#23 The end

Well i have finally made it to the end of Learning 2.0. I found the program extremely interesting BUT also quite frustrating. I have learnt so much that i just didnt know before and to think that i now have some inkling of the immense possiblities that are on offer on the web. Though the course was well set out I found it quite difficult to 'link'/add what i had learnt to my blog. It took me weeks and the help of some very patient colleagues to show me how it was done. So in that sense it would have been easier if we could have done some of the tasks as small groups were we could be shown how to do the basics. Also the program took up quite of lot of time- far more than the 15 mins a day that we were supposed to devote to it. But it definitely was an extremely useful exercise and one that will continue to have an impact on our working and personal lives. It was also wonderful to read other peoples blogs and learn also from their experiences. Overall a worthy experience and one i was glad to complete.....PHEW!

fifis frontpage

countdown to xmas

Looking for payday loans?

LibraryThing | Catalog your books online

LibraryThing | Catalog your books online

Week 5 #11library thing

I've opened an account with LibraryThing and have catalogued my favourite books. I hope to also accumulate a list of books that I want to read and havent managed to read yet

week 3 photos and flickr #5 #6

joined up with flickr and was able to download a picture of the bibliotecca alexandrina.

Week 8 Online applications and tools #18

I found this aspect of Learning 2.0 as the most useful discovery for me because it was a revelation to realize that there were work processing and spreadsheet tools available for free on the internet. This would be of a direct benefit to our library service as at the moment our PC services and internet services are not linked - which has been a source of frustration for our patrons who need to use the wordprocessor and then to send via the internet. Now we have another option to offer our patrons who need to access both services.
I joined zohowriter and was impressed with the tools on offer -it is a whole integrated package with all the functionality of microsoft.

Week 6 Tagging etc #13 #14

I had a look at both del.icio.us and technorati...what struck me was the wealth of information that was available. It looks like library techtonics and the shifted librarian were very popular sites bookmarked. I would be quite interested in further developing my favourite sites on a social bookmarking system like del.icio.us so that wherever i go, my bookmarks will be more readily accessible in one place rather than on individual computers!

Podcasts #21

Today i looked at podcasts. I looked at the podcast directory www.podcasts.net. I was interested in seeing podcasts particularly of author interviews where they are able to discuss their work and offer their explanations and life experiences to add to our understanding of the author's writing process. At Darebin Libraries we were able to add a podcast to our website after we had an author visit at the library. It was great, not only for the public but also for other staff who were not able to attend the talk but would have liked to!

Podcasts #20YouTube

I had a look at YouTube. It was easy to use/search and it is quite unbelievable what you can find on the site. I wanted to add a library themed video to my blog and managed to find a video featuring Mr Bean at the library which i thought would be quite appropriate. Also found a video featuring a young man trying to see what would happen to a library card if it was put in a blender????What the! who thinks of these things??? Thats YouTube for you!

Week 9 Podcasts #22 audio books

I had a look at the World eBook fair site. I particularly thought the range of childrens audio books would be very useful for parents who would be interested in entertaining children with stories on a long trip. The whole Gutenberg project is quite a fascintating concept. Also the benefit of this site for visually impaired readers cannot be underestimated.

#19 web 2.0 awards

I looked at the finalists of the 2.0 awards in the health section and found an excellent site in www.medstory.com. I found this site extremely useful for my "other life" as a health information professional. The site allows you to find information on any disease, its treatment options (both traditional and complementary) as well as drug information relating to the chosen disease. This would be quite useful as a guide to patrons that want to know more about any diagnoses they have been given and the treatment options.

#10 playtime

I had a great deal of fun trying out different image generator sites. In fact i had to stop myself from putting more and more image generations on my blog site. This has been the easiest part of the whole program. Not difficult at all. Of course it isnt as useful as some of the other things we are learning in terms of our work in libraries but it is fun nevertheless.

Week 4 #8 RRS feeds #9 blogline account

I have managed to open a bloglines account where i have attempted to compile some library related news feeds. I had a bit of trouble linking my rss feeds to my blog.It is sometimes quite frustrating to go around in circles being unsure what to do next. Fortunately help has been abundant from more technologically minded colleagues!!!Technorati was a little boggling...and the amount of information availabli is enormous and overwhelming!

Week 3 # 7 Blog about technology

I would have to say the biggest single impact on my life, in a technological sense was email. I remember how liberating it was to have a HOTMAIL account that could be accessed from anywhere in the world!!!It was great to be able to travel and you were just one click away from keeping in touch with people back home.Also the ease with which you can organise something with a group of people just by writing one email!Of course it took a couple of years of blissful emailing to realize that my letterwriting had dwindled down to a bare trickle. Which is a bit of a shame because there is nothing like receiving a beautiful letter that you can keep for memories sake. Thats the thing about technology- it really sneaks up on you and then one day you realize how dependent you are on it and it becomes indispensable....as much as i once loved writing and receiving letters, it hasnt stopped me "dropping a quick email" to those i havent spoken to for a while as it is just SO......convenient!

Week 7wikis #16

Today i had a look at wikis.....dont know why i didnt realize that wikipedia was a wiki! I love wikipedia as it offers information that is quick and very easy to understand. I find it especially useful for medical/scientific terms which often can be quite difficult to grasp. I also took a look at the booklovers wiki which i thought would be a great tool for libraries. In our library service we like to publish book suggestions that different staff members recommend. With a wiki we could encourage the public to add their own or offer their own comments on book that have been reviewed or suggestions for further reading. Another area where i think it would be useful is in the burgeoning area of local/family history. As we all know there is a plethora of information on the internet around the area of family history..much of it not necessarily helpful to those wanting to research their own family history. A wiki would be useful in that individuals involved in family history research can add any useful resources or tips that they might have to make the process easier for first-time researchers!

Week 6 #15 future of libraries

Today i read a few perspectives about the future direction of libraries. Although i agree that we need to broaden the services offered to our library patrons and we need to consider the wider community of potenial users who dont actually physically use our library, i believe a physical library building is actually quite important as a social hub where people can meet and interact with staff and other customers. So though technology is definitely the way of the future i still believe that there will always be a market for libraries and physical books....i have yet to meet someone who actually prefers to read a book on a laptop as opposed to the familiar feel of a book in your hand!!!The challenge will be to cater for a more diverse clientele who might otherwise not see the benefit of using a library.

Week 5 play week #10

Today I finally managed to upload something from an image generator.....I find that I learn best when someone is able to show me how to actually apply what i have been reading/learning onto my blog page. This whole exercise has highlighted to me how little i actually know about the capabilities that are just a keystroke away. Basically, I dont spend as much time on the internet exploring as some people (especially the young)would. I tend to be more wary about publishing all sorts of personal information out there for all to see. Hence my reticence to embrace the myriad of options available. When i see just what others have achieved through Learning 2.0 I am heartened that it too can be within my reach!!!Here's hoping!!!

biblioteca alexandrina