It's a wrap!

I must say I really enjoyed learning about Web 2.0 technologies. I already knew and used some of these, but Library 23 Things has broadened my knowledge of what is available and the potential to tap into these tools for use in our personal lives and and in our profissional capacity. This experience has influenced my lifelong learning goals by making me aware that understanding and adapting to the modern world of technology is an ongoing process. You never stop learning. Basically, librarians need to be able to adapt, change, accommodate and accept that this is the way people are communicating, finding and using information today. Librarians cannot be resistant to this change and remain "traditional".

I am definitely going to explore some of these tools in greater depth in my own time because I am curious to learn more. I would definitely recommend this program to other staff. The more "buy-in" we get, the more we can collaborate and make the necessary changes that reflect upon what technologies our users and clientele are currently using.

Mashups

You could spend hours playing around with mashups. I tried splashr and found it fun. Then I discovered Animoto and started watching some of the video examples. Now there's something we amateurs could use to make our next library video!

Here's a blog entry about a Google mashup. This mashup integrates library information into the personalized home page offered by Google.

http://www.blyberg.net/2006/08/18/go-go-google-gadget/

Mobile Devices

I really like the idea of mobile ready library websites as the owner of an iPhone myself. I especially like:

• Searching the library catalogue from a mobile device;
• Seeing what computer availability there is in the library at present;
• Getting alerts on books due, borrower information etc.

The library blog can be useful too. The obvious things to start with are opening hours and contact details.

More than some of the other web 2.0 things like Second Life, I really feel ACU should tap into the mobile device thing. More and more students are using these devices making it a great tool to connect to our users.

Second Life

I just don't get Second Life. I tried using it a little a while back and gave up. No, I don't really embrace it. Maybe if it develops further, possibly. The one thing I would love is to have meetings in exotic locations, although a real exotic locations would be much preferred (any funding there for a future F2F meeting on a nice island?)

I prefer to use other ways to network and train. I'm all for web 2.0 technology being incorporated into information literacy, but second life is not my favourite option. I do think we need to provide better support for fully online students and web 2.0 technologies would be useful in achieving this.

I just think I need to learn other skills first before I move onto learning about Second Life. And we would need to see if students would use it. What a waste of time and money if they don't. I do think the future will become more virtual, pushing us in the direction to adopt these technologies to remain competitive, but probably when there are more improvements in the IT infrastructure. Let's just see what happens...

Podcasts

Hi everyone,

I found a great series of podcasts about Personal Finance that I have included in my Google Reader. When it is an interview, giving advice or promoting an event, podcasts are great. I still, however, like Captivate or similar for instructions for using library databases and collections.


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Thing 14 - Image Generators

I must have missed this Library Thing. I didn't have much time to explore this, but I used a butterfly image to add an image from Microsoft Image Gallery of the @ symbol. It's quite neat!

Thing 16 - Sharepoint

Sharepoint has a lot of potential which we need to tap into. In My Site, I have added my avatar, written a few things about me and created a blog (it's just finding the time to write the blog).

As liaison librarians, Sharepoint can be used to:

• Create discussion threads to share information on certain topics;
• Set up meetings with documents attached;
• Share resources that we can take and adapt (eg. lesson plans, presentation and notes);
• Create tasks.

Wikis in Sharepoint are useful for things like Procedures and or, as it says in the definition "to share knowledge, brainstorm ideas, collaborate with your team on a design, create an instruction guide, build an encyclopedia of knowledge". I think the wiki is useful place to share any common or tricky questions we get locally at the desk (Stathfield has a section in Sharepoint) that perhaps relates to assignments. We have a procedures manual I would like to transfer to a wiki that would mkae updating it easy and the links are live!

Blogs can be created on designated subject disciplines to provide news on information literacy ideas, new resources of interest, and any anecdotes.

I love Sharepoint's potential.