File Converters

I wouldn't say I found this an easy exercise. I ended uploading my document about six times before I realised I had already uploaded it. And I didn't even do it the way we were instructed to do. Boy was I baffled. Any way I have got there now :-) In retrospect I think that I saved myself hassle by opening the attachment up in the Google Docs format to start with.




I think that it's great to know how to do this so we can help our patrons when they come into the library with documents saved in other applications our computers don't have. At least the information is still in the document even if the formatting changes.

I was quite surprised at how much the Google Docs altered the email word document. Yes, it was still recognisable, but fancy headings and bullet points were changed and the table lines removed, although the positioning of the information was still in a readable format.It changes the positional layout on the page too as some of the information aligned to the left of the page.

By having a Gmail a/c it certainly saves time when downloading files. It would be great if we could encourage our patrons to use Google for uploading files. They seem to require this type of help when they are writing there Cv's or applying for jobs.
I also had a go at uploading a file in Zoho writer as I would like to use this in the future

Google Specialist Search Engines

What fun to be had with the specialist search options. This was a result of searching sport with pink colour, clipart and large image. I Just had to include this on my blog. I thought the 'Usage rights'information was useful, saving time with searching for an image to use.

My search on Blinkx and You Tube was refined from letterbox to mail box, I sourced heaps of irrelevant material. Probably due to the fact that various cultures use different words for different things. So I need to be aware of the use of mailbox,postbox,letterbox terminology useage. I searched all three terms.In each case I did get other useless links.Gee! It's easy to get side tracked looking at the links.

I also searched Blinkx and You Tube with Raglan, Zealand. Prompted because I had just been speaking to my daughter who lives in the farming district of Te Mata, near Raglan. Blinkx delivered me with searches predominately from You Tube but also others sourced from other video search engines like Revver,Google,Blip tv, My space.com and All daily motion videos. I never heard of these but obviously Blinkx sources from a wider field than just You Tube. Results on Blinkx were 85 links and showed the tags at the bottom of the listings,


You tube selected 298 search links. I did like the way they were displayed, and the variety of hits as it gave me more to browse at. However the advanced search mode in Blinkx was good to have as it probably refined the search more.

Book Search provided me with a language option so obviously chose English.Great that it provides us with archival material,content page viewing and enables us to search magazine material no longer in print. It's also handy to have digitalised access to work in full print, and ready limits to suppliers who may have the magazines available for purchase.
Just like the google books video link stated, its great to have access to this information for those who are studying or not able to directly source them.

Google Web Searches- Amazing what they do!

I chose the subject of Mosaics as I am preparing a chair for outside to mosaic in concrete and tiles during the Christmas holiday period. I was fascinated by the different ways I could search in the different search engines, using the related terms and different formats of videos,books,news,forums etc. All the search engines had similar extensions available to be used, which I reckon speeds up and can expand the array of information one views. This is great. I could play here all day, if time allowed.
Guided by these wonderful easy to follow instructions on the "getwithit' programme I found it easy to search the different sites. Thanks for the guidelines.By doing these exercises, it has certainly made me more aware of the different options available within these search engines.
I dont have a favourite site as they all appear pretty useful, however I did like the layout of "bing" and the ability to hold the mouse over the listed result to geet a preview of the information.I find having a navigation bar on the sites very useful.

Mustering or Clustering

These are brillant! What a great resource to be able to type in and search under a topic or search term and get related terms to search with. I had a look at Clusty, Quintura (I have used this before),webclust and have previously used the Google wonderwheel before. What a resource! I am so pleased I have looked at the other sites as they all have something useful to add searching.T thought the timeline was interesting. Good to get the visual interactiveness.I goud get addicted to the video clips, as I am a visual learner and found these very entertaining.

Google Alerts -

I thought it was great to be able to set up a google alert to a site that did not have RSS feed facility. I set up a number of google alerts: Raglan, google guides, children's reading,new zealand gardening, new new zealand children's books. Its great to be able to delete or edit any part of the alert at any stage. I went back into my gmail a/c and recieved my first google alert. One for Raglan,children's reading and Google guides.So if it happens that quick then I need to monitor or possibly limit the alert frequency. A simple case of editing the google alert.Oh so easy.But then again if my emails fill up too quickly then i will delete my alert selection.

Quite a good idea but I think I would need to be reminded to go into my email to check for these if I didnt log into my email daily and have my email inbox on hand to check these.i reckon they would be great if you were folowing the developments on a particular subject and they were spoon feed to you. I suppose its like subcribing to the listserv or the daily librarylink feed.
I think this service would be useful to patrons to monitor new books by their favourite authors, events in the libraries etc

RSS Feeds

Exercise 1:- I seached for frogs and parrots and saved my images,a very useful tool. Good to also view my search history and come back later to this.

Exercise 2:- I searched for 'chicken pox' twice as I had trouble trying to attach a RSS feed to my bloglines a/c. I remember having the same type of problem when I was doing the 23 things web 2.0 programme. I keep getting the message ( No feeds were found. Please verify that the website publishes an RSS feed). I am sure that the principle of RSS feeds is good but I find that it is exceedingly frustrating trying to establish this. It is almost off putting. It would be great to have a live session in the library one on one and have it actually work. Certainly would iron out any problems.

Twitter and Libraries

I enjoyed having a look around many of the site links in this exercise. Rodney Library used it to notify other twitterers about books of interest, giving a brief comment about the book.Having this linked back to the library catalogue is great for showing others who dont make it into the library very often, just what the new arrivals are, enabling a direct link to request the item.I also liked the use of promoting future events and twitter as a way of advertising past events using a photo board, or bulletin board.

I thought it useful to be able to link through to the twitterer of a particular post, especially if it shared attractive information I could be interested in.It wasnt so much the persoal comments in the tweets I liked, but rather being able to link through to a site I might be interested in.

Word restriction helps keep comments brief.Quite a good idea where the comments are silly. I would prefer a more visual way to display tweets.
The communication style is very casual, informal, rather a chit chat format, some of which is quite entertaining, if you like that sort of thing.

I noticed that New York and Vancouver Library twitters promoted library resources and services. I would have to wonder just how many people are regular followers and whether it is a short lived faze or is it the up and coming fashionable way to communicate.?? I'll have to follow to find out.
Maybe its just another technical format of communicating. Not really something I am into. But if this is the way libraries are going then I suppose I will be growing in that area too.

Launching @ Glenfield Library - our Family Reading Programme, :-) fun for all.Registrations open 1 Dec 2009.Call in & sign up.

Have a look at this link on Twitter for libraries.
http://www.infotoday.com/cilmag/may09/Milstein.shtml

Searching Twitter

I used the Twitter search engine to look up 'library' to keep it work related.
It really surprised me at the massive number of tweets that displayed during the time I was looking. They were just flowing in, so this must be a pretty popular site. Far more popoular than the 3rd party Twitter site of Twoogle. At this point there are 1/4 more realtime results on Twitter than Twoogle. However I did like the split screen on the Twoogle site. It looks like it links back to a google search on the term "library".An extra bit of information could be useful.

Just loved the mashup names the creaters of the different sites have used.
Very clever.

Liked the idea of being able to RSS feed Twitter and Twoogle if I chose.

Twitter an introduction

What an intrusion into my life and of personal space. At this stage Twitter is not for me. I dont really care to know the intricate details of someones day to day living. If I did then I would rather pick up the phone (land or cell) and ring to actually speak to the person, or text them as I usually have my phone on me.
I think there is more to life than being stuck infront of a computer or glued to a piece of technology.
Hey, I'm one who, with great intentions, takes out DVD's to watch and never finds the time to sit still to do this. I hardly ever watch TV.So I am not supposing I would jump at the chance to be addicted to Twitter.
Twitter almost seems like a digital stalker. One that sits in your back pocket and tweets your bum! chum! to find out what you are up to. Who wants that!!?? Not me-I might be misbehaving and have to stop!! Ha Ha. Though it is a great way to share information and get feedback from others it you want this. Each to their own.

I looked at a couple of the twitter links mentioned. JohnKeyspm had website links to various interviews. These were good as they had both the visual and audio way of transferring the message- thats if you are into John Keys PM. (Of which I am NOT)
One of the other links I viewed was the 'grabaseat'. Of which I have personality never used but if I was into traveling around I think this would be a great was to keep up with the advertising and promtion of flight bargins.
Many of the twitter sites shared information, promoted their goods or events and in the polictical sense of John Keys' twitter, promoted himself for public viewing.