#29 Email (Spring Cleaning)

This entry is easy. I already clean my email out regularly, have folders for items I feel I must keep and purge my trash on a regular basis. My usage runs between 3 and 6 % because I feel very strongly that every time you go into email you need to delete things you know you do not want to read; read what you need to; perform an action on that email and then get rid of it or store it in a folder. Very rarely should anything be left in the inbox. and what's really funny about this is I am a huge slob at home but I keep my inbox and my p: drive files cleaned out - but I've noticed that a lot of people who are very neat (in real life) are absolute pigs in cyberspace. Wonder why that is?

#28 Spring Cleaning

I am so glad we are doing this module - although I am not the neatest person in the world, I cannot stand that so many people (I'm not going to name names only because the list is endless!) never clean out their inboxes or clean up files they are no longer using. I think that many of us do think that space is free and this needs to stop. We've proven that our resources are not endless, that the landfills are not infinite, that we can't keep on cutting down all the trees, etc. and even though we think of drives as having unending space, they don't and space costs money. Anyway, this is one of my issues (yes, I do have a lot of issues, in fact, I think they are endless!) and I'm glad that HCPL is making actually accomplishing something a priority. I think that GTD is a good system, one that a lot of people use naturally. I use lists for everything. I have a work list which tells me what I'm doing next, when things are due, etc. and I have a personal list for the same thing - I've never thought about the fact that it frees up my brain to concentrate on other things, which is a very good point. I also think that people don't realize how much time they waste when they leave things in the inbox. I mean, seriously, how many times do we need to read that we have an item waiting for us. (Not even once, I think.) Just delete that immediately. Once you've read the post, take care of it. I think a lot of people use their inbox as their "will do something with later" but it shouldn't be. One of the things I learned as a secretary was "only touch it once." Once you pick up a letter and open it, take care of it and then move on. You should not be reading the letter again later and thinking about it and then reading it the next day, you should take care of it and go. Same with tasks. List, prioritize and do. Of course, somethings cannot be done in one sitting. But that should be listed - work on new class handout - means that you will work on it - not finish it. But the important thing is, if you are touching it you should be making progress and you shouldn't have to retrace your steps. For example, this is a scenario that all of the library people will understand. If you get a hold list and can't find an item, a lot of the time you will look at the item in the catalogue to see when it was turned in to determine if you should look more. for instance, if it's a popular DVD that was turned in a year ago and you don't see it, it's probably gone. If it's a DVD that is not so popular and it was turned in 2 days ago, look around a little. But, one of the things you should do is TRACE it the first time you look it up. There is no point in looking up the information and then looking for the DVD and then having to look up the item again to edit it. This is not productive. If you trace it and then you find it and send it through the trace is automatically removed. If you don't find it, the trace is there and you've saved yourself work. The bottom line is you need to think about what needs to be done and always be making progress when you are working. Working without making progress is frustrating and pointless.

Week 10 #23

YEAH!!!!!
Looking back over this journey, I find that "the more things change, the more things remain the same." I can't help but compare nearly every aspect of the 23 things to it's precursor in the non-computer world. Blogs are just computerized diaries (Mary Chestnutt would have had a ball in the 21st century!); wiki's are lists (these aren't attached to the frig door but same difference); youtube is an in-your-home equivalent of the traveling circus/vaudeville; and avatars are paper dolls for adults (with WAAAAAAYYYY more choices!). I'm glad to have learned many of these things just so I can help our patrons (I've already started developing a Zoho class for my computer students), but as I've posted before, I think that many of these things are not positive, not helpful and desperately need cataloging rules!

Week 9 #22

Now this (emedia) is something I can wholeheartedly endorse! I'm not thrilled about the books to read online because I find it hard to curl up comfortably with a computer (someone should invent one about the size of a teddy bear and extremely mushy!) but I love the downloadable audiobooks, music and the videos. And, as a librarian who is constantly deaccessioning items that have been ruined because someone (who shall remain nameless but whose initials are "patrons with children and/or pets") has allowed the DVD to be used as a frisbee, the cassette to be used as a chew toy or video to be put in the player right after junior finished stuffing a PB&J sandwich in the slot, I really appreciate the fact that this item I'm borrowing will be just as good when I get it as it was when it was new. And even though I've used this technology in the past, in really looking through it, I am amazed at the selection.

Week 9 #21

This is one of those things I'm undecided on. I can see that it could have some positive effects (I love the information about library exhibits and enjoyed the Library channel offerings) but, like most of the internet, there has been too much adding and not enough editing. Just sorting through one keyword listing is a nightmare. But with diligence, I think this could be a great thing.

Week 9 #20

Not only am I back to kicking and screaming, I am appalled that this site, which is semi-BLOCKED by our filters (although there is a way to get around the filter by clicking on that it is being used for "work-related purposes") is being used as a teaching aid. This may be a generational thing or it may be that I am not a TV watcher but I actually think the problem is that after you've seen the kitten massaging the puppy and said the obligatory "AAAWWWWW!" the point of this site is to promote free filth. There is no other explanation for why a site that is supposedly a place to share videos allows film of hard core sex, live executions and people shooting up heroin to be shown to children. Let's be real, if I want cutesy, I can watch America's Funniest Animals; if I want news there are a lot of legitimate news sites but if I want filth, it's been gathered, sorted and filed alphabetically. Thanks YouTube!

P.S. I do appreciate that the filters do not allow me to order Victoria's Secrets.

Week 8 #19

I am now embracing the technology! This Zoho thing is wonderful! One of the most asked questions I get in my computer classes is: Does my computer come with Word (or Excel or etc.) and I have to explain that no, that's extra most of the time. This is a fantastic application for people who don't want to buy MS Office and the best thing is it's available wherever there is a computer. I love being able to save my stuff and then just open it up on another computer and its there - this is especially good for people who are job hunting. Instead of having to carry disks or flash drives (many of which get left behind or get corrupted from being schlepped around!) you simply open up the application and voila! there it is! And with it being MS friendly - you can easily pop it open, save to a Word file and then send it if you must have a Word document.