Week 12 - COMPLETED!!!!!

Well, I've made it! Have just signed up to MySpace and planned to start my 'virtual' life.....but (and this demonstrates how ill prepared I am for entering the online world) I haven't got a digital photo of myself to upload....and I haven't even got a personal email address book set up so I can start inviting my 'friends' to visit my My Space page. The other sad thing is that probably I haven't got too many 'friends' to invite either! (at least very few of my friends will want to meet me on MySpace I imagine.

But to 'sum up' on the Learning 2.0....its been a real online adventure...sometimes exciting, sometimes disheartening, sometimes just frustrating. I do think I have learnt 'heaps' though and am now only worries that all those additional email/flickr accounts etc. will be hanging out there in cyperspace without getting much further use. I'll try to keep up my virtual life and perhaps I'll end up with a avatar on Second Life? Anyway, its been fun...and thanks to all those who have offered advice to get me through the 'tricky bits' and to the staff at SLNSW Pub. Lib. Services team who have made it all possible!......bye.

Week 11

Have been google doc..ing! Can see great potential for use of this in our library. My next Annual Report should be a much more collaborative effort where everyone can contribute their own 'piece' to the whole document. Also newsletters etc. With remote branches it is sometimes an email 'marathon' to get all the bits of info together..and someone has to take responsibility to cutting/pasting various amendments etc. This current way of doing things is fraught with danger of using the 'wrong' copy. Google docs is certainly a better alternative.

Week 10

There is just so much to choose from with mashups....but....you need to have a 'file' of resources to make the most of it (which I don't). Have tried to do something simple from Big Huge Labs. Seemed to link OK...but not sure its giving accurate information but I'm afraid I don't have time at the moment to further investigate. My blog is beginning to look a bit messy from all this trial and error stuff but I AM getting through it, which a few weeks ago ...looked like a nearly impossible task.

Anyway, I think the potential for 'mashing up' is huge..for libraries and everyone else. It provides plenty of tools for creatively doing 'techno' things for promotion and all sorts of other things. I have heard that the National Library is trying to encourage people to create collage/mash up 'art' out of various picture Australia images....will be interesting.

Week 9 - Podcasts

Had considerable difficulties accessing podcasts so this week was very frustrating. Seem to be having IT problems in downloading relevant software to make accessing podcasts work. Doing all this 'stuff' certainly makes you much more aware of the sorts of problems our library users may be experiencing in trying to access a number of these new 'technologies'...this week will at least provide a start for us to discuss issues with our IT department. Although I can see many occasions when podcasting would be very useful for public libraries.....at this stage of the course I think that it will be a while before we really have a demand in our community for this sort of thing. Something for the future without doubt!

Week 8

Have a had a look at Answer boards and 'slamming the boards' and can see possibilities for using these type of technology to put people into an online discussion about particular themes of interest eg. romance readers or even use it for staff to discuss themes/ideas BEFORE we get to our staff meetings.

My Delicious Link!!!

Got Through Week 6 and 7 with Delicious Results!

Have (hopefully) got my delicious link onto my blog and am happy to be making progress again on Learning 2.0. Have had a few weeks where didn't get much time to do my bits. Some of my colleagues have now finished the course so I'm spurred into action to get through the final few weeks of work.