#23 Is this really ther end? Or just the beginning...

Although very time consuming, this has been a really enlightening and enjoyable program to participate in.
I discovered many things I knew absolutely nothing about. Also managed to do a few technological things I would never have thought I could do. Possibilities have certainly opened up. I know our library service has used this program as an impetus for improving our service to the wider community.
I particularly enjoyed playing with image generators
LibraryThing was also fun. Everyone in the world seems to be into YouTube.
But perhaps the thing I most enjoyed was being able to manipulate my blog to add in website links and images.
I hear there are more of these Learning programs people can do - Learning 2.1, 3.0, etc. Certainly participation and experimenting are the best ways to learn these new technologies.
Yeah! Finished. Now it is time to undermine my dogsister.

#22 Audiobooks (or "The end is in sight")

There were some interesting ebooks available from the Worldebookfair site, such as those from the CIA's Electronic Reading Room.
Although now that this in my blog I'm sure to be under surveillance.

#21 Podcast, Smodcasts

Well, after clicking backwards and forwards between all three suggested podcast directories over the last 2 hours (!!!), I eventually added the SirsiDynix Institute podcasts to my Bloglines account as an RSS feed. I think I need to go back and actually put an RSS Bloglines widget/shortcut icon/link into my blog, because I'm not sure how I can access the podcast from my blog, other than through this actual post. Spent a bit of time looking for Australian library podcasts without much luck.
Found more interesting podcasts, such as the TripleJ Movie Show podcasts, from the ABC website. These podcast directories are easy to use, but full of advertising - like everything else. I found the Yahoo! site a bit frustrating because it just took me to the actual podcast files and I wasn't too sure what the content was, but clicking onto the web section from the search menu was better for me.
But I am now blogged and podcast out.

#20 You too can YouTube

YouTube is a great source of clips. I know you can spend hours here. I think the funny library clips would be a good ice-breaker in staff training sessions, or in a staff-blog. There is everything from the wacky, to the useful, to the usefully wacky! I found one about how to remove permanent ink from a whiteboard and another on how to remove scratches on DVDs with a banana.
I apologise for the length of my Kransky Sisters clip, but I feel they must gain wider attention beyond the ABC and SBS. Don't you think they look like stereotypical librarians?

The Kransky Sisters

#19 Discovering Web 2.0 tools - Upcoming

The Web 2.0 tool Upcoming looks like it could be useful to have as a link to a library webpage or blog because you can localise it to any location - even Melbourne, and add in your own events. Someone has added the VALA Conference "Libraries / Changing spaces, virtual places" being held in Melbourne on 5th February 2008.
I was surprised at the amount and variety of Web 2.0 tools available. I think the advertising in many put me off.

#18 Web- based applications

Used Zoho writer to create this muffin recipe to my blog. I used a recipe template. A bit of trial and error getting the template to become a document that I could send to my blog - but I did it! This is a really nice and easy recipe if you have left over bananas. Now the price of bananas is down it is very economical. Swap yogurt for buttermilk if you prefer. These muffins are best eaten warm, but can be reheated in the microwave. They can also be frozen.

Muffin recipe

Muffin Recipe

Name of the Dish: Apple and Banana Mini Muffins

Type: Baking

Serves: 18 mini muffins

Ingredients

2 cups self raising flour 1 Egg 2/3 cup buttermilk 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 peeled and grated apple 2 large mashed bananas 2 tbs butter

Directions

Melt butter Mix together egg, mashed banana, buttermilk, and butter Sift in SR flour and mix Place into lightly greased mini muffin tins Bake at 200°C for 20 minutes

Technorati Tags recipes,apple,cooking,Muffins,Banana

#17 Playing around with PBWiki

Well I added my blog URL to the PBWiki but despite following the instructions, it only seemed to link when I just added it in under the Moonee Valley heading without the [square brackets]. Reading Pearl Bay's blog about this I did a bit more trial and error, got back into the 'source' page, scrolled down to the script under Moonee Valley and edited my Blog name and URL in a similar vein and guess what! It worked!
I also added in my favorite book of the moment, The kite runner by Khaled Hosseini , and my favorite movie, Baz Lurhman's Romeo + Juliet. I was a bit confused about the protocol for adding in my favorites. Should I add at the top of the page or the bottom? I went for the top, justifying that it was the most recent entry. Should you add directly under a similar entry? Also, how are the entries attributed? Most entries seemed to be anonymous.

#16 So what's in a Wiki

I found this exercise quite interesting. I thought the wiki's that were targeted for a particular purpose would be the most useful in the library context. I liked the wiki's for book club discussions ; enhancing the catalogue with book reviews ; subject guides ; and collaborative work projects. I could imagine a wiki on local history would be useful - with people contributing who went to a local school, or lived in a particular street. Perhaps the anniversary of a significant event in the local area, eg. a fire, flood, school or road opening would bring in contributions.

#14 Technorati

Technorati is a searching and tagging tool for blogs. Doing this exercise I discovered around the same number of posts (667) and blogs (710) when I searched the term 'Learning 2.0', but when I searched by the term 'Library 2.0' I got 4,921 post and 471 blogs. When exploring 'top searches' I noticed that exam results, breaking news and silly things were in the top searches, along with searches in other languages. In 'top blogs' the most popular blogs were for breaking news, gadgets and other silly things. I joined up and added the widget listing my favourite blogs - I happened to hit on Helen Blowers too! I also added the 'add me' button.
I would envision this technology being used in the library to enable the searching of blogs on very topical subjects - topics that may not have many published books. Environmental, political or controversial issues always have people wanting to share their opinions. It is probably also a good source for debating topics with pro and con opinions.

#15 On Library 2.0 & Web 2.0

I think libraries must embrace these new technologies to reach out to people who use libraries. As Stephen Abram has been advocating in his blog, Steve's Lighthouse, libraries need to be savvy with this technology to enable them to stay relevant to an increasing population of Web 2.0 users. The ability to make the catalogues and web pages interactive with user comments or ratings is a positive step. My fellow work blogger, Pearl Bay has really started to run with this technology. This week she sent an email to all staff incorporating image generator techniques. The visual impact grabs the attention, especially for those new to these technologies, and often creates a greater impression than a text based message. She has also made professional contact with fellow bloggers through her exploration of Web 2.0 technologies like Library Thing, Technorati and RSS feeds. Through these contacts she is developing ways our own library service can incorporate these technologies for the benefit of staff and library users. Being able to experiment with these technologies in this cooperative blogging environment helps to alleviate the fear of the unknown. While perhaps only taking small steps in incorporating Web 2.0 into Library 2.0, it is a start.

Mending the error of my ways

Thanks to fellow work blogger Pearl Bay I have realised that I have been numbering the blogs incorrectly! Hopefully I am on the right track now!

#13 del.icio.us

When someone asked me about why they would use del.icio.us rather than normal folders within bookmarks on the computer, I was able to tell them that del.icio.us is transportable and not confined to the individual computer or login you are currently using. (I think!) There is also the 'social' aspect, although I think I would only use that to glean others searches rather than wanting to make actual contact with them.
I think the bigger these sites get the more structure they require with folksonomies. There is already the facility to edit and merge your search tags and to a certain extent the social tagger will be influenced by the tags that have used before.
I thought that the Commoncraft YouTube video on 'Social bookmarking in plain English' was a very useful introduction.

#12 Rollyo

Created my own TV gossip Rollyo link! A bit of trial and error here.Obviously for my own entertainment rather than a professional thing. I imagine if you were doing research in a specialized field or had a particular interest, eg. family history, Rollyo could be very useful.

#11 My Library Thing collection

This was very easy!
It is interesting to view the tag 'clouds' to get a perspective of your own reading interests. From a library catalogue context Library Thing is a great tool for selecting similar books to read.

#10 Enough is enough!

I can imagine using image generators for displays and library promotions on our website. They catch the eye and I think they can be witty and fun. Okay, I've just spent a couple of hours having great fun with image generators - now moving onto Library Thing.

The Kransky Sisters love Dogsister

Image gererators are fun and addictive!

This one is fun http://www.says-it.com/concertticket/

Napoleon Dynamite Image Generator

http://www.addletters.com/napoleon-dynamite-wallpaper-generator.htm

#10 More image generators

I got my name in lights with notcelebrity.co.uk

I got this from a celebrity generator site.

#9 Bloglines/RSS feeds

Here is a link to my bloglines account http://www.bloglines.com/myblogs
Added some colleagues blogs to my bloglines account. It all seems a bit "Big brother" to me. I can understand having RSS feeds about current events news items, or gossip on your favourite band or movie star, but knowing when others bloggers add something to their site is a bit much - but I guess that is the nature of the beast. If you want to remain private or anonymous, either don't write a blog or else write fiction.
As alluded to in my last post, my dogsister Lexie has been using her puppydog wiles to ingratiate herself with extended members of my family. But I am fighting back - Lexie can't take people shopping, cook for dinner parties, or answer trivia questions.

#8 RSS feeds

Heard Steve Abrams speak at a million miles an hour last week at the State Library of Victoria. Inspired me to persevere. Took me awhile to realise that the site to get the RSS feeds was different from this blog site. Oh well! Have signed into yet another account (more to remember!), but still need to link these RSS feeds into this blog. That sounds like a plan. Meanwhile, my real-life Dogsister, Lexie, is making inroads with my extended family members!

# 6 Flickr - Hooray!

I think I have finally done it!
This image is from Flickr and was taken by ZoeSPEAK.

Flickr musings

Don't know why picture from Flickr zoeSPEAK did not publish - just the link. I think it maybe ID/password issues again. Anyway, I liked this photo and wanted to put it on my blog. Have I failed Flickering?

#5 Flicker

Not sure why the Flicker photo didn't appear in my blog. Only the link is there. More problems with my id /password. Anyway this picture from ZOEspeak is cute, so I thought others might like to see it too.

Flickr Photo Download: ZoeSPEAK - I like reading.

Flickr Photo Download: ZoeSPEAK - I like reading.

#3 Password update

Well, having a look around all the clever MVLS blogs and comments and thought I'd give my password another go. Guess what! Instead of pressing ENTER after my 5th 'guessed' password, ! clicked onto SIGN IN instead ... mmmm it worked! Very pleased, but slightly frustrated and embarrassed. Now no time to continue tonight - have to watch television!

#3 Password issues

Well I have wasted about 1 hour here at home trying to remember my stupid password! I was sure I had written it all down with old technology - I think my dogsister ate the paper! I managed to send an email to blogspot.com and they are sending an email to me with my account details - but it is going to work not home - so I will be further delayed.

#3 Flickr update

Well, decided to try again - I will not be defeated (that is just what my dogsister Lexie would like!).
Successfully signed into Yahoo at work, phew! Off home to really get stuck into it!

#3 Flickr

Well, I initially had trouble signing into a yahoo account through the Flicker link. So I have been defeated for a time.

#2 What have I learnt?

Creating a blog is easy - tarting it up, although fun, is the time consuming part. I can imagine how people get carried away and it would be easy to spend hours playing around. I have done some "Lifelong learning" things in creating this blog. I had never really edited (defaced) a photograph before. I still have to work out how to shrink it to fit the page. Viewing other peoples blogs makes you competitive, in a good way. There are things others have that I would like, so you explore and try things out. I have also discovered that librarians are funny, creative and generous, although we all already knew this.

Sibling rivalry

I suffer from sibling rivalry. My rival is my dogsister, Lexie. Lexie can do no wrong. My mother has nicknamed her 'Precious', whereas I am only called 'Snooks'. Lexie can sit on the new couch, whereas I have to perch on the uncomfortable chair. Lexie can have little 'accidents' when excited, whereas I have to remain fully house-trained at all times. Lexie is let out into the front garden to yap at all passersby, whereas I have to keep my voice lowered in case the neighbours can hear our conversations.