wk7 LibraryThing

It's like a giant book club that is able to involve authors, publishers, bibliographic records from Libraries and Readers around the world. If used for State Library's website, it allows extensive sharing: authors' promotions of their work (eg. talks they give at State Library's Events can be YouTubed), reviews can be posted, readers can share their views and provide recommendations of other publications of similar field; links to the catalogue records allows physical access to the books, or, referrals to other libraries. This set up can also incorporate special events organised by the Library, such as the Miles Franklin award. How about a section on what staff members of the Library are reading at the moment... Oh, and not forgetting the 'legal deposit' publications. We should have a space for them too.

This site reminds me the pleasure of reading fiction... I think it is in Publishers' interest to promote this tool.

wk7 Del.icio.us tag cloud and Sutherland Shire Libraries

It's a bookmarking system that sets up see references which take the users to the information they want to access. I was impressed with the tag cloud of Sutherland Shire Libraries in that the users are able to access Libraries' holdings while browsing the tag cloud. The collections are also listed on the same listing as other urls the Library has bookmarked as reference tools (eg. institutions' urls such as Art Gallery of NSW, etc.). This means the users don't have to leave delicious and go to the Library's database to access the information. The tags are grouped by subject categories: any urls and Library's holdings of similar subject category are grouped under the one tag.

wk6 Video online; Youtube and Google video

wk5 Explore Wikipedia and wikis

Wiki works like a curator would for an exhibition; or like what a web content researcher would do for our website on different topic of interest for the collection. It organises information into certain topic of interest by drawing on the connections of different aspects of that specific topic and provides access to users. I can envisage the different teams in the Reading Room setting up their own wiki on the topic of their specialisation to provide access to 'pre-packaged' information.
It also seems to allow user discussions, so users can contribute too in the packaging of information for the benefit of other users. It is not just a one way thing.

Imagine doing approval plan acquisitions using wiki set up by vendors. I wonder if this will help the fine tuning of our subjects profile? The tuning process will be more organic and more immediate (?).

wk4 RSS

RSS can be a useful tool in tailoring service to client needs:
It can work in conjunction with 'suggestions for purchase' where a client who has placed a 'Suggestion for Purchase' can also subscribe to Library's RSS feeds to get the latest Library acquisitions on similar topic. Each dewey range can get an RSS feed. Clients can subscribe to their chosen dewey range. Which in itself can be used as a way to gauge the client needs in relation to the collection and web content.

Library can function as a filter and a portal where Web Information with authorised sources can be packaged and disseminated to specific client groups, eg. business, legal, HSC, etc. Yahoo Pipe can be applied in this instance.

Yahoo Pipe can be used for capturing any citations of publications (in any language using the translation module) relating to New South Wales. This can be a tool in building heritage collection.

Clients can receive RSS feed on upcoming Events and Exhibitions.

Within the Library, RSS can be set up for each section of the Library's intranet as a way to keep abreast with the latest updates relating to staff members' professional development.

wk3 Sharing Images

I didn't do the Flickr week properly first time around. Haven't taken any photo to upload into Flickr. Will follow up with a photo soon. I was amazed at the amount of information 'Taken with a Canon Digital IXUS v3 - More properties' listed under Additional Information next to the uploaded image. Did the information automatically get uploaded when the image was uploaded? Maybe the 'signature' of the photographer can somehow get embedded into those information as well?

Library of Congress uses Flickr to display their archive of photographic collection, tagging them by the year the image was taken. Clicking the year takes you to all the images taken in that period. The images are also individually catalogued with proper LC subject headings, including the format (eg. Transparencies--Color) of the image and its call number. However, it's the Tags which give a more informative description of the visual aspect of the image as opposed to the content which is supplied by the subject headings. It's an example of interfacing the specialist tagging with the users'. I can easily imagine images from picman uploaded onto Flickr.

Just on the use of Flickr, Library of Congress started a pilot project called The Commons . They are posting historical images online to solicit clients to share their knowledge of the images.

wk1, 2 Introductions to Blogs

I like this program of working at my own pace, but I think it needs certain discipline to take 15 mins. a day to leave the normal work aside to explore the web tools. I think this program is great in that everything you need to know is on the web, and it's matter of trialling and erring.

Imagine having a blog in the State Library's website where the clients can exchange amongst themselves their findings. Or, a blog for different topics relating to the collection of the Library. A blog for the current exhibitions to allow clients express exchange their views....

Does anyone know if the name of the blog can be changed?