Thing 17 -- ELM Productivity Tools

I spent some time exploring a few of these databases. I had a lot of fun, searching for articles that interest me in Ebsco's MasterFile Premier - fun subjects, rather than my work-a-day searches.

I tried to set up the alert to deliver to my GoogleReader, and following the instructions in 23 Things News, Issue 8. I was able to get a delivery, but it didn't seem to be related to my search parameters. I think it was somehow the most recent input to the database, but not subject limited. Furthermore, when I tried to open the links, I had to put in by library card number again. If I worked in a public library, this might go more smoothly, but I got tired of the hassle.

I am amazed by the breadth and depth of the databases, and that they're available to me, a Minnesotan, in my home. A few years back when I had a job at MPL, these resources were only available in the library, so this is quite an improvement.

Finally, I set up my Google Reader account back in thing #3 - RSS feeds, I was hoping I'd be able to keep up with those other blogs I selected that I found interesting. I'll play around a bit now to see if I can get something on THIS blog so I can see the most recent entries from those blogs. I barely have time to work on this blog, let alone go over to GoogleReader to look for something else to read. I'll report back if I find anything good (or you may find a new item off in the margins of this blog . . .).

Thing 3 - RSS Feeds

RSS feeds, I've been using for years, already. I am an avid subscriber to NPR (and WPR) podcasts, which I download onto my MP3 player (started with an iPod shuffle, but it put any and all music before my podcasts, so I downgraded to a cheap MP3 player so now I catch up on my favorite radio shows while at the gym, gardening, walking the dog [these must be my hobbies]).

At one point, I even subscribed to some podcasts from some medical journals, thinking that there may be some work-related application. But the casts were dull as mud, and I tired of the project.

As for web pages I check regularly, I do the news, but hardly want to see every update to that page. It would be nice to discover some interesting blogs to check regularly, something to allow me to feel tuned in and connected to those things that are important to me. But that takes time. Right now, I only need to develop the skills to use RSS feeds, and to get links to interesting material onto my blog.

So, what to subscribe to? Oh how I wish I had all day. And that I wanted to include ALL of my interests on my reader. I decided to cut to the most practical and ideally somehow related to some aspect of my profession - I scanned quite a few other 23 things participants’ blogs and looked at the RSS feeds they subscribed to. Or I subscribed to some 23 things participant blogs that I found to be active and interesting. And I subscribed to the one person I know with a blog on the system (of course, her blog is active and interesting).

This will be an ongoing project, as I take these 23 things, and more broadly, the 2.0 skills that I learn into my real life.