Something from the Awards List

I chose Library Thing from the Awards List and then compared it to Shelfari. I decided that Selfari is more user friendly so I have added a bookshelf to my blog. I have put it at the top of my blog to allow more room, I probably should have arranged it better before I added it.
At least I didn't have any trouble getting it to my blog, unlike Zoho Writer which was very unco-operative. I will continue to work on it.

Week 8: Online Applications

Week 8: Online applications.



Today I am looking at Zoho Writer which is an on line word processing program. It is like having the most up to date word program on your computer.

The advantage is that you don't have to have it installed on your

computer, you can access it from anywhere and just sign in and use it. Although you need to be on the Internet to sign in and access the program you can also work off line. It allows you to export your work to your PC and import work to the online program.

The program keeps track of all your documents and automatically saves them for you as you are working. It is then just a matter of naming and organising them when you wish to exit the application. Documents can be placed in folders and also tagged so that the same document can be saved

into more than one folder if it is relevant to more than one subject.



Zoho also allows other people to review and edit the same document at the same time,

which is handy if you want to work with someone who is not in the same office. This can be done by entering email addresses of people that you authorise to view and edit your documents.

Documents can be saved as read only or read/write to allow editing by other people.



Zoho also has all the other applications found in Microsoft office, such as spread sheets, power point, calenders etc. It also allows users to post to blogs, emails and share using the same application. I am writing this in Zoho writer and am going to post it to my blog.



I have also looked at Google Docs which is a similar program, it looks more like Word 2003 whereas Zoho looks and operates the same as Word 2007.

Google Docs has a lot of the same features, but I think that Zoho has more flexibility and more applications.

Back to Work

Returned from camp on Sunday night exhausted, but on a real high after a great concert on Sunday afternoon. We played in a church, the acoustics were fantastic and the children's parents were just blown away with what their kids had achieved in a week.
Back to work at 9am Monday morning and am now trying to catch up with everything else. Hopefully by the end of the week I will have everything else out of the way and I will be able to continue with my Web 2.0 activities. I can see everyone else has been busy

Obstacles

When we filled out the contract we had to list the obstacles that might arise while we were completing the the 23 things challenge. In the last week all the ones that I listed and some more have occurred. Both my boys came home for a week, that involved a lot of talking, cooking and washing! - It was great to see them. Every time I sat at the computer, either someone else wanted it, or I was required to assist with farm work etc.
Then there was the music practice for the competition last Friday night, we came second - beaten by two points.
Another subject got in the way, spent the weekend in Ballarat learning to assist customers to access information - good fun.
Last but not least I had to go to work, half the Library staff have got the flu and no doubt by next week the other half will have it.
Tomorrow I head off to music camp for a week with 25 kids and a few crazy adults to play music from 9 in the morning till 9 at night everyday. Its a long week but a lot of fun, we do two concerts on the final weekend and everyone learns heaps.
After that I am going to have to spend a lot of time catching up on all the home work.

Week 7: Wikis

Spent most of yesterday lost in Wikipedia, so much to read, and so many little snippets of information that might be handy at some stage! you can just go on and on for hours. Web2.0 is taking me on a great adventure, there is just so much out there to discover.
Have looked at several library wikis - some good, some not so good.
The Bull Run Library was current and informative, lots of information and links to other activities and sites.
I spent some time looking at the Grand Rapids Michigan GRPLpedia site. I am interested because my son is going there for 6 months later in the year. The site only has links on the first page, no other real information. I find this a little bit offputing, I would prefer to have some info right there, rather than having to go and search for it. I think that in this day and age people want to be able to access information quickly and if they open a page with only links on it they might not go any further.
The Wagga Wagga City library has an excellent site, lots of information and well set out. There is an invitation to join the library and become a cyber-member. There are wikis for:
The Book Club
History of Wagga Wagga
Memories of Wagga Wagga
Local Radio
Guy Lit Wire (for teenage boys)
Baby Bounce (infant program)

Wikis in libraries play a great role in encouraging library patrons to become involved in their libraries. They make it easy for anyone to not only access information, but also to add information, great for book clubs, FAQ's or technology advice.
Wikis can also play a role in communication between staff, particularly in the case of regional staff working on joint projects.

It is important to update wikis often to keep the readers interested, "leaving a blog or wiki untouched for days raises questions about its importance to the organisation. Content is the key to appeal so making it fresh and inviting is essential." (Watson, K. and Harper, C. 2006)

Reference

Watson, K. & Harper, C. (2006, December). Using blogs and wikis to communicate with library clients. inCite 27(12)

Had a great weekend with the family, lots of pony rides and farm adventures for the city grandchildren. They have all gone home so its time to learn a new skill.
Today I am going to look at wikis and see what fun I can have with them.

Moonflowerdragon, you asked me which reader I used to do the RSS feeds. I used the google one which is on a tab on the gmail page, it was very user friendly!

"The ability to find, use, and communicate information effectively and ethically is commonly known as information literacy. It is the umbrella term for emerging literacy’s such as technology literacy, media literacy, and health literacy. Information literacy is the domain of all educators". (Weiner 2010)

Therefore working in the library industry, one of the skills that we need to develop is the ability to source and evaluate information. We also need to have the knowledge to advise young people on the most effective methods they can use to search for information. To be able to do this we need to be familiar with a broad range of Web 2.0 tools.

Because of the vast amount of resources available on the World Wide Web one of the biggest challenges people face today, is how to sort through all the information they access. They need to learn to use effective search strategies and then to be able to identify results that are both relevant and accurate. Young people who sucessfully learn these strategies are then able to go on and become life long learners
"Sheer abundance of information and technology will not in itself create more informed citizens without a complementary understanding and capacity to use information effectively". (Bundy 2004)

As providers of information we need to continue on the path of lifelong learning, it is our responsibility to embrace new technology and forms of communication as they become available. We then should be able to pass on these skills whenever the need arises.
"The landscape of Web 2.0 is constantly evolving and it is crucial that librarians stay current with its development". (Luo as cited in Godwin 2010).

References

Weiner, Sharon A.: Information Literacy: A neglected core competency.
Educause Quarterly magazine 33(1) 2010. Retrieved 13 June2010 from
http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/EDUCAUSEQuarterlyMagazineVolum/InformationLiteracyANeglectedC/199382

Bundy, Alan. Australian and New Zealand Information Literacy Framework: principles standards and practice, 2nd ed. 2004. Retrieved 13 June 2010 from http://www.caul.edu.au/info-literacy/InfoLiteracyFramework.pdf

Godwin, P. 2010.June 10. Web 2.0 Integration in information literacy instruction. [web log post]. Retrieved on 13 June from
http://infolitlib20.blogspot.com/2010/06/web-20-integration-in-information.html

RSS & Newsreaders

I have finished setting up my reader page and have subscribed to 6 feeds. Two newspapers and the weather to keep me informed about what is going on in the world. The three library related sites are ALIA, the State Library of Victoria and Melbourne Uni Library IT team.
The Melb uni IT team have introduced RSS feeds in their library catalogue so you can be alerted when new items are added to the catalogue - Very clever and extremely handy!
The state library have a similar system which alerts you to new items relevant to your searches.
This is just another way that your local library could keep its borrowers up to date with new items as they arrive.
I find it to be a really useful way to receive and send information, because you only get a brief overview which means you can look at it quickly. If you want to know more you can then follow it up.

rss Feeds

Worked on the rss feeds activity today. Have been in and set up a feed page, started with the page on the link and got a bit frustrated with it, so I read some posts about it and decided to go with the google page.
I have suscribed to two newspapers and ALIA so far. I have had to stop because the website is having difficulties and told me to try again later!
Aready it has been great to read the news headlines as they come up, I'm a bit of an online news addict. I suppose it stems from never receiving a hard copy of a newspaper until lunch time if at all.
I can see that it would be really useful for libraries to subscribe to the feeds that would be relevant to them and their users. The great advantage is that the information arrives automatically you don't have to search separate websites to access it.
I haven't got to the bit about setting up your feeds for other people to access, I will look at that tomorrow

Spent most of today researching for conservation assignment. Going to Mt Helen for library excursion tomorrow. Band rehersals tonight and Sunday so hope to get back to info lit on Monday. Had another play on flickr, looked at library cards it gave me insight into what other people are doing in their jobs.

A quick look at flickr

Had a look at flickr today, was only going to have a quick look because it wasn't one of the things that I have chosen to do. There are just so many brillant photos on there! I chose a couple of groups that I was interested in and could have gone on looking for hours. I will certainly have to do some more exploring.

This is my first atempt at blogging.
Another new skill learned today!
The challenge of the 23 things is looking better by the minute, am now looking forward to working my way through the list.