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.