On line applications and tools

I had a look through Google Docs and Zoho - could see innumerable possibilities and uses for accessing these applications. And being free is always an added bonus.
I'll probably have another, closer look when I have some spare time (probably at home).
As we are only a small library, I can't see that they would be particularly useful to us, However, maybe ...

I also had a quick look through Zamzar and Slideshare (but couldn't access Thumbstacks site - received the "Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage").

I explored the Slideshare video - lots and lots of possibilities there (but all for personal use rather than work related! Hmmmm will have to think about that one ...)

I will have to try creating my own document sometime in the future, when I have more time maybe ...

Yet another interesting and informative week.

Mashups

It turns out, that Mashups were not an unknown to me, but I was unaware of what they were called.

I have used Google Maps a lot (predominently for personal use) and the "Street Views" are fantastic. It's a pity that this particular part of the application only seems to be operational in this part of the world (Australia). Or do they only work for the part of the world that you live in?

As a work application, we are already using Google Maps to advertise where our Mobile Library stops are situated.

Look at:- http://www.wollondilly.nsw.gov.au/library/1917/1919.html
and click onto the picture of our Mobile Library.

I'll have to go look at London: a life in Google maps in my own time - it looks absolutely fascinating - Hmmm, off on another tangent yet again!

I explored Keir Clarke's Star Viewer using the new 'sky' option in the Google Maps API and found it quite interesting, but I can't really see any use for it in our library, except for an "interest" point of view, of course.

However, as I stated before, we are already using Google Maps on our own Library webpage.

I took a look at BigHugeLabs but there were no instructions on what to do to create your own Mashups - do you have to sign up, or what?
A few, more explicit, instructions in the 2.0 training session would be appreciated, please, especially as this is a "work" area where we may be blocked from using certain applications / email addresses by our I.T. department.
I believe other libraries also have similar problems in this area.

So, yet another interesting week.
Off to look at old London Town - not now (unfortunately), but later on maybe .....

Podcasts and Podcasting

This was a very, very interesting topic - can't help thinking of lots of ways that it can be used in one's private life - but must get back to thinking about using it in a library context.

Listened to a podcast from the British Library - The Holkham Bible Fascimile - very, very entertaining.
Then one from the ABC - Opal: a mystery gemstone - also extremely interesting.

Again, one could wander off on all sorts of tangents ....

How could my library use podcasting for our clients and staff?
One way that we could use podcasts could be in our Home Library Service - library users who cannot physically get in to use our main library or our Mobile Library that services many of our local towns and villages.
We could use these podcasts to advertise events, communicate changes or just read parts of a book to them - a multitude of uses only limited by our imaginations.

Another way would be for those patrons who use our audiobooks to fill in their travelling time to and from work, whether by train or in their car.
Or for those patrons who listen to audiobooks while doing household chores. Again, a multitude of uses ....

But there are always one's own personal uses. Hmmmm ....

Answer boards and social searching

I visited the Answer Board Librarians wiki and viewed the “Exemplary Answers” section.
The answers section was extremely interesting - one could spend hours and hours and .... just perusing and wandering off on tangents.

There were some very clever Signatures and Taglines that could be, perhaps, "borrowed" to use in our own library.

Consider if there is a role for your library in “slamming the boards”:-
There's always a role in any library for this kind of forum - but there is the perennial problem in our library of human resources - not enough people and not enough time (unfortunately).
The first that I'd heard of this forum was during a seminar at the State Library of NSW where it was enthusiastically demonstrated to us by a reference librarian from Faifield Library - very informative, very entertaining.

In what ways might your customers like to rate or review items in the collection or services you offer?
Some of our patrons would probably greatly enjoy this aspect, but probably the majority of patrons wouldn't be bothered - they just wish to dash in and dash out with their bag of books, DVDs etc.
However, there is now the opportunity, on our online catalogue, for interested patrons to review particular titles - but I'm not aware if anyone has done so yet. Probably a bit of advertising would be all that is needed to get them started.
Maybe this is the direction we should be following .....