"But the answer is simple. Love is a mix tape." Rob Sheffield

Yesterday I wrote about a place to get free music. I assume you found a whole bunch to download and enjoy. Now there are many music players for computers like Windows Media Player but I prefer iTunes because of its ease of use. The only issue with any of these players is that the more music you get the harder it is to find exactly what you are in the mood for. A while back I discovered a blog post on a site called Dean and you. The post goes into detail about the creation of iTunes playlists. Playlists are just lists of music like you might make for a mix tape. Seriously if I get an email asking what a mix tape is. No one is that young. Anyway there are the static type of playlist that are just unmoving lists and then there are smart playlists. These can be easily set to do things like “add all the songs from the band Cake” but keep out all those songs longer than 3:30. It is all very open and a lot of fun for the musicphile. This blog post takes it to the next level and really shows you how to make some of the most intricate playlists I have ever seen. All of them are made to highlight your unheard music or to show off the stuff you really listen to. This post is not going to be for everyone but if you have a ton of music and use iTunes then give this a whirl.

“Shane. Shane. Come back!”, “Shane,” Brandon De Wilde as Joey Starrett

Welcome back,
The classes are done and the real research begins. To access the new worksheet for the Gaggle of Googles class click here. It went along with a one time lecture style class about all the extra parts of Google like Google Sites and Notebook. Most of the tools are underused and are quite excellent. From today I will be trying to deliver a lot more news and tech info. If anyone has any good suggestions please let me know with an email. The new calendar for January and February classes will be out very soon. I will write about it here. You can also sign up for an email alert here. If you are a library fanatic and really want to stay on top of what is going on at the library try our new Twitter feed. We also have quite a few blogs discussing all different parts of the library from Culture Matters, a blog discussing the fantastic programs that are available, to the Special Collections blog called Notes for Bibliophiles. The RIFLI Birthday Stories are amazing. They showcase ESL student writings and photographs. A blog / book discussion group exists in the form of Club de Lectura en Español de la Biblioteca Pública de Providence. It is a group discussing books in Spanish that meets the last Thursday of every month at South Providence. There are more blogs cropping up all the time so check the blog page when you get a chance. Thanks to everyone who has been checking in and reminding me to get on with more information.

Shane

P.S. Sorry about the qoute but I really could not help myself.

“If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.” Winnie

Everywhere I go I see people with MP3 players. People are listening to more through their headphones than ever before and it is not just music. The listening public are listening to news, talk shows, radio programs, concerts, etc. Some are even having their RSS feeds and emails read to them. (Subject for another post) At this point the most popular player is the iPod. I get many questions about the Apple player. I usually refer students to the Apple store where they can ask questions with their iPod in hand and that seems to work out well. However what happens if you do not have a store near you or they cannot seem to answer your questions? Then it is time to head to iLounge. iLounge has been around for quite a while now and offers everything iPod. They have all the news you could want about the iPod. They also sell items related to the player but the real reason I send you here is the forums and help section. Every time I have a strange question about how to do something with my iPod I head to those sections and do a search. They have recommendations to find free legit music and video plus concerts and music blogs as well. I know I am mainly focused on music when it comes to iLounge but it is a music player after all. The site is very user friendly and helpful. Give it a try.

“I don't have a photograph, but you can have my footprints. They're upstairs in my socks.”

I have written of the wonders of Flickr many times before and it seems I am not the only one to find it useful. The Library of Congress has released 3000 photos onto the site. The idea is brilliant, harness the Web 2.0 communities to identify, categorize, and just enjoy these works of photographic art. When I checked this out it seemed that every photo had at least 50 comments with full discussions ranging from fashion to propaganda. I will say if you do go onto this site make sure you have nothing to do because it is quite extensive and addictive. You just want to keep walking through out the archives that have remained unseen by the general public for so long. (Selfish plug coming up) For the same reasons I have been really enjoying Rick Ring’s blog about Providence Public Library’s special collections. These places that take care of our histories are our time machines to the past. Sometimes they are the way back and amazingly others show a way forward. I recommend giving both a try.

“I'd as soon listen to dried peas in a bladder, as listen to your thoughts.” William Butler Yeats

Last week I attended meetings and lectures on blogging and some new tech in libraries and the one question that always comes up is the why of blogging. What I mean is why do people put up blogs? Is it just for self promotion or do people really have thoughts others want to hear? There are so many blogs out there that the answer has to be yes to both, some bloggers have useful and entertaining blogs and some are just talking into the wind. I read them all the time because they have some of the freshest takes without anyone filtering what I read. Blogs can be used as an educational tool or as a way of letting others know how it goes in your life. Now if you still are thinking: "I don’t get it. Why would someone put up their thoughts for everyone to read?" Then the video below is for you. It comes from CommonCraft, which I have mentioned before. They did a fantastic job of explaining an unusual subject, blogging. Give it a try.

“Those who write clearly have readers, those who write obscurely have commentators.” Albert Camus

I have had a lot of posts using Blogger but I have never once written about Blogger the application. If you are looking to create a blog that is easy to manage you can’t beat Blogger. Many times I have a new idea and I want a website to go with it I will turn to Blogger to do a blog. The reason to do a blog in the first place is that it allows you to make a type of website easily. If you can email you can blog as well. Now there are many types of blogs from the person documenting their lives so their family can see what is going on to people writing how they feel on all sorts of subjects. There are blogs on political, cooking, funny, subjects plus any other thing you can think of. To create a blog go to Blogger and signup. Then just follow the instructions. They really are easy. When I teach the Blogger class students have a blog in just under 15 minutes. Think of it as your own personal soapbox. For those looking for a printout before they start you can use the sheet I use in class. If you have something to say either come to the next blogging class or head to Blogger and give it a try.

“Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind.”Gioacchino Rossini

On the same subject as yesterday's post , I read many blogs to stay on top of computer info or other related items but Aurgasm has to be a real favorite. Now don't be put off by its' name. The text is good and straightforward and the music selection is incredible. This is a music blog that highlights an artist and gives away two songs that are representative of the genre. I have been introduced to more great music here than any other site. From French Pop to Israeli Reggae I am now aware of musical genres and categories I did not know were possible. So far a personal favorite of mine is Il Fait Si Beau from Vincent Delerm. I have listened to this one a little too much. I just wish I had a clue what it was about though. The great thing about reading a blog like this, besides the content, is the link list of their favorite blogs. This leads you on a merry little trail of discovery. I will try to highlight some more blogs when I get a chance. If you are hungry for music, give this one a try.

“Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever.” Napoleon Bonaparte

Not too long ago I listened to an On The Media radio broadcast about posting on the Internet. It was about a 17 year old girl who had voiced her opinion on the Iraq war. That alone does not seem to be very important. I mean we all take stands or have opinions on tons of subjects. However the difference was she posted her feelings in a comment field on a website. Years later she wanted to take that post down because when a possible employer did a search to see who she was and what she had written on the Internet using Google or Yahoo this comment came at the top of the list. She asked the site to remove her post and they said they never remove anything. Even if the site had complied it would not matter because search engines cache or store all this information in case the site disappears. So what does this tell us? When you post or add your name to a list or create a page in a social networking site like MySpace it stays out there even if you remove it. Many a teen writing now may reap the benefits or losses in the future because something said during younger days. It did occur to me that the girl could have started a blog or a site with enough information to reduce the impact of that one post. There is a flip side to this as well. The next generation emerging is not as concerned with privacy or wrongs done in other times. For them it is what they do now and not who or what they were five years ago. I know I am stereotyping here but generations do have certain major characteristics even if they are not shared by every single person.

So the main theme here is everything posted is permanent and not private so think before you post. To get the word out many Public Service Announcements have been created to get people to consider this phenomenon. I believe they are a little heavy handed but they do a nice job. Click on the video and you decide.

“He who can take advice is sometimes superior to him who can give it.” Karl von Knebel

I have always recommended Consumer Reports Magazine for questions and reviews concerning computers and gadgets. They are not always 100% perfect but they are definitely a good source for info. However many times they are working on something at the magazine and either it does not fit that issue or it is pertinent to concerns going on at this moment. That is why they started the blog. I think they wrote a better introduction for their work than I can so here it is.
"Check out the Consumer Reports Shopping blog for time- and money-saving tips, and other need-to-know advice to make shopping more enjoyable. The blog enables us to zero in on the latest product information, news, trends, and sales figures, and reveal what retailers and e-tailers are doing to win your business. We’ll keep you posted on critical information to help you get the best deals, and reveal key findings from our series of unique national polls on consumer shopping behavior. "
Give it a try.