Web 2.1 - Week 13 Refreshing your blog

This is my first post since Web 2.0. Note : it's necessary to keep your user names and passwords saved away.

I have spoken to others both young and old outside the library profession about my blog and blogging, but have found that apart from an appreciation of my new skill and the knowledge that blogging exists they are not using it as a format to communicate, share ideas or promote their businesses. Perhaps they have no use for this format at the present time. They use other forms of electronic communication.
I hope they will have a look at mine at least.

I have changed the look of my blog which, after several trial templates, I am happy with. Others colleagues have enjoyed changing the face of their blogs and I will visit their blogs soon.

Week 12: Wrap up; social networks and catch up

Electronic social networking has an increasing role in the community's communication. Not just for friends but for any groups with similar interest areas.Perhaps we could put our library on Facebook....?

As seen from the UK Local Govt. site Communities of Practice, social networking for us in libraries allows us to "Connect to Collaborate to Innovate".
I think this is a strength of all of the applications we have been learning about over the past 12 weeks. They are very useful ways for us to share knowledge within the profession, to those we serve and to also advertise and promote the wonderful services we provide.

Oh...about the Second Life Library project, I'm afraid I'm much happier dealing with my First Life Library experience. The Second Life left me dead. Maybe too old but reality is more my thing!

Finally,thank you NSWPLN for the chance to learn more about these new applications and how we can apply them.

Week 11: Online applications and tools

Google docs in plain english was very easy to follow.

I have witnessed an online creation of a document that was compiled as we participated in a Reader's Advisory group. We were compiling a list of resources to share it with others who could not attend. They also added to the document.It was an up to date document we were ALL looking at and working with. I'm not sure though if it was a Google Doc or a Wiki but the document at the end reflected everyone's contributions.

I think online applications and tools make downloading and sharing so much easier, especially for those who may not have the means or technology available to download, convert, share or work collectively on a document, email etc.

I converted and downloaded the Magnacarta document with no trouble and could see Zamzar's application in converting photos to suit our libraries software. Sooo easy! Picnik has possibilities also. I certainly see the library promotions benefitting. The Slideshow would be useful too to show what has happened at a certain events.

Week 10 Mashups - look like lots of fun!!

This could be part of an advertising campaign. Another photo could show the children's program in" full swing".

I did have another motivator picture set up earlier with my comments but I think you have someone from outside who thinks they can add more to what you're helping us with. This nosey person has been offering help to new bloggers with their newly established blog business!!!!

Motivational posters are great encouragers and can be funny too. The funny ones often acheive the same end as the more serious.
I love them and I'm sure libraries could use mashups to bolster staff morale.

Using mashups libraries can create unique, eye catching and specific advertising for the services the library provides.

Week 9 Podcasts and Audio

There is much at our fingertips today!! It was great to explore what the British Library had available and how they use the podcast to let people know what to expect at upcoming events and displays, even down to what they might need to access the display and other small details that make people feel welcome and comfortable. The author talks and use of taped historical works is well served by the podcast too. I'm going back to the Evelyn Waugh podcast when I can.

The ABC site was easy to use and the classifications on LHS clearly set out. Easy to find podcasts by program, subject, network.

Library Success wiki links were diverse and the show the necessity to make the podcasts easy to access, especially for the new library user or those not familiar with the technology.

Our library could use pocasts of author talks. We could give specific information about upcoming events/displays, e.g. the NRMA Roadzone exhibit vould have had a podcast link from the catalogue to audio or video so schools could log in and see what to expect.
It would be a great way to record significant library events, especially for those ongoing events like Food@your library month. Demonstrations were given and those could be available for those who missed that week or for attendees to go back to.

We could have the regional bookgroups speaking about their book group and what they're reading.
There are many options for podcasts but they would have to be informative, well presented and entertaining.

Week 8: Answer boards and social searching

This provides an opportunity to highlight the question-answering skills of librarians to the wider community.

Is there a role for our library/librarians "slamming the boards"?
I can see how the cause of librarianship could benefit so long as those we successfully answered told the community and we could also use it for advertising perhaps.
The truth is at our library we need to use all our time for the needs of our clients and for the extension services we provide to our libraries, e.g. bookgroups, reader's advisory, events and other necessities.

In what ways might your customers like to rate or review items in the collection or services you offer?
A user-based approach to relevance. Could a library have a site like Yahoo answer or a response blog/wiki on the library website that customers of Information Services could write their appreciation, or otherwise, of the answers we provide? Perhaps this would be tricky to display. It could be a vehicle for malcontents.

I think the availability of social searching engines is very helpful to tap the collective knowledge of the community. I see it as a wonderful tool which I look forward to using the next time I'm asked if I can find the book set in Russia around the time of the Revolution with two teenage girls in it........

Week 7 Tagging, folksonomies, del.icio.us and LibraryThing

Enjoyed the Youtube presentation on Social bookmarking. Commoncraft have made all their videos, so far, very informative, succinct and understandable.

I definitely agree with the following comment from our activity:
"The Horizon report (2007) has this to say:
"A little group of Web 2.0 technologies—tagging and folksonomic tools, social bookmarking sites, and sites that make it easy to contribute ideas and content—is placing the power of media creation and distribution firmly into the hands of “the people formerly known as the audience” (Rosen, 2006). No longer satisfied to be consumers of content, today’s audience creates content as well. Producing, commenting, and classifying are just as important as the more passive tasks of searching, reading, watching, and listening.""

Social bookmarking, eg. through del.icio.us, is an obvious development for information sharing and we librarians can only benefit by it. For me, I see it being most helpful at the Information Desk, especially for high school students HSC subject areas, research queries and reader's advisory work. Collaborative online reference is a valuable asset for all librarians, saving time sometimes and adding to the bank of knowledge available. I have bookmarked the National Libraries AskNow.gov.au site. It is great to be able to access their speciality skills and reference tools.

Sutherland Shire Library

Sutherland Shire Libraries tag cloud is helpful but the smaller collection of tags, e.g for AboriginalAustralians was easy to sort through as a cloud but not so easy for the Business cloud. At this stage where there are large numbers of tags I prefer the list. With use I might change my mind.
Cleveland library's clouds were easier to skim over to pick up the highlighted relevant words.
Tag bundles are helpful.Cleveland didn't have them like Sutherland but they had them earlier as a form of contents at the beginning of the site.

A delicious account has been set up and many sites have been bookmarked - I am yet to get the link to the blog successfully acheived. Now (9/11) I think I have set up a link to my blog. Will check on this.

Bookmarking provides a handy, reliable and time saving tool for all librarians, especially reference librarians. We deal in subject content all the time and of course we would want to organise our many websites, share them AND use them anywhere.

Technorati! A good idea to register with them as they track your blog and others. It shows Blogs available accorging to subject matter. There are the latest opinions on websites,articles , conferences etc.Bookmobile search was dissappointing, no difference in the search results, but it was not a phrase so tried Africa bookmobiles - All 5,Exact 0. Whist searching round I found a guest blog by the author of The Camel Bookmobile, a book I have in my possession to read and enjoy asap.
Looking at library blogs I found an IT site - Infotoday Blog with a link to Marketing Library Services. I hope to follow this up another time. Often while searching one tag you come across many useful yet unrelated sites. A pleasant surprise!

nswpln2008 search in keyword and advanced search provided nothing so triedsearch in tags only of blogs with any authority in English.Found 2 - Lib 2.0 blogs. One I have bookmarked to del.icio.us for its Books for blokes focus. This link / contact my be handy for our Blokes@your library month.
I found photos of nswpln2008 libraries and activities, which give ideas for the future.

The Library Thing seems a very helpful resource for any readers advice in the library. I've joined up/created an account and explored the site, taking the Library Thing tour. I went to the Learning 2.0 account and saw how you can create your own catalogue of titles/authors. I hope to add a widget to my blog later.
I liked exploring Zeitgeist, especially for readers advisory work.
Was this originally an American site? I feel it is, so would be aware naturally there could be a bias from the earlier contributors.