Porgy Part II

Questions to consider about Porgy DuBose Heyward was a white man looking into Charleston's world of color. Do you think he portrayed that world in Catfish Row with any degree of accuracy?I want to think he did, but I really don't know the history of Catfish Row in the eyes of a black man. Does Heyward romanticze life in Catfish Row?Porgy always seems to be waiting for something. What do you think it is he's waiting for?
What impact does the goat have on Porgy's "philosophy" of begging?
Do you find it difficult to read the Gullah dialect as written by Heyward? Yes, I actually bought a pocket dictionary to carry with me to look up words.What do you think of Heyward's ability to tell a story? Is his writing organized and to the point, or is it sprawling? I did not find Heyward's writing sprawling at all, it was very much to the point. He has a wonderful ability to tell a story, at times I felt like I was right there feeling the emotions of his characters.Do you like this book?I liked the book very much. Once I got into it I felt I really knew the characters and was anxious to find out what was going to happen.

Porgy

I have taken the plunge to read our first book assigned for the Southern Writers Online. I would like to have met DuBose Heyward. He must have been a very intelligent man, or the style of writing and words used during his time were far different than I am used to. I am only half way through this novel and I have had to look up at least thirty words that I did not know the meaning to. I am also finding that I have to read aloud the parts in Gullah dialect to get the real meaning.
I am thoroughly enjoying the story, but Prudence, this is work!
(I have moved this from the Southern Writers Online blog)

Southern Writers Online

September - Porgy - DuBose Heyward

I have started the first of the many books chosen for the Southern Writers Online and cannot wait to share comments with other participants as I complete Porgy.

Library 2.1

Ready, set, go! It's time to start using the gray matter again. I am looking forward to the challenge.

96 Greeter

I would like you all to meet Krypto. He is a friendly bassett hound that lives next door to the 96 library. I consider him to be my little greeter because he is always there wagging his tail and watching every move as patrons visit the library each day. He brings a smile to my face, I hope he will to yours as well.

End or Beginning?

My staff development experience has come to an end, for now at least. I have completed the twenty exercises and have my blog to document my efforts. What I have learned is that there was no right or wrong way to accomplish these tasks. I have found that everyone has their personal favorite websites and that there is always more than one way to search, download or save what is of interest to you. My favorite site was librarything.com and my biggest frustration was that user names and passwords do expire when not used.

I am very grateful that I was given the opportunity to participate in this exercise. I can say that this is the end of this learning experience, but the beginning of my continued exploration of what is available with the click of a mouse.

Bookmarklets

This could be useful for someone who is doing research or uses the web often. I added a bookmarklet to my favorites that highlighted links. When I called up the GCL home page everything was highlighted in yellow! I guess I didn't exactly do something right. I quickly deleted it and am back to normal. I wasn't exactly thrilled with the tip jar!

MP3

I chose to go to iTunes to download some music. I was able to complete this task after a lot of trial and error. I downloaded a file to my home pc and into one of the library's MP3 players. I look forward to receiving my own MP3 player when I complete this assignment so that I may try to download an audio book.

Wikipedia

I do not wish to become a wikipedian! Wow, there is a lot of information here, but you would expect that in an encyclopedia. I spent a lot of time at the help desk. I did not edit an article but did experiment in the sandbox once I found it. I browsed the wiktionary and quickly left this site before I couldn't find my way out.

MovieFlix & Blinxx

I am sorry to say I was not very successful with these websites to view free movies or cartoons. I signed into MovieFlix and saw the listings of various movies, cartoons, commercials, etc., but I was not able to view them at work or on my home computer. When I searched around blinxx I kept getting security alerts and popups. I see how you have the options to view various video formats, but at the present time I prefer not to. I spent a great deal of time and felt I gave it a good try. I will discuss this with other staffers and see if they had similar problems. Perhaps someone will be willing to give me a demonstration.

Firefox

Karen had already downloaded Firefox here in Ninety Six so I didn't do it again. I spent time with it, but because I am a creature of habit I prefer Internet Explorer. However, if it were not for this learning experience I would never have known about Firefox or Netscape.

Imagine This!

This is a picture of the snow in Oswego, New York - Feb. 2007.
Aren't we thankful we live in South Carolina!

My Yahoo!

I had fun setting up My Yahoo! page. This is something that can be changed or updated continuously. I look forward to playing around with this site and reading the information that is of interest to me.

Flickr

I love the flickr website. What a great way to share photos. Robin, it was fun to see the pictures of your new beau and family.
On this site you also have the capabablity of utilizing wonderful photos for free, like the one I displayed of Niagara Falls. This is the area I grew up in and it sure makes me homesick to see the beauty I am so far away from. It truly deserves to be one of the seven wonders of the world.

Podscope

I found podscope difficult to search for something of interest. I did listen to a small piece on NPR about pain management. It appears to have a lot of information if you know how to find it. I prefer something like aol video which is a lot easier to navigate. Here I was easily able to find videos on comedy, music, news, etc.

Facebook

I am not much into social networking or giving personal information on the computer, so this site is not of much interest to me. I did import my blog and found one friend, Marf!

Bloglines

I'm not sure about all this blogline stuff, but I am trying to figure it all out. It has really been a challenge. I do have some new fun words to add to my vocabulary - widgets and chicklets!! There is an end to this, isn't there?

Something To Think About

Library Thing

I find this site the most fun for me thus far. I have cataloged a few of the books that I have read and loved seeing the book covers. Mentally I guess it helps me better remember what the book was about. I liked the reading suggestions and looking at what other readers are interested in. This is one place I will definitely visit in the future.

LibraryElf

I like the concept of this site because I love to keep things organized. However, unless you are using many libraries, checking out many books or keeping track of various patrons I don't see it as being very practical. Also you would need to have access to a computer to check on a regular basis.
The bestseller lists, reviews, and book clubs are informative if you want to use this site for that information.

My Space

I find it totally amazing that people are so free with their personal information. I have noticed that this is one of the most popular websites the teens are using at this libray, when I asked them why, they said "It's just way cool!" I realize that there are ways to filter and protect your privacy, however I am afraid some of the younger people disregard these options and volunteer too much information. It's nice that they have a way to communicate and make friends but I wish they were more discreet. I guess you can just call me old fashion!

Happy Valentine's Day To All!

S. Valentine images

Public Library Websites

It was fun to visit other public library websites. I was more interested in what the library had to offer than the design of their website.
I looked at libraries within the state and throughout the country. The Wilsonville Public Library in Oregon is going to have a program called "Read to the Dogs!". The child chooses a book to read and a dog. They can read to Abby, an Austrailian Shepard or Raley, a Golden Retriever. It's purpose is to increase enthusiasm for reading, develop reading skills, teach children how to interact with pets and promote confidence. I am not suggesting we do something like this (what a nightmare!!), I am just giving an example of what another library is trying.
In Olathe, Kanas the library's website www.olathelibrary.org has a tab called the Kids Corner. It provides cool sites, good books, etc. I think it's worth checking out. Olathe also has a read to a dog program, check out their photos on the website.
I have looked at many sites, overall I think we have a great website, it's easy to navigate but I wish it had more color.

NetLibrary Ebooks

I think the NetLibrary Ebooks is wonderful. I have downloaded "One for the Money" by Janet Evanovich on my home computer. I never thought I would sit long enough to listen to a whole book, but I have found that it's a lot easier on the eyes during the evening than reading a book.

Day Two of Frustrations

Today is not going very well. I seem to be having problems with invalid passwords, page expired messages or try again in 30 seconds. I guess I will have to take my smart pills and try again later!

Day One of Possibilities

At last I am jumping on the bandwagon. My blog title of imagine means just that, who would imagine that we have the opportunity to connect with so many people and be exposed to endless amounts of information. I have begun my journey!