23 Things On a Stick

So I have just signed up for “23 Things on a Stick”.

 

What is “23 Things on a Stick” ask my friends and family not living in the land of the loon (and a frozen one at that after this week)?

Well, as they tell me on the official “23 Things on a Stick” website it is my “chance to take the time to focus on your personal and professional development around Web 2.0 tools. It’s fun to explore these tools and figure out ways to use them in the library, with your personal Web sites, or in other ways” (http://23thingsonastick.blogspot.com/).

“23 Things on a Stick” is “This statewide program is brought to you by Minnesota’s seven multicounty multitype library systems (multitypes). The multitypes improve library services by promoting & facilitating cooperation among the academic, public, school library media centers, & special libraries within their regions. This program is part of the professional development that all of the multitypes provide for the library staff of their members.”

So there you go…if you want to know more take a look at their website. Actually you should take a look at their website, there are some cool blogs being created or added on too (I have just looked at a bunch and I even knew one person listed. Hi Felicia, if you are reading this). A couple of librarians I know said they might participate, but we shall see…there were lots of good excuses, like ‘Lost’, March Madness coming soon, school and homework, etc.

So anyways, I have just registered and now I am here blogging about it.

Oh by the way, did I mention that they will be giving out prizes? No word on the said prizes, but you just never know with librarians. Even if the prizes are a no show, it will still be good to update my skills and learn about some Web 2.0 tools that I did not know about and other ones I have been avoiding.

So…

#1 of “23 Things on a Stick”

1. Create an account/Set up your own blog…done…did that about a year ago and while it has changed format, Blogger to WordPress, color and design, I still manage to write everyone once in a while

2. Name your blog…done…I am using my name ‘Melissa Aho’. I like my name, so why not.

3. Select template…done…Actually not as easy as you might think. Templates are hard to choose because they come in some many different shapes and colors. Plus there are tons to be downloaded from the web.

4. Create an avatar…ok working on…I have been resistant to creating an Avatar. Don’t know why, just am. But I will find one and we will see what happens

5. Register your blog…done…just registered a few minutes ago. Its not yet up on their list but hopefully soon

Discussing blogs, the 23 stick people mention “the Top 25 librarian Bloggers”

http://oedb.org/library/features/top-25-librarian-bloggers-by-the-numbers

and the list is very interesting. I know of 8 of them and read regularly 5 of them. Now I will have to check out the others!

So some of the Challenges that are listed:

1. Add blogs that inspire you…I have already done that before the “23 Things started”

2. Compare blogging software. I have used Blogger and it’s probably the easiest. Blogger is very basic and user friendly and most people I know start there and then they upgrade to WordPress or Movable Type. I really like WordPress and its what I use them for my blog. Adding widgets is pretty easy and they have update fairly often. I have also used Movable Type and they are ok, but not as user friendly.

3.  Add third party features to your blog. Well I do have a counter, from ClustrMaps and that is pretty nice. I also recently added a delicious widget and I have had Flickr photos up for some time, but I will see what else I can add.

4. Blogging about your experience with other blogger software. Any features I think blogs should have? Hmmm…Let me get back to you on that one.

Update: So I have just created my avatar and it was so much fun! Actually I made two! So perhaps I will change them!