#23 End of the Learning program

The Internet is really a huge media. Even if I use it everyday for many reasons and feel confident about what I am doing, there are, all the time, new things to learn. It is useful and convenient at the same time pain (when you think about internet speed or network outrage).

I appreciate this opportunity to explore the web2.0 tools as I would not have started if I had to it personally for many excuses (mainly related to time and money :).) I cannot tell I would want to use most of them as some of them are too early to apply to our life but I was all the time good to know as we serve customers with all different requests every day.

I still feel that Web2.0 applications itself need more improvement in speed and it's interface but it is true that it is our job to look at this technology to be ready for future customers who wants our assistance. So it was useful experience to know what is more useful or not and what is convenient or frustrating.

I wish to thank to Learning programme Administrators for the designing this programme and kind encouragement.

#22 Week 9 eLibrary

ELibrary is one of the good methods to gain information or books. It's space saving to keep old copies that are required by few customers and easier to access when you know where to look. I had a look at eLibrary resources for this tasks including NetLibrary, Downloadble Media and Tumblebooks.

NetLibraryIt was interesting experience to search books directly from netLibrary as I normally accessed NetLibrary via multiple Database search in Digital Library page. I made account in Net Library and I managed to search 5 items and added to my favourite lists. I think I better stick to old search method for now. I hope that I could be able to see more information about items such as series number or edition numbers, too. I also cannot wait until I could find more popular items, too. I used it few times to recommend for school projects or classic novels to customers who couldn't get hard copies.

Downloadable Media
I searched find 'Hitchhiker's guide to galaxy' by Douglas Adams Audio book. I found the audio book under the same title but had different set of recording. Downloadable media books can be good for customers who wants new audio books rather than old or classic items.

TumbleBooks
TumbleBooks is really useful database. The interface and design look very nice and interesting to let user want to stay and explore a lot. Good thing about ebook is you have unlimited time to access whenever user wants to use as long as your internet connection is stable and good.

#21 Week 9 Podcast - Podibooks

Podcast is quite new to me. I was so drawn to visual type medium so it was a bit hard for me to keep my interest in this task. I was trying to search library related podcast using Podcastalley.com but many of them were so long to get to the point or the post were so out dated. For that reason, I was a bit less enthusiastic to search right podcast as I became bored.
However, new podiobooks link that I found today from instruction was good news for me. It was interesting to see new way of publication of authors' own work. The audio books created by members are shared free so that they can be introduced to readers directly without any publication or production process. I add subscription of one audiobook to the bloglines and also added script that link to the audio book information. To subscribe I had to make account to the website. They don't really ask your personal information too much but I think that it is one little flaw that I am not very happy about. Because I don't really into making too many accounts which I cannot even remember all.

#20 Week 9 Youtube

It's not the first time I had embedded Youtube video clips, so it was quite easy task. I had really strong desire to use comic video but this time I chose a video clip that relative to library work. If one try to brows the Youtube, the database is too huge to find what he/she wants. So I think I need to have a clear purpose when I search Youtube. I like Youtube because it's very useful when I want to learn things or even try out musics or videos while you are not sure if you want to buy them. Also it's obvious that Youtube is a strong tool for promotion and education. The next video is good example of book recommendation that can be done in the library. I think that it is clear, simple and interesting.



One thing I want to mention about these ready-made web 2.0 tools. It is easy but can we really make our page look good without Knowledge on HTML? I think not yet. This blogspot page template has limited size so that the Video I embedded copied from Youtube page were cut the Frame. Luckily I happened to be able to find which tag I can change from HTML editing tab so I changed size of the video frame but many people will have trouble to do it or can't change it at all. I didn't wanted to calculate the pixel size so I used 'Aspect Ratio Calculator' to find right size.



This part is just a bonus I wasn't going to do it. However I couldn't help but sharing this clip. It's just for fun.

18 & 19 Week 8 Online Application Tools

#18 Week 8 Online Application Activity with Zoho Writer 

First task of this week was trying out Online based document applications. As I already have google doc Account I tried Zoho Writer. Instead of making separate test file I wrote post here and then posted to blog spot. First Difference between online application with MS word I have learned is that I can not print screen and paste directly to the online application document. This means I have to save it on my hard disk as a graphic file first then upload it. The next picture is the look of Zoho Writer.

The look of Zoho writer page

The look of the application is fresh and it is quite smooth to use on the internet.

There is 'share' tab has many option including blogging and publishing. I will choose 'post to blog' here to send this document to my Blogspopt page. I also clicked make public menu to let this document can be linked and inserted link below that I copied form my publication info.

'18-&-19-Week-8-Online-Application-Tool' File link

#19 Week 8 Web 2.0 tool experience - last.fm

Like Google Doc or Zoho writer, there were number of different web 2.0 applications. I checked list of Web 2.0 AwardsWinners and had a quick look of  Upcoming, Lulu, Docstoc, and Mog. I chose last.fm because it was quite clear what they are doing when you see the first page. It is basically a internet radio website that let user search and listen to music, however, it provides various music and artist information. It also provide links to buy MP3, News information depending on each singer and community function. They also promote recommendation on music or music events that user might be interested in based on their activity in the web page. It looks quite useful site to learn about many artists and music when the information is simple and clear. I haven't discovered things that I don't like in this web page yet as I just quickly browsed.

#16 & #17 Week 7 Wiki

It was such a interesting discovery to learn Wiki pages. Even though I heard the name, I didn't know exactly what it was for until I learned it from "Wikis in plain English". It can be very effective information sharing tool inside groups or organizations.

I hope I have long time to explore the the work of these wiki pages. I quickly had a look at the SJCPL Subject Guides wiki and wasn't sure what are those links lead to. It looks more like different look of Library web page. Does it needs some explanation of what they are linking?
On the contrary, PBbookLover was quite interesting. I couldn't see so much of it as I have to be member of the wiki but It could be useful when you consider to develop virtual book club or simply sharing reviews. Most of all, I liked the 'Library Success' Wiki page. It can be enormous information repository of library practice and information related to library work. However, there were many broken links that makes me think about management issue or reliability of information.

For #17 exercise I logged on ACL PB Wiki and added my blog using text 'Web 2.0 Sophomore' and link on Favourite Blogs page.

#15 Week 6 Library 2.0

Study session for the Web2.0/Library 2.0.

I had a look at the resources suggested to learn some ideas and discussions about Library 2.0 concept to fit Web 2.0 technology development. The lists below are the resources that I chose to learn about this concept.

• Away from Icebergs by Rick Anderson
  
• Into a new world of librarianship by Michael Stephens
  
• Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/ing Us by Michael Wesch

To Summurise, Anderson emphasysed on importance of digital collections, easier search interface and remote access to library resources to adapt to 'post-print era'. Librarian 2.0 suggested by Stephens introduces guideline of librarian to assist customer by embracing web 2.0 technology in a well managed and sensible way. The short Youtube video clip created by Wesch shows us that the characteristics of Web2.0. Information will transfer and transform rapidly in the Web 2.0 word and generate huge amount of information. The life will change dramatically and we, the users, the individual will responsible for manage them.

It is still hard for me to imagine huge difference appearance of the library in the future, physically, even if information searching method will be dramatically changed. When PC communication came to our life, we imagined that people wouldn't go to school, to office to work. 20 years ago when I was studying literature and editing, people said printed book and publishers will disappear soon. But here I am working in the library and see many new books coming in the library. Customers in the libraries still looking for hard copies and computers are still difficult for many customers. Maybe it's because I am working in the front line where people need human touch.

However I can see that actually libraries are changing quietly. Our website already have Web 2.0 features such as blog, recommendation lists, RSS. Digital library and Ask Question let users can come to library virtually. I guess librarians daily tasks might include both web service and front line service or there may be need special librarians who only in charge of digital and web based service in the future. Time and cost will show us more clear picture. At the moment all I can do is to give very short introduction to digital library or recommended lists. I am still thinking where and when we can use this library 2.0 features more comfortably and efficiently in the front line.

While I am writing, I am still confused. There are too much information and too many comments. Too many different same things in Web 2.0 technology and many things looks easy but unclear. Is it one our quest to find way to reach right Information with quality and reliability through this information flood?

#13 & 14 Week 6 Del.icio.us & Thecnorati

#13 Del.icio.us



For this weeks exercise, I made Delicious account and made bookmarks based on popular tags or ACL Delicious account. I also installed Delicious buttons on my Firefox web browser and used tag button to bookmark random web pages I searched from google, too. The tagging is easy but I think I will spend more time to organise these bookmarks and use them efficiently in the future.The site is easy and straightforward and the layout and graphics are fresh and pretty. The downside of this tool will be that Delicious is also belongs to yahoo account which delay loading time too long. To link my Delicious account I used network badge option.

#14 Technorati

It is first time I actually introduced my blog in the Internet. I made account and claimed my blog in Technorati. Claim option is at the end of 'My Profile' Page. Possibly after verification the page may be appear by responding keyword search in Techonorati.

I also tried seaching 'Learning 2.0' using different buttons on the top of the home pages.

* Screen dump of search result using 'Posts button' - This search listed many posts that has keywords learning and 2.0.




* Screen dump of search result using 'blogs button' - This search found one blog that has keyword 'Learning 2.0' in its blog title.


I couldn't quite understand meaning of Blog directory because when I used blog directory link, which was in the second low of links from home page, there was no result related to the keyword 'Learning 2.0'.

Finally, I will skip exploring 'popular blog, searches and tags' for now as this option is not available at the moment.

Honestly, I would be really happy to sit down and search all these options and have taste of it but reality is that I need to brows these in very short period of time so that I have only very rough impression on these tools. I agree that using Delicious is useful because it is used as Auckland City Library reference tool and it seems quite simple. Technorati make me a bit worried when I have to see those strange ads attached to the web pages. It's good to know one option to publicise your own blog for future reference.

#11 Week 5 Librarythings

I had looking at Librarything web site. It is similar to Bookjetty that I did last year. It let you record books using database from number of different libraries and amazon web page. I added 10 book records and added LT Search box. I doesn't look pretty as blogspot has limit of pixel size on Widget row but I wouldn't venture to fix it considering time strain.
This will be useful when you seek some opinions about the book or remembering your reading lists. I can be used as a recommended or nominated book lists to be read, personally.

Additionally, the following widget was added as a result of my colleague's advise. This option can be found when you click 'Widgets' link on the top right corner in the home page.

#10 Week 4 tweet tweet, Twitter!

<== My twitter page link.

First time I have learn about twitter, I wondered why I would want to report my every details of my life to strangers. Honestly, I have to say that I haven't changed this first impression. Well, since then many people have been using twitter, some says it's useful for finding out news getting info. I looks like individual news report system, though one might wonder how much he/she can rely on the truth of facts of enourmous amounts of comments.

Apart from these personal opinion about the twitter, I tried to use it because it is part of the training and one can not ignore it when so many people using it as a trend. I signed up using my gmail account then wrote some logs and followed National Library and EBSCO Publishing twitter pages. Then I wasn't sure how to link twitter to this blog so that I used profile setting and added twitter widgets to my blog. Then I found out I could use twitter button to link the pages so I used it, too.

I don't quite understand people who uses facebook and twitter and all sorts of different blogging pages to link all times. They must have heaps of time to do that or be extreamly organised. I would use twitter if I am in a team with team members who uses it all the time or have target customer who is only teenagers who can find my business only by twitter. Or if you want to find out news of celebrity or investigate paticular people's affair, this will be very very useful. For the library, I don't think I will use it for customers as I meet them mainly in person at desk rather than online. But when I have position to advertise the library concentraiting teen memembers very actively, this could be one of the options.

# 9 Week 4 Really Simple Syndication - Bloglines

For RSS thing, I chose blogline instead of google reader as I practice and subscribed numbers of feeds. I tried to find way to link the bloglines of my own but I couldn't find a way so I attatched the Screen dump of my bloglines page.

'Bloglines' is quite simple to register because what you need is only your email address. They still provide blogging options but you don't need to make it unless you really need it. I made 10 rss subscriptions by copying the rss subscription pages to rss add function in 'Bloglines'. Billboard.com was a bit tricky as it automaticlly generate pop-up window for desktop RSS Reader only. I just type the rss address of billbord.com in the bloglines and it did work.

I learned about RSS last year and have been using Google Reader but I don't tend to use it at all. Many of the RSS only shows part of articles so that I have to go the web pages if I want to read and numbers of to-be-read lists overwhelms me so I avoid and pretend there are nothing to read -.-;. It is actually convenient function but when time goes by the articles becomes like junk mails. I think that one might one to be careful and really organised when he/she decides to use it. Or RSS developer may need to provide more advanced refining tools for user.

#8 Week 3 Image generator - Letter James

Finally, Last piece of week 3 things. I had a quick look of image generators suggested and chose 'LetterJames'. I chose it because there are number of picutures you can use and I could understand what I am doing in the web site. They are quite interesting sites, when you play with them while don't need to worry about copyright issue. It is amazing that you can actually change the image just by simply typing texts.

# 7 Week 3 Flickr image editing Tool - Picnik

Actual photo

Edited Photo

I can't believe I am still in Week3 but here I am. I used picnik for this practice. Changed Colour to make look like evening sunset and Added Text and Frame.It is really simple task when I am summarising it but It took several hours. Connecting to picnik from flickr and loading the editing options was so long tasks for just little changes. After long browsing I decided what frame to take or filters or effect - actually I gave to use any effect as they are not suitable or required payment. Then there was problem saving changes to flickr itself because of internet speed. It kept freezing monitor and showed failure messages without right reason. I kept tried and even left the browser open over night and came back. Finally I gave up and downloaded to my computer and uploaded to flickr and came to work to use blogging tool. But I think flickr function were disabled in the Library so I had to download picture again to library computer and uploaded to blogspot. Only if I knew... I guess this practice is not really suitable for Library or Public computers.

I think the I would not recommend customer to use flickr especially in the library computers. Why waste your time? You can use them pretty well if you live in America or have high speed broadband connection only for yourself. Offline Picasa, web camera bundle photo editing application will do better job with no cost.

#6 - 2 Week 3 My creation using FD's Flickr ToysTrading Card Maker

My creation
Originally uploaded by web2learner2

Next, I had a look at FD Toys’ Trading Card Maker. While I look for librarian trading card I became curious about avatar-like graphics and found interesting article related to this task. The Article 'A Dozen Back to School Uses for Big Huge Labs Trading Card Generator' explains general idea of making trading cards and introduces useful applications that make the avatars or images. It was really useful as I needed way more understanding of the 'Trading cards'. I also picked up Avatar making tool, 'Face your manga' and replaced it with my real picture.

#6 - 1 Week3 Third Party online application and Mashups in Flickr

I am still in flickr. For this exercise, I chose Flickr Color Pickr from suggested mashup application in Flickr. It is quite interesting search option when you looking for pictures based on colors.


This time I chose some pictures as Color Pickr suggested pictures as I click on colors and added to 'my favorite' on the Flickr. Then used slide function to share these photos.

Part of # 5 (Week 3) activity - my photo on Flickr

How do you catch a bus?
Originally uploaded by web2learner2

I have uploaded this old photo to Flickr for practice and now posting it using Flickr' blogging tool. I used editing tool 'Picnik' to adjust color and frame it.

#5 Week 3 Flick, Flick - Flickr

Fifth things to do this programme was learning Image Hosting Websites. Flickr is one of those popular Image hosting web sites according to what I heard. It was shame that it is belong to Yahoo which is really troublesome mail hosting web site. I had to made account through quite frustrating sign up process - I could have use aclelgar account to avoid this hassle if I had read instruction more carefully.

While I am learning about tags which is similar to labels or subject keywords, I discovered an interesting photo to from 'Interesting- Last 7 days' tag page. It's called 'The M&M's Painter' and posted by Stéfan. I wrote a comment for asking permission to blog but I need to wait to log to get the answer so I am leaving the link only. When I get the permission I might use Flickr's blogging function to post the page seperately. One of the reason I don't use blog that actively is that I am quite unsure about the matter related to copyright and blogging. I haven't have full understanding of how much we are allowed to share the pictures and blogs when and where to ask permission and how. Simple icons you allows you to blog or send email to friends looks so easy. But I much can I do it?

I also have found 'Pets that own ACL Staff', Auckland Art Gallery and 'Auckland Outreach Therapy Pets' groups while I was searching groups with 'auckland' and 'libraries' keyword and checked lovely photos shared by group members.

For the last tough I upload a photo in Flickr and blogged on previous post. I am so ready to go next thing.

#4 Week 2 - socialised

For this task was having a look at social networking web sites. I had short look around for Bebo, LinkedIn MySpace and facebook. I made accounts in MySpace and Facebook. It wasn't very pleasant experience each websites requires sing up to just look around because I am not very fond of idea that I have to keep recording my details on the net.

I made account on MySpace and Facebook. Only reason I made account on MySpace was I wanted to know about MySpace more as I aleady have Facebook account and there are some public pages so you can see them even though you didn't sign up. However I feel that there are more people using Facebook instead of MySpace which made me difficult to find anyone who had account in facebook. I tried some 'My public Play lists' under my music page. I also tried to add link from another pages but It wasn't easy and so time-consuming. Nonethless, help option was not there for me to help either, which made me really was frustrating. I prefer MySpace when I search video links (example: Eddie Izzard - Death star Canteen) though. It shows popular funny videos and you don't need to sign up. It is more easy to share them if you use blogspot.

I have mentioned a lot about the MySpace, however if I have to choose to use social network website, I will choose facebook only because many people use it. Both social network websites are so time-consuming that I cannot decide what is really beneficall for me in short period of time.

Links of my profile

- My Facebook
- My MySpace(?)

#1 & 2 Week1 - Another start

Now, now, another learning curve of Web 2.0 this year.

First thing I did for this week was looking at introduction of the ACL Learning 2.0 programme to find out that we are going to do 23 things over 9 weeks by 29 th of March 2010 and explore blogger, Flicker, Delicious, YouTube, PBWicke and Bloglines. Some of them I have already tried and some I haven't. After completing this programme, I expect that I am going to be for comfortable using these tools and will meet customers more confidently when they need helf related this subject.

I had made google account last year for ACL Web 2.0 learning so I am using same account from last year but I made new blog page for this year and posting this first article. It is interesting to notice that blogger allows you make different blog pages depending on what you are writing about. ACL 2.0 pages uses different pages and links based on need of information. Last year I didn't need to make extra blog so I used single blog page but now I am creating a diffrent page.

Next thing for this week is to register the programme.