Licence 2 test drive 2 has started

Well, can you believe that we managed to finish Test Drive 1 and have started no. 2.

Sometimes this is a real rush to get these sessions completed in the hour allocated at work but it is fun. I was very excited to see the first session was on Online apps and tools. Not an expert by any means but a regular user of Google docs it was great to see them being promoted for the great tool that it is. I am going to play a little more with Zoho to see how it goes but at this stage, I think I'll stick with the Google docs.

One organisation I'm involved in uses Google docs to manage an event. We were working on a spreadsheet that we printed each month for the meeting to update, now, many of the members (well 3 out of 6) update the google docs spreadsheet as a task is completed.

I've also used googledocs to get documents between computers depending on where I am going or what I'm doing.

I am also a user of Etherpad. What a great tool and fantastic for multibranch libraries that don't always get together. Its a great tool to actually achieve a document without going off track. Have a go, see what you think and let me know if you love it too.

Technorati

This is new to me. I have seen the blog search on Google but didn't realise there were other search engines available.

I'm not sure I like it. I searched Book Mobile and found heaps and heaps of sites. As an advanced search I managed to narrow the search down. Not too bad.

I also searched for Gatton. This didn't give me any relevant results however I did find some google ads for Toowoomba. This was interesting considering all the sites / blogs that came up were based in America or were about Danny Gatton or were written by Jim Gatton. Not brilliant but a start. We have a blog (which hasn't been updated for some time) about the new library in Gatton but this didnt' come up. Not surprising considering I hadnt added the code.

I'm not sure Technorati is something I would use again. Might have a go another time and see what comes up.

Delicious

I love delicious. I use it not very often but when I do, I remember that I should use it more. I've had a delicious account for sometime now. I use it as a reminder so that I remember to set up an online event diary for a yearly event.

I find this is one of the best things about an online bookmarking site. You can go back to it yearly and find the sites. If I was relying on my bookmarks, I may have deleted them or changed computers and therefore lost them.

I have a dream to set up a Delicous account for our library service. I've seen that some libraries have created them for their reference librarians (particularly libs with roaming profiles). One library in Vic created a ref account and encouraged anybody who did online searches to add to the account.

I think this would be great for the public also. They could use the sites that we recommend. At the moment, we have catalogued some webpages however this is time consuming. Its also sometimes hard to assign LC subject headings. If we created a delicious account, we could use free text tags. What a great tool.

RSS Feeds

I'm not sure how public libraries can use RSS feeds for their patrons. They definately can use this for staff development and to help encourage staff to think outside the square (by looking at other ideas from around the world). I hope that my colleagues will continue to look at the items they have selected for their feeds so they can see what is happening and hopefully see more opportunities for our library.

RSS Feed

I've just read a feed from librarystuff which meantions that a library is getting rid of the ddc. We havne't gone to that extent however are in the process of creating a bookshop style collection for our library service. One branch is over half way through the conversion and the 2nd (larger branch) is going to start in the next month or so. http://www.librarystuff.net/2009/06/08/no-more-dewey-decimal-system-for-adams-library/

I don't think we can go as far as Adams library to abandon Dewey altogether but we've created smaller collections including

• Biographies
• Crime
• Countries
• Health and wellness
• House and Garden
• Leisure and hobbies
• General Non fiction

So far the public seem to be taking this very well and are using the library more for browsing.

If you want more details, don't hesitate to contact us at Lockyer Valley Libraries.

RSS Feeds

Well, I've kind of done this section of the test drive. Its taken a while to get through this one. I'm using the YA computers at our library but for some reason they won't allow us to have sound. Quite interesting to watch the video and try to work out what they are saying. Guess that's one that I'll have to save and look at from home.

I've setup a bloglines account and have subscribed to the SLQ blogs as well as the ones recommended by bloglines for librarians. I was quite impressed to have a category dedicated to us. That could mean that librarians are at the forefront for web 2.0 technology (or we created the feed technology). I'm not sure.

I think I might continue to play with RSS feeds on my gmail account for a while and then consider tranferring it across to my work email address. I think this will be a great tool to keep informed with professional development and other library moves.

Social networking

I think being present on these sites is important for a library however I'm not sure how to go about doing it without invading somebody. I know people can opt in and out of applications on the social networking sites (well on facebook anyhow) but I don't know how to market to people. Many townships have a group entry on facebook so I think maybe this is where we can do a mass market mailout but I'm not sure if that would be appreciated.

As a library, we could always use the event calendar on facebook to advertise events that are coming up but once again, I'm not sure how to get this for the people we want to market to.

Importing social networking things into my blog

As you do on a Friday night when you are home, you play on facebook. I was actually going through and deleting some of the applications I'd accepted in the past when I found the travel map. When I first started playing with facebook, I spent a bit of time adding places I'd been so I thought I'd update this with places I'm off to. I do this as well play with Dopplr, another social site.

Anyhow, this was just a quick post because, as I mentioned, I'm playing on Facebook.

• Create your own travel map or travel blog


• Travel Info at TripAdvisor

Social Networking

Well. Where do I start. I'm a facebooker.....well, not as active as some of my friends but I'm there each week (it used to be each day but I've cut back...now that I'm not doing assignments.). I think facebook is the best tool to help you not do things you need to do (housework, assignments, other jobs).

We have also purchased some additional web 2.0 applications for our library service. Spydus (our LMS) have commissioned the Spydus Service application and also the Spydus Google gadget. At this stage, we haven't started promoting this service (due to a lack of time) however I'm very excited that we will now have a presence on Facebook. Even though as we have seen, there are hundreds of social networking tools, Facebook is the one that we see our patrons use.

Like other Facebook applications, users can choose whether to receive alerts via emails through Facebook. To check out this application log into Facebook. Then go to the Search field in the top right hand corner of Facebook and search for Spydus Service. Click on the Spydus Service link at the top of the field that is displayed.

This is a great opportunity to put the library where people are....in particular the gen X and gen Ys. Now that we have the application / resource, we only have to work out how to do this successfully. I think we have done a great thing by obtaining access to these applications however we do need to think about how to promote this as much as we can.

Back to Flickr again

Well, I've decided to go back to Flickr again. I've added a couple of photos from our Library. These photos are of the outside of our library.

I'm going to take a few photos of the library in the next little while. Hopefully I'll upload them onto the Flickr site also.

Wiki week

Wow. Isn't it amazing how much you can do within an hour. We've been playing with this for just under the hour now and have managed to read most of what there is.

Firstly I must confess that I haven't followed many of the wiki links yet. Time is ticking and we need to open our library in 10 minutes. We have a Wiki for library staff only. This works quite well however typically some people use it and others don't. Hopefully by the end of licence2test drive, most of us will be able to use it with a little more confidence. I'm also hoping we get some extra inspiration about what we can do within our library and also within our wiki.

Anyhow must go. I need a cuppa before we open and need to do a quick tidy-up.

Back to Flickr

Well, time has beaten us again but so I'm a little behind but I'm going back to the Flickr test drive.

I'm finding Flickr a little frustating as I can't seem to narrow down my searches to be anything worthwhile. I guess thats the problem with allowing anybody to label or tag photos. Things that are meaningful to one person may mean a total different thing to another. Or maybe, nobody has put up any photos of the subject I am looking for.

I've just located the advanced search but it down't really allow it to narrow it down by country of origin or the like, which gives me a thought. I will always try to include the country or location as a tag for any additional photos I may put up.

I've been looking for ages now but have finally found a photo I like. Its not relevant to work at all but its a picture of fern. I took many photos when in New Zealand to try to get a photo like this.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/-ginger-/2933208257/in/pool-819475@N21

I really like it but never managed to capture anything like this.

Great Intentions

Well. I had such great intentions. We were going to dedicate 1hr a fortnight to the licence 2 drive. Where did the last fortnight go because we've missed an entire lesson. I guess this week, we'll be dedicating 2 hours to try to catch up. I'm going to try to do mine this weekend which will get me back on track.

Hopefully this will work out well for us all.

Anyhow, on another note, I'm heading to a concert on Sunday night. The band is the Deep Blue. The story is its an orchestra that has no conductor and no music stands. The

"performers dance, laugh and talk to you, you get to know them and get to text messages to them during the show. There’s elements of theatre, big screens and loads of energy.
The audience is encouraged to dance, talk, laugh, sing, move, arrive early or late and enjoy it in anyway they like. Find out more about deep blue at www.deepblueorchestra.com including more videos, pics and music".

Is this a new type of 2.0 / user participation that we, the public are expecting.

Flickr

Well well, suprise surprise. There are so many web 2.0 tools around that do similar things. For example, how many bloggers are there. heaps and heaps. that goes with photo sharing tools. Flickr, photobucket etc. I'm currently using picasso at home. I'm not 100% sure if its similar to photobucket or Flickr but I'm going to look into that a bit more. I haven't used it to upload photos but I know that feature is there somewhere. However, it might just be easier to use Flickr as I already have a yahoo account for some groups that I was involved in ages ago.

I'll post some more when I look around a bit more

Web 2.0

Well, we are currently in the process of upgrading our LMS. I'm very excited that our new OPAC will allow patrons to participate in some 2.0 features. This includes links to Library thing as well as the opportunity to rate and review bib records or holdings. This is a very exciting time. At this stage, i won't put up our web address as I would like to wait for the upgrade to be completed and the edited opac is available. Hopefully by Friday I will have updated what we need updating and branding the site to our needs.

Time.......

Well here I am playing with my blog again. Where does the time go. Can you believe its been nearly 2 weeks since we started our "driving lessons" for 2.0 and I've only posted little bits and pieces.

For me so far, its been quite good. I've managed to set up my blog, convince an older friend (in her 60s) that a blog would be the way to keep us up to date when she is overseas visiting her daughter (and touring Egypt, Paris and the Netherlands) and dedicate time at work for my "girls" to blog. Hopefully we will be able to remember to keep going and learn new things. I've had a quick look at some other blogs and found some features that I'd like to incorporate into mine (quotes, images, surveys etc).

Our next lesson.....photos. I hope it uses Picasso because I use that at home but haven't put anything online yet. Who knows......maybe I'll learn how to do that next week.

New Zealand Photo

Well, this is a photo I took in New Zealand. I'm not sure where it was taken as I've just grabbed it off my computer. I don't even think its a great photo but I've put it up.

Test by email

Wow, how great is this. I can send an email which creates a draft for my blog. This is an easy way to keep up to date. .

Day one

Well, fancy that. I've started again. This is my second attempt to formalise (I'm not sure thats the correct word) my Web 2.0 experience. Last time, I tried to do the 23 things but got lost.....well sidetracked in my real life.

I think this is going to be great and a challenge. I don't think learning the Web 2.0 things will be a major challenge but I think we will have challenges for other areas

• IT departments -- Already I can't access youtube
• Work priorities
• Real life priorities
• Outselves -- dedicating time to this.

Currently, I've got a plate of salad (if you can call lettuce, tomato and Carrot a salad) in front of me and I'm doing this while having lunch. Hopefully we'll all get time to work on our licence and pass the driving test safely.