Week #10 Mashups

A mashup is where features from 2 or more web applications are merged to create something new. This method can be used to create photo albums, posters, calendars, tours, exhibitions and seems to be useful for public libraries, and local history departments who have creative techies who have lots of time. I used Big Huge Lab to create a Mosaic of ideas for Book Prezzies. I had some problems trying to edit and size the image above. I liked the Voice Thread where different people featured in a photo added their audio commentary. This seems great for local history, or family projects.

Week #8 Answer Boards & Social Searching

These seem to be a good way to manage Q & A without clogging up email boxes. I liked some of the tag signatures such as "We eat questions for breakfast" on librarians answer board wiki. Knowledge and expertise is shared beyond the original questioner and responder and more than one person can respond and contribute. Quality of responses can be rated by users. Our library already has an Ask a Librarian service but our users might like to review new acquisitions, or services.

Week #9 Podcasts and Audio

Podcasts are a great way to catch those programs you missed on radio or TV and watch/listen at your own convenience. Libraries seem to be using them for public programming (story times, talks, tours, information) and for audio instruction/training for clients in combination with the user being online and talked through e.g. search process for journal articles. I imagine this would involve considerable initial staff time to set up and record. I liked the podcasts sites that indicated time duration so you know in advance how long you will be listening/watching. Our library might think about podcasts for professional development, library events, and information literacy training.

Week # 7 Tagging, Folksonomies, Delicious and Library Thing

These topics are all pretty new to me. I looked at hits on Delicious for Book Reviews (14,806!), Canberra (3,593) and Canberra Floriade (7), Finland shooting the day after (78). Searching obviously has to be pretty specific to reduce hits.Technorati seems to be a search engine for the blogosphere to link audiences with blogs of interest and a way for advertisers to reach their target audience. Library Thing is of more interest to librarians and enables users to catalogue their reading (over 30 million books catalogued) and to connect to readers with similar tastes. Users can opt to be 'early reviewers' and review free books sent to them. Seems this is very popular and the liklihood of getting books you want fairly slim!There is a $10 p.a. membership fee but the first 200 books can be catalogued for free. There is a blog and talk topics area. Finally got round to putting something in my delicious bookmark

Week # 6 Video Online

I enjoyed looking at the video clips and can see the attraction of using video to make presentations on exhibitions, orientation tours, book reviews, interviews and to capture special events at the library. We are now living in a very visually orientated environment and this medium really appeals to young poeple who like to share their experiences. Embedded video can make web pages more appealing, and be a good showcasing tool for the library. It is better and more informative, than having to wade through a lot of text giving similar information. A video is probably far more effective than a thousand words!

I am embedding a video clip of Paul Newman, one of my favourite actors who has just died aged 83.
















Remembering Paul Newman 1925-2008