Videos online

My introduction to Youtube was when Paul Potts performed on Britain's Got Talent and was posted on Youtube. Since then I have followed Susan Boyle's performance. Closer to home I looked for film of the March 31st floods in Coffs Harbour.
I was very interested in the examples of libraries using video to promote their service or to provide staff training. Initially I would like to see video being used with the youth. I think this media is very much a part of their culture and it could be a good way to promote library collections and databases to them.

Wikis

The video on wikis was a real eye-opener for me. I found the use of a wiki to plan a trip fascinating and I can see how useful this could be - it cuts out so much time with emails going backwards and forwards. I have used Wikipedia for quite sometime and find it very good. While I generally find it reliable I did get a start one time when it gave a date for Schapelle Corby's death!. That was very quickly removed.

As there are 3 libraries in our library service I could see a wiki being very useful for organising activities and perhaps running a calendar so everyone can see it regardless of their location. It could also be useful for planning a staff luncheon and working out who is bringing what.
I loved the readers advisory applications and could spend hours looking at these sites and making a big list of books I would like to read.

RSS

Well I have struggled with this and not sure whether I will use it much. Eventually managed to add some feeds to my bloglines account. Got a bit frustrated finding blogs/rss that I was interested in and it took a while to work out how to add them to my account. I found the Google blog search a useful tool. The ones I added included Bronwyn's library blog - found a very interesting entry there about downloading music to MP3 players. Also added the Powerhouse Museum photo of the day, ABC news - health and Christchurch libraries.

Harry Bailey Memorial Library Jan 1992

Harry Bailey Memorial Library Jan 1992 - medium
Originally uploaded by coffsharbourlibrary

This is an interesting photo for me as I had not known where the previous library was. I am new to the Coffs Harbour area and am only familiar with the existing library.

Library technology

I have worked in libraries for many many years and it is interesting to reflect on some of the changes I have seen over the years.
My first library position was in a regional country library service with a number of branch libraries. While there was a regional card catalogue at headquarters the branch libraries did not have any catalogue at all. It certainly helped train the memory - who wrote "Sons and Lovers"?
There was plenty of sorting and filing of the cards recording the borrowing transactions.
Gradually computers were introduced and I have now worked with quite a few different library management systems. But it is the use of technology to gain information for library customers that I am most interested in.
People in the country now can access so much more.