#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?