#23

Well, well - it's definitely only the beginning!

There is so much we need to keep up with. We need to keep up, not just to not be left behind, but we also have a duty towards our customers, to educate tehm about web 2.0 and what it means for them.

Time is what we need now - to digest and to apply. Although, technologes move so fast these days, that we don't have the luxury of milling this over, we have to just get in there! What we do need to do is schedule time in our week to keep up so we can add the value to our service our customers deserve!

Week 9 #22

Project Gutenberg

I always wonder if thye had to chop a book up to scan it in easily or if someone actually had to stand there for 50 hours painstakingly scanning in each and every page. However it happens, the end result is project Guttenberg - books on demand! Mmm maybe now staff will agree to weeding - the classics are all here!! I was surprised to find even psychology books on here when I originally had a look at the titles. It's incredible how much is allready available online.

"Tess of the d'Urbervilles" was my favourite book during my English Lit years. And it's here - complete with bibliographic record!

Week 9 #21

Podcasts

I found a little audio clip when I origianlly created my blog - the baby laugh - to run with the baby theme - it's on my profile page.

I found a couple of ineresting library podcasts. One library posted teen network podcast discussions. Teen patrons get together and talk about books that thye've read and also discuss other library related topics - can't decide if people will really listen to this, but I guess it would be fun for the people who put it together. Other libraries uploaded poetry, stories and even oral history. You can subscribe to the casts so that you can receive a notification when they get updated.

Week 9

Videos

Youtube is amazing! Besides all the funny videos on there, I've also found all my favourite music videos and just recently I disvoered all the episodes of my favourite soapie "Home and Away" (guilty pleasure shhh).

In the library We could use this to load tutorials for Learn.net, explain the library layout or introduce new services.

Here's my current favourite song

Week 8 # 19

The best Web 2.0 tools

I had a quick look through the top list and was drawn to Backpack. Backpack is a business tool that allows you to create task list with uploads, share documets, calendars and discussions. It even has a simplified document management system with built in version control All of this summarised in a Newsroom, where you can quickly see which comments or calendar events has been added

It is unfortutnaly not a free prodcut :-( but I will go and have a look yo see if there is any similar freeware available - it's really cool!

Week 8

Zoho

Aaa - the penny drops

I can now type my musings in Zoho writer and then post it to my blog. It gives me much more options - colour, layout etc and it is easy peezy! Below is a very short first draft of my very first document using Zoho:

Don't mess with the Zoho

This is my first zoho document. The title above refers to a silly Adam Sandlar Movie - Zohan...

Let's try a bit of coulour. Wow, the options are limitless! Easier than in Microsfot!! Beware Bill Gates!!

Week 7

Social Networking sites

I use Facebook as apposed to Bebo or Myspace. It seems to be favoured by South Africans - Myspace seems to have a lot of American support while Bebo has British origins. But there is no restriction - country bound or otherwise for any of theses social networking sites - you could have a profile on each one if you choose to!

Facebook is used by several professional library groups and to promote library related events

An interesting case study done by the London School of Economics and Political Science exploring the use of Facebook as a tool for libraries and librarians highlights its use as a networking and marketing tool.

Council or at least Manukau CIty LIbraries will have to have another look at their restriction to social networking sites policy. If this provides us with a huge potential to reach new customers, we should have access to these sites.