The end?

Yes, it's good to be at the end of this training......I have found it interesting and time consuming to say the least.  Most of my exercises I have had to do at home as I only work part time and when I am there my time is completely consumed with work responsibilities.  I have had fantastic support from KFL where I only work occassionally, but KFL's manager gave me an enormous amount of support in the beginning and allowed me time on my days there to get some blog entries under my belt....heart felt thanks to K.....I really value your support. The workload was far greater than we were encouraged to believe......although I remember thinking when I read, 'Just a few minutes' ...mmmm not sure how much I will learn in a few minutes! I have learned an enormous amount and been challenged to explore some thoughts and ideas about where the Web 2 'thing' is going, how I and my family (esp my children) will and do fit into it, and have questioned whether I really want MY Library to embrace this technology or not.  I am tired at the end of it all......a little jaded, slightly weary and wondering whether I can really tackle that study I want to do next year.....I do rely on my computer and the internet for so many things now but I have such a connection to the earth and wonder whether all those bloggers out there are missing out on person to person, life to life communication. My only regret is not having the energy to make my blog posts anything worth noticing.....Thanks for the opportunity to be involved and the opportunity to continue my daily quest for life long learning.  Cheers

Downloadable Audiobooks....who'd have thought it!

I remember discussions some time ago about e books....and I remember thinking they wouldn't be a big thing for me because my 'bad' eyesight makes it tiring and challenging to read anything of great length on the computer. But Audiobooks and downloadable ones at that are a fantastic development, although there are times when the reader and I just don't hit it off!!  Seriously though, I can see a reasonably significant place for the availability of downloadable audiobooks in Libraries, even our local branch.  We have so many people who access our computers and use MP3 players and so many people who access the 'talking books', I can just imagine some of our regulars plugging in and downloading an  audiobook. But like everything which sounds fantastic in the Web 2 environment, seeing...or in this case hearing is believing, and only quality product will be taken up....so if great books are produced with great readers...downloadable audiobooks might just prosper.

Podcasting, The Podcaster and the Podcastee....?

I'm a podcaster, or should that be a podcastee....anyway, I have listened to lots of radio programs via podcasting at different times of the day and night.  I enjoy many radio programs but find it impossible to listen to them when they are actually 'live to air'. I discovered podacasting a fantastic tool to enable me to have some small pleasures when all was quiet in my house....when all the children are asleep.....so Margaret Throsby's morning interview is a favourite....featuring wonderful individuals and beautiful and interesting music; Phillip Adams Late Night Live is another thought provoking program and also Ramona Kovals Books and Writing (I found this via Podcast Alley).....however to subscribe on Bloglines to these has been a challenge.  Only Late Night Live actually links to actual feeds, where as the other 2 say there are no feeds available, even though when looking on the website there is a RSS or POD symbol and script, but it just doesn't seem to work.  Anyway, I have tried to find out why and seems the only explanation is unavailability at the time or something of this nature.....I don't have the energy to keep researching at the moment, so will just add that I think our Goldfields Library Website could benefit from some podcasts of author interviews or book reviews. 

The YouTube Stampede

I have received many Youtubes in emails over the last 6 monthes or so.  Looking around the sight itself doesn't really inspire me....I guess in someway I find alot of it 'voyeuristic'.  The problem for me is often that it is so overwhelming looking for something of interest when there are often 1000's of different items on the same subject....I really don't have the time or the interest in this medium to keep searching. I can see that our Library Corporation website could post some Youtube video's on some of the local events that have occured, special storytime and holiday events, or possibly reviews or accounts of books that have been been big for the borrowers. Personally  I have found one which I have laughed and laughed at....it's about mothering and although it's truely American, the sentiment for me is very strong as I try so hard to 'teach' my children to get through childhood!!......I spent 5 years in America and I loved it.....I have a strong connection to people and places in America and although I don't agree politically, neither do the majority of Americans....I appreciate this song and laughed alot and I guess in essence that's what alot of the YouTubes stuff is about.

It just goes on and on and on!

I am absolutely amazed...if I haven't said it before.  I really can't get my head around the amount of varying material available for people to access and work with.  I just don't know how people have the time.  I found a number of the Winners really intriguing and interesting...particularly Picnik (although I couldn't get it to work properly in the short time I allowed myself); Care2, Healia, Upcoming and Lulu.  The one I easily explored and enjoyed (as per my previous post) was  43 Things.  Writing lists are a part of my life and I value the support that writing and getting through my lists give me!  Even though 43 Things is not quite like my own lists, I have written and used goal writing as a way of moving forward in my life, both professionally and personally. Not really sure how I could see 43 Things used in the Library setting, but maybe it could be a fun way of introducing people to the idea of online communities and incorporating Web 2.0 tools into the Libraries of the future.  Maybe our Library's Website could incorporate a 43 Things style tool on the front page which encourages patrons or those browsing to check out what others have on their list!  Just a quick thought.....I might edit this later if I think of anything more inspiring.

Torias List

Things that need to be done!!

Finish Learning 2.0 !
and.....
vacuum the bedrooms
clean the windows
organise my pantry
mulch the garden
think about Christmas
sort out and clean the shed
organise to install a tank for drinking water and grey water system
and........

Zoho, ho, ho, ho....

I was thinking that Web-based apps seemed  a really great idea; the idea that I could be using Zoho writer at home to work on something and then just pick it up again at work and be able to print or email it to whom ever I like without going through the hassles I do now because I have a Mac at home and most computers I email to and print  from are PC......anyway, that was until I went to publish my small word processing document to my blog.....I found that Zoho Writer doesn't support Safari.  Wasn't too big a bother as I also have Firefox installed and hopefully it's worked with that!! As always with this burgeoning technology, it will have positive applications in lots of places and circumstances, but not all!........Have just realised when checking to see if my doc. was on my blog that the actual doc. page would be viewed and not a just a link.....I wonder if it could jsut be viewed as a link? More to discover!!

PBWiki...as easy as....

Was is it really that easy.......I had fear and trepidation racing through my veins when I saw all that syntax...I watch Ant deal with this all the time and was extremely nervous.....mainly because I find it hard to remember all the little bits and pieces and have to keep going back to the how to page...! I entered my favourite TV shows... and also placed my link on the Favourite Blogs page....hope it all worked!

Here come the Wiki's.

Wiki's look fantastic to me.  I can see them being a wonderful interactive tool for Libraries....especially when as a part-time library staff I am constantly asked for my opinion or recommendation for one or other authors or books etc....which I invariably am not familiar with or haven't had the chance to read...I particularly enjoyed browsing the BookLoversWiki of Princeton Public Library. I could see this having enormous value and interest to both patron and staff.  I was fascinated by the Library Success Best Practice Wiki and interested in it's now registered entry due to 'vandalism'....guess there are some draw backs as Library Success points out in its 'pros' and 'cons' page, but the fact that Wiki's can be used by a wider audience, meaning without  computer programming skills and could therefore encourage our library to reach out to it's community or even create a community seems a valuable way of embracing the new style of Library that we will need to embrace. I would love to see a Book Lovers Wiki or a Subject Guides Wiki developed for our Goldfields Library....and could even see it relevant in the YA , JF  and Picture book areas.....mmmmm....must talk to the boss!

The future is beckoning.

For many it's the here and now, and I guess that's why Libraries will need to keep pace with technologies as they are offered.  I love books though and can't imagine a library without them. I can see that there will be lots of demand at some point in the future for connections to bibliographic stores in other libraries to be available and obtainable by patrons from their currant library catalogue.  I am one who believes that libraries need to reflect their communities and the patrons who support the library service.  I believe that embracing Library 2 will need consideration and collaboration with amongst library's and librarians in general; because just as there is a lot that is wonderful for reaching out and discovering the outer parts of our world, there is also a lot that will be mindless, time wasting, un-neccesary and that is likely to distract rather than enhance the Library environment. 

Technorati Torment..........

Claiming my blog just seems too exposing for me.  I'm just not sure that I really want to be a part of the millions of blogs out there.  Am I being too serious here?  I guess there's a part of me that wonders who really needs to know what's going on in my mind except those who I choose to have connections or relationships with.  The whole blogosphere world is a bit of a confusion as to the attraction of blogging and source of concern for me as I try to prepare my children for having connections and forming relationships within their world.  I'm choosing not to claim my blog as yet until I play a little more and feel I know what my blogging purpose is!! 

Simply Scrum.p.tious

I have a fairly usable number of bookmarks at home and because I only work part-time and am mostly using other peoples computers at the Library, my use of bookmarks in the work situation is quite limited....however I can see the potential of  this tool for organising and assisting you when you need to come up with an answer to a question that is important to the patron on the other side of the desk! I can see that tagging enables similar sites to be bookmarked so that they're all there when you need them.  I guess I will need to explore a little further when time, energy and enthusiasm permits but here goes with the first taste test!!

Rolling, Rolling, Rolling......

A great idea to keep your own collection of useful sites together!  I still feel very clumsy when doing all the technical stuff though. I feel like I'm just following instructions and don't really understand what I'm actually doing. I understand the basic value and potential for those who use the internet as a basis for research, and hopefully I will be able to use it to assist someone in the Library one day, but I guess personal use is limited to the degree that I am yet to have the time....and alot of time can be (dare I say ....) wasted.

A sorted life.....thing.

Now this I can see has potential in my life......for the woman who needs one more thing to add to the list of things I will do when I have time!  But seriously....actually I was being serious, I would love to have all our books listed together in a cataloguing system like this.  Ant's not convinced of its true value, but I would be a happy girl if I knew exactly what books I had......then all I need is something to help me keep them in some sort of order and get the children to put them back on the shelf where they got them from!!

Generators upon generators...

Image Reflection Generator

Do we really need all these?  I'm wondering what all these generators are really costing us!  I know we're trying to have a bit of fun here but I'm finding the 876 generators on the Generator Blog a little overwhelming.  However, I have trawled my way through a number of them and have at least found the IMAGE REFLECTION,  TEXT COLLAGE  and RIBBON generators interesting and now I'm trying to work out how to attach one of them as an image and link to my blog. The image reflection was easy to attach to my blog; the text collage is far too complicated for my liking and the ribbon didn't have the effect I wanted when it finally appeared on the blog page.  I like these generators because I like photos and words and the inspiration they can provide,......also a number of the BigHugeLab generators  related to photographic manipulation could be extremely effective ....PHOTO WALL, BEAD ART AND MOSAIC MAKER, to mention a few.  

I know it takes all sorts and maybe I'm just getting too old but I'd rather be outside in the bush near our house with the kids,  pulling weeds in the garden,  chasing the chooks out of the garden or doing something with my hands than my mind being swallowed up by the pull of these generators ('cause that's how it feels to me)...I can see the uses but worry so much about where it's taking those who depend on the speed and instantaneous 'fix' of this technology.

RSS - What a test!

By George I think I've done it!! And I even think I can see the value in Subscribing to RSS ......although as a novice I'm not sure I'm convinced it's 'really simple'.....yet. Having been ably supported and encouraged by my Lib. manager while relieving at KFL, I was finally able to link it all with my Blog. Finding the little icons or the somewhat elusive RSS feeds link took some getting use to but there was a simmering excitement as I began to think of all the subjects of interest or the sites that I frequently visit and connect them to my blog, ready for instant use. 

Balancing Technology

I often feel quite torn and anxious about getting the balance right with the technology that exists in my life and that of my family's. As much as I love watching a great film and enjoy the odd exceptional television show....... rely on emails from girlfriends who are overseas.......am grateful for the contact I and my children can have with our families by long distant telephone calls....... read The Age each morning on my laptop in the kitchen and access the Library catalogue when I need to......am pleased I can choose which photos I wish to keep on the digital camera......and am relieved I can take a mobile phone with me on long journey's in the car, just in case.  I am also concerned about the tech explosion my children are experiencing and their attraction and reaction to it which is almost maniacal at times.  I try so hard to limit and guide and achieve a balance with more earthy activities, but sometimes it's so difficult for the children to understand why I think the way I do and sometimes I'm just bothered by the stress the tech. advances bring to my life.  I heard some one recall recently that when Bill Clinton was first President there were only 50 internet sites!(could this be true!) I hope Learning 2.0 and the 23 Things will help lesson the fear, give me a greater understanding and a wider view; will it help with the balance too?

Trailing Moss

Selaginella rampante
Originally uploaded by van swearingen

Flickr Color Fields presented the most amazing color images; I was really brought alive by the sheer depth and brilliance each time a touch reset the color wheel and a new set of photos beamed out. Red, yellow, pink, blue, purple, orange and GREEN.....just like a rainbow....you not only see, but hear and sing as well.
I was intrigued by the Librarian Trading Card and thought I might try making one when I'm a little more confidant of my place in this whole blogging world...or even a set for our Library...now that would be fun!!

"Our Dear Sam"....

Our Dear Sam
Originally uploaded by MontanaRaven

I wanted something 'Joyful' and this photo was tagged just that!  Our children want so much to have a dog and I think Sam would be a beautiful and joyful addition to our family. And although we can't have Sam, we're planning on getting a Spoodle in the next couple of months. The chidlren are so excited and there'll be lots to learn. I hope we get to experience the joy that Sam has given for 17 years. As soon as we have our 'joyful' .....I'll post a photo.

Blogged In and Out

Well mostly it's about following instructions.....which is a good way of learning something new. So long as you can locate all the right labels and press the right buttons it all seems to work quite well. At least it seems to have for me. I'm not feeling confident about the maintenance of this blog. Not in a practical way, but in having the confidence in my own thoughts and ability to write them all down in a way that makes sense. I'm sort of glad of the challenge though.

Somewhere in the middle

Life long learning, mmm......yes I think that's a good description of the process I strive to gain control of most days......I'm learning on a daily basis, whether it's with or about or from  my children, my partner, my work (the library), my home, my community or myself.  I face challenges everyday and one of the best ways of dealing with them is to see them as a learning experience.....taking the good with the bad. Setting this blog up has been a challenge, but I think I've learned a new 'thing'. Cheers