finish line

I think the whole Learning 2.0 experience has been a positive one and I’m glad that LCPL set this up for the staff. I was already familiar with many of sites and applications we were sent out to discover, but I previously didn’t think of them in relation to a library setting.
My favorite new “things” were probably librarything and flickr. Prior to learning about flickr, I had just been hosting some of my photos on photobucket but wasn’t satisfied with the set up, etc. Flickr has not only made it really easy to share photos, but I’ve joined all sorts of photo groups which linked me to different online communities ranging from MOMA fans to alternative home décor.
I don’t know if I’ll continue to update my blog here since I have a main one elsewhere and since I don’t know if anyone is actually reading this one (according to technorati my blog is ranked 2,996,932), but perhaps I’ll keep this one alive for a little while and see what comes of it.
I don’t know if the goals in Learning 2.0 necessarily coincided with any of my specific lifelong learning goals, but I believe that any learning is a good thing. One thing I am actually interested in learning is Spanish, or at least brushing up on my unused skills from college. This area is certainly one area where knowing a second language comes in handy, especially working in place centered on the public and information. Perhaps the county could offer language classes or at least tuition reimbursement to employees who took classes on their own ;)
I think one way a program like Learning 2.0 could be improved would be to take away the deadline and post all the things at once so that people could not feel stressed and pick and choose when they want to attempt certain lessons. People less familiar with these tools could then start small before tackling more imposing things. If LCPL offered another program like this in the future I would definitely give it a go.

#22 Audiobooks

I browsed around on Netlibrary for awhile and looked at some titles although I don’t know if I’ll be downloading and listening to them anytime soon. Other than having my parents read stories to me as a kid I can’t think of any other time when I’ve enjoyed being read to. Even as a child I had those play along records and I’d be so excited to read the story for myself I would never wait for the appropriate chime telling me to turn the page. Some of my friends are really into audiobooks either for their commutes or on long car trips, but usually when I’m driving I like to relax and listen to music or zone out and just drive. I also seem to have the attention span of a fly so even when I am listening to some of the podcasts for Learning 2.0 my mind will wander for a second and then I’ll come back and be like wait, what?
My one friend really recommends listening to the Harry Potter series since the reader is supposed to be excellent, which I might consider doing since I’m trying to read them all before the new book comes out this summer and I just started book three. I also love books by David Sedaris and his audiobooks where he reads himself are supposed to be great too.