# 23 Is this the end......?

Wow, I did it! I feel that this has been a great learning experience and have been glad to take part even if it has been frustrating at times! It has opened my eyes and mind to the potential of the technology out there and hopefully I am now better informed. The title is very apt as this is the end of the beginning and I will revisit some of the topics again.

#22 Audiobooks

Had a look at Netlibrary which I thought was a very user friendly site.There is a demo to watch which explains the basics of usage and a good explanation of how to make use of this service.
Netlibrary
Also had looked at World EBook Fair site and Overdrive but didn't find these as easy to search as Netlibrary.
I can really see this as the future for audiobooks, being able to download and use in line with how technology is advancing to listen to music, books etc must be the way to go.

# 7 Technology

Well I've gone back a few weeks to complete this task.I think am now much more aware of what my computer and I have the potential to do than I did a few weeks ago! Where would we now be without the internet? I'm not sure whether it helps save time at all but certainly opens up the world more. It seems what you can achieve with the internet is almost limitless. It's amazing to think that over a few years , communication has grown from phone and letter to email, texting, messager, mobile phones, cameraphones......

www.asimo.honda.com here is a piece of advanced technology- maybe good for housework?

# 21 podcasts, Smodcasts

Podcasts are a great resource for diseminating information.I had a look at podcast.net and podcastalley.com. I noticed some libraries were using podcasts for movie, CD, book reviews , giving information on events and what is new at the library , also conversations with poets, authors, scholars - all of which seem a great idea.

# 20 You too can YouTube

YouTube- had fun browsing through various clips.This could be useful in a library setting for training, educating the public about the library.What I like is that it gives the opportunity for people to show case what they wish- it's amazing how many views some clips get. I dislike the fact that it could potentially be a means to showcase disagreeable material.I searched on 'Library" and watched a good clip from Mr Bean in the library!

# 6 . More Flickr Fun

Wow, what can't you do with a photo.The Great Flickr Tools Collection has a huge list of tools that have been created to use.I had to put a time limit on Flickr Toys as I could see great potential for nothing else getting done that day. My favourite photos can now be captioned, framed , turned into wallpaper/calenders..... and we now we can all be on the front of a magazine cover!

# 19 Discovering Web 2.0 Tools

I had a look at the Web 2.0 Awards nominee Biblio.com. A very user friendly site which allows you to search through " 50 million used, rare, out of print and text books". There are many search options ISBN , binding, ( author and title , of course) , catergory of book. Many books seem to be from the USA and there is an easy postage calculator, but you can opt to just search within Australia or New Zealand. Since some of the books available are used, there is a search option to look under condition of book.Maybe an option to find requested books??
Moving away from this website, Farecast is a great place to compare airfares and will give you fare prices at different times of day in a table form.Easy to use and provoked some wishful thinking about the next holiday!

#18 Online Productivity Tools

Creating an account in Zoho Writer was fine.What a great site- I created a few documents and had a wander around .The templates section looked really comprehensive.Zoho Show gives a brief summary of the key features of Zoho. The other applications such as OnlineSpreadsheets and Online Presentations are also available.I found this site to be user-friendly, will be of use to many people and will be recommending it in the future.

# 17 Learning 2.0 Sandbox Wiki

Managed to add my Blog to the Geelong Regional Libraries favourite Blogs- took a few attempts but it works.

# 16 All about Wikis

My first exploration of Wikis left me with a message of something that was good as it is an easy way to gather knowlege, flexible and easily edited but how disorgaised could it become, how accurate would the information be?Playing around more, it seems a great way of sharing knowledge which could be added to and adapted with time and gathering information from many sources to give to many sources. Wikis about local communities are a great way of reaching information from different people. A Wiki for the library to distribute work related information amongst employees would be useful especially as it could be password protected, so that the information would be secure.
It made me smile to find that there are "Wikigardeners", who will tidy up the Wiki - maybe they could sort my garden out sometime soon.

#15 Web 2.0, Library 2.0

Library 2.0 means to me both the concept and the implementation of change to meet users needs within in a world of rapidly changing technology.This has to happen to keep the library service current and relevant to our users.By undertaking this course, we are exposed to concepts and use of technology which are "Library2.0".
I found the following two quotes revelant from reading the perspectives on Library 2.0:

Michael Stephens wrote : "the Library is human"because it makes the library a social and emotionally engaging center for learning and experience. Librarian 2.0, then, is the “strategy guide” for helping users find information, gather knowledge and create content .

Dr Wendy Schultz wrote:"What are libraries? Libraries are not just collections of documents and books, they are conversations, they are convocations of people, ideas, and artifacts in dynamic exchange. Libraries are not merely in communities, they are communities: they preserve and promote community memories; they provide mentors not only for the exploration of stored memory, but also for the creation of new artifacts of memory. "

#14 Technorati

Well, I had a good look around this site.Discovered it is possible to make money from blogs but can be slow and difficult, maybe not time to give up the day job! I tried a few searches for books, equine 'flu, learning 2.0...My overall impression is that is good to know about this site but would not be something I would use alot.

# 13 Tagging and Del.icio.us

When I started reading about tagging and Del.icio.us , it was making no sense at all and I was feeling somewhat out of my depth with no lifeboat in sight. However, after setting up an account and having a play around , it started to make alot of sense. As someone who can waste lots of time on the internet, this is something I will definitely use in the future and can see it being of use for many different people including students and researchers.

#12 Explore Rollyo and roll your own search tool

Ok, I have signed up for my Rollyo account, explored a bit and created a couple of search Rolls. I'm not sure how much I would use this but will "play" with it a while longer.

#11 LibraryThing

Another good website.Catologued some of my recent reads and had a look through some of the forums.Will be visiting again!

#10 Image Generator

I can't believe that I have finally done this - it has taken forever!The dishes are not done, the house is in chaos and the children are wondering what has happened to their mother, who has been glued to the computer for the last few hours!Maybe I should do it again just to be sure, but had better sort the household out first.

#9 Blogline and newsfeeds

Have now created my Blogline account- yippee.Hopefully, I will be able to find my way back to it again in the future. Have added some newsfeeds, mainly news and current affairs but can see myself adding lots to it over time.What a useful device.Will it save time or will I just use up more time reading more?Only time will tell.Now what is next in store on this journey through cyberspace.

#8 RSS Feeds

Ok, I found it really interesting learning about RSS and newsreaders- something I had never heard of and will find many applications for in the future.

#5 Flickr

Just had a quick look round the site and now ready for action. Am still not feeling too confident and just posting again to see if my blog really works!

Getting there

Had a few teething problems but am learning fast!