Podcasts, Video & Downloadable audio (week 8)

#15 Lesson:

Q1. What did you like or dislike about the sites?

TeacherTube and ScienceHack is interesting and seems educational, it is better suited to classroom use than library. Unless it is a public library, the library can use it to guide students on where visual resources can be found as part of homework or project work. You never know they might be inspired to make their own educational video to help fellow students.

Q2. Why did you choose the video that you did?

I liked Nokia demo of their solar powered and flexible morph mobile phone. It is great that people would upload to YouTube and we can all see this great invention. ^_^ Let's hope for the future.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX-gTobCJHs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukRb34HMFKM

Q3. Can you see any features or components of the site that might be interesting if they were applied to library websites?

I'm sure YouTube is pretty popular as it is and doesn't require libraries to link to it via their OPAC. It is a great deal of maintenance work to check that the links are working and not dead.

#16 Lesson:

Q1. Once found, you can easily pull the RSS feed into your Google Reader account as well, so that when new casts become available you’ll be automatically notified of their existence.

The podcast sites didn't have what appeals to me at teh moment, so i have not added RSS feeds from the websites mentioned in Web 2.0. Perhaps later daown the track in the future.

Q2. Did you find anything useful here?

I did two separate tests, one popular topic and anothera popular book.

Popular topic: "Democracy Now". Yield these results: Yahoo search (audio[podacast.yaho.com) = 1; Podcastalley.com = 1; Podcast.net = 1.

Book: "The Time traveller's wife". Yield these results: Yahoo search (audio[podacast.yaho.com) = 1 (costs $49.95); Podcastalley.com = 0; Podcast.net = 0.

Which to me sounds like podacst is predominately conversation on current topics of the time than book reviews. I feel podcast would be no use to library but more useful to public/school library. Unless it is the library uploading their own public podcasts to these directory. These kind of directory has a draw card of attracting more wider audience and whom that might download the podcast.

optional:

World EBook Fair - Gutenberg's Audio eBook Collection & Librivox

I'm a visual learner and audio book does not grab my attention. To think in the mindset of general patrons who are accessing OPAC and wanting to listening to the book, i guess it would be appealing. However, i feel a samples of a chapter or content page or index page would be more useful for students and researchers. Like what Amazon has done for books. That way they a get a feel of how the book is organised and whether that book bears any relevance to what they are seeking before requesting the item.

Web 2.0 and conclusions (week 9)

#17 Lesson:

Q1. Create a blog post about your thoughts on any one of these?

Lib 2.0 is definitely a right step towards the future. I see no harm in trying to create or customise you own Lib 2.0. Libraries are being progressive and incorporating technology to enhance their services and user experience.

From Kelly Gardiner's SLV Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 presentation, i do see the similiarities between web and lib 2.0 both are trying to be more engaging with broad range of users rather than just be static information. With new changes of society's attitude or political stance or school curriculum or technology library gets shaped by influence over the years, but this Lib 2.0 is library taking a proactive stance to change and embody as much as it could to be more user
friendly and be sought after by users. Using the website and catalogue together library can achieve unlimited possibilities. This ties in with David Lee King 'Library 2.0 ripples' post, indeed it starts off with the library and ripples to other areas, by adding on top of library such as these other ways of accessing material, staff, services, features, short cuts, and some corporation would called 'value added services' on of top core services.

Q2. Library 2.0 - It's many things to many people. What does it mean to you?

To me if a library incorporates tagging as part of Lib 2.0 it would make subject searching a lot easier. To read other patron thoughts on fiction material is always fun and distracting. Last but not least a library blog showing events/changes coming up would be great, as it is archived by month and year then it should offer RSS feed for those who wants to know the latest news whether it be parents or elderly.

Q3. You may like to talk about the State Library of Victoria's vision for the future, and how you see web 2.0 being incorporated ito this?

I see web 2.0 idealogies used in SLV as their Lib 2.0. SLV caters to many various patrons, so if we can enhance user experience on our website they will be more incline to use our catalogues and databases more or perhaps visit us as well. A website is a like a front door to a building, it needs to be inviting and covers all standards eg. door bell, key hole, lock, and a handle. For a website it is layout, then where do i go next, what is there for me, and 'contact us' and 'site map'. lib 2.0 also gives users greater means to sort information they find on our website and accessing our collection. In addition, the OPAC catalogue record of where to order/collect books should have a link that would pop up a map educating users and cut out guess work.

#18 Lesson:

Q1. What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?

My favourite discoveries would be Zoho wiki and http://www.seomoz.org/ web 2.0 awards. There is heaps of other mash up web applications to check out. A very juicy list.

Q2. How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?

I have always been a a self edification kind of person. this web 2.0 topic has been added to my list of interests via RSS feed. lol. That way I get updated effortlessly.

Q3. Were there any take-aways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?

The outcome from the sessions is to be better and efficiently utilising the internet and its many offerings in life and work. Not a new concept in my case, perhaps for others. However, i'm more aware and feel enhanced by completing the exercises.

Q4. Do you have reservations about the value of the program? Were there any negative aspects?

No reservations or negative comment at current.

Q5. What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?

There could be more video/power point presentation for people who are not internet savvy. A e-news letter for those looking for more exercises or further ongoing self education. Overall i had a blast and i hope others would fine it delightful and interesting too.

Online Applications, Tools and Technology (week 7)

#12 Lesson:

Zoho writer. 
Tabbing is not applicable here and there is lot of cut n' paste required unfortunately. Creating tables isn't as easy as MS word. So you will need to be precise to get a flowing table, as it doesn't allow adding extra rows easily. whereas google docs does, but arranging rows and column is cumbersome as well. with web based apps, its best to use spread sheets for tables, and not try to blend word doc with inserted tables.

Using Zoho writer to create wiki pages, a tad tedious, compared to using Zoho's wiki straight off. So far i have created two wikis, once called Mel_Pucca's wiki (public) and another Mel Quest (private). Still learning to tweak the pages to display properly and the way I want them to be before allowing people to edit them as yet.

#13 Lesson:

A mouse (laser/optical mouse controller) is a very convenient device when it works that's for sure. Computers that used to run on DOS did not require a mouse and had complex menu system. The pen and tablet pad is even better than a mouse, however, i have not had the luxury to get one as yet. You can imagine the possibility of pointing precise and drawing better with a pen and tablet pad.

A laser mouse is expensive whereas optical mouses are beginning to be sell cheaper and they are easier to clean than the traditional mouse with a ball. Just need a tweezer to remove dust gathered around the red light aka optical division, tada. Bluetooth mouse is okay but it is battery drainer and that itself is a flaw. Wireless optical mouse, oh what a dream that would be.

#14 Lesson:

Web 2.0 awards displays a vast amount of good advanced technology websites and mash ups. the one that got my attention was:

Online maps such as google maps would be handy in linking library collection of books on language, atlas, street directory (there are a few free online ones). The library can use links to coincide with catalogue records and i'm sure patrons will find the library catalogue useful, helpful, and educating. In addition the library website will get more online traffic. 

I do like to use 
http://maps.google.com/ 
http://whereis.com.au
http://street-directory.com.au

Google is good for looking up international streets and landmarks. While other two are good for Australia addresses. I am always checking out location of restaurants and public transportation, also i'm visual learner. A map helps paint a better picture of the area. So yeah i depend on these sources.

Photos and images (week 6)

#10 Lesson:

I used to have a yahoo photo account until yahoo photo service closed down, which left my photos in the hands of flickr and whom rearranged all my photos and made private ones into public, then to hear (and experience) you cannot download the photos you have previously uploaded was upsetting. although flickr has unlimited space for users, you have to question how long before flickr shuts down as well? Best to back up your precious photographs onto external hard drives and upload a copy online. I have picasa account and facebook photos where i share my photos with friends.

#11 lesson:

Mash up 3rd party softwares are okay and ability to link photos from you album on flickr is great for those with an artistic flare and want to display photos in non-conventional way or playful way.  perl/flash require coding application like dreamweaver to edit them and a ftp to upload it unless a website provide web based ftp for you.

Here's a picture of my cat, where the picture has been played around with image generator, a 3rd party mash up application call "bead it".

Tagging, Folksonomies & Technorati (week 5)

#8 Lession:

http://del.icio.us/ is a relatively easy to use social bookmark. however, you are messy person your tags would reflect that, amazing enough i'm sure you will be able to find what your looking for once you exhausted all your tags. lol.

Very tag based site. Uses Tag cloud to encourage serendipity search of topics. One of there features which is cool for those who like to catagorise is "tag bundle". add bookmarked item under a broader tag yet keep individual tags given to each bookmarked item. Any audio, video, images, documents are automatically tagged with system file type such as pdf, doc, jpg, mov, wmv, wav, mpg, mp3, avi, etc.

Delicious can be pop onto your browser as an "add on"and as a "bookmarklet" on your tool bar. To give quick bookmarking/tagging action. Note: By default all bookmarked item are displayed in public, only imported bookmark are greyed out are private.

#9 Lesson:

technorati posts "Blogs are powerful because they allow millions of people to easily publish and share their ideas, and millions more to read and respond. They engage the writer and reader in an open conversation, and are shifting the Internet paradigm as we know it."

I find this to be indeed an endless conversation. By following the posts you end up on blog upon blog upon blog... and so forth. Useful information or not that is up to the reader. I see that technorati does a have more options and features for a blogger fan than most blog sites which is amazing.

http://libraryThing.com reminds of the applications available on facebook which links to online bookstores and your friends/strangers book recommendations. However, they do not link users to library of congress or public library as yet, perhaps in the near future. Collaboration of this sort let's you contribute data about author, book, edition, other. You can add LibraryThing widget to your blog which either generates random display of book covers or your collection. Www.LibraryThing.com/widget

- not limited to books, it can be your CD/Dvd, audio books, scores, & ephemera too.

RSS feed & News readers (week 4)

#6 Lesson:

Palinet tutorial was great at explaining RSS feed and how to use it. It is interesting to see Browsers incorporating RSS feed, adding RSS was by just clicking on RSS feed/XML orange icon on the web page, and your browser does the rest. Saves you from having to login or managing two client programs. Nice. Modzilla and Opera is by far good ones to use for this activity.  

Google reader tutorial was easy and the web appliation itself is easy to use. However, it requires login, sometimes when you surf the internet you don't feel like logging into account. The RSS feed directories provided in the lesson is American based and I guess we will have to wait for Australian based ones. 

I myself have a Gmail account and within it it has webclips which displays headlines acts exactly as a RSS and you paste the RSS feed URL in the setting section. So far my RSS feeds are ALIA, IT stuff, Dictionary word of the day, and news. 

#7 Lesson:

www.feedster.com, the link is no longer alive, as i get a full blank screen - oh well.

To subscribe to a RSS feed for a specific journal using Ebsco
1. Go to Ebsco ANZ Reference Centre
2. Click on NEW FEATURES
3. From this screen tick the ALERTS box. This will embed an RSS icon against the publications list (This part had lost me, as on NEW FEAT. page there was no check box to tick, anyways...)
4. Find a journal your would like to subscribe to (eg Australian Library Journal)
5. Follow instruction to put RSS feed into your Google Reader account

Overall I had fun.

Wikis (week 3)

# 2 & 3 Lesson:

Indeed it is easy to create a blog account. Now onto to the topic of wiki.

# 4 Lesson:

Wiki seems to be moving away from sole syntax based entry to using internal web applets allowing users to easily click on icons rather having to type up format codes. Yet after you have finshed with Wiki entry, click on classic mode and you can see the syntax used in your wiki entry. Amazing easy. 

# 5 Lesson:

PBwiki and ZohoWiki have a simple 'point and click editor' which demonstrates how simple it is to use wiki these days. Of course, both wiki specified if you wish to lock the pages making them unable to be edited you will need to sign up for premium version. With the exception Zoho has document editing web application software similar to Google Docs but I'll compare them another time.