aahhhh social networking

The social networking scene............

While I had some understanding of what this is all about seeing the different sites and watching the video clip gave me a better grasp on this whole thing and I must say that I am not that impressed. I mean in Second Life it does seem like a game, you even have virtual sex??!!! How sad is that. To me the whole Second Life thing seems just like an electronic version of the Game of Life board game with a lot more twists.

Social networking i beleive is a sad sign of the times. People are loosing their skills to mix face to face and deal with life and its issues. While I do see it as a way for some to seek help for problems they are having withouth having to use their real identity the basic concept of talking to others and living your life through a computer is very sad.

As far as libraries go I dont see how people would benefit with a social networking library. I mean what has happened to customer service and face to face contact. Good honest face to face is the only way to really asertain if someone is being honest with you. In the computer world you can be anyone you want to be and use it as pure escapism if you want to. Social networking that way would be more like a hobby but I sadly believe that for many it is a way of life.

The idea of using the Second Life 3D for a virtual tour etc of the library is about the only plus I can see. While some libraries are using the social networking sites to promote things withinn their library I believe that with all the things we have looked at in this course we could adequately set up a web site with podcast or mashups included to promote the library in much the same way.

Though I may sound negative I cant apologise for my opinion. The social networking I dont really see as a professional tool at all. For the most part I see other ways that the same goals can be achieved and I really think that living your life through a computer is a very very sad existence indeed.

Now that I have finished this whole course I feel quite excited about the things I have achieved and learnt. It seemed quite daunting at the start but I am feeling far more computer literate now that i have done the whole thing. There are some aspects that I will definitely use in my own personal life and keeping a blog has been a lot of fun. As a team I am sure our library staff will meet together and discuss ways we can utilise what we have learnt when the entire staff has finished the course. It will be interesting to see where our knowledge will take us in regard to promoting and improving our library's assets and generally seeing if we can make our library more user friendly and up to date for those who live in the computer world. Thank you to all who made this journey possible. It has been a wonderful opportunity.

week 11 word processing online at google docs

First let me say that I was blown away by the fact that there was such a thing online. No need for a fancy wordprocessor as the google docs seemed to have all the basics that you would need for simple documents./letters/ memos. I prefered to use google docs to zoho. zoho was having a lot of trouble with the site when I was trying to use it so I would much rather use the google one.

I am wondering how this would affect our library in relation to charging for word processing facilities yet to search the internet is free. One could argue that a customer could use the internet service for free rather than use the Word program on the computer for a charge.

I was thinking too that in relation to staff meetings this would be ideal for setting up and agenda as each person on staff could enter the issues he/she had that needed to be discussed. Branch libraries also could document issues and concerns, send in statistics on a spreadsheet, tell us the latest happenings in their library etc.

As far as the public go using the google docs is something they probably dont even know about. I am sure many committees could benefit from this if they knew it existed.

On a personal front I think this has been a great find. Instead of having to email so many people whether it be for work or just a personal thing, I could send them a code to check it all out online by clicking on the Share button once the document was finished.

I also cant believe that I have only one week left to do and then this is finished. I think it a great achievement as Ionly work part time and there fore made the choice to do the work at home so I could keep up with everyone and get the same qualifications and certificate that full time learners were going to get.

mash ups on a personal front

Mash ups proved to be a lot of fun! I have discovered something new that I could use at home too. Making your own calendars etc would be a blast. There are so many options with the maps. I wish I had known about it last year then my family and I could have mapped out the travels of my hubby who went outback. We could have kept a map going of all the places he visited. Some interactive family fun. Just thought that I would make the comment seeing as I thought about it from a library perspective but after playing about more realised just how handy it could be for every day life as well.

choosing another mash up adventure

http://www.programmableweb.com/mashup/alphalearnr

I picked this mash up because I like butterflies but the whole alphabet concept is an interesting one. This could be a mash on a computer in the children's section of the library showing different things for different letters of the alphabet-a learning tool so to speak. each letter has real photos of things rather than just drawings. I am a big believer in young children being exposed to real photos of objects rather than just drawings or sketches. The mash up itself states that it is set up for children to learn the alphabet in english using pictures.

Another good use for a mashup in the library is for display as a screen saver in the public access area. Libraries could have a mashup of the people at an opening exhibition etc or at a special function such as harmony day that has been held or alternatively use it to advertise what is coming up next.

mashups, maps and mayhem

trip to the USA
this was fun to create!!!!

I was a bit overwhelmed when I first went in to play about with big labs. I was trying to get a photo from flickr but i couldnt remember what the password was so after sevreal attempts decided that at this late hour of the night I would choose to use maps instead! What a great place Big labs is though. So many things you can do with your photos. I was very impressed with the maps idea and also the calendar idea. This is only a small map but it shows the places I have actually been in the USA. The world map was available or several countries in the world but I didnt see Australia as an option. Either I am too tired or the map people have decided to leave us off the world.I think the whole mash ups thing is a very creative. I can see it would be useful for something like a floor plan of the library and showing everyone where things are. A calendar mash up would be great to show the up and coming events of the library. I am going to see if I can do a jigsaw or something else now. Then i will try and tackle the last part of the challenge for week 10.
http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/map.php
">trip to the USA

podcasts

I think I understand this concept. My first thought was this is an example of something that could serve the vision impaired so they could hear things of news providing someone set up the computer for them. Once I got in to see different podcasts I must say that the storytime option seemed good. Kids could listen to a story and likewise libraries could use the podcasts for different stories changing them frequently. Due to the security system on my computer at home I wasnt able to access all the podcasts but I did get to the ABC site. I have been working from home so I may try at work next time I have to go in. I think that this could be a good way to teach / train staff or keep in touch with branch staff. To me the whole thing seems like it is a talking email rather than a written one. It is just another way of keeping in touch with employees and keeping them up to date on the world of technology. Members of the library may use podcasts to listen to what's new at the library or events are up and coming or listen to other members reviews on new items just for example.

yahoo answers week 8

http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080331171629AAoKRcf&r=w&pa=FZptHWf.BGRX3OFPgTNVUCp7wE_vx8l9JGcMSrJJjyJcdHyZiA--&paid=answered#B7BLBFH0Cksbq0fh1R7p

Above is the link to the question I answered as part of week 8.

http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080331173201AAIalYT&pa=FYd1D2bwHTHzJL1mFOMyQ7HB7Fi7JZtuqWgJ64Gpye8Smw--&paid=asked&msgr_status=

Here is the link to the question I posted on yahoo.

while I read through the questions I thought that some of them were just simply ridiculous and obviously put on there by people with small minds and nothing better to do. For a library to work with an answerboard I think there would have to be some way of sorting the trash from the treasure.

week 8 slammin the boards

The whole concept of answerboards is a great idea but I think it would be difficult for libraries with a small staff such as in the library I work in. Time is the critical factor here for small staff. i think however,that if you posted a question to an answerboard you would appreciate a librarian answering it as their sources would be trustworthy. Answering the questions would definitely give libraries an exposure and open the eyes of the general public who think that libraries are full of nothing but romance novels and westerns. libraries and librarians can be quite stereotyped and this is one way of breaking that. For those of us who like an unusual challenge ( and waht librarian doesnt????), then answering the questions could prove to be quite fun. I can see it would also become addictive if you werent careful! A site just for local library memebers to ask questions would exhaust our library but I can see that it would be great as another form of customer service. I will be interested to see both others in my library think as well as the rest of the library world out there doing this course.

library thing

http://www.librarything.com/profile/tkoufus

Here is the address to get to my "library thing" account and see the books in my library.
It was interesting searching for books there. A great way to get a variety of titles on the same topic. By seeing how many other members had that book in their library it also gives you an idea on how popular the book is as well. It all seems relatively simple to use. I will have to go and play a bit more on the site and see what else is going on there.

technorati

Searching on technorati I found 519 references for bookmobile however when I searched with the advanced search I came up with 650. Interesting stuff. It was easy enough to do. Now onto the next challenge. In all honesty it is getting more technical as we go along. Interesting but lots of information in one go. A bit of an overload in some ways but it has been exciting to learn new things.

backsteps to the youtube

I took some back steps and got some advice and found out how to fix what was going wrong and as result I now have a video embedded on my blog. Now i can move on and finish week 7.

talking dog video on "youtube"

del.icio.us

http://del.icio.us/tkoufus

This is the link to my "delicious account". I have saved a few things there. go look at them. my favourite is the Ishaah one called "Quiet Place" . I like the idea of keeping my favourites like this. Using the old way of the favourite button makes just way to many sites to wade through as they appear in no order whatsoever. This way things will be quicker and easier to find and I can also check out what others with similar interests have saved by word searching. So many times I save things to my favourites only to forget what they are called and it takes quite a while to sort through and find the exact site I am looking for. I am not sure how this could be used in my library but I guess as I investigate it more I will. I found it relatively easy to sign up and get an account but I am once again facing the issue of another password and log in name. I have worked with a similar idea before only it was a searching site that just put up sites at random that were part of your list of interests that you filled in when you signed up. So the extra tools on the bar dont phase me and I have instructed my family not to take them off!!!! because I need them to finish my homework.

videos to share

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3Oic5mZWlY&feature=related
(making a scrapbook out of beer cartons)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhydfkKAA7A&feature=related
(folding a CD case from an A4 piece of paper)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nxe3wZoT6xU
(how to french braid hair)



Having no luck with embedding so I will at least list several of the videos that I watched.

embedding video

I am having some trouble doing this. It seems that what the computer is asking me to do is save the video html code into a file on my computer first then upload it by browsing that way. I am not sure but I will go give this a try. It may be the long way around it all but if it works then I have at least achieved my goal. Being a lover of recipes I have enjoyed watching some cooking videos and I also do a lot of craft so i have checked those videos out as well.The videos are the ideal way to learn . Sometimes it is so much easier to do something when someone has shown you how. I think this is a wonderful idea. I am going to check out more and I am tipping that there are videos out there on just about any topic you want to name. I know that a percentage of the videos are going to be just plain stupid or not at all suitable but the concept of using this tool as a learning experience is wonderful. There will always be the people who have small minds and need to destroy the original concept of any new thing. That is so sad.

u tube dice stacking.

I love this video but it wouldnt embed. So I am off to find a shorter one that fits the legalities of it all but please go take a look at this anyway, it is very clever. Let me know what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIayUEi_KGo

easter break

Easter is over. I went to the beach. The bunny came and thankfully didnt bring me any chocolate only my children!! It was a fun weekend away with family and visiting family. Work commences again tomorrow. Going off to do some library PR work with one of the schools by visiting their kindergarten classes telling them a story and all about the library. I Really enjoy doing it especially when i get to dress up as my alter ego,,, Super Reader! black leggings, bright blue boxers, red t shirt and a stunning yellow cape. Super Reader was born from the summer reading club. Anyway, I am home again now and although it rained from the time we left to the time we got back we had a ball. We were blessed to be kept safe at this crazy time on the roads. We had a tyre blow out when we were on the down the coast to visit family. God is good and took care of us. I hope you all had a lovely Easter and that the real meaning of it wasnt out of your thoughts. Meanwhile it is back to 2.0 learning tomorrow. I really want to catch up a bit.

commenting in the library wiki

I got my invitation key word today so I went back to the Library Wiki and logged in. I chose to comment in the Library Assistant section and it was easy enough to do. i really enjoyed reading what other people had written. it is interesting how so many do the same job but have so many different ideas about what is the best part of doing the job. I can see Wiki being useful for when a library wants feedback from other libraries on how they do a particular thing eg. fees for photocopies and fines etc. Plus i can see how it would be beneficial use that same concept to ask for other libraries to share their experiences with companies or programs etc. it would be easier than emailing but would still need just one email saying go check out this on tke wiki and leave a comment please! all for now. I may tackle another module after lunch today it will depend on how many other things i achieve by then!

news links

I forgot to mention that I am enjoying the news links on the blog. Its great being able to see the headlines. I so seldom get to see the news at home.

wikis and wondering

I have watched the videos and read the info on the sites. I have emailed in to the State library to get the invite key so I can go in and edit the wiki there. I am still thinking on just what exactly wiki is. That may sound stupid but I am trying to turn the information into a couple of simple sentences so it is easier for me to understand. I am thinking that you could look at wiki as a tool for organisation. I guess its a bit like an interactive blog. A blog means i can write my thoughts etc down and it is viewable to others and they can comment but the blog cant be altered by them. A Wiki means I can write things down and others can give their opinion but also contribute to the topic at hand by editing what I have written. I am still not sure about it and I have had very little sleep so I may review the whole wiki section tomorrow or when I get an email with the invite key in it. All for now. Today was very hot and very busy at work. I think Iwill take a look at some other blogs to see what their comments are re the wikis.

blogs in libraries

I have been browsing others blogs and was quite impressed with someones suggestion that blogs could be used in libraries for members to share their likes and dislikes in reading and so be able to recommend books to other members. That would sort of be another way of doing a bit of reader's advisory. I found the comment interesting and worth thinking about.

passwords and log in names

With all the things I am learning I am getting so many places to enter passwords and log in names. It's totally amazing and I try and use the same one as often as I can but sometimes I cant. It's going to be interesting to see if I can remember them all as time goes by. I know that often the computer asks if you want it to remember the password for you.The easy thing to do is say "yes" but I think we all need the mental challenge of remembering these things. Here's hoping I dont experience "Password Overload" though! I am enjoying playing with the fonts and colours in the blog but I guess that isn't really a requirement.

RSS feeds

I am a bit in shock, I have either done it all wrong or it was disgustingly easy! The whole concept is a great idea but I think that one would have to be wary of just how many feeds they had or they would spend the whole day reading news and doing nothing else. I understand how practical it is to have news updates all in one spot. Its just like we are designing and maintianing a new home for ourselves in communication. Overall I think the whole experience was pretty cool!!! I will have to think on how this could be a handy tool for the library though. I am tired and I was originally going to tackle this tomorrow so as it's late I am going to call it a day. After what started as quite a depressing day I can go to bed feeling I have achieved something positive.

All for now. Over and out. TK

Though not at all library related I must blog in today that my friend's mother passed away on friday and we are all feeling rather sad. She was 89 but regardless of age the loss is still very greatly felt. Tomorrow I will tackle the next stage of the learning program but for now I have loads to do at work.

The story so far

the story so far........ I have created my very own blog! Little ol' me all by myself. I have been following the instructions and watching all the video clips to assist with the learning process. I have really enjoyed learning new things and seeing just how simple the concept is behind things that once had me thinking, " I could never do that" or " people who do that are way better at computer things than I am." I just have to keep trying and stay patient with all the other weeks work that are in front of me, but I am determined to get this all finished and be good at it ! sneaking a look at other blogs is very interesting too. amazing what some people have called their blog!! some of us have great imaginations dont we? and some of us do not!

this is so beautiful

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2281/2143052388_8c131d4720.jpg?v=0

This is such a pretty rose. the photo was taken by Linda Bowman. Lyn_b on flickr.

I love the colours and the peace that the picture portrays. I wonder what the perfume is like?

flickr image

I finally got this to work. I chose this image because i loved the concept of the whole thing. " I grew old" is the caption for the photo. The photo was taken by "Tres" . You can see a bigger picture of it on flickr at http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1230/750891388_95acaef18b.jpg?v=0

I also chose it because the broken swing represents my broken mind after trying to upload this picture. I had to give in in the end and ask for help even though I was 99.9% of the way there by myself. So just to prove I can do it I am going to do another one.

flowers

Okay this isnt a photo from flickr but it is a photo uploaded from my pictures on my computer. Tomorrow I will tackle flickr again.

back again

Well I have been to flikr and seen a lovely lot of photos. Next trick is to get one of them here. I had a small hiccup getting back in to be able to add to the blog. Seems I forgot the password. Well, I am not totally convinced that was my fault. I had the password carefully documented but never mind Ihave a new one now. I hope that wont happen every time I come to add to the blog! Still it will give others a laugh! TK

wow! my first blog

21.2.2008

Wow! Ihave just made my own blog and here is the first post. It was all quite simple really. Pays to read instructions and not just dive in. I am sure that no one will have a real problem with it. I will have to check with other staff and see how their efforts went. The instructions were really easy to read and I daresay that the whole blogging process could become addictive! It's quite exciting really and I feel quite proud of myself. TK