#23 - Is this the end? Or just the beginning?

Now that I've finished doing Web 2.0, I have discovered a lot of online tools and applications that I never knew existed. A lot of these tools can be put to use in a library setting and would not diminish or detract from anything we currently do, but simply add to it. I am sure I will use several of these applications for my own personal use, and wouldn't hesitate recommending them to family, friends, or even customers if I felt that they would be advantaged by using them.

#22 - Audiobooks

This is cool too. The titles available may be rather old (I was disappointed there was no titles from Stephen King or John Grisham on the site), but it could be very handy if a customer was after a copy of Mein Kampf or something of a similar vintage.

#21 - Podcasts, Smodcasts

Podcasts are cool! There are podcasts on just about every subject you can think of, from sports news and results to the latest healthy recipes.

Podcasts would be a great addition to the library's website. You could inform people of upcoming events, new titles that have come into the collection, and even have a book review or two.

#19 - Discover Web 2.0 Tools

For this exercise, I decided to look at facebook. I really like using this tool. It enables people to get back in touch with long lost friends, or find new friends who share common interests.

There are a wide range of applications you can add to your profile, whether they be games, or quizzes, and there are numerous groups you can join, whether they be related to musical or movie tastes, or simply according to geographic location. The opportunities are endless!

#18 - Web Based Apps

These are pretty cool. Why spend hundreds of dollars purchasing the latest Office package which you can only use on a few computers anyway, when you can sign up for a free Web based application and use it anywhere? :)

#16: Wikis

I never realised how popular and wide spread wikis actually are. When I saw the word 'wiki' I immediately thought of wikipedia, but the fact is everyone can have a wiki.

Wikis could greatly benefit a library. I particularly liked the idea of the Booklover Wiki. We could take a similar step by encouraging both staff and customers to submit reviews of books they've read, DVDs they've watched or CDs they've listened to which can then be added to the website. Might even be possible for such wikis to be linked to the catalogue too. In addition to that, we could add some instructions on how to use new technology as the self checkout machines, SARA or anything else we decide to add in the future. Could even have a basic Q&A wiki where we list common questions that staff are asked, and putting them all into a Wiki on the website.

#15: Library 2.0 - It's many things to many people. What does it mean to you?

Library 2.0, and more particularly Web 2.0, is making a librarian's life a lot easier. We can put instructional videos on how to use self check out machines or other library orientated hardware onto YouTube, and place a link to it on our website. We frequently get asked if there is a record of what the patron has borrowed in the past on their record, as they tend to forget what they've borrowed. Wouldn't it be good if we suggest that they keep a record on LibraryThing? We can have all staff put links to websites they frequent pertaining to a certain topic of interest onto rollyo, so if someone is interested in a subject that a staff member has a strong interest in, we can guide them to a wide range of resources on that subject. The list of possibilities of the uses of web 2.0 in a library setting is endless.

We have such a varied collection of material across the system on a vast range of subjects, but there is plenty of information available online on the same subjects. Web 2.0 won't necessarily eliminate the need to use our collection, but will merely enhance and improve on how we can further help meet our customers' needs.

#14 - Technorati

I found this site wasn't as useful as del.icio.us. To me it was just like another search engine, but dedicated to blogs. I didn't find it as user-friendly as what del.icio.us was either. Maybe that was because I looked at it after lunch and my mind wasn't comprehending anything, but I just didn't like using it at all. I much prefer del.icio.us and rollyo.

#13 - Del.icio.us

I found this website very handy. It enables everyone to not only view your bookmarks, but also allows you to view your bookmarks from anywhere. Could be very useful in libraries with multiple internet terminals, especially if someone is doing a thesis at university, and cannot have regular access to the one terminal.

Another possibility is that staff members would be able to bookmark all the sites they regularly use on a particular subject. With so many staff members at GRLC, and all of them with different interests, we could build up quite a collection of sites for different interests, and make these all accessible to our patrons.

#12 - Rollyo

Rollyo is a lot like bookmarks, only better! I can see this being very beneficial in a library environment. How good would it be if we put everything we previously had listed in our bookmarks into rollyo? We wouldn't have to go from site to site looking for a particular tidbit or obscure fact. All we'd need to do is type into it rollyo and voila! There it is, right in front of us.

This could be an awesome ally to help students find resources to help them with assignments, as well as help anyone who has a passing interest in a subject find out more about it.

#10 - Image Generators

These are great fun! The generator blog (http://generatorblog.blogspot.com) has heaps of ideas for both image and text generators. Two fun ones I used are the church sign generator -http://www.churchsigngenerator.com, and the create your own error message generator - http://faded.havocaos.com/error/default.aspx.

These image generators could be useful to help promote different activities, or just to brighten up a library and create a talking point.

#11 - LibraryThing

This site is awesome! Not only is it very easy to add books to your library - all you need to do is type in either title, author, or ISBN number - by changing the display you can get details, such as publishing details and subject headings. Who'd have known that Stephen King's "From a Buick 8" could have a subject heading of "abandonment of automobiles > fiction"?

#8 - RSS and Bloglines

I really like this application. It's so much easier going to one location to get updated news, then surfing the web for hours, going to all different websites, then browsing through page after page to find something you haven't read before. I know I regularly go to an online football forum, and it's extremely annoying clicking on "next page" repeatedly until I get to some posts that people have added since the last time I read a particular thread.

Using this application in a library setting would be great in a promotional sense, as every upcoming event the library has could be advertised in this way, as well as the new title lists for every month. I know that we tend to run out of adult fiction lists within a week or so, so if people were made aware of new titles via RSS, they could not only find out what is new from home, without having to search around on the website for it, they can also request the ones they want from home at the same time.

#6 - More flickr fun

I had great fun with this. :) This would be a great tool to create posters on special themes to display in the library, or to create new name badges to be worn when representing GRLC at training seminars or conferences. Would look wonderful if instead of a simple badge with our name on it, we had a whole ID card with our details on it, ie. name, library service we're representing, and then a mug shot. :)

Here's a pic I made up using the motivator tool. :)



Here's the URL link: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2305/2355244311_f42e945597_m.jpg

#7 - Technology

How much easier has technology made our lives as library staff? Gone are the card catalogues, stamping of books and trying to find old newspaper articles using microfiche. Nowadays we have computerised catalogues, RFID and online databases.

The funny thing is, once a computer decides not to work, either through power failure or some kind of system failure, then we curse the damn things, but take them for granted when they're working properly!

#20 - YouTube

I absolutely love YouTube! I could (and have) spend hours just watching video after video. There are heaps of videos on just about every topic under the sun, whether it be sporting highlights (or lowlights), the crazy driving conditions in India and Afghanistan, or just an instructional video on how to do something.

YouTube would very handy in a library setting, whether it be for training purposes, or instructing the public on how to use a new piece of technology, ie. SARA readers, self checkout machines, etc. It could also be used in a publicity capacity, ie. advertising the different collections, events, virtual tour etc. and a link to the video put on the library service's website.

Here's one of the videos I found rather amusing. An old Mr.Bean classic, that's very relevant to the library profession! :)

#5 - Flickr

This site is amazing. The sheer volume of photos available is enormous. This site would benefit those in the library world greatly as it could potentially increase the impact of display posters tremendously. Why use some simple, boring image from clipart, when you could just look on this site and choose a dazzling photo instead?

Also, flickr could be of enormous benefit if someone is looking for a picture of something there and then, and there are no books available at the time. Just log onto flickr, and the odds are a relevant picture should be available.

One thing that really impressed me about flickr is the world map. People who post photos can enter information about the photo, including where it was taken. Then someone else could type in a particular location, and flickr displays the map, along with all photos that were taken in that particular area.