I have found the Learning 2.0 program interesting and at times challenging, there were many sites to visit and get your head around. It has certainly increased my awareness web 2.0 technologies and wile many did not interest me personally professionally I need to be aware.
Not all had library applications but many do eg wikis, online productivity, downloadable audiobooks, RSS feeds and some would be useful for the reader in their personal lives eg. LibraryThing.
I can see the value of many as shared networking spaces but personally prefer face to face interactions rather than in cyberspace. Their popularity obviously shows there is a need out there and it seems that need is well and truly being catered for.
Thankyou Janelle for the time and effort you have put into this program.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
#22 Downloadable audiobooks
Downloadable audiobooks are through a subscription service eg. Netlibrary, where the library purchases audio files and library members can download the files onto their PC / mp3 player. After the loan period expires the audio file is deleted.
I see real advantages in this product for libraries and library users. The library member would have access to the eaudiobooks 24/7, they eliminate the need for the library to deal with the physical item ie. processing, repair, replacement costs.
Automatic checkout and return function.
The authors listed on the World eBook Library site were not very inspiring, some quite obscure authors and very few Australian authors, few contemporary authors. There were also no ratings available for the titles (at least on the ones I looked at).
There is an obvious application for libraries for this product, it would be useful to introduce them to the library service and see how they go.
I see real advantages in this product for libraries and library users. The library member would have access to the eaudiobooks 24/7, they eliminate the need for the library to deal with the physical item ie. processing, repair, replacement costs.
Automatic checkout and return function.
The authors listed on the World eBook Library site were not very inspiring, some quite obscure authors and very few Australian authors, few contemporary authors. There were also no ratings available for the titles (at least on the ones I looked at).
There is an obvious application for libraries for this product, it would be useful to introduce them to the library service and see how they go.
Monday, May 12, 2008
#20 Podcasts
A podcast is a non-musical audio or video broadcast, delivered usually through RSS.
I had a look at 2 podcast directories Podcast Alley and Yahoo search, both seemed very similar and Yahoo Search was not confined to podcasts. Both had a strong US bias, were relatively easy to use but like much of the Web 2.0 technologies there is a hell of a lot of "stuff".
I regularly liten to podcasts at home of interviews I have missed while at work eg. from Radio National The Book Show, or Late Night Live which I find very useful and convenient.
Maybe the Library Service could make available podcasts of the popular author talks held at various venues throughout the year.
I had a look at 2 podcast directories Podcast Alley and Yahoo search, both seemed very similar and Yahoo Search was not confined to podcasts. Both had a strong US bias, were relatively easy to use but like much of the Web 2.0 technologies there is a hell of a lot of "stuff".
I regularly liten to podcasts at home of interviews I have missed while at work eg. from Radio National The Book Show, or Late Night Live which I find very useful and convenient.
Maybe the Library Service could make available podcasts of the popular author talks held at various venues throughout the year.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
YouTube #20
YouTube is a video hosting site, you can upload and share videos on the web.
Anyone watching a video can post a video response or write a comment so it is interactive.
I looked at the "Hilarious commercials of the 70s site", found it mildly interesting with a few laughs. Little recognition as they were US commercials, some of the written comments were interesting as many wanted to identify the actor/actress in the commercials . I chose that site for a nostalgia hit but as I said they were not familiar, although some were bizarre.
What I saw on YouTube didn't interest me particularly eg. video of a girl singing songs in her bedroom. I know YouTube is phenominally popular but it is not something I wish to explore further.
I don't think there is anything on YouTube that could be applied to library websites that isn't widely used on other sites.
Anyone watching a video can post a video response or write a comment so it is interactive.
I looked at the "Hilarious commercials of the 70s site", found it mildly interesting with a few laughs. Little recognition as they were US commercials, some of the written comments were interesting as many wanted to identify the actor/actress in the commercials . I chose that site for a nostalgia hit but as I said they were not familiar, although some were bizarre.
What I saw on YouTube didn't interest me particularly eg. video of a girl singing songs in her bedroom. I know YouTube is phenominally popular but it is not something I wish to explore further.
I don't think there is anything on YouTube that could be applied to library websites that isn't widely used on other sites.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Discover Web 2.0 tools # 19
I picked a site from the winners list in the Travel category - RealTravel.
This is a travel guide and trip planner based on advice from real travellers.
I chose to explore Melbourne form the Top Cities list under Oceania. I didn't find a lot of the site very informative, in many cases it was light on for content and information relying on input from the same few people.
There was a good link to Booking.com for online hotel reservations with very detailed information on the selected hotel.
Under Things to do I looked at Art & Museums and all I got was more hotel informatiion. Every new page was dominated by hotel info with the thibng you actually wanted tacked on the bottom.
I can't really see any application for this site in a library setting.
This is a travel guide and trip planner based on advice from real travellers.
I chose to explore Melbourne form the Top Cities list under Oceania. I didn't find a lot of the site very informative, in many cases it was light on for content and information relying on input from the same few people.
There was a good link to Booking.com for online hotel reservations with very detailed information on the selected hotel.
Under Things to do I looked at Art & Museums and all I got was more hotel informatiion. Every new page was dominated by hotel info with the thibng you actually wanted tacked on the bottom.
I can't really see any application for this site in a library setting.
Online productivity #18
These online productivity tools are a great idea given their user friendliness in that you don't have to worry about different software versions or file types when you email documents.
The Zoho Writer I found very easy to use, with a basic knowledge of MS Office it all seemed very familiar and everything you needed was on the screen. They ware very handy as it means if you have internet access anywhere, any time you can create documents, access your calender / planner etc. Plus the bonus of being able to share documents and work on documents collaboratively.
A great idea and may well be the death of MS Office.
The Zoho Writer I found very easy to use, with a basic knowledge of MS Office it all seemed very familiar and everything you needed was on the screen. They ware very handy as it means if you have internet access anywhere, any time you can create documents, access your calender / planner etc. Plus the bonus of being able to share documents and work on documents collaboratively.
A great idea and may well be the death of MS Office.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Learning 2.0 SandBox wiki # 17
This exercise gives you practical experience with adding your comment to a wiki - in my case "Favourite restaurants" plus adding the web address for my blog to the plcmc learning wiki.
Again gives you an insight into the masses amount of information available on wikis and the huge variety of topics, common and obscure, you can find information on or contribute information to.
Again gives you an insight into the masses amount of information available on wikis and the huge variety of topics, common and obscure, you can find information on or contribute information to.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Wikis # 16
Wikis harness collective intelligence , they allow a group of people to collaboratively develop a website. They are easy to set up and contributers don't need to know html.
One wiki I looked at - rocwiki - shows how interesting and useful a wiki can be. The wiki is about the US town of Rochester where unique local knowledge about all facets of the town are gathered on the website, if you were going to visit Rochester it would be an excellent guide to the town and you would discover all sorts of interesting information about the town and places to visit.
The Library wikis I looked at show some of the uses for wikis in libraries, for use both by staff and library users. The capacity for borrowers to add their reviews to the library catalogue is a nice feature.
Libraries could "host" a community wiki such as the one about their town.
A subject guide wiki is also a good idea where users update and maintain the wiki eg. adding new links and deleting obsolete links, plus add their own information.
The library can use wikis on the staff intranet for such things as collaborative document development, group projects, set up a collective knowledge base, conference planning - to name a few.
One wiki I looked at - rocwiki - shows how interesting and useful a wiki can be. The wiki is about the US town of Rochester where unique local knowledge about all facets of the town are gathered on the website, if you were going to visit Rochester it would be an excellent guide to the town and you would discover all sorts of interesting information about the town and places to visit.
The Library wikis I looked at show some of the uses for wikis in libraries, for use both by staff and library users. The capacity for borrowers to add their reviews to the library catalogue is a nice feature.
Libraries could "host" a community wiki such as the one about their town.
A subject guide wiki is also a good idea where users update and maintain the wiki eg. adding new links and deleting obsolete links, plus add their own information.
The library can use wikis on the staff intranet for such things as collaborative document development, group projects, set up a collective knowledge base, conference planning - to name a few.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Web 2.0, Library 2.0
Library 2.0 is an extension of Web 2.0. The user is involved in both the design and implementation of services.
The library needs to meet users in their space (online) not ours (library) - I like this thought as there is no denying the overwhelming popularity of the web as a way of connecting to others, finding information, entertainment etc.
The web is a shared network space used for work, research and social activity, it promotes interactivity and participation.
All things the traditional library has sought and seeks to do. There is still a place for the physical library and printed and av materials (recent GRLC survey makes this clear), but Web 2.0 is here now and being used extensively and libraries must adapt.
The article by Michael Stephens "Into a new world of librarianship" says librarians must look at "how services may be enhanced by the Read/Write web". I think this is important , we don't abandon the traditional services libraries offered but we must cater for all users and potential users and many of them are Web 2.0 officianados and over time their numbers will increase.
The library needs to meet users in their space (online) not ours (library) - I like this thought as there is no denying the overwhelming popularity of the web as a way of connecting to others, finding information, entertainment etc.
The web is a shared network space used for work, research and social activity, it promotes interactivity and participation.
All things the traditional library has sought and seeks to do. There is still a place for the physical library and printed and av materials (recent GRLC survey makes this clear), but Web 2.0 is here now and being used extensively and libraries must adapt.
The article by Michael Stephens "Into a new world of librarianship" says librarians must look at "how services may be enhanced by the Read/Write web". I think this is important , we don't abandon the traditional services libraries offered but we must cater for all users and potential users and many of them are Web 2.0 officianados and over time their numbers will increase.
Technorati #14
Technorati is a search tool for blogs, you can tag blog posts with keywords and make them findable through a Technorati search.
Keyword search for Learning 2.0 in blog directory led to blog posts with 17,382 results. Within a particular blog you can do a further search by clicking on tagged keywords in the blog, this takes you to blogs which have that keyword tagged. This automatically leads you on to further related information which you may or may not wish to explore.
Popular blogs is what it says, blogs that are popular at the moment, listed in 2 categories by fans and by authority. There may be some overlap. The blogs are ranked eg Boing Boing is 6 out of 100 most popular blogs.
There can be a large variety of tags used in a blog so blogs you find from a tag search may or may not be closely related to the original blog. The larger the size of font used for the tags the more popular they are.
Searching the searches is interesting as some of them are quite topical, it tells you when the blog was posted but that doesn't reflect the currency of the information contained in the blog.
Technorati is a useful tool to make your blog accessible to others and to read and link with other bloggers.
Keyword search for Learning 2.0 in blog directory led to blog posts with 17,382 results. Within a particular blog you can do a further search by clicking on tagged keywords in the blog, this takes you to blogs which have that keyword tagged. This automatically leads you on to further related information which you may or may not wish to explore.
Popular blogs is what it says, blogs that are popular at the moment, listed in 2 categories by fans and by authority. There may be some overlap. The blogs are ranked eg Boing Boing is 6 out of 100 most popular blogs.
There can be a large variety of tags used in a blog so blogs you find from a tag search may or may not be closely related to the original blog. The larger the size of font used for the tags the more popular they are.
Searching the searches is interesting as some of them are quite topical, it tells you when the blog was posted but that doesn't reflect the currency of the information contained in the blog.
Technorati is a useful tool to make your blog accessible to others and to read and link with other bloggers.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Del.icio.us # 12
Del.icio.us allows you to bookmark a webpage and add tags to categorize your bookmarks. Tagging allows you to associate keywords with online content, you can create connections between data any way you want.
Del.icio.us would be useful to synchronize bookmarks on your home and work PCs.
After exploring the links under Discovery Resources I think it would be useful for discovering other websites that may be of interest to you. It is always interesting to read what other people think of a particular website and you can see (read) the social interactions taking place.
I came across a discussion on the font used for the word CHANGE in the Barack Obama election slogan "Change we can believe in" The font used is Gotham and this seemed to have impressed a lot of people!
Del.icio.us would be useful to synchronize bookmarks on your home and work PCs.
After exploring the links under Discovery Resources I think it would be useful for discovering other websites that may be of interest to you. It is always interesting to read what other people think of a particular website and you can see (read) the social interactions taking place.
I came across a discussion on the font used for the word CHANGE in the Barack Obama election slogan "Change we can believe in" The font used is Gotham and this seemed to have impressed a lot of people!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Rollyo #11
Rollyo is a handy site where you can create your own search tool for websites you use a lot, it is a search engine that provides you with results from a hand picked list of sites.
It would be useful for study, research, hobbies and general interest. It is a great time saver to be able to search your hand picked sites all at once.
I created a rollyo account and created a search roll for "weather in Darwin" which searches 3 sites I chose. Bureau of Meteorology, ABC & Weatherzone.
It would be useful for study, research, hobbies and general interest. It is a great time saver to be able to search your hand picked sites all at once.
I created a rollyo account and created a search roll for "weather in Darwin" which searches 3 sites I chose. Bureau of Meteorology, ABC & Weatherzone.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Library Thing
This is a widget of 5 books on my Library Thing account.
Library Thing is a great tool for connecting book lovers enabling you to share your thoughts on particular books, or just read other peoples reviews. I can see great potential for developing interesting relationships with fellow readers anywhere in the world.
Library Thing is for book lovers, libraries, authors, publishers etc. Individuals and small organizations can use it to catalogue their collections, libraries can integrate LibraryThing into their catalogue and thereby add reviews, recommendations etc.
This is one site I will be revisiting. ( when I published this post I was advised that the java script could not be published so no link available to my LibraryThing!)
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
# 10 Online image generator
Name in cuneiform
This is a large random collection of image generator sites where you can produce tailored images of many kinds. eg election buttons. Lots are just fun, some could be used for practical purposes.
Worth a look for ideas, lifelong learning and products.
This is a large random collection of image generator sites where you can produce tailored images of many kinds. eg election buttons. Lots are just fun, some could be used for practical purposes.
Worth a look for ideas, lifelong learning and products.
#7&8 RSS & Newsreaders
RSS feeds are an efficient way to keep up to date with the latest news in you areas of interest. Instead of trawling through web site and picking out the bits that interest you you can "subscribe" to RSS feeds (after you have loaded a feedreader) and have the latest news emailed to you.
A bloglines newsreader account enables you to view blogs and feeds on your areas of interest.
This would be useful if used selectively to receive the latest information and news as it happens. Or you could just wait and watch the evening news bulletin on the TV.
A bloglines newsreader account enables you to view blogs and feeds on your areas of interest.
This would be useful if used selectively to receive the latest information and news as it happens. Or you could just wait and watch the evening news bulletin on the TV.
#6 blog post - technology
The new technology thing this week is Learning 2.0!
I am familiar with the terms but have never explored what flickr, RSS feeds etc are, so lifelong learning is in practice.
I am familiar with the terms but have never explored what flickr, RSS feeds etc are, so lifelong learning is in practice.
flickr
Search Results
Currawongs are not a popular bird as thet prey on young birds and generally terrorize many small birds. This is compensated to some extent by their beautiful and varied song.
Flickr has great possibilities for online interaction and sharing of experiences with strangers and family and friends.
Currawongs are not a popular bird as thet prey on young birds and generally terrorize many small birds. This is compensated to some extent by their beautiful and varied song.
Flickr has great possibilities for online interaction and sharing of experiences with strangers and family and friends.
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