Wrapping up the course!

I am so happy to be finishing up this Web 2.0 Course.
I have to admit, I was a bit reluctant at first because I felt like I had a good general understanding of the technologies already and I'd never blogged before, so initially, I had to really motivate myself to do the posts each week.

I found myself starting to enjoy it a lot more as time went on. I discovered a lot more about each of the technologies (specifically Del.icio.us, RSS and Geocaching!)

This course has really got me thinking, and i plan to set up a Del.icio.us account to manage all my bookmarks, have been actively using Google Reader to monitor all the blogs i follow in one spot and will continue to use Facebook, Youtube and possibly have a shot at Geocaching in future.

Just wanted to say a quick thank you to City of Swan libraries for setting up this course and offering it to other WA libraries. We have learnt a lot from this course and really do appreciate your hard work setting it up.

I am tempted to keep this blog and post my own thoughts from time to time. :)

That's a wrap! (or gift wrap..for some reason that's what it made me think of)

Discovering Geocaching..

Almost everything else that we've done in this Web 2.0 course..I'd either learned about during my University course or personally..with the exception of Geocaching!
I have heard of the term, but I had no idea what it actually was.
Discovering it was like an easter egg hunt was fascinating! I had no idea they did activities like this. People set up caches in different locations all over the world, post the co-ordinates and details on a Geocaching website, and other people use these clues (and a GPS device) to go to the area and find the cache (which can be filled with various different items you can take and replace with an item of your own).

I think this could be a great family activity..a way to get children outdoors and participate in a treasure hunt! It reminds me of 'The Amazing Race' show to an extent. I would definitely go exploring some of the caches in my area sometime.

Looking at some of the uses for Geocaching..I found the one set up by the University of Notre Dame to help new students find and learn about the libraries very clever.
In our library, I can see it being used as a school holiday activity, we couldtake the children out on a hunt! Or to help people discover all libraries in the area, we could create a cache filled with bookmarks and other tidbits to promote reading.
There are lots of possibilities..

Discovering the true meaning on PODcasting..

Podcasting = non music audio or video broadcasts you listen to/view on your [i]Pod.
This is what I've always thought Podcasting stood for. Turns out that isn't quite correct..I discovered in the 'Plain English' video that POD = 'Personal on demand' making Broadcasting = PODcasting.

It's simple enough to subscribe through RSS feeds or Itunes. It also isn't all that difficult to set up your own podcast which others can subscribe to.

I personally don't make much use of podcasts. I did use it frequently during University to listen to lectures, but not much now simply because I already listen to a lot of music and follow many TV shows, I simply don't have much time to look into it much.

The one time I do have a chance to do this is when I'm driving. I used to love listening to the Hamish and Andy show every day on my way home from work. I then started working later hours so I started to miss the show when it aired (and this year, it is now a weekly show) so the podcast option came in handy as i could download and not miss out on the show completely. This is the only podcast I download to my iPod and listen to while I'm driving. I just find them hilarious!
Here's a link in case others are interested
Hamish and Andy podcasts

I can see libraries creating podcasts to educate their patrons on library topics and to share interviews with authors.

Ah..the things you find on Youtube!

I recently went on a holiday with some friends..and during this trip, they kept talking about and quoting 'Charlie bit me'.. I thought it was a cartoon or something..but figured I would look up this apparently infamous video, and here it is! Absolutely adorable.. Sure it will bring a smile to your face :)



It's great how easy it is to embed a video onto a site, so you can share the video directly with others. Hours can be lost browsing youtube though, there's just something for everyone and you can find the most random videos on here!

I think it could be quite handy to have a Youtube acccount/channel for your library (or maybe a joint one for a network of libraries in a Shire or City).
I can see it being used to promote school holiday programs, guest authors, story time, book club and many other things!

Analysing the hype...Social networking

Social networking has really taken off in recent years..Years back, I joined in the fad by joining the 'hi5' social network (and no..it has nothing to do with the children's entertainment group!)..this led to MySpace (which was the big thing at the time..and I still think it is popular for bands and music).
When Facebook came out..I just thought 'it's just another MySpace...except you can't change your background design and customise it as much'..but it has really picked up and I recently heard there are over 500 million Facebook users around the world.

I've been using Facebook for several years now; just to connect with friends and family who I haven't been in touch with since I was younger. It's a great tool for organising events too, you can keep all the RSVPs together and you can save on paper invites (I still send my closer friends nice paper invites, but it saves a lot of work if I had to send them out to everyone!). I find its a great way to share photos from holidays with others as well. You can just upload them into a photo album for your friends to view instead of lugging along a photo album or having a slide night. I like being able to just keep track of how everyone is with Facebook.

I'd heard about Twitter in one of my Internet Studies units during University, someone analysed it in a presentation. It is a fast and easy way to share information quickly, but I've never created one just because I don't think I have all that much to say (and really..some people do post the most random things on Twitter! Not sure if i'd want everyone to know what I'm having for every meal!). Facebook has a status update function which I use every few weeks and that's probably enough for me. I'm personally more interested in following others than being followed :P However, for the purpose of training..I will try it out and see how I go.
My Twitter
There are a number of celebrities and other public names who would be interesting to follow on Twitter.


I think both of these could be used in a library context.
Twitter could be used to send out important announcements which are short and to the point. There have been cases in the past where news of big events have spread via Twitter before it has made the news, so it seems like a great tool that could be used to announce library closures, promotions and new items.
Facebook has a status update option which could be used in a similar way. A profile for the library could be created for people to 'Like' and follow just to keep updated on library news and details.

Thoughts on Delicious and LibraryThing..

Del.icio.us is a term I've heard being thrown around for a while now, I just never took the time to find out what it was. First of all..what a clever name!
Social networking has really taken over the internet.. seeing that it has now expanded to Social bookmarking

It definitely looks like something i would use..I always find that saving bookmarks to the browser can get a bit cluttered..and you can't access it on any other computer. So having it online so it can be accessed anywhere is quite convenient. I like that you can add tags as well.
Here is a link to my delicious account:
www.delicious.com/cvinh
I've only spent a little time on here, but I have a feeling I will be making use of it a lot more in future. Will need to transfer my bookmarks at home onto this site so I can be more organised :)


LibraryThing
I've known about this site for a while..being able to store your library online in a place where you can read other people's reviews and create a network to discover new books is just very appealing for me. The only thing that's stopped me from creating an account until now is the time involved..I'm an avid reader and it would take quite a while to set it up with all my books!
Here's a link to my LibraryThing, I've only added 5 books at present.
www.librarything.com/home/cvinh
I can see this being quite handy for book clubs held by the library, or to help staff find recommendations for library patrons ; there is a lot of potential with this site.

Pondering about wikis

Wikipedia is the first word that comes to mind when I hear 'wiki'

I have mixed feelings about this term.For years I felt very reluctant to make use of wikis, but now I will admit that if there's anything I'm unsure about..probably the first place I will look it up for a quick explanation is Wikipedia.
During my University course..we were constantly cautioned against using it as a reference, which explains by initial reluctance to use it; however I do find it's easy to use to gain a quick understanding of something. Of course if I want to find more detail, I will look up other sources, but it's a place I like to check initially.

The trouble with having a page that anyone can edit..is that people can put anything on the pages..however incorrect! As a reference tool, it's probably not the best place to find quality information.

I'm an avid fan of many tv shows and movies..and often I've found that it's difficult to find detailed episode summaries, ratings and character profiles (and so on)and information anywhere else on the web, so fan made Wikis and wikipedia are what I go to.
Here's a link to the Harry Potter wiki, which is quite detailed (and I believe is also moderated, so information is generally quite accurate!)
harrypotter.wikia.com
This is just one of a myriad of other fan created wikis, where fans work together to create a database of information about their favourite shows, books or movies.

In a library setting, I've had a look at a few library wikis, and I can see how useful it can be. It comes across as being a lot more interactive than websites, where borrowers probably feel overwhelmed with all the information available.

I definitely think there is a lot of value in creating a wiki for our public libraries. It would be a great place to share information about what is happening in our libraries in a more modern take.

That ends week 5 of our learning..and It's almost Christmas time!
Will do my next post when I'm back from a holiday in a few weeks time :)