#12 Conclusions and review

I played around with one of my own images with the image editor Tiltshift- lots of fun, though I'm not sure how it could be useful for a library!

I've really enjoyed participating in this Learning 2.0 activity. I was familiar with most of the tools, but it was good to be able to think about how these tools could be used in a library setting. I've also enjoyed reading my coworker's blogs- they've had some great ideas and opinions.

I think libraries should explore new tools. Some tools will be useful for particular libraries. Some won't. Different libraries will find different applications useful (e.g. a public library could use some of the more casual tools, while an academic library could incorporate many tools on Blackboard learning software).

There are a lot of privacy and copyright issues to be considered. Anything posted on web 2.0 application should follow the same criteria that material published on the library's website in regards to respectful communication and neutrality. Library staff adding to web 2.0 applications should also ensure that copyright is held (or properly acknowledged) for any material posted.

I also think libraries should be aware that not all web 2.0 applications are going to work for that library- maybe there's not enough relevant information to keep it updated, maybe users don't view it- and be prepared to change and adapt.

#11 More Web 2.0 Applications & Library 2.0

Web 2.0 awards:

I looked at the various categories. Some have already been talked about in this blog.

I admit I couldn't see how Lulu's self-published books could be useful to an academic library- materials selected for purchase by the library should be authoritative. Possibly they could be useful for some very specific subject areas where few other resources exist- e.g. a local history book. There are some free resources, but I think students would be better off looking at the free web.

Classifieds are probably not useful except when assisting people to find accommodation / second hand products. Possibly a library could purchase cheap furniture and equipment through them. (I much prefer ebay, which isn't listed)

The winner of the "Digital Storage and Remote Access" no longer exists, only three months after the awards. Hmmmmmmm.

Document storage applications look really useful- you can easily embed training and information in a web page. This example comes from the Elsevier training blog:

RSS At Your Library

View more presentations from Martin .

The mapping applications could be useful for showing patrons where to find the library, although I think internal maps would be more useful. I do like what can be done with Google maps- this man has created an alphabet out of aerial views in Victoria. You can click on each letter and find out exactly where it was taken.


I admit that I thought Twitter was a waste of time, until I needed to find websites on the Bushfires. There was a lot of good content linked from Twitter. I could see Twitter being used internally to good use- e.g. on our Fridge, we could have twitter updates like #Lift 3 down or #Come to the Raynard talk this morning at 9am in Experimedia. Libraries that use Blackboard could also have a twitter feed, reminding patrons of events, training, and changes to library hours.

Google Blog Search is my favourite blog search engine. Technoratti is quite useless, imo. I've never been able to find relevant content through it. The one problem I have with Google Blog Search is that if I use it too often in Firefox, it starts thinking I'm a spammer and refuses to let me search anymore.

Facebook could be useful for libraries- you can easily create a page for an organisation, and then have updates that appear on people's Facebook feeds. Facebook has far too many privacy problems for me to embrace it as a user.

#10 You Tube

You Tube is a fantastic idea. Anyone can now be a video star.


When I was looking for content for the PANDORA collection, I found You Tube to be an incredible source of personal accounts. Likewise, I found some pretty interesting material when looking for content relating to the local government elections.


Now I must put on my licensing hat and warn that a lot of material on You Tube is breaking copyright. Some bands are taking advantage of You Tube and are putting music videos online. I'm wondering if we'll see an increase in You Tube being used to officially promote music and entertainment. You Tube is also a huge bandwith hog.

I think You Tube and similar video sharing sites can be a good way to share training materials. Some people are visual learners. You Tube can also be used to run promotions of what's on at the library, or broadcast speeches and presentations to a wider audience. The Colac Library has used You Tube to protest library changes:

# 9 Flickr

This is one of my favourite pictures of the library. The colours and the composition are amazing:





Image by Flickr user dogonnit



I think the library should purchase this image for the collection.

I loved looking through The Commons on Flickr. What a great idea: let the world see the public photography archives of many different organisations, and allow them to describe the images.

I keep quite a few images uploaded to Flickr. I like how you can adjust the privacy settings. There are some photos I'm happy for the world to see, and others are just for family and friends. I also like being able to add tags (see previous entries for my love of tagging!).

# 8 Catalogue your own books with Library Thing

I love cataloguing. I have catalogued my home collection. I have catalogued my dad's collection of cookbooks (he is a caterer and thus has bookshelves upon bookshelves). I also catalogued the collection of my old workplace, a childcare centre. I loved cataloguing these collections. I was fortunate enough to catalogue some of the library's map collection.

So that's possibly why Library Thing felt like a bit of a disappointment to me. There was no Voyager or homemade Access database. There was no decisions about what Dewey number to use. It was simply add a record, and then tag. I loved the tagging aspect, and tried to ensure I had standard tags for all my books.

Still, not everyone in the world loves cataloguing, so Library Thing is a very useful tool. My flatmate decided to pay for a full account, so she could catalogue more than 200 books. I also really like how libraries can incorporate the tags from Library Thing into their own catalogue. It's much more effective than simply waiting for their own users to tag items- there's a far greater number of people using Library Thing, and thus a greater number of tags, and the ability to show which tags are the strongest. My own public library uses Library Thing tags in the catalogue. I've used the tags to find fiction books on particular topics.

I can see great potential in tags for helping users find items. As much as I love LCSH and Dewey, they don't have a natural language, and thus can be confusing for users. I think an ideal catalogue would use both.

#7 Tagging and Del.icio.us

I love tagging. I think all library catalogues should have some form of tags as well as the more proper subject classification from professional cataloguers.

I have a Del.icio.us account. I use it for when I come across a link that would be useful. I also use it when I come across a link that may or may not be useful, but I don't have the time to look at it. One thing I dislike about Del.icio.us is that it only lets you have one word tags. You end up having to combine words which looks quite ugly (plus I imagine everyone will combine them in different ways).

I enjoyed seeing the different words people around the world have used to tag our library. These include:

• libraries
• podcasts
• events
• copying
• imaging
• forms
• photography
• databases
• reference
• research
• collection
• history

I highly recommend Anne B's Del.icio.us account. It is in my network and I view it every day. She finds all the best articles and information on libraries.

I have gone to the new federated search page and added some tags. I like the process of tagging- it really engages the mind about how best to describe something. It's great for those of us with inner cataloguers.

#6 Podcasts

I've never podcasted.

There, I've admitted it. I have an Ipod, which is the greatest thing ever invented for public transport users. I've never actually put a podcast onto it.

I went to http://www.podcast.com and searched their podcasts. I downloaded the weekly news from Archaeology Channel - Audio News from Archaeologica. I played it on my computer, and then I put it on my Ipod using Itunes.

I think podcasts could be very useful for talks and other events held at libraries. Not everyone can attend a talk, but given today's technology, most people could download someone's speech and listen to it. I can also see podcasts and vodcasts (those with video) being good for giving instructions.

#5 RSS feeds

I logged into Google Reader and searched for some RSS feeds. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of different feeds they had available. I usually only read RSS feeds by adding them to Firefox. Then I can quickly look at the headlines and decide if they're worth reading. At work I have a few feeds relating to my current duties- blogs and websites that are very practical or have updates on what's happening with a specific product. I skim through them once a day to see if there's anything relevant. At home I have a lot of blogs added, news, places that have funny cat pictures and some of the more general library science feeds like LISNews or the Shifted Librarian.

I added a few librarian feeds. then decided to see what else was out there. Google Reader recommended New Arrivals: Adult Audio-visual - DVDs, Melbourne Metblogs, and Bills Digest - Parliamentary Library.

I like RSS feeds because they allow you to skim headlines rather than have to wade through a blog. I think they're a great way to save time and keep up to date with whatever takes your interest. I like that the library offers the public a number of feeds. I think any time the library has a blog, or a page that is frequently updated (e.g. What's New), there should be an RSS option.

#4 Online Applications ie Zoho Writer

For this exercise I played around with Zoho Writer and Google Docs. I found Zoho Writer to be very fiddly and hard to use. It also wouldn't let me save. I tried it on both Windows XP and Ubutnu (I have both installed on my home computer). It worked even worse on Ubutnu than it did on Windows XP, but given that not many libraries use Ubutnu, I guess that is a moot point.

Google Docs was a little better. I didn't like having to use the same Google account, as I could see how Google was quickly collecting a whole lot of information on me. I didn't like the idea of my professional blog being linked to my web searching habits, and my documents. I can see all sorts of potential problems. I also find it annoying having a lot of different web accounts, so I'm not sure what a good compromise would be.

The biggest problem with online word processors is the lack of integration with Microsoft Office. Often formatting is lost, or changes are made. Since a lot of our users are using document creators to work on resumes and other professional documentation, I can see this being a worry.

I much prefer using OpenOffice as an alternative to Microsoft Office. It's very easy to use and is free. You can download it to your computer. It works on a variety of platforms. It doesn't convert precisely to MS Office applications, which is quite annoying. As I don't have Microsoft Office on this computer (it came with Windows Vista, which I disliked), I have to convert documents in Microsoft Word at work in my lunchtime.

#3 Wikis

I played around with the SLV Wiki. I added a page about my team, and made a few edits to other people's pages. I think this could be a very useful tool when on the desk. Often information changes quickly, and the procedure manual is out of date. The wiki could be a good way to make sure information on all aspects of desk work (looking for legal resources, ordering offsite material, problems with equipment) is current and accurate.

I find I use Wikipedia to get an understanding of subjects, and to find good resources. Wikipedia is also good for finding out pop culture information (e.g. When was Finding Nemo released?) and for current events. When the Victorian bushfires happened earlier this year, Wikipedia was the most up to date and reliable resource. I don't use Wikipedia as the sole resource for assisting patrons. Instead, I use it to help them gain a general understanding of the topic, as I find it is really good at being a general encyclopedia. I also tell them to look at the links and the references. I emphasise that anyone can add to and edit the wiki, and for that reason it can't be relied on as a sole reference.

For fun, I love reading the TV Tropes wiki, which is a giant collection of every stereotype and possible plot point in any form of entertainment.

Blogs and blogging

This is my learning 2.0 blog. I think learning 2.0 is a great program. I've seen other participants remark how much they enjoyed the program. I think it's also a great way for a librarian to demonstrate that they understand the basics.

I have tried to start personal blogs before, but have always found the privacy issue a bit of a dilemna. I'm concious of the whole world being able to read what I write, and therefore don't want to say anything I'd later regret. I've read about the dangers of social media and privacy, especially when it comes to employment. Personally, I do think a lot of it is common sense- don't say anything you wouldn't be happy for your company to read if you're going to make yourself easy to identify.

I like the ideas of libraries using blogs to share information. It's a good way to keep people up to date with what's going on in the library. Blogs also provide the opportunity for your users to comment on what's happening in the library. They can raise some really good discussions. I particularly like it when libraries incorporate pictures and scanned images from their collection- it's a great way to publicise the library's holdings.

I am a big fan of LISnews, the Library and Information Science blog. I try and read it in an RSS reader so I can decide which posts are relevant and which are not.