Bren at work

23. Is This The End?

2007-11-19T03:28:00.000-08:00

G'day,

I must admit that I thought that I had a fair grasp of the internet. I now know that there is so much out there that I wasn't aware of. I had certainly heard of a few things such as YouTube, Flickr and podcasting but actually using these tools has opened my eyes to the potential that the internet offers.

This training has shown me some great sites that I will be using both for work and private. I think that all the exercises were fun to do and the structure was easy to follow and will allow me to use some powerful tools in promoting the Library.

One thing that I found impressive was the ease of using sites such as Flickr, LibraryThing, YouTube and Blogspot and the results that they give is fantastic. I loved playing with the image generators now there is a great marketing tool.

The training has certainly given me more confidence with exploring the internet and using the latest technologies and I can now take on the younger staff members with their net knowledge and give them a run for their money (for now).

I am glad that I did this training and would highly recommend it to other staff. A big thank you to all involved in this project.

Oh! and one other thing, can I please, please, please have a prize, please.

Thank you all

This is Bren At Work signing off

Seeya

22. Audio books

2007-11-18T21:09:00.000-08:00

G'day,

To read or not to read that is the question. As the popularity of mp3 players continues to grow and downloading of music is the norm the humble book is in danger.

It is just as easy to find an ebook as it is to find music. With our hectic lifestyles these days and portable players the ebook is looking more attractive to people.

Libraries will need to have a new collection, and the best part is that it doesn't require any extra floor space or shelving. This may also attract those who don't want to visit the library or don't have the time.

Having a look at the Gutenberg Project site there seems to be some classic titles available and being able to download and listen using Media Player or Real Player is a bonus. There is a good choice that's available free.

Me personally, I still prefer to read a book.

See ya
Bren At Work

21. Podcasts

2007-11-18T20:22:00.000-08:00

Howdy,

Podcasts, podcasts and more podcasts. It is a real eye opener to how many podcasts are out there.

Like YouTube the list is endless with a huge range of subjects covered. Between watching videos and listening there isn't going to be enough hours in the day.

I used Podcast Alley for my searching and found it to be very easy to navigate. Subject categories where easy to find and the listing of results is well set out. There is also an option to add your own podcast and having links to new podcasts and a top ten of the month.

I have created a link to Libvibe library news on the right hand side, check it out.

Cheers
Bren At Work

20. YouTube

2007-11-18T18:32:00.000-08:00

Hello hello,

I've been experiencing the world that is YouTube. I can certainly see how it can become addictive.

The ability to be able to find something of interest is very easy. The searching is so simple and having the categories such as just added and most viewed is helpful.

Watching the fun stuff is great and I can see that you could use YouTube for educational purposes as well. You could have training videos there for staff and promotions for Libraries.

You will have to excuse me, I'm off to YouTube.

See ya
Bren At Work

20. You Tube (Funny Dogs)

2007-11-18T18:24:00.000-08:00

19. Discovering Web 2.0 Tools

2007-11-07T21:40:00.000-08:00

G'day,

It's like a whole new world out there in web land. There are some great sites that can help make life easier both at work and in everyday life.

The site I looked at was esnips online digital storage. It's a site that allows you to share and or store photo's. links, music, video and documents. There are areas where you can promote your own site and direct people to it, and a section for social clubs where people with the same interests can have a discussion.

You can store photo's and music with up to 5gb of storage space as well as creative emails, widgets and create your own playlists. This site like so many now days allows you the flexibility to access from anywhere around the world.

Precious photos can be stored on this site which gives you a backup in case you loose photos in a fire or theft or computer crash.

See ya around
Bren At Work

18. Web Based Apps.

2007-11-07T20:39:00.000-08:00

Hello all,

The fun continues. I have been using some of the online word processing applications. I was pleasantly surprised. There doesn't seem to be much difference between the online app. and the products you buy.

There are some great features including spreadsheets, organisers and templates to choose from. Another great feature is that you can import Microsoft Word documents and edit them from any computer and if you make the document available to others then they can edit as well (if you dare).

Having the freedom to change documents anywhere is a plus. I was using Zoho Writer. Have a look it's great fun.

Catchya later
Bren At Work

17. Playing Around with PBWiki

2007-11-07T20:36:00.000-08:00

Howdy,

I've been having fun in the sandbox. Yes playing in the PBWiki sandbox. I can't get over how easy it is go in and add or edit information. It was very simple and I had fun in the sand.

Chow for now
Bren At Work

16. So what's in a Wiki

2007-10-31T01:21:00.000-07:00

G'day,

The discovery continues. I have been looking at Wiki's and how they can be used. I have used Wikipedia a few times but hadn't really understood how it worked. After reading some info about Wiki it is a great way of gathering information.

The main hurdle to cross would be that someone else can edit your work but if other people have something to contribute it is a great way of building an online community and having the imput of different thoughts.

I think Wiki's would be fantastic for Libraries especially for book reviews. It would be like an online book group. Wiki's for subject areas linked to the catalogues. This is already being done by some Libraries and what I have seen it looks like a great way to get the public involved in their local library.

Wiki's for the staff would also be a great way for all staff to have input into Library policy and procedures without them leaving their branch.

See ya

Bren At Work

15. On Library 2.0 & web 2.0

2007-10-29T20:42:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

It is very interesting and scary reading a couple of these articles. I think that Libraries are going through one of if not the biggest change this profession has seen. While the core service of providing books for people to read will continue for some time, it's the information delivery that has moved in leaps and bounds.

The service we provide our customers is split between two levels, there's the younger more online savy generation who crave the latest inovations and there's the mature generation who would still like to access information from books. This puts a lot of pressure on Libraries and staff to offer the same level of sevice to both areas.

Marketing of Libraries in the past has been to get people in the door but, in the not so distant future measuring the success of marketing will be the number of visits to web sites, databases or members on disscussion boards.

This Learning 2.0 training is an invaluable training tool showing what is out there and how to use it. Library staff will need these programs to be able to keep up with online technologies.

Another interesting thing will be in years to come will we need the big library buildings that we (some of us) have today? There might be rooms full of computers called Libraries one day. Lets hope it's a long way away.

Bye

Bren At Work

14. Technorati

2007-10-28T20:34:00.000-07:00

Hi there,

It's quite amazing, while doing this training I'm finding these sites that will be very useful in work and everyday life. Technorati is another one of these. It is great to be able to search both blogs and posts for different subjects. The layout is simple and using the site doesn't take long to work out. Also having the ability to search videos and pictures is also a plus.

Check it out

Chow for now
Bren At Work

13. Tagging & bookmarking in Del.icio.us

2007-10-18T22:35:00.000-07:00

G'day, It looks like a great way to save your favorite sites or the ones you need for work or study. Being able to access your sites easily from anywhere has to be a major draw card. Also having other people having input means that other with the same interests can combine ideas (as the saying goes 2 heads are better than 1). I can see Del.icio.us being widely used in study situations.

See ya

Bren At Work

12. Roll your own search engine with Rollyo

2007-10-16T20:34:00.000-07:00

Howdy, I have just been playing with Rollyo, what a great tool. It's a great way of creating your own personal searches with the sites you know and love. I can also see a great use for this for public Libraries especially when important events are coming up. I really enjoyed playing with Rollyo and I will be using it again. Have a look at my search roll by clicking on the Rollyo seach on the right hand side and use the seach terms such as Libraries or books.

See ya

Bren At Work

11. All about LibraryThing

2007-10-11T21:53:00.000-07:00

Hi folks, I have added a few of the books I have read over the last couple of years. Have a look at my list there may be some that you have read as well.

Catchya

Bren At Work

10. Play around with Image Generators

2007-10-11T21:28:00.000-07:00

Hello there, I have been playing with the image generator Big Huge labs there is some fun to be had here. It is so easy to create some great looking master pieces. There would be some great marketing tools to use in the Library. Have a look at the magazine cover I made.

9. Finding Feeds

2007-10-11T21:20:00.000-07:00

G'day all, I have been playing with Bloglines and subscribing to some feeds. I found it very easy to use and finding feeds of interest was quite simple. It can become a bit addictive when you get going. You could spend all day reading feeds that come in. Must stop.

See ya soon

Bren At Work

8. Bloglines

2007-10-09T18:54:00.000-07:00

Hi there, this is my bloglines account have a look

7. Technology related interest

2007-09-30T19:45:00.000-07:00

I have been reading a few articles lately on the latest hard drive technology that's starting to appear. There is a big push to move from the current form of hard drives (spinning type) to solid state drives (same as the USB flash drives)

This technology is already being used in some laptops and is likely to spread to all computers in the next few years.

Because there are no moving parts it apparently is a safer and faster option and of course much smaller. Time will tell if it will make the price of computers cheaper and smaller.

See ya
Bren at work

6. More flickr fun

2007-09-24T22:43:00.000-07:00

Hi there, I have been playing with the mashups from flickr. There's hours of fun to be had. I personally liked the trip planner. It would be good to show the places of interest and recommended places to stay and show them to family and friends. (that's if they wanted to see them, but show'em anyway) a great tool.

See ya

Bren at work

5. Flickr

2007-09-24T22:18:00.000-07:00

Hi there, I had a look at Flickr and it looks like a great site, there are some great photos there. I chose this photo because it shows the calm of sunset and the power of nature. http://www.flickr.com/photos/xiuteuctli/1435552711/

Enjoy.

Bren at work

Welcome

2007-09-17T19:46:00.000-07:00

Hello there, this is my first post. I'm doing this for L2.0 training. It should be fun.

Catcha later