Week 9 - facebook

I've managed to stay away from social networking sites up until now and I suppose this exercise was a good way to force me to have a look at them! I'm just not sure if I'm that social! I decided to try Facebook, as I knew some people on it already, and I just set up my profile and I have one friend so far!! I can see how it could be addictive for socialising (if you're in to that type of thing!) but I'm not sure if a library has a place on it. I suppose it's a marketing tool, and looking at the UCD Library site, it does have fans, but I'm not convinced of the effectiveness. Anyway, it must take a lot of time to keep it updated!

Last part of week 8 - Ebooks and Audio Books

I've been a fan of audio books since they were on audio cassette, and it's even better that they can be downloaded now. They are a great idea and have a huge place in libraries, particularly for people with sight difficulties. Now that I've found AudiobooksForFree.com, I'll have to start doing some more downloading!
Electronic books also have a place in Libraries, especially for Academic Libraries where a student might only need a couple of chapters - it will mean that the books won't go missing, or they won't be able to rip the pages out anymore - how great!! I couldn't imagine using a sony reader or laptop myself though to read a novel, it somehow takes the fun out of it.

SitePal, Podcasts and LastFM

I had a look at SitePal and, like others, decided not to give my credit card details, so didn't spend too long at it. I did send an email though but don't know if I see great value in this tool. I know that research shows that it improves takeup of products, but I would just find the voice annoying and a lot of the characters are a bit creepy! I suppose it's down to personal taste really!

Podcasts, on the other hand, I'm a huge fan of and have been downloading for quite a while. It's also a great way of catching up on any radio shows you've missed, especially if you're a Gift Grub fan! These can really be used in libraries, as the UL podcast tour and others like it show.

I suppose LastFM is a bit like the music version of LibraryThing - interest and I'll have to have a better look at it some other time!

Week 8 - YouTube

YouTube is great for getting another look at the really good or really bad acts on Britain's got talent - Stavros Flatley was one really funny example! Browsing through it for this exercise (something I've never done before) I've realised how much rubbish there is on it - people adding their own random thoughts and their own productions - again I find myself asking "why?" on this journey!! Looking at it in a library context, I've found the Common Craft videos really simple to understand and a great way to learn, and I was also at a talk that someone from UCD gave where they made some videos to explain how to use Self Issue machines, so I can see that YouTube could be useful in a library context - if you only had the time.

Week 7

As with most people, I've used wikipedia on occasion and found it very useful, and I can also see the value in using a wiki for a manual, as it's constantly changing, but I don't think I'd have the patience for one myself - wouldn't it just be easier to talk to the people involved rather than creating a wiki for a camping trip?!! Perhaps I would have got more value out of it if I had been able to make the lunchtime talk. It's over now though and that's the main thing!!

Week 6

I had heard of Del.icio.us but hadn't had a chance to take a look at it yet, so this gave me the opportunity. It does seem like a good way to keep track of websites and bookmarks, especially if you work on different computers a lot, having it all on one site does seem to make more sense. I can also see how it could be used in the library context. Technorati however, I didn't get at all. I didn't bother joining or tagging anything because after having a look at the site, I thought it was a bit of a waste of time to be honest, just another way of doing the same thing - life is just too short for it really!! Nearly caught up now - just wikis to go!!

Week 5 Task - only 2 weeks late!

Thank goodness for the catchup weeks! I finally managed to take a look at LibraryThing, which I had never used before and it was great, especially the recommendation section, which will be useful if I'm ever short of something to read! It's a great idea and it was also good that I could link it to my blog. I had used GoogleBooks before and have always found it very useful and I know that students do too, particularly those based off campus who can't always get into the library. I had a quick look at the Web 2.0 Awards page too. Looking at the award winners just proves to me how little I know about Web 2.0 and how much time I could spend looking at all the different sites. Finding the time to spend on this project has been the most difficult part so far but I will persevere until the end!!