Week 12

Social networking...and completion of Learning 2.0!

First, considering possibilities for the library re using social networking for client interaction, marketing, and networking opportunities - this seems to be such a rich area for development, all centring around creating a virtual community. I was impressed by the article on Seb Chan's blog (developing Josh Bernoff's chart), as it listed the options for listening and learning (eg from library customers, other libraries, and professional networks); for talking (eg to our clients); for promoting our services through a social online presence; and for energising the library community and generally creating a 'buzz' about libraries.

I feel my library could use social networking in 2 main ways: to engage with niche communities (as done by Coshocton Library's 'Animanga Club' on MySpace)- such as children or teens; and also more generally to provide a bridge to the library, as done by the ALA's MySpace page and Rotorua's Bebo - eg providing a means of contact, promotion, updates, blog highlights, discussion and interaction etc etc

Finally, as this is my last week in Learning 2.0, I would like to express my thanks to the Public Libraries staff facilitating this program. I've really learnt a lot.

Week 11

Hi again. Week 11 and we're covering online applications and tools.

I have created a 'Google doc' and shared it as instructed with the good people at NSW Public Libraries who're supporting us in this Learning 2.0 course - I hope it arrived safely!

It's easy to see the advantages of tools such as 'Google docs' and 'Zoho' for ease of collaboration and sharing - perhaps especially on complex projects with multiple collaborators. In my job, involving children's work, I can see possibilities re preparing programs for promotions, book week etc with the children's librarian and other members of the team (potentially saving a lot of time in meetings!). In the public library context, I can also see the advantage for customers of being able to access their documents online from any computer with internet connection.

I looked at 'Zamzar' (great for converting files without having to download software), and then 'Slideshare' - how good to be able to share Powerpoint presentations and slidecasts! Could well save reinventing the wheel! For example, I found slideshows such as 'RSS at your library' (practical ways librarians and libraries can use RSS), examples of library orientations, and even a slideshow on the history and future of libraries (great to use in preparing a general interest community outreach talk, or something similar).

Week 10

This week - mashups. I'd never heard of them before - but what amazing tools these provide! I used the 'motivator' tool from 'Big huge labs' to assemble a promotional library poster (see below).

The major applications of mashups I can see for libraries would mainly involve promotion and/or mapping. The options for quickly, easily, and cheaply producing professional-looking promotional material (leaflets, posters, bookmarks etc)are really mind-boggling. For example, I noticed 'Big huge labs' provides tools such as the 'Warholizer'- which turns digital photos into pop art images - and the 'Hockneyizer' - producing collages in the style of David Hockney - not to mention mosaic makers, jigsaw puzzle makers, and so on. All of these tools enable high-quality graphic effects for any promotional material the library might require.

I looked at the British Library's 'London: a life in google maps' (a virtual exhibition charting the city's history via maps and associated text), and also 'Voicethread' (which, as noted, might have local studies and /or virtual exhibition applications). I can see how these might have library applications (especially in an academic library context). And of course, all library systems could take advantage of a tool such as the 'public library finder', to ensure our customers can find us!

As a worker in a public library system, though, I have to say that it is the possibilities that mashups provide for promotional material that has really excited me.

Week 9

Podcasts and vodcasts...Wow! What a range of resources presented by this technology, and its significance in circumventing the traditional restrictions of broadcasting (for both producers and consumers).

Via British Library, I listened to a talk about Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop, and then via the ABC, listened to a report on Australia's best loved play competition. The podcasts linked to the 'Library Success' wiki were an inspiration - I sampled author talks, teen webcasts, library tours, book reviews, and even a 'new books in the school library' session!

I also visited the 'Online education database', and was impressed by the range of resources (tertiary level)in various disciplines, from prestigious universities such as MIT and Stanford.

I can certainly see a wide range of library applications, including professional networking, library promotion, author talks, user education and library tours, staff training/induction, and more. As a library officer who's done a lot of children's work in her career, I'm particularly impressed by the ability of pod/vodcasts to 'capture' storytelling performances and make them available beyond the library walls. I remember back in the 80's wanting to share a performance at a children's book week conference in another city that I couldn't attend - I had all the effort of arranging for a Council media person to video my performance, which was then sent to the conference, which then had to be timetabled in to a schedule to ensure it would be seen (and I'm sure some attendees would have missed it). With podcasting - problem solved!!

Week 8

Answer boards and social searching - I checked out the exemplary answers on the 'Answer Board Librarians Wiki', and can readily discern the quality responses one would expect from librarians eg they provide an authoritative source and its web address if appropriate; identify themselves as librarians; refer people to local libraries, and highlight the library's myriad services and resources (including online reference services). It's easy to see the importance of librarians being proactive and maintaining and developing a presence in the 2.0 environment.

I suppose 'slamming the boards' can be seen as an extension of modern reference services (as well as a promotional/awareness exercise). My library (Wollongong City) offers an email-based reference service, but it would be good to develop and/or participate in an answer board project, facilitating as it does the social dimension. Multiple users could benefit from an answer, and there is so much scope for further interactivity (eg comments, voting).

I posted an answer on 'Yahoo! 7 Answers', answering a question regarding finding a poem that demonstrated the quality of euphony. I found a good article and example (Tennyson's 'The Lotos-Eaters') in Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (in a library database) - and made sure I gave the source - and mentioned the library! - in my response.

Week 7

Hello again. Week 7 - del.icio.us, tagging, folksonomies, LibraryThing, and Technorati - a big week! I did the del.icio.us exercise, and happily found it quite straightforward. Set up an account (http://delicious.com/missemerald) and posted 2 bookmarks to it - one to this blog, and another to 'Faith and Theology' (a blog I read regularly). Initially, I didn't understand that to use 2 words or more for one tag you need to combine them without a space (eg nswstatelibrary), but once I got this right I was happy with my tags.

I then explored Technorati and LibraryThing. I was impressed by the advanced search capability on Technorati (keyword, URL, tag), and am now tempted to use LibraryThing to organise my somewhat chaotic home library!

To me, the striking thing about all these tools is their profoundly social nature. Yes, they have other benefits (eg accessing your bookmarks from any computer via del.icio.us), but it seems to me that the overriding advantage they offer is various forms of sharing and collaboration with others (eg is easy to see how libraries can use del.icio.us to assist users in accessing quality sites, and also how different libraries can share their discoveries with each other).

Week 6

Week 6 - video time! As you can see, I managed (finally!) to embed a favourite YouTube video - this beautiful cat Duslo reminds me of my beloved Mista Petie Schweets, another British Blue shorthair, who sadly died aged 16 in 2008. RIP my beloved boy.

I did find this adventure a little difficult. The challenge in embedding the video was that I couldn't get the entire address to copy to my blog entry - I eventually did it using a tip from one of the other students (ie via using the 'more share options' path). I also found that the layout template I originally selected for my blog meant that the size of the video screen, when embedded in my blog, only allowed part of the video to be seen (some was cut off). So I selected a new layout template, and also played around with new colours for my blog (text and background) at the same time!

As instructed, I also viewed a range of videos on YouTube and Google video, including the 'We love our NJ libraries' clip (excellent promotional material for a library). It is easy to see the many uses of video in the library environment eg oral history from members of the local community; documenting library buildings, layouts, and events; staff orientation and training; library user education; and marketing/promotion.

Week 5

Learning 2.0 week 5 and wikis! This seems to be an exciting and controversial area, perhaps because it challenges so many traditional concepts regarding information creation and publication.

I looked at a number of wikis, including the following:-

Book Lovers wiki (Princeton Public Library)

This is a library wiki centred on the Princeton Library's Summer Reading Club for adults. It seems a great idea for promoting reading - the wiki is an excellent medium for sharing book reviews and responding to others' reviews - the closest thing to a cyber book club! It is well-designed (naturally - being a library site!) eg with an index (by genre) to reviews.

Wookieepedia (the Star Wars wikipedia)

Wow! This is a world unto itself - very much a wiki for a specific community (of fans!) When I viewed the site (31/3/09) there were 65, 759 articles listed. It was easy to use, with options such as search, featured articles, and view recent edits.

It was also interesting to note a very real concern with quality issues eg a system of rating articles (by a panel of Wookieepedians known as the 'Inquisitorius'), as well as a category for articles that need to be expanded/require further work.

The Full Library Success: a best practices wiki

This wiki is good for sharing ideas re library best practice in a range of areas eg readers' advisory, reference, promotions, services to specific groups, and technology. It represents a great range of resources - I loved the 'Display' ideas (under 'Selling your library'), especially the 'Banned Books'! The site was very intuitive to use, navigate, locate help, etc.

Re the hands-on exercise for this week - contributing to a wiki - I added my thoughts on working as a branch librarian to the NSW Learning 2.0 wiki. Wouldn't have believed it could be that easy!

Week 4

Week 4 of the Learning 2.0 programe - and I'm pleased to say that subscribing to the RSS feeds was the most straightforward exercise I've undertaken so far!

I added the following 5 sites to the RSS reader:-

• Librarybytes (Helene Blowers' blog)
• ABC News: Entertainment
• Statistically Speaking (ABS for librarians)
• Faith and theology (Ben Myers' blog)
• Powerhouse Museum's photo of the day blog

I can certainly see the advantages of RSS, in terms of 'pushing' newly available information to you, rather than compelling you to waste time searching for it. I do note, however, the concerns of other participants in Learning 2.0 regarding the masses of information that can result (and our inability to process such a never-ending avalanche of new data). I suppose the best solution is to be as discriminating as possible in one's choice of sites to which to subscribe....

In the library environment, I can certainly see the advantages of using RSS to ensure timely access to the latest developments in the field (perhaps especially via library technology sites, due to the pace of technological change). There is also the option of assisting readers of a library blog to access updates by advising them to subscribe via RSS, and assisting them in doing so!

Week 3 (library cat!)

library cat, originally uploaded by Lumi*.

I couldn't resist including this image of a 'library cat', having just read Dewey: a small-town library cat who touched the world by Vicki Myron. I adore cats!

This third week of the Learning 2.0 course has been a revelation - I hadn't previously ventured into the world of photo sharing. I can envisage library uses such as sharing images of library layouts, display and promotional ideas/events, competitions, and of course local history image collections....among others!

I did experience problems when attempting to use the Blogger photo upload tool - whatever I did, I ended up with a blank page (no photo!). After a couple of frustrating attempts, I proceeded using Flickr's blogging tool (and I'm hoping it's going to work!).

I was interested to note the group tagging guidelines set forward by the Libraries and Librarians Flickr group, which included mandatory, conditional, and optional tags. I imagine that with our backgrounds in cataloguing and indexing, most library staff would be quite attentive to (and proficient in) tagging!

I was also interested to note the advent and development of Creative Commons - the concept of less restrictive copyright seems more in tune with the new ways of working, networking, and interacting that have been engendered by the online environment.

Week 1- 2 (my first ever blog entry!)

Hi all.



Here I am about to commence my first ever blog attempt, as I begin the Learning 2.0 program. As a library officer working in a public library, I am very much aware of my need to come to grips with the world of 2.0. Lifelong learning for librarians has clearly been mandated by the relentless pace of technological change, with all its implications for the flow of information and our customers' existing and emerging informational needs.



To date, I have a limited familiarity with blogs, mainly encountering them when surfing the net exploring topics of personal interest. For example, I am interested in theology, and yesterday discover a great blog, Faith and theology (faith-theology.blogspot.com), written by a theological scholar. The strengths of a good blog seem to me to be currency, richness of content, and the bonus of varied and continuously changing material.



In the context of my library, a staff member has set up a blog for one of the library's book clubs. Moves are also underway to start a more general library blog, pitched at an adult client group. If effectively promoted, it would seem to be an excellent vehicle for highlighting promotional events, new developments, best sellers/new materials, and various services and collections. And of course, blogs allow us to get feedback from, and interaction with, our customers!



I have called my blog techno-treasure hunt because a personal aim for me in undertaking Learning 2.0 is to discover the 'jewels' of this new technology - the uses and applications that I find most valuable in my own work and life