#18 Web-based Applications - Google Docs

Today I tried one of the web-based applications - Google Docs. It is a very useful tool and can be used to create and share your work online. You can import the existing documents, spreadsheets and presentations, or create new ones from scratch. The best of all is that you can access and edit your documents from anywhere and store them securely online. You can invite people to your document and make changes together - it's very helpful when you do a group presentation or work as a committe member.

I spent some time trying to create files or upload files. I found that when you upload files, it lists the types of files you can upload. It also gives you the options of sharing or publishing documents. You can even publish it to your blog. I tried to post one photo from Google Docs to my blog, the file went through, but the image didn't. I also tried to share one document with my colleague, and it went through successfully. The following is a word file that I uploaded from my desktop and saved it as a presentation file. Here it is:

This document is published on the web.
Your document is publicly viewable at:
http://docs.google.com/Presentation?id=dhtprxk5_118cx976
Published on November 24, 2007 1:13 PM

One of the benefits to participate in Queens Library Learning 2.0 is to know that we have so many web-based applications available to us but we didn't know they even exist. Now we can recommend to our customers those tools especially when they don't have floppy dics or flash drives with them and they want to save their files.

#17 1/2 Facebook and Online Social Club

In my previous blog, I said I wouldn't sign up for any unnecessary online accounts any more. Here I am again signing up for my Facebook. I couldn't resist the temptation! I am curious and wonder why so many people got hooked up to it - my son was one of them. I did find it interesting and helpful. I might be able to find my long lost friends! As for the library applications, I like Books iRead and My Wikipedia. People can share their reviews and knowledge. For other applications, they all look good to me, but I am afraid there are so many out there that we cannot handle.

#17 Playing Around with Wikis

Unfortunately, I didn't have a good experience playing with Wikis. Almost every Wiki I tried, I was blocked from editing and changing them. They all required a login name and password. Right now I don't even remember how many accounts I have since I started with Library Learning 2.0. I just don't want to have another one unless it is necessary. My colleague showed me one that didn't ask for login, and I tried it. It works, but I don't want to repeat other people's work. I think I will keep on trying until I find one. It is very time consuming!

#16 Wiki Me This

Wikis are so cool. They can be used to bridge the gaps between customers and the libraries and put the community resources under their control. St. Joseph Country Public Library System did a good job for their Subject Guides. The guides represent the collaboration between the library and its users and truly show the users real interests. The Guides not only help customers discover library materials but also events and activities. I took a look at the SJCPL Subject Guides and clicked on the entry of Jobs. I found information on Unemployment Info; Local Employers; Local Job Search Links; General Job Search Links; Relocation & Cost of Living; Resumers and Careers, so on and so forth. It is very comprehensive. On top of their webpage, it gives you the options to read, discuss, edit (only limited to librarians) and history - one of the features that earlier versions of a page can be viewed and reinstated if needed. I tried to click on Discussion tap and wanted to make some comments without any success. It has some kind of control there. But I will try later. With Queens Library, I think our Community Database can use this Wiki format to pull all the agencies or organizations together and serve our customers better.

#15 On Library 2.0

Libary 2.0, an adaption from Web 2.0, is a user-centered, information and resource sharing web. Lots of people may have not realized that we are already a user of Web 2.0 and Library 2.0. This shared network space provides people with alomost everything they do.

With Library 2.0, more and more services are available to users. Users are encouraged for feedback and participation in the library services, such as Ask A Librarian, a two way communication. With Library 2.0, library can save shelf space by providing users with virtual reference. That's why we weeded our reference collection heavily and got rid of some of the "just in case" collection as Rick Anderson mentioned in his article Away from the "icebergs" . "It no longer makes sense to collect information products as if they wre hard to get." As libraries are moving into Web 2.0, our customers will expect access to everything. That places us into a new direction - "it means integrating our services into their daily patterns of work, study and play"(Rick Anderson).

#14 Technorati Navigation

I navigated on Technorati today, and there is so much information there. I was wondering who has time to sit there searching for all this information. Perhaps I am an old fashioned librarian and like things to be well organized, not like the information unfiltered in Technorati. But anyway, I tried the keyword searching for Learning 2.0. I got 2536 posts tagged Learning 2.0, and 37213 results from Learning 2.0 in the blog posts. What a difference! I also tried Queens Library as a tag in the Technorati search, and found the photo that I posted on flickr. Here it is: http://technorati.com/photos/tag/queens+library?page=3

#13 Tag!

I took a look at the Del.icio.us. There are so many delicious things there - tags/bookmarks. I checked QL L2.0 account, and found many useful resources there. I purposely clicked on a bookmark that has been bookmarked by very few users so that I wouldn't be sidetracked. I clicked on LANGUAGE, it opened up another page with TravelLiguist. On the right side of the page, it gives "related tags": reference, tools, youtube. I further clicked on "tools", then another page with related tags appeared, such as "archive, bibliographic, blog, citation, collaboration, directions, email...". I like it. They can be cross referenced.