Week 12 - Social Networks

There are many possibilities for libraries to use social networking. For example creating discussion boards on particular subjects, such as "Study tips for the HSC" and advertising library events and promoting services. Members can have instant access to information regarding newsletters, photos etc. Social networking allows libraries to gather immediate feedback from the community.

I have enjoyed doing the Web 2.0 course and found it to be very informative on the latest updates in information technology.

Week 11 - Online applications and tools

I think Google Docs is a great idea. There are many applications for this technology within the workplace. For example, library staff working on a project can share and edit the same document instead of having multiple copies of different versions of their work.

I also found Google Docs very easy to use.

Week 10 - Mashups

I can see many reasons for using Mashups within the library, for example creating activities for children such as puzzles and games. Another use is to create posters and fliers to advertise library events such as author evenings, HSC lectures etc.

Week 10 - Mashups

Week 9 - Podcasts

There are many uses for podcasts within libraries. It is a great service to offer customers who are not able to come to the library during opening hours. Some ideas for podcasts within my library are HSC lectures, teen events, storytime, local studies functions and book reviews. I thought the ABC website had a wide range of good quality podcasts.

Week 8 - Answer Boards and Social Searching

I like the idea of librarians answering questions on popular "Answer Board" sites. It is a way of demonstrating librarians vast amount of research knowledge and promoting libraries as sources of reliable information. I think that online questions sites are the way of the future. As libraries are providing online databases for customers to access from home and more information is web based, it just goes hand in hand that people will use sites which allow them to pose questions online.

Week 7 - Tagging, Folksonomies, del.icio.us and Library Thing

I can see many benefits for libraries to have a del.icio.us account. Tagging can be used to highlight specific websites on subjects such as HSC, local studies and genealogy. This is another way of promoting the library resources to the general public as well as providing easy access to information. I thought the Sutherland Shire Libraries del.icio.us page has an interesting idea by using tag bundles assigned to subject headings.

I typed bookmobile on the Technorati website in search and advanced search and found the same results, but when I use the tag search this narrowed the amount of hits I received. Technorati would be useful site to find blogs on a particular subject, but thats the only use I could see for this site.

I thought Library Thing was an interesting idea, useful for book groups. There are book reviews with star ratings and books on similar genres, this would appeal to book groups who want to see what other people are reading and their views.

Week 6 - YouTube and Google videos

This week I looked at YouTube and Google videos and was amazed at the range of videos that are out there. It was interesting to see how libraries are promoting their services, for example Mosman Library webcasts their author evenings, this is a great idea. The video "guide to using library services" showed an excellent way to promote the reference area. Local history is another area that can use online videos to promote their resources. I was impressed with the Picture Australia video.

I think that online videos are an excellent method for libraries to inform the public of their services and advertise the library.

Week 6 - Online videos

Week 5 - Wikis

This week I looked at Booklovers wiki, Montana History wiki and The Full Library Success wiki. I found them all interesting, though I wondered about the Montana History wiki as to whether it is a true wiki because information can't be edited on the site.

There are many uses for wikis within the library environment, for example wikis would enable staff to communicate with each other about areas, such as library procedures, computer issues or problems that were reported by customers. Book clubs could use wikis as a method of communicating inbetween book group meetings. Members could contact each other and library staff about future book lists, book reviews etc.

Week 4 - RSS

At first I thought what is the difference between adding my favourite websites to favorites and having a blogline account, but I realised that the feed reader simplifies searching because update information is presented on one site.

I can see the many benefits for libraries to use RSS technology, for example library members can receive regular online updates about library promotions, such as author evenings, new acquisitions and children's events.

The feeds that I added to my blogline account are news, powerhouse museum picture of the day and general interest SMH blogs.

I thought a good example of a library blog was the book review forum on Mosman Readers. It is a great way to share information on books and reading.

Week 3 - Sharing images

I searched for Mosman Library on the Flickr website and I was impressed with the variety of photos on the site.

There are many advantages for libraries to use photosharing sites, such as Flickr. For example each library can keep an online photo record of all their events which can be shared among the community and can also be a historical record for future generations.

I thought the National Library of Australia has an interesting idea to encourage people to add their photos to Picture Australia Collection via the Flickr site.

Here is a link to a photo of the Radcliff Camera, Bodleian Library in Oxford . I think the library would be an interesting place to visit and I find the architecture impressive.

week 2 - Blogs

Computer technology has moved in leaps and bounds over the last few years. Doing the Web 2.0 course will enable me to have a better understanding of the new technologies that are available now.

Blogs are providing an excellent online communication tool. I feel that libraries can benefit from the use of this technology. For example, Book Blogs are a great idea for libraries. This allows people to communicate online by making contributions to discussions about books and reading, such as Mosman readers.