Frequently asked questions

What about Privacy?
There is none! Everyone can read your Blog, this is the nature of Blogs in general.
Suggestions: You can remain anonymous by choosing a Generic Name for the Blog and hide your user profile if you wish.
Keep in mind the type of Posts you make and use discretion in mentioning names/places etc. Copyright issues and intellectual content also apply to Blogs.

How do I Register?
Use the link to the online registration form down the side panel of this blog.
It also includes a Blog registration.
Use the CUT and PASTE method to put your URL into your registration form .

How does this online learning program work?
This is a self-discovery program which encourages staff to take control of their own learning and to utilize their lifelong learning skills through exploration and play.
Staff are encouraged to work together and share with each other their discoveries, techniques and "how to's" both in person and through their blogs.

How do I track my progress?
Each staff member that chooses to participate in this program will be required to keep a blog to track their own progress.
Basically you will make regular posts to your Blog about what you are learning, likes dislikes etc. noting each week and addressing each 'Thing'!
An Staff tracking log (on Google Docs) will be kept where your progress will be recorded.

Can I work ahead through the list of items on my own?
Learning 2.0 is a self-pace discovery program. Staff are encouraged to utilize their lifelong learning skills through exploration, but also to work together and share with each other their discoveries, techniques and "how to's" both in person and through their blogs. Staff can also work ahead through the exercises if they wish.

What if I need help
Support and assistance will always be available.

• Lynette Lewis from Yarra Plenty Regional Library is our facilitator.
  

You may email Lynette or call her and you will receive a reply by COB the following business day. Lynette Lewis Phone: 9401 0764 email: learning@yprl.vic.gov.au

Weekly Workshops and Tutorials

• Lynette will be available every Thursday afternoon providing one-on-one assistance and also giving a 1hour tutorial on the topic for the week.

• Mark Showalter and Leanne Easey will also be providing two alternative tutorials on the topic for the week for staff unavailable on Thursdays.
• Staff can book a place in the weekly tutorials on the online booking sheets available on the shared g drive G:\Information Services\Training\2007 Bookings\Learning 2.0 workshops and tutorials

Additional Support

• Staff requiring further assistance should also speak to their team leader and seek advice from the staff member in their team who completed the program as part of the Group 1, the team mentor.

How long do I have to complete this program?
The program begins on Monday 1st October and ends on Friday 30th November.

Leave and absences for October and November during the program
The support structures as outlined will be available to help staff continue through the program if they are absent for any periods during the nine weeks.
The facilitation by Yarra Plenty Library concludes 30th November and there will be no tutorials or workshops scheduled after this date.
However, the blog and the program will remain live on the web for anyone to continue and finish the program independently beyond November 30th.

#18 Is this really the end? Or just the beginning...

Congratulations!!

You’ve reached the 18th and final exercise.

This program was based on the PLCMC Learning 2.0 program
developed by Helene Blowers.

There are other Learning 2.0 programs and subsequent ones which incorporate different and/or new activities, all of which cannot be included.
We didn't look at Instant Messenging-Twitter (Read 'Twitter Explained...') Yahoo Messanger and Meebo; Social networking sites- Facebook or MySpace; SecondLife; even Google Maps . Read about programs beyond the original 23 things (18+5) below.

There is one more activity for you to post to your blog.

For your last and final exercise for this program please reflect on your learning journey and post a few thoughts.

Here are some questions to prompt you if you're drawing a blank ...

What were your favorite discoveries or exercises on this learning journey?
How has this program assisted or affected your lifelong learning goals?
Were there any take-aways or unexpected outcomes from this program that surprised you?

Do you have reservations about the value of the program? Were there any negative aspects?
What could we do differently to improve upon this program’s format or concept?

In closing, thank you all for participating.

If you want to explore further...

Learning 2.1 - (a PLCMC program following on from the original 23 things)

Library 2.0 in 15 minutes a day

The Internet Can Change Your Life - series of daily assignments

This AID-Learning 2.0 Program has been based on the PLCMC Learning 2.0 program developed by Helene Blowers of the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County.
Many thanks to Helene Blowers for allowing us to use her program.
Learning 2.0 is licensed under Creative Commons

#17 On Library 2.0 & Web 2.0...

Library 2.0 is term used to describe a set of concepts for developing and delivering library services. The name, is an extension of Web2.0 and shares many of its same philosophies and concepts including harnessing the user in both design and implementation of services, embracing constant change as a development cycle over the traditional notion of upgrades, and reworking library services to meet the users in their space, as opposed to ours (libraries).

Many have argued that the notion of Library 2.0 is more than just a term used to describe concepts that merely revolve around the use of technology; it also a term that can be used to describe both physical and mindset changes that are occurring within libraries to make our spaces and services more user-centric and inviting. Others within the profession have asserted that libraries have always been 2.0: collaborative, customer friendly and welcoming. But no matter which side of the debate proponents fall, both sides agree that libraries of tomorrow, even five or ten years from now, will look substantially different from libraries today.

Discovery Resources:

• Read Kelly Gardiner's SLV Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 presentation
• Web 2.0: Where will the next generation of the web it take libraries?
  
• David Lee King 'Library 2.0 ripples' post
  
• Links to more discussions can be located through the list of references at the bottom of the Library 2.0 page in Wikipedia

• Examples of library catalogues using Web 2.0 applications:

WorldCat; Library Labs - National Library of Australia's test interface; International Digital Children's Library; Washington State Library catalogue (use IE and search on 'Seattle Post-Intelligencer'); Lexington Public Library (try the Thorobrowser search).

Discovery Exercise:

1. Read two or three of the perspectives on Library 2.0 and browse the library resources.
   
2. Create a blog post about your thoughts on any one of these? Library 2.0 - It's many things to many people. What does it mean to you?
   You may like to talk about the State Library of Victoria's vision for the future, and how you see web 2.0 being incorporated ito this.

#Optional - Audiobooks

Downloadable eAudiobooks are becoming more popular in library situations, while the e book has been touted for years.

Subscription services such as Netlibrary and Overdrive enable libraries to purchase audio files, so library members can download them onto their mp3 players.
The beauty of this is that after the loan period expires, the audio file is deleted from the mp3player.

For this discovery exercise, you merely need to familiarize yourself a bit with the structure of the World EBook fair site (a free siteDownloadable eAudiobooks site)

Browse and locate a few titles of interest.

Discovery Resources:

• World EBook Fair - Gutenberg's Audio eBook Collection
• Librivox - volunteers record chapters of books in the public domain and publish them on the net
  

Discovery Exercise:

Click on the eAudiobooks link and explore some of the titles.

These are FREE downloads here from the Gutenberg Project.
If you have Real Player or Windows Media Player installed you can listen right there or download to an MP3 device.

Interesting links can also be found at the

• World EBook Fair site


• Historical Childrens EbookseMovies


• other collections

Create a blog post about your findings.

#16 Podcasts, Smodcasts

The word podcast is used to refer to a non-musical audio or video broadcast that is distributed over the Internet. What differentiates a podcast from regular streaming audio or video is that the delivery method for podcasts is often done automatically through RSS.

In 2005, "podcast" was named the "word of the year" by New Oxford American Dictionary.

Podcasts take many forms, from short 1-10 minutes commentaries to much longer in person interviews or panel group discussions.

There’s a podcast out there for just about every interest area and the best part about this technology is that you don’t have to have an iPod or a MP3 player to access them.

Since podcasts use the MP3 file format, a popular compressed format for audio files, you really just need a PC (or portal device) with headphones or a speaker*.

iTunes, the free downloadable application created by Apple is the directory finding service most associated with podcasts, but if you don’t have iTunes installed there are still plenty of options.

For this discovery exercise participants are asked to take a look at some popular podcast directory tools. Do some exploring on your own and locate a podcast that is of interest to you.

Once found, you can easily pull the RSS feed into your Google Reader account as well, so that when new casts become available you’ll be automatically notified of their existence.
(*If you do not have headphones, these are available from the Training and Development Team)

Discovery Resources:

• To find out more about podcasts you can read more here
• Check the current list of SLV podcasts
  

There are many, many podcast directories and finding tools out there. Here are just three of the more popular ones that, unlike iTunes, don't require a software download:

• Podcast.net
  
• Podcastalley.com
  
• Yahoo Podcasts

Discovery Exercise:

1. Take a look at one or two of the podcast directories listed and see if you can find a podcast that interests you. See if you can find some interesting library related podcasts here like book review podcasts or library news.
   
2. Add the RSS feed for a podcast to your Google account
   
3. Create a blog post about your discovery process. Did you find anything useful here?
   Can you see use for podcasts in the library situation?

OPTIONAL:
You may like to listen to the following podcast by Helene Blowers (creator of this Learning 2.0 program Learning 2.0 : Make "play" your New Year's resolution
She discusses the development of this program and the concept of lifelong learning

#15 Video Sharing Websites - YouTube et al

Online video hosting sites allow users to easily to upload and share videos on the web. Among all the web 2.0 players in this area, YouTube is the most popular allowing users not only to upload their own video content easily, but also embed clips into their own sites easily.

Do some searching around YouTube yourself and see what the site has to offer. You'll find everything from

• 1970s TV commercials
• library dominos
• Clips explaining Web 2.0: What is Web 2.0? and an interesting visual/music presentation called Web 2.0 the machine is us/ing us
  

Like any free site you’ll also find a lot not worth watching, but take some time to explore.

Discovery Exercise:

1. Explore YouTube
   
2. Explore the educational alternatives to YouTube - TeacherTube or Science Hack
   
3. Find a video worth adding as an entry in your blog. Create a blog post about your experience. What did you like or dislike about the sites and why did you choose the video that you did? Can you see any features or components of the site that might be interesting if they were applied to library websites?
   
   OPTIONAL: Try placing the video inside your blog using the copy and paste code for the for "Embeddable Player.” Note: you'll need to use Blogger's Edit HTML tab when pasting this code.

Other popular video hosting sites include:

• Yahoo Videos
• Google videos

NOTE: Videos, like music downloads, are bandwidth hogs. You may have some trouble playing long clips

#14 Discovering more Web 2.0 tools

Throughout the course of this Learning 2.0 program we’ve explored just a small sampling of these Web 2.0 technologies that are empowering users with the ability to create and share content.

But given time there are so many more we could explore.

For this discovery exercise, participants are asked to select any site from this list of Web 2.0 Awards nominees and explore it.

Select a category that interests you (like Books or Personal Organization) and then simply select a tool/site to explore.

Be careful to select a tool that is Free and that doesn't require a plug-in or download.

The majority of these free, so this shouldn’t be a problem.

Discovery Exercise:

1. Select any site/tool from the list of Web 2.0 Awards nominees. (If you prefer to select from just the winners, here’s a link to the winners.)
   
2. Explore the site you selected.
   
3. Create a post about your discovery. What did you like or dislike about the tool? What were the site’s useful features? Could you see any applications for its use in a library setting?

#12 Web-based applications - not just for desktops

The availability and use of online productivity web-based applications
(eg: word processing and spreadsheets) provides users with the ability to create and share documents over the internet without the need of installed desktop applications.

One large benefit to web-based applications it that they eliminate the need to worry about different software versions or file types as you email documents or move from PC to PC.

Another bonus is that they easy accommodate collaboration by allowing multiple users to edit the same file (with versioning) and provide users the ability to easily save and convert documents as multiple file types (including HTML and pdf).

You can use many of these tools, such as Zoho Writer and Google Docs and spreadsheets to author and publish posts to your blog.

It’s this type of integration with other web 2.0 tools that also makes web-based apps so appealing.

For this discovery exercise, participants are asked to take a look at a web-based word processing tool called Zoho Writer, create a simple document and then document your discoveries in your blog. If you're up to the challenge, you might even export your document as an HTML file or publish it through Zoho to your blog.
Discovery Resources:

A short list of web-based productivity applications

Discovery Exercise:

1. You will need to create a free account for yourself in Zoho Writer.
   
2. Explore the site and create a few test documents of two.
   
3. Try out Zoho Writer’s features and create a blog post about your discoveries.

Optional:
If you're up for the challenge, try using Zoho’s "publish" options to post to your blog.

* Note: You can also explore Google Docs and spreadsheets Google's online word processer, as an option for this exercise.

The participants tracking log (tracking your progress through these activities) is all done via a spreadsheet on Google Docs. The spreadsheet can be published as a html document if required.

#Optional - Roll your own search engine with Rollyo

Do you have a group of websites that are your favorites? Or a set of online resources that are similar that you frequently use to answer homework or reference questions?

Well Rollyo may be the tool for you.
Rollyo allows you to create your own search tool for the just the websites you know and trust.
Take a look at some of these search rolls that have already been created:

• Public Domain e-Books Search
• Rare Book Library Search
• Free Photos
• Quick Quotes
• Explore other rolls here.

Discovery Exercise:

1. Explore Rollyo and create an account for yourself.
   
2. Create a search roll for any subject you like.
   

Create a post in your blog about your experience and link to your search roll. Can you see a potential use for tools like this?


OPTIONAL: Add your searchroll to your blog

1. Go to Rollyo at
http://www.rollyo.com/

2. Click on DASHBOARD

3. Scroll down the page and click on SEARCHBOX

4. Put the name and URL of your blog in the place provided

5. Click on the search rolls you want and click on the > arrow to transfer them into the into selected SEARCHBOX ROLLS box

6. Go to STYLE and select the type of Rollyo icon you want (it will preview your selection )

7. Go to the COPY AND PASTE CODE BOX Highlight all the code that is in the box and copy it to your clipboard (Highlight the code, go to edit on the toolbar and select copy OR hold down the Crtl key and click the C key at the same time )

8. Sign into your blog and go to the dashboard

9. Go to template

10. Select Add and arrange page elements

11. From this page select HTML/JAVA SCRIPT and click Add to Blog

12. This will lead you to a page that has a space to put

a. A title
b. Contents

Key in a title (Such a rollyo)
Cut and paste the html contents you have copied into the CONTENTS
Do this by going to Edit on the toolbar and selecting paste OR hold the Ctrl Key on the keyboard down and click on the V key at the same time

Click on SAVE CHANGES.
Preview your blog and the rollyo search should be on the template down the side of the page

#13 Blog about Technology

“Library 2.0…it’s not primarily about machines and software: it’s about using the best tools and ideas to provide the best possible service to our users”

[A presentation by Marylaine Block
for the British Colombia Library Association ,April 19, 2007 ]

The Learning 2.0 program is all about teaching you how to use web 2.o tools, and some of these tools you may may find useful to help deliver services in the library.

For Exercise #13, simply blog about anything technology related.

Learning 2.0 is about trying new and emerging technologies.

Discovery Resources:

• Search Educause for their Learning Initiatives 7 Things You Should Know About... series

• Read this perspective from blog Librarians Matter
  

Yes, it can be anything that relates to technology!
Perhaps you might like to talk about 'Creating Content' , or a technology you now rely on to perform everyday tasks.
Is there too much focus on technology?

Try for at least 100-150 words

We have all come along way using technology in a very short time. Can you remember learning to use a computer and a mouse!!!, and having to send an email instead of faxing a memo.
Imagine now having to cope without these technologies

Optional - Play around with Image Generators

Image generators allow you to easily manipulate image and graphics to create fun images like these:

Find a few fun image or text generators to play around with and write a post in your blog about one of your favorites and display the result.

Often adding the image you mocked up to your blog is as simple as copying and pasting code that the page provides.

If not, you may just need to right click on the image and then save it to your hard drive before using Blogger’s image button to add it to your post.

Discovery Resources:

The Generator Blog
Letter James
FD Toys
Also try searching for online generators, text generators or image generators!

Discovery Exercise:

1. Play around with some image generators and find one that you like.
2. Post the result of your discovery process in your blog.
Note: Be sure to include a link to the image generator itself, so other participants can discover it too.

#11 Flickr mashups

Like many web 2.0 sites, Flickr has encouraged other people to build their own online applications using images found on the site.

Through the use of APIs (application programming interfaces), many people have created third party tools and mashups* that use Flickr images.

Here are just a sampling of a few …

• Mappr - allows you to take Flickr images and paste them on a map
  
• Flickr Color Pickr - lets you find public photos in Flickr that match a specific color.
  

Discover more mashups, web apps, and Flickr tools.

Discovery Exercise:

Your discovery exercise is to:

1. Explore some of the fun Flickr mashups and 3rd party tools that are out there.
   
2. Create a blog post about one that intrigues you.

Optional:

If you're up to the challenge while you’re at it, why not create a trading card of your own.

Suggested tools to use are FD Toys’ Trading Card Maker.
You can create your own Librarian Trading Card.


* Mashup Note: Wikipedia offers some great articles that explain mashups. Basically they are hybrid web applications that take features from one application (like Flickr) and mash it up with another (like a map). In this example, you get Mappr (http://mappr.com/).

The image above was created by txt2pics

#10 Discover Flickr

Photo sharing websites have been around since the 90s, but it took a small startup site called Flickr to catapult the idea of “sharing” into a full blown online community.

Flickr is one of the fastest growing
photo sharing site on the web. Keyword tags, as discussed in last week's exercises were first used by Flickr to create associations and connections between photos and users of the site.

For this discovery exercise, you are asked to take a good look at Flickr and discover what this site has to offer. Explore tags further, see what groups are, and examples of how people and other libraries are using Flickr.

Discovery Resources:

Browse the following resources about Flickr.

• Flickr Learn More tour (6 steps)

• Mediamazine Flickr Tutorials


• Flickr: Popular tags
  Interesting- Last 7 days


• Flickr Services (3rd party applications & mashups)
  
• Look at the National Library Picture Australia website. Click on the flickr icon on the front page and you will be lead to a display of images the National Library have used from Flickr
  This is part of the National Library vision of building a comprehensive pictorial record of Australian history . You may also like to view the media release from the National Library about this collaborative project

Discovery Exercise:

1. Take a good look around Flickr and discover an interesting image that you want to blog about.
   
2. Add an image to your blog a)You can create your own account for Flickr then use Flickr's blogging tool to add the image in your post OR b) Login to Flickr using the SLV Flickr account (slvlearning@yahoo.com.au Password is library) to upload a photo to your blog saving to your PC first.
   

To upload a photo to your blog:

• Save the photo you want to upload to your computer (either by a right mouse click for the image or click on the file and save as from the menu bar)
• Log into your blog and go to a new post.
• Click on the Add image icon along the top of the post editing page.
• This will open a window where you can browse your computer for the image you have saved
• Click on upload image and it should appear on your blog.
• After you have uploaded the image to your blog you will be able to move it around the page.
• Click publish post to make the post live on your blog.

Optional Exercise:
If you have access to a digital camera you might like to upload a picture to flickr.

1. To upload a photo first save your photo to your computer (or USB)
2. Go to the flickr website at http://www.flickr.com/
3. Sign in (using the SLV login and password
   
4. Click on upload photos
5. Click on browse and locate where you have saved your photo (you can upload more than one photo at once
6. You can add tags describing your photo at the bottom of the page
7. Click upload to complete the process.

PS: A quick word about photo posting etiquette - When posting identifiable photos of other people (especially minors) is it advisable to get the person's permission before posting their photo in a publicly accessible place like Flickr.
Never upload pictures that weren't taken by you (unless you have the photographer's consent) and always give credit when you include photos taken by someone else in your blog.

#Optional - It's All about LibraryThing

Are you book lover or cataloger at heart? Or do you enjoy finding lost and forgotten gems on the shelf to read?

Then LibraryThing may be just the tool for you.

Developed for booklovers, this online tool not only allows you to easily create an online catalog of your own it also connects you to other people who have similar libraries and reading tastes.

Add a book to your catalog by just entering the title -- It’s so easy that you don’t even need MARC record training to do it – or connect with other users through your similar reading tastes.

There are lots of ways to use LibraryThing:

• You can even view your books on a virtual shelf,
• add a widget to display titles that are in your catalog or install a LT Search box on your blog.
  

So why not join the ranks and create your own library online. Library Thing members have catalogued over 18 million books online. (LibraryThing also has group forum for librarians users).


Discovery Resources:

• About LibraryThing
• Library Thing tour
• LibraryThing blog (updates & news)
  

Discovery Exercise:

1. Take a look around LibraryThing and create an account.
   
2. Add a least 5 books to your library.
   
3. Blog about your findings and be sure to link to your LibraryThing catalog.

#9 Getting not-so-technical with Technorati

You have been blogging for awhile, you might be wondering how big the blogosphere is?

Acccording to Technorati, the leading search tool and authority for blogs, the number of blogs doubles about every 6 months. As of September 2007, there were approximately 107.5 million blogs tracked on Technorati.

Blogging publishing tools are being taken advantage of by almost every industry, including libraries.

So do you get your blog listed as part of the blogosphere and tag your posts with keywords to make them more findable through a Technorati search?

Your blog is probably already being captured by Technorati due to the fact that you're already using Blogger, the most popular blogging tool.

If you want to have your blog officially listed on Technorati and also take advantage of the watchlist and other features, you’ll need to claim your blog yourself.

To tag posts with Technorati tags, you need to do add a little bit of HTML code to the bottom of your post (see my example below) and Technorati will pick up these tags when it spiders (or web crawls) your site.

You can search for keywords in blog posts, search for entire blog posts that have been tagged with a certain keyword, or search for blogs that have been registered and tagged as whole blogs about a certain subject (like photography or libraries).

Discovery Resources:

Technorati Tour – videocast of new features & new look
Technorati Popular feature

Discovery Exercise:

1. Take a look at Technorati and try doing a keyword search for “Learning 2.0” in Blog posts, in tags and in the Blog Directory. Are the results different?
2. Explore popular blog, searches and tags. Is anything interesting or surprising in your results?
3. Create a blog post about your discoveries on this site.
   
   

OPTIONAL:
If you're up for a challenge, learn how to tag your posts by with Technorati tags so they can join tag searches.

You may also want to consider claiming your blog and creating a watchlist.
NOTE: When adding HTML code, you'll want to make sure you're in Blogger's Edit HTML window.

#8 Tagging, folksomonies & social bookmarking in Del.icio.us

Tagging is an open and informal method of categorizing that allows users to associate keywords with online content (webpages, pictures & posts).

Unlike library subject cataloging, which follows a strict set of guidelines (i.e.Library of Congress subject headings), tagging is completely unstructured and freeform, allowing users to create connections between data anyway they want.

This week, in addition to exploring Technorati tagging and while there are other free online social bookmarking sites around such as Connotea, we will focus on Del.icio.us (keyed in as http://del.icio.us/).

Del.icio.us is a social bookmarking manager which allows you to bookmark a web page and add tags to categorize your bookmarks.

Many users find that the power of Del.icio.us is in the social network aspect, which allows you to see how other users have tagged similar links and also discover other websites that may be of interest. The BBC news website invites readers to tag articles using Del.icio.us, while the new ABC news website now features tags.

For this exercise, browse through the following discovery resources including libraries that are using tags and an experimental museum tagging project. Focus on Del.icio.us and learn about this popular bookmarking tool.

Discovery Resources:

• Us.ef.ul: A beginners guide to Del.icio.us
• Several Habits of wildly successful Del.icio.us users
• Check Library Journal 15/9/2007 for an interesting article on Tags (link not possible)
  

Reflefsen, M. Tags Help Make Libraries Del.icio.us. Library Journal, vol 132, 15 (Sept 2007)

• Yarra Plenty Library and Danbury Library in Connecticut are now using Library Thing tags. (Search on a general fiction title for best results).
  
• Steve The Art Museum social tagging project
  

Discovery Exercise:

1. Take a look at Del.icio.us using the PLCMCL2 account that was created for this exercise. Note: In this account you will find lots of resources that have been highlighted or used throughout the course of the Learning 2.0 program. Or view the Del.icio.us account has also been created for use by operators on SLV chat.
2. Explore the site options and try clicking on a bookmark that has also been bookmarked by a lot of other users. Can you see the comments they added about this bookmark or the tags that they used to categorize this reference?
   

Create a blog post about your experience and thoughts about this tool.
Can you see the potential of this tool for research assistance, or is it just as an easy way to create bookmarks that can be accessed from anywhere?
What are your thoughts on the wider use of tags, including on the SLV catalogue?

#7 Finding Feeds

Now that you have a newsreader (your Google Reader account), you can begin adding other newsfeeds that interest you. There are several ways you can locate newsfeeds:

• When visiting your favorite websites - look for news feed icons that indicate the website provides it. Often a feed icon will be displayed somewhere in the navigation bar of the site.
  
• Use your Google Reader 'Add Subscription' icon. Enter a search term to find feeds or paste a url.
  

Other Search tools that can help you find feeds:

• Feedster - One of the largest collections of RSS feeds, Feedster lets you search for feeds in three categories: news, blogs & podcasts
  
• Topix.net - This search tool allows you to locate recent newsfeed items based upon keyword or phrase searching. The tool focuses specifically on news and media outlet RSS feeds for information, not weblogs.
  
• Google Blog search - This is still in BETA mode, but appears to be a good search tool
  

Discovery Excercise:

1. Explore some of the search tools noted above that can help you locate some news feeds.
   
2. Create a blog post about your experience.
   Which method of finding feeds did you find easiest to use? Which Search tool was the most useful? Which was more confusing? What other tools or ways did you find to locate newsfeeds?

Optional exercise:
Some of the databases SLV subscribes to have RSS feed alerts.
Ebsco ANZ Reference Centre is an example of this.

To subscribe to a RSS feed for a specific journal using Ebsco

1. Go to Ebsco ANZ Reference Centre
2. click on NEW FEATURES
3. From this screen tick the ALERTS box. This will embed an RSS icon against the publications list
4. Find a journal your would like to subscribe to (eg Australian Library Journal)
5. Follow instruction to put RSS feed into your Google Reader account

#6 Make life "really simple" with RSS & a newsreader

You’ve heard of RSS? You’ve seen those small funny tags on websites?

You’ve heard co-workers and acquaintances swear by it, but still have no

idea what RSS is?

RSS is revolutionalizing the way news, media and content creators share information, but it also is swiftly changing the way everyday users are consuming information.

RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication” and is a file format for delivering regularly updated information over the web.

For the websites and news information sources you may visit every day, it takes time to visit those sites and scour the ad-filled and image-heavy pages just for the text you want to read.

You can visit all those information sources and web pages in one place, without the time consuming visit to each site individually now through a newsreader and RSS.

This week’s discovery exercises focus on learning about RSS news feeds and
setting up feed reader (a free online newsreader) for yourself to bring your feeds together.
There are numerous free feed readers.
Bloglines is an alternative that is used in the original Learning 2.0 program. Another feed reader specific to Mozilla Firefox browser is Sage. For this exercise we will be using Google Reader.

Discovery Resources:

• CNET Video: RSS – Feel the Need for Feeds (3:32) – a good over view of what RSS is and the benefits to users.

• Feed Me: A gentle introduction to Internet feeds - a good tutorial from Palinet, a library cooperative

• SLV RSS feeds and information about feed readers
  

Discovery Exercises:

1. Follow the discovery resources above to learn more about RSS and newsreaders.
   
2. Using your blog username and password to login to Google Reader . You can view a good online tutorial about Google Reader here.
   
3. Subscribe to at least 5 newsfeeds to your reader.

Newsfeeds:

• • Read alert - the SLV blog about youth literature
    
  • SLV RSS feeds available to their website
    
  • Recent Australian publications - through Libraries Australia
    
  • ALIA website
    
  • Library Bytes
    
  • Unshelved - Library cartoon feed
  
  

4. Create a post (#6 RSS) in your blog about this exercise.

What do you like about RSS and newsreaders?
How do you think you might be able to use this technology in your work or personal life?
How can libraries use RSS or take advantage of this new technology?

#5 Playing around with PBWiki or Zoho Wiki

"Sandbox" is the term that wikis often use to describe the area of the website that should be used for practice, exploration or 'play'.

Helene Blowers at PLCMS has set up a whole Learning 2.0 Favorites wiki* on PBWiki, a free version of the tool that lets you create webpages that anyone can edit. Mark Showalter has set up
an SLV Desk Wiki using Zoho Wiki for staff to test.

Discovery Resources:

• PB Wiki Tour - Find out how this collaborative tool can be used
• PBWiki Video Gallery - Short videos of PBwiki features
• PB Wiki Tips
• Zoho Wiki blog

Discovery Exercise:

1. Using PLMCLearning 2.0 Favorites wiki*, add your blog to the Favorite Blogs page.
   
   ie. Once in PB Sandbox Wiki
   
   
   • Click on FAVORITE BLOGS
   • This will bring you to a page where people doing the Learning 2.0 program have added their blog.
   • Click on LOG IN (this is a very little link on the upper right hand side of the page)
   • A page asking for a password and your name and email address will display.
   • Enter the following password: plcmc
   • Enter your name
   • Enter your email address
   • (Your name and email address will NOT display anywhere on the wiki, it is merely a way to give you editing rights)
   • You will now be able to add your blog to the page
   • Scroll to the bottom of the page and you will see a heading
   SLV Learning 2.0 Participants blogs
   • Under this heading paste the URL of your blog on a new line
   • OK the changes
   • When you have finished click on LOGOUT

OR
Add an entry to SLV Desk Wiki


2. Create a post in your blog about the experience.

*Don't forget to label this post #5 Wikis and discuss your learning in this activity.

#4 Wikis

A wiki is a collaborative website and authoring tool that allows users to easily add, remove and edit content.

Wikipedia, the online open-community encyclopedia, is the largest and perhaps the most well known of these knowledge sharing tools. With the benefits that wikis provide the use and popularity of these tools is exploding.

Some of the benefits that make wikis so attractive are:

• Anyone (registered or unregistered, if the wiki is unrestricted) can add, edit or delete content.
• Tracking tools within wikis allow you to easily keep up on what been changed and by whom.
• Earlier versions of a page can be viewed and reinstated when needed.
• And users do not need to know HTML in order to apply styles to text or add and edit content. In most cases simple syntax structure is used.

The use of wikis has grown and libraries have begun to use them to collaborate and share knowledge. Among their applications are pathfinder or subject guide wikis, book review wikis, conference wikis and even library best practices wikis.

Discovery Resources:
Browse through these resources to learn more about wikis:

• Wiki, wiki, wiki - from PLCMC's own Core Compentency blog
  
• Wiki’s: A Beginner’s Look – an excellent short slide presentation that offers a short introduction and examples.
  
• Using Wikis to Create Online Communities – a good overview of what a wiki is and how it can be used in libraries.
• Read Peter Blake's paper from the Information Online 2007 conference
  Using a Wiki for InformationServices: Principles and Practicalities
  Peter Blake, Australian Catholic University

Discovery Exercise:

1. For this discovery exercise, take a look at some library wikis and blog about your finding. Here’s a few examples to get you started:
   
   
• SJCPL Subject Guides – a pathfinder wiki developed by the St. Joseph County Public Library system
  
• Book Lovers Wiki - developed by the Princeton Public Library
  
• Library Success: A best practices wiki
• SLVTraining Wiki - Mark Showalter's wiki of online resources used in Internet Searching training
• AGLIN - Australian Government Libraries Information Network website is operated from and maintained on a wiki
• Other library wiki examples
  
  
2. Create a blog post about your findings. What did you find interesting? What types of applications within libraries and/or at the SLV might work well with a wiki? Are there disadvantages in using a wiki application? Where may the use not be valid?

*Don't forget to label this post #4 Wikis and discuss your learning in this activity.

Week 1 & 2 Setting up your blog

#2 Create a blog in 3 steps

It is time to setup your very own personal blog

Your blog is where you will be recording your thoughts, discoveries and exercises for the Learning 2.0 program

To set up your blog, use Blogger*, a popular free online blog hosting service that is extremely easy to use.

Creating a blog using Blogger takes just three steps:

1. Create an account (view screenshot)

• You can use any email address to set up a Blog in Blogger.
  As Blogger is a part of Google, the software will invite you to set up a Gmail account to create a Blog. This is not necessary.
  (you can use your SLV email)

Remember to write down your login and password!
Write down the details from your 'Create Account' OR print out this page.
This may help you to remember your login and password.

2. Name your blog and create an address(view screenshot)

• Your Blog name or title maybe anything you wish
• Your Blog address is the unique URL for your blog. People often use their blog title, which then joins to the standard blogger address .blogspot.com

ie. http://(xxxx).blogspot.com
Remember to write down your blog address.

3. Select your template. (view screenshot)

• There are four different templates to choose from. You can then modify your colours/fonts etc

4. Create your first post. You may wish to say how you feel about embarking on the program; how you found the blog creation process; or just hello.

Notes:
To view your blog:

• Your blog address is http://(xxxx).blogspot.com, (xxxx)=the unique identifier you entered in Step 2.
  

• To add posts:
  The maintenance page that you will use to add posts, edit or change the step-up your blog is accessed online at http://www.blogger.com/

Login to your blog using your login and password.
* This account with your username and password will also be used for exercise #6 RSS feeds and exercise #12 online applications.

#3 Register your Blog

• Now it's time to register your blog
  When registering your Blog:
  Cut and paste your blog address ie http://(xxxx).blogspot.com into the
  AID learning Blog online registration form.

• Once you have registered your Blog it will be listed on the AID Learning 2.0 Participants Blogs.
  

• The participants blog is a good place to gain inspiration and support each other via the comments section in the individual blogs.

Learning 2.0 - discovering web 2.0 technologies