Week 9

Am i the only person left in the world who doesn't have an MP3 player? I didn't ever own or use a walkman (tape or CD) and i don't want an Ipod or whatever - it's an earphones thing: i don't like listening to anything through earphones; i do not like them stuck in my ears, i do not like them perched on my head, i do not like green eggs and ham, i do not like them Sam i am! But i'm happy to have my computer chat away to me and more than happy to listen to some of these interesting bits and pieces.
Podcasting is a great idea. I think this format would be wonderful for online university studies; when you are doing a degree through a variety of far flung universities, to be able to tune in to a lacture would be a most useful thing.
There are lots of possibilities for public libraries; living library, oral histories, connecting with children and teens, book readings, programs for housebound readers are some that come to mind. Podcasts could also be used as another tool for staff training and knowledge sharing.

Week 8

It's no wonder that we are getting fewer reference enquiries in our libraries with the availability of these sites! i don't think an answer board would be my first choice if i had a question i wanted answered but i can see the attraction. If you don't feel like researching and finding out for yourself just put it out there and let someone else filled with zeal do the work for you (and it seems that there are millions eager to give their opinion on any imaginable topic, serious or frivolous).
Then all you do is filter the answers and away you go! Writers reseaching novels and the like must love it.
I guess it's a good thing that librarians are involved and giving answers that are recognised as exemplary but this is all so enormous that i'm not sure that on the whole this will create a higher profile for libraries and librarians' expertise.

Week 7

Don't know why, but i've been struggling to find enthusiasm for this week's activities and it's taking me a l o n g time to complete but at last it's time to roll out the cliches and report that I am back in the saddle, there is light at the end of the tunnel and that while the road may be long, the rewards are rich.
Del.icio.us is another great tool for libraries particularly for reference and research work. Having a central spot set up with lots of reliable sites that all staff have access to and can add to is such a great, efficient, time saving way of doing things and the tags, and especially tag clouds, mean that library clients can search in an intuitive, fun way to get a great result.

LibraryThing was just what i needed to revive my flagging spirits! What a lovely spot for book lovers. I had a look at the Moonee Valley Library cataloge (Horizon)example on LibraryThing for libraries and really liked the way it sits in the catalogue.

Week 6 - Videos online

So many videos, so little time! What a great tool videos can be. From the oral histories to the Qld library building time lapse it is obvious that there are so many ways videos can enliven websites and the delivery of information, as well as show the lighter side of life. Wasn't too impressed by the "welcome new staff video" though, some things shoud be done in person! On the down side - can you believe some of the rubbish that's out there? Watching a guy in a tractor move hay bales across a paddock must be someone's idea of a good time i guess, but it ain't mine!





Well I've really lived up to my blog title this week, i have tried and tried and tried again and again and again, and by george i have finally done it and embedded a video. It looks a grainy i know, but runs fine. I didn't get a video bar gadget (couldn't get that to work last night) but did it in new posts/edit html - worked a treat!

Week 5 Wikis

It is taking me a long time to complete this one - maybe because i'm really enjoying wiki world. There is much to check out and it's very easy to take the scenic route through many of the recommended ones. How interesting that the NZ police act is a wiki. I was looking at some photos on the Antioch Uni site and the comments threads were astonishing to say the least. Not many were comments on the pictures - it ended up being a debate on the existence or otherwise of Hell!
Time to drag out a cliche and get back on the straight and narrow..... i can see lots of library uses for wikis and lots of libraries are obviously using them: our procedure manual is great - looks good and works so well; an online book club that i visited looked interesting; a reference wiki where staff can add tips and resources to various FAQs sounds so useful.
So many things to look at and learn about - my brain needs additional memory!

Week 4

It is with great trepidation that i tackle week 4 as it was here that things went belly-up last time around but it's also a great opportunity to rustle up a few cliches (and who knows maybe a mixed metaphor or two) so i shall dust myself off, take a few deep breaths and jump in the deep end.

Learning about RSS and newsreaders has been an interesting exercise and i can see distinct possibilities for libraries using them for promotion and marketing. From a personal perspective though, it becomes a matter of how much information you have time to digest - i added 5 feeds to my account but have barely been back to check them out.

P.S. I have just added a feed to my blog and so far everything still looks as it should. fingers crossed i think i've done it right this time!

Children's Book Week at Springwood Library

This is the Display Board in the children's area of Springwood Library. it covers the end wall in our children's section and is a great spot to advertise upcoming events. "Fuel your mind" was the theme for Book Week this year so we created a monster to eat up the words and get the cogs of the brain turning.