Step - 23 Is this really the end? Or just the beginning ...

It's defiantly the beginning for me, new baby on the way...does this mean my blogging, myspace computer time will be eaten into by my little bambino or will I be able to juggle a laptop whilst changing nappies & breast feeding?

I've just spent a little time looking back over my blog an am impressed that I actually completed all of the steps from 1-23. The last few were of course spurred on by Karyn's shocking email informing me that Terrific Trev had only one step to go. Yes my ghastly competitive side crept out and coerced me to complete Library 2.0.

I enjoyed completing the 23 tasks and learnt about a few new things along the way. I really enjoyed making mashups and will surely use them again. I hope to see alot of this new technology come into play in library services soon. One downside is the endless need to login. I have made so many new accounts lately that I may never get back to as I won't be able to remeber all the passwords.

Overall I enjoyed the challenge, the competition and the computer time to blog on......

Step - 22 Audiobooks (or "The end is in sight ")

I couldn't work out how to become a member of Net Library, and probably wouldn't if I could. I did find out some info about the company though and it would probably be a good resource for a Library wanting to step into the future and have e-books/audio books available to borrowers.

Bayside already has e-books an no doubt is looking into the future of audio books. I don't think I would use them on a personal level as I would rather download an audio book onto my mp3 player and listen it away from the computer.

NetLibrary, is the leading platform for full-text digital content in libraries worldwide encompassing more than 130,000 eBooks, thousands of eAudiobooks, eJournals available to purchcase.

http://netlibrary.com/

Step -18 Web-based Apps: There not just for desktops

I have checked out Zoho Writer and believe it's a great tool as it can be accessed from any computer that connected to the Internet. There's no need to transfer your documents to a USB key or disc as they are save to the Internet based application.

"One large benefit to web-based applications it that they eliminate the need to worry about different software versions or file types as you email documents or move from PC to PC".

This would be very beneficial to computer using library patrons as sometimes patrons come in with documents produced at home that are not compatible with the software installed on the library computers.

http://writer.zoho.com/jsp/home.jsp?targetURL=%2Findex.do

Step 16 & 17 - Sandbox Wiki

I have looked at this exercise many times and am not sure how much I like the concept of wiki. The fact that anyone can add information to them doesn't really make them that accurate or factual.

So I'm going to move on and do the exercises:

• I have posted 2 of my favourite movies, "The Goonies" & "True Romance"

http://plcmclearning.pbwiki.com/Favorite%20Movie

• I have added my favourite tv show " 6ft Under", have you ever met a more sad sack family than the Fishers??

http://plcmclearning.pbwiki.com/Favorite%20TV%20show

• I have added my blog the favourites blog page so you know I've been there!

http://plcmclearning.pbwiki.com/Favorite-Blogs

21 - Podcasts, Smodcasts!

About 6 months ago every second person coming into Brighton Library to use the computers was asking about podcasts, how to download them and how to copy them on to their mp3 players. Bit of a nightmare really trying to explain that you couldn't save them to your ipod because you were not the owner of the itunes software installed on the computer. People just didn't get it, the owned an ipod so why couldn't they get their podcast onto the ipod? Not that easy to explain.

I noticed in this excercise that the 3 directories for locating podcasts are all American, can't help but think this is not relevant to me. Although it does show me where I can find podcasts on certain topics.

The yahoopodcasts, podcast.net and podcast alley sites are very user friendly and you can listen to podcasts immediately and also subscribe to future podcasts in the series.

I did a google search for Australian podcast directories and was happy to see there are alot of hits. So I decided to check out this site
http://www.podcastdirectory.com.au/

So the first 2 I chose to listen to were again American,trying not to get disheartened I clicked on the category Australia and got 8 podcasts including Channel 9 and jtv. Not really good enough for an Australian podcsat directory.

I haven't found a podcast that I am interested in enough to post on my site. I guess you can tell that I am not a huge podcast fan, I am more of a visual person, and like to look at the whole picture not just listen to learn. But that's just me, I prefer to read the information myself.

Anyway I may have lost site of what this exercise was actually about, so gonna finish up now.

Step 19 - Discovering Web 2.0 tools

I checked out a site called "43 Things"
http://www.43things.com/about/view/learn_more

Cool concept, "43 Things"is a site that encourages you to record and share 43 goals/aspirations with the rest of the world, no matter how trivial or unattainable. In general, vague goals are the most popular goals on 43 things. I suppose it's kinda hard to be specific to your life when you are sharing the list with millions of people who don't know you.

You can scroll through large lists of goals submitted by other users and add them to your own profile, or you can be spontaneous and think of your own. Some people would already have lists in their mind of goals they are trying to achieve or would like to achieve, but for others I think it is much harder. It's kind of confronting when you try to find 43 things you want to do in your lifetime. If you peruse this site you will see some examples of goals eg:

• drink more water
• write a novel
• kiss in the rain
• stop procrastinating
• plant a garden

The list goes on and on and on.

You can also keep track of your progress and blog about your progress, so if you wanted to "plant a garden" and today you actually bought the seeds, this would be recorded as progress.

I thought about putting my own list together, but of course you need to sign up, create a user name, password etc. Don't think I want to get zapped away into another site, have already spent far to much time reading other peoples goals. But still it is a cool site, and I think it could be used to motivate people toward their goals, it also has the support of on online community in the form of forum boards, comments etc.

Over all a cool site.

Step 15 - Read a few perspectives on Web 2.0, Library 2.0 and the future of libraries

Away from the “icebergs”
http://www.oclc.org/nextspace/002/2.htm

I think many of the views but across in this short article ring true. Libraries are a source of information, whatever form that information comes in, it is the main purpose of a Library service.

We can only move forward with new technologies being introduced constantly, people want facts immediately these days. They don't have the time or the patience to trawl through endless pages of books to sometimes find dated information.

The need for a reference print collection is becoming a thing of the past, with so much information online, studying or simply finding the answer has never been easier. Although I think the need for leisure and pleasure reading within libraries will remain for a longtime.

Within our own library service we can already see that computer time is one of our largest commodities. One of the points raised in the article was who would teach these new skills to the staff and the public. Are many people including staff going to struggle when asked to deliver this information to patrons with little or no skills in the area of online information?

Will the role of a Librarian change to become more of an IT professional? Perhaps this is the purpose of 2.0, to get people ready for the future.

I say bring it on...I am happy discover the marvels of modern technology with all it's passwords to boot!

"It’s going to have to happen one library—one little boat—at a time."
Rick Anderson Director of Resource Acquisition, University of Nevada, Reno Libraries

Step 13 - Tagging, folksomonies & social bookmarking in Del.icio.us

To be honest I really don't want to sign up to Del.icio.us and create a login and password. I also don't want a bunch of affiliated stuff installed into my browser.

I would consider using Del.icio.us when travelling without my own laptop, I would be a great way to still have all your favourites accessible on any computer around the world (well as long as it was hooked up to the Internet).

I also like the idea of creating my own Wishlist - Go to any commerce site, find what you like, save it to del.icio.us and tag it as wishlist. Then you can tell people to check out your wishlist bookmarks by giving them a link . But it could be a little presumptuous.

So overall Del.icio.us is an interesting concept, and probably a great research tool when searching with specific tags. But what's with the spelling, do they really need those full stops in between?

http://del.icio.us/

An update on my blog

Hi to all the Bayside bloggers (well anyone that is reading this post),

If you have checked out my blog lately and feeling a little left behind time wise, keep in mind that I have been doing most of my blogging at home. Yes I have become slightly addicted to blogging on.

I have managed to complete Steps 1-12 and also Step 14 and Step 20, I'm not trying to race to finish (coz I'm not at all competitive!!!), I am really enjoying playing around with some of the Library 2.0 things. Any excuse to sit on the couch with my laptop is fine by me.

If anyone needs any tips with anything blog related, please let me know, via an email at work or a comment on my blog.

Enjoy new technology......and blog on..

Step 20 - You Tube - Check this out

I love You Tube, anyone can be famous for fifteen minutes, although it does have a few privacy issues. I have seen some really funny clips, great live music clips, bizarre jack ass kind of stunts and lots of stupid gals dancing in their bedrooms.

It's a cool communication tool, everyone is a producer, director, star, with very little talent needed.

My partner Stellan's latest gadget obsession is the "Rubik's cubes" (yes the craze of the early 80's is making a come back), hence we have watched many You Tube clips of people doing the cube in record time, usually under 30 seconds.

Although the most rivetting one is a 3 year old chinese girl who completes the cube, it takes her just over 2 minutes but she does it...quite amazing!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUH693EBkM8

I am also enjoying watching John Butler Trio's latest songs played live on a french tv show, fabulous.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGG4feQODxM


This is a great You Tube video about blogs, RSS, newsfeeds, Library 2.0 & The Web and The World. Very cool
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOE

Step 6 - Mashups

I love mash-ups,they are heaps of fun and you can do really creative things in very little time. A great tool for creating invites, greeting cards or on a professional level marketing material.

I am adding three silly things I made today...yes I am at home & yes I'm a pc addict, & Karyn you haven't helped by introducung this Libarary 2.0 thing!!

Silly cartoon captions



Trading card

Magazine Cover

Step 14 - Technorati and tagging

I have claimed and tagged my blog on Technorati and am now waitng for the spiders...

Technorati Profile

Step 8 - Set up a Blogline and get your inbox filled with spam!

I set up a blogline account but don't think I will be checking back on it anytime soon...it seems like another way to waste endless amounts of time on the internet. Although I did find that one of the 19 feeds I subscribed to could be of some interest to me....or maybe dangerous...

A website dedicated to up and coming must have (not need), technology think ipods, ps3's, wii's, and any other expensive but irresistable gadgets.

http://www.gadgetcandy.com/

Check out this site if you think your ipod needs bunny ears!!

Step 7 - Tecnology related stuff

I am a huge fan of myspace and use it almost daily to communicate with my friends and family who are scattered around our beautiful globe. Anyone can sign up and create a myspace account, all you need is a computer and a bit of time to waste.

My profile is set to private which means you must sign up and then send a friend request to me. Then I can deny or give access to you to view my account. Once in you can see photos, videos, art work, read my blog and have access to a humongous network of people.

It really is a great communication tool, which features include; im, email, comments and an interesting incite into other peoples cyber lives.

Sign up we can be myspace pals!!

This is my URL: (but as I said the profile is private so not a whole lot to see)

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=119078483

Step 10 again - wouldn't we all like this embedded in our keyboards!!

Step 10 - I have skipped forward a little...I love image generators!

Step 1-4 Greetings

welcome to my blog...any excuse to blog on at work is pretty cool...hmm if only I could think of something to say...