Facebook

First thing this week was to look how Libraries are using Facebook...

Looking at the Oxford Libraries which have a Facebook presence, they all seem to be doing roughly similar things, with basic info like opening hours etc and news updates. People seem to join as fans but then don't seem to interact with the sites much, for instance asking questions etc.

I like the way other Web 2.0 applications can be integrated with the Facebook page, e.g. a feed from Library Thing, or Delicious, or using the #fb to send Twitter posts to Facebook.

I guess Facebook is useful for getting in touch with patrons, who can't be bothered to look at a Library's web page! Most pages also include SOLO searches which is nice touch.

I registered for Facebook and put the obligatory photo of my cat up, will search for people and add them at a later date.

Here is Mia, sitting on the bin bags I have to put on the couch to stop it getting covered in fur...

Labels

Hmmm, I see that we are supposed to have a list of labels in our blog. I think that mine went when I changed the template so tried to add a gadget but all I could find was a dreadful "Label Sphere" - oh well, it is better than nothing.

Now to check I have labelled everything correctly and add to the Sphere of Pain.

Update - I've now added my labels properly - by actually reading the instructions, but will keep the Sphere because I feel sorry for it now. It is now the Sphere of Sorrow.

Thing 12 Youtube

This week's thing is Youtube, I had a look at a virtual tour of the Bodleian Library and was reminded of the time I set the alarms off in Duke Humphrey's. I also had a hunt for guides to using electronic resources, but didn't find much apart from the Web of Knowledge videos suggested. The WoK one was good though, I should probably watch that one again.

Maybe people could film WISER presentations and put them on Youtube? Of course, you wouldn't be able to ask questions, which is one of the best things about WISER sessions, but it would be better than nothing.

Thing 11 Podcasts

This week, I have been mainly listening to Podcasts.

I subscribed to Radio 3's Jazz Library in Google Reader and was delighted to hear a programme on Jaco Pastorius. More usefully I also subscribed to the Department of Politics and International Relations podcasts from the Oxford site.

How can these things be used for Libraries though? I have no idea.

I tried to go on a Podcasting course at OUCS but it was fully booked.

More Delicious

More Delicious feature explored today:

Adding users to my network, I added Nuffield College Library, HFL and Phil Bradley (whose website is very impressive)

The subscribing to tags option is even better (with the caveat that people might use different tags) I added the tags "ox23" and "poe" to my Delicious subscriptions and an RSS feed to my Google Reader.

Delicious

Another week, another web 2.0 application with a stupid name.

I signed up for Delicious which I had used in the past, but I had not used the Bookmarklet option which makes things a hell of a lot easier.

The tagging element is useful for finding similar web sites but what if people use slightly different tags? This is why we have LCSH...

Thing 8: Picnik

Spooky House 2
Originally uploaded by edwarddanielsmithson

This thing was to use Picnik to edit photos, I opted to edit my photo of a spooky house and to increase its demoniacal aspect by altering the colour (the photo was a bit wonky, so I straightened it out too)

I used the "blog this" option in Flickr (which involved giving Flickr access to my blog so I could post pictures directly to it.

I also discovered I can upload pictures from my Blackberry direct to Flickr, I'll have to take one of the Library...

It's amazing how all this stuff can integrate.