The End! Summary

Congratulations!! You’ve reached The End. Be sure to give yourself a pat on the back for completing the program. There's just one more post to make to your blog.
For your last and final exercise for this program please reflect on your learning journey and post a few thoughts. Here are some questions to prompt you if you're drawing a blank ...

- What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
- How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
- Were there any take-aways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?
- If we were to do it again, what could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?

And last but not least…
- If we offered another similar self-directed discovery program like this in the future, would you choose to participate?

Look for information in your email about the Grand Prize Drawing for staff members who finish the program by the April 30th deadline.
Also look for information on this blog about closing your Playtime 2.0 accounts (coming soon).

Thanks for participating in Playtime 2.0. I hope you enjoyed it and learned a lot. And I hope you will continue to look for ways to allow and encourage online interaction with your friends, family, and co-workers, and our Library patrons.

~~~~~~~~

Although we have come to the end of Roselle Public Library's Playtime 2.0 activities, you don't have to stop!
The Librarians at the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, who started this Library 2.0 learning phenomenon, continue the adventure in Learning 2.1: Explore... Discover... Play!

This blog has been set up to support on-going exploration and learning of new web technologies. It is a continuation of Learning 2.0. Questions or comments about this site should be directed to Matt Gullett, Emerging Technology Coordinator for the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (PLCMC).

Playtime never ends on the Web!

Thing #10: Roselle's Virtual Library

According to Generations Online in 2009, a Pew Internet and Life report published in January 2009, "...over half of the adult Internet population is between 18 and 44 years old. But larger percentages of older generations are online now than in the past, and they are doing more activities online, according to the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project surveys taken from 2006-2008."

These Internet-savvy people expect to find everything they need or want on the Internet.

Define

Our website is the Library's online presence. Anyone with a Roselle Public Library card and an Internet connection can access our website 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It's like having the library open all day and all night except you never have to leave your home. When patrons visit our website, they expect to find answers and interact.
When was the last time you visited our website?
Do you know what is available to patrons? to staff? Does it provide answers and interaction?

Discover

Let's do a little exploring!
Visit the Library's home page: http://www.roselle.lib.il.us
From the home page, there are several ways to navigate the entire website:
- the main navigational buttons on the left side link to each of the main areas of the website
- the graphic links on the right side link to several featured areas
- the A-Z Index in the middle of the page is an alphabetical directory to the website

Did you know that you can chack your Library email and access the Employee Intranet from the Library's home page?
Pull down the A-Z Index and scroll to the bottom of the list. Click the links to Staff email and Staff Intranet. Use your network login and password at the prompt.

In addition to all of the navigational links, headlines from the Library's What's New blog appear in the center column.

Most of the information on the Library's website is about the Library: departmental information, hours, location, contact information, collections, etc., but the website also hosts a significant amount of interactive functions for patrons.

The Library Catalog is, of course, an index to all of the Library's print and audio-visual holdings. Patrons can browse the catalog, place holds and, by visiting Your Account, see items they have checked out and on hold. They can also see if they owe any fines.
Of course, in order to borrow items, patrons have to ultimately visit the Library.

Let's look at the ways patrons can use our services without visiting the physical building.
- Calendar of Events: patrons can browse the Calendar and sign up online for programs and events. The Calendar (and the sign-up page) are consistently most popular pages on our website.
- Meeting Room Reservations: a new service, patrons can apply online to use the Library's meeting rooms.
- IM Reference: patrons can ask questions via Instant Messaging during all hours the library is open.
- Digital Archive: patrons can browse local history photographs from the Roselle History Museum's collection.
- Recommended Websites: patrons can browse and link to a extensive list of websites that have been reviewed by Library staff. Adult Services links are listed in subject categories; Youth Services links include Cool Sites for Kids, Kid-Friendly Search Engines and Sites for Parents.
- Downloadable resources:
- - patrons can download movies and videos directly to their person computer by accessing MyLibraryDV
- - Tumblebooks Library features animated storybooks, middle school readables, puzzles & games, and audiobooks - e-books for e-kids!
- Databases: patrons can access a variety of premium databases through the Library's website with their Library card and PIN. The Databases page is consistently one of the most popular pages on our website.

Do

Let's take a closer look at some of the premium Databases.
Most are available both inside the Library and outside. If you are in the Library, use the In-Library link or click on the logo to access the database; if you are at home, use the Remote Access link. Outside the Library, you will need to provide your Library card number and PIN, then re-select the database from the resulting list.

Scroll down the Databases page and click on the link to NewsBank. At the NewsBank site, click on America's Newspapers and search for "Roselle Public Library" (in quotes). What is the headline of the first article?

Back on the Databases page, use the Heritage Quest database to search for Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 Census in Illinois. Can you figure out from the results, which was the President? How did you know?

Log into at least one more database of your choice from the Databases page to explore further or take a look at the Local History Digital Archive.

Now, let's write your "Thing #10: Roselle's Virtual Library" blog post

Browse to the "Playtime" blog you created in Thing #1 (it should be listed in the Participants' Blogs on the right), log in and create a new post.
Use "Thing #10: Roselle's Virtual Library" as the title of your blog post.
In the post, write:
- the answers to the NewsBank and Heritage Quest questions
- Which other ddatabase did you explore?
- Of all the databases the Library offers, which do you think would be the most popular with our patrons; least popular?
- Did you learn anything new about the Library's website?
- Is there something you think should be on our website that is not there?

You're all finished with Thing #10.
You've taken a close look a the Library's home page and explored a few of the premium databases available to patrons. Hopefully, you are more aware of the interactive features of our website and are able to navigate the website more easily.

Optional BONUS CHALLENGE:
Ebsco provides training for all of its databases, including:
- Automotive Repair Reference Center
- EbscoHost (magazine articles)
- Literary Reference Center
- NoveList and NoveList K-8 (readers' advisory)
Training sessions are live online, intended for Library staff who will be assisting patrons.
To see what's available, go here (http://training.ebsco.com/training_request.asp), select the desired class from the "Which service?"drop-down list, and read about the session. Complete the form if you want to register for the class.

CONGRATULATIONS! You have finished all of the Playtime 2.0 Things! But wait...check back next week for one final summary post and information about closing your accounts.

Thing #9: Lifelong Learning

Playtime 2.0 isn’t just about learning about Web 2.0 and how to apply it to the Library. It’s also about encouraging you to be brave about exploring new technologies and to recognize the importance of lifelong learning and how it can help you adapt more easily to change.

Exploration requires a spirit of curiosity, open-mindedness, and playfulness. Lifelong learning requires the same spirit, but also a commitment to being personally responsible for your own education. Don’t be afraid of what you don’t know, just be brave enough to play and find out more.

Discover:

Take some time to read the articles and visit the sites listed below. They will help you think about your own attitude, why exploring is important, and how you can approach your own development as a person and a library professional.

- Yes, And (Creative Outlet Labs)
- Three Hard Things (Library Journal, 6/15/2007)
- 15 steps tp Lifelong learning

Do:

Let's take a look at some of the free learning resources that are available to you.
Two of the best are WebJunction and OPAL (Online Programming for All Libraries).

WebJunction offers an extensive course catalog
Most courses are free thanks to the generosity of the Illinois State Library.
Most of the courses are self-paced so that you can do them on your own schedule. You can see from the list that they cover an array of subjects from Application-specific classes to Interpersonal skills.
If you haven't registered for WebJunction, do that now so you can take advantage of the courses and the other resources available on WebJunction. Be sure to declare your affiliation with Illinois to take advantage of the free classes!
While you're still logged in, browse around some of these other resources. WebJuntion Illinois aspires to be the central repository for all library-related things in Illinois. Are they accomplishing that goal?

OPAL is another great resource.
OPAL is an international collaborative effort by libraries and other organizations to provide web-based programs and training for library users and library staff members.
These live events are held in online rooms where participants can interact via voice-over-IP, text chatting, synchronized browsing, and other functions.
Everyone is welcome to participate in OPAL programs. Usually there is no need to register. Nearly all OPAL programs are offered free of charge to participants.
Examples of OPAL public online programs include book discussion programs, interviews, special events, library training, memoir writing workshops, and virtual tours of special digital library collections.
Take a look at the variety of programming that is offered. Note that on this page, you can subscribe to receive email notices of upcoming programs.
The chronological list of all upcoming programs is here.

In addition to these resources, ongoing workshops, seminars and programs are offered by the Illinois State Library, DuPage Library System and each of the other Library Systems in the state. All of these offerings are aggregated on the L2 (Library Learning) Event Calendar.
The Library Learning (L2) calendar is a statewide calendar for events and continuing education taking place in Illinois. Keeping all statewide events in a single calendar makes registeing for programs as easy as clicking one link.
If you haven't already registered on L2, do that now and be sure to note your affiliation with DuPage Library System.

Now, let's write your "Thing #9: Lifelong Learning" blog post

Browse to the "Playtime" blog you created in Thing #1 (it should be listed in the Participants' Blogs on the right), log in and create a new post.
Use "Thing #9: Lifelong Learning" as the title of your blog post.
In the post, write about:
- what course piqued your interest on WebJunction
- If several people are interested in the same courses, it might be possible to reserve a meeting room and take the course as a group. Would you be interested in doing that?

You're all finished with Thing #9.
You've learned a bit about lifelong learning and browsed the course catalog at WebJunction and the list of upcoming programs at OPAL. You've registered for an account on WebJuntion and browsed some of the other resources available to you as a member. You've also registered for an account on the L2 Event Calendar.
We hope that you've been inspired to continue your independent learning after your Playtime 2.0 experience.

Optional BONUS CHALLENGE:
Watch this presentation by the people who originated the Library 2.0 learning experience, the training specialists at the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.
7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners (http://www.plcmc.org/public/learning/player.html) from PLCMC. Note that you don't have to create a learning contract at the end of this presentation, but why not?
1. Make sure you have headphones or speakers attached to your computer.
2. Open up the 7 & 1/2 Habits online tutorial and view the online tutorial.
3. As you watch and listen, write down which habit among the 7 & 1/2 that is easiest for you and which is hardest. Use your blog to post your thoughts about lifelong learning.

Have fun! It's never too late to become a lifelong learner.

We are approaching the end of this journey! Good for you for hanging in there thus far. Next week we'll "get local" and explore the Library's website and some of the Library's databases. C'mon back!

Thing #8: Online Apps

Define:

In the Daily Herald's Business section, Friday, January 9, the e-buzz columnist asked several local experts and executives to share their thoughts about what to expect in 2009. Fred Hogh, president of Illinois Technology Association and Mark Gambill, chief marketing officer for CDW Corp. both mentioned virtualization and cloud computing. Hogh said that "virtualization and cloud computing are the key technologies driving a massive transformation in the world of computing."

What is "cloud computing?" In the simplest terms, it is accessing and using applications on the Internet (Web-based applications) rather than on the hard drive of your computer.
The availability and use of online productivity web-based applications (think word processing and spreadsheets) has exploded over the past two years and for good reasons! These powerful applications provide users with the ability to create and share documents over the internet without the need of installed desktop applications. Some experts speculate that this emerging trend may mean the death to Microsoft Office and other software-based productivity tools, while others think web-based applications have their place, but not in the office. But no matter which side of the office suite platform you side with, on this both sides seem to agree; web-based apps have their place.

One large benefit to web-based applications it that they eliminate the need to worry about different software versions or file types as you email documents or move from PC to PC. Another bonus is that they easy accommodate collaboration by allowing multiple users to edit the same file and provide users the ability to easily save and convert documents as multiple file types (including HTML and pdf). And, you can even use many of these tools, such as Zoho Writer and Google Docs* (formerly known as Writely) to author and publish posts to your blog. It’s this type of integration with other web 2.0 tools that also makes web-based apps so appealing.

Oh look, here's yet another one of those easy-to-understand videos from commoncraft to teach about more benefits of Google Docs! Sit back and enjoy!

Discover:





Let's take a closer look at Google Docs.
Google Docs is a free online suite of tools similar to ones offered in Microsoft Office, including…

- a word processor (like Microsoft Word)
- a spreadsheet (like Microsoft Excel)
- presentation software (like Microsoft PowerPoint)

The advantage of using Google Docs (and cloud computing, in general):
1. Access documents from any Internet-connected computer
- the interface and features are similar to the Microsoft Office you know and love;
- no need to purchase expensive Microsoft Office software for your home computer;
- create documents at work, using MS Office then upload to Google Docs so you can work on them at home;
- no need to save documents to a disc or flash drive to transport between computers
2. Collaboration is easy
- colleagues and co-workers can work on the same document so there is no need to merge changes
- there is only one document, so you never need to figure out which is the most current
- if more than one person is editing a document at the same time, a chat box is available to discuss changes
- you will not be "locked out" of a shared file because someone else is using it
3. Self-Publish : click the "publish" button and a web address is created for your document so you can link to it or share the address
4. Backups
- you won't lose your work if your computer crashes, your work is not on your computer, it's on the Google servers
- your documents are automagically saved periodically so if your Internet connection fails, your document is not lost

And did I mention, you can take documents created in Microsoft Office and import them into Google Docs.
And then you can export a document back into Microsoft Office, or in PDF or plain text format.
Or you can create your document from scratch in Google Docs.
With all of that going for it, why wouldn't you use Google Docs?

Here's how some libraries & librarians are using Google Docs:

- Offer it at public-access Internet workstations for patrons to use:
Google Docs is offered as a Microsoft Office alternative at the Monterey (CA) Public Library. Here’s what they say on their web page: “Library computers do not have word processing or spreadsheet software, and you cannot access Library disk drives. However, you can read, create, edit, and email word processing documents using Google Docs & Spreadsheet, and download your documents later on another computer in Microsoft Word and other popular formats.”
- Publish a library operations manual easily:
Mt. Mercy College Library (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) published their Interlibrary Loan Manual for student workers.
- Playtime 2.0 Progress Spreadsheets:
We are keeping track of the progress of Playtime 2.0 participants on a google Docs spreadsheet. You can check it here.

Do

Use this URL (http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgcj82hq_0g26mkhkp&invite=) to access a shared document I created on Google Docs. Edit the document and save your changes. Does it feel like the Word documents you are used to?

Now, let's write your "Thing #8: Online Apps" blog post

Browse to the "Playtime" blog you created in Thing #1 (it should be listed in the Participants' Blogs on the right) and create a new post.
Use "Thing #8: Online apps" as the title of your blog post.
In the post, write about:
- how you think Google Docs compares to MS Office
- do you think you would use Google Docs as an alternative to MS Office
- can you think of any applications for using Google Docs, or other online applications, in your job at the Library?

You're all finished with Thing #8.
You've learned a little bit about cloud computing and Web-based applications. You've looked at how other libraries are using online applications and played with Google Docs a bit. Good for you!

Optional BONUS CHALLENGE:
Time for some real playtime! Play the spreadsheet-based Flash game called Excit (the game’s name is a play on the words “Excel” and “exit”). The goal of the game is to exit the level you’re on. Each level is a number of walls arranged in different patterns with a clearly marked exit cell, as well as other objects that your cursor can interact with. Use your keyboard’s arrow keys to move the cursor up, down, left or right. Your cursor will continue in a direction until it hits an object that stops it, or continues off the screen; if it goes off the screen you start over at that level. Each time you complete a level you get a password—you can return to the game and be back at the same level.
Have fun!

We are coming down to the home stretch; just two more Things to go. Kudos to everyone who has stepped up and met the challenge of each of these Things. For the last two Things we are going to turn inward and look at what Roselle Public Library offers patrons through our website. Look for Thing #9: Databases...coming soon!