Done like a dinner

Hi, Last week, yippee!!
Facebook etc. I have mixed feelings about it all. Having two teenage daughters who use Bebo and Myspace etc I wonder just how much information is going out into the ether. They are fairly cautious so I hope all is well. I myself got a rude shock when I typed my locality in Flickr where the general public can access and lo and behold pictures of my house, garden and kids!!
My Scottish niece had been on a working holiday and had posted her holiday snaps in Flicke to share with friends . I don't think she realised that they were accessible to the public. Anyway I just felt a bit strange with us all on show.

However, I enjoyed myself when I clicked on the link to East Renfrewshire Council and ended up reading Scottish news items. Didn't get to the Facebook part but I did enjoy Rotorua Bebo. I'm sure it'll be a winner with younger people and they sure were getting a lot of love!

As time goes on and I have more time to be involved in this technology I'm sure I'll enjoy it.

Since embarking on this course I have learned a huge amount even if it was under sufferance for a while. I can see the potential for libraries to engage people through the web and allow people from all over the world access to our resources.

Week 11 and Google Docs

At last I am nearing the end of what shouldn't be a trial but sometimes it has felt like one.
I am amazed at all the applications available on-line and hope that one day we will use them more. At least I might have a bit of a handle on it all.

Google docs. Well I tried getting one going but came up against a few problems when I tried to open and send a spreadsheet.
Anyhow I am hoping that our inter branch library Yahoo Groups will suffice for my "work experience".
I created a photo album consisting of photographs of David Millar and Peter Klein, two authors who came to Holbrook library over the past two years.
This can be viewed by all of our branch and other staff. In Yahoo groups we have a shared calendar and many other applications.
I will persevere with Google docs though as it is a great idea.

week whatever it is...Mashups

I have managed to mash-up I think . In the simplest sense of course.
I guess we could use these kind of things for advertising the library.
We could use mashups on our council home page which has links to the library.
I would have to think about clever ways to mix media and text and other fancy stuff but really worth thinking about.
I will now go and view other blogs to see what has been achieved.
Might make another posting on this.

Podcasts etc

We have zoomed through podcasts and vodcasts.
Can see a future in the larger libraries but we would need to learn about downloading them onto MP3 players and discs and coprright etc.
Went to the ABC site and listened to Dr Norman Swan 's health report.
Looked at an educational database which would be great for HSC students who need to listen to something explained rather than read and interpret themselves.
Di linked by RSS a health podcast to her blog.

week 8 answer boards etc

Okay, Had a look at the answer board librarians wiki and thought it was great.
Will go back and have a closer look as this is a morning of full on study to finish the Libraries learning stuff.
Eventually I'm sure someone will come to me at work and I'll use some of this stuff to help them.

You tube week 6

back to week 4 and RSS

I discovered that I hadn't added RSS feeds to the blog.
I think I had it before but hadn't transferred it to my blog so success at last.
Maybe I'll look for the lost ones later.

Renewing my knowledge of Flikr etc and posting pictures. Trying to make it all easier! Hah!

This is a very quiet little campsite by Lankeys Creek complete with resident camels!
This was probably taken in spring as it can get very dry at Lankeys and the fire restriction period starts fairly early.

resolutions

This is a September resolution to get back into it at last.
I am even having trouble remebering if I had completed the tasks properly.

It was a relief to find out that I had used the RSS aggregator and edited a Wiki, so am actually onto week six which I know I started!
After a lot of searching and going through my notes and passwords, I think the moral of the story is...... stick in or you'll only confuse yourself and get in a big muddle.

Let's see if I can take my own advice.

wakey, wakey

Well, again I have had a big rest so it is time
to get started again.
I've started another job so have even less time to do these things.
Youtube and Google video....
Last time I did thid I checked out a few entries and ended up watching some men doing Bhangra dancing looked like they were having fun.
Somehow I got to that from looking up Liverpool Plains.
My kids seem to be able to find a lot of funnies on Youtube but I must admit to never having the time to look at these sites .
Anyway I'll have another look and see what i can find.

animals in the library

I enjoyed the wiki thing but need more time to look at it all. So much information, so little time....
I enjoyed the animals in the library page in the NSW learning 2.0 wiki. Very amusing. I'm glad I haven't found a snake in my library. Only giant huntsman spiders which I shepherd out before anyone freaks.
I think I'd be more worried about fainting or hysterical teenagers than the wildlife!!

wikis

Well, I am slowly getting through this. Sometimes it is enlightening and I can see the value. Other times it is very frustrating...mostly due to technology glitches. However, I have looked at a few wikis and thoroughly enjoyed the booklovers wiki. I guess if it is something in your field of interest it is great.
I have used Wikipedia before and direct library users to it often.
On the subject of abusing the privelige of editing....I went to high school in a small Scottish town called Dingwall. Recently someone sent me an email with a link to a Wikipedia entry for Dingwall where some smart alec had changed all the info completely taking the mickey from the town and it's residents.
It was actually very funny but also very hurtful to the people named. So , I guess the question is , how much of what we read is legitimate.


Anyway I am still waiting for the invite key for the lib learning wiki. I think I did the right thing again...... That's the trouble, you are sitting at a computer alone, doing all this with no-one to ask if you get stuck......ok, yes I can email but it isn't the same.
I'll probably put another posting up when I have success.

rs feeds

Is anyone out there as slow as I am in completeing the lib learning 2 course??
It has been almost 2 weeks since my last ......not confession , although this has the makings of some kind of soapbox/confessional!! It has been about two weeks since my last entry I was going to say.
Anyways I am about to have a second attempt with the RS feed thingo. I'll make sure I
read all the stuff properly like a good library learner and will post the results later.
Cheers!

Caspar

I thought I'd try and upload a photo from the computer. Not the internet, just the PC.

You wouldn't believe the trouble I had but it was because I went about it the wrong way.

After asking for help from another branch librarian I did it in 2 minutes.

The tired pup is Caspar, a lab/kelpie cross who is the sweetest natured animal but has a taste for thongs and insoles!

recharging batteries

After deciding not to continue with Blogging and the whole Libraries Learning 2.0 thing I have decided under pressure to battle on.
Our library has decided we all have to participate with this course which is a good thing I'm sure but only working one and a half days makes it a bit tough.
Luckily we are allowed till December to complete it so I can relax a bit.

Some of you computer whizzes might laugh but I was thinking I'd rather read a book, the newspaper or knit in my library lunchtimes!!

The straw that broke my blogging back was the RS feed part of this. So I might go back to that.
Even back to the flickr part too and do it all again to refresh my memory.


Any other small town, branch library co-ordinators feeling the same way???
Words of encouragement and wisdom would be gratefully recieved.

Rainbow Books

Rainbow Books
Originally uploaded by bluemarla

I love this arrangment of books.
I can also imagine the frustration of not being able to find anything but it's pretty!

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Week 2 and it is already Wednesday. I wonder if other part-timers are having the same difficulties as me with time. It is hard working only ten hours a week and trying to make a real go of this.
Anyway I had better get to the next task....Flickr

knitty

Well this is the first day of blogging.
Started in a library lunchtime and hopefully this will continue as it is hard keeping an eye on the counter whilst thinking up profound thoughts for this.
In actual fact as an excerise for learning 2.0 this blogging malarkey is getting me out of my comfort zone, so good luck to everyone else in the same boat.