Saturday, July 4, 2009
Beattie's Book Blog
Beattie's Book Blog is great! Easy to read or skim through, a variety of up to date book reviews, events, as well as relevant blog lists, websites, library links......for those interested in the literary world. Thanks Graham.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
The learning journey.......
One of the best things for me in doing the 23 things was that I actually had to sit down and investigate and try using these different tools.
For ages I have heard about blogging, wikis, tagging, podcasts etc but haven't been interested or made the time to look. The Web 2.0 programme has made / encouraged me to give it a go and I think this has empowered me in that at least I have some knowledge now of what these things are.
I must admit I gave myself a time limit for each exercise and only did the minimum of what was required - otherwise one could get caught up for hours!!! I also started to lose some interest near the end - I had a 2 week break from it and it was hard to get motivated again!
Most of the exercises were fine (i'ts hard to think back now!) I now have a more open mind about thing like My space and Blogs on Library web sites and it will be interesting to watch developments there.
Many thanks to the team for their time and encouragement.
What's next?
For ages I have heard about blogging, wikis, tagging, podcasts etc but haven't been interested or made the time to look. The Web 2.0 programme has made / encouraged me to give it a go and I think this has empowered me in that at least I have some knowledge now of what these things are.
I must admit I gave myself a time limit for each exercise and only did the minimum of what was required - otherwise one could get caught up for hours!!! I also started to lose some interest near the end - I had a 2 week break from it and it was hard to get motivated again!
Most of the exercises were fine (i'ts hard to think back now!) I now have a more open mind about thing like My space and Blogs on Library web sites and it will be interesting to watch developments there.
Many thanks to the team for their time and encouragement.
What's next?
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Social Networking.
Is using My space and other social networks the latest tool on offer from a cool and trendy library? Well probably Yes! BUT it is a way of connecting with the teen market especially.
I looked at the Pawtucket Library website ( don't you just love the name ) and their My Space site really promoted their Homework centre, Ask any questions etc. It provides easy access to what is on offer and announces activities, book reviews and other services in quite funky ways.
The Library Friends space on all these sites I find a bit 'ugggh!' but that is part and parcel of the deal!
If done wisely it could offer a great way of getting feedback on our library services and finding out what students / the public themselves want.
It would be really interesting to see some future statistics as to if these sites do enhance our services.
I looked at the Pawtucket Library website ( don't you just love the name ) and their My Space site really promoted their Homework centre, Ask any questions etc. It provides easy access to what is on offer and announces activities, book reviews and other services in quite funky ways.
The Library Friends space on all these sites I find a bit 'ugggh!' but that is part and parcel of the deal!
If done wisely it could offer a great way of getting feedback on our library services and finding out what students / the public themselves want.
It would be really interesting to see some future statistics as to if these sites do enhance our services.
Bebos, Facebooks and My Spaces!
I was a bit limited in this exercise as I really didn't want to join any of them - consequently Facebook was out of bounds!
The Library Bebo sites were interesting, I liked both the Ak and Rotorua sites, I guess the purpose of them is to attract the younger audience to the Library websites (I wouldn't use them myself!) It would be good to get some statistical information at some stage to see how many hits these sites get and do they affect/improve or not our Library services.
My Space was user friendly with lots of different sites to access - Find friends, music, Top schools etc etc.
What do I think of these online communities??
I have no desire to join them but my daughter uses them and she is often updating me on news from her friends all around the world. I've looked at a nephews site and chuckled at his photos and what he has written.
The amount of personal stuff can be scary............ and the photos too...... !! but if used sensibly then they are just another form of communicating, finding information and learning new experiences.
The Library Bebo sites were interesting, I liked both the Ak and Rotorua sites, I guess the purpose of them is to attract the younger audience to the Library websites (I wouldn't use them myself!) It would be good to get some statistical information at some stage to see how many hits these sites get and do they affect/improve or not our Library services.
My Space was user friendly with lots of different sites to access - Find friends, music, Top schools etc etc.
What do I think of these online communities??
I have no desire to join them but my daughter uses them and she is often updating me on news from her friends all around the world. I've looked at a nephews site and chuckled at his photos and what he has written.
The amount of personal stuff can be scary............ and the photos too...... !! but if used sensibly then they are just another form of communicating, finding information and learning new experiences.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
eBooks.
This exercise was interesting - mainly because although I've heard about ebooks I've never taken the time to look at some of the sites to see what is on offer.
I picked the book 'The adventures of Tom Sawyer' and checked out Project Gutenburg, LibriVox and the Google book search websites.
Tom Sawyer was easy to find on all of them, while I'm typing this I'm listening to the audio version on LibriVox. It is very easy to listen to it - I wonder how many of our patrons use or would use this format??
I found the Google print and layout easier on my eyes to read! than on Project Gutenburg but both sites were user friendly. (I think they only offered the book version.)
What can one say re ebooks versus print! I stuggle to read a long email! so ebooks are not for me at all. I love the feeling of paper in my hands but there is a market out there for them and it may well grow with the resources on offer advancing all the time but to what extent I'm not sure?
I picked the book 'The adventures of Tom Sawyer' and checked out Project Gutenburg, LibriVox and the Google book search websites.
Tom Sawyer was easy to find on all of them, while I'm typing this I'm listening to the audio version on LibriVox. It is very easy to listen to it - I wonder how many of our patrons use or would use this format??
I found the Google print and layout easier on my eyes to read! than on Project Gutenburg but both sites were user friendly. (I think they only offered the book version.)
What can one say re ebooks versus print! I stuggle to read a long email! so ebooks are not for me at all. I love the feeling of paper in my hands but there is a market out there for them and it may well grow with the resources on offer advancing all the time but to what extent I'm not sure?
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Podcasts!
Initially I was excited to be learning about podcasts as I often hear radio broadcasters alluding to them and wondered what they were??......sounded rather mysterious etc etc!
However I haven't had a great experience with them so far! I seem to have spent more time on this exercise than the others just trying to work out how they work!
I think I was expecting a YouTube type experience rather than a listening to a radio type format.
Podnova's top 40 seemed more user friendly. I clicked on to to the NPR News site which brought up lots of news items which were all dated in August which seemed old news. I then clicked onto the link at the bottom of 'Michelle Obama: family is focus of Denver speech' which brought me into lots of up to date world news sites and RSS's as well as lots of topic feeds of such things as book and film reviews etc.
I guess reporters and journalists know their way around and find lots of useful titbits but by the end of this exercise I thought there were quicker and more accessible ways of finding what you want elsewhere!
http://www.bloglines.com/preview?siteid=2062054
However I haven't had a great experience with them so far! I seem to have spent more time on this exercise than the others just trying to work out how they work!
I think I was expecting a YouTube type experience rather than a listening to a radio type format.
Podnova's top 40 seemed more user friendly. I clicked on to to the NPR News site which brought up lots of news items which were all dated in August which seemed old news. I then clicked onto the link at the bottom of 'Michelle Obama: family is focus of Denver speech' which brought me into lots of up to date world news sites and RSS's as well as lots of topic feeds of such things as book and film reviews etc.
I guess reporters and journalists know their way around and find lots of useful titbits but by the end of this exercise I thought there were quicker and more accessible ways of finding what you want elsewhere!
http://www.bloglines.com/preview?siteid=2062054
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
YouTube
What fun - well some were and some were a little bit boring!
I spent most of my time in the library videos, the ones that appealed were the warped sense of humour ones!, my favourite being 'Library zombies' - the link is below.
'Now your library is open late night too' is also quite good.
These sorts of videos would appeal to our teens - it could be a great way of advertising teen events on our website.
What I found disheartening was the different library settings, many had narrow rows of high shelving and staff sitting behing desks with their head in a computer! aaaaaha! We're trying to get away from all of that!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUxp3E3YUdQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUxp3E3YUdQ
I spent most of my time in the library videos, the ones that appealed were the warped sense of humour ones!, my favourite being 'Library zombies' - the link is below.
'Now your library is open late night too' is also quite good.
These sorts of videos would appeal to our teens - it could be a great way of advertising teen events on our website.
What I found disheartening was the different library settings, many had narrow rows of high shelving and staff sitting behing desks with their head in a computer! aaaaaha! We're trying to get away from all of that!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUxp3E3YUdQhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUxp3E3YUdQ
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