This has been a wonderful introduction to the new applications appearing on the web. What I particularly appreciated was the ability to work at my own pace and in my own space. Really good to see what others were doing also. In terms of what I enjoyed the most, the visual tools were the most fun for me as a visual person. Also, as I tend to prefer to use things that have immediate use and value, I don't "play" on the web at all. Although I won't be using all the tools in the future, this program introduced me to them so at least I can nod knowledgably when someone mentions a web tool.
The support from Lynette and her team was terrific. If only I had realised the great prizes on offer I might have put more effort in at the start! I found it very difficult to commit to the time required each week and should have blocked out 45mins as study time. I also found it odd that the original PCLMC program had 23 things, yet this program was rolled out in 9 weeks. Given my workload and that of my team, I think additional time or restructuring the program would be beneficial to enable learners of different abilities and commitment to working through the entire program. It would be interesting to know the number of staff who signed up and who didn't finish. I know that some of my team would be in this boat.
Overall, the program is terrific in terms of scope and content. To be able personally to study, but also to offer it to staff, in such a cost effective way is evidence of the worth of Web 2.0. I look forward to continuing my "playing" with the sites that I found most useful and also to continuing to discover Web 2.0 - and beyond!
Adios amigos!
Friday, November 30, 2007
E-books
Had a look around the World eBook Library - not sure how popular the files from the US government would be in general but it offers a wide range of material. The depth at this stage is lacking and I'm sure that this is being worked on. There were only a handful of Shakespeare's sonnets available.
For libraries I think there are some interesting products being developed by our suppliers. Southern Scene has small MP3 players that can be lent out where patrons supply their own headphones which look to be a good option for libraries. We will be looking to add online, downloadable books in print and audio in the future but we need our patrons to be wanting them before going to the expense.
For libraries I think there are some interesting products being developed by our suppliers. Southern Scene has small MP3 players that can be lent out where patrons supply their own headphones which look to be a good option for libraries. We will be looking to add online, downloadable books in print and audio in the future but we need our patrons to be wanting them before going to the expense.
Week 9: Podcasts
I've found podcasts useful, particularly from the State Library. When they have a special speaker and I can't attend the session, it's great to be able to download the podcast to listen to at my leisure. A better use of my time, given that it can take over an hour to travel into Melbourne, and then I've got to come back. I know that people also find them great to keep up with their favourite radio shows or interviews. The ABC has certainly embraced the technology!
Browsed podcast.net. Liked the tag options available although I couldn't find any podcasts about Terry Pratchett. Then looked at podcastalley (really like the name!) and found 3 under pratchett but not about the author. I did find an interesting podcast but, surprise surprise!, couldn't download it. Went back to podcast.net and found some on yoga but still couldn't play them. Frustrating! Tried yahoo and finally could listen to short samples online. Wasn't keen to actually pay for anything though.
My library has added podcasts to it's blog and I can see that podcasts of author visits or storytimes might be of interest to our patrons.
Browsed podcast.net. Liked the tag options available although I couldn't find any podcasts about Terry Pratchett. Then looked at podcastalley (really like the name!) and found 3 under pratchett but not about the author. I did find an interesting podcast but, surprise surprise!, couldn't download it. Went back to podcast.net and found some on yoga but still couldn't play them. Frustrating! Tried yahoo and finally could listen to short samples online. Wasn't keen to actually pay for anything though.
My library has added podcasts to it's blog and I can see that podcasts of author visits or storytimes might be of interest to our patrons.
Week 9 : UTube
This was one of the sites that our WebMarshall definately does not like! I was not able to view any of the posts. However, if someone sends me a film I can usually view it in the email. Go figure. Here's one that was sent to me with cats talking:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3U0udLH974
for the translation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JynBEX_kg8
I think the popularity of any web application can be gauged by when the pollies pick it up! The recent election certainly showed that they saw YouTube as another way to access younger voters. Not sure that it worked however - Australians are still suspicious of anything not seen to be genuine and sincere.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3U0udLH974
for the translation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JynBEX_kg8
I think the popularity of any web application can be gauged by when the pollies pick it up! The recent election certainly showed that they saw YouTube as another way to access younger voters. Not sure that it worked however - Australians are still suspicious of anything not seen to be genuine and sincere.
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