Me Gingerbread man You Tube aka Week 9 #20

First off in the interests of full disclosure. I must confess that I had already spent a little bit of time on You Tube. So I had some familarity with it.

I get a nostalgic kick out of being able to view stuff that hasn't been seen on the old Cathode Ray Tube (Television for non geeks) since I was a little cookie.

I lurved Conan the Librarian. We've all had times when we'd like to unleash barbarian fury on a patron or two (or is that just me)

As for the 1950's Life's Work Reel on Librarians. Some observations with a caveat. It dropped out on me after 2 hours with 5 min to go, so didn't see it all. But I haven't seen so many wasps since we disturbed the nest under the front porch. Thank Goodness that's changed! As corny as it sounds one thing that hasn't is that it does help to have a love of People and Books, and its still a profession which is largely female dominated. (That's a good thing, before you all start spamming me)I couldn't help but notice the Librarian interupted the teen when he was asking about the TV Book. Very bad customer service. And as for the reference Librarian she seemed to be bombarded with queries where the patrons could and should have come to the Library and done their own research first. What do you think its out job to sit around and answer questions all day. On second thoughts ignore that. One question. What's a Cataloguer, Do we still have those? ;} (OK you can spam me for that one)

Finally my favourite You Tube site is by a guy called appropriately enough 'Just some random guy' He specializes in using plastic superhero comics figures in a format based on the 'Hi I'm a Mac and I'm a PC' ads. Called 'Hi I'm Marvel and I'm a DC' (The two biggies in comic publishing) And has a bit of fun with the characters and conventions of comics and related movies. I find them LOL funny although it helps to be familiar with the said characters and conventions, ie a geek. He does all the voices himself and is currently ranked #61 most subscribed out of the millions of entries, so not bad.

Here's a link to all of his work on You Tube:

http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=ItsJustSomeRandomGuy&p=r

And here's the first one just to get you started:

Web 2.0 Awards The Good, the bad & the Indifferent aka week 8 #19

My first observation was that many of the useful sites were already one's that have been looked at through the last 18 points. You sly ol' things.

On the assumption of the 20/80 rule that 20% of our patrons are bibliophiles. I had a look at http://www.lulu.com/ The self publishing site for all budding authors without having to go through nasty old publishers. Definitely worth a second look as is http://www.biblio.com/ a site linking used book shops, and a good source for out of print books.

When it came to the City Guides and reviews. It sounds great in priciple and does seem to have application as a networking tool with LBC (There's that acronym again!) A small gripe however. Of the 3 listed all are Yankocentric and do not search outide of the US, so for local searchers, they weren't. Google Maps maps.google.com at least does this much, although its more guide than review. I also like the idea in principle as you would hope it would lead to a greater degree of transparency and accountability.

Cocktail builder http://www.cocktailbuilder.com/ is one that sounds fun and practical, except I'm sorry, but isn't that what you pay the man behind the bar for, and lets face it, if you're reduced to drinking cocktails on your own, that's no fun at all.

When its comes to shopping for unique items I couldn't go past http://www.etsy.com/ especially if you're fond of handmade walking sticks like me. My credit card got very itchy on this one. Pity most don't ship outside US. Also of note was http://www.threadless.com/ if you're of a mind to design your own Tshirt, although if you have access to publisher, blank iron on's and a colour printer, it would seem a lot simpler. I'm just sayin!

Others I liked were http://www.boxxet.com/ although its strength in being a search index of 'what's hot' is also its weaknewss, in its limited applicability beyond geeks like me. This also applied to http://www.listdump.com/ to an extent, but I can see some broader applicabilty in the odd reference question. And I do mean odd!

This also applies to Yahoo Answers, answers.yahoo.com although when I tested it for an answer on my faulty graphics card I had to wade through a number of less helpful hits first, but to be fair I did keep the search parameters general rather than specific. And I may have found an answer, more than one in fact, so I can recommend this one, with the following caveat below.

Of course it goes without saying , but I'll say it anyway that as with any site which allows content from anywhere on anything, beware the lack of verification. Caveat Emptor still applies, if not more so when it comes to the web.

The not so Amazing Zoho aka Welcome to the Dark Side of Web Based App's

Well it worked, kind of. I was able to import it into Zoho, and its useable. But there's a but I hear you say? Indeed there is. Granted its only the second time I've used it, but the original doc was in Landscape layout, and this one's in Portrait, which 1. Mucks up the pagination (which is fixable) and 2. Makes the table colums very thin (which is less fixable as there doesn't seem to be an option to change the layout from Portait back to Landscape)

Maybe I'll have better luck with Google. (Nope it more than likely the dodgy graphics card on my PC but nothing more than a search bar and a lot of white space).

ThinkFree? Again it could be my PC (dial up 'sigh') but after registering its taking forever to load. Hang on it may be frozen. Let's hit the refresh button. And again. Bugga this I can't wait all night!

Of course there is another issue that springs to mind with the web based doc's. Seeing as how in this instance its something with people's details on it, ie booking sheet. How secure is it, and what ramifications dooes this have for the privacy legislation? Maybe I'd better delete it just in case!

The Amazing Zoho aka week 8 #18

When I looked at the extinction timeline (see earler post) I noticed it listed the demise of Microsoft within 10 years or so. At the time I thought that was no more than wishful thinking, but you know; Web based apps like this one, could go a long way toward at least ending their monopoly in areas like MS Office. I mean why shell out several hundred dollars on a program which you can only use on the PC its installed on, or for that matter as far as Business Networks (ie Libraries) go considering you have to shell out a license for each PC you put it on, why bother when you can use web based programs like this which you can access again from any PC. I suppose there is the small issue of needing a web connection to acces it, but its not like they drop out all the time is it:)

Just a thought. Maybe the spreasheet program could be used to access things like Meeting Room Booking sheets from RA PC's Since I've imported this post from Zoho, I'll have to look into importing a document into Zoho as a test. Here goes!

NEWSFLASH Unshelved on CBR

My fave comic related Website CBR has an article on that funniest of Library Webcomics; 'Unshelved'. I'm all geeked out over it. Check it out.

http://www.comicbookresources.com/news/newsitem.cgi?id=12150

'Ole! aka Week 7 #17

Ok I'm supposed to do a Julie Andrews and blog about my favourite things. Well I think I've been doing that here and there already through the course of this exercise. In the about me section of the blog, with favourite fims, books, TV Shows etc. Flickr Photos with my two puddy tats. Library Thing, where I'm slowly putting more books on, 3 a day, mostly the Tolkien stuff to date. del.icio.us where I've been putting all my favourite websites.

I recall a conversation with a guy called Trevor who used to take the Jolly Jumbuck around the state , putting shows on for local school kids at the Local Library, he once made an observation "Librarians (generically speaking) are obsessed with food" So why fight it here's mine

There's Chocolate of course, and I think Roald Dahl said it best when he said:

"Never mind about 1066 William the Conqueror, 1087 William the Second. Such things are not going to affect one's life.... But 1932 the Mars Bar and 1936 Maltesers and 1937 the Kit Kat - these dates are milestones in history and should be seared into the memory of every child in the country"

Or I could mention my other favourite food. Mexican there's nothing better. There's a cafe in St Kilda which used to make the best Nachos (they may still do for all I know, haven't been back there in years). Then there's a great little restaurant in Melbourne (Russell st. I think) called Taco Bill's , not to be confused with Taco Bells. And there's nothing better than a bowl of Chilli, unless of course the said chilli happens to be crammed into a few tacos or burritos.

Since I've already put my fudge recipie up. Here's my very own Chilli recipie.

CHILLI CON CARNE

INGREDIENTS

500 g. mince. (can be substituted with other meats, diced if pref.)
1 tbs. bacon chips.
1 110 g. tin of corn kernels.
1 110 g. tin of sliced mushrooms in butter sauce.
1 420 g. tin of chilli beans.
1 425 g tin of tomato puree
1 pkt. taco or chilli seasoning mix.
Dash of tabasco sauce

METHOD

1. Brown mince in a microwave on high for 5 min. Drain fat.
2. Add all remaining ingredients stir thouroughly (mainly because its fun) & cook on high for 10 min. stirring once halfway through.

There it is quick, easy and Tasty 'ole!

PS It also makes a great Pie filling!

Wild about Wiki aka Week 7 #16

I can see myself using this one in both personal and professional capacities.

Looking at the Library aspects. The point about Library Catalogues using Amazon style reviews inserted by readers is just great. I regularly use Amazon, when taking requests, or just for checking what the comments on a book I'm interested is, so I'm all for it.

As far as inviting community input and links, once again given the move towards LBC 'Libaries Building Communities' It seems tailor made for it, by not utilizing it we may well risk LBC becoming just another report which sits on shelves, with the occasional catchcry of 'LBC that seemed like a good idea, whatever happened to it?' NB. I know that in reality this would be just one strand of several in implementing it, but you get my point.

I also like the idea of using it as 'station' for things which need to be updated like say Policy and Proccedure Manuals 'Hint, Hint'.

It was also interesting to see that some Libraries are starting to utilize games in their programs and thinking outside the box and holding tournaments. http://www.libraryforlife.org/subjectguides/index.php/Games

http://libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Services_for_Teens

We've been making a lot of noise in recent years about how teenage males tend to treat libraries as anathema. Surely this is one way of getting them in. Recreation often gets looked down on as a poor second cousin to the other core Library roles; information and self education. But surely if we're all about communities embracing Libraries that shouldn't be the case. If you think having fun in Libraries is a waste of time and resources, then you need to stop and rethink.

Lastly I can also see myself getting into wiki in one of my other hats, by setting up a page for our local church. We're slowly embracing the web and this would be yet another interconnected string to existing static webpages, or more interactive ones like myspace.

Library 2.0 Some Thoughts aka week 6 #15

Reading the articles we're directed to, I find I have a few thought stirring around in there somewhere.

Yes it is exciting. Its potentially in many ways a new paradigm on how we operate. The concept of a truly interactive world wide web network accessible by anyone anywhere with a readily accesible even portable interface is something to look forward too. Indeed many scifi writers and tv shows have been envisaging that since the 60's at least. Thank You Mr Spock. And what's more; initiatives such as worldcat, where you have an online catalogue able to access any and all libraries is long overdue, along with other initiatives such as Google's online library of ebooks, and no it won't put us out of a job, more on that later.

However there is a little voice inside my head, for now we'll call him the anti-spock. That says most of the stuff we're reading and seeing is American, now I've got nothing against Yanks per se, but as we're all being absorbed into this great cultural zeitgeist, (Remember Mickey Mouse at Moomba!) there is, a tendency to focus on the tools and get all hyped up about them. And that's what Library 2.0 and all its associated tech are; tools. But, I hear you say that's what this exercise is all about, of course its going to focus on the tools we use.

Granted. says the anti-spock. but looking at the 5 articles we're directed to, 4 of them are fairly singular in that they're all about the tech, and what implications this has for libraries. its purely the 5th article http://www.oclc.org/nextspace/002/6.htm which both gives a total overview and encompasses the tech within the bigger picture and then extrapolates it a bit further. I also can't help but make the connection rightly or wrongly that the 4 tech articles are written by men, while the 5th is written by a woman. Draw what conclusions you will. For the record I am a guy, although on a day to day work basis I'm just one of the girls, just built differently:)

They say that libraries 10 years from now will be unrecognizable, that's probably true, Libraries from 10 or even 20 years ago are a far cry from what we have now. But rather than focusing on what's changed, the tech tools. What's stayed the same? The People! Yes part of our job has always been and will continue to be facilitating access to resources whether on site or on line. The other part is Libraries are a great community resource where people come together, and that too will, I think, continue. Lastly as one patron once said to me "Library's are the poor man's university" So as the cultural divide between the have's and have not's is reputedly growing there's yet another rationale for our continued existence, as a means of access to the wonderful new technology which you may not be able to afford.

PS I read a recent post by effing librarian where he had a rant about library 2.0 and how the internet has become more of a problem in that people expect you to find answers to questions that once would have been answered with a pat 'we don't hold it try somewhere else' response. Yep been there!

I followed this up with a look at the extinction timelime on the librarybytes feeds on bloglines
http://www.librarybytes.com/2007/10/innovation-extinctions-1950-2050.html which claims libraries will be extinct within 10 years. This too prompted a scathing response from the 'efnlib' and he's right, the reasons being implicit in his previous post.

As long as there is new and developing technology there will be those of the great unwashed public who will want/need help in navigating their way around it. And please note as I've said before I have the greatest affection for the public most of them are a pleasure to serve, but its the ones who exhibit a lack of common sense, initiative or plain basic intelligence who sadly enough are going to ensure we will still have a job in 10 years and beyond. So to all you lazy layabouts out there, Thank You.

PPS. Had another look at the ef and it seems he's picked up on it in his next post and nailed it. I'm really starting to like this guy. http://effinglibrarian.blogspot.com/2007/10/extinction-of-libraries.html

Tag You're It aka Week 6 #14

Technorati Profile



Not to sound like a newbie but the first thing that struck me when I hopped onto Technorati was "Look at all those posts coming in every second, Golly" (Excuse the profanity)

From there it was do the right thing and search Library 2.0. And here's where I have a small gripe. I typed it in amd got results for 'Library' and '2.0' separately seems like I had to use the old Google search tipe and enclose the phrase in those double floating comma thingies ie "library 2.0"

PS I know those double floating comma thingies have a proper name, but frankly punctuation and I have never been on more than terms of barest civility, and if you're one of those anal people who gets comma rage whenever they see one being used improperly, then get over it cause I don''t care.

Sorry I digressed there for a minute. Back to the results of the search. After scrolling through the results I came across and clicked on a blogger who goes by the name of 'The effing librarian' and to quote Lee Jordan I think it was after his first class with Mad Eye Moody "he knows man" and from there it was just a quick click to these other sites. They'll make you think, they may offend you, but if you've been in libraries longer than a week you'll be able to relate.

http://effinglibrarian.blogspot.com/

http://liberry.blogspot.com/

http://librarianfear.blogspot.com/

http://annoyedlibrarian.blogspot.com/

http://miss-information.blogspot.com/

http://shelfcheck.blogspot.com/

http://libetiquette.blogspot.com/

Upon Reflection Very Tasty aka Week 6 #13

I must confess that at first glance I was somewhat skeptical. I mean what's the point? Isn't that why you have favourites. Well yes, but this adds an element of portability that brings home the mindset of 2.0. In that its no longer a case of being fixed to any one pc or location. If its part of the web then its accessible anywhere anytime. There's also the other aspect in that while your links might not be of any real use to anyone but yourself, you just never know and visa versa.

So with that said here's mine.

There were 2 in the Blog and the little one said Rollyo aka week 5 #12

Select...Comics CookiesSearch The Web

Select...Inklings CookiesSearch The Web

Once again I've given free reign to the inner geek. Well is is supposed to be about learning through play. So I've set up not one but two rollyo lists. One is a listing of my favourite Comics sites and Resources. I've already said what a great resource CBR is. So this time as its all about fun, I'll single out PX; the bestest and most fun web comic on... Well the Web. You can check it out fo' yo'self through Mr Red Rollyo above or if you're really keen to begin at the beginning click on the following link http://www.pandaxpress.com/2005_01_01_archive.php and thereafter navigate your way through the archives. You'll be glad you did.

The other Rollyo list is my favourite Tolkien and C S Lewis sites. But seriously I can see how this little tool would be a useful application on Library desktops if preconfigured with a listing of useful resources on the web pertinent to the particular Library Service. Or you could always use the favourites. Alright who said that!

Library Thing You make my Heart Sing aka Week 5 #11

Library Thing I think I love You!

To think I recently spent several months catalouging my own Tolkien Collection from scratch on Microsoft Access when I could have done it all here and not even have to hunt for the images.

Ok I know I already said I'm finding Libraries 2.0 a great learning exercise, but here's where the rubber's really hit the road. In terms of a worldwide on line database which anyone with an internet capable pc and a general level of literacy can easily access. Its not beyond the range of possibility to evisage a truly world wide record of books in existence. Both those held in public libraries and by definition those held privately. It might sound like a cliche to say this, but it is indeed an exciting time to be alive, and I can't wait to see what Libraries 3.0 might entail. Dare we imagine!

PS Forget about adding 5 I'll be coming back and sticking the lot on. But for now I've stuck several of my favourites and 5 from my Tolkien Collection.

PPS I'm also adding this site to my feeds.

PPPS As setting up the Library Thing Profile also involved saying something about your Library. I took it literally and babbled on about the wonderful library where I work. What makes it so wonderful I hear you ask? Well there's my incredibly fantastic co workers, without whom it would be so much harder to get up in the morning. I won't embarass them by naming names, but you all know who you are. Then there's the wonderful public without whom we'd be out of a job. Now this is not just a matter of opinion. You see we recently won the local community award for the second year in a row, and to top it off we took out the top gong on the night as well. So this is probably the appropriate place to post a few pics from the awards night and one which was from the Stonnington Leader the following day, about which I have to say, the sap (and I can say that, 'cause its me) in the photo holding the award is simply one member of the very deserving team and is just there because the angle of the shot precluded some of our more appropriate female staff from having to pose. Think about it. The group shot is promised in next weeks paper, so stay tuned.

Lets Play the Generation game aka Week 5 #10

Well I never, and I really mean that I thought I was reasonably familiar with what you can find on the web. In checking out the Generator Blog. There's a wealth of stuff it would take ages to mine. Fortuantely this being a day off I had time.

So if its a name change I'm after when it comes to the blues I'm 'Wailin Junior Watson' thanks to http://www2.capitalgold.com/staticweb/EdFeatures/goldblues/ Um No Thanks You. Lets try something else.

As a chocoholic who like creating my own. The Chocolate generator http://www.kessels.com/Downloads/choco/index.html was a bit of a dissapointment. I think I expected something which would generate rabdom chocolate creations. Maybe I'll post my fudge recipie instead.

Doppel Me Avatars http://www.doppelme.com/create/index.asp were a lot of fun, so here's a little me with my cat. Oh my the Gingerbread Man is unmasked!

Also as an old D&D player the Dungeon Generator caught my eye, http://www.aarg.net/~minam/dungeon.cgi but as I no longer play I'll pass.

Tried another name generator, an Elvish one this time. http://www.chriswetherell.com/elf/ Tolkien being one of my favourite authors. It came up with Fingolfin Lossëhelin I can live with that.


Heromachine 2.5 was very cool, and I spent a lot of time designing a comicbook superhero I'd come up with based on the name our local youth group. Took me ages to get the colour scheme right!












http://www.ugo.com/channels/comics/heromachine2/heromachine2.asp

I wish I'd know about the For Dummies Cover Generator last time I made one from scratch on publisher for a dummy guide on the Print Management System. oh well.

http://www.signgenerator.org/books/dummies/

Now as promised my Fudge Recipie:

ROCKY ROAD FUDGE

INGREDIENTS

1 375 g. milk chocolate buds.
1 440 g tin sweetened condensed milk.
1 tbs. margarine.
50 g. pecan nuts, chopped.
50 g. marshmallow bakes.
50 g. cherries, chopped.

METHOD

1. Grease a shallow cake tin.
2. Place chocolate buds, sweetened condensed milk & margarine in a microwave safe bowl. & place in microwave set on med. for 5 min., stirring after halfway.
3. Remove from microwave, add nuts, cherries & marshmallows, stir thoroughly & pour into cake tin.
4. Place cake tin into fridge or freezer to set (1-2 hrs.)
5. Remove from tray & slice into any size.

For crazier variations you can substitute or add other ingredients eg:
Rainbow chocolate balls
Mini M&M's
Nerds
Rice Bubbles