#23 Is this really the end? or just the beginning...

YAY - it's over.......................



well .... is this really the end? I can honestly say that it has taken way longer and been a lot harder to do than i expected. 45 mins a week i don't believe. Trying to fit it into work - impossible. DOing it at work almost impossible. trying to finish it at work really hard. I stayed back for several hours after the library had closed so i could concentrate with no one around.
i do believe there is a benefit to having others completing it around you so you can discuss things and help each other out. I have found looking at others blogs helpful when i haven't fully understood something.
I could imagine having a group of people undertaking Learning 2.0 together in a room and having a couple of days to really play and show each other what they have found - everyone looks for different things so that would be a good way of seeing/learning more than just by yourself. You have a dedicated time frame to work in as well which is enforced which would be much easier. Trying to run branches and concentrate on new things can be quite difficult. Everyone's motivation is also different so it might motivate people more in a group environment.
Trying to fit learning 2.0 in has been a major juggle - but am i glad i have perservered and made myself finish by the completion date.......?
Yes i am. Having a date to complete by has made me complete the task. i don't want to put it off and then never finish. i have learnt an amazing amount about what is available at our fingertips. To be honest - i thought i knew a bit but know i realize how little i know, and we have only just touched the tip of the iceberg.
I am pleased that i made myself finish - i may not have had a chance to search and discover everything avaialable on some of the tutorials but i do believe i have a good understanding of what is behind most of it. To be able to recommend to others or help with questions is a good reason to have completed.
To others struggling to complete learning 2.0 i suggest you really try to make the time to do it - you can put as much effort in to it as you like but at least you have tried and it really is suprising how easy some of the things are to search and use.
I really want to make sure that i use some of what i have learnt - making myself complete more than half of it in 1.5 days has been hard - but i am determined not to waste what i have learnt.
i'm thinking of revisiting each thing in our work environment and trying to see what we could use to make our job easier or better. It really does seem to be time keep up with technology and embrace change.
Personally i enjoyed all the image generator stuff - i like the idea of playing around making cute things.... i know i will use that!

so...... ask me in 3 months how i'm going - hopefully i'll be able to teach you a thing or two!

I would like to apologise for all my typos - good lesson to be learned - don't leave yourself too little time to complete something well! sorry....

# 22 Audiobooks

So - i looked at this site and didn't really find anything so i tried browse by collection. This was so slow.... I've found it really hard getting anything.
I have listened to some poetry - again reminiscing about year 11 and 12 literature. It is so nice to have poetry ready to you.
i have just been to see my nieces dance concert of Thumbelina so i was disappointed to find that although they had some Hans Christian Anderson - i couldn't find Thumbelina. Oh well - maybe another time.
I am an avid audio book listener - so the whole idea of downloading straight onto my ipod or computer is a fantastic idea. I have several books on my ipod at the moment that i am enjoying listening to.
SO i can definitely see a future in this idea. Bring it on ....

#21 Podcasts, smodcasts

So the first thing i have to admit to is that until recently i believed podcasting was to do with iPods. Goes to show i really have learnt something!
So my 4 year old helped me choose podcasts. Unfortunately this meant listening to some bad adaptations of Christmas stories! David's bedtime stories.. not that fussed on them but he liked them! We even got to listen to "if you're happy and you know it" Then i made him listen to some Mary Poppins!
I have to really make myself look for library related stuff - fancy we have to think of work while we learn!
So i searched yahoo for library and books - and found a set up phone call to a public library - which is filed under comedy but i didnt find that funny!
So i found a "Librarian Live" show that is recorded in Texs - got to hear about fundraising.... not really the most riveting thing i found but it is amazing that you can find such obscure things.
That got me thinking and i remembered last year attending the Nancy pearl talk at SLV - so i thought i'd give it a go and look her up. I loved listening to her and found her inspirational so i was very happy to find some reviews on books from her. So i heard her review on setting up book clubs for kids. Very handy - and worth a read. I'll have to recommend it to our YS staff!
Very happy - i've added the RSS feed for nancy pearl to my bloglines - my life is complete!

# 20 You too can youTube

Well Mr Bean has always been a personal favourite and i remember squirming uncomfortable in my chair a few Christmases ago when we gave my dad the MR Bean box set for Christmas. Of course i made everyone watch the library clip and it was hard to sit through!

So when i say it on utube i had to show it to everyone, i can only assume everyone has already seen- but i like it still...
I found it quite easy to include on my blog so that was a relief.
I have been amazed recently at how many people talk about utube and what they have found or watch on it.
Yet again i think i will have to start spending more time glued to my PC so i can enjoy all this new technology that seems to pass you by if you don't jump in with both feet!
Well - i read the notes and noticed the reference to Johnny Depp - so couldn't help but look him up.
HOw cool - i got to relive 21 jump St days and even found Brad Pitt in an episode with him. SO i was very excited - who ever knew. Think i'll have to go search the catalogue to see if we have it on DVD! I am now a real utube convert!
Back to the work side of it - i found it quite easy to use, so will definitely be using it again!

#19 Discovering Web 2.0 tools

Well - this one looked a little boring so i skipped a week and figured i'd come back to it!
Again - me and organsiation. I checked out the exercise for the week and as soon as i saw personal organsiation i was hooked.
So when i had a browse i thought i've used google, played with zoho - must be Backpack's turn.
Obvioulsy i went straight to keep a calender. Quite a cute little package. It has a function that you can have multiple calenders on one ie work, home, vacation - so it would be really convenient for me. As i've said previously i have an outlook calender for work and one for home so it could come in handy to be able to join them together. But i think i would still need some convincing - there are many good reasons for having them seperate - and anything important i put on both calenders anyway...hmmmmm will keep pondering.
I liked the idea of set reminders. I am someone that is easily sidetracked so i am a heavy user of Outlooks reminder function - the fact that Backpackit will text message your reminders is pretty cool. I could see myself loving that and everyone else pissed off cause i keep getting text messages. Funny to think people spend years working out ways of remembering things and now you can send yourself a text message in 20 minutes time to remind you to go collect your pizza! sometimes i feel way older than my 30 something years!
So can i see the use of these features in a library setting..... send a text message to a patron to tell them their internet pc is now available. No different really to cafes that have little buzzers they give you to buzz you when your meal is ready for collection. Just a different format.
My favourite would be to text staff members to remind them their 10 min tea break is over...would that be considered harrassment! I don't think i'd be that popular.

#18 Wb based Apps

Zoho - anyone that know me won't be suprised that the first thing i looked at when i joined zoho was the zoho planner. I love my Outlook calender so much at work, that i make my whole family use it at home! We then print it out and put it on our wall calender. SO i was a little disappointed with it's limitations.
But i had a play with zoho writer and thought it was fairly easy to use. the icons are all pretty self explanatory which always makes using a new package so much easier.
I would be happy recommending it to patrons if they didn't have an office or word processing package at home.

# 17 playing around with PBWiki

Ok - so i've added my blog to the Favorite blogs page 8 times and it doesn't seem to link
so - i'm not playing anymore! I think i have spent 5 hours this afternoon playing learning 2.0 and my sense of humour has run out.
SO i am leaving it as it is - you can see that it is there - just won't link. But again - i'm not playing anymore!
I've added a favorite leisure time activity but to be honest - it doesn't seem easy at all.
Perhaps too many hours in front of a computer trying to finish weeks of activities in one night wasn't meant to be.
But - i'm crossing #17 off my list and moving on to #18..... perhaps i should be wise and just go to bed and finish off tomorrow....

#16 what's in a wiki?

So I can admit in the past i have used the Wikipedia with no real knowledge of what it was. I knew it was an encylcopaedia of sorts but that was all i really knew.
The definition has sort of explained a bit more to me - but the Librarian in me really does worry about the quality of information or reliability.
However, i can understand other colleague's thoughts on how our library service could use this idea to benefit staff with the nitty gritty policy guides and handbooks. I know many of our staff members will look for basic info on wikipedia and then check other sources to verify.
Well i've had a bit of a look and am quite suprised as to what is on the site.
Current events and even a list of events that have happened "on this day". I like the "random article" I have always enjoyed flicking through encyclopedias so this is a very easy way of learning new things with the touch of a button.
I am ashamed to say it but I do believe that there is a lot out there i had no idea about and i like to think of myself as someone who enjoys learning and using new things. So much will have to change ... I think i need to really start using all these new things. Having a facebook account and using msn really doesn't cut it anymore! I thought i knew so much!

# 15 on library 2.0 & web 2.0

Well - isn't this a big can of worms. I sometimes feel disillusioned as to what will become of libraries and what will be expected of us in the future. Will there still be lovers of books out there or just people wanting to listen with no time to stop and read a "real" book. But then again, what is a "real" book.
Reading the five perspectives from the eOCLC newsletter was very interesting.
It is really hard justifying some of the collections we have with space and what people come in for. Only yesterday i stood with 2 other librarians looking at our fantastic reference collection and trying to remember who really uses it and how frequently... so reading the "just in case collection" was very interesting.
I wonder if we will end up turning away the younger generation of patron with our slowness of uptake of new technology - how does one ever have the funds for this never ending fast paced constant change in technology.
Being a touchy feely sort of librarian i must admit i enjoyed Dr Wendy Schultz's paper "To a temporary place in time". I look forward to the day that i can meet any other library lover in her vision of Library 4.0.
I'll save you a chair and meet you there!

# 14 Technorati

Well - i must say there are more and more things to learn about that i wonder when we'll find the time to use them. I suppose it is important that we know what is out there, where things are headed and just that bit of knowledge can often help you help our patrons.
So - i joined Facebook a while back - all my family members are on so i thought i better join up to. Still not to sure how far into the whole Facebook experience i want to go but it was fun (and is fun) searching up old school friends etc. I had a real laugh reading comments on which teacher in high school was voted "the hottest".... so back to Technorati - and how it will help me.
OMG - i can't believe i typed in my old high school and found a youtube video of kids skateboarding around it. Talk about bring back old memories - i am a fair while out of high school and nothing has changed. Anyway - i had to share that with someone!
Back to work stuff.... well, what have i learnt?
How easy it is to get distracted and find all sorts of weird and wonderful things. Everything i have found i've clicked on another link and been transported somewhere else. I can't believe i did a basic search - went across the world - found some stuff in America and got linked back to a women i work with.... what a SMALL world it really is!
I will have to come back in the future and see what else i can find. Talk about an experience!

# 13 Tagging, folksonomies & social bookmarking in Del.icio.us

Del.icio.us - well, i've had a squizz and i can tell you that i really like one of the sites i found. It is a receipe one! Unfortunately not really work related - but sometimes patrons do come in and ask us for receipes so i'm not feeling too guilty! Since it is on another Library service's bookmarks I think it is ok. I love the idea of patrons having access to our bookmarks and using reputable sites - rather than just googling and hoping they get "good"information.

I know i'll be working on creating my own Del.icio.us account once the 2.0 pressure is over!

I must admit the pressure to keep tackle 2.0 and get it finished is sort of hanging over my head. I hope to have time to go back and really enjoy and "loose myself" in some of the fantastic technologies i am coming across.

# 12 Rollyo

Well..... handy to search your favourite website. I have added my favourite celebrity trash (of course) but had to include my most common internet searching subject which is generally to do with my children and parenting them. I don't know where i'd be without my internet research on sleeping habits, feeding, funny rashes etc! So i can see myself adding some extra website to the parenting rollyo and really using it.

Sorry it's not really work related - but how convenient for me to have learnt!

So my rollyo is on the bottom of the page - have a look and see what you think -if you have an interest anyway!

# 11 All about Library thing

What a fun idea. I'm a bit weirded out by the idea that you can see what people out there have read all the same books and may have the same thoughts on them as me. Would that make them kindred spirits?!

Well - easy to use and fun. I can see how easy it would be to get lost reading peoples thoughts on books. WHo needs to join book groups when you can do it annonymously!

I have some friends who have a "Library" at home full of books. They have catalogued them all and have their catalogue on their PDAs so that if they find a book and want to buy it they know if they already have it. I'm a bit scared to introduce them to "library thing" who knows where it might take them!

I've only added 5 of my all time favourite books. Once Learning 2.0 is complete i think i will go back and play some more.

# 10 Image generators

Well -i've had a play around with image generators weeks ago and never did the blogging about what i did. But i think i put my "doppelme" on my web site weeks ago and forgot to do the blog....

I do find that you start doing the bits and pieces and then sort of move on and forget what you did!
Anyway - it's sort of cute and in the theme of my favourite colours!
Off to learn some more ......

# 7 Blog about technology

Well - the instructions say blog about anything technology related but I feel like that is all i am blogging about. So - i think i will talk about my trusty ipod and how much i marvel at how things have changed.
I share a massive collection of music cds with my husband and always find it hard to know what songs or artists we already have. We had just decided to come up with a database so that we would stop doubling up on "greatest hits" of everyone when I learnt about ipods and how much one could store on them.
We often go on long trips in the car and take 20 CDs with us - well that time is over.
Last year i bought a new old car and was so excited that it had a 6 stacker CD in it. Fantastic for talking books and having a variety of music in the car. The i got my IPOD. Well - CD players are so old hat now!
I have over 250 of my CD collection on my ipod and loving the fact that it is so easy to find music i haven't listened to in years.
Recently we went on holidays and borrowed some ipod speakers and my husband and i had the best time choosing what we were going to play.
Classical music when we were putting the baby to bed - kids talking books to quieten down my 4yo when he didn't want to go to sleep and then our music later on when they were asleep and we were relaxing and enjoying our holiday.
so - i think my IPOD is ACE.... now i just have to decide what sort of speakers to buy - and when can we throw away the old stereo system!

#6 - More flickr fun

well i must say everytime i look at other people's blogs i realize i must have missed a lesson. So i went back to Flickr and found the bit about mashups and Flickr tools etc. SO, i have made several trading cards but for some reason it didn't like my photos so i have given up on that! Then i went in and made a cube of my baby and also Warhol picture of both my boys. I looked at making a librarian trading card but couldn't think of what to put on it - not feeling very witty at the moment so i thought i'll just look and play without creating.
I must say it is amazing what you can do - i had no idea. I can see myself wasting lots of time playing with pictures and doing all sorts of things now.....perhaps it would have been better if i didn't know!

I'm not very comfortable with putting photos of me or my family on the web so i haven't included them .... sorry!
Anyway - its Sunday night and i'll leave my next lesson to work time (i'll try and find the time!) I seem to spend the time playing and never get around to actually putting my thoughts into the blog.

#8 - Make life "really simple"

Well, I'm not sure exactly how simple this will make my life. To be honest I have subscribed to 9 feeds (2 friends blogs) and I have over 50 things that I need to read. I can see my life being taken over reading more stuff on the computer.
I will be honest and say that they are not all work related - but a girl's got to have a bit of fun as well - I think knowing my weekly horoscope will be very entertaining!
So - back to work stuff. I can see that some of the RSS feeds could be beneficial for keeping you up to date with events and issues as they happen. Often I just look through the index of library journals etc to see what articles are relevant or what I may find interesting to read. I can see that by subscribing to library journals you can just read what is relevant and ignore anything else. Just as easy as dealing with emails.... only we don't have to have 6 issues of current periodicals sitting on our desk in an intray! (just an online intray!)
I am pretty sure I'll end up unsubscribing to most of them as I'll have information overload!
So obviously it's meant to be simple as the information comes to you but it is still time consuming going through it all.
Ok - back for the next post ....
well it is weeks later and i have to add to my post how much fun i get from reading the Unshelved comics. I keep showing other "library" staff the really funny ones and we get much more laughter out of them than from watching The Librarians on the ABC!

More photos - week 3 continued

Well, I'm finding some of this a bit addictive. I've taken some fairly boring photos of the library to put on our Flickr account. Not very hard at all - that was a relief.
If you want to see how successful our Runescape night was @ Pakenham library you can have a browse. Better still i actually put the photos on flickr while the event was still on - talk about hot off the press! As i type i have 18 eager young kids playing runescape. Talk about loud in the library - they are having a blast which is nice to hear.
So i think i have successfully got the hang on Flickr - i'll know if people tell me they have seen the photos - sorry they aren't very fancy. Perhaps next week i might get more adventurous.

So far so good - i might even try to do next week tomorrow....

Week 3 Photos and images

Well, so far i've had a bit of a browse and i must say mentally i keep thinking to myself - "what can i do with what i'm learning and how can i use it in my life?"
I am familiar with uplaoding pictures etc as i have some on my work computer as well as my home computer. Who needs a photo frame with one photo in it when you can have a screen saver slideshow which shows off your family photos to anyone who walks by!

So - having relatives overseas and a large extended family i keep thinking about having a family blog or maybe having a flickr group which we can use for the whole family and mark it as private so that only the right sort of person can see!
I am a bit wary of having my family photos and life out on the web for all to see.
I think i'll keep reading and playing on flickr to see what or how i can use it!

More thoughts later

Week 2 Blogging

Well - it says at the beginning of this week's notes "So, now begins the fun bit!"
I can honestly say that the past 30 minutes of agonising over what to do, can hardly be called "fun"!

I think the hard bit is over - naming, choosing colour schemes etc. Or - maybe that was the fun part. Perhaps now's the time to take a breath and start enjoying and learning.

I'm sure everyone will be able to guess who I am - from my blog name and also from the fact that I talk or write so much!

I must say I am looking forward to learning all this new technology stuff. I love learning new things and enjoy using technology (but only when I know what to do with it.) It seems that you never have time to learn new things. I have had an ipod for over a year and only just worked out it has a clock.... I think learning how to podcast may be an eye opener - I still don't know what it means!

It's funny sitting in the workroom with other staff members who are also worrying about what to do or say - at least we are all in the same boat.

That's all from me for this post - hope you have enjoyed it - not really sure what to say (which is a first for me!)

Looking forward to reading everyone's blogs ...

Have you guessed my favourite colour?