week 12 cont'd

The Second Life phenomenon is pretty hard to comprehend...must be plenty of people who have too much time on their hands...
I think it's a possibility that our library, which has four branches, could use social networking tools such as Facebook to connect with a broader and perhaps younger client base. I don't quite know how it would be managed - perhaps just as we have desk rosters, appropriate staff could be rostered to respond to the Facebook questions and comments. The Scottish Renfrewshire Council Facebook site appears to be a success with patrons,so could be a suitable model to work from. It successfully markets its venues, events, merchandise and timetables to an audience who can choose to be interactive.
The library intranet is currently used by our council to alert library staff to additions to the web catalogue, upcoming library events such as author talks, children's programs etc.etc, while the weekly council staff newsletter which is emailed to individual staff, gives general staff information.
Wikis would give more flexibility for staff to communicate, while public library wikis would allow the general public to be involved with library matters.
We don't use Wikis at the moment - something for the IT and Web gurus to consider.
Have completed the final survey; I am still a bit overwhelmed by all the information we covered but am really excited to have been introduced to some of the myriad tools available for use in Web 2.0. A huge thanks to the nswpl team!!

week 12 wrap up; social networks and catch up

Social networks eg facebook, myspace, bebo (NZ)- networking for individuals and their invited friends, networking for interest-groups eg Animanga club.
Seems logical for museums, galleries, libraries and other public/government etc institutions to host social networking sites to facilitate communication, disseminate information and link members.
Wahol Museum's myspace page is apparently a much-visited "bridge to the museum and website".
Rotarua Public Library Bebo site is interesting and eye-catching, although some of the comments are a bit lame and unappreciative!

Week 11 Productivity software

Have looked at the Zamzar and Google docs sites; so easy to create a file from a word document. Sent word document and pdf to team. Short of time and having teething problems with Microsoft Vista!! Haven't explored much of the Google docs applications yet I don't use the calendar but know that our Childrens's Services Librarian has everything entered on her calendar - all the author talks, holiday activities, workshops etc. I can see that if she shared this calendar, all staff could have a visual overview of upcoming events, rather than checking brochures or intranet.

Mashups

That was so cool!
My jigsaw worked, with a minor hiccup. The Big Huge labs site has lots of useful options; customised badges for our children's programs could be really fun. Just thought I'd try the calendar/wallpaper selection so have included it as well...

Week 10 Mashups

Biggest problem is that the requirements of this course use up my monthly computer download time very quickly, so by the end of the billing period I'm on go-slow time. Spending time at work isn't an option as we are short-staffed and very busy...
Mashups look fantastic but as I'm really not very computer savvy, my attempts will be pretty lame, I fear! Have looked at another blogger's site and am so impressed with his work. At least this course will inspire me to get more involved with different sites and facilities.
Oops! Just managed to import the Big Huge labs logo, rather than my image... try again!

Week 9 podcasts and audio

I sometimes listen to podcasts from a couple of ABC radio stations - on my computer as don't have an ipod. Also chose the British Library's spoken word podcast of Evelyn Waugh and thought that this facility would add another dimension to the enjoyment of sight-impared people. Library Success wikis had much to link to and listen to; the virtual classroom is alive and well in schools, universities and libraries(particularly in the American contributors listed).

Our library could use podcasting for such services as children's storytime, especially for children who can't attend a session (and great for kids in remote regions); also, perhaps to introduce book club books prior to selection (as in the Book Talks Quick and Simple podcast).

week 8 Answer boards and social searching

I'm relieved that this week's module isn't as detailed as previous weeks' as I'm still trying to catch up...still loving it though and apologies for brevity of input.

Social searching seems to denote the current communication trend; many activities are done on line rather than face to face or physically trudging from place to place for answers to questions. (sorry, navel-gazing moment). Social describes the interactive nature of the process, allowing participation by posting, commenting, ranking etc of sites.

As to Answer boards: anything that a person could possibly want to know (or not know!)is available for perusal, discussion or rejection. Interesting to see the different questions posted to Yahoo!7 and WikiAnswers. I like that you can view the answers from different countries, as some responses would be location-specific I think. AnswerBoard Librarians wiki is another great community-specific tool, while Slamming the Boards seems to be a more sleek version of the Ask a Librarian facility.

I think the beauty of "slamming the boards" is that it doesn't have to be library-specific; however, if patrons want to know something about their own library's collection etc, they generally have to contact the help desk for a response or check their library's web page. Might be a good idea to have an Answer Board facility on a library's public web page for people to ask stuff pertaining to their library. Just as patrons can currently offer written or verbal suggestions for the collection or commendations to staff etc, there could be provision on the library web page for patrons post their ideas or comments. As with any new service, there are usually staffing considerations - who/when/ how long it would take to answer questions...

Any new idea that brings the library to the community is great.

Haven't posted a question yet - maybe it should be " why does everything break down at the same time- car, computer, camera..."?