Podcasts

Podcasts is very much like online video or radio and you can get audience's attention by engaging them to watch or listen the files. I like the subject options offered by ABC and you can choose the subject or area of interest. Very easy for me to browse and check out the art or lifestyle files. I think it is because I think like a librarian!

I love to get the RSS for new update in case there is some interesting one out there. However, Some podcasts are very long and boring. I would not like to download them on my PC/ipod to waste my memory. I think if you want to use this function in the Library it has to be something interesting and enjoyable. I don't mind to listen to an interview of Paul Brunton but I don't want to listen to a promotion of a library service. I don't mind to listen to a chapter of Harry Potter but I don't want to listen to the new stationary you can get from the Library. I don't mind to watch a celebrity chef to cook but I don't want to listen to the lending policy of the Library.

Answer Boards

It was quite fun to see how librarians can slam the boards and get recognized for the high quality work. I think it is a good way to show all the online users that getting information is more that what you can find on Google and asking around and let the blind leading the blind! So many times I have came aross with some new generation of clients who think google is the whole world of information! They think the only reason they cannot find what they want is they haven't searhed Google properly!

It is good to see librarians being pro-active out there and there is definitely a role for us in the knowledge market. I think we need to have a look of our current services and may be re-package them with the Web 2 technology. A lot of people out there still think library is just a repository of books but we now offer a lot of very exciting services. Web 2 'look' and design can help the new generation to feel comfortable with us and it can also introduce and promote libraries' new image.

Answer Boards can be used for client to comment and share view on our exhibitions, new books or any new acquisition eg. new database. I think it would be a bit 'risky' to use the function for comment on services and facilities as it can create more issue for us. We can also use the Answer Boards to answer some very common and popular reference queries that we got all the times.

Social bookmarking

I had a look and done some searches on del.icio.us and found it very easy to use and fun to read. It is just like bookmarks/favorites but you can share it with anyone in anywhere. I think it can be used as a function of Intranet for staff with 'common interest' or as a quick finder for reference tools/phone no/policies etc.. It can also be used as Internet links for reference/library services and facilities queries for staff and clients. One thing I like (and could be a problem) is that you can use any tag name as the subject heading. It is more user friendly and easier to search for clients and some staff. The RSS Feed is great too as I get notified when there is a new update. They works very well together.





There is a lot of potential of using this tool in libraries. The question is how are we going to agree on the tag names (except using the LCSH)? We have been quite rigid in how we set up our records and indexing and the bookmarking will probably need to set up with 'formal' and informal' tag names. Another issue of using bookmarking is the number of tag that you can set up. It can be quite frustrating when there are a lot of tag names to go through and still cannot find what you want! The approach of bookmarking from Cleveland Library and Sutherland Library are very different. Cleveland Library uses a traditional library approach while Sutherland Library gives you pages of tag names to choose. I think I would prefer something in between.

We all stand together

Nice music from Paul McCartney with very creative frog cartoon. Enjoy!

I think cartoon is the way to go for storytelling and young audience.

High school students is one of our major client group and we do have a good collection of HSC materials and some special services for them. However, from time to time, some students do not behave appropriately in the Library and disrupt other clients. May be we can use cartoon as an information tool to tell them how to behave in the State Reference Library?! I think it will work if the cartoon can make them laugh! Trim definitely can play a role in it.

Online video

I was quite excited to watch those videos from British Library. They bring back memory of my adventure there and how I could not get in the reading rooms. The videos of the staff X'mas party are quite boring. Definitely not as much fun as us in here. One of the things about video or picture is they look very real and you have a 'first person' feel of the whole experience. It is also more fun to watch a video than to read a pamphlet. They certainly get my attention and I always love the music. Using cartoon is extremely popular with younger audience and I incline to watch it till the end especially if it got good graphic.







I think the possibilities of using short video in library website are unlimited. You can use it as an ad for any service promotion, tour, training, function, exhibition etc. The short video can go on any media eg. YouTube, train, plane, TV, mobile phone, library webpage etc. You can even get an advertising company to do some very professional jobs for you. Just not too sure about the cost of production.

RSS (Part II)

OK, so I need to tell you what is important for the SLNSW RSS feed. I suppose it need to be fun, useful and has topics related to SLNSW/libraries/librarians/information/information technology/community of NSW/Australia. Our client groups are so diversed that it is important for us to consider to have different RSS for different clients. I think I saw the different client groups setup in Tate and may be in NYPL. We then can have one for MPLA, CPLA, other state libraries, library students etc. All depends on our resources.



I think there are a lot of good writers in the Library who like to communicate to our clients. May be there is another issue we need to consider - how to manage all the comments and replies.

RSS

I have set up 5 different RSS feeds on my Google readers. They are 1) Powerhouse Museum Picture of the Day (as recommended) 2) Sky News (UK) 3) Tate Modern 4) LibraryBytes 5) Design Hub (Powerhouse Museum). There are more that I would like to set up but I am already on their mailing lists and it would be a duplicate to get their RSS again. I have also tried to set up a news feed in my own blog and only discovered that it will give away my identity! I got rid of it straight away.









1 thing that I like about RSS is I got to have all my news in 1 place and don't need to worry about the limit of my mail box. However, I don't always get to look at the page everyday. I think it would be fun to share the news with my friends and I would like to do that for non-work stuff.







Another interesting thing about RSS is not every website has the service! I am surprised some well known organizations do not have RSS but just mailing list. I suppose it still serves the purpose of spreading the news.

In regard to using RSS for work, I think it would be good for notifying clients of our new exhibitions, new books, new services or any news (including conducting surveys or user groups). The little booklet that we got (I think it is called @ the Library) can be distributed as RSS. However, there is always the concern of the age groups of our clients. Not everyone is using RSS yet. Internally, we can also set up the RSS for Newsbreak or branch news.

I quite like the NLB Blog from the National library of Singapore. It got an interesting 'loose-leaf' design and very chatty and casual. The graphic and photos are quite funky too. I found a lot of funny blogs from librarians over the world but not that much from libraries.