Thing 23: Give feedback about the 23 Things program.

How could you draw on what you have learned in 23 Things to help you in your work?

Not really certain. I do think that Google Docs might be useful perhaps for meeting agendas and minutes. It would mean not having to retype information already in the agenda --just copy and paste.
Google books and scholar might be useful for checking bibliographical information I suppose. They are fun for totally different reasons and Google map may save me from getting lost but LW's section on its accuracy leaves one wondering and it might be useful to be able to find the location of Napoleon's St Helena.

• How could the library use the technologies featured in 23 Things to improve its service?

Some of the tools amongst the information on Library 2.0 seems to be of use and some of the communication technologies might lead to efficiencies particularly if you can point to the correct URL etc but hey! we use the internet and phone!.

• How do you think the 23 Things program could be improved in the future?

I thought Jenny C's facebook guide and the session she did on searching Google (which was independent of 23 things) were really well structured and good ways of teaching. Maybe if some of the training sessions were based on a single or fixed set of topics and one worked through them in a structured step by step way one might gain more confidence and accomplish more.
In general the assistance from the training staff was very valuable. I recognise that this time and their independent assistance at other times came at the cost of their "sanity" and their other work and so offer my thanks.
However, some training sessions were very noisy and involved people giggling together rather than working and it was hard to get assistance. Sometimes the online notes needed a "how to tell you are finished" section. Waited 20 mins for help at one session wanting to know how to close off or end what I had been doing to be told I'd completed it. A note would have saved time.

• Do you think you'll keep blogging or keep using any of the other tools you learned about?

I definitely will use Google maps, docs, books and scholar. I will encourage my other half to use Flickr to store and organise a "million" photos. I don't know if I will keep blogging. Time constraints. I will keep the URL so that if I need to use any of the techniques I will be able to.


Thanks to the crew!!! Brownie Points rather than elephant stamps and stars.

By the way, my self-esteem has really taken a blow I completely finished this with not one comment from anyone. Now I know I'm boring!!!!

Thing 22: Read about and explore various web based communication tools including Skype, MSN Messenger and Meebo.

I have read about and explored various web based communication tools including Skype, MSN Messenger and Meebo. Looked at adding the widget for Google talk and decided against it since it displayed my work e-mail address. Privacy again.

My son uses MSN messenger and it does keep him more connected with the world. I do see a role for instant messaging services in reference desk work or maybe item requests. Not sure about VOIP services in a library context for we all have phones.

Thing 21 : Find and listen to a Podcast or two

I found the podcast directories interesting. you would think that the ABC and educational site would be searchable but they are not.

As for listening to Podcast I have listened to the ones throughout the 23 things programme and to the VCs videos (Though I will admit sound and video quality could be better in the latter case and in some of the others). I've found something I wish to liste to at home and shall later.

Thing 20 : Watch YouTube videos people have made about libraries

Building Academic Library 2.0 promises to be an interesting video but at 1h10min is probably not for viewing during a normal work day

Thing 18 : Read about the Library 2.0 Movement and explore new developments in Library related interfaces such as Encore & new EBSCOhost 2.0 interface

Encore is an overlay to Millennium which allows students to search the catalogue then refine searches and search outside the catalogue. EBSCOhost permits the search and display of journal articles. Both are attempting to use interfaces similar to Google interfaces.

Jenny Levine's talk about injecting librarians back into searching and using gaming for teaching how to use resources and for teaching social interaction is very interesting though rather long.

The Web 2.0 video was interesting in that nowhere did it mention ACCURACY or relability or currency. It was about people supplying information to each other but nowhere it it question if what they supplied is the truth. Nor it aim for conciseness nor ease of finding what is required.

Thing 14: Google docs

Thing 14: Google docs

I have logged into Google Docs and created a new document. This one!

I intend to post it as a Blog post so I am keeping it simple. I imported it but it needed some reformatting -- seems to be OK.

I think most people have "grown up" with Microsoft word and so are somewhat wedded to it.

However, I think Google docs has a role if one moves between lots of different computers and wishes safe access to the current version of previous work. I also think if it is easy to upload files from other word-processing software then it offers a "safe" storage place for backup of essential documents. I like the notion of it being used instead of email to collective write and edit documents such as newsletters.

It has potential. I haven't had a chance to play with either spreadsheets or presentations. It number of fonts etc seems limited but maybe that is just a case of importing more.

Thing 12: Explore social networking sites eg Facebook and My Spacy

I have done all the reading . I really liked Jenny C's hints. As much as possible I have looked at these without joining.

I did not join because I currently don't have an email other than work and do not wish my unusual name to appear on a networking site. Now if I had a common name such as Jane Smith then that would be different.

"Write a blog post about your thoughts on Myspace and Facebook. You could discuss what implications the use of social networking applications might have for libraries, or what benefit they could bring to libraries."

You can see that I worry about privacy not only my own but that of others. I worry about what younger folk accidentally reveal about themselves. A TV story about a family of small children being raised by their 16 yr old sister mentioned their surname. Searching that revealed not only newspaper stories mentioning the location of the family farm but the names and photos of the younger children. The surname search also revealed school newsletters mentioning the children. So a very vulnerable family could easily be traced by someone up to no good.
In Facebook children may likewise give away personal information.

I see no problem in using these tools to supply Library information which after all is not personal and to communicate with clients.

Thing 17 : Delicious

I have looked at Delicious. Speaking to Diana made this seem more useful when she explained how she used Delicious to keep track of often referred to web sites when moving around between various service desks where she did not have access to a dedicated computer. I can see that would be the case.
It might also be useful for discovering new web sites when someone as similar interests.

Thing 19. Put a photo of your pet on the wiki

Not quite a pet. I posted a photo of one of the geckos who are regular visitors to our back fly-screens and eat the moths.

Thing 16 :Google home page

Looked at iGoogle and created a home page.
Interesting to note that weather was in Fahrenheit. LW says it is possible to download a different weather monitor in Celsius but I haven't had enough time to look.

RSS feeds -- Items 9, 10 and 11

I now have a feed reader called Google reader receiving RSS feeds from The Age and Digg. I've also searched on Technocrati and subscribed to some blogs. The Practical Archivist (http://feeds.feedburner.com/ThePracticalArchivist) seemed an interesting blog to subscribe to. It is about preserving and dating photographs etc. I also subscribed to Genea-Musings (http://feeds.feedburner.com/Genea-musings) US based genealogy but seems interesting.

The greatest problem with all subscribing seems to be all the clutter on the subscription pages and then the sheer volume of returns and trying to find something that you want that may have a little (or preferrably a lot) of authority. Its very time consuming and confusing to sift the wheat from the chaff. Even if you know the title of something you would like a feed from , it seems you are more likely to turn up a blog talking about them than a blog emenating from them.

I will answer the required questions later.

LIBRARY THING -- for us Thing 8

Library thing is a good way to keep track of one's home library. Information can be imported from a huge range of sources. (Just as well for my selections weren't in Amazon US nor the Library of Congress.) Needless to say there is no authority control so Library Thing would not do for institutional cataloguing.

My selections are of what provided comfort on dreary wet days before we had TV. Some belonged to my nan and my mum. And so no pictures of the covers I'm afraid. See my widget at the side or see http://www.librarything.com/catalog/capertee

Thing 5 -- Explore Flickr

I added 6 photos to the VU library group photos on Flickr. I was unable to organise them as no group remained (maximum 3 allowed) but I have tagged them. I had also hoped to add one of them here but going down to 8kb was too hard. So I cheated and added it to my profile. Those ducks are probably paddling hard under water as I am sometimes with Flickr.

Google tools -- Google maps revisited-- Thing 13

Why is it that Google maps for Australian cities gives street views and yet Google maps for the UK gives the odd photo and bus route but not the street views? Is it because of privacy laws or are Google trying out features in different countries to test out their acceptance?

Google tools -- play with Google scholar -- Thing 15 (part 2)

I hadn't used Google scholar before. Useful for collecting your own publications for your CV. After all you know all your own pseudonyms. Remember to include the name in inverted commas, ie "complete name", "c name" etc.

Also useful for finding where researchers have moved to. Their publications reflect their newer work addresses. You can also see if the researcher has acknowledged your assistance.

But also useful for its real purpose keeping current with information in a research field.

I need to have a more thorough look to find out how frequently it is updated and the scope of the publications it covers but certainly it did have references to articles published in 2008 and in reputable journals. Will it replace more reputable indexing services such as whatever Current contents is called these days? I would think that would depend on currency, thoroughness and means of indexing, including use of metadata.

Google tools -- play with Google book search -- Thing 15 (part 1)

Gee Already Thing 15. No skipped a few and I will go back. Its called staying in one's comfort zone!! Tee Hee!!

Discovered Google Book Search by accident a great many months ago. Its great when the item you want is out of copyright and therefore fully readable. Its frustrating when there is uncertainty about copyright and they only show snippets -- these have a habit of ending just where the information you would like to have should be (Grrr!) and there doesn't seem to be a way to trick the system to show you that information. Believe me I've tried. Even worse is when there is not a snippet, when there is no view.

Some hints for beginners : The OCR (optical character recognition) software can give some interesting interpretations of text. So always read and copy the original text not just solely the plain text unless you have time to correct the errors. Also think about searching using wildcards particularly for o's and e's. Though it even has trouble with consonants.

What to search for that might turn up a readable book. English trials, Sepuchral records in Great Yarmouth, Registrars of English BDMs (ie The people who did the registering not the Registers ie books themselves. In small towns this could be the local doctor or the real estate agent) . So pick an ancestor's name and a place they were and have a go. Once in a searchable book try just the surname.

The books seem to be mainly what could be filmed in American University libraries.

Google tools -- play with Google maps -- Thing 13

Play with Google Maps they said!! Hmm -- all too tempting!!!

I have done so before. I could find our house on Google Earth and had a friend with a CD-ROM of aerial views of Sydney taken during WWII (available from Museum of Sydney) and compared those with recent aerial shots of Sydney by Google Earth.

I had also gone from Melbourne to Echuca following online directions. When I revisited Google Maps for this the options where fewer and the route less pleasant so I think I probably looked at a different route planner but haven't been able to find it to quote it here. JUST FOUND IT!! It is the route planner associated with the Welcome to Victoria site and the URL is http://www.visitvictoria.com/displayobject.cfm/objectid.0000B41D-D36D-1A88-8B4680C476A9047C/

I hadn't used street views but I have now enjoyed viewing my nan's old house and vaguely walking a bigger block near home. Our street is too small to be there which is a blessing.

I've also searched for some overseas townships.

I do find it interesting though that you can not get a map to show you where the island of St Helena is (That is not the one in Queensland but the one where Napoleon died)

Thing 7 -- Revisited

Those with Italian heritage (or those who would like to have it) might like to visit The Generator Blog and generate an Honorary Italian grandmother certificate to print or email their Nonna or her substitute.

Our new library? -- Thing 7

Comment on each other's blogs --Thing 4

I have posted 2 comments.
Trying to remember how to tag in HTML.
Its been a while.
So its for italics then close with , right?
Er that seems to be right the tags disappeared and italics appeared.
Ooops!!!

Creating blogs

Things no. 2 and 3 -- No. 1 completed OK

I've discovered that creating a blog is frustrating beyond compare. You are asked for nicknames and titles and on the spot have to dream them up. You then can't go back to check what you used. Then all the URLs you can possibly dream up are taken. What should take a few minutes takes ages in inconsequential details.

Aspirin ... please!!!