Dewey who?

Check out the Two Ronnies take on shelving!

Taking in a show

Photo of children watching show in playground from the Library of Virginia's photostream.

Have just finished a leisurely Sunday drive through the Internet’s online video valley. I had already journeyed to YouTube and Google Video. So I was aware of some of its offerings from pranks to parodies. I used to think it was a kinda online Funniest Home Videos show with talking cats and cringe-worthy “accidents” but soon came to realise it was so much more.

• I drove by some other video hosting websites but soon returned to YouTube because it is so easy to use. Used the suggested searches to have some fun discovering and comparing the range of videos available on the topics.

Photo of view in Mount Vernon Canyon, Colorado from the Library of Congress' photostream.

• This tour highlighted the many features of online video’s vast panorama. The range of sources was evident including television shows, film clips, interviews and news items. Examples ranged from slick high-tech content to charming low-tech efforts. The visit emphasized the array of contributors sharing their wares. I found many of the amateur angles just as effective and interesting as the polished professional inputs.

Photo of movie being filmed from State Library & Archives of Florida's photostream. Note the monkey!

• I then ventured into the five suggested videos which demonstrated the possibilities of libraries using online videos. These videos showed the benefits of using them for both the public and staff. Some appealing opportunities included the guide to using the library collection. Certainly think that videos of this sort showing library collections and layouts would be advantageous.

• The potential of online videos as a marketing and promotional tool for libraries was another avenue I saw on this trip. The idea of highlighting projects, services, author talks, exhibitions etc. would be a positive approach to reaching out and engaging clients (& potential clients) in an online environment. In other searches I found libraries using clever videos to grab attention and perhaps change perceptions of libraries. Competitions for the public to create videos about libraries featured often.

• Online videos could play a big part for staff as well. Training videos could be included as a visual adjunct to paper procedures. Highlights of workshops seem an effective method of reaching out to other staff who couldn’t attend. Particularly in large library services it could be an educational tool for staff to become aware of other library branches in their service. They could also be a fun means of collaborating and connecting with other staff on lighter topics.

Had lots of enlightening and enjoyable experiences on this outing. Came across the American Library Association's five of their favourite library-related YouTube videos. Hard to pick a favourite - probably the Little Britain one.

Taking a trip to Googletown

Photo of Alesund, Norway from Library of Congress' photostream.

I revelled in this latest excursion through Google. Have ventured on some of its streets before, but noticed some other attractions on its roundabouts. There was much to see & learn and I took pleasure in the deviations off my regular path. Highlights included:

Google Translate return trip

• Have spent a lot of time at this site in the past – for multicultural clients mainly, for example there’s a backpackers’ hostel close to the library and I have often suggested they use it to translate websites to assist them in their visit, especially government websites.
• Played a bit by translating a range of salutations & phrases.
• Had tons of fun translating websites. Best of all was seeing our libraries' website in everything from Russian, Korean, Finnish and German.
• Like Google translate for its simple and instantaneous features – making it handy in a library environment for multicultural clients as well as those who need something translated - from old family letters to huge amounts of text or websites.

Google Books lengthy stopover

• This is another destination I had been to before – mainly for demonstrating to clients features like seeing a table of contents. After spending quite a while here today I realize I had barely dipped my toes in and really didn’t want to leave.

• Sometimes the pages were slow loading but were nearly always worth it. Found a few treasures amongst the visual feast, for example seeing an old New York Public Library stamp on a book on the history of ancient Greece.
• I admit I wasn’t fully aware of the scope of “books” included. Was entranced by the amount of magazines included & spent ages swimming through articles on my favourite topics and performers. Outstanding!
• Access and ease of use are great. Skilled search techniques would be a huge benefit to uncovering a range of useful resources. Loved finding old Australian Year Books in the results.
• Definitely will return more frequently to this spot.

iGoogle sightseeing

• I’ve seen iGoogle in action but hadn’t actually ever paid a visit – I love the clutter-free nature of the standard Google page.

• Tripped around a bit and decided to personalise it to my interests.
• So many choices on offer - the theme search was an eye-opener. I had trouble deciding and changed my mind several times.
• Had all sort of gadgets from turtles, fish, tree frogs to eyes cursor.
• In the end I was distracted by a lot of it and ended up streamlining my iGoogle.
• Can see its appeal but it took some getting used to.

Google Calendar driveby

• Didn’t know too much about this location
• Found it had some useful qualities – sharing of calendar with others for organisation purposes, having reminders, ability to invite people to events and get response in one spot and the integration with other email systems.
• It would be a practical way for event planning by a group – having an all in one venue for sharing calendar, details of event, comments & invitations.
• Not entirely convinced without seeing it in action but can see some potential.

Google Maps reading

• Google maps seem so commonplace now. Almost can’t remember life before it and use it often and demo it to people all the time.
• Great add-on features like reviews and comments make it a terrific resource.
• It’s so easy to create and customise a map to include attractions and tours to follow.
• Have seen several library services making good use of Google maps to highlight relevant locations of interest in the vicinity.

"Maybe we should have checked Google Maps first?"

Photo taken of ice cased penguins during first Australasian Antarctic Expedition found on State Library of NSW's photostream.

Just browsing ...

Photo of Young People's Browsing Room from New York Public Library's photostream.

I’ve really enjoyed this sightseeing trip. Was entertained by the video doing the comparison between the four browsers.

Then decided to do some exploring myself and did tours of Google Chrome and Firefox. I’ve downloaded both. Firefox was trouble-free. Encountered some problems with Google Chrome’s installation. Reports on each to follow:

Firefox

• The video tour highlighted the speed and security aspects of the browser. The private browsing, scam identifiers and “forget about this site” features were of note. I was intrigued by the “awesome bar” and the idea that it learns as you use it. The bookmarking tool is certainly easy to use and edit.
• I admit I was taken in by the add-ons mentioned in Fashion Your Firefox. Some sounded promising but weren’t quite what I’d expected. StumbleUpon and the Shutterbug options got my attention immediately. Of course, News Junkie is a prerequisite for me, particularly its Read It Later. Lost plenty of time playing in the Decorator area. Appreciated the Digital Pack Rat especially the Thumbstrips.

Google Chrome

Features that I prized:

• Like the Google search page, Google Chrome’s interface is clutter- free. The arrangement of the toolbar and address bar allow for so much room to view a web page itself and not the browser.
• Chrome’s double duty all in one address bar & search box was an adjustment that I admit took a little getting used to. I suppose I don’t mind the set up of the separate ones as per Firefox.
• Liked the options to “Pick a theme” by artists or google. What to choose - Wes Craven, Mulberry, Anna Sui or Hedgehog in the fog?
• Adored the huge list of shortcut keys although I don’t think my memory is quite up to the job to retain even half of them.
  

Photo from State Library of Queensland's photostream

Which is best? At this stage I’m just happy to find the content I’m after, however the browser looks and operates. I have a leaning towards Firefox for all its customization options, but then again I am in love with the layout of Chrome - there are still so many other browsers I haven't tried yet. Haven’t quite made up my mind. So many goodies to choose from the window. Still browsing, thanks for asking though.

Casting a wide net

Photo from State Library and Archives of Florida's photostream.

On this latest fishing expedition I have stopped off at a few hot spots to see where the fish are biting. I have even jumped into several "streams" in the hope of catching some interesting cod casts, sorry I mean podcasts.

I am by no means a podcast aficionado but am very familiar with the attributes that make it so enticing. The beauty of being able to access what you want anywhere, anytime and listen to it whenever, wherever you please is a revelation. Convenience and the attraction of being able take podcasts with you has many hooked fish in the Internet Ocean. It means that there is now no excuse for letting the big one get away - there's always a podcast archive.

Photo from Oregon State University Archives' photostream

Photo from State Library of NSW photostream

My favourite fishing (podcasting) spots include ones that :

• enlighten me: I love to catch topical and not so typical podcasts on news & current affairs. I prefer to visit podcasts with a slightly different angle or more in depth approach. Enjoy most of ABC's podcasts. A particular favourite is ForaRadio. Also like throwing a line in to catch some of ABC's sport podcasts.
• educate me: Whether it's learning a language or a song, podcasts can be a rewarding expedition on the education freeway. I've found podcasts to take me to lectures and festivals. I didn't have to worry about finding a good seat or deal with noisy distractions. I could pause at any time. I spied a lot of libraries on this journey making use of podcasts for sharing author talks, book reviews and exhibitions. Also caught sight of some using it for training and tours.
• entertain me: Podcasts can brighten and lighten the day allowing me to catch up on those shows that I've missed out and to listen to them at my own leisure. So, if someone tells me again about the crazy thing on the Hamish and Andy show I can go to their podcasts to hear it myself. Music & podcasting go hand in hand and give you a front row ticket. I am a fan of NPR Music with its music interviews and performances. For instance, I could listen to a two-hour Tom Waits concert that I could never get to. Again ABC offers so much, for example, Triple J's Richard Kingsmill's podcast.
  
  On this trip there were a variety of professional broadcast podcasts and unique amateur (& bizarre) offerings that were worth paying a visit. For example, askaninja with its comic take on a ninja handbook. By the way, on a little side trip I snagged plenty of fishing podcasts - threw most of them back though - bit dry for my taste. Anyway, there are plenty of other podcasts in the sea. This is a stream I think that will never be fished out.

IN THE MIX?

Photo of tram & taxi crash in Pitt St. from State Library of New South Wales photostream.

#2 Mashup mousetrap mishap?

I feel as though I've been trapped too long looking at the huge range of websites using mashups. It was an enlightening exit to take , but I felt I had better escape and get back to blog business. Some of my discoveries include:

• Twitter seems to dominate this path. Mashups to help Twitter users (twitters? twitterers? tweeters? twits??) with their tweets abound. Everything from how to convert tweets to SMS shorthand or to translate them to another language. Twitterfall highlights the latest tweet trends & allows searches on what those in your suburb are tweeting about.
  
  
• Photos also get a lot of attention on the mashup motorway. I saw a lot of creative sites making use of them. I particularly liked gimme shiny where the mashing up of the photography & art communities (using Flickr & deviantART along with the bookmarking of FFFFound ) made for fascinating viewing. Pixelpipe showed another way for photos & videos to be shared on social networking and photo websites.
  
  
• Maps certainly direct the action on a lot of sites. I saw many inventive examples of Google Maps use - from checking on real estate in the area to the nearest coffee shops. There were sites combining it with recommendations and reminiscences of town hot spots. Another interesting combination was spot story where maps, photos and experiences of favourite "spots" are shared. (Perhaps this is an avenue for libraries to encourage client participation with their favourite books or spots where they like to read or spots in the library or other local spots that they like.)
  
  
  
• Books do have some mashed up locations. Amazon.com appears to feature heavily in these collaborations. Reading radar is a simple combination of it with the New York Times bestseller list. zoomii books is another example where a mashup is used to bring the experience of browsing bookstore shelves to life while shopping online.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN

It's all about working together!

Photo from The Library of Congress photostream

#1 Applying myself 2 test drive part b

Spent a bit of time today exploring the applications & tools available online. Sites worth noting on my trip included:

• Google docs & Zoho - not only great spots to store and get at your documents anywhere anytime but also a simple way of sharing and collaborating on documents. (Great for procedures manuals)
  
  
• SlideShare - a visual vista for sharing a range of material with colleagues or clients. I see it as a great training tool for example. Really enjoyed this and lingered here for while taking in a lot of sites (sic) including - Pivot points for change; Libraries and collaboration with local government; & Library card sign up month.



• Also pulled into Myplick to look at the plicks & plickers on show. Another fantastic venue for presentations and to engage - Social networking & its impact on libraries caught my eye.
  


• A quick visit to Zamzar was worth it. What an easy way to convert files without needing to download the software! I went to town converting several files to PDF.
  
  
• Initially I though Dimdim and Yugma were new options on a takeaway menu. But I soon discovered they were sites that made conferring on the web oh so easy. Great places to use for meetings or even brainstorming to get all those discussions down online, especially if your shorthand is iffy. You can host online training sessions or meetings for up to 20 people on your PC and never have to worry about providing morning tea for them.
  

All of these sites appealed to me as great attractions on my tour for a number of reasons. They were all easy to navigate - I never got lost and had little need to call on any help maps. Everything was on hand where I didn't have the extra baggage of installing software. Their free admission was definite plus and certainly opens them up for accessibility in a library environment.

Tag …you’re it!

Finally ... I’m at the tag end of a trip to cloud nine!

Photo found at lincolnose's photostream

► On the journey I observed many libraries making “delicious” use of social bookmarking. I encountered stacks of sites that took advantage of Del.icio.us. This use enhanced access to online information by presenting links to authoritative & well-organised subject guides. The AskNow site was an interesting example of providing public pathways through the Web world.

Surely Del.icio.us social bookmarking has great potential as a research tool for staff. It provides a central point for staff to refer to and could include links to info on subjects that students in the local area are studying. Del.icio.us is easy to use and different staff can contribute to the bookmarks.

On a personal level, its attractions include its portability & customising features. For this blog I created my own Del.icio.us account. Being able to share and make use of the bookmarks of others has great appeal too.

► The major thing I learned on this trip was the importance of tagging and certainly the tour of Technorati demonstrated this. Tagging can be crucial in reaching your audience. One thing I noticed about tagging was how the use of plain language was often vital in improving access and drawing people in.

I also saw the appeal of tag clouds on this journey. The visual nature of them must make them attractive across the board. Often they seem to be living entities and not static pages.

► LibraryThing also demonstrated the importance of tagging. I paid several enjoyable visits to libraries that use it. Some were almost online book clubs. The beauty of Library thing is the encouragement of participation and connection to others online. Also, it has abilities as a kind of reader’s advisory tool. For example, recommended reading or RSS feeds for newly added titles. Book reviews and ratings add to the collaborative potential of this site in a library environment. I especially loved the Zeitgeist links to “Authors who librarything”, “Prolific reviewers” & “Top taggers”.

So ... in the last few weeks on my road trip I discovered that it’s not so bad to be tagged as having your head in the clouds. In fact,you can still be “social” and share with other folks(onomies).

Look .... it's a feeding frenzy!

Finnish cane farmers in Tully catching up with the latest news in 1923. (Photo found on SLQ's photostream).

Wow! What a trip! I know sometimes it's hard to get a good feed on the road, but this jaunt provided me with plenty of indulgences. So far, this has been the "best" on the 2.0 highway. I know what you're saying I bet she says that to all the boys (blogs).

It's time for me to fess up. My name is Tammy and I am a ... (gulp) ... news junkie. I am devoted to following the news, love having the latest information and hate being out of the loop. So the idea of feeds appeals to me. I am lucky that keeping up to date with the news does assist me greatly in my job on the reference desk. Anyway, that's my excuse for the addiction.

Whilst I have ventured on the "Feeds Freeway" before, this was my first opportunity to inspect it so thoroughly. I have been roaming for hours now and have finally pulled the car up for a bit of a "driver reviver".

I have been treating myself to sites that provide feeds on my pet subjects including "typical" news, plus news on the offbeat, entertainment and public libraries. Though, I did venture off the beaten path and saw all sorts of fascinating feeds and more than a few disturbing ones. For the latter I think it's best to leave it at "what happens on the road stays on the road".

After a bit of touring I pulled into Bloglines and set up my account. It was a breeze - the road was smooth and so easy to navigate on. Initially, I let it set the menu by going with several choices from the "Quick Picks" and "most popular subscriptions" suggestions - including Libraries, News, and Books.

There was some branching off to find some nourishment elsewhere. In the end, I chose more than ten feeds. Included were: OPAL training , SLQ news, Crikey, A pair of raggedclaws, and At the movies.

On the trip, I saw a lot of libraries are using RSS feeds. Many academic libraries are using it for highlighting the latest items added to collection. I spent a lot of time looking at public libraries use of it and can see the benefits of it for marketing events and services and essentially "cutting to the chase" of snappy links to relevant information.

I certainly see myself making use my Bloglines account. For me, it's the convenience of having news on my pet subjects put into one location. The added beauty is the fact I can customise it to my personal preferences.

I think I will make good use of this and go to the "feedbag" personally and professionally. I discovered it is a speedy way of keeping in touch with the latest to do with my profession from literature to technology. Now, mind you I am not going to totally abandon my actual ABC news readers and my daily newspapers, but I am certainly heading off in a new news direction.

Just paying a (an anti) social visit...?

Hmmm ...the social network neighbourhood is not a place that I would normally stopover personally.

Use of it by some of my family has made me well acquainted with its attractions. My nieces are sociable beings in both the real world and the online community. Others have sprouted its virtues for keeping up with the friends (new and old) and I know more than a few people who use it to keep up with exes! At this point I'd rather visit occasionally. Letting it all hang out is not for me.

Nevertheless, in the past fortnight in my sojourn to libraries' use of the social networking facilities, I can see some advantages. Seeing the virtual village is expanding, libraries can benefit from not only having a presence in this online world but actively reaching out to its members.

On the road, I stopped by many social network forays made by public libraries and discovered some interesting bridges and intersections. The use of Facebook, MySpace and Twitter to promote events and services to entice, encourage and excite like an online grapevine was fascinating. I especially like Twitter's short but sweet tweets.

Seeing libraries being hospitable hosts using social networking to provide videoposts and podcasts as a kinda online tour of their services was great fun. I witnessed other interesting uses. I loved the online book clubs in this environment where like-minded and opinionated alike could express and exchange. Also did some "drive bys" of other special interest networking, for example, genealogists and crafters. I found lots of libraries creating great teen-directed networks.

What caught my eye were some readers' advisory venues on these sites. Often this is an overlooked aspect of library services and I see this being a potentially great element to use.

I accept that in this ever expanding online 24/7 world, libraries should be making virtual connections. Facebook (and the like) has its place but I feel the value of face to face should be upheld. Our energies should be directed at making and keeping "friends", "fans", "followers" in the real world and the virtual world.

Weathering a week of wikis!

I've enjoyed my trip this week visiting a variety of wikis. This expedition provided the opportunity to compare and even share in the wacky world of wikis.

Photo found on SLQ's photostream

• I stopped off at all of the wikis on the map supplied by Licence 2 Test Drive (and then some). The SJCPL Subject Guides would be, I suppose, the "classic" library use of a wiki. This arrangement of resources for the public is simple and presented in a friendly conversational way.

• The Book Lovers Wiki is an example of another way libraries could use wikis to reach the public and encourage their participation in the wiki. This type of promotion of a specific program/project (e.g. Summer Reading Club) has endless possibilities. I enjoyed the inclusion of reviews from the Club as well as staff.


• Wikis can be used for the library profession as well. The LISWiki with its coverage of library-related issues is a very interesting pit stop. The "articles of interest" was informative and I lingered over the ones on "cell phones in libraries" (their overuse is a pet peeve of mine). The Possible Next Generation Catalogs wiki with its specific topic was another helpful use of wikis.

• I also ventured to the Slq library2.0 wiki. A fine example of the use of wikis to: 1) keep library staff informed by providing access to a range of resources and 2) to encourage staff to participate and contribute. I even managed to post a comment (after spending an age just deciding on my screen name - all the good ones are taken!)
  
  All in all, this week I learnt a lot on my journey along "Wiki Way". They have the potential to be great collaborative venues for information and opinion sharing. However, they do require some management. In the past I have encountered numerous out of control "wikis gone wild".

Crowded car

Large group of people surround a motor vehicle after a tree has fallen on it
Originally uploaded by State Library of Queensland, Australia

Love this photo found on Flickr from the State Library of Queensland because of the crowd and the car.

Images flickering by!

I have travelled to Flickrtown often, both as the driver and passenger. I love the idea of an online community sharing its works. While I am sadly lacking in the photographic abilities, I love spending time on the site appreciating the skills on show. As a librarian I love the fact that it provides so many organising tools for all those photos that can accumulate.

My favourite categories on Flickr include nature and travel destinations. It's also wonderful to look at shots of my local area. Other people's perspectives of places you see everyday can often put a different light on them.

I love looking at black and white photographs, particularly of Queensland. I stopover at Picture Queensland often and have completed many stays at Picture Sunshine Coast. On Flickr, I found a lot of interesting old photographs. I love that they give you a glimpse of life in those times - from fashion and hair styles to living conditions.

Oh, the sights (sites) you see!

Photo found on State Library of Queensland's photostream

I've spent a couple of weeks out on the road looking at the range of blogs and bloggers that are out there.

In the past, my main trips on the blog highway have been those that are related to my pet interests. News, libraries/literature, films, music and sport had been the majority of my destinations while road tripping on the Internet. OK, I'll confess that I have also regularly visited the gossip blogs on the road too. Yes, I know they're a bit like partaking in greasy food at a petrol station on a real road trip - not a nutritious meal but still fun while you're indulging.

Using Google blog search http://blogsearch.google.com/ as my "street directory" I thought I would take a chance to change the view out the window. I was amazed at the sheer volume of topics. Everything from "how to...", favourite hobbies, celebrity worship and job-hate blogs abounded. Keeping with the road trip theme I uncovered some great blogs on actual road trips and a fun one on confusing traffic signs http://daily-crackers.blogspot.com/2009/04/qwackers-confusing-traffic-signs.html

It's quite clear that blogs are used for a number of reasons. Corporate blogs are another way of getting the message across, including for libraries. Blogs are also a venue for amateur journalists to demonstrate their skills. They're a great tool for people wanting to provide commentary on issues and their own lives.

Time to hit the road!

Here goes! Enough looking at the maps and directions. It's time to start the engine and get on the road to learning more about 2.0. I have a general knowledge but am keen to expand my horizons and what better way than to take on this program for a test drive to see what else is out there?

Where the road will eventually lead I can't be sure but I will know far more than I do now. As with any road trip, I am sure there will be trials and tribulations. There may even be eye-popping and jaw-dropping sights along the way. Often it's the unexpected detours and pit stops that are the most memorable. At the end there will be tales to tell and information to share - the important thing will be to keep on driving the learning. The wheel is in my hands.