discover flickr

I already have some familiarity with Flickr. Travel is my favorite search on Flickr. I like to look up places I've been and places I'm going or would like to go. I love it when I can find an image of the inside of the hotel that I'm considering booking, it can change my mind or reassure me.

Click here to see my favorite library related image. This is an image from Westmont Public Library in Illinois. What I love about this image is not only are you getting a picture of the new items shelf at the library, but the items are linked back to the library's catalog. So if you see something you like you click on it and can place a hold or see where it is on the shelf. How great is this for browsing the new book shelf from home?

lifelong learning

After viewing 7 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners I think the habit that comes most naturally to me is accepting responsibility for my own learning. I love to learn new things. I'm always making plans to take a class, read a how-to book, travel, watch how-to videos online...as technology evolves I'll be right there trying to figure out how i can use it to learn something new. My weakness (which i don't necessarily see as a weakness!) is definitely beginning with an end in mind. I get ideas in my head about learning something new, take a class/read a book/play with it online, then promptly move on to the next learning experience. I took a film making class at the Northwest Film Center in Portland a few years ago. It was great and I learned how to create a vlog (video blog) and got really excited about film making and posting videos....and then...

Right now I'm taking a tap dance class. I have no plans to ever dance in front of anyone, I'm just doing it for fun and will probably give it up by the end of 2008. I also plan on learning to sew this year and maybe take some cooking classes. I don't really start these with goals in mind, and I'm not usually disappointed when I quit. The drawback is that I never become really good at any one thing, but know bits and pieces about enough to be able to beat my husband at Jeopardy. Sometimes.

introduction

I am a librarian at Fort Vancouver Regional Library in Vancouver, WA and a part of FVRL Discover 2.0. I feel very lucky to be a part of a library system that values all of its employees learning about new(ish) technology on their work time, and is even rewarding us with a day off if we complete the program in a timely manner. Very cool!