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#23 Zum Schluss

Trying to differentiate the tracks of my thoughts, which at the moment are like highways in my mind streaming in different directions; the 'Learning 2.0' program, Library 2.0, libraries and web 2.0, libraries and 'Learning 2.0'; coordination of the 'Learning 2.0' program...

May say more about the monkeyed state of my thought processes than connections and relevancy of these topics...

The program has in a designated spate of time forced/encouraged me to look at a range of internet applications and ideas that are being used, discussed or bandied about as options for and in our profession. That was a positive aspect for me personally, as one who does not share a pc or internet-world much beyond work.

Some applications and exercises had greater intrinsic value for me than others; looking at wikis, RSS feeds (although Bloglines was inconsistent for me) and online processing tools, compared to Image Generator, no matter how much I loved the much thumbed catalogue card!


The age of the program shows a little - some links not working and the lack of examples, exploring how libraries are enacting web 2.0 applications.

In coordinating the program again, I would tinker with it. Fellow bloggers have given incisive feedback and suggestions for enhancements.
My top few:

• Refined instructions per exercise to eliminate the needless ambiguity and thus reduce margin of error.
• Various account creation was annoying and could be streamlined with group accounts
• Replace some of the temperamental applications with more consistent alternatives ie Bloglines for Google reader or Sage
• Exercises exploring libraries use of web 2.0 to put some of the technology in real context
• The cheesy tone, with an exhortation to 'have fun' and 'play'' wore as the weeks went on.

As for web 2.0/library 2.0...
Hackneyed phrasing and marketing hype surrounding the use of the terms and the evolution of the internet it is meant to describe, is sullying some of the message and the value. Once something is overblown, it lends itself to parody.

Librarians are engaging or being encouraged, pushed to utilise technology in new ways. The social aspect of web 2.0 applications that have enabled librarians to create content and publish online outside of traditional web administration barriers is energising for the profession. Libraries need to assess what applications are viable for patrons to engage better with our content and for us to engage with them, as opposed to adoption due to a label and the perception of 'current 'street cred'. A

The desire to be seen online and beyond barriers of space and time, should not come at the detriment of onsite services.

As some of our politicians have found, the interactive nature of the new internet is double-edged and so some aspects and applications need be treated with caution.

#22 Audio Books

My Dad was legally blind and I grew up with his audio cassette machine on loan from the RVIB (size of a fax machine), a permanent feature atop a fold-out table, pride of place in the lounge room alongside the record player turntable.
Once a voracious reader, 'talking books' retained access to the written word denied him by his MS. The video cassette size tapes would arrive in brown paper packages and my younger brother and I would often have the job of turning the tapes for him.
Audio books developed with ranges of current titles in book shops. When I worked in books in the 90s the talk even then was the future of publishing becoming digital. Academic publishing now in particular.
I appreciate the concept.
Haven't had cause to use ebooks unlike podcasts or search generally for them.
Mildly irritated by World E Book with its very basic search function, but moved on to discover a full range of Jane Austen, Hans Christian and other classic titles for free. Downloaded Walt Whitman; a select voice breathes life for me into the text. Members subscription gives you access to modern copyrighted titles from Byatt to poetry of Frost.
Useful to know of and how to access.

#21 Podcasts

Podcasts are a little ubiquitous now, with casts of SLV Digital Forums available for over a year now. Listening to AM Radio Nat and ABC, also FM RRR, podcasts feeds of interviews, program segments and naturally music.
Searching Yahoo podcast directory, there are 287 on the subject of web 2.0!
At this point in the program, I don't think I could venture there, so try a random selection of themes and topics.
Search options include episodes, series and search the web. Suggestions for alternative searches are given.
Nothing on dry stone walls, but I could listen to a Rolling Stone interview with John Lennon and 'walls' leads me to China and everything from travel casts to reports on political protests over Tibet.
The educational potential of podcasts and use in libraries I believe is wide.
An accompaniment to our exhibitions, as a learning tool for Lifelong Learning courses and bringing new life to perhaps our digitized collections.
The value of the use of podcasts in this program is questionable, as other bloggers discussed in our evaluation meeting this week.
I have only listened to the first podcast for this program and found it disappointingly patronising, so I have ignored the remainder, primarily to save time.

#20YouTube

@ the Writers' Festival, Graeme Blundell spoke frankly and warmly of the comic genius of Graham Kennedy, his recent biographical subject.
My 1970s based knowledge of Blankety Blanks was fleshed out with stories about his IMT days, but I had seen little footage.
Enter YouTube.
Tear myself away from the caricatures of our Prime Minister and the comments re his first YouTube foray encouraging young Austns to spend a gap year in the defence force and then the climate change announcement,(his media minders, perhaps not fully versing themselves as to the actual web 2.0 communicative, collaborative nature of YouTube before allowing their boss to appear).
Interesting the use of YouTube by jockeying candidates in the current pre US elections and now here.
Disappointed with the basic search functions but find two short pieces of early Graham Kennedy, plus BBlanks and Coast to Coast.

A fellow blogger has shown us the educational alternatives to YouTube with Science Hack and Teacher Tube. The latter is a sibling of YouTube containing educational videos from YouTube. The former is a independent site with all videos vetted and approved by scientists.

#19 Web 2.0 awards

The Broth the beauty of web 2.0 to enable sharing and collaboration to create art with others from around the world.
Wonderfully idealistic as your creation can be altered by others.
Amusing to look for awhile, but found I yearned for something more accomplished to view.
Once again I can see uses of this in an academic setting or public library environment, but less so for our environment.

Pipes ( by Yahoo) allows mashups of various online data ie code your RSS feeds into an interactive map. I was disheartened by the account creation to try at this time.

I smile that my favourite web 2.0 aspect LibraryThing won an award. Delicious irony is that I wouldn't ordinarily care to share my lists and the application democratically allows you this choice.

Relishing the Writer's Festival and amused to see some burgeoning web 2.0 marketing on publisher, bookseller and websites. From reader reviews, dialogues on blogs to 'Second Life' type individual websites and existences for characters.

#18 Online prod tools

My initiation to Zoho was a pleasant one, as fellow blogger Elmo had already experimented with Zoho, creating training pages for us on a wiki. We tested it in two 'live' training sessions to great success.
It proved robust in both IE and the fox browsers (we have both kinds at the SLV).

Office applications are not available at our library, much to the disbelief of unassuming students and at times the chagrin of staff, who must convey the news.

Have played with Google docs before and found it difficult to save or export a doc to email.

The Zoho account took a 3 attempts to be accepted.
However, the range of formats and functions is impressive and will suffice for our patrons.

Created a table as a test, with the only shortcomings being the column spacing would alter inconsistently when hitting the enter key and I can't alter background color.

Tried to export to my SLV Training Yoga Booking Table to the blog, but despite assiduously following instructions, the following error appears. Computer says no. Might try again later.
Unable to connect your blog. Username or password may be incorrect

#17 Wikis bucket and spade

Interesting to see how a wiki's versatility has been plumbed and tested with the sandbox.
Some subjects jell, others don't for me. Academic subject, leisure and personal interest fared better. The PLCMC 'Core Competency' wiki for instance seemed out of place in the style.

The value of the wiki subject, similarly with a blog will be tested with time - the participants' veracity in continuing to contribute to keep it alive and current.

#16 Wikis

We are living in a blogsphere and a wiki world.
I like the form and see use beyond the grand wiki of them all, Wikipedia.

Bizwiki at Ohio State University was the first educational wiki I saw and it opened me toward the possibilities. While content is authorised by the administrator, other staff and students can make comments, ask questions and yes, provide content. Sum of many parts is greater in not merely volume but value.

The aforementioned Procedures blog of Library information for desk staff would be ideal in a wiki format.

The Book Lover's wiki is both clever and lovely and I can visualise something akin to this as a valuable tool to continue to engage participants in the SLV's Lifelong Learning Book Review classes or Experimedia book events. Unsure where an SLV Book Lover's wiki could naturally live within our web presence or whether we would need to let it fly separately.

#15 #23 3/4 Library 2.0 Web 2.0

I think this should be #23 or #23 3/4 to ponder and savour for the finale,
although I could cheat and point readers to musings on web 17.8 in #7 technology.

There is difficulty with a label and the hype web 2.0 appears to have generated, to not be cynical and so then dismiss the accompanying library 2.0. I fear some policy influenced by web 2.0 could result in initiatives centred on one type of user, based around fads and the technology to facilitate it that may ultimately be superseded. The Digital Native/Digital Immigrant debate swirling amidst some web 2.0 literature, had underlying threads of exclusion for those bracketed as the former.

I liked the fact Michael Stephen's discussed Library 2.0 as "helping users find information, gather knowledge" as well as "create content", although for mine the latter with qualification. All are significant principles of Library 0-1.99999 and what I believe in, as governments should be about developing infrastructure and providing services (not amassing surpluses).

Wonderfully positive if the technology we adopt paves greater opportunities for all types of users to do all three. I hope we have always assisted patrons thus, although perhaps not providing them with the forum to display their creations. User participation, collaboration and sharing aspect of web 2.0 and how libraries negotiate it to enhance and not diminish their integrity is crucial.

I want users to come to our library in person or virtually and feel it is their sanctuary. For a healthy future of libraries, may a thoughtful application of web 2.0 diminish barriers and increase usage from all facits of our community.

#14 Technorati

I use Technorati when I want to find blogs on topics rather than a search engine. Is that very often one could ask?
No. 50 million out there so some must be worth while? A sea of words.
In the last year of so, trying to come to terms with Web 2.0 and the wavery course of the SLV21 juggernaut, I think I have read more blogs, with tags acting as stepping-stones. While the subjective nature can be misleading or amusing (the wag who tagged an Australian politics site with the word 'culture'!).

Mmm searching on blogs vs tags vs posts, with the results converse to that hierachy?
Blogs 522 and posts 21, 700. Tag search left me hanging. Directory gave me a top blog written in Spanish and possibly erudite, but began to loose faith with the Google ads (in english) for fat free diet pills.

At the Unconference in March I listened to a thoughtful discussion about the inclusion of tags in standard library catalogues, as one means to broaden both patron and library staff options constrained at times by the archaic and Anglo-centric nature of LCSH. It reasonated, recalling a patron searching in vain for executive recruitment by subject heading, as 'head hunting' steered him resolutely to Papua New Guinea titles.
Tag clouds are fun for some serendipity web time. See earlier post re labyrinth. Offered in search engines such as clusty they can be illuminating for students online who can't think beyond the fug of their initial question.
Importantly, clusty allows you to select the color of your cloud.

#13 Tagging

Marian, yes, the full stops!
d.elic.iou.s; deli.c.io.us; del.ic.i.o.u.s
Disdain for this contrivance, plus the white/grey/blue/black checkerboard logo that causes my eyes to cross.
Perhaps in part the reason I let my .delicious. account lay fallow very soon after creating it last year.
Another account later...

See the value of accessing my bookmarked websites on another pc (restrictions on desk pcs!).
I'm curious to see if the collaborative deliciou.s account established for the new SLV online chat service becomes a vital tool &/or second nature to operators or another link that lays dusty on the desktop.

Curious to see bookmark lists for random searches as a mild comparison with a search engine. 'Dry stone walling' has 9 sites listed and a knowledgeable selection. 'Australian politics' gives New Matilda website as the first hit, saved by less than 1/2 the souls that Crikey has. What is the criteria for how the bookmarks are compiled?
Finding myself easily lost in the labyrinth of the web, but there is virtue in searching through the bookmarked sites of others, who may have already done a fine filtering task for you.

Note: The URL for the Otter tutorial seems to have disappeared. I refused to look at the second due to the fullstops.

#12 Rollyo

Talked over Learning 2.0 with a friend and we debated personal and professional uses of the various applications; blogs for travel and alternative newspoints; wikis for internal office procedures manuals and information.
(See Elmo's stake to improving our quality of life at work with his Procedures blog.)

Our conversation was the trigger for my rollyo. She works in the sustainability field and I created a rollyo of sustainability research sites.

I couldn't think of a professional use myself preferring to search single websites and create RSS feeds.
We could create library rollyos of select electronic resources ie authorised sites by subject

I let you know how my recipe rollyo goes.

#11 Library Thing

Library Thing, a wonderful thing.
I have previously tenderly entered my A S Byatt's, M Sendak's, Winton's and others, relishing the screen and printed order, while my shelves at home can reflect more organic organisational use.
Never created a full catalogue nor maintained the account, so created another.
Reticent to publish my lists, despite this 'public' blog, the social aspect of web 2.0 repels me a little.
I was curious to see who else had come to the conclusion Antonia is one the world's greatest modern novelists, but have no wish to make contact and marvel along with Emily in Edinburgh, nor see what else lingers on her shelves.
The author's cloud forms a succinct biography. Haven't fully tested Australian authors - Booker prize winners, historical or obscure.
Again, this tool may suit a public library environment or possibly with Lifelong Learning book review groups.

#10 Image Generators

Simple application to use (Generator blog), saving to pc and USB, mostly limited only by your imagination. (The political slogan templates were too American to be valid, but I relished time spent creating anti Liberal P quips.

The card catalogue image is quite lovely.
Now that the Vic government will be issuing babies with reading kits and presenting every 4 year old child with a book, by decree "Where The Wild Things Are" should be one of the selection.
Could see applications in public library branch type advertising.

#9 Library Blogs

Left disaffected from my Bloglines account and created a Google reader account.
Feeds easy to search for and subscribe to feeds within the reader and manage within folders. Although ventured out and searched Technorati as well.
Nice.
However, cannot seem to share them to my blog.

Plethora of library blogs. The pathways and links as you follow threads can be satisfying but time consuming
Have a look at Librariansinteract.info, affectionately known as Lint. Collaborative blog of Australian librarians including Kathryn Greehhill who spoke on Second Life at the Libraries, Web 2.0 and other Internet stuff seminar. It features occasional interviews with Library people, most recent being Walt Crawford from OCLC. Quirky character who believes “A good public library has something to offend (nearly) everyone in the community” ).

Library Garden another. Followed a link to an Educause article about Wikipedia. It is part of a series of articles by Educause 'in the theme of what we are doing here, 43> 23 things; '7 Things You Should Know About... Wikipedia'. While I found this article somewhat superficial, '7 Things You Should Know About Google Earth' was valuable to me.

As cited by Cries and Whispers, The Annoyed Librarian was curiously satisfying. (She celebrated her 100,000th hit in style with an extra martini). The Scatterbrained Librarian insightful. Read her take on perceptions of our 'unstressful' profession in 'paradise is a kind of library'. I cannot find a Librarian disaffected blog, as yet...

#8 Bloglines & RSS

Created a Bloglines account last year to receive and read my RSS feeds on desk. Yet, I am denied Sage as we cannot access email on desk due to some would say paternalistic network security.
Found it occasionally unreliable; my feeds would disappear at times and I would have to resubscribe. Open source software is lovely and free...
Not as visually organised, nor are feeds as easily subscribed to or updated as with Firefox's Sage
(You also could not have a more visually appealing icon on your desktop!). Want to leave the pc (and work) for home and cooking.

Back to Bloglines.
For the purposes of this exercise I'll sign up for yet another account, to test the program and to see if I can be driven to white frustration &/or hard yet mellowing substances like my fellow blogger dearest Lady Enid. Still aeroplane-spin dizzy from being invited to account bounce between Flickr, Google, Yahoo in previous exercises.

RSS feeds themselves?
Loved the convenience of personalized daily smattering of articles from varied news sources that would have taken greater time and greater effort to source and collate singularly. The feeds from some Library blogs I found at the time threw more professional and Library related material at me and encouraged me to read such than ever before. If this is Web 2.0 then I not only like it but see a usefulness.
Although 80 per day I believe would end my day in tears.

#7 More Technology

Saw the woman of the moment Helene Blowers speak at the Libraries, Web 2.0, and other Internet stuff seminar. Energetic, natural speaker and amazing to think of the momentum the program she devised has gathered, the list of libraries taking it on forever growing.

I had to smile as some have moved beyond the 23 things, creating more...
Learning 2.1

See the mashup of world map showing sites of libraries around the world Learning 2.0ing.

What do we as a group think of the value of this program?
Has both our awareness of and skill with new internet technologies increased?
Are there direct applications to any of these tools which would assist and benefit our working lives or are they diversions for us and bread and circus tricks for users.

Similarly, just as we are coming to terms with Web 2.0 and Library 2.0, others have moved from this twilight zone to another. Read this about Web 3.0 and view a diagram showing the evolution of the web. I read this online newsletter occasionally having heard one of their web developer tribe (an engaging Canadian with the deliciously ironic surname of Yank) give a wonderfully clear explanation of Web 2.0 last year at a VALA meeting.

However if you are truly tired and suspicious that these terms are mere marketing ploys, you could read this quite gratifying article about Web 2.0 fluff.

# 6 Flickr & #7 Technology

It was fun to creating a card and simple with the image.
To then add the card to the blog was not clear. Couldn't see the pathway to my blog from the trading card mashup.
Saved to the desktop and linked from there.
Still problems accessing my blog from IE. Works better in Firefox. Is that the same for others?

No direct use of this application in my library role and I can feel some kinship with a fellow group blogger's questioning. Are we seeking to appropriate some technology to merely prove our validity to the next generation of users? Who are they anyway? Is there danger in not fulfilling our role to the current users? Or, may we see an increase in their numbers and serve all with appropriate use of technological applications?

A sense though that immersion in different applications of the internet as it continues to evolve, can breed a familiarity and a level of comfortability with technological change in general.

#5 More Flickr

I'm still Flickring although have played on further and will post about tech and RSS soon..

The hour per week is an ambitious estimate for this little blue elephant, although I believe it is a mindset that 'I don't have time just know...' ( + perhaps some preciousness about these blank 'New Post' boxes).

Needed help to fix my link to the Blue Mosque - didn't link it properly using the image link, so will try another. Tip for young players.
Waiting to borrow Dig camera to test the uploading exercise.

Frequent request @the SLV from patrons to upload photos from camera with USB to email.
Over the last few weeks, had a couple of unsuccessful attempts to load directly into hotmail and G mail.
We then tried through Flickr, but the image was taking too long. Need to check as to whether the problem was that the file size was too large?
Patron anyway was interested in Flickr - had not heard of it!

#5 More Flickr

Just remembered to #5 my posting, unlike previous.
Bit like going to open a door, seeing the instruction to 'pull' and pushing instead.

Imam Mosque Isfahan 'Blue Mosque'

Breathtaking, truly, beautiful

On the Flickr angle.
FAQs not so clear that to load a photo rather than a url link, you needed to create an account to get the 'Blog this' instruction.

Posted by elephants parading at 12:34 AM 0 comments

Wall painting of an old war

Wall painting of an old war
Originally uploaded by Hamed Saber

Have been lucky enough to stand before this glorious structure and view this pic, but mine does not compare to Hamed's.

Blue Mosque below breathtaking too.

Knew of Flickr and poked around but had not had cause to create my own account nor upload photos.
Trusty old Canon rather than Digi.

Didn't realise you could blog photos.
Annoying to have to create accounts however, although I smiled at the sharing, we're all in this Web 2.0 world together tone of the handover phrase to Google.

Flickr

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

#Blog

Mmm....
Trouble registering my blog after late creation last week. Link from aidlearning.blogspot not responding.
Sent email direct to Lynette.

Trouble accessing my blog. Hour glass just hanging on sign in. Logged out, logged in, logged out, logged in. IE and Firefox, no joy.
Three successive daily attempts.
Feeling peeved.
I'm the link.

Have now updated my desktop application called Copernic, after ignoring invitations to install the latest version for a month now.
I used it late last year while playing around with different things in research for our Reference group. Never really liked it, nor saw the purpose.

Sign in blog and hey presto, dashboard appears.
Was that the problem? May never know.

Loving kindness to all things

Ganesh dash of Kali

A space for the elephants to stroll, but hopefully skip through and dance a little.

I seem more concerned about the template and font colour at this point than the content I may include.
Perhaps trepidation that what I may write will be dross rather than anything illuminating.

Inspiring to see what others have written and created.
Creativity that lies within us all - wonder if we do appreciate that about ourselves.

Yes, I was vaguely anxious I wouldn't be able to have this load or 'work'.
Actually didn't save my first post correctly as it was.

Found it a challenge to 'allow' myself the time to complete Wk 2 - hence blog at the end of Wk 3!

Back to decorating...