Category: KLOW

Week Ten: Video on the Web

I am attempting to get caught up on 23 Things Kansas slowly. I had every intention of participating week-by-week, but between work at NEKLS, maintaing the project site, answering questions on the site by email and by  chat, and helping write two lessons, I’ve admittedly (and not surprisingly) gotten way behind. As tempted as I am to do what Liz did (although it was ingenious, and I’m jealous), I’m still trying to get in the habit of blogging at least a few days a week, and will try to do each lesson as an individual post (although they probably WILL NOT be in week order). Which leads me to this week’s lesson on Video on the Web, led by David Lee King.

I love online video and as the semi-millenial that I am, it’s where I consume most of my media content these days. I lose too much time on YouTube (became a huge Wicked fan, thanks to YouTube clips alone of the musical). In fact, I lose many hours on YouTube, watching different musical clips and the Logan Show. I watch my favorite TV shows online for free, through Hulu and other sites, as I don’t have cable, and until recently, didn’t even have a working antenna. I bought an antenna during the Winter Olympics, when I couldn’t find places to watch them online live, and I wasn’t about to miss the ice skating! I also utilize a NetFlix subscription, and watch funny cat videos, and videos that challenge my thinking.

My favorite one of those ice skating videos? (I linked to four of my favorites above) Todd Eldredge’s “First Knight” free skate at the 1996 World Championships:

I’ve also recorded, edited, and shot a lot of video over the past 12 or so years, starting clear back in high school (yes, I just dated myself). I created a couple of videos last year, for a presentation at the Computers in Libraries conference. Here’s one that’s a quick “tour” of all the KLOW sites (from March 2009).

Finally, I’ve starting shooting more videos with my own video camera, since getting a new iPhone with video capabilities last summer. Most are of my niece and nephew. Having the iPhone has made it very easy to quickly grab and shoot small videos on the fly. Here’s one no family member should yell at me too much for posting:

I love video of all kinds; it’s a way entertain, educate, or to tell a story, even if it’s just through text.

Who are my Technology Heroines?

Note: This post is for part of Ada Lovelace Day (See this list for all the Ada Lovelace Day heroine posts)

Who are my tech heroines? That’s easy. Liz Rea (creator and system admin), Brenda Hough (creator and former trainer), and Sharon Moreland (current trainer) of the My Kansas Libraries on the Web (KLOW) project, developed by the Northeast Kansas Library System.

Liz and Brenda Hough started the My Kansas Libraries on the Web (KLOW) project several years ago, with the goal of providing easy-to-update, yet professional looking websites, for public libraries in Kansas. This project has required Brenda, Liz, and now Sharon to customize an open source product (WordPress), write grants, continue to learn WordPress, provide on-going training to NEKLS librarians, provide training of other technology trainers from the other regional library systems in Kansas, and figure out the best version and upgrade time schedule to the WordPress software, while carrying out all their other technology duties at NEKLS.

KLOW has empowered Kansas libraries and it’s all because of a vision of two women, Liz and Brenda, for Kansas libraries to have fantastic websites. Now, Sharon and Liz utilize the KLOW website as not only a clearinghouse of information about upgrades, new features, and possible problems with the KLOW platform, but also as a portal for training of the librarians.

Liz, Brenda, and Sharon: You are my heroes on this Ada Lovelace Day. The impact of the KLOW project on the Kansas library community cannot begin to be measured!

One final note: If you wanted to see my entire list of technology heroines, all you need to do walk into any smaller public library and watch a public librarian support her technology. That’s also heroic!!