The End.... #23

A few thoughts for my last and final exercise:

• Favorite discoveries - Shelfari, Flickr & podcasts ... finally understanding what a Wiki was.
• Least favorite discoveries - RSS feeds and bloglines ... I gave up on that one!
• Unexpected outcome - Decision to include a Wiki as learning tool for our Readers' Advisory T.P. Obj. 5.4.3.
• Benefit for me - opened my awareness of the vast array of 2.0 tools out there and increased my understanding of the ways our young people are communicating and how technology is having an impact on the way we think, work and learn.
• Major concern - the amount of time it has taken to do this. As an exempt staff person, I have been able to work on this almost entirely at home. (I did do a few things and always needed to update the tracking log at work though.) This really wasn't an option for the non-exempt staff - many tried to fit it in - but just gave up. For a part time CSS or CSA who doesn't have much time off the floor or scheduled tasks - it's a crunch. We did offer to schedule folks the time to complete - but our staff are also concerned about the ever growing loan list, getting books back on the shelf and those darn blue boxes. I also heard from staff that setting so many accounts and passwords up began to be a big drag.
• And another discovery program ... would I participate? Well, maybe ... it depends.

So now we have spent time developing our technology skills and awareness of the 2.0 tools ... yes - I would say, with a few minor reservations that all in all, it has been a very good thing. But now....let's take the time to work on the skills and confidence we also need to be seen as the book experts in Central Ohio. So can we do that... concentrate on reading and books, too?