Online Productivity.
I found Zoho difficult to access. Web marshal was blocking it so I asked IT to unblock it which they did.

I went into it again and was again blocked at a different stage. I found using Zoho writer very frustating.

I had more success with Google docs. It was more straight forward, layout and terminology was familiar, overall very easy to use.

Week 7

Wikis

After exploring SJCPL’s site I loved the easy accessability to different areas. Wikis make everything so much more interactive and personal
Brimbank’s website could also use popular genres / subjects ie. Travel, Cooking, Health to create Wikies.with links to our magazines DVDs and on line journals.

After looking at Princeton’s Public Library Book Lovers Wiki,I could see how the public would love it. Readers Advisory service takes on a new meaning with this technology.

Wikis are fantastic but time consuming for staff with their present workload commitments. To use Wikis as SJCPL has done would mean re organizing job descriptions to allow staff more time for the upkeep and input of our website.
On a more positive note using Wikis on our website would be exciting challenging and stimulating. Staff would have the opportunity to develop new skills etc. Certainly worthwhile.

Week 6

I have just finished week 6 and I found using del.icio.us really worthwhile and timesaving.

Last year I saved 3 sites on craft activities for children for Chinese New Year. I tagged them on Del.icio.us and from there was able to access many other similiar sites. So within a very short space of time I had access to lots of new craft activities which would have taken ages to find searching the net.



I don't think I am up to the stage of tagging my blog using Tecnorati, but it was interesting reading about it and I will keep it in mind for the future.

After reading some articles on Web2.0 Library 2.0 I found a few areas Brimbank libraries could aspire to in the future, some of these would mean allocating the budget in a different direction , and some extending and developing on what we are alreading doing. For eg.

*Patrons being able to access a multitude(as in thousands) of electronic databases and cataloged eBooks
*MP3 players available for patron checkout with a new downloadable audiobook program *Training on how and when to use Google™ versus other electronic sources
*Network with other libraries, especially other library types (i.e., academic & school). *Make the most of your ILL capabilities
*Purchase more electronic content using local and state consortia to cut costs.

RSS feeds and Bloglines

I have had set up a blogline account and added some RSS feeds. To organize these I created 4 different folders.
The main problem I had was when I chose 6 hours for display, and thought I lost my feeds because only the 'news' feeds were displayed.
I realised then with the other RSS feeds and blogs nothing had been added during the last 6 hours, so I changed these other feeds to 24 hour display.

I was playing around with my photo and Flikr mashups, what an improvement!!
I did try some of the other effects but they always cut my head off.

Hello my dear dear friends
As I am typing this I feel myself morphing into a cross between Mrs Doubtfire and Dame Edna Everage, oh well it could be worse, think Bronwyn Bishop/Helen Clark!!!!!!!!
I have just uploaded a recent photo of myself, hilighting those gorgeous legs. ( Sonia McMahon eat your heart out)
For my last birthday my very generous husband of many years, paid for me to have my veins done, and just look at the results!!!!

One of my first library experiences many years ago, included a blooper I will always remember.

I was teaching a group in a school library when two children arrived from another class asking for a Good News Bible.

Annoyed with the disruption to my well prepared lesson, I went to the beginning of the reference collection and scanned quickly for the title. Not finding anything with "Good News " my eyes fell on the spine of a big fat book which read Macintosh Bible. Relieved I had found something similar, I grabbed the book thrust it into the little hands of one of the children, and returned to my class.

Five minutes later, the two children returned with the book and a note from their teacher which read "I can use this book for my IT class next week, but it isn't much use for my RE lesson today" I then looked closely at the title - Macintosh Bible for Mac Users !!!!!!!!!