I can really see why people who use this site love it.  It’s a great resource, and takes a lot of the guesswork out of trying to recommend something that may or may not be a good  fit for someone.  I definitely see myself using this a lot more, both for my own reading interests as well as extending it to our patrons.

The Book Report Network  offers, “one-stop-shopping” and makes a lot of sense for the reader.  To be able to go to one site and find so many varied resources is  a valuable time saver.  I viewed each of the eight websites and felt they all offered  great information — a little something for everyone.  

I have enjoyed reading Amy Tan’s works over the years, and decided to look her up on the Biography Resource Network. The background information that was presented gave me greater insight as to how certain events in her past contributed to her writing.  An interesting note was that when she was eight, she won first prize for her essay, “What the Library Means to Me,” which was published in the local newspaper.   She appears to lead a diverse and rewarding life that includes:  working with disabled children, and literacy and first amendment rights groups;  developing the libretto for an operatic version of the Bonesetter’s Daughter;  performing in a literary garage band with Stephen King and Dave Barry.

I was glad to have the opportunity to access, “Consumer Reports” on MasterFile Premier again.  I had not used it for awhile, so it was a good refresher.  I searched for several different products so that I could feel more comfortable navigating the site, and recommending it to patrons.

The Biography Resource Center was very cool.  I can see that it would be a great tool to get students started on a school report.  I looked up Marie Curie and learned  a number of additional things I didn’t know about her from the thirteen articles that were listed.

http://tconrath.weebly.com/

Although it was pretty fun to see all the things these web design sites have to offer, it probably would have been more meaningful to me if I had been putting  this together for an actual business or organization, etc.  That way I would have had some  content to draw from, and could have perhaps utilized more of the features to expand the site.

This is a very innovative and interesting resource to say the least.  The case studies are immensely diverse, and the artists and musicians who contributed comments, seem genuinely  enthusiastic to have access to this alternative licensing device. While this was all pretty amazing, I was even more impressed with the work that Creative Commons is doing with its counterparts, Science Commons and Health Commons.  The idea that research and discovery methods, and results can be utilized by a broader range of scientists and technicians with minimal legal barriers, is in and of itself revolutionary.  It is truly an ambitious and honorable effort to expand global knowledge in these fields, so that all may derive the benefits.

What’s not to love about these sites!  They’re filled with more info than you can possibly take in without hyperventilating.  I think they all have great reading guides and reviews. Possibly the only thing missing, is an extra ten hours in the day to immerse oneself in all the goodies they have to offer.  I thought the online mini lit courses listed on LitLovers was an especially nice touch.  I can definitely see recommending them to patrons who may be interested.  However, I have to admit that the Boulder Public Library’s Goodreads page was not very impressive.  I was really surprised because after all it’s, “Boulder” for heaven sakes.  I mean c’mon!  I thought surely there would be more oomph to it.  Anyway, I think our current book blog is  far and away more informative and user-friendly.  Although, I can see the draw in wanting to expand our social networking horizons, so perhaps a Goodreads page may complement what we already have, but I don’t think it can adequately take it’s place.

I found each of these sites to be very  helpful.   There is a lot of pertinent information, and I can see myself referring back to them periodically for a quick refresher.  I think that all new employees would find the selections particularly valuable, and including them as part of our orientation /training may be beneficial.

I had never placed a hold for myself before, so it was good practice to see what our patrons experience when they do it themselves.  Both methods seemed pretty straight forward, but the Book Bag feature is definitely nice if you are holding multiple items.  The only thing that seemed potentially confusing was the, Location / Volume drop down menu.  I’m not exactly sure why it asks you for this, since most patrons are really only concerned about getting the next available item and don’t particularly care where it comes from.

I viewed several of the sites listed:

CAL, Obama, Coca-Cola, MCPLD, Smithsonian

I can certainly see why organizations and businesses employ these tools to keep users informed of upcoming events and to foster a sense of camaraderie.  I believe this format is appealing because it enables us to feel connected to others, but with as much or as little social interaction as is desired.   It’s anyone’s guess as to how these sites will ultimately evolve.  However, it won’t be surprising if eventually instead of asking someone for their phone #, we’ll all just be exchanging our facebook  links.

I had three incorrect answers on the quiz:

#1   I missed seeing the, Suggest a Purchase form on the Site Map and only saw it on the, For Readers page.

#6   I guess I was thinking the IM was in essence the same idea as 24/7 for contacting, “Ask a Librarian” so I only counted 5 instead of 6 ways to reach them.

#8   I said Academic Search Premier was not listed, since it is not shown in the A-Z Directory.  I missed it under the Academic Journal tab.

All in all, this exercise was pretty fun.  I learned a lot of new information, and was relieved to see that I did remember a few things from previous trainings. WHEW!!