Test Drive # 6: Videos Online

What are the possibilities for your organization using online videos?
Oral history interviews, training presentations, library customer videos.

Embedded video - The Muppets: Bohemian Rhapsody.

Test Drive #5: More Google

Google Translate would be a very useful tool for the library's multicultural clients. This will enable staff to show clients information in their first language. They may beable to understand this better than trying to understand english.

Google Calendar might be good for keeping track of library events - if internal options are not available. Not sure how else this could be used.

Google Maps is great. I have just tried to embed a map in an author talk event on our events calendar. But unfortunately it made the page crash. So, instead of embedding I have made a link to the map.

This is the map (though embedded here)

View Mooloolaba Surf Club in a larger map

Here is the event with link on the page:
http://library.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/sitePage.cfm?code=library-events-calendar&eid=1495

Test Drive #4 - Web Browsers

Firefox: I like the customisable features. There is one site that I can only get to work properly with Firefox with the add on. But there doesn't seem to be a bookmark import facility, which would be a pain if I decided to use this regularly. I like the private browsing. I will be looking through the add ons and see if there are any more gems

Chrome: This browser lets import favourites from ie. I like the minimalist style. And adding favourites and bookmarks is very easy.

I have always used IE (and this is the only option at work). I have downloaded the latest version of Firefox and just downloaded Chrome to my home computer. They all have good aspects but they are very similar and it really seems to just be a matter of preference. If one browser has the killer ap for you then that if the one.

Test Drive #3 - Podcasts & audio

I like podcasts as a consumer - the triplej podcasts are great.
However, I am not sure how our library would utilise this media at the moment. Maybe heritage content, book reviews, ?? Not sure, we don't create this type of content (ie. audio files) as part of our usual work - unlike a radio station.
And doing a search on a few of podcasting directories did not yeld much from a keyword of library. I will see what other people have to say......

Test Drive #2: Mashups

I really like the idea of multiple sources of data coming together to in one place. Saves going to multiple sites and sometimes the result is so much more that if they remained separate.

One of the sites that interested me (from the mash up awards site) is one that managers multiple Twitter feeds. I run a corporate twitter feed and have a personal one. But as I can't be bothered logging in and out all the time, I hardly ever update my personal one - concentrating on the corporate one. A site like this may come in very handy.

Also, will look into adding a google map of like locations to our website. At the moment I just have static jpg maps - but google maps offer so much more functionality.

Test Drive #1- Online applications and tools

Online applications such as Google Docs have the potential to assist staff across the library service that are having issue with post-amalgamation network connectivity issues. We have major network issues with 3 very different network architectures trying to be one - and many remote outposts linked via citrix. We also have different versions of regular office applications such as Excel and this has also caused conflicts and incompatible documents. Definitely something to consider.

Test Drive #6: Folksonomies & Tagging

http://delicious.com/melm365

This tool will be great for reference staff to easily bookmark site that are regularly used for answering reference queries. I know another colleague has made one for them and I will actively promote it via our intranet. Can also see some use on our public website just not sure what form it would take - replace or compliment our "databases/internet resources" section???? Also, there is great potential for organisation of both personal and professional websites over multiple computers (back up also).

http://www.librarything.com/home/melm365

Wondering how this can be used for bookclubs since amalgamation - will investigate.
Also looking forward to our LMS upgrade with will enable librarything tag clouds in our catalogue.