Same Song only Louder

This will be (I hope) my final "homework" post here, but contrary to my expectations when I created this blogsite, I won't reset the thing to "idle."

It's just too handy to have a blog-presence that I can use for booktalks, for when the Carnation Library blog isn't working/is down. It's a place to stash instructions (like Sarah Hunt's Easy-Peasy booktalks on Youtube scheme.) It'll be a place to stash my library-info related Blogroll links (reference, authors, etc.) that I don't want cluttering up my "home blog")

I'm even hanging on to my MySpace page--despite the wonderfully memorable and euphonious name I gave it: 160808247. I'm not joking--that's my name, and I still don't know how I wound up with it! Even though I remain convinced that MySpace is slow, ugly and too-full of dancing baloney for my taste, it's where most of my teen customers are--so I need to keep in touch with it.

And of course sites like Flickr and YouTube and YahooPodder (not its real name), which are "blog compatible" - I can now reflexively use them as needed to "flesh out" my blogs.

Basically, I'm singing the same song I did before I started "learning stuff:" only louder, on tune and more often.

The rest?

Except for LibraryThing (for my home library), all the rest is still a bit overwhelming. It's not that they were hard to learn how to use--they mostly weren't. It's not even that I couldn't see how useful they could be. I can. I'm just not sure how I can incorporate them into my daily, or even occaisional work-a-day life. In fact, I'm pretty sure I won't (for values of "won't" that will turn out to equal "can't") unless some form of integrated support: KCLS's "library 2.0" presence is created.

Too many different sites. Too many different log-ons and passwords.

Too much information.

So the answer to the question: what other "library 2.0 thing" should the KCLS learning project have covered--? Great Scott! Nothing, nothing else at all. Please--!

What I wanted was a unified playground: KCLS's web2.0 presence (Beta edition) to play with, to make the new information and new skills, "sticky." I still do. I hope the I.T. Powers that Be will let us have one--as opposed to just rolling out Teh Final Product^TM (bugs and all).

We'll see.


* * *
So that's the end for now. Thanks for the mp3 player (the winning Read 3 Summer Edition teenager, whoever he is, thanks you, too, in advance)

How to Put Your Booktalks on YouTube

From Sarah Hunt, teen services librarian extra-ordinaire:

Download covers from catalog:

Use the link "reviews+more" at the top of the book's entry to get KCLS-library-use authorized images.
Example:

Put together visual representation of whatever else you want in the talk:

Such as: Read Three, Game On, whatever
How to:

Make a PowerPoint presentation,
choose File: Save as Web Page.
In "Save As Type" drop-down menu select GIF or JPG.
Have it convert all slides.

Record yourself doing your booktalks:

Use a new file for each picture, naming them something that indicates what it is for easy matching up.
Audacity is available for free download at http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Export each sound file from Audacity as .wav file.

Open Windows Movie Maker.

Import the pictures and audio files from your computer into the "Collections" window.

Have the bottom bit of the window show you the Timeline (I found it easier to edit this way).

Drag the pictures down into the Video portion in the order you want them.

Drag the audio files down.

As you drop each one onto the audio track, click on the picture that goes with that part of the audio.
Drag the right hand side to make that picture last as long as that audio clip. Repeat until everything matches up.

Test by playing your video so far in the right-hand play window.

Happy? Save your file.

Now export it into a usable format.

Click File: Save Movie File.
I used "The Web" option and saved it at DSL quality, saving a copy on my computer.

Now you should have a WMV file, ready to upload and share!

Tolt Booktalks Redux

Since I can't seem to get the Carnation Library's Blog to take my update (or at least, take it in any practical way that makes the post visible) here's the information on my kcls27things homework blog:

I've been booktalking at Tolt Middle School and thought you all might like to have a handy (annotated) list of the titles. Please note that the titles are also links to the KCLS catalog.

Mythbusters: Don’t Try This At Home* (507.8) *Unless we tell you how to. Which we will.

I Wanna Re-Do My Room (745.5) Everything you need to know to make your room fabulously yours.

The Acme Catalog (818.602) From portable holes to personal rocket-launchers (Warning: most products won’t work on roadrunners).

Bodies from the Ashes (937.7) Strange and pitifully preserved from the volcanic eruption (A.D. 79) at Pompeii.

How to Be Popular by Meg Cabot: An old self-help book turns Steph from outcast to queen bee.

Samurai Shortstop by Alan Gratz: Baseball or tradition? in early 1900s Japan, Toyo’s father’s life hangs on the answer...

The Coming of Dragons by A. J. Lake: When the dragon Torment returns, it’s up to a king’s son and sailor-girl with strange gifts to save their kingdom.

True Talents by David Lubar: Psychic powers are way cool, until you’re kidnapped by ruthless men who want to experiment with you...

Kiki Strike by Kirsten Miller: Four renegade girl-scouts led by the mysterious Kiki Strike take on the Shadow City beneath New York..

A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Moss: What if you saw numbers and sounds as colors—?

Polly & the Pirates (Graphic Novel) by Ted Naifah: Kidnapped by Pirates to become their Queen...

Vampire High by Douglas Rees: He’s the token “normal” in a school for vampires....

Her Majesty’s Dog (Graphic Novel) by Mick Takeuchi: She’s a powerful, lovely psychic. He’s her handsome guardian spirit. Together they fight the vengeful dead in Tokyo’s elite high school.