A big thank you

Thank you to the NSW Public Libraries Learning 2.0 Team for putting the learning activities together enabling so many of us to have an understanding of this wonderful world of the web. It has been very enlightening and I would never have thought it possible that I would create my own blogg. My 22 year old daughter was quite impressed! At least I know now what she is talking about when she says she is using facebook.

I look forward to any further training packages that you may offer and can only add
"Bring em on!!"

THANK YOU.

Week 12 Social Networks

Social Networking is not for me personally. I still prefer making contact by email to my friends and retaining a sense of privacy.

I however do believe that there is a definate place for social networking in our society. In particular giving country kids a medium to stay in contact with each other after moving away to the 'big smoke' for uni. So many friendships fall by the wayside due to lack of contact but is a way of ensuring the contact is not broken and if they feel alone they just have to log on and be with their friends.

I moved away from my home town to join the Army in 1975 and lost contact with so many of my friends over the years. If social networking was available then at that age I would jumped on board and embraced the concept whithout a second thought.

Week 11 Online applications and tools

I enjoyed completing this task and found it quite easy. Does this mean I am finally getting an understanding of what we have been taught because it is not so daunting now.

Once again being in a small country town I can't really see how this can be of use to our library. I would love to be in a larger library system where all of what we have learnt could be more better utilized. Coming from a large hospitality club where I had an admin role I can see so many ways in which this would have been so handy to have known about, for example using Microsoft Publisher and not being able to open earlier versions that what we had.

Week 10 Mashups

What a sense of achievement. I feel I am really getting the hang of this now. Just have to master remembering the user names and passwords.

Not sure how a mashup would work in our library because the majority of our patrons are elderly and dont use computers. I can see definate uses in lots of other industries and I am sure we will see a lot more of mashups.

Week 9 Podcasts and audio

I can see real potential for Podcasts within the library system, especially for those in country areas with limited access to their local library. Also for library staff in country areas who miss out on all the training sessons that city librarians are able to attend. Wouldn't it be great if they were all podcast so we could also have the opportunity to keep up to date.

For the sight impaired how wonderful to be able to listen to a book review or an interview with the author.

The only problem that I can forsee is the IT issues that would restrict our patrons in accessing the podcasts because we dont have broadband at our library. This means that I cannot even do this training at our library and have to do it all at home.

It was another learning curve in havng to download a program to be able to veiw the podcast on my computer.

Week 8 Answer Boards and Social Searching

I managed to log on to Yahoo but had to resign because I couldn't remember what I had used for my Flicker Log in.

I posted a question and am now waiting anxiously for my reply/ies.

I found this an easy task, but maybe thats because I am feeling much more confident with all that I have learnt from this Training.

Looking forward to Week 9

Week 7 Del.icio.us

At last things are getting easier and I had fun with this. I managed to register, and add a couple of bookmarks on my first attempt.

The assesability of this from any computer is a real plus.

I found the Sutherland site really great but wonder how much time actually goes into setting this site up and maintaining it.

Week 6 Video Online Attemp #2

Week 6 Video Online

Well just tried to embed a video into my blog but only managed to creat a link to the video. Looks like its back to the drawing board and I will have to try again.

YouTube - Happiness

YouTube - Happiness

Wikis Week 5

Tonight I managed to Edit the NSW Learning 2.0 Wiki and found it easier that I thought if would be. I had a look at the following Wikis:

The Book lovers Wiki - I found this really good and easy to naviagate. The reviews being in genre makes it a lot easier to find what you are looking for.

Mint Museums, North Carolina - A great wiki with so much information.

Montana History Wiki - I only wish I had more time to explore the wonderful history of Motanna. I look forward to exploring it more when I have time.

I can definately see a place for Wikis in any library.

Week 4 RSS

I found this task much simpler than week 3 and actually a sense of enjoyment rather than frustratioin.

I found RSS to be much the same as my favorites listing that I already have and use all the time.
I selected the following:

Yahoo News - to keep up to date on whats happening in the world
Cats - My favorite pet
Library bites - Just to what it is all about
The girls guide - a girls got to know what the latest
Powerhouse Museum's Picture of the day - because it was a definate to be added.

How I think it may be able to be used in my work and how libraries use RSS I am not really sure of at this stage only being in the library industry for a short time. I will need to think about that a bit more but I feel it does have a definate future.

I did find good examples of other library bloggs and will be able to learn from what they are doing and hopefully make our library a better place.

This is a picture of my new cat

I tried unsuccessfully to download an image from flickr but gave up after many hours of frustration.

Intead here is a photo my new kitten asleep on a toy mouse. I needed something calming to look at to soothe away the feeling of failure of not being able to accomplice what I wanted I started.

I hope I am not the only one that was not able to complete the task.

I have only been working in the library for 4 weeks with no library background in a small country town. This is a wonderful opportunity to link with other libraries and to learn about for example blogging, and know what the teenagers are talking about. It is so important to be able to know and have an understanding of what they are talking about and hopefully be able to meet their needs if they come to me with any requests.

I look forward to learning so much during this course because being located in a country town it is very hard to get to the city for any seminars that are held. To be able to learn sitting here at my desk or from my home without having travel is just great.

Lifelong learning to me is thinking of my wonderful mum who enrolled at University at the young age of 70 which was a lifetime dream and to see her buy a computer and master it with ease. Her quest for learning was a real inspiration and I hope that I can follow in her footsteps and never stop learning.

1st of many to come.

Wow, This is my first entry of many to come. Being a real novice at this it is a really good feeling. Much more to come!!!