Sunday, December 16, 2007

#23 Final thoughts

Was library 2.0 interesting? Yes. Useful? possibly. I think in the coming weeks/months it would be beneficial to me (and anyone else who has done the program) to revisit sites and ideas. to refamiliarise myself, to explore and push further. things only become a habit when you do them more than a few times. will some technology prove to be not worth the effort? probably. will some things become a new present/future? possibly. I hope so. and that is why I will continue to dip and sip at the cup.

#21 & #22

I gave podcast.net a tricky assignment: I was attempting to find the song/album/reference that goes with the words "step through the doors". I actually think that was the name of the song ( an 80's alternative song from a band called Widowed Isis!). If anyone out there (come on, are even three people reading this?) knows of it or can help me locate it. PLEASE LET ME KNOW!
Anyway, after typing in "step through the doors" podcast.net came up with St Paul's UMC Leonard Town On-Line Sermons! Err...not quite
The trouble with most podcasts is that you have to download other stuff with it eg. Quicktime 7; and, well, maybe this isn't a good metaphor but its a little like ' the more people you sleep with the more chance of diseases'. I tried listening/watching someone's music b.e.e.b.a.y.b.o.b.y.2 which was all swirls and plankton? - good on 'em but not my scene.

Ah, the world ebook fair site www.worldebookfair.com/Mp3ebooks.htm
the main thing that struck me was that this was a great site to get translations from eg. King Grisly-Beard by Gebruder Grimm (brothers Grimm to some) in English. I don't think I know that story, I have a mission.
The Baen eBooks Audio Sample Chapters (MP3) - supposedly of 'great sci-fi', well I had heard of a few of the authors but none of the books. Maybe i should be charitable, maybe they are really new/still being written?

Thursday, December 13, 2007

better #18 zoho

♦♥♣ http:cclc.vic.gov.au
Here comes my second attempt to use zoho writer. I am going to try as many features as I can. Just to get a feel.

Err... to play around?

To make life more interesting and colourful.

Instead of ordinary and grey.

  1. to educate myself about this site
  2. to complete learning 2.0
  3. to keep up with my husband and daughter
  • education
  • inspiration
  • entertainment

talk little, think much

do more


cool

Thursday, December 6, 2007

#15 Web 2.0, Library 2.0

The article To a temporary place in time http://www.oclc.org/nextspace/002/6.htm had an interesting perspective on the evolving nature of libraries and what 'library 2.0' means. It argued that we haved moved away from the library as a commodity "knowledge is power" and hard storage to a library that is product all about open access, diverse connections but not focussed expertise (2.0). The vision is that we are moving on to a library as VR coach, expert personalised on-line guides through the net/media (the idea that people might start collecting their favourite 'librarians' tickled my fancy) and then further to a virtual place or salon were ideas are discussed and media linked.
I had to agree with the cry 'down with lousy search interfaces' that came from Away from Icebergs. It is also certainly the case that with greater interconnection between libraries/information sources a harder look needs to be taken before purchasing 'just in case'. I balked a little at the implication that user education is not necessary and, while agreeing that patrons don't have to 'come to us', I feel the point that many people want to come to a library is overlooked. For many it is an outing, a destination, a chance to connect with people on an actual physical level.
While Library 2.0 may exist or be the near future for some, I cannot help thinking that as a species we are leaving many behind: those who cannot afford the lastest computer upgrades/gadgets, those whose basic needs such as food/shelter/protection cannot be met...

Thursday, November 22, 2007

#20 you-tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQHX-SjgQvQ watching this YouTube video of the medieaval helpdesk was very amusing although I had already had a taste of Youtube when my husband showed my daughter a couple of clips from Family Guy. She still occassionally sings "peanut butter jelly time" around the house but thankfully the one where everyone was throwing up doesn't seem to have damaged her psyche!

#18 & #19 web 2.0 awards list

♦♥♣ http:cclc.vic.gov.au Here comes my second attempt to use zoho writer. I am going to try as many features as I can. Just to get a feel.
Err... to play around?
To make life more interesting and colourful.
Instead of ordinary and grey.
to educate myself about this site
to complete learning 2.0
to keep up with my husband and daughter
education
inspiration
entertainment
talk little, think much
do more

Actually this was me using zoho, downloading, then pasting back to the blog. Check my better #18 blog

Yes, I quite like the http://www.cocktailbuilder.com/ website I found on the web 2.0 awards list. I have a new appreciation of just how many vodka flavours are out there and am now curious to checkout the burnett range. I definitely am going to make a bailey's chocolate martini - 11 parts baileys, 2 parts vodka and 1 part choc liqueur. Yummo! Maybe even a Bay Breeze? For the lowdown on why this site is so useable go to http://cocktailbuilder.livejournal.com/#entry_2181 , part of blog in which the designer runs you through some of the problems and solutions they came across in making this site work. Cheers!

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

#16 &17 Wiki

Using a wiki as a subject guide like SJCPL did was an intriguing idea to me : who got to add to it, edit it etc. Does someone come up with the basic structure and people add to it as inspiration, time, orders come? It would certainly indicate over time which subject areas are more heavily used. I am thinking of basing a wedding resources display (and maybe booklist?) next year on this wikis' weddings page.
BookLoversWiki with its review of books by patrons could be adapted to our library. We currently have an online feature for reviews but it could certainly be improved with the addition of tags etc. I think to be better accessible to some of our patrons however, there should also be a way they could submit hand written reviews for a library staff to enter. perhaps at bookchats? The featured review on flushed: how the plumber saved civilization has inspired me to hunt it down at our library, or perhaps it was having to clean up a large amount of poo discovered in the junior area of the library last night?.
I was interested to see a note on the librarysuccess wiki about vandalism problems and the need for email confirmation. Ah yes, the freedom to be prats. I noticed that on the page Management Ethics, which had been accessed 4,508 times there was nothing on it! And that it had last been 'modified' on 15 July 2005. Does this say anything about our need for Management ethics and its actual availability?
I found the following blog http://ricklibrarian.blogspot.com/2006/01/should-million-little-pieces-be-moved.html with its questions on where items of dubious accuracy (fact?fiction?) should be located and what our responsibility, if any, should be quite interesting. I also noted that my own cafe could be a good template to jazz up our own teenage webpage.

So, what's a good way to use wikis in our own library well... how about as an open forum for ideas/concerns so that issues don't take months going back and forth from and between committees?

Ooooh, you can blog with colours.
Oh, by the way, thanks to Lynette from Victorian Public Library Learning 2.0 for commenting on one of my blogs. Sombody out there cares, well a little.