fit my mood.  If a patron wants to hear more music by their favorite artist, or an artist that compares, then Pandora is a great place to start.

CPL Staff Association Annual Holiday Dinner

Well, I doubt you are reading this on a Tuesday night but if you are.... The annual Staff Association Holiday Dinner is tomorrow from 11:30am-2:30pm in the Friends Room. Please don't hesitate to show off your cooking skills. You can bring a side dish or a dessert. We'll provide the turkey, ham and a homemade vegetarian lasagna. We'll be having an ornament exchange so dig through those decoration boxes and place it on the tree when you arrive. Be there!

For more details please go to the CPL Staff Association Intranet page at http://intranet.dbrl.org/cpl-staff-association

Buy Nothing Day!

I recently noticed Blog Posting Idea #13 "Make a post that is inspirational."  I'm not sure if my post will be inspirational in the uplifting kind of way but I hope it will be thought provoking. Remember poor Jdimytai Damour who was trampled to death by Black Friday bargain hunters at the Valley Stream Wal-Mart just last year? This one’s for you Jdimytai.

Black Friday is one of my least favorite day's of the year. I used to wake up early and go shopping for all the great deals but a few years ago I realized that the entire day is absolutely insane. I started celebrating Buy Nothing Day! After opting out of the holiday shopping frenzy I started buying less and less throughout the year. Whenever I purchase anything I now ask myself, "Do I really need this?, Do I really want this?, Do I really love this? Where was this product made? Were the workers who made this product treated well? How many hours will I have to work to pay for this?"  These simple questions have helped me to reduce my clutter, increase my savings and I'm doing a bit to help the environment. Life is less stressful than ever before!

I might have unplugged the Christmas machine but the holidays are still a time of fun. I have food, friends, and fellowship and I have everything I need. When someone asks me what I want for a present, I suggest that they make a donation to someone who has a greater need. I will, however, make an exception for homemade cookies. Yummy!

If your interesting in learning more about Buy Nothing Day there is more information and pictures on the Adbusters website www.adbusters.org/campaigns/bnd#buy_nothing_christmas

-Peace Be With You
Amanda

Feel Free to Follow

Don't be shy. If you'd like to connect go ahead.

7 1/2 Habits of Lifelong Learners

I'm comfortable with accepting responsibility for my own learning. I will remain fresh and informed no matter what age I am or where life takes me.

Sometimes it's challenging to begin with the end goal in mind. I have a large imagination and I dream of doing many things. Settling on one feasible goal...that's a tough one.

Here's the link to a presentation about the 7 1/2 Habits of Lifelong Learners www.plcmc.org/public/learning/player.html

Pescadora 2.0

Nothing fancy yet. I'm at the Reference Desk and here's my first post for the NetTrek 2.0 blog. I'm really digging the profile pic that I found to match my profile name. Later.