LibraryThing is fab. I think I will probably use it to catalogue my own library, but I can see the folks in my bookclub getting into it once they know how it works. We meet once a month, but the added connection online would be good.
Added ten books with ease, and chose some alternate covers, and can see that I'll soon be addicted to it. I'm considering it for its networking possibilities in my volunteer job too. We read and review quite a lot of texts as part of what I do there, so the reviewing and sharing and seeing what other things are out there is very appealing.
Adding the widget stumped me as I could not work out which kind of Blogger gadget to choose. The HTML one, which seemed invisible to me, caught the eye of my colleague Elli, and now the widget is in.
Checked out Shelfari and Gurulib, but LibraryThing seems to have more features, and I'm happy to stick with it. A friend of mine also uses Goodreads, which is similar.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Discover Technorati
Searched the keyword 'bookmobile' on the front page of Technorati and received 190 hits. Tried it again as a keyword in the Advanced serach feature and received the same 190 hits. When I searched blogs tagged with 'bookmobile', only 49 hits came back, however they seemed more relevant than many in the list of 190.
Explore del.icio.us
Although I already have a del.icio.us account, I decided to make some much needed improvements, and add a whole bunch of new tags. I have been operating on the lazy, bare minimum number, and a bit more tagging will go a long way to making searching quicker.
I already have the toolbar icons, for both IE and Firefox (which has an add-on to show you your most recently accessed bookmarks).
Any kind of collaboration could benefit from a tool such as del.icio.us. Online study groups, any kind of remote learning, common interest groups, could easily share their resource findings, gathered together and bookmarked on a common site. Being able to trawl through other resources tagged with the words relevant to your interest could be one way to assist your own research.
I think SLQ could put its Netlinks into del.icio.us, as an alternative to integrating them into the catalogue.
I already have the toolbar icons, for both IE and Firefox (which has an add-on to show you your most recently accessed bookmarks).
Any kind of collaboration could benefit from a tool such as del.icio.us. Online study groups, any kind of remote learning, common interest groups, could easily share their resource findings, gathered together and bookmarked on a common site. Being able to trawl through other resources tagged with the words relevant to your interest could be one way to assist your own research.
I think SLQ could put its Netlinks into del.icio.us, as an alternative to integrating them into the catalogue.
Discover del.icio.us
I have had a del.icio.us account for about a year now, and I use it to indulge my sad habit of reading fan fiction online into the wee hours. I also use it to bookmark useful resources which I need in my volunteer job, in my life outside library land. Haven't really explored the whole social networking angle of it at this stage, and tend to store and tag just for my own benefit. I refer to it on a daily basis, and can see just how useful it could be for a library.
From the examples given, I can see that libraries might tend to use del.icio.us to bookmark the websites or blogs of other libraries and museums, and RSS feed would help alert people to new posts, exhibitions, acquisitions, etc. Some libraries clearly use del.icio.us to bookmark useful Web 2.0 sites and blogs, and other useful online resources for use by staff and clients. I find the AskNow cloud very useful as a quick find tool for relevant resources while you are juggling clients on a shift. The tagging just helps to zero in on things quickly.
From the examples given, I can see that libraries might tend to use del.icio.us to bookmark the websites or blogs of other libraries and museums, and RSS feed would help alert people to new posts, exhibitions, acquisitions, etc. Some libraries clearly use del.icio.us to bookmark useful Web 2.0 sites and blogs, and other useful online resources for use by staff and clients. I find the AskNow cloud very useful as a quick find tool for relevant resources while you are juggling clients on a shift. The tagging just helps to zero in on things quickly.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Explore RSS Feeds
Just added my fave 'Curious expeditions' feed to the blog, and Stephanie Meyer's site (that's for my many daughters). I think I prefer feeds to be embeded like this, rather than on a separate page. But if you subscribe to 20 feeds or more, then I guess it would be impossible to put them all in your blog, or on your i-Google page. Have just added some things to Google Reader. It does not have the ready-to-go popular suggestions/topics to choose from as Bloglines does, but then it is easy to search for whatever blogs and feeds you like via Google Blog.
Discover RSS Feeds
If this exercise has done nothing else, it has reinforced how much I am enjoying personalising everything I do online. I love the idea of being able to define the news or info you want to receive, and just leave out the rest. The currency is very appealing, and delivery via RSS feed seems so much neater and more sophisticated than the prospect of a gazillion emails, and , you can just look at them is you want to or not if you don't.
I realise that I already have and look at various RSS feeds, without really knowing it. Am still coming to grips with the variety of RSS feeds can arrive. Bloglines is fine, and I don't mind having them in my IE favourites, and I also quite like the odd feed added as a gadget to my i-google page. Haven't explored Google Reader at this stage, but it might suit me more than Bloglines because it is a click away. One of my good friends uses Bloglines to receive new recipes via RSS. She and I both like feeds about new books and movies. We also both have girl children, so some of our feeds are inevitably 'Twilight' blogs.....
I added various sites to my Bloglines list:
ABC and BBC news feeds, and the Guardian and New York Times reviews of books.
At work, I can see how RSS could be useful for sending news of new available titles (great for selection), and useful websites (good for compiling links or finding and verifying info). These things already come to me, but arrive as an emailed list from time to time. I would definitely prefer the feed. Our library could and already does have an RSS option on a number of blogs. I think the exhibitions blog or something similar is a great way to engage and remind audiences about library activities. The summer reading club blog is also a nice little way to encourage participation from kids, wherever thay are.
I realise that I already have and look at various RSS feeds, without really knowing it. Am still coming to grips with the variety of RSS feeds can arrive. Bloglines is fine, and I don't mind having them in my IE favourites, and I also quite like the odd feed added as a gadget to my i-google page. Haven't explored Google Reader at this stage, but it might suit me more than Bloglines because it is a click away. One of my good friends uses Bloglines to receive new recipes via RSS. She and I both like feeds about new books and movies. We also both have girl children, so some of our feeds are inevitably 'Twilight' blogs.....
I added various sites to my Bloglines list:
Librarians' Internet Index
The Shifted Librarian
librarian.net
Curious expeditions (my fave - beautiful libraries of the world)
ABC and BBC news feeds, and the Guardian and New York Times reviews of books.
At work, I can see how RSS could be useful for sending news of new available titles (great for selection), and useful websites (good for compiling links or finding and verifying info). These things already come to me, but arrive as an emailed list from time to time. I would definitely prefer the feed. Our library could and already does have an RSS option on a number of blogs. I think the exhibitions blog or something similar is a great way to engage and remind audiences about library activities. The summer reading club blog is also a nice little way to encourage participation from kids, wherever thay are.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Adventure Social Networking
I have to admit that Facebook and MySpace scare me a bit. Revealing even a little about myself makes me feel very exposed with these tools. I have a Facebook account, and belong to a nationwide volunteer organisation of women who, among other wonderful and worthwhile activities, love to chat. Adding a mere one friend from this group is like lighting an incendiary device. The viral speed of friend to friend connection is breathtaking. Not sure I'm comfortable with it yet. The familiarity is a little alarming. Still, it is kind of nice to see who is out there...
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