Embedded videos within a blog post

I just tried posting two youtube videos to my blog, but only one (Crazy Warehouse Guy) worked.

So I'm going to try and 'embed' a link to see if that works.



It's from a mini-series called North and South based on the novel by Elizabeth Gaskill. Its one of my favourites and I hope it encourages you to watch it. It has recently been aired on ABC1, and I believe it is currently on Foxtel's UKTV. I like it for the way it examines the prejudice between the North (working class) towns and the South of England - as well as the fact that the male lead (Richard Armitage) is a bit of a dish!

Crazy Warehouse Guy in a library

For those who missed it when it was on TV, and those who want to see it again! It's the Chaser's regular spot "Scenes from the life of Crazy Warehouse Guy". Enjoy!

More thoughts on Wikis and web 2.0

Been very busy at work for the last few weeks (heritage festival preparation etc), and so haven't posted for a while! But it has given me time to ruminate on some of the benefits and the potential of wikis.

As information professionals, it is our responsibility to ensure that information can be found when it is sought, and that it can be verified once it is found. So, why not combine the genius of Wikis with the practicality of Creative Commons to ensure that a 'virtual paper trail' is created. Let me elaborate, if I add a page to a specialised wiki (such as nswlearning2), and someone edits it, then their username (to maintain privacy) and the date, and a Creative Commons licence attribution share-alike is attached, then whoever then copies, edits or uses the information are compelled to maintain the attribution, thus ensuring that people will always be able to find the original source of the information by following the trail back, and see how it has developed! I believe this will encourage the free exchange of information, while maintaining some level of source reliability.

I would also like to see an active campaign by libraries to remove the stigma associated with wikis (such as wikipedia). By actively assessing the information on various entries, and editing them to ensure they are correct and meet referencing and style-guide standards, we can all improve this encyclopedia, and make it a more reliable source.

I have changed my views on wikis in the past weeks, thanks mainly to this NSW Public Libraries Learning 2.0 course. I realised that I would not be able to find information about my suburb, or the City I work for, or my Mayor in a standard print or online encyclopedia, because (lets be honest) why would they bother! There are thousands of 'little' places, people and things all over the world and they couldn't ensure that all were accounted for and then keep the entries maintained.

Three Wikis reviewed - and my ideas!

I really liked the SJCPL 'subject guide' wiki. I can see that it has great use in libraries, particularly if we are to make our virtual library as user-friendly and efficient as our physical library. I really liked the way it showed the relevant call numbers for each topic, as well as listing specific titles, and showing their covers (although I think that could be a copyright issue!).

I also looked at the Wisconsin Heritage Online (WHO) Wiki - but was less impressed. I thought it was great that a wiki was developed to encourage institutions and people in the Wisconsin area to digitise their collections and add them to the Online portal. However, I immediately saw the possibility of linking famous people or places in the area within the wiki so that the public could get an idea of the benefits of having an online heritage portal and cannot understand why this hasn't been developed. I also was unable find the link to 'collections' as the Learning 2.0 blog instructed. I did click on the online heritage portal, and searched the collection, but this was more like a catalogue than a wiki, it just showed the digital item with basic metadata, rather than allowing the user to find in depth information through links between the items. E.g. a basic search resulted in an article on Women's Suffrage in Wisconsin in the 19th Century. I would have like to have seen links to other articles about the women or places or dates relevant to this subject, rather than just a copy of the article with the author, title and publication details.

I then compared the WHO wiki with the 'mint museums' wiki. I found the mintwiki to be more what I was expecting from the WHO wiki - links to articles on current, past and future exhibitions, with the ability to print out PDF's to take with you to the museum. I would have like to have seen a history of the mint museum on the wiki, or information about its location and opening hours there too, but at least they offered the link to the library webpage where I presume you could find out this information. I suppose it is important to remember that wikis can be updated and revised at any time, so these criticisms may not be relevant as soon as I've posted this!

I have found this exercise of searching other wikis very useful. When I first heard about this (learning 2.0) course, I was excited by the possibilities of developing a local studies wiki - where the public could find out about personalities, places, dates and events that are important to our local area. Having seen these other wikis, I feel I will be able to develop a better wiki for our area and ensure it has enough information and is easy to use!

Apart from a local studies wiki, I think libraries can benefit from an 'faq' wiki, a 'subject guide' wiki, and a 'reader's advisory' wiki ("who else writes like" etc).

Real benefits to RSS and newsreaders

I've been using RSS feeds since completing NSWnet training last year and I find them incredibly useful!

I have a Google reader account and (now) a bloglines account, but find the Google one more user friendly. What I found especially useful with my google reader, is that I've personalised my 'i-Google' page so that my RSS headlines are featured. This way I see what interesting posts have been made every time I go to use the Google search screen!

I've discovered some very interesting facts and useful information from RSS feeds that I know I wouldn't have discovered otherwise, as I don't have the time, nor frankly the inclination, to browse blogs all day to see what new things people have written (if any!).

Some of my favourite blogs and RSS feeds that I've subscribed to are:

• Designing Better Libraries at http://dbl.lishost.org/blog/
• Helene Blowers and her Library Bytes blog at http://www.librarybytes.com/
• ALIA's range of RSS feeds at http://www.alia.org.au/rss/
• and on or two of Library Journal's RSS feeds at http://www.libraryjournal.com/learnrss

I have also subscribed to some of my overseas or interstate friends' blogs so that I can keep in touch with what they're up to and see their latest photographs!

The main benefits to our workplace and ways libraries can utilise RSS technology that immediately come to mind are:

• the ability to keep up with professional development by being aware of trends, thoughts, debates and news
• the ability to inform members of our corporate library (i.e. Councillors and Council staff) of the latest releases, news, events, technology, debates etc in their field of expertise through RSS feeds we have subscribed to on their behalf
• the ability to inform all our members about upcoming events at our library service points, as well as other library related information by encouraging them to subscribe to RSS feeds of our Blog

Malabar morning NIK_2359

Malabar morning NIK_2359, originally uploaded by tominoz.

My favourite ocean baths - and a pretty good photo of it too!