First, I was going to cook a chicken in the new slow cooker I received for Christmas. I wanted to simply “set it and forget it.” I set it just fine but luckily I didn’t forget it. After starting it, I came back about 15 minutes later to check the temperature and the whole unit had shut off. Moreover, I could not get it to turn back on. I got it to beep really loud at me once, but that must have been its death knell because it refused to work after that. Now I have to fool around with getting a receipt and sending it back to the manufacturer.

Second, I was going to post earlier today, but I realized that I needed to upgrade to the new version of WordPress. I had an automatic updater plugin but I kept getting fatal errors when I tried to activate it. I might have to search around for a new, working plugin one of these days. So, instead of spending my morning “setting and forgetting,” and posting to the blog I had to screw around with the slow cooker trying to get it to work, and I also had to update WordPress. I always forget how to update WP and luckily they have excellent documentation. It was just more reading and work than I wanted to do this morning.

My Christams break was very nice though. I was able to avoid a lot of technological distractions. I let my RSS feeds pile up, my e-mail inboxes became rather crowded, and I did not realize there had been a WP update until today. Technology can be very useful, but I find it helpful to take time away from it, because it is also often very stressful.

I purposely sought out tech classes because I realized how useful they would be right now as well as in the future. I now know how to: design and construct a database, build a website, and use the web in ways I never had even thought of before. I recently solved a problem I was having with a copy of “Sicko” that my dad burned for me.

The CD that I had would play the sound but not the actual video of the movie. I am subscribed to the blog LifeHacker, and one post on there was serendipitously for a piece of open source freeware called CodecInstaller. I learned all about codecs from my amazing “Digital Trends, Tools, and Debates” class with Dorothea Salo. I quickly realized that my problem was that I was missing a codec for the video. I downloaded the software and it automatically analyzed what codec I needed. I then chose it from a list in CodecInstaller and it automatically downloaded it for me. I was watching the movie within five minutes of downloading the software.

It is something as simple as this that shows how library school has actually put me at the top of the information food chain. Before going to library school I would have simply given up on the disc, deciding it was unplayable. Instead I used all new knowledge to solve an information related problem. I used an RSS feed to find free software, and because I knew about codecs I was able to understand why my disc would not play. I successfully wielded computer technology to solve a problem.

I know that I am not as technologically savvy as some of the real geeks out there, but I have the tools and training to quickly adapt, learn, and find solutions to any information problems that may arise. There may be some library school classes that are not as useful but I have found at least some value in every class I have taken. If I find I need to learn more though, I have the opportunities to do it. I have taken PowerPoint, Dreamweaver, and JavaScript classes through DoIt, the on campus I.T. people. I have also joined Toastmasters International to improve my public speaking skills. Library school may have its flaws but your education is simply what you make of it.