This is the end, my friend

Well, finally I am done. While I have enjoyed the discovery aspect of the project I have found that the suggested time allowance of 15 minutes a day was unrealistic. For most of the elements it was actually more effective to spend a larger block of time to work through the exercise rather than barely getting started in the 15 minutes and going back to it the following day. Often you'd have to redo what you'd already done or rethink what you'd already thought. Unfortunately, like all things like this where the aim is to expand your knowledge base with no particular goal in mind, it is very easy to push them aside when other, higher priority issues appear. It would also be very easy to spend a lot more time playing with different features and I'm sure this would benefit with the understanding and proficiency in different elements.

Hopefully, some of what I've done has sunk in and will come in handy either at work or in my personal life at a later stage. I guess it's a matter of keeping an eye out for opportunities to apply what we have learned and being conscious that new solutions are being created every day. It's a bit of a reminder that the problems we deal with are shared by other individuals or organisations across the world and they may have found creative solutions that we can apply. The beauty of web 2.0 is that they have made them available to the world to use, improve or build on. It's up to us to be open to their suggestions.

Over and out.

Ebooks

When the notion of Ebooks were first suggested, we seemed to think of specially designed readers with downloadable text to replace our trusty paper copies. The idea of reading an entire book from a computer screen also seemed a bit overwhelming. Ebooks in audio format make a lot of sense given the rise in demand for talking books and the changes to technology. Even in the 8 years I've been in libraries I've noticed that talking books are becoming less and less about providing an option for print disable members and more about finding other ways to squeeze in more 'reading'. Whether it's to have instead of the radio on the daily commute or to have in the background while doing the ironing or housework, they provide a solution for the busy person who "doesn't have time to read". The rise in popularity of Ipods and mp3 players and the conversion of ebooks into compatible formats allows these kinds of people to "read" a range of books without having to carry around the 26cd set or 400 page book. It also removes the need for the Ebook reader we all thought might become a part of our lives.

Given that the books currently being added to things like the Guttenberg project are those in the public domain, it's also kinda cool to see some of the original images from old texts.

And for isolated people without ready access to library collections both Etexts and Ebooks mean they always have 'reading' material on hand.

Podcasting

You know how it is when you're in a foreign country, people think your accent is cool and want you to amuse them and their friends by saying something in your "funny" accent? I never know what to say so it's usually just "What do you want me to say?". It's the same when I'm asked to search for anything as a means of demonstrating a point or learning about something. I never know what to look for. So when it came to searching for podcasts, I ummed and ahhed until I relented and typed in "podcast book reviews".

One of the results was a series of podcasts from Nancy Pearl, the librarian who is the model for the Shushing Librarian Action Figure (not a doll mind, it's an action figure! So that's what I've added to my Bloglines. :)

YouTube

I must admit, I'm a fan of YouTube. I much prefer someone send me a YouTube link than the actual video clogging up my inbox (are you noticing that I have inbox issues?!?). It does have the potential to be both a HUUUUUUUUUUGE time waster and an easy way for creative types to get their work out to folks that otherwise wouldn't see it like the Mr Potato Head film noir on the right.

And it's also a means for viral marketing but if it's funny (like the one below) you can kind of let it go. :)

Web 2.0 Award winners

I took the easy way out and just looked at the winners of the Web 2.0 awards and was still overwhelmed by how much stuff is out there. At first I couldn't see what was so Web 2.0 about them, they looked just like regular online stores etc but then I realised that's the whole point. Sites like Etsy look like a regular online store, with regular types of payment such as Paypal and Credit cards but is functionally more like a stall at your local market. Crafty folk are able to use the web to get their creations out there without having to lug them all over the place. They can then get a larger number of people "through the doors" by being part of a collective store than having their own little website, and customers would have greater confidence to buy online. I've already emailed the address to my brother's mother in law as a means of selling her jewellery. (Or go to http://www.jewellerybyrae.blogspot.com/ -hmmm, must remember to ask for a commission!)

Zoho

This is more like it.  This kind of thing is what makes me excited about the whole Libraries 2.0 concept.  Tools that overcome the limitations of the stand alone pc which allow easy collaboration between workmates, family members and/or friends.

 

When I first saw Google Docs and now Zoho, I wished I'd known about it sooner.  I mean how much easier would it have been for my siblings and I to organise Mum and Dad's ruby anniversary do if we all had access to the same document rather than trying to keep up with who had the latest version.

 

Not to mention having access to documents from anywhere without having to email them backwards and forwards leading to the dreaded "Your inbox is over its size limit" message.

 

From a business perspective it would be useful for group projects, the final result could then be saved on a business drive without the limitless drafts that proceeded it.

 

It would also be great for home users who don't have a need for an Office Suite all the time but would like to occasionally use a word processor, spreadsheet etc.  Not to mention to have permanent online access to resumes etc....

 

The features also seem to be similar enough to other programs that you can just open them and go. 

 

Playing in the Sandbox

sandbox village #2
Originally uploaded by Eric K.

I've just added myself to the Sandbox wiki and was surprised by how easy it was.
They would be perfect for people who aren't technologically gifted but wish they were.

Wary of wikis

I'm still not sure about wikis. It's back to that thing about the veracity of information. I guess that's a problem with a lot of the web. I suppose it's really an education thing, about suggesting people use multiple sources regardless of what format they take. Wikis seem to have a lot of potential in terms of sharing library information such as booklists, reviews etc. I think you'd have to be careful to use them for information that doesn't date as if could be a full time job checking details, following links and removing outdated information.

To Libraries 2.0 or not to 2.0

Having read the 5 different perspectives on Web 2.0 suggested in the discovery resources, it was "To a temporary place in time..." which resonated with me most. There is a lot of information out there and more than ever, librarians and other information staff are vital to help the general public make sense of it. Sure, anyone can find their answer on Google but it can be quite overwhelming dealing with the information overload that can throw up. Also, having an expert of sorts to help you distinguish the golden nuggets of information from the "fool's gold" which can be thrown up. The ways of manipulating how your search results are presented means it can be increasing difficult to ensure the veracity of the results that are being thrown up.

Technorati

I think I'm a bit of an information snob! I know that the 2.0 refers to the community interactivity of the internet but I like to know my sources. There is a point at which I think sometime people forget to distinguish opinion from truth, particularly their own. Tagging seems to be a good way to work through the millions and millions of blogs out there. I'm kinda glad that there are sites like Technorati so that those that want to search through them can, and those that don't can use other more mainstream searches which leave the blogs out.

On the bright side, when searching technorati for Libraries 2.0 the inevitable "couple of clicks" let me to this short clip from Youtube.