Learning 2.0 Week 12 - Wrap; social networks and catch up.

I believe that social networks do have a place in the public library sphere. There exist many opportunities to create networks in many different areas of interests. My library has a number of book groups extended over the various library branches. Each of these groups can create their own social network sites to communicate with each other - within groups and between groups. Another idea is to have a "Friends of the Library" network, where library members can discuss among themselves and with the staff ideas and direction that the library should focus on. Other social networking groups include local studies, children story time and playgroup, family history. All of these different social networks can help promote the library with the broader online community, attracting new users and members. The library can also use these groups to promote its own resources and facilities as well.

Wrap up:
I final come to the end of this course. It has been a long trip. I've learnt a lot about the wide array of resources and facilities the the Internet has available to promote, obtain and use information. I, for one, will continually using all the online facilities that I have learnt about and signed up to for both work and pleasure.

Learning 2.0 Week 11 - online applications

I see online applications like zoho-docs, google-docs, slide share etc as assisting library staff members to create and share with each other information that they can use within the library. The public library I work at has a number of committees that focus on a particular area of interest that provide a service to the public. I'm a member of the readers advisory committee, and I think that myself and fellow committee members can create documents covering various ideas and proposals and share them with each other. This would allow all members on the committee to comment and add their own ideas. Then, at our next monthly meeting wee can access the finished document and discuss it further. Therefore, an online application like google docs allows for the creating, contributing and sharing of ideas and have a common place to access it. A great tool!

Learning 2.0 Week 10 - Mash-ups

I see mash-ups as a new way to present information on the web. From location to highlighting various services. A public library service can easily use mash-ups to show the location of it main branch on its web site - or, if it has multiple branches, the location of all of its branches, using the Google maps tool. A mash-up can have four categories - video/photo, mapping, searching, news - all four of these categories can be put to use to highlight the various services a library provides. I can see the local studies librarians using mash-ups to present areas of historical interests in the local area, providing a map location, photo or video and a voice thread commentary. Also, local studies can apply this to family history, so users can locate various parts around the world and in Australia, where their relations have lived. Mash-ups can help promote the library and be used by library users for their own information needs.

Learning 2.0 Week 9 - Podcasts and Audio

What a great way to distribute and catch-up on audio information - especially if you didn't have the opportunity to listen to a specific broadcast first-hand. It enables many forms of communication - from radio broadcasts, lectures, talks and discussions - readily available to anyone with a MP3 player, ipod or computer.
Public libraries can utilise podcasts and audio casts within their scope of providing information freely to the public. This can cover many areas, ranging from author talks, lectures and story time activities. These can be recorded and placed onto the library's website for the public to download. Again, it's another way to provide and access information.