Library 2.0 Reflections

Okay, so this may be the most difficult activity. How to summarize my thoughts on something that will likely continue for years to come?

Or, at least, I hope it does. Not necessarily in a formalized project such as we are just finishing, but informally in our day-to-day relationship with the Internet which, like it or not, seems to be here to stay; not being intimidated to try out the new things that are popping up every day; not avoiding a new and possibly useful application just because it means yet another username and password.

I think my favourite discovery has been Google docs and spreadsheets. But close second and third are definitely finding out how easy it is to create blogs and wikis. I plan to continue to make use of most of the tools we have learned about. Many I had scratched the surface of but I am grateful to the Library 2.0 project for encouraging me to learn more about them and really think about how I can put them to use to make my online life easier.

I would really like to see this project continue. Maybe we can have a "2.0 Activity of the Month" and give everyone a month to discover each activity. We would have discovered 12 new things in a year. Not as wonderful as 23 things in 9 weeks but still significant and we would have room left in our lives to discover the dozens of other lifelong learning opportunities that await that don't require a keyboard ; )

NetLibrary

I'm really glad that the Library's collection on NetLibrary now includes eAudiobooks in addition to the eBooks that made up the collection previously. The eBook format works well for reference resources but as for reading a book in this format from cover to cover - I just can't see myself doing it. And judging from the lack of enthusiasm from our patrons, I'm guessing I'm not the only one.

Audiobooks are a different story. I can definitely see myself embracing this format. It would be great to download one of the dozens of books I have on my list of "Books to Read" and listen to it while I am out for a walk, driving, or even doing housework.

Our library offers this audiobook collection through SOLS (Southern Ontario Library Service), as a member of the Consortium of Ontario Libraries (COOL). The initial collection is 751 titles and has tried to offer a bit of everything. I am definitely looking forward to seeing this collection grow.

Podcasts

Podcasts are another great tool for busy people. It's not always possible to listen to something that is being broadcast at a specific time. With podcasts popular radio shows can be made available for people to listen to when it is convenient for them. Training presentations can also be recorded and made available in this format. This would work well for international organizations where people are in different timezones.

Another bonus is being able to refer back to something days, weeks or even months later. We've all taken notes at a conference or workshop and then a few weeks later when you go back to review them you find that they don't always make sense. A podcast would let you review the remarks over and over again directly from the speaker.

I tried a couple of the podcast directory tools but I ended up going back to using the podcast search that is available right in Netvibes. You can enter a search, listen to the podcast and even enter the search onto your Netvibes page. Then, every time you log in to Netvibes the search runs and provides updated results for that search. For someone who needs to keep up to date on a specific topic, this would be a great benefit.

Most of the topics I thought I might search for podcasts on would probably lend themselves better to a video format as visual aids would make the topic easier to understand so I'm not sure podcasts will become a regular part of my online experience.

I Tube, You Tube, We Tube...

I have known about YouTube for quite awhile, (thanks to everyone who has sent an email link), but have avoided going to it. As many people have indicated, it can be a real time waster. After having checked it out for the Library 2.0 project however, I can see how many ways it can be used for purposes other than jokes and people trying to claim their 15 minutes of fame.

The videos ranged from very professional, like to Web 2.0 one, to very basic such as the one I included below. For training purposes these video files are a great way to reach a large, varied audience. Providing instructions for anything is only going to help your audience if they actually take the time to read them. For visual learners a short, well-thought-out video can make a much stronger impact. I also like the way that it suggests similar clips that might be of interest based on the clip you are watching.

Now that I have finally taken the time to discover YouTube I will likely continue to search for useful videos and I'm sure some of the funny ones will find their way onto my computer screen.

Overdue Books and YouTube

Joan W. - this one's for you. Dig out the Little Tykes people and a video camera and we'll make our own public service announcements for the library! Where do people get the ideas for some of this stuff!

Web 2.0 Award Winner?

As has been commented by many other OSNGUPL Library2.0 bloggers, it was encouraging to see so many of the sites we've discovered listed among the Web 2.0 award winners. I decided to investigate a new mapping site as I really like Mapquest and Google Maps and thought I would check out Wayfarer as it was the second place winner (after Google Maps) in the mapping category.

I could see it would be useful to be able to create and save your own maps. You can add your own personal points of interest with notes and, depending on your settings, you can share maps that you have created with other Wayfarer users. For example if you are planning a wedding and need to show the church, the site for pictures, the reception and the post-wedding brunch you could do it with Wayfarer. You could also add a note indicating where the happy couple got engaged or shared their first kiss. OK, maybe going a little overboard here but you get the idea.

Well, they have a long way to go if they want to get to first place.

The first time I tried was 2 weeks ago and I found the site to be very awkward. It was not intuitive and did not offer much in the way of help. So I let it simmer for a bit.

I tried again yesterday and wasn't any more impressed. I forced myself to keep at it and finally found a way to get a couple of things to work but it shouldn't be that hard. If you are persistent and willing to work at it then go for it. Otherwise you may want to avoid this site.