After watching the video of David Berlind from ZDNet explaining Mashups, I learned that they are the combination of different web applications to create a new one.
A practical example is adding a Google map to a library web site showing the location of the library, as SLQ have done. The idea of using a Google map mashup to show locations of all library branches or cemetaries for local history clients are great ideas and would make it easier for clients to access this information.
Explore: As suggested I searched http://www.suburbview.com/ for my postcode (4702) and found several different properties with links to other real estate sites containing further information about the individual properties.
After browsing the winners of the Mashup Awards found here: http://mashupawards.com/winners/, I discovered that many of the winners' mashups involved combining something with Twitter. The one I enjoyed the most was http://www.twonvert.com.
This practical site facilitates the conversion of your twitter message into SMS abbreviations, so you have more room to say more!
Adventure: I took the plunge and added a Google map to this blog. I chose a map that shows the locations my two local libraries. Enjoy!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Test Drive #1 - Online Applications & Tools
Productivity software enables the simplification of the way collaboration on documents and presentations is achieved. Online in real time, saves time!
Explore: I found the Princeton Public Library's Slideshare Presentation enlightening. I had not realised how many different online applications were available!
Whilst at Uni last year these kind of applications would have been invaluable for group assignment work. We used a Uni-based web chat and wiki to collaborate, but we still needed to create a Powerpoint presentation as a group. The Slideshare http://www.slideshare.net/ application would have made the process easier than what happened, which was emailing drafts back and forward to each other.
I searched Slideshare for presentations on Library 2.0 and found "Libraries and Collaboration with Local Government: NSW Public Sphere 2009". The concept of a Librarian as a "lifecoach for the digital age" (Mark Pesce) is interesting. As a Librarian I find this to be true in practice as I often help clients with basic internet instruction such as setting up email accounts and even explaining the difference between an email address and web address.
The Web Conferencing applications sound great! As a library worker in a regional area, conferences are often held a large distance away and visiting one would incur significant cost. With Web Conferencing applications like WebEx - http://webex.com/ or Saba Centra - http://www.saba.com/products/centra/, online conferencing has made conferences cost effective and achievable.
Discover: I had a try at using Google Docs and found the word processor simple to use. Possible applications for this tool at my workplace could include collaborative efforts from staff on new brochures, policies or instructional materials.
Explore: I found the Princeton Public Library's Slideshare Presentation enlightening. I had not realised how many different online applications were available!
Whilst at Uni last year these kind of applications would have been invaluable for group assignment work. We used a Uni-based web chat and wiki to collaborate, but we still needed to create a Powerpoint presentation as a group. The Slideshare http://www.slideshare.net/ application would have made the process easier than what happened, which was emailing drafts back and forward to each other.
I searched Slideshare for presentations on Library 2.0 and found "Libraries and Collaboration with Local Government: NSW Public Sphere 2009". The concept of a Librarian as a "lifecoach for the digital age" (Mark Pesce) is interesting. As a Librarian I find this to be true in practice as I often help clients with basic internet instruction such as setting up email accounts and even explaining the difference between an email address and web address.
The Web Conferencing applications sound great! As a library worker in a regional area, conferences are often held a large distance away and visiting one would incur significant cost. With Web Conferencing applications like WebEx - http://webex.com/ or Saba Centra - http://www.saba.com/products/centra/, online conferencing has made conferences cost effective and achievable.
Discover: I had a try at using Google Docs and found the word processor simple to use. Possible applications for this tool at my workplace could include collaborative efforts from staff on new brochures, policies or instructional materials.
Licence 2 Test Drive - PART B
Embarking on another journey in cyberspace, this librarian would like to thank SLQ for the opportunity to test drive again!
I am looking forward to participating and learning about many more of the wonderful new online applications making the world of libraries a better place!
I am looking forward to participating and learning about many more of the wonderful new online applications making the world of libraries a better place!
Friday, May 29, 2009
Test Drive #6 - Folksonomies & Tagging
What an odd word... "Folksonomies". It means "an unstructured categorization scheme". Seen in light of web 2.0 and tags, it becomes a valuable way to make notable websites easier to find when needed again in the future.
After watching the Commoncraft video, it became clear that bookmarking sites like http://delicious.com/ can avoid the hassle of different "Favourites" lists saved across several different computers, by all being accessible from one place on the net, from any computer. This would save a great deal of trouble and avoid such possible problems as individual computer failure causing the loss of precious bookmarks.
Therefore, I saw an immediate benefit for my personal bookmarks and joined Del.icio.us! Here is the link to my page: http://delicious.com/Cyberspace_Librarian.
This kind of bookmarking of sites would be extremely useful for librarians when answering reference enquiries. From my own perspective as a Reference Librarian in a public library, I investigated this example. Take a client enquiry about a particular topic like the "Australian Gold Rush" for a primary school student assignment. The resulting search of Del.icio.us got 36 hits and most were government sites, considered reliable for assessment citation. A comparison search on Google gave 116000 hits of varying relevance. I think the real benefit here for librarians is that the Del.icio.us sites are recommended by others who are non-biased, unlike Google who are profit driven.
Libraries using bookmarking sites would benefit not only the library staff and patrons, but the wider online community with the sharing of the sites kept there.
After watching the Commoncraft video, it became clear that bookmarking sites like http://delicious.com/ can avoid the hassle of different "Favourites" lists saved across several different computers, by all being accessible from one place on the net, from any computer. This would save a great deal of trouble and avoid such possible problems as individual computer failure causing the loss of precious bookmarks.
Therefore, I saw an immediate benefit for my personal bookmarks and joined Del.icio.us! Here is the link to my page: http://delicious.com/Cyberspace_Librarian.
This kind of bookmarking of sites would be extremely useful for librarians when answering reference enquiries. From my own perspective as a Reference Librarian in a public library, I investigated this example. Take a client enquiry about a particular topic like the "Australian Gold Rush" for a primary school student assignment. The resulting search of Del.icio.us got 36 hits and most were government sites, considered reliable for assessment citation. A comparison search on Google gave 116000 hits of varying relevance. I think the real benefit here for librarians is that the Del.icio.us sites are recommended by others who are non-biased, unlike Google who are profit driven.
Libraries using bookmarking sites would benefit not only the library staff and patrons, but the wider online community with the sharing of the sites kept there.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Adventure in RSS Feeds
Well I have just set up an RSS Feed for the ABC Top Stories on my blog. Enjoy!
Test Drive #5 - RSS Feeds
Keeping a track of all the websites of interest through RSS Feeds is wonderful. As a librarian, keeping up to date with local, state, national and world news is essential to be able to relate to clients' needs for information. In a public library especially, news that is public knowledge will be the topic of conversation with clients every day. Therefore it is important in providing the best service possible, to be clear about the facts of the issue and remain non-judgemental.
After watching the always comical Commoncraft Video about RSS Feeds, I went on to add several sites to my Google Reader including: OPAL Training, John Oxley Library, ABS Statistically speaking and the ABC News. I have also been subscribing to other fellow SLQ Licence to Test Drive bloggers from the start and enjoy keeping up with their adventures in cyberspace too! I quite enjoyed the Libraries Interact blog for Australian Library Blogs. http://librariesinteract.info/australian-library-blogs/ This includes blogs of individuals and libraries to cover most topics of interest and they are relevant to Australians.
Libraries would find adding an RSS Feed to their websites and blogs advantageous as the more computer/internet savvy clients could access updates to the sites easily. However, unless a client is capable of accessing the internet, RSS Feeds would be of little use.
After watching the always comical Commoncraft Video about RSS Feeds, I went on to add several sites to my Google Reader including: OPAL Training, John Oxley Library, ABS Statistically speaking and the ABC News. I have also been subscribing to other fellow SLQ Licence to Test Drive bloggers from the start and enjoy keeping up with their adventures in cyberspace too! I quite enjoyed the Libraries Interact blog for Australian Library Blogs. http://librariesinteract.info/australian-library-blogs/ This includes blogs of individuals and libraries to cover most topics of interest and they are relevant to Australians.
Libraries would find adding an RSS Feed to their websites and blogs advantageous as the more computer/internet savvy clients could access updates to the sites easily. However, unless a client is capable of accessing the internet, RSS Feeds would be of little use.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Test Drive #4 - Social Networking
Social Networking Services sound great as a means to connect with friends and family no matter where they are.
However, privacy issues come to mind as a potential problem. An article in the Tech Herald highlights some proposed changes to Facebook allowing the use of users' names, likeness' and content for any purpose: http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/200908/2965/Facebook-TOS-raises-some-privacy-issues. However, due to public outcry, Facebook did a backflip and vowed to change it's terms. Here is the follow up article outlining Facebook's response: http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/200908/2987/Privacy-complaints-force-Facebook-to-backtrack-on-service-changes. Facebook is being encouraged to consider allowing users to be able to delete all information about themselves from the site, including back-ups, so their personal information is not always there for others to use as they wish. This is a real concern as once information is posted to the internet it is generally there forever and personal information may be used by others without permission of the owner.
It is interesting to note in the article about Facebook backtracking on service changes, that Facebook "faces" strong direct competition from Twitter, another social networking site. What is fascinating and unique about Twitter, is it uses SMS linked with blog technology, to enable users to tell the world, "What they are doing right now". At first this seemed a bit vague to me as I could see no immediate need to know what anyone else is doing right now! However, after reading a very interesting article in the latest Virgin Blue Magazine, Voyeur (May 2009 issue) about a Twitter experiment, it made more sense to me. Twitter is not so much about sharing your daily activity of brushing your teeth for example, but more about promoting your interests/hobbies/business and becoming engaged in other people's activites.
For Libraries, social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter would have a lot to offer in terms of marketing, especially to the computer/internet savvy clients. As a way of promoting the library's current activities and services they would be invaluable and cost effective, due to needing purely staff time. Once again, the problem of keeping the content current and interesting, could be the downfall of social networking for libraries.
As a means of networking for library staff, social networking sites would be of value. To those staff which are isolated from the major cities, keeping up to date with the activities of other libraries would be of great benefit.
However, privacy issues come to mind as a potential problem. An article in the Tech Herald highlights some proposed changes to Facebook allowing the use of users' names, likeness' and content for any purpose: http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/200908/2965/Facebook-TOS-raises-some-privacy-issues. However, due to public outcry, Facebook did a backflip and vowed to change it's terms. Here is the follow up article outlining Facebook's response: http://www.thetechherald.com/article.php/200908/2987/Privacy-complaints-force-Facebook-to-backtrack-on-service-changes. Facebook is being encouraged to consider allowing users to be able to delete all information about themselves from the site, including back-ups, so their personal information is not always there for others to use as they wish. This is a real concern as once information is posted to the internet it is generally there forever and personal information may be used by others without permission of the owner.
It is interesting to note in the article about Facebook backtracking on service changes, that Facebook "faces" strong direct competition from Twitter, another social networking site. What is fascinating and unique about Twitter, is it uses SMS linked with blog technology, to enable users to tell the world, "What they are doing right now". At first this seemed a bit vague to me as I could see no immediate need to know what anyone else is doing right now! However, after reading a very interesting article in the latest Virgin Blue Magazine, Voyeur (May 2009 issue) about a Twitter experiment, it made more sense to me. Twitter is not so much about sharing your daily activity of brushing your teeth for example, but more about promoting your interests/hobbies/business and becoming engaged in other people's activites.
For Libraries, social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter would have a lot to offer in terms of marketing, especially to the computer/internet savvy clients. As a way of promoting the library's current activities and services they would be invaluable and cost effective, due to needing purely staff time. Once again, the problem of keeping the content current and interesting, could be the downfall of social networking for libraries.
As a means of networking for library staff, social networking sites would be of value. To those staff which are isolated from the major cities, keeping up to date with the activities of other libraries would be of great benefit.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
