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.

Week 6 Videos online

Well this has been very informative and often amusing. I have looked at both You tube and Google.
I believe Google will give longer videos than You tube ?? which may be helpful if you want to use them for staff training purposes. I think in our libraries the video is ideal for staff training.

I found this video as I was searching. A great encouragement for us all to share our excess resources, so long as they are up to date and appropriate. The empowering of the written word is easily taken for granted in our society.

The ability to show videos on our library links is a great opportunity to showcase or advertise the regular or special events at our libraries e.g. visiting authors, special @your library activities and especially promoting youth/young adult services.

Week 5 Wikis

Looked at video clip and Library Success Wiki overview.Followed up the details in communiti of interest, workplace application and government.
The 3 wikis I explored were the full Library Success: a best practice wiki, Book Lovers wiki and the Montana History wiki. I found them all different and interesting.

The Book Lovers wiki was interesting and entertaining with review contributions in many genres and a featured review, for what seemed an informative history of the plumbing of civilization.
A good point was made about reviews going direct to the catalogue. Reviews there might be very helpful to a borrower. I wonder are these contributions checked before they go to the Princton Public Library catalogue. There would probably be a screening process of some kind.
The reviews on the LHS did include some Australian authors.
Something like this could be used as a site on our website, linked to the Catalogue entries. A useful resource for borrowers and staff, and something all the library patrons could contribute to at some time.

The Montana History wiki was not open for editing. Any comments need to be emailed to the group's email. A way to vet the contributions for accuracy I suppose. Contributions from the public are acknowledged, their sources listed and at bottom of the page any revisions are listed.
When dealing with history there is a need for the most accurate records for the time. These principles would need to be considered if the Family history section of the library was to incorporate such a wiki in its collection.
The full Library Success: a best practice wiki was a great site and up to date. Good to access for rural librarians for sharing ideas, however when I went to Services for Specific Groups I was disappointed not to find any entries.Perhaps I have to log in but I have to follow this up at work.???????????????MB I also signed in but didn't receive confirmation. Will go back to it again
Many interesting and useful sections and headings for RA. Went into Find A Good Book.net. Good for RA help and I would take info from but it was not possible to give info to. Book Club Resource.com - Reading resources - Classic Bookshelf does encourage contributions to "comments at classicbookshelf dot com".
It would seem there are many forms of wiki and not all are like Wikipedia where anyone can contribute.Some are closed to staff only. I found one site Antioch UNE that was an inhouse wiki for library staff and training support wiki. This would be a good ready reference to be up to date with changes.
You could use a wiki for reading group reviews perhaps but a blog might be more appropriate as you wouldn't be editing their comments.
It would be good to put your libraries blog on The Blogging Libraries wiki. All part of sharing and learning!!

Took PB wiki tour. Added an entry to the NSW learning 2.0 wiki re reference services.
Looked at the Possible Next Generation Catalogues - National Library rethinking the catalogue.

RSS feed finds Week 4

Well I have been working my way through RSS feeds and aggregators and I have greater confidence - I think- the more I use it the better I guess. Some sites, e.g. ABC New England Northwest radio has a feed but when I tried this I could only get a white page with computer instructions and some text mainly down LHS.
I have tried fluking an RSS feed with sites I hoped would have one, but could not see on their site, by using their URL, e.g. the Bureau of Meteorology, but no joy. Overall I have had success using the RSS feeds or their URLs.
Over time I will add and remove feeds. Not all sites I trust have feeds so it will take a while to collect those I respect or find useful.
One feed that I have found interesting so far is to the National Library, in particular an item on a calculator of copyright status for different formats ie., a procedure to follow to determine whether the copyright has expired which could be useful in the public library especially with some local history materials.
We may be able to use rss feeds, flickr and a blog to share information, and more visual information, with users of our CWA country of study site too.

If the walls could talk!! Week 3

What a well kept rural village hall in the north west slopesof NSW!! There have been generations of school plays and Christmas Tree parties , fund raising dinners, weddings, twenty firsts, playgroups, preschools, exercise classes, council consultations, farmer's meetings, dances and more held in this hall.
Here the community regularly and unwittingly reinforces its identity while it works and "plays" together.


Another purpose built community building
where creativity, education, imagination and information converge. This houses the Tamworth City Library and The Regional Art Gallery.
Here as a community we can be entertained, challenged and informed.

Firstly I realise now as I have moved down the Learning 2.0 site that you didn't want me to use my name for the site, etc. Should I change this? It doesn't bother me and I don't know how to now.

This is very exciting. I think I'm going to enjoy discovering what can be done and shared via a blog and the many other facets of this 2.0 training. Next step find a picture I like to share with you.
The blogs shown in the earlier examples showed great diversity of use and application of blogs sites. This site will be very experimental.

Once I feel comfortable with blogs I will be able to use the skills with our bookgroups, for sharing responses to the titles we have read with the other groups that meet over the area covered by our library service and to also post photos of our groups. Hopefully this will be a great way to share ideas and build contacts.