#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.