Web-based apps

I can see that Zoho would be really useful if you didn't have your own PC - it would be useful to tell library users about, as it's a way for them to work on public and shared PCs without having to save to disk. The problem is that it's much slower of course than using a PC application, so you would need good connectivity.

I had a go at using the Zoho spreadsheet too. It wasn't too bad - a bit clunkier than XL (esoecially with the cell formatting etc) and kinda slow, but the basic functionality was there. It sure had prettier colours on offer!

I tried to export it to my computer, but it was blocked - no doubt our Web Marshall at play. The end result is that I seem to have lost my spreadsheet (I had saved it, honest). So my big question now is.... where the heck do you find your stuff?

I also tried to open the Writer but it seems to be a bit corrupted right now and looks quite off-putting in its present form. Oh well, I tried....

Web-based apps

I'm all delighted with myself, not just because I have tackled another challenge, but also becuase I have done my first ever presentation (never having used Power Point before - can you believe it?)

PBWiki - summer sandbox

I must say I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was only 5 weeks since I last worked on my Web 2.0. It feels like it's been months. Just had a play in the sandbox of PB Wiki - how easy and fun was that! Of course, I got a bit cocky and didn't read the instructions properly, so I had to go back and stick the brackets around my blog entry in the Favourite Blogs to make the link. That'll learn me for thinking I was a smarty-pants!

This is the first time I have done any Web 2.0 at work, being January and quieter and all. But our internet is so slow today it is driving me crazy. I own't complain about my home speed again.

Walking in a wiki wonderland

FINALLY I have had a look at Wikis. I love it!!! I was really impressed with the St Joseph's library subject guide, and I used the booklovers wiki to put a hold on a few titles. We simply have to jump on the bandwagon at Brimbank - luckily I have many colleagues who are more on the web 2.0 ball than I am and this is well in hand. Besides the obvious potential of a library wiki for the community, I see it as a simple solution for a user friendly library intranet that can replace our shared drive at last (says me, who hasn't a clue how to set a wiki up).

This has been the most exciting web 2.0 topic for me so far - I feel really motivated.

Library 2.0

When the Internet first appeared in the mainstream of public life, I recall the near-panic that we in the library profession felt about the need to stay relevant amidst the dire predictions of the death of the library. How amazing then that our public libraries have in fact become even busier, more vibrant social places. Instead of the predicted death of libraries, what we are now facing is the challenge of finding enough new blood to follow us into the profession.

And new blood indeed is what we seek. "People people" who relish change and challenge, who embrace new technologies and who understand the changing needs and expectations of our community. We're up for a challenge alright! Not only to recruit these people, but even more importantly, to help and nurture our existing staff to develop and grow to meet these changing needs.

That's where this Learning 2.0 program is so terrific. It's been really mind opening and enlightening. It makes the future of libraries and 2.0 something that is exciting rather than terrifying (well ok, it's still pretty terrifying...). The possibilities for reaching out to the user, in their space not ours, seem so much more attainable now. It's something we've known for a long time that needs to be aimed for, that we've talked about for years... will it actually start to happen?

Wow! What an opportunity - how many other jobs offer "old fogies" like us the chance to learn, catch up and be involved with social networking like this? We just have to feel the fear and do it anyway.

(PS, I don't think my last pinging attempt with Technorati did a thing. Sigh)

Hmmm...

Not so sure that I got it right last time with the ping thing. For a start, I realised that I didn't have my html link done correctly - had an extra ] that shouldn't have been there. Have amended it, pinged again - let's see what happens, if anything.

ping-a-ling

Well, I put the HTML link for "learning 2.0" into my last post. Then did the ping thing (how exciting.. I've never pinged anything before... except for ants crawling up my arm). It says it could take up to an hour to be added to Technorati. I spent several minutes gazing at the scrolling new posts in the hope that I may witness myself becoming famous, but so far, nothing. Oh well. Not sure if I'll ever know how successful my feeble attempts have been.