before I forget...

I have to have to (repeat intended) make a note for the following:
http://www.cityofsound.com/blog/2008/08/state-library-o.html# = Dan Hill talking about the State Library of Queensland in Brisbane. And the Seattle Library.
When do we get people like him to talk to those who 'do'?
I encountered his work at the National Digital Forum in Wellington on the 19th October 2010. See the following link: http://ndf.natlib.govt.nz/about/2010-conference.htm.
There were also other inspiring speakers... needless to say he spoke about libraries least, but he did speak about CITIES...
Le's not lose this space.

Web 2.0: Round Three : Week 2: Picapp

Well - what a range! Great photos indeed - and good quality. Worth keeping in mind. Liked the 'track this topic'.

I chose these two pictures because of their sporting connotations and because of the beauty of the colours and the light in each shot. I love karting and I wanted to see what this site could produce for "soccer world cup new zealand" as keywords. ("All Whites" got one photo.)

Well, yes, it's easy for staff to use (on a computer with your own 'internet access'.) and I think most customers would find it useful. As for Manukau Libraries benefiting? Apart from staff using it for posters? Don't know.
I could easily promote this to customers, and I like the 'free' aspect of it. Like a top quality 'Google Images'?

Jan 15 2010

MADONNA, ITALY - JANUARY 15: Felipe Massa of Brazil and Ferrari drives a kart during the Wroom 2010 on January 15, 2010 in Madonna, Italy. (Photo by Vladimir Rys/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Jun 24 2010

A South African flag in the floodlights..FIFA World Cup 2010 Group F..Paraguay v New Zealand..24th June, 2010.

Web 2.0: Round Three : Week 1: Box.net

Wow! Life just keeps getting more and more... er... was going to say simple, but I'm not sure that is quite the case! We live in hectic times, and things are just not as slow and sedate as in the past. The little 'tour' on Box.net described this perfectly, and yes, using Box.net would be a way to sort out one side of our hectic lives. Having said that, of course, it is yet another login to remember! Never mind - it is simple to use as far as I can see, and it was quick.
My file link is http://www.box.net/signup/collablink/d_48351270/384c5926becc4


Is this anything we would use for work purposes? You never know! It may be fantastic, just in case we don't have an "eLGARnet" in our new super city.
Would you use it personally? Probably not... but if I travelled a lot... one way of 'sending work home'!
How easy is it to use? It seems very easy...
What worked for you and what didn't? I suppose the 'free' bit and the ease of access worked. Although I wonder how long the 'free' would last... was even a little concerned that my login info was too business-like...I find it hard to separate this web learning from 'work' in that I use passwords and emails with work associations, and so I am down as 'Librarian'.... I also wonder how robust it is?
Would customers find this site useful? Probably some would!
Would you promote this to customers? I might if it seemed like something they wanted...

DOK.... and other related topics on libraries now and in the future..

http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/03/19/visiting-the-most-modern-library-in-the-world.html
DOK photos from the Shifted Librarian
This week in libraries
Visiting DOK
Paul Holdengraber - NYPL 1st interview and NYPL
Paul Holdengraber - 2nd interview - reading
and because I came across it via comments on the shifted librarian's post about DOK, The Cerritos Library. (Waynn Pearson)
Just for somewhere to save this record.... and only because I was very impressed with what I saw last Tuesday (15th)...

Finale

Well - I hope I've completed everything. Thank you so much for a great session with 'Web 2.0'. I thoroughly enjoyed it - quick, relevant, and some fun things to do.
I do think there is a definite place for this in libraries. More and more we are moving on to the 'net, and we mustn't lose out. If we dedicate resources - staff and time - to it, the rest is relatively cheap! No paper. No photocopying. No ink. No telephoning. Access by the patrons as and when they feel like it. Using today's technology. Huge numbers of people (still can't get over the 38,000 likes for that Art and Architecture Library) can be reached at once. Still their choice - but we have 'links' and advertising online, and 'friends' - who all help to make that choice.

Quick in-between...

Just had a look at the new templates on offer by blogspot.com - very nice! Congratulations, guys. Only thing is - I am a creature of habit, and I realised while 'testing' them that I like my blog as is... and probably am scared of losing the customisations (sp) I've made to the theme. I know one can save the theme as is, and come back to it if need be, but it would all take time... tut tut.
Still - if I was starting a new blog now... :)

Week 6: Facebook - playing nicely with others

Aaahh... Facebook. Hmmm.
I wrote a lot about Facebook about two years ago. In our first blog/Web 2.0 experience. Not much has changed since then. (Have a look at previous comment using the tags...)

• What can Facebook do for you individually?

Quite a bit has changed since then... not counting Facebook's [slightly annoying] way of changing page set-ups and privacy settings [and only then letting you know]... I see that I had 28 friends at that time. Now I have 152. Well, maybe it's not a bad thing to have that many 'contacts', mostly from 'the old days'. The comment about the Zimbabwean diaspora still stands. We have found old school friends, neighbours, people we would otherwise have lost for ever. Good folk. Some of the 'friends' are pages of V8 drivers... F1 teams... library systems.. (Thanks Manukau! I've put on the book I was reading and my best authors ever... couldn't think of "a" book) All information about what we're interested in.

I play Scrabble more or less every day with my "bestest" friend from varsity days. She's in the UK now and has been for years. We used to play scrabble often when in Pietermaritzburg.

Not a lot has changed about the way I see it since 2008!

• Find 1 library (public, tertiary or other) and look at what sorts of update they make?

Brooklyn Public Library - http://www.facebook.com/BrooklynPublicLibrary. Well - most of the time they are very similar to our Manukau Libraries facebook page (or are we similar to it? ) - great information about what's happening and what to read/listen to, and so forth. Chose this one out of the 'over 500' facebook pages with 'library' in them because I'm sure I've heard about Brooklyn Public Library before - don't they use Pharos and Millennium? Together? Linked?
And then look what I found - they can alert all their followers and likers to the fact that they are at risk - this picture is from their website.
It made me realise how fortunate we are, in many ways.

• What can Facebook do for us as a public library?
  

Keep us in the public eye? As long as there are 'likes'.
BPL have 4,600 'likes'.
Arts and Architecture Library - another 'library' I looked at because of the number of likes it had, has over 38,936!!! From their info: "Arts & Architecture Library is a project of library by the University of November 7 in Carthage; Tunisia. specific for National school of Architecture and Town planning of Tunis sis at Sidi Bou Saïd ; Tunisia. The books are for Architect, Engineer, Designer, Student & passionate for Art & Architecture Page Created on September 23, 2009. Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/Architecture.Library - unbelievable! Well done to them - lots of book info as well - and suggestions. Just the ticket!

• Is it easy to use? Is it hard?
  

Ummm - Facebook does give one heebie-jeebies sometimes about 'privacy'! It's a learning thing, unfortunately. I met someone the other day whose daughter was abused via Facebook - closed her account and now has one in a pseudonym. Sad.

• Would you continue to use Facebook?

Most probably. Unless something drastic happened.

• Have our customers asked about Facebook?

Well.... not to me, but I am very pleased to see a growing number of folk on our site!

• What would our customers get out of a Facebook page?
  

Up to the minute info, reviews. My reservations long ago were that it would take 'time' 'out at the back' while we were being thrust 'out the front' and that we would have to have dedicated folk to continuously update it. Well, we do and we have and it looks good. Well done!

• Would you promote our page to customers? Why/why not?
  

Most certainly if they were that way inclined. Because there are polarised views I would be loath to promote it straight up, especially as one has to be a member of Facebook to access Facebook, unlike a blog. And some of our folk may not want to go that far.

Week 5: Music files and MP3

Well - I signed up to last.fm - still not too sure what it stands for. If anything this would be where I am most 'at sea' with the Internet. You will know this by the fact that I went and looked for 'The Anniversary Waltz' by Vera Lynn (NOT Status Quo) on the Internet first. And found last.fm. Hmm. I am confused by their term 'scrobbling' - and when I went back to look for the FAQ I couldn't find them in a rush... but I would get there eventually. Another WHOLE language!

It wasn't too bad - I just don't want to get to the point when I have to pay anything. I was directed to a site where you could listen to the whole track - it looked a bit like YouTube... link below...
http://www.we7.com/track/Anniversary-Waltz?trackId=3669795&m=0
http://www.we7.com/#/track/Anniversary-Waltz!trackId=3669795
Also Glenn Miller - previewing him took me to YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJE-onnw2gM&feature=player_embedded..

Hmmm ... if I was to have to help a customer with this I would have to find someone else to do the helping... Not often that happens - but the brain can only hold so much, and obviously music sites and MP3 stuff missed out!

Also - at the top of the page a box said DOWNLOAD this song free. REALLY!.... hmm I had to download an .exe file for that... Imesh I think. All a little too much for an afternoon! Sorry!

Week 4: Goodreads

Well - I have yet another widget on my blog with book covers flashing past! Goodreads was very easy to go into, unlike LibraryThing when I first signed up there two years ago! It is a pain adding books onto any of these sites however , and it would be great if our Reading Lists had ISBNs in them which could transfer more easily to these sites.

How might customers find GoodReads useful? They might if they are serious about making lists and using other people's lists to find more books to read. they might also enjoy the groups - the author entries, for example.

What would library staff get out of this site? Probably much the same as the customers... and useful for Reader's Advisory "background info".

My book montage

»

Would you promote GoodReads to customers? Most probably - especially in my little 'talk' on websites on What to Read Next" that I have given two of, and am planning one more of... very basic and just an introduction! Why? Just for information. Folk can choose their own 'poison'!

$50!!

Thank you so much - what a pleasant surprise! I won the draw for the voucher for starting up a blog again... I guess it should go on Sissi - poor woken up critter...

As a personal mission this time around (like the tags and word cloud the first time...) I think I want to find out where I can get a 'better deal' for a background/set up/ whatever... (Have a look at 'Words of Misery' in my "Blog'eagues" for an example...)

Week 3: Twitter

Finally I tweet! (And already someone called Marissa [url supplied but I deleted it]with a tweet that says...."more sexy pics of me... etc..." is following me! She has been blocked, I hope! How to learn about such stuff in a rush!)

Is it easy to use? Hmmm - probably too much so...
Would customers find it simple? They might - but this would be the generation that uses their mobile to email folk and to post things on e.g. Facebook... not everyone...
Could we use this in the learn.nets and in our workrooms? Perhaps not to the same extent as blogs in my opinion... it doesn't seem as 'profound', if I can use that word. However, at the 2009 conference folk were using it, and that's great for those far away - but it was distracting to those sitting next to them!
Do you think that you're likely to use this site again? Hmmm... I have avoided it in the past, and I may just continue to do so... personally I am "online" enough without adding this.
What could Manukau Libraries promote via Twitter? Next generation stuff... YA...
What would you use Twitter for? See above. nothing
Would you promote this service to customers? If they required it... "Customer Service" - walking in the customer's shoes....

Week 2: Zamzar

Great stuff! Zamzar worked like a dream. This will be fantastic for our public in the Learn.net domain. And it was simple. Now all we need is free email services.
Could we use this in our workrooms? Yes - we could create .pdf files that we could use in classes which we could email to folk...
Do you think that you're likely to use this site again? Probably. (Which is saying something!)
Would you promote this site to customers? Yes, if they needed it or I thought it would solve a problem or two...

Herman Charles Bosman... The Rooinek

One of the saddest stories I know...page 71, if you get lost...
________________________________________________________________________________________



________________________________________________________________________________________

Week 1 : Blogger

How could you use this in your role? As a librarian I could use this in both professional development - "my own comments on what's happening in the world of librarianship" - and in my Customer Services role I could use this to keep in contact with some of my 'customers' - like the reading groups...
What worked for you? Making it pretty and selecting what I wanted in there...
What didn't? Having to do it (this was in the first year we did it..) - and I also would prefer it to be more personal than as mentioned above... guess one should have TWO blogs then???
How could a library use a blog? What would customers get out of a library blog? Would you promote this to customers? To all three questions - the first comments apply...
What amazed and surprised me? The amount of blogs out there... a bit like reader's advisory work - it doesn't REDUCE the choices!!!

Time to wake Sissi up again....

I can see it's time to rise and shine and get cracking on the blogging again with Manukau Libraries Web 2.0!! Oooh dear.... don't know how much time I'll have this time round!