EXERCISE 21: Facebook

What I like: it is a great way to locate people or be located through the search facility as well as being international. Events calendar plus video loading are great tools. Having friends comments pop up is always interesting. I have a number of teenagers on my site so learning their lingo is a lesson in itself!. The ichat plus the ability to enter a discussion via making comments and accessing comments/contributions from others is interesting and utilised well in group discussions opening up to the bigger community. Its a fast way to share information with like minded people especially if there is a specific aim. It is valuable being exposed to a variety of opinions and/or being referred to a site by someone who has already visited. Excellent as no age/race/religious/time limitation which provides opportunites to exchange information and ideas between a lot of groups that otherwise might not share.

Sometimes too many messages. The quizzes’ do concern me due to the information being gathered by other parties, I don’t choose to participate in this.

EXERCISE 22: Library use of social networking.

We are in an age of rapid technology evolution bringing change in communication methodologies. Wireless, radio, telegrams, landlines, tvs, mobiles, computers, video conferencing, skype are part of the evolution of progressive changes. Often it is young people and forward thinking businesses that predominantly embrace the new technologies bearing in mind everything has pro’s and con’s e.g.. privacy issues. The aim is to consider the goal, which in this case is perhaps reaching the younger generation with a communication method they commonly use and understand and strongly relate to. Using these social networking sites can bring to their attention to what libraries can offer, how they navigate the site, opportunity to connect to other links, utilise what is offered, proffer suggestions and contribute. A profile on Facebook or MySpace needs to consider the user and the libraries aims. Using social networking provides an opportunity in reaching and being of use to younger clientele.

Exercise 6: Technology

I have a number of technological items that serve different purposes. One of the most useful is my Nav Man. I have a habit of getting lost on the due to a poor sense of direction. This fantastic little gadget gets me to where I want to go while providing info on the route which can be useful i.e. money machines, food, etc. Also useful for learning names of roads. Took it down to Christchurch earlier this year and it did all the navigation for me making life easy. I have to say as far as stress reduction goes i.e. not getting lost, it is worth its weight in gold.

Technology in this form certainly simplifies life when travelling around, highly recommend this item.

Trading Card Maker

Went onto Trading Card Maker and used a photo off my computer (saved from Flickr) and created a CD cover.

There are some fabulous ideas for items to be created from either your own photos or from others. This is a fun way to introduce people to computers who perhaps don't use them much and it fills those who relate well to the visual stimulus. Perhaps useful in creating for children for in-house learning or events.

Quite possibly create things from here for use in the library, i.e. posters, cubes, maybe create bookmarks for genres, library calendar, perhaps with pictures of books and events on, a number of useful applications.

Exercise 4: Flickr

Exercise #4: Flickr: Oh wow, what a whole new world that was, had to haul myself out of there, started adding all these photos to my fav's and could of gone on and on and on.... (well yes I did somewhat, time completely wandered off somewhere else)

No doubt I will return. Flickr is a whole new world and what a great way to share photos with friends and family, lucky I got my camera out tonight, mmm... now to master the art of loading up as to date have never loaded onto the computer. Can enrol my nephew, these kids are whiz's.

Pretty good if you lose your stuff to have it all on line.

Mmm, there is a lot of technology out there in computer land, its the way of communication and sourcing information with speed providing one knows how to utilise the tools. What do I hope to gain? some mastery in keeping astride of new and common programs and sites, to move out of the 19th century somewhat in my knowledge base; well heres crossing my fingers and diving in, full submerge ahead!!!

Look in the face of the person to whom you are speaking if you wish to know his real sentiments, for he can command his words more easily than his countenance.

Lord Chesterfield.