Webbed out now....

Well I have come to the end of my 10 sessions and apologise to whom it may concern for my tardiness in finishing. It has been a struggle to get the time to sit and do each module and I think the suggestion that 15 minutes a week would do it was unrealistic at worst, optimistic at best. It took me the best part of an hour to get through most lessons. I got wise half way through and stopped clicking on every little highlighted link, which allowed me to move through a bit more quickly.
Yes, I have learned quite a bit and been introduced to new methods of communication but I am more likely to confine my uses of these new methods to work-based activity. I will still maintain a little activity on my own personal Facebook account, on an adhoc basis, whenever I am alerted to family news/photos etc on there or when I can finally get myself around to posting some new pics for the benefit of extended family and far away friends.
I still cannot work out if I love or loathe Lee Lefevre and his little stick people lessons. Have to admit they are pretty clear and concise and that's how I like to learn (if not to blog -sorry!!).
It has opened my mind to new technologies and to be less fearful of them. I think it should also score me some points with the kids, being able to talk about podcasting and geocaching (if not actively doing much of either!)
Thank you for the opportunity!

Geocaching

I could be wrong but I think I have found something cool and computerised to talk to my 11 year old tech-head son about that he might not already know about!! Yay, for Geocaching (oh no,now I sound like Lee Lefevre and should be waving finger and thumb about)! I suppose it could be used in a fun way to introduce young people to the library. We could let schools know, hide our cache in the library and wait for the invasion! I liked the way the University of Notre Dame (US)used it to get first year students familiar with the campus and libraries. It will appeal to some and not to others but if it gets some people reluctant library users to venture through those doors, it might serve a purpose. The Great Race Mandurah might also introduce participants to other cultural sites around the city.

Podcasting potential

Now this one I can see great potential for. How great to have your ipod in your pocket or (if your velcro is not wrecked like mine)nice little arm- carrying pouch and to be able to tune in to that work meeting you missed, while driving along in the car, out walking or (only in dire circumstances) in the bath!! Think of all our guest speakers in the library and how our public could tune in after the event if we let them have access to the podcast, vodcast, libcast or whatever we might call it. That said, we don't want to deter patrons from coming to the live event but nice to know they can catch our author visits or VIP speaker when they cannot attend in person. I liked the 60 minute science podcast. For someone like me for whom time is of the essence, speedy but interesting casts like the one I tuned into on this lesson give enough to act as an appetiser and have you wanting more. Thats how I like my information! Would very much like to be able to tune into radio programmes from the old country via the same method. Multi-tasking methods in the modern age...

YouTube

Oh this Information Revolution is mind-boggling (bit like the video on today's lesson which had text changing at a rate of knots and zipping all over the screen)! Can we tempt people into the library who would not normally come here. Would a video of a popular band playing get the hits (sic) and the punchline be 'Borrow this and other albums for free from your local library?' On the otherhand are YouTube users so used to downloading music that they would have no reason to borrow our discs? Sorry for this stream of consciousness stuff but if I don't get it down I'll forget what I wanted to say. Unfortunately the links to the other libraries YouTube pages were not working so I am left wondering just what was on there. Was it some of their cute Rhyme Time participants showing just how much fun they were having on a Tuesday morning or was it the Aged Care group having a sing-song in the meeting room and urging others to come join their group?
Libraries are not all about learning but learning can be cool. Liked this little clip which helps kids to read - not that we needed to be told that reading can be fun!

Tantalising Twitter

Ok I did a tweet or 2 and to me it felt a bit frivilous. Yes it could be a great way of breaking news and maybe it's brevity just whets the appetite for more information and stimulates conversation. Perhaps its a good way of getting feedback from our clients? Easy to flick through some quick comments and get a flavour of what They are saying about us. Ok so maybe not all frivilous....
To witness my tweeting follow me at Username: finnfirst@gmail.com

FACEBOOK

I suppose the success of facebook is down to the willingness of members to contribute and participate. within a workplace it could be a good way of sharing information of a work nature but I think because of its casual chatty image is it likely to get full of less serious comments, quips, etc. From a networking point of view, particularly within in a large workplace it would have its uses for keeping employees linked to each other and the organisation. Having a presence on Facebook is certainly a must for every company and organisation which needs to keep in with its public. To paraphrase Michael Troiano of Holland-Mark (from the first introduction to Social Networking on today's lesson) it might be the best way to reach those who are reluctant library goers as well as to reach those influential customers who can spread the word for us.

Not as Delicious as I had hoped....but nice Thingy at the end!

My delicious link is the first thing to go into this blog so I can at least say I have achieved that today after spending the best part of half an hour trying to login to all the websites I am supposed to be connected to. delicious.com/firstfinn. Feeling a sense of information overload with it all! If it weren't for all my new email accounts, blogs, usernames and passwords, I might actually learn something! at the moment it's all looking a bit 'Cloudy'!
The AskNow use of delicious for referencing seems a very useful tool, although there is a challenge in reviewing sites and avoiding information overload.
I can see why Library Thing has been a hit with other Web 2.0 trainees! Now there's an app that makes sense. I can see the benefit of this - even better than the Wiki for online book clubs (although one will never be without face-to-face interaction I reckon). I love how easy it is to use and will settle in when I have more time to add my personal library at leisure and see how many other people share my often diabolical taste in books. Please note added book is purely for show at the moment - to try and prove that I am a dedicated mother as well as book lover!!