Welcome to 23 Things @ NEFLIN

The original "23 Things @ NEFLIN" program ran from January 15 - April 15, 2009. If you are interested in doing the program be our guest.

On the right hand side at the top you will see a few links. Read these before beginning!

The FAQ link explained the original program, but is helpful to understand how you would do this yourself.

The 23 Things link is your list of doing the 23 Things, one by one.

Participating members will take you to blogs of those who participated in the original program. Take a look at some of these to see what other library staff did.

Please do not contact NEFLIN with questions about the program, or links that have gone bad, etc. We have just left this up to allow others to do the program on their own time and schedule.

Most importantly, have fun!

Thing 23: Thank you!

An online survey was the final Thing (#23) to let us know what you thought of the program.

Feel free to leave a comment on the blog.

Thank you for your participation!

You Can Do It!

This is a catch up week. The end is in sight. You can do it!
Then all that will be left is the 23rd Thing which is short and sweet.
You are almost there. Keep going!

Thing 22: Staying Current

We hope you have learned many new things during 23 Things. And one thing you have learned is that Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 are anything but static. Changing, challenging, and exciting are hallmarks of Web 2.0.

Here are some other things we hope you have learned:
It really doesn’t take that much time. You have some new tools—Bloglines, del.icio.us, Digg/Reddit/Newsvine, calendars, to-do lists, and others that make finding news about new tools and ways to use them. You know how to use them to make keeping up easier. Of course, you can spend hours (and hours) playing around with Flickr or YouTube or other tools, but that counts as "improving your skills."

You know you can do it. Sure, there were trials and tribulations as you learned the new tools or struggled with glitches in the products, but you did finish and you did get the tools to work. That means the next time you see a new tool, you will be ready to figure it out and make it work for you. No fear!

It's fun to know and use these tools. Admit it, YouTube can be entertaining--and you can even see some uses for it in your library. Some of the tools have more toy-like features than others which have a more obvious use. It is amazing what people will think of and more amazing what they create to enhance Flickr, Google, or whatever.

We need to keep informed. It is easy to get so involved in the day-to-day of story time, library instruction, troubleshooting, programming, reference work, summer reading programs, collection development, faculty meetings, system meetings, meetings and more meetings, and the on and on of the day in the life of a library. In spite of all that work, we do need to stay up on what our patrons are using, talking about, and asking us for help with. As libraries continue to evolve, we need to be informed to evolve with them and guide the evolution.

We need the support of each other and our administrators and supervisors so we have the time and help we need to learn and stay informed. We hope the communities that have developed around 23 Things will continue—whether in a building or a region. Stay in touch through your blogs, IM, and texting!

For this Thing
1. Take a moment and look back at the first Thing you posted to your blog. Reflect on how far you've come since then.
2.Make a resolution to maintain your blog, use the tools you now know, keep up with new tools, and apply them in your library. Give yourself the gift of time—15 minutes a day, a Webinar now and then, conversations with colleagues about Library 2.0, whatever—but don't quit now! Put your resolution writing in your blog!
3. Every day, ask yourself, "What did I learn today?" Record your responses in your blog.

So here are some Web sites and blogs to add to your RSS aggregator. There are dozens more—choose ones that speak to you.

Mostly News
ALA TechSource
LibraryBytes
Librarian in Black
LISNews
Library Stuff

News and Commentary
Tame the Web
Shifted Librarian
Information Wants To Be Free
Blue Skunk Blog
Dangeroulsy Irrelevant
NeverEnding Search

General Web 2.0
Lifehacker
43Folders

Web 2.0 Directories
Web2
Go2Web
Web2List

Other Ways to Keep Up
WebJunction offers newsletters, online courses, and other content.
OPAL has many online opportunities both live and in its archives to learn about library-related things—Library 2.0, technology, and more.
Webinars through NEFLIN
Podcasts on Web 2.0 and library topics—find a few you like and add them to your RSS aggregator.

That’s enough. Glance through these, add the ones you like to your RSS aggregator, use others as needed. And remember, you can delete entries from your aggregator, too.

Blog Prompts
Blog about how you plan to keep up with the Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 tools.
Recommend a way to keep up that you have found useful.

Thing 21: Student 2.0 Tools

The Assignment Calculator is a tool created by the University of Minnesota Libraries for undergraduate students. Students put in dates for the beginning and end dates of an assignment and its subject area and this Web 2.0 tool generates a 12-step research guide and timeline for the project and recommends resources and strategies. The Assignment Calculator is widely used and adapted by academic libraries across the country. It is available as Open Source Code.

The Research Project Calculator (RPC) is based on the Assignment Calculator and was created to help secondary students plan for and navigate the research process in an ethical manner, using reliable resources. This five step process includes deadlines and (optional) email reminders. The tool also offers hints, worksheets, and guides for various types of projects. While the RPC and Assignment Calculator are aimed at schools and universities, it is appropriate for public libraries, too. Link to it on a teen or student page, use the bookmarks to inform students and parents about their existence, and encourage students to use it as part of their research planning.

The Teacher Guide to the Research Project Calculator (on the RPC site) assists teachers in planning, managing, and teaching the often daunting research process by providing them with resources and step-by-step instructions, based on the five-step process outlined in the RPC. The site begins with an About the RPC section that provides an overview of the calculator, describes the role of the teacher in detail, and explains the resources included in the tool. There is even a streamlined version called "No Time?" for busy teachers. (Are there any other kind?) Public librarians and media specialists, as well as academic librarians, can use this feature to instruct teachers about the RPC.

For this Thing,

1. Look at the RPC and the Assignment Calculator. Don’t try to cover every aspect of the tools, but rather browse the steps and consider how you could encourage students to use this product.

2. Look at the supporting materials in the Teacher Guide. Are any appropriate for library handouts or can you find other resources to supplement what you do for students?

Blog Prompts

How might the RPC and the Teacher Guide help you help students plan and manage research projects?

Can you think of any uses for library projects—could you use it to help manage a timeline for a project of your own?