#23 I made it!

Can't quite believe that I've managed to fit all this in and make it to 23! It has been worthwhile to become familiar with all the amazing array of programs and applications that are out there, however I did feel that I was racing most of the time to fit it all in and that I have only skimmed across the surface of many of the programs that are out there. There is no way I would have completed the exercises if I had done it all in work time, work commitments plus program time simply don't add up. This needs to be factored in into any future similar programs, as people who don't have access to the internet at home, and there are still some who don't, are at a distinct disadvatage in this regard. I also often found it easier to concentrate at home ( no interuputions) than at work. Some of the instructions for how to complete the excersises were a bit hard to follow at times and I know that you're all really busy trying to keep up with all we've completed, however it would be helpful for future programs if the instructions could be looked at to make sure they are logical and easy to follow before the program commences.

I will make time to go back and look at some of the programs I didn't have time to play with enough as there are some like bloglines and delicious which I think will make my virtual life easier. Ebooks, podcasts, a youth services wiki and a blog where kids and adults can talk about books they've read and enjoyed are all things which I think could enhance our library service.

I reiterate what I said in an earlier post that Libraries have to be very careful that they are using technology because it will enhance our services and be useful for our customers not because it's wizz bang and hey aren't we better than everyone else because we have this. We do need to and are reaching out to users who don't want or need to come to a physical building and many of the tools we have looked at in web 2.0 are things which will attract these users. We still need to have programs which are physical not virtual.

There must be a balance between what new services we want to provide and what current services we continue to offer. Continually adding without reassessing the time commitment leads to staff who are stressed and skimming across the top of the information they are trying to absorb without really taking it all in. As we value customers so we also need to value staff and makes sure they have the time to provide the best service for the community. In conclusion thank you and I hope there's still a job out there in the future for a physical not just a virtual librarian!

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#21 Podcasts

Had a look at podcast, yahoo podcast and podcastalley and they seem very music orientated. Did find a couple of library references but nothing startling. I did add enough rope to my bloglines account but not from searching on any of the above lists as it was much easier to pick it up from the ABC website and I think this maybe true of a lot of feeds for podcasts. The problem with podcasts in the library is that we have so much security on our pcs that getting access could be tricky. Podcasts for book reviews and from author talks and booktalks would be good, particularly for popular authors where the sessions book out. That way those who can't come could listen to the podcast of the event.

#22 Ebooks

Jumping ahead here as I only have dial up at home and can't listen to podcasts without it stopping and starting as it tries to work. So podcasts will have to wait till I'm at work. I can see a huge place in libraries for Ebooks. Isn't this what we are all about, providing access to books 24 hours a day! The idea of it disappearing from your mp3 player once the download time has expired is brilliant. No more agro borrowers with overdues! This is also a great way to access books no longer in print, much easier than interlibrary loans and I can see that this would be a way to free up more library space if all the books we hold in stacks could be easily accessed as ebooks we would no longer need to keep them as hard copy. I think ebooks can complement hard copy collections and I don't see the ebooks taking over completely because it is still much nicer to relax with a hard copy than an ebook. But for research purposes and those hard to find hard copy books I think this is wonderful. We already to some degree do use ebooks when you think about our access to britannica on line and also some of the reference encyclopedias which we access via databases. I can see that a lot of our reference materials would work well as ebooks

I can also see a place for Mp3 audio books, particularly as tapes are on there way out and this will provide another format for those who want to listen to a book.

#20 Youtube - Graham Kennedy

Youtube hmm! You could spend days looking at all the fascinating videos on this site and still feel that you hadn't made much headway. I must admit it was great finding graham Kennedy footage on youtube and some of our staff will attest that i was laughing out loud. He really was the king. Apart from the fun side of youtube I'm finding it hard to envisage how it really has much relevance for libraries.

#19 Web 2.0 tools

I had a look at realtravel which is a travel site which pulls together information on any destination you care to name. I like the things to do tab which puts travel into categories such as activities you like doing eg beach, shopping or travel style e.g adventure or family. That way you can choose a style which appeals and limit your search but bring up places from all over the world. You can also obviously search by a particular destination. You can compare prices for air fares and accomodation. There is also a forum where you can ask travel questions like what are the best travel shoes and people using the site can post answers. It's really a one stop travel spot and I can see would be a useful site to recommend to all our lonely planet, rough guide and fodors users.

#18 Zoho writer

Had a look at Zoho writer and I've managed to publish a document to my blog. It's come through rather large but it's there so that's a start in the right direction! I still think I prefer word for creating documents but maybe that's because I'm not as familiar with Zoho. I can see it would be useful to be able to use the web for groups of people to be all seeing and editing the same document and saves you sending it backwards and forwards to each other. Would have been quite useful the other day when I was editing a literature review for my daughter and had to save and then resend the document to her.

Garden of Delights book talk

 

Garden of Delights                                  A special talk about author and landscape Gardener                                       Edna Walling                                                                    Thursday 1st November                                               7pm                               Hawthorn Library                             584 Glenferrie Road                              Hawthorn                               Session is free but bookings are essential