Sutherland Shire Libraries Learning 2.0

Learning 2.0 Welcome

2007-11-09T12:45:00.000+11:00

Welcome to Sutherland Shire Libraries Learning 2.0, an online self-discovery program that encourages the exploration of web 2.0 tools and new technologies and promotes learning through play.

In this program you will complete a series of tasks that introduce you to a number of web 2.0 tools and services. The tasks include discovery exercises and some suggestions for extending your knowledge. These exercises are, at best, an introduction. If you find a particular task interesting then you should follow your nose and do some exploring on your own. If you do delve deeper please share your experience with other participants in the program in person or via your blog, which you establish early in the program.

How Do I Get Started?

Getting started is as easy as 1, 2, 3...

Read About this Program and How to Participate.
Visit the tasks page and start your discovery
Record your progress through the program on the Tracking Log.

What's in it for Me?

Apart from the feeling of satisfaction you gain from learning a bunch of new things...

We are offering 5 incentive prizes of a $100 Westfields voucher. Any staff member who completes the program by 1 March 2008 will go into the draw for one of the vouchers.

Task 9: Library 2.0 - Opportunities for Libraries

2007-11-09T12:14:00.001+11:00

"Speak Up" is the new "Shhh.."
Originally uploaded by scampion

Throughout this Learning 2.0 program you have been asked to explore a range of Web 2.0 tools and technologies. Indeed part of each task was to consider the potential of these tools for libraries in you blog. In this task we take a closer look at the way Web 2.0 and libraries are colliding.

The term Library 2.0 was first used by Michael Casey in his blog Library Crunch in 2005. It is obviously a direct appropriation of the term Web 2.0. He and others use the term to imply that the same underlying concepts that have made Web 2.0 tools so popular - community building, user participation, constant beta, etc. - also have value for library services.

Here's the definition of Library 2.0 from Wikipedia:

...Casey suggested that libraries, especially public libraries, are at a crossroads where many of the elements of Web 2.0 have applicable value within the library community, both in technology-driven services and in non-technology based services. In particular, he described the need for libraries to adopt a strategy for constant change while promoting a participatory role for library users...
...With Library 2.0, library services are frequently evaluated and updated to meet the changing needs of library users. Library 2.0 also calls for libraries to encourage user participation and feedback in the development and maintaining of library services. The active and empowered library user is a significant component of Library 2.0. With information and ideas flowing in both directions – from the library to the user and from the user to the library – library services have the ability to evolve and improve on a constant and rapid basis. The user is participant, co-creator, builder and consultant – whether the product is virtual or physical.

There has been much debate in the blogosphere about what the term Library 2.0 means and what a 2.0 library would/should look like. Some people argue that technology is a vital part of Library 2.0. Others suggest that it's not about the technology but rather creating user driven services and the technology is only one way to achieve this goal. Then there are those who have suggested that libraries have always been in the business of user driven services and that Library 2.0 is a meaningless label.

In this task you will take a deeper look at Library 2.0 and explore how you personally feel about the concept.

First...
Read the following article:
Michael E. Casey and Laura C. Savastinuk. Library 2.0: Service for the next-generation library in Library Journal, 1 September 2006.

Next...
Using the knowledge you have developed during the program locate some other librarians’ perspectives on Web 2.0 and Library 2.0. Some starting points might be:

The Library 2.0 Reading List on Squidoo.
The Techsource blog from the American Library Association.
Some names to look out for include Michael Casey, Michael Stephens, Casey Bisson, Jenny Levine, David Lee King, John Blyberg and Stephen Abram.

You will be able to track down plenty of discussion about the topic. Do some reading and ponder what Library 2.0 means to you. Think about the ways that some of the tools you have explored in this program could be used in a public library context.

Finally...
Post your thoughts about Library 2.0 to your blog. Where do you stand on the Library 2.0 spectrum? Is Web 2.0/Library 2.0 relevant to you... our library... our customers? Can you see any ways in which the tools you have explored could improve our service offering?

Extension...
Keep exploring! Make this the beginning of your journey instead of the end.

Try out some other tools eg. LibraryThing, Google Maps, Rollyo, or something from the Web 2.0 Awards. Keep learning new tools with Learning 2.1.

Take a moment now to make sure your tracking log profile is up to date. Only those who have a blog posting listed for each task before March 1 will be eligible for the incentive prize draw.

Thanks for participating and good luck with the draw!

Task 8: Myspace, Facebook and Social Networks

2007-11-09T12:07:00.000+11:00

Myspace and Facebook are the 2 biggest social networking sites today. Social networking sites allow members to see who is connected to whom. This makes communicating with your friends, and your friend's friends easy, hence the 'network' in social networking.

This video, Social Networking in Plain English, attempts to explain what social networking sites have to offer. Have a look at it.

There is quite a lot of debate in library circles about the relative merits of these social networks. Should libraries have a presence in myspace? If so, what should that presence offer?

In this task you will explore what social networking sites offer their members and what potential they have for libraries. We will focus on myspace as member profiles are publicly available, whereas on Facebook you have to join before you can see anyone's profile.

First...
Take a look at a few myspace profiles of different libraries such as Hennepin County Library, Denver Public Library's teen space - eVolver and Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library. What do you think of these sites? Who is the target audience?

Then...
Read some views about libraries using social networking sites. Start with a couple of selected blog posts (make sure you read the one from Meredith Farkas) and perhaps seek out some more for yourself.

Finally...
Post your views on libraries and social networks in your blog. Do you think our library should have a Myspace or Facebook profile? What should it include? Who should we aim to friend? What's the best thing you've seen a library do on myspace

Extension...
Join Myspace and set up a profile for yourself. Play around and see what's involved. Visit the SSC Learning 2.0 profile and invite us to be your friend.

Task 7: Podcasts and Vodcasts - Downloadable Audio and Video

2007-11-09T12:01:00.000+11:00

Warning! The Council network doesn't play well with audio and video content. You will need to complete this exercise on a TAC/Public PC or at home (if you're really keen!)

As more and more people are opting for broadband Internet connections content providers have more scope to provide information in different media formats. People now have the capacity to download or stream audio and video content on home PCs as part of their everyday surfing habits.

The popularity of Video sharing sites like YouTube and BlipTV has exploded in recent years. In addition to the penetration of broadband, the rapid rise in use of video sharing has a lot to do with the how easy it has become to create and edit your own videos. Many mobile phones have video cameras built in and Windows Movie Maker, a video editing program, has been part of the Windows operating system for several years.

For some time now people have been sharing music online and this has caused the recording industry major headaches trying to ensure that copyright is not breached, which has lead to the introduction of music downloads (eg. itunes) and digital rights management (DRM). What you may not know is that there is a lot of audio content available on the web that you can download for free. Everything from audio books to radio stations that broadcast only via the Internet.

In this exercise you will explore some of the media content available on the Internet.

First...
Explore YouTube. Do some searching around YouTube yourself and see what the site has to offer. There's mountains of stuff available and there's bound to be something to interests you. Of course, like any free site you’ll also find a lot stuff not worth watching. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t explore and see for yourself what the site has to offer.

There's even videos on YouTube that explore the same stuff as this Learning 2.0 program. The Machine is Us/ing Us by Mike Wesch.

Find a video that is worth creating a blog post about.

Then...
Create a blog post about your experience. Link to the video. What did you like or dislike about the site and why did you choose the video that you did? Can you see any features of the site that might be interesting if they were applied to library websites?

Extension...
Try embedding your video in your blog post. Embedding just means that you are taking the video source from YouTube and displaying it inside your blog post (just like the video above). Look for the embed code on the YouTube page. Copy and paste it into your blog post using the Edit Html tab of Blogger's post editor.

Next...
Have a look at some of these sites that offer free downloads of audio books. Generally, the titles available are classics because they're in the public domain. Try downloading a chapter or so from a book that interests you and have a listen to it.

The Library has just received grant funding for Overdrive, a platform for lending digital media including audio books, ebooks, music and videos. So the Library collection will contain material of this type in the near future.

Then...
Explore Podcasts.

There are essentially 3 ways to consume digital media content via the Internet. You can listen/watch audio and video live. This is known as streaming, for example listening to ABC radio online or watching a Surfcam. Your computer downloads the content as you watch and the file is not saved on your computer.

Alternatively, you can manually download audio and video files to your computer to watch anytime you like and/or transfer to your mp3 player or ipod. For example, buying songs through iTunes or another online music store.

Podcasts, on the other hand, are regularly updated audio or video (vodcasts) files associated with an RSS feed. Generally speaking podcasts are created for recurring programs such as a weekly radio program. You subscribe to a podcast in the same way that you subscribe to any other RSS feed. When you subscribe to a podcast the new content is automatically downloaded to your podcast receiver for you to watch at your convenience. There are dedicated podcast receivers such as Juice and Apple's iTunes software acts as a download store, podcast receiver, podcast directory and music player. Most aggregators, including Google Reader, Newsgator and Bloglines, can also act as podcast receivers.

There are podcasts on just about every topic imaginable and they range from short commentaries to complete shows. Traditional media creators are a good place to start looking for podcasts. For example, the ABC and BBC podcast many of their radio programs. Indeed, you can even vodcast the Chaser's War on Everything. There are, however, dedicated podcast directories such as Podcast.net and Podcast Alley.

Locate a podcast on a topic of interest to you. Subscribe to the podcast in your RSS reader. Have a listen to one or two of the episodes of the podcast.

Finally...
Add a post to your blog about podcasts. Did you find anything useful in your exploration? How could libraries make use of podcasts?

Task 6: Online Collaboration - What is a Wiki?

2007-11-09T11:55:00.000+11:00

A wiki (Hawaiian for quick) is a collaborative web site authoring tool. A wiki allows anyone to contibute and edit content on a web site, without requiring any technical knowledge. That is, authors don't need to know HTML or any programming languages. All that is required is access to the Internet, so editors don't need to be in the same place, and a password should the site owner choose to have one.

The most well known and popular use of wiki software is Wikipedia, an online open community encyclopedia, where anyone and contribute and add or edit articles about anything. Wikipedia is built using the free MediaWiki software but there are other places to get your own free wiki such as PBwiki and Wetpaint.

For some more background on wikis you can read Using Wikis to Create Online Communities and/or have a look at this video on Wikis in Plain English.

First...
Explore some Library based wikis. Different Libraries are using wikis in different ways, for example:

St. Joseph County Public Library's Subject Guides.
iread, a readers' advisory wiki from Iowa librarians.
The Biz Wiki, another subject guide, this time focussed on business resources available through Ohio University Libraries.
A profession wide wiki established to record and share Library Best Practice - Library Success.

Next...
Edit a wiki.

"Sandbox" is the term that wikis often use to describe the area of the website that should be used for pure play. For this explore-and-play-with-wikis exercise, you are asked to add an entry or two to the PBwiki Learning 2.0 wiki. The Learning 2.0 Favorites wiki was set up for the original Learning 2.0 program and it's for nothing but play! The theme of this wiki is simply Favorites : Favorite books, favorite vacation spots, favorite restaurants, favorite anything... All you need to do is play and add your thoughts.

To mark your adventure on this site, you should add your blog to the wiki. Go to the Favourite Blogs page and click on the edit button at the top of the page. Login with the password: plcmc and your name and email address. Add a line in the Australian Blogs section and put your blog in the list. Then go ahead and add some more entries to other pages in the wiki.

The editor is pretty self explanatory but you can read explanations of how to edit a PBwiki on the FAQ page, especially the section on the Point and Click Editor.

Be bold, explore, play! This is a sandbox wiki and no one expects you to be an expert - just have a go. Besides, you can't break a wiki because you can always roll back any page to an earlier version.

If you really want to participate why not try editing the iread wiki and make this readers' advisory wiki an even better resource. It is also built using PBwiki. The password is readers.

Finally...
Write a post on your blog about the potential of wikis for the library profession.

Extension...
There is much argument in the blogosphere regarding the relative merits of Web 2.0 and in particular whether encouraging everybody to participate in creating the information landscape is positive or negative. Wikipedia has become a touchstone of sorts in this debate due to the impact it has had and the nature of contributions - ie. anyone can edit articles anonymously.

Read Michael Gorman's, The Sleep of Reason Part 1 and Part 2, on the Britannica blog and then these responses by Clay Shirky and Danah Boyd to his argument.

Look around for some more articles that explore the relative values of Britannica and Wikipedia, such as these.

Consider your own position on Wikipedia and other Web 2.0 tools as information sources and write a blog post about your thoughts.

Task 5: Social Bookmarking - Tagging, Folksonomies and del.icio.us

2007-11-09T11:54:00.001+11:00

Tagging is an open and informal method of categorizing that allows users to associate keywords with online content (webpages, pictures & posts). Unlike library subject cataloging, which follows a strict set of guidelines (i.e. Library of Congress subject headings), tagging is completely unstructured and freeform, allowing users to create connections between data anyway they want. You should be familiar with tags from the previous task on flickr, where you could associate keyword tags with photographs.

When you have a large number of people contributing tags to describe and organise content you end up with something that is commonly described as a folksonomy (as opposed to a taxonomy, which is based on a controlled, systematic application of categories by experts).

Del.icio.us is a popular social bookmarking tool that allows you to save and share your favourite web sites online. Its most basic advantage over browser based bookmarks is that you can access your favourites from any computer connected to the Internet. But it offers so much more. You can describe your bookmarks using tags to make them easy to find later, you can share them with friends, you can see how others have described the same site and explore other sites with the same tags. You can also see how popular a particular site is giving some indication of its value/quality or look for new sites based on what others have bookmarked.

In this task you will explore del.icio.us and learn about this powerful tool. Before you start you might want to take a look at this Social Bookmarking in Plain English, a short video tutorial explaining what del.icio.us is and how it works.

First...
Take some time to explore del.icio.us. Check out the Library's bookmarks at http://del.icio.us/suthlib.

Click on a tag from the list on the right.
What sites have we bookmarked using this tag?View all pages that have this tag, view popular pages that have this tag.
Are there any sites listed that look helpful? Pick a site and see who else has bookmarked it?
Explore their bookmarks. Can you see how the network can lead you to new discoveries?

Next...
Login to del.icio.us with the Sutherland Shire Libraries Learning 2.0 account. The Username is ssclearning2 and the password is 123discover. Bookmark your blog and tag it with blog.

Click on the Post link at the top of the page
Type (or copy and paste) the URL of your blog in to the box.
Describe your blog. The title of the blog goes in the Description field. Provide a summary in the notes field. Add keywords to the tag field, just be sure to add blog as one of them.
Save the bookmark.

In a little while you should see your blog show up in the list of participants blogs on the sidebar (psst... over there --->)

Then...
Using tags is a new way to categorise content. This calls for new ways to explore that content. One way is through tag clouds. Tag Clouds are a display of tags where size reflects popularity. Take a look at the most popular tags on del.icio.us as a cloud. Flickr also has a tag cloud for its most popular tags.

Finally...
Add a post to your blog about any aspect of del.icio.us or tagging in general. Eg. How could libraries make use of del.icio.us? What if library members could tag books on our catalogue? (it’s happening at Ann Arbor District Library in the US!)

Extension...
Some exercises to develop your understanding of del.icio.us even more.

Find out how to do even more with del.icio.us by reading The Several Habits of Wildly Successful del.icio.us Users.
Sign up for your own del.icio.us account and start bookmarking!
Try displaying your bookmarks outside del.icio.us.* You can use the linkroll feature to create a bit of web code to paste into your blog template. If your using Blogger: edit the template, add page element and choose html/javascript element type. Alternatively, copy the feed from the bottom of any del.cio.us page and use Blogger's site feed page element. Check out Blogger's Layout Guide for more help.

*Note: The Web Resources on the Library web site are taken directly from del.icio.us bookmarks using these tools.

Task 4: Image Sharing - Discover Flickr

2007-11-08T19:49:00.001+11:00

There are other photo sharing web sites around but flickr is the most popular and successful. flickr employs all the features expected in a web 2.0 site - user generated content, sharing, tagging, commenting - putting the network into social networking by allowing communities to develop online based on common interests.

Coffee bubble self-portrait Uploaded on November 3, 2007 by tsallam

For this task you will take a good look around flickr and see what the site has to offer. See how tags work (more on tags in later tasks), what groups are, how geotagging works and all the other interesting things people are doing with flickr.

First...
Head over to flickr and take the Tour.

Then...
Explore flickr and find a photo that interests you. You can look for photos by date or place. You can look at photos taken by different cameras (have you got a digital camera? What have others taken with your model? The Library has a Panasonic DMC-FZ8). You can search for photos by keyword or tag.

Spend some time exploring the network associated with this photo. What else is tagged with the same keyword? Does the photo belong to any groups? Is the photo attracting lots of comments?

Next...
Add a post to your blog explaining what you find interesting about the photo. Don't forget to include the photo in the blog post. You can use *Blogger's photo upload tool or if your game to sign up for an account you can use Flickr's blogging tool to add images in your posts.

Finally...
Have a look around at what other libraries are doing with flickr. Start with this list or search for libraries of your choice. Also, have a look at what The National Library is doing with its flickr Project. Consider ways in which libraries could make use of flickr and include your thoughts on your blog. Just remember to update the tracking log when you are done.

Extension...

Although this is not compulsory, if you're up for an easy challenge sign up for a free flickr account. It doesn't take long and you have access to a few extra features like the blog this! button. If you have a digital camera even better. Take a few photos and upload them to flickr.Tag the photos with SSLlearning2 and we can display all the photos from the project in one place.
Flickr has an open Application Programming Interface (API for short). This means that anyone can write their own program to present public Flickr data (like photos, tags, profiles or groups) in new and different ways. Check out some of the ways some clever people are using flickr data.

*Hint: Getting the URL to paste in to Blogger's photo upload tool.
Important: If your on a public/TAC PC you need to use Mozilla Firefox as your browser to get right-clicks to work. OK, you need to copy the URL of the actual photo rather than the flickr photo page URL. To do this click on the All Sizes button above the photo (most photos have this). Select the small or medium size (about 300-400 pixels wide) and right-click on the download link to copy the URL. Then paste the URL in to the Blogger photo uploader. If your photo doesn't have the All Sizes button then the photo owner has restricted its use and you need to look for another photo - but don't give up!

Task 3: Make Life Simple with RSS Feeds

2007-11-05T13:27:00.000+11:00

RSS feeds are a way of distributing or 'syndicating' the content from a web site, hence the name Really Simple Syndication. Although RSS has been around for a while it is only in the last year or so that they have begun making a big impact. You see, RSS takes the traditional way of consuming information on the web and turns it on its head. Let me explain...

Let's say you have a dozen web sites that you like to keep up to date with. You visit each one in turn and check to see if they have anything new on the site. If there's no new content you have wasted your time. News readers/aggregators allow you to subscribe to web sites using RSS feeds. Whenever a web site is updated with new content the RSS feed is updated and the aggregator gathers the new content together from all your subscriptions in the one place.

In this task you will set up your own news reader and subscribe to some feeds, discovering the power of RSS for yourself!

First...
If you want a bit more background you can read about RSS Feeds on the Library Blog. You can also watch this great little video, RSS in Plain English explaining the concept of feeds (highly recommended).

Next...
You need to set up an aggregator. Like email, news readers come in both desktop and web based versions. Given that you can't install the desktop versions on work PCs I recommend you use a web based aggregator such as Google Reader or NewsGator. You can, of course use another aggregator of your choice such as bloglines or even My Yahoo! (for those who use Yahoo! mail)

One advantage of the Google Reader is that if you have followed the recommendations in previous tasks (Gmail and Blogger) you already have a Google Account. Simply go to Google Reader and sign in with your email address and password to start subscribing to feeds. Otherwise, look for a sign up button and follow the prompts.

Then...
Once you have set up an account with an online aggregator you will want to subscribe to some feeds. If a web site provides an RSS feed it is usually indicated by an orange icon such as this , or this , or just under a heading such as Feeds or Subscribe.

To subscribe to a feed you need to copy the URL (address) of the feed into your aggregator.

Right-click on the link to the RSS feed (it might be one of the icons above or text) and select Copy Shortcut.

Go to your aggregator and look for a button labelled Subscribe or Add a Feed (in Google Reader there is a link called Add Subscription). Click on this link.

Paste the URL of the feed in to the text box.

You should now be able to see the content from the RSS feed displayed in your reader. If you are using Google Reader it might look something like this:If you are having trouble try looking for a help/support link on your feed reader. Ask a friend or colleague and see if they can help?

Don't know what to add? Try locating the RSS feed for the Library Blog or your own blog. Also, most news sites (ABC, SMH, etc.) now have RSS feeds on their web sites.

Finally...
Write a post for your blog reflecting on your experience with RSS feeds. Consider:

How do you think RSS feeds could affect your work/personal life?
How could libraries could take advantage of the power of RSS feeds to improve their services?

And, don't forget to update your progress on the tracking log.

Extension...
Although these exercises are not compulsory, they will extend your understanding of the usefulness of RSS feeds.

Try locating a few feeds on a topic you're interested in using one of these services:

technorati
A popular blog and social media tracking service where you can search for blogs, posts video and photos.
syndic8
A directory of feeds and headlines

Experiment with your blog template by displaying some headlines from another site in your blog's sidebar. For example, the New Web Resources list on the Library blog is drawn from an RSS feed of items recently bookmarked on our del.icio.us account.

Start by locating the URL of the feed you want to add. Then login to your blog and edit the template to add the feed. You may need to consult your blog's help pages to get started (Blogger users start here).

Task 2: Get Yourself a Blog

2007-10-23T13:33:00.000+10:00

OK, by now you should have an understanding of what's involved in completing the Learning 2.0 Program and at least an inkling of what is meant by the term Web 2.0 (you'll discover a lot more as you complete the rest of the tasks). It's time to start playing.

First...
To begin you need to set up your very own blog so that you have a place to record your thoughts about the rest of the discovery exercises. Although there are other blogging options available*, for this program I recommend you use Blogger. Blogger is a free online blog hosting service that is very easy to set up and use, really!

Creating a blog using Blogger takes just 3 steps:

Create a Google Account.
If you created a Gmail account in Task 1 , or if you already have a google account, you simply need to sign in with your email address and password.

Name your blog.
You need to choose a unique address (URL) for your blog in the format http://(xxx).blogspot.com/, where (xxx) is the part you choose. This is the address where people can view your blog. If you want to remain anonymous choose a blog name that doesn't identify you, ie. choose disgustedlibrarian not Martinsblog.

Select your template.
Blogger provides a selection of templates for your blog. Choose one that you like. You can edit the look and feel of the template once you have set up your blog if you like.

That's it! Create your blog now.

*Please feel free to use a different blogging service if you are more comfortable with it.

Then...
Add a post or 2 to your blog. To do this simply go to Blogger and sign in. Once signed in you will be presented with the Dashboard screen. Just click on the New Post button and away you go.

Post about something from the 25 technologies in 50 minutes webcast or the KPMG report that took your interest in Task 1.

Next...

Register your completion of Task 2 on the Learning 2.0 Tracking log. Make sure you enter the address of your blog and the permalink (the URL) of your post about Web 2.0.

Hint: view your blog and look for the permalink (it's often the date of the blog post) on your post. Right-click the permalink and select Copy Shortcut. Then login to the tracking log, update your profile and paste the link into the Task 2 box.

Finally...

The following discovery exercises are not compulsory but you may find them interesting and they will give you a deeper understanding of blogs.

Explore a bit further by:

Playing with the look and feel of your blog. From the Dashboard click on the Layout link. Choose Fonts and Colors to edit the look and feel of your blog. Choose Page Elements to add extra bits to your blog, eg. add a picture or a poll to your blog or remove the bits you don't want.

Read some other Librarian's blogs Such as Information Wants to be Free, The Other Librarian, David Lee King, and you must check out The Annoyed Librarian.

Task 1: Get Prepared

2007-10-16T15:22:00.000+10:00

This first task is about getting ready to participate in the Sutherland Shire Libraries Learning 2.0 program. The idea of the program is that you get to learn something new and have fun while you do it. In the coming weeks you will get to play with a whole bunch of new tools and technologies but for now let's just make sure you're ready to go when you get to Task 2.

First...
The first step is to make sure that you understand what the program is about. If you haven't already, take a couple of minutes to read about the program and also what's involved in participating.

Then...
You will need an email address to complete several of the discovery exercises in the program. It is highly recommended that you have a web based email address that you can access at work. If you don’t already have your own personal email address, sign up for one now at Gmail. Remember to note down your chosen username and password when you complete the sign-up form. It's pretty straightforward but if you get stuck I'm sure you can find someone to give you a hand.
Sign up for Gmail now...

Finally...
Let's get an idea about what this Web 2.0 stuff is. Here are 2 resources that introduce the concept of Web 2.0 from different perspectives. Try one or the other, or both!

Watch/listen to the 25 technologies in 50 minutes webinar from the SirsiDynix Institute presented by Stephen Abram, a leading advocate of the use of Web 2.0 in Libraries. This one won't work on the Council PCs. You will need to have a look on a TAC PC or at home. Click on the View Now link to watch the video or the Listen Now link to listen to the audio of the presentation.

Read about Web 2.0 in the KPMG report, The Impact of Digitalization – a generation apart. This report is a really good overview of the cultural impact of new technology. At the very least you should read the executive summary, however, the chapters by Bernard Salt, Frances Cairncross, David Weinberger, Chris Anderson and Paul Saffo all make interesting reading.

OK. Now your ready to start discovering. Get ready to learn all about blogs in Task 2.

How to Participate in the Learning 2.0 Program

2007-10-11T16:46:00.000+10:00

This Learning 2.0 program consists of a set of 9 Tasks. For each task you are required to complete a number of discovery exercises. Some are very simple, such as exploring a particular web site, and some are more involved. For example, throughout the program you will be required to join several online services. There are instructions for completing each of the exercises in each task.

There are also extension exercises for many of the tasks for those of you who want to delve a little deeper. These are optional. You can try them all or just try the ones for the tools/technologies that particularly interest you. Don't forget - this program is about learning through play.

At the completion of each task you will also be required to record your thoughts about the subject of the task in your blog, which will be created in task 2. You should consider the relevance and potential impact the tool or technology you have explored has for yourself and for the provision of library services. See this example of a learning 2.0 participants blog for an idea of the kind of responses expected.

To keep track of who has completed which tasks a Sutherland Shire Libraries Learning 2.0 Tracking Log has been established. You will need to record your completion of each task on the tracking log.

As an extra incentive the Library is offering five $100 Westfields vouchers as prizes. To be in the draw for one of these incentive prizes you must complete the program (all 9 tasks including blog posts recording your thoughts and recording your progress on the tracking log) by 1st March 2008.

That's it! Get started by reading about the program (if haven't already) and then get started on the Tasks.

About Learning 2.0

2007-10-11T11:45:00.000+10:00

The aim of Learning 2.0 is to encourage the exploration of web 2.0 and new technologies by staff, with a view towards using these technologies to improve the service offered at Sutherland Shire Libraries.

The program consists of a number of tasks that participants must complete. Within each task you will have the opportunity to explore new tools and technologies. You will then need to reflect on the value and/or impact those tools may have on library service provision and record your thoughts.

The Learning 2.0 program is not a traditional training program. There are no face-to-face classes or workshops. Rather, Learning 2.0 encourages staff to take responsibility for their own learning - to give staff the opportunity to discover, explore and learn through play.

You are encouraged to be resourceful when you encounter a problem. Often the answer can be found in the help pages for tools in the program. Other staff are also participating in this program. You are encouraged to work together, share your discoveries with others and to seek out colleagues who may be able to help when you're stuck. You can also search the web for assistance. There are forums associated with most of the tools in the program where you can read the questions and answers of other people who are learning to use the tools. You are a Librarian - be resourceful!

The program is built using entirely using web 2.0 tools that are freely available. Just by getting this far you are beginning your journey to a greater understanding of where the web is heading.

As an added incentive to get you motivated to participate we are offering 5 chances to win a $100 Westfields voucher. Each staff member who completes all the tasks by the beginning of March 2008 will go into the draw to win one of the 5 vouchers. Not only will you develop a greater understanding of the next generation web you may even earn yourself a monetary reward, all while enjoying yourself!

What are you waiting for? Get started today!

The Tasks

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In the list below you will find a list of tasks to complete as part of the Sutherland Shire Libraries Learning 2.0 Program. Each task consists of several discovery exercises, which allow you to expand your knowledge of the Internet and Web 2.0. At the completion of each task you are required to record your thoughts and reactions about what you have learnt in the blog you establish in task 2.

Task 1 - Introduction

In this task you will:

make sure you understand how this program works and what you need to do to complete it.
get yourself an email address that you will use in some of the later tasks.
get some background to what this Web 2.0 stuff is all about.

Task 2 – Blogs

In this task you will:

Sign up for your own blog and register your participation on the Learning 2.0 Tracking Log.
Add a test post or 2. For example, write something about one of the technologies that captured your interest in the web 2.0 background material you looked at in Task 1.
Extension: Play around with the template layout. Eg, move, add and remove bits from the sidebar and change the fonts and colours.

Task 3 – RSS Feeds

In this task you will:

Find out what RSS feeds are.
Set up a News Reader/Aggregator and subscribe to some feeds.
Extension: search for some library related feeds
Extension: display headlines from another site in your blog

Task 4 – Image Sharing: Discover flickr

In this task you will:

Explore Flickr, the most well known photo sharing site, and see what it has to offer.
Find a photo that interests you. Explore the network associated with the photo.
Display the photo in your blog.
Extension: sign up for a flickr account and upload some photos.

Task 5 - Social Bookmarking: Tagging, Folksonomies and Del.icio.us

In this task you will:

Explore del.icio.us, a social bookmarking tool.
Bookmark your blog in del.icio.us using the Library account and tag it.
Find out what a tag cloud is.
Extension: Grab the feed from a del.icio.us or flickr account and add it to your blog’s sidebar using Blogger’s layout tools.

Task 6 – Online Collaboration: What is a Wiki?

In this task you will:

Learn about wikis and discover some innovative ways that libraries are using them.
Add an entry to a wiki.

Task 7 – Podcasts & Vodcasts: Downloadable Audio and Video

In this task you will:

Explore YouTube and other sites that allow people to view and share videos online.
Find out about the availability of downloadable audio books.
Discover podcasts and add one (or more) to your feed reader.
Extension: Try embedding a video from one of the video sites into your blog post. It’s as easy as copying and pasting some text!

Task 8 – Myspace, Facebook and Social Networks

In this task you will:

Have a look at a couple of libraries with Myspace profiles
Read some other perspectives on the relevance of myspace and facebook to libraries.
Extension: Sign up for a myspace or Facebook account and invite some friends.

Task 9 - Library 2.0: Opportunities for Libraries

In this task you will:

Explore the concept of Library 2.0
Consider the impact that Web 2.0 is having on library services and the expectations of our customers.
Articulate your views on next generation library services.

Don't forget to update the Tracking Log after you complete each task. If you complete all 9 tasks by 1 March 2008 you will be in the running to win one of the incentive prizes.

Thanks for participating!