Wow! no fines! they automatically get cut of from the book as soon as their time is up! I Love it - I think this is why I loved Conan the librarian. How may times have we all wished that we could chop someone in half when they have late returns! eBooks has potential - I know it is just starting out, so the list is small, but think where the internet was 10 years ago!
This has been a fantastic mind expanding exercise and a lot of fun. It has been hard at times to find the time to play and it has not been helped by extremely slow internet access, (I'm quite a pro at playing a game of Free Cell or Solitaire while I wait for a site to load!) but I am really glad I have now completed the course. I have del.icio.us'ed quite a few sites and plan to go back and explore some more whenever I get the chance.
My language skills have improved and I can now talk a little like a techno savvy!
I guess for me the biggest thing has been the opening of my mind to a lot of new and exciting sites that I had no idea of before I started and how the web is infiltrating into every small area of our lives.
I have marvelled at the time that some must have to create and then get published in whatever format they wish - Oh how I wish I had some of their time to do all I would like to! It certainly wouldn't involve sitting at the computer for hours on end!
I think Wikis have the biggest potential for libraries right at this moment, but I believe a lot of what we have learnt will eventually become the norm!
I have enjoyed it all, and will definitely go back and explore image generators some more. The artistic side of me is fascinated by these!
Thanks to all for the experience - I have bookmarked the Learning 2.1 site and would like to have some time after the festive season to continue playing and searching and on that note, I shall wish you all the very best for the festive season and 2008! Bring on the rains and the crops!
Monday, December 3, 2007
Sunday, December 2, 2007
YouTube & Pod Casts
Well, it has taken a little while, but I am back here and determined to finish tonight! Had another quick look at YouTube - the kids had already introduced me to some of its pleasures.
I like the way it suggests other videos of the same genre - helps if you are not quite sure what you are looking for. There must be thousands and millions of videos there just waiting for someone to find them! and one wonders why on earth some have even bothered.
A personal favourite of mine is the following
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c22JCnMiq4
It is about a young lady who has become a Life member of Weight Watchers, so it sort of blended in my 2 work interests!
I guess with a library perspective, the scene could be set for staff to make videos for patrons - how to............, book reviews, etc, etc
I guess for me the biggest downside is the playing quality - I wish we had better internet facilities at home! Quicker, Faster, Clearer and on and on...........
Again with Pod casts, the time taken to search has been a little prohibitive, but I did find a song sung by Jean Nidetch the founder of Weight Watchers! Pretty crummy really! The fact that the normal person can actually put something on here is pretty mind blowing and I guess for libraries this is another great way of communicating with the public in a way that the young ones can identify with and this is where we have to start if we want to see our libraries moving into the future.
I do like searchng by tags! Only problem is when i want to tag something - I run out of word ideas!!!! I had audio issues with podcasts, so have not been able to include a feed.
I like the way it suggests other videos of the same genre - helps if you are not quite sure what you are looking for. There must be thousands and millions of videos there just waiting for someone to find them! and one wonders why on earth some have even bothered.
A personal favourite of mine is the following
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5c22JCnMiq4
It is about a young lady who has become a Life member of Weight Watchers, so it sort of blended in my 2 work interests!
I guess with a library perspective, the scene could be set for staff to make videos for patrons - how to............, book reviews, etc, etc
I guess for me the biggest downside is the playing quality - I wish we had better internet facilities at home! Quicker, Faster, Clearer and on and on...........
Again with Pod casts, the time taken to search has been a little prohibitive, but I did find a song sung by Jean Nidetch the founder of Weight Watchers! Pretty crummy really! The fact that the normal person can actually put something on here is pretty mind blowing and I guess for libraries this is another great way of communicating with the public in a way that the young ones can identify with and this is where we have to start if we want to see our libraries moving into the future.
I do like searchng by tags! Only problem is when i want to tag something - I run out of word ideas!!!! I had audio issues with podcasts, so have not been able to include a feed.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Web based apps & 43 Things
Have signed in to Zoho and promptly lost the page I was working on! I loved the emoticons, but there weren't enough for me! I like to try and express emotions as I write and they were cute!
I don't think Zoho or Google apps will take over my love for Office applications at this stage as my Internet is so slow that whenever I tried to make a correction or change something, I was able to make another cup of coffee while I waited for it to load! I am now floating in a caffeine induced coma and really should be in bed!
I started out looking at the winners of the visual arts section of Web 2.0, but they were a little beyond me, so I went to 43 Things. I think this is a site for me - I need to set some goals and be able to mark them off - the first one is to stop procrastinating, the next to clean out my wardrobe and be really ruthless and the third would be to start spring cleaning the house!
Then again a fantastic saying that I found in a magazine yesterday is
Sewing Forever
Housework Whenever
Perhaps I should follow that motto and get on with my stitching. No - time for bed and a think about what goals I could enter into 43 things - there's my stamp collection, my photos, my knitting, my garden...............(what garden!?) my ...............
I don't think Zoho or Google apps will take over my love for Office applications at this stage as my Internet is so slow that whenever I tried to make a correction or change something, I was able to make another cup of coffee while I waited for it to load! I am now floating in a caffeine induced coma and really should be in bed!
I started out looking at the winners of the visual arts section of Web 2.0, but they were a little beyond me, so I went to 43 Things. I think this is a site for me - I need to set some goals and be able to mark them off - the first one is to stop procrastinating, the next to clean out my wardrobe and be really ruthless and the third would be to start spring cleaning the house!
Then again a fantastic saying that I found in a magazine yesterday is
Sewing Forever
Housework Whenever
Perhaps I should follow that motto and get on with my stitching. No - time for bed and a think about what goals I could enter into 43 things - there's my stamp collection, my photos, my knitting, my garden...............(what garden!?) my ...............
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Another week and a look at Wikis
I was supposed to be looking at Wikis, but as I usually do before I get stuck into the weeks work, I have a browse around other blogs and things! If you have ever wondered what exactly is going on in your brain, then you could use this extremely useful tool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
brainscannr
Not sure that the brain activity portrayed me in a positive light, but it was fun to enter other's names!
Finally explored Wikis and I can see fantastic potential there for libraries. This is perhaps the one thing we have learned about that really has a place in our libraries NOW.
A Wiki for a specific area (ie ILL, children's services, BOW, etc)- all librarians have ideas on what could be done - instead of waiting for a meeting, instead of talking one-one, a wiki would unite all the librarians from the different 7 distant branches and allow pooling of ideas before the actual meeting, less phone calls, less shared emails and less mixing up of ideas, - perhaps less meeting hours wasted in sharing ideas - it has already been done and all that is needed is the decisions to be made! Dream on.............
As we approach the building of our new Library within the Community Hub, think how fantastic it would be to have an Echuca Wiki! It could be started by the library, added to as we find different attractions, services etc, etc and then I am sure that the community (great marketing would be needed) could basically take over and add as much or as little as they require.
On holiday and need a doctor? I'm sure visitors would love to leave their positive and negative comments.
Need a church service time - have a look at the Echuca Wiki! All the churches would have access and it would be up to them to update their own changes and services - too much for one person to co ordinate, but able to be collaborated on via a Wiki. I guess control would be an issue, but if identity checks were used as I saw on some sites, hten this could be alleviated.
In words that I read somewhere today!! -.........at their best, they can become true community resources that can position the library as an online hub of their local community.
Travelled to the Peanut Butter Quickie (PBWiki for those still not there - although I fail to see why you aren't as I am so far behind) and I'm pretty sure my Blog is now officially there as #3 for our library!
brainscannr
Not sure that the brain activity portrayed me in a positive light, but it was fun to enter other's names!
Finally explored Wikis and I can see fantastic potential there for libraries. This is perhaps the one thing we have learned about that really has a place in our libraries NOW.
A Wiki for a specific area (ie ILL, children's services, BOW, etc)- all librarians have ideas on what could be done - instead of waiting for a meeting, instead of talking one-one, a wiki would unite all the librarians from the different 7 distant branches and allow pooling of ideas before the actual meeting, less phone calls, less shared emails and less mixing up of ideas, - perhaps less meeting hours wasted in sharing ideas - it has already been done and all that is needed is the decisions to be made! Dream on.............
As we approach the building of our new Library within the Community Hub, think how fantastic it would be to have an Echuca Wiki! It could be started by the library, added to as we find different attractions, services etc, etc and then I am sure that the community (great marketing would be needed) could basically take over and add as much or as little as they require.
On holiday and need a doctor? I'm sure visitors would love to leave their positive and negative comments.
Need a church service time - have a look at the Echuca Wiki! All the churches would have access and it would be up to them to update their own changes and services - too much for one person to co ordinate, but able to be collaborated on via a Wiki. I guess control would be an issue, but if identity checks were used as I saw on some sites, hten this could be alleviated.
In words that I read somewhere today!! -.........at their best, they can become true community resources that can position the library as an online hub of their local community.
Travelled to the Peanut Butter Quickie (PBWiki for those still not there - although I fail to see why you aren't as I am so far behind) and I'm pretty sure my Blog is now officially there as #3 for our library!
Friday, November 2, 2007
I know - I was going to bed, but...............
It's quite addictive isn't it! I found a handle generator and wondered what my new handle could be - when "Peeping Quickly" was offered, all I could think about was the many hours I have consumed "peeping quickly" at everyone else's blogs! It seemed so apt!
Have a look and see if you can get yourself one
http://nine.frenchboys.net/handle.php
I also saw Valeie giving her blog a fancy heading, so had to join the fun - I love the Glitteratzi machine and my pink carnation glittering heading!
Have a look and see if you can get yourself one
http://nine.frenchboys.net/handle.php
I also saw Valeie giving her blog a fancy heading, so had to join the fun - I love the Glitteratzi machine and my pink carnation glittering heading!
Technorati and Thoughts on Library 2.0
Have had a bit of a search on Technorati, but time has meant that it has been shorter than I would have liked! It looks to be a good tool for searching Blogs, as I had already tried this on "Blogger" but had difficulty finding anything other than pornographic blogs - there seem to be plenty of those! At least Technorati allows you to search in a couple of different ways to find Blogs with a similar interest base.
Library 2.0 is a little scary when you think that there is to be a new library built within the next couple of years and probably based on the libraries of yore. Who knows what the libraries of tomorrow and 2.0 will look like and how we can change what we already have to encompass what I see as a huge revolution.
Rick Anderson talks of the "just in case" collection - and we have one of those!
He also talks of our reliance on user education. This is a massive undertaking and there has to be some way of educating in the areas we are learning about so that everyone is on the same wave length and can use the ever increasing, mind blowing tools that are popping up daily. Just to get Librarians educated is a huge undertaking, let alone trying to teach my mother!
He also talks about the "come to us" model of the library and we have just seen a great example of this not being our only model on the local level with the introduction of the YourTutor website for our students. Sure they have to be a member of the library, but they can access this marvellous tool from their own homes.
Must be time for bed or some embroidery! Oh God is that the time! I knew I had spent a lot of time investigating others blogs, but this is ridiculous! Good night!
Library 2.0 is a little scary when you think that there is to be a new library built within the next couple of years and probably based on the libraries of yore. Who knows what the libraries of tomorrow and 2.0 will look like and how we can change what we already have to encompass what I see as a huge revolution.
Rick Anderson talks of the "just in case" collection - and we have one of those!
He also talks of our reliance on user education. This is a massive undertaking and there has to be some way of educating in the areas we are learning about so that everyone is on the same wave length and can use the ever increasing, mind blowing tools that are popping up daily. Just to get Librarians educated is a huge undertaking, let alone trying to teach my mother!
He also talks about the "come to us" model of the library and we have just seen a great example of this not being our only model on the local level with the introduction of the YourTutor website for our students. Sure they have to be a member of the library, but they can access this marvellous tool from their own homes.
Must be time for bed or some embroidery! Oh God is that the time! I knew I had spent a lot of time investigating others blogs, but this is ridiculous! Good night!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Del.icio.us
Have had a look at Del.icio.us and can see some major benefits of having this installed - particularly for those who search a lot at home and would like an easy way to access favourite sites for updates at work and vice versa.
I had a little trouble installing the buttons, but when I went back to have another go, I decided to install them using the Yahoo tool bar and everything went like clockwork. It will take a little while to get some of my favourite sites on there and I guess we will have to install the buttons on the library computers, but at least whenever Damien decides to do something to the work stations at work, we won't lose all our Bookmarks and they will all be accessible on whichever computer we are needing to use at any one time. I am thinking that we will all have to use the buttons that have been set up on the library workstations - another user name and password!!!
Perhaps they could be used on the library website in some way - I am really not up with all the technicalities there!
I had a little trouble installing the buttons, but when I went back to have another go, I decided to install them using the Yahoo tool bar and everything went like clockwork. It will take a little while to get some of my favourite sites on there and I guess we will have to install the buttons on the library computers, but at least whenever Damien decides to do something to the work stations at work, we won't lose all our Bookmarks and they will all be accessible on whichever computer we are needing to use at any one time. I am thinking that we will all have to use the buttons that have been set up on the library workstations - another user name and password!!!
Perhaps they could be used on the library website in some way - I am really not up with all the technicalities there!
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