Videos online

I think everyone loves the huge array of videos on the web. They just add another dimension to the podcasting we looked at before - although you can't look at videos as you're driving your car for example. I think library websites could use video a lot more to engage with their customers, although you do need to have a decent amount of bandwidth or they're not worth the pain of the constant buffering process. I've been waiting for the video test drive so that I can add the classic video featuring the NZ accent (I think made by....who else but a couple of Australians!)This video has become a bit of a cult hit and now even has an ongoing slot on ABC tv!

Google, google & more google

Well i think Google is going to take over the world!! It is pretty good though - I use it all the time. I have had an igoogle page for some time now but don't use the Calender option yet although I should as it could be very useful at home. The translate app is interesting. not knowing any other languages fluently it would be hard to test it although I did try "Ma tante a tombe dans le jardin" and it translated it as "My aunt fell in the garden" which is pretty much correct. I do wonder though if some of the companies supplying gadgets made in China or Korea have used one of these translation apps to translate their manuals - the wording can sometimes be very funny. The Google Maps app is another one I haven't had time to explore yet...but i will be as I want to make a map with photos showing where we went on our trip around the UK. I also want to create one showing my favourite spots to vist in NZ. Will add the links when they're done.

Web browsers

Web browsers are not something I've really looked into in detail before although I do use Firefox at home and have now started to use it in preference at work, although there are some things where I have to use IE, eg. our Microsft training program. I prefer Firefox as it is more secure and seems to have less problems. i also like the tab feature although IE7 uses them too. Have had a look at the add-ons, which I haven't gone into at all up to now, although i know its a major feature of Firefox. Have added on the ReminderFox feature as I figure i can do with any reminding I can get!! I was amazed at the Reference Collection - that would be great for a student and possibly a Reference desk at a smaller library where you get asked all sorts of everything.
Had a look at Google Chrome - just the feature page...haven't actually downloaded it. I liked the look of it actually - clear and clean, particularly the icons. Skimmed through the comic book explaining it all and thought the mulitple processing idea excellent - must make it much faster to load.

Podcasts

I really like the idea of podcasts although funnily enough I haven't used them much. However it was good doing this exercise and finding all the directories that list them. The Learn Out Loud one looked great, particularly for learning a language. I like the ABC directory....clearly set out, its Australian...and some interesting topics. Another favourite is Words of Peace...has little snippets of talks by Prem Rawat on the subject of peace...brings everything into perspective! I also really liked the Walking in West End podcast on the SLQ website...a brilliant way to get an audio tour as you're exploring the area. The obvious use of podcasts for libraries is using it in a similar way...as an audio tour. You could also have talks about the collections or special events. To give a NZ flavour...there are quite a few podcasts teaching the Maori language. Here's a lovely one 'Te Kakano' which includes a beautiful waiata 'Te kokako' sung by Hirini Melbourne....you can also click on the video below it to see the words.

Mashups

Well am getting rather behind as usual so thought I'd better get onto it!!! Mashups, funnily enough, don't really do a lot for me.....I find them mostly a bit annoying....especially the ones that don't work properly, and there seem to be a lot of those!! (maybe its just me?? :( ) For instance I tried looking at the mashup on windfarms in NZ as I thought it would be a good one to add to this blog but no.....oouldn't get it to display properly. Still they look quite fun to create so might try that if I get time....could have a map with all my favourite places in NZ on it and put it on this blog...or..bore everyone silly with a map of where we went on our wonderful one & only overseas trip!
Have been looking at the Mashup awards and not over the moon - went back a few months and found Twash which is quite fun....its yet another one about Twitter but gives you the tweets liked enough by someone to add it to Twash...you can also vote for the one you like best to improve it's ranking....oh well..something to do in the wee small hours when sleep remains elusive...

More online applications - and other freebies

Well its been a while since my last post.....despite meaning to keep up interesting posts about my own dear homeland, time has run away with me as usual and I have added nothing. However, we are now doing our second Licence 2 Test Drive course so that will motivate me to keep going! Our first session covers online applications - possibly useful tools that we can use for free to help organise our lives and, as always with Web 2.0, SHARE!!
Google Docs is definitely a useful tool. I first started using it when I wanted to collaborate with my partner's extended family about the Christmas menu - we all bring something to the feast and it can be a pain making sure all courses are covered. Google Docs made it a lot easier, its true. Since then I haven't used it much I confess....how could I use it for work? Let me think......because we have the O Drive which is a shared drive I can't really see the point of adding another sharing application for documents. However, for smaller libraries that don't have a shared drive you could use it for all sorts of collaborative ventures..

Other applications I liked were Tada List and Jott. Tada List looks great for all those lists I keep meaning to write and never do. My main problem is remembering to look at the list!! However having them all in one place is a great notion - you could reuse old lists if need be...I definitely like it! The trouble is you have to be at a computer...which brings me to my other favourite....Jott enables you to "jot' down your thoughts via your mobile phone then email them to yourself or wherever you want...brilliant idea for those like me who keep forgetting things...I wonder if you can email them to your Tada list!!

Folksonomies - fancy word for categorising things

Have been looking at Del.icio.us and have rediscovered my account which I started long ago and its meagre 2 bookmarks. Have added 2 more (wow!! - I'll try not to go overboard!) but will definitely be adding more when I get time. Its actually a really good concept. I love the De.licio.us page for Ask Now - it's excellent for finding those elusive websites to fit a client's question, either during an AskNow session or on the phone or desk. I also like the tag cloud - easier to see a lot of tags at once. Its good to see other libraries using it as a way to recommend good websites to their patrons.


Had a quick look through Technorati - I can see it will be a first port of call when looking for blogs on particular subjects. Really want to get on to Library Thing tho....

Have finally joined Library Thing .... its great! Noosa Library's Library Thing is impressive - so many book clubs! And providing multiple copies for them all is amazing. I'll be adding lots more to mine but i have to say i don't own them all...they're mainly ones I've read - I don't buy many books. Or is that a bad thing...oooh I'm not sure....everyone seems to add books on their shelves at home...I wish i could buy so many books!

RSS Feeds

Must make an effort to finish these posts quicker! Went into Bloglines and finally managed to figure out how it works...its quite fun actually, now I've sussed it out.

I've subscribed to 11 feeds - OPAL Training; ABC News Brisbane; BBC News, World Edition; Librarian's Internet Index; 5 feeds from the NZ Herald; Rotten Tomatoes (Movies); The Shifted Librarian. Will look for more at a later date. I can see they are a good way of keeping up with different interests / events, without having to go to all the different websites / blogs.
Because this blog is about home "across the ditch" I'm going to post the feed for the NZ weather ..... it'll remind me about having to get up in those freezing mornings and more often than not have to get ice off the car window.

Social networking

Have finally got onto doing my next post. As I have had a Facebook account for a couple of years I decided to try Twitter. The most difficult thing was finding a username that hadn't already been taken...I tried all sorts of weird combinations of my name and other names I liked...all taken! Ended up just making up a name. Found this interesting post about this very problem
http://www.netpreneur.com.au/secure-your-name-on-social-networking-sites/2009/02

I had a look at the Brisbane Film festival MySpace page....works really well I think as they can put on lots of film footage. http://www.myspace.com/brisbanefilmfest
Have been pretty disappointed in NLNZ's Twitter posts tho......

Wacky wikis

Well they're not really wacky...some might be...but I just liked the sound. I'm a bit behind with this so better catch up....s'posed to be up to social networking now! Anyway, have looked at some wikis. Tried the NZ Police Review wiki (of course) but couldn't get into it for some reason...might try again later. Had a look at the Mint Wiki...nice..lots of info on the different art exhibitions, a few more pictures would have been good though. Really liked the the idea of the Book Lovers wiki from Princeton Public Library - this is a static wiki though as it was done as a sort of project by the Summer Reading Book Club so only reflects the reading they did for that summer (2006). Just had to look at Wookipedia (I think that justifies my title!) I had no idea there was so much information on every little character in Star Wars...amazing detail!

For example, have a look at this article on K-3PO (a sort of work colleague of C-3PO) http://starwars.wikia.com/index.php?title=K-3PO&oldid=2500681

....all and more that you'd ever want to know about a droid!

Had a quick look at the Possible Next Generation Catalogs and was interested to see Nelsonville Public Library there with Koha, an open source library management system. Koha was actually developed by Horowhenua Public Library along with Katipo, a web development company from Wellington. My previous workplace, Kapiti District Libraries, decided to ditch Spydus and use Koha....it was a huge amount of work as the data from Spydus didn't transfer properly to Koha so we had to virtually redevelop everything from scratch..absolute nightmare!! Have a look at the catalogue http://library.kapiticoast.govt.nz/cgi-bin/koha/opac-main.pl . There were a lot of features that we wanted and weren't able to get - drove everyone mad! Good on them for trying something so new...pity it didn't work out as we wanted.

While on the subject of my old library here are some pics of Paraparaumu Library where I worked for 7 years before coming over to Oz. It also won a major architectural award (like SLQ) and really is a lovely space to work in.
http://www.kapiticoastlibraries.govt.nz/Paraparaumu.php

Boats, cars and a tow truck, alongside Lake Taupo, ca late 1950s

Boats, cars and a tow truck, alongside Lake Taupo, ca late 1950s, originally uploaded by National Library NZ on The Commons.

Found this on National Library NZ on The Commons. We always went to Taupo when I was a small child - Dad built a little batch and we used the lake in those days for swimming, washing, drinking, everything!! Bit different now!

Paraparaumu Beach

Paraparaumu Beach, originally uploaded by Debitha.

You can walk 40 kms on this beach if you want, from Paekakariki, to Raumati, to Paraparaumu, Waikanae and up to Otaki.
The dog loved it - we scattered his ashes in the water as it was his favourite place!

Rocky Raumati

I wish
Originally uploaded by - Devon ♫

Used to walk the dog along here all the time - you do get a good bit of sand on the other side of these rocks, but only at low tide. There's lots of erosion which is why some homeowner has planted iron posts in a vain attempt to stop the sea eroding all his property away.





This view (left) shows
Kapiti Island
in the background.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/kennyclark/

Sunset at Raumati

Sunset at Raumati
Originally uploaded by MeerkatNZ

Became quite homesick searching for images on Raumati South where I lived before coming to Oz. We lived about 10 mins walk away from the beach and sunsets like this are common.

My home town

As we're learning about photo sharing I am posting a few photos from Flickr showing the Kapiti Coast, where I used to live. (As always, when you are far away, you only remember the good things!!)

Week One

Well I'm starting my first blog (its actually my second, but its over a year since I went into it!) for our Licence to Test Drive. I enjoyed the video -The machine is us/ing us....clever. Stephen Fry's talk about Web 2.0 didn't come through though...couldn't seem to get past a woman saying very loudly .. "Web 2.0" !

I actually think blog's are great for libraries to get their recommendations out there - whether its the latest good read or some nifty website, and of course there's those family history blogs!

I've decided to focus this blog on all things kiwi (sorry Aussies...I know.."another one!"). So there'll be some pics of my favourite places (and yes, some libraries), kiwiana, jokes maybe and a video or 2.

A little bit of kiwiana to start with - a couple of things I remember with fondness......

Buzzy bee!!
Just about every child in NZ has
one of these in their toy box

Chocolate fish!

Marshmallow & chocolate

Yum!

(Buzz bars are nice too)