Christmas cheer at Lawson Library

The children have loved decorating the Christmas tree with baubles on their visit to the library.
Believe it or not children and adults have got a thrill out of seeing the staff in their Christmas gear

Social networks

Still find it hard to believe the extent of social networking. Until now I thought (and I hadn't really given it much thought) that Facebook and MySpace were for the younger generation wanting to keep up with friends. Me, well I like to have a coffee or a meal to catch up with friends but then if your friends are far away I expect these networks are a good option. We've read that a website is not enough to attract attention online these days and social networking reaches a wide community,plus participants can contribute so it's no wonder that libraries and museums are using these opportunities. I thought the Rotorua Public Library on Bebo was colourful and interesting...I can't imagine us having enough staff to maintain a site like this but who knows in the future.
After the initial trauma I've enjoyed the experience of Learning 2.0 so thank you for this opportunity.I'm pleased that I have learnt lots and will continue to learn.

This is cute...

Google Docs, Zoho

On the very day I was learning about Google Docs a customer was unable to open his file on his floppy disk (you might ask why are people still using floppies!). At least he confessed that he was the one to damage the disk. I was chuffed to be able to tell him about Google Docs (as if I'd known about it for yonks). I created a document in Google Docs and shared it with nswpln. I won't have use for GD myself at work but it will be great to tell the customers about it. Perhaps I won't see anymore floppies left behind in public pcs. If I'm out and about without my USB then I will certainly use GD. Google Docs is easy to use.
It took forever to set up an account in Zoho on my staff pc, it was just so slow, most likely because it was lunchtime and staff were at it. I also tried Zoho from the public pc and was able to invite Vanessa to a meeting...no signing in to my usual email.

Mashups

I had no idea what a mashup was so was glad to learn that Google maps is one. How easy was it for me to create a map image from Big huge labs but alarmed to know that it is so easy to produce your own photo ID. I've included in the map some of the places I visited on my recent overseas holiday. Local studies and tourism could use Google Maps mashup, and libraries could use Big huge labs for publicity and displays. I've also added another example of a mashup, taken from my own picture of Quincy Markets in Boston (stamp) and a photo that I had on Flickr of our spring display at Lawson Library (poster).

Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com

Podcasts and Audio update

Today I have had more success in accessing podcasts on Library Success wiki on the public pc...
Online Education Database has lots of courses to offer and I hate to admit that downloading to some is a test of one's patience and obviously I don't have enough. Would be different if I intended to do the course. Like lots of technology the quality varies, and with at least 2 I had difficulty with the sound.

Podcasts and Audio

I looked at OCLS Podcasts, LibVibe (depressing with all the library cuts) and Denver Public Library (much more fun with nursery rhymes and Peter Rabbit stories). Currently listening to extracts from the new Evelyn Waugh CD from the British Library. Oops, must get back from lunch and back to my customers...but so far so good.
Checked out ABC and listened to some Wendy Harmer and Angela Catterns, also Richard Glover. This is all new and exciting to me and when we get our home pc (it now has a virus too)back from the computer guys I'll probably be tempted to listen to some of my favourite radio shows. What a great idea podcasts are. Couldn't listen on my staff pc though and that was after 5pm so I expect IT restrictions there. Also no luck on the public pc with most of the podcasts that I tried from Library Success wiki. ABC still my favourite. Oral histories, what's on at the library, and author talks should work on podcasts but with IT restrictions I'd be wary about staff in house use.

Back to Technorati

Thought I'd give Technorati another attempt and try again to claim my blog but Technorati is experiencing "backend issues". I think I can cope without completing this.

Norah Jones to soothe the training...

Answer boards and social searching

The "exemplary answers" section of Answer Board Librarians wiki certainly didn't include any of the average questions that I get asked in my part time branch. Were some of those requests serious? Will I remember to use this site or try the State Library Ask Now. Customers might like to make comments on our "new titles" contents...if we could just get them to participate. I posted a question on Yahoo!7 Answers but don't know that I will even check for an answer. I found Yahoo!7Answers site disappointing.

On the downhill run now...

LibraryThing

LibraryThing is amazing although I am only new to it and have lots more to discover. I've created my own account and added some books to my library. I'd like to add all my own books to this but that would take a while i.e. sorting out my bookshelves at home! I could buy a CueCat barcode scanner to enter my books quickly...oh my goodness it would be just like being at work.

Jill's farewell

Library staff and a coupla freeloaders (not pictured here) bid farewell to Jill after 13 years on the team. We'll miss Jill at the library but just have to catch up with coffees and dinners. I wonder whether Jill and James made it to the concert in time...

Back to Flickr

Thanks to Hillbilling Blogging I can now see my photos on Flickr and Technorati. I obviously missed that earlier comment that you have to load 5 photos onto Flickr before they display. Just goes to show how beneficial it is to discuss this training with a colleague. So hang in there you other staff who mainly work by yourselves.

Technorati

Looked up "bookmobile" as suggested. Got the same results from the keyword search and advanced search so then tried the tag search in the advanced search and received different results. Likewise happened for "nswpln2008". None of my photos there though but then my photos aren't public on flickr even though I've elected for them to be.

Del.icio.us

I've set up my del.icio.us account and put a link to my blog. I'm thinking how many bookmarks do I need personally? I hope when I 've completed this training or even as I'm going through it that I'll be able to link more relevant sites. I can see how useful del.icio.us would be for reference purposes and have a particular customer in mind who might find this valuable (ie if she doesn't already know about it)

More Videos online

Here's another video that I embedded, this time from Google video...Tim Bowden talk from Mosman Library which I enjoyed. Since watching the better quality/more professional videos under the Explore section of this week... oral histories, library building projects, staff orientations, guides to using library services, book reviews and exhibitions I am a convert. Great future in libraries for staff orientations and book talks eg The Dr Dyl Show.

Videos online

I had no idea that there were so many free videos out there to view. They are an optometrist's dream! The quality of some is questionable and some take forever to download if at all. What is the difference between You Tube and Google video? We love our NJ libraries and QandANJ were good quality. I did take a look at a couple from the SLNSW and Tamworth Library.Take a look at the one I embedded from YouTube...

More Wikis

Also looked at Wisconsin Heritage Wiki and Book Lovers Wiki and I can see that Wiki can be excellent for certain projects, sharing information and organising functions as long as access is managed. I think a well managed procedure manual on wiki is a good use of wiki (just look at BMCL). Not too sure yet whether it's best to have Book Reviews in libraries on a blog or wiki ... I've enjoyed looking at this Wiki session and found the Possible Next Generation Catalogs appealing eg Walmart and SL of Tasmania. Customers will love them but will the cataloguers. Just contributed to the NSW learning 2.0 wiki in the Branch Librarian section.

Wikis

I'm onto Wikis now...I would have found the Blogging libraries wiki link useful in Week 4 too. Sutherland, Mosman, Leichhardt(Local History) and Yarra Plenty are a few of the Australian libraries found there. I liked the layout of the Mosman blog. Couldn't not look at the Antioch Uni procedure manual on wiki now that I'm a NH fan. I took notice of their Attitude entry but our new procedure manual is more impressive. Moving to the SJCPL Subject Guides wiki I got carried away with the Local Family and History entry - found Ancestry online there just like we have at BMCL. Also looked at News and Currents Events. Did you know(or need to know)that Shane Gould, Dawn Fraser, Mitzi Gaynor and Mary Renault were all born on 4 September! Recreation and Fitness allowed me to view the new gardening books on their shelves and I could pick up some gardening tips too. If I was going to write my life story then I'd look under Books and keep my journal on a blog. Internet is so so slow this afternoon, it's almost not happening. Onto Wookieepedia now which would be a must for all Star Wars lovers. Interested to see that under Good Articles (these adhere to quality standards) there are only 270 good articles out of 59,169 articles. What does that tell me!

RSS news feed

Adding a news feed to my blog has tormented me for a few days. I know it was an optional extra but I just couldn't give in. Merryjack gave me (in between customers) a coupla clues and then after a bit more torture and the customers had left for home I successfully added ABC NEWS: Just In.

RSS feed

http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com.au%2Fblogsearch_feeds%3Fhl%3Den%26q%3Dmegalong%2Bbooks%2Bleura%26ie%3Dutf-8%26output%3Datom

Okay, so this worked from Google Reader but not from my feeds on Bloglines. Can anyone help me here please?

RSS feed

http://www.bloglines.com/myblogs_display?sub=73380657&site=14288295
This hasn't worked.. I'll have to master this activity.

RSS feed

http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/imageservices/

More RSS

I didn't find the Bloglines Quick Picks very useful, not did I have success in finding too many library blogs. I wanted to add Mid Mountains Community News site but that like so many other sites didn't have RSS feeds. This one would have been useful in my work to keep me upto date on local happenings. Still, I expect I'll add more useful feeds as I get further into this technology.

RSS

I didn't know what RSS was so this was all new to me. I've now watched the YouTube introduction twice and asked our splendid Support Services librarian if I was heading in the right direction. Now I've added at least 5 RSS feeds to my bloglines account and I think I could get addicted. No I won't, as I do have customers to attend to and a husband who doesn't want me glued to a pc when I go home. I've added feeds including the Powerhouse Museum's picture of the day(this one I will try to look at regularly),ABC News:Top Stories, Eastman NH, Living in Vancouver,The Root and a few others. Some I will delete when I've looked at them again if I think they're not worth keeping. As much as it was fun subscribing it was also time consuming checking the sites out and getting carried away! I've looked at so much more on the Internet since I began this training. (is this a good sign?!) For libraries I think the use of this technology for promoting our services, book reviews and events would be great.I'm sure there are customers out there who would love it. I have now added blogs from Sutherland and Rockdale Libraries. Rockdale is similar set up to our Readers in the Mist although without the humour! I must agree with other comments that Sutherland has clear tabs, the blue on white with blue tones is fresh looking, almost ocean like (for where they are situated).

Fairmont Resort, Victoria, Vancouver Island

High tea at the Empress Fairmont in Victoria, Vancouver Island was worth every cent!

Covered bridge, New Hampshire

This is one of the many covered bridges that we saw while we were visiting the beautiful New Hampshire, USA. This one is very close to where we were staying in Lebanon, NH. (Yes, you've read correctly, Lebanon)

Boston Duck Tour

This has been quite a journey and now I hope I've got it.

Vancouver Public Library

Vancouver Public Library

Tricky little Flickr! I had more luck posting a picture from Flickr just now whereas on Friday I had to resort to entering the URL.The difference being that today's photo of the HUGE VPL was from my camera and and saved to My Photostream on Flickr. Friday's photo of the Boston Duck Tour was from Flickr. I'll try again...

Boston Duck Tour

When recently in Boston I went on a Duck Tour to see the many wonderful sights of Boston. The tour also takes the "bus" into the Charles River which is a bit of an adventure and some fun. There's supposed to be a photo here but I haven't been successful in posting a picture from Flickr. I'll try again!

Boston

I had some quiet times today (was it the cold weather or the Olympics to watch or Childrens' Book Week parades to attend?) so I was able to have a look at Technorati. Checked out some of the sites under politics and libraries. Gosh, there's heaps there. Looking at a posting about Boston reminded me of the wonderful time I had there in June this year. A place filled with history, friendly people and I was rather keen for my daughter to study there so that we'd have an excuse to visit again!

I'm just discovering this blog stuff as part of the Learning 2.0 program although prior to the program I have checked out our Blue Mountains Library blog, our library manager's blog and the Mid Mountains Neighbourhood Centre Community News & Events site. This week I've looked at the examples given to us of other library blogs - Southern Tablelands (which interested me because I love that region), Sutherland (bright and clear) - country versus city here! By the time I complete this training I plan to be more confident and more convinced that there's a real need for all these tools.