Licence 2 Test Drive - Part B

Introduction

2009-10-03T09:44:00.000+10:00

Welcome to part B of the Licence 2 Test Drive program @ the State Library of Queensland. Licence 2 Test Drive - Part B is the second part of an online program to learn more about emerging technologies on the web that are changing the way people, society and libraries access information and communicate with each other.

It is not necessary to have completed Part A of this program. If you did not participate in L2TD Part A and are unfamiliar with setting up a blog, please go back to L2TD Part A and complete Test Drive #1 for an introduction to blogs.

Once you have completed Test Drive #1 of Part B please register your blog using the pre-survey and registration form located at the top right hand side of this page. Everyone will complete the survey again at the end so we measure our progress as a group.

Over the course of the next twelve weeks, this website will highlight a selection of Web 2.0 technologies with Discovery, Exploration and Adventure exercises to help you become familiar with online applications and tools, mashups, podcasts and audio, web browsers, Google plus more, and video online.

Is social media a fad? Or is it the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution? Welcome to the World of Socialnomics. Watch a video on Social Media Revolution:

Read a new lesson each fortnight. Each lesson will introduce a web 2.0 technology or application. There will be three exercises for you to complete each fortnight
Discover ~ what is it and what can it do?
Explore ~ using the technology and commenting on it
Adventure [optional] ~ a fun exercise to learn even more.

You should be able to complete the program by spending 1-2 hours per fortnight working through these activities. If you need help with any activity please contact L2TD@slq.qld.gov.au , a learning advocate or work with your colleagues.

To familiarize yourself with this project, be sure to read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. These FAQs should answer most of your questions about this program. And if you don't see your question answered just add it to the FAQ page as a blog comment.

Participants Blogroll V - Z

2009-08-02T11:24:00.008+10:00

Waterblogged
Where do I start
Why do these things always happen to me?
Workisme
Work rest play
Worlds in books
Zelda's diary

Frequently Askeds Questions (FAQs)

2009-08-02T10:59:00.006+10:00

Why do this Learning 2.0 program?
This is a great opportunity to spend time on your personal and professional development. All library staff need to be up-to-date with the latest trends and technology tools that Web 2.0 is bringing us everyday. We need to take time to learn how the tools can be utilised in or by our library. And we will know what our library users, especially younger ones, are talking about!

How does this online learning program work?
This is a self-discovery program that allows participants to take control of their own learning. Participants are encouraged to work together with others in their teams, work areas, or people in other parts of the library and to share their insights and discoveries with others through their blogs and in person. Licence 2 Test Drive at the State Library of Queensland is web-based and not tied to any particular computer. You can work on this program anywhere you like even in your living room.

Is there any tech support?
We can assist you with the course, but not your computer or Internet connection, for those you will need to contact the Help Desk.

Do any of the activities require downloads?
Most of the activities use Web-based applications that do not require additional downloads or plug-ins to work. It's a good idea to check that you have Flash and sound on your PC to begin with.

Who can participate?
This program is open to all Queensland State, public, Indigenous Knowledge Centre and government library staff.

Does it cost anything to participate?
Only your time.

How many staff can participate?
All Queensland State, public, Indigenous Knowledge Centre and government library staff are able to participate. There is no limit to the number of staff who can participate.

Some staff work part time, is it necessary for them to complete each theme on time, or can they double-up on sessions they have missed?
The program is designed so you can complete your themes at any time that suits. You can do it all in a blitz for an hour or so one day a fortnight if that suits rostering requirements better, or set aside two x 30 minute chunks of time to do your learning.

Do I need to register our section or do staff sign up individually?
Staff will register individually as part of the course.

How will you measure my progress?
You will work through the exercises individually at your own pace tracking your progress through a blog you will set up in Test Drive 1 as part of this learning process. Please use your blog to write your reactions to the lessons and add any ideas you may have on how to use Web 2.0 tools for yourself and your library. This is your time to experiment, have fun, and learn at your own pace.

Can I blog anonymously?
To be eligible for a certificate, you cannot blog anonymously.

Will I be able to see other people’s blogs?
Yes, all participants’ blogs will be linked to the website.

How do I register my blog?
Setting up and registering your blog are two of the activities you will accomplish in Test Drive 1. You must complete the pre-survey and registration form found at the top right hand of this page. You will receive an e-mail confirmation of registration. We will add your blog to the main Licence 2 Test Drive blog by the title of your blog--check the Participant’s blog list on the sidebar for your blog. This may take a few days, since we must add them manually. We will not list your name; only your blog's name. If your blog has not appeared within 3 business days, email L2TD@slq.qld.gov.au with your name, the blog name, and blog URL.

How many passwords will I need?
You will need a gmail account (this will give you access to blogger, and you can use the same username and password for bloglines). To access Flickr you will need a Yahoo e-mail account. All other password or logins are optional so you can get by with two new usernames/e-mail accounts and passwords). You can reuse these passwords for other logins such as delicious, library thing and zoho. MAKE SURE YOU WRITE THESE DOWN AND KNOW WHERE TO FIND THEM!!

How long do I have to complete the program?
Participants who wish to receive a certificate of completion must register their blog and complete all the activities (and blog about each one) by 7 December 2009. Registration begins 7 September 2009.

What if staff take leave and can’t complete the program in the timeframe?
The program will remain on the website. You will not be eligible for certificates or prizes.

How will you know I have completed the course?
The course coordinators will be reading and tracking participants’ blogs.

Can anyone see my blog?
Yes, all participants’ blogs will be linked to the website but you will all be anonymous. Remember you are writing in a public space. Keep the code of conduct in mind.

How much do I have to write in my blog posts?
Each blog post must describe which activity you have completed, what your learning experience was --easy, hard, impossible--ideas on using what you have learned in the workplace and other comments on the process. While we don't expect a ‘chapter’ on every theme, we do expect thoughtful reflection and active participation. Single line posts or those that show perfunctory participation will not be counted. Feel free to use dot points. As a guide aim for 150 words for each blog post.Sometimes it is easier to focus on a particular subject or specialty area for your blog. You may like to concentrate on Web 2.0 examples for adult education, local studies, ESL or anything else that will inspire you to search broadly and experiment.Explore with the lesson in mind as a guide. This will keep you on track and save time. It is easy to get side tracked into other explorations. Return to them once the main lesson has been processed.

Will there be any other in person training?
Staff are encouraged to work together with others in their section and share with each other their discoveries, techniques and tips both in person and through their blogs. You are encouraged to be resourceful and find a learning advocate, co-worker or another staff member who can help. Be sure to share your knowledge and expertise too! We will provide helpful hints, encouraging words, and post comments on your blogs from time to time. slq's monthly Emerging media and new technology sessions will highlight the month's Test Drive themes.

I noticed some of the activities have a section headed Adventure. What is this and do I have to do it?
The Adventures are there for those participants who are already familiar with that particular activity and want to learn more and/or for those who are intrigued by what they have learned doing the first parts of the activity. The Adventures are all optional; you do not have to do those parts to have completed the activity. If you do one or more of the Adventures, be sure to blog about it!

Participants Blogroll P - U

2009-08-01T11:23:00.046+10:00

Pblilb
Piglover
Poinsiana dreams
Quilterjo learns new things
Rachelle's playground
Random thoughts
Random thoughts
Rantings from a Muppet
Rhy in the sky
Road trip
Robson
Rodgers family album
R oom with a view - level4
Rosa's exciting life
RuralReads
Salsa congress updates
Secondblogever
Shirley's worst jokes
Sipping quietly
Slogger
Sweet Phudge
Taiwan
Tangled web
Tasha's task
Techno adventures
Tevada
The fountain of all knowledge
Three sisters in Paris
Too old too learn - not likely
Triangel32
Tubetrain08
Tune in
Twinx
Uncover & discover
Up and winging it

Participants Blogroll K - O

2009-08-01T11:22:00.066+10:00

Kazzaskrazzie
Kimmidolls
L15A
Lannalib
Late night vigil
Legolibrarian
Let's learn
Librarians are novel lovers
Libraries for learning
Library chick 4405 blog
Library fun
Library lunch
Licence 2 go web 2.0
Licence 2 read
Licence 2 test drive - personal blog
Licenced 2 be over 50
Like falling off a blog
Lindylousblog
Linked librarian
Little misses training blog
Live Wire
Maryna
Mel's Blog
Mi piace Italiano
Mimi
Monicablog
Musical Monologue
My e-learning experience
My first blog
My Learning
My own learning 2.0
Myles' muse
Nebo niggles
Nicola's blogging for libraries
Nic's blog
Norah's nifty notes
Omar's Library Oracles

Participants Blogroll F - J

2009-08-01T11:22:00.065+10:00

Flossy Bits
Frogs rule ok
GDR
Glenden groove
Happy learners unite
Hot pursuit
I'd like to thank
Irish eyes
Iannalib
Jeff's listening post
Jenita's tango blog

Participants Blogroll A - E

2009-08-01T11:19:00.031+10:00

Across the ditch
Adventure in library land
Adventures of a wheelgirl in a 2.0 world
Anne's 'L'ibrary Blog
Ann's Licence 2 Test Drive Blog
Backyard blog
Binary Polution

Blog thing
Blogging for beginners
Bookaddict43
Bookmark4collection
Books and movies! the best of both worlds
Brisbane affair
Catsservant
Clarefucious says
Crazy dog lady in training
Curious
Cyberspace librarian
Dancing Queen
Deadly driver
Deeper water
Dragonscliff
Eileen's cyberspace walk
Experimental blog

Test Drive #1: Online applications and tools

2009-07-11T10:02:00.030+10:00

Productivity software
Word processing, spreadsheets, calendars, presentations, project management, and web conferencing are all examples of productivity software. Online versions offer many of the same features, yet are quite different from what is installed on your computer. How so?

The online software we're looking at today is quite inexpensive - it's free. There is a reason for this - it doesn't do nearly as much as the software installed on your computer. The core features you see in Google Docs and Zoho match up surprisingly well. No installation of software is required. All you need is a web browser and an internet connection.

Zoho and Google Docs are a suite of online applications (services) that you sign up for and access from their Websites. The applications are free for individuals and some have a subscription fee for organizations. While using either Zoho or Google Docs your documents and data are securely stored online and can be accessed from anywhere using your password. This means as long as you have Internet access you can access your Zoho and Google Docs data from any computer without the hassle of bringing your computer with you. In addition, they help people collaborate on projects and share information with a simple mouse click. For example, in Zoho Writer, there are several ways to share documents in private, make them public or even perform collaborative editing in real time.

Collaboration
It's much easier to work on projects with others - colleagues, community group members, family, friends, whomever. Say, for example, you are working with your colleagues in a number of institutions. You post the first draft of a letter or a report, your colleagues make edits or add text to the document, and you bring the completed letter or report to your next meeting. The shared workspace means that no one is accidentally looking at an out-of-date version of the document. Watch this video to find out how Google Docs works.

Watch Google Apps Overview. Notice that this presentation has been created using SlideShare.

Google Apps Overview

View more presentations from Sharon Elin.

Sharing presentations
Sharing presentations and slideshows is easy using Slideshare. Upload and share your PowerPoint presentations, Word documents and Adobe PDF Portfolios on SlideShare. Share publicly or privately. Add audio to make a slidecast.

Myplick - Upload your slides, sync with audio, and share with your friends. Myplick is a free service that lets you share, embed and discover presentations and slide shows online. You can upload your presentation documents in a variety of formats such as powerpoint, pdf, openoffice odp, etc. If you need to add narration or sound effect to your presentation, you can upload an audio file and have the option to synchronize the audio with your slides using our online easy-to-use sync tool. Once a presentation is made, you will have the choice to either publicly share with everyone or only share it within a small private group. You will also be able to find out how users are viewing your plick, for example, how much time people stayed on each slide. User feedbacks and statistics like this will help you to improve your presentation making skills.

File converting
Have you ever wanted to convert files without the need to download software? Converting file formats is easy at Zamzar. For example you can convert a document to a pdf file.

Web conferencing
Web conferencing apps which allow a presenter to host a Webinar or meeting with live video and audio, text chat, whiteboards, shared files, and even desktop sharing offer numerous opportunities for collaboration, online training, and remote assistance. While many of these programs are costly, a new range of free Web conferencing applications have emerged which offer alternatives to traditional online meeting programs such as WebEx and Saba Centra.

Librarians could use these free applications for holding meetings between branches, reference consultations, library instruction, hosting their own Webinars, conducting live interviews, or collaborating with remote team members on projects.

Dimdim is a free, open source live meeting software which offers audio and video conferencing and lets hosts share their desktop with attendees. This application requires no download or installation for meeting participants and can be used with up to 20 people with the free version. Dimdim offers whiteboards and both public and private chat options.

Yugma is a Web conferencing application which allows a presenter to share their desktop with conference attendees in order to demonstrate, share, or collaborate on projects. The free, personal version of Yugma enables conferencing with up to 10 people along with an IM chat interface within sessions. Professional accounts can record sessions, share files, change presenters, and share mouse and keyboard controls. The Skype edition integrates with the VOIP application and includes the users’ Skype contact list.

Explore: Look at this slide show created by Princeton Public Library using Slideshare for some more examples of free online productivity tools. Search Slideshare to find presentations on Library 2.0.

Fab Freebies for Productivity

Fab Freebies for Productivity

View more presentations from Janie H.

Discover: Using your gmail or Google account log into Google Docs and create a document. Share it with us at L2TD@slq.qld.gov.au - in the document please let us know your real name so we can credit this to you. In your blog consider possible applications for this in your work.

Adventure (optional): Set up a Zoho account and compare it to Google Docs.

Test Drive #3 - Podcasts & audio

2009-06-05T09:08:00.001+10:00

This week we look at podcasts and audio files. Video podcasts (or vodcasts) will be covered in Test Drive #6.

What is a Podcast?

A podcast is a non-music audio or video recording that is distributed over the internet. The word “podcasts” is derived from Personal On Demand broadcast – hence podcast. You can listen to a podcast anytime, anywhere. The distribution is what makes a podcast unique. It's also what makes a podcast powerful. Interested listeners can receive updates through RSS feeds when new content is posted.

Watch Podcasting in plain English from Commoncraft for a simple introduction of podcasting.

Variety

Podcasts come in many shapes and sizes. They can be brief (just a few minutes) or considerably longer (interviews, panel discussions, radio shows, etc). They can be produced by professionals (radio broadcasts) or by amateurs. You can listen to them on your computer (don’t forget headphones if you are in a public area, like work), your MP3 player or your mobile phone. Despite the name, an iPod is not required.

Locating Podcasts

To locate podcasts you may like to enter “podcast” as a keyword in your search engine. Alternatively there are a number of dedicated podcast search engines and directories you may like to explore. Here are some examples

Podcast Directory

Podfeed.net

Podcast Alley

Meditation and Spiritual Podcasts

Learn Out Loud Podcasts

ABC

Odeo

How to download Podcasts onto an MP3 Player

Many websites allow users to listen to podcasts directly without the need to download. This is called streaming. You can download podcasts to your computer. This enables you to listen at your leisure or download it again to your MP3 player. If you have a smart phone you can download podcasts directly to your phone. Check your service provider for details.

Be aware that some MP3 files are large and the download time can be significant. They also take up a large amount of space so make sure you have enough space on your hard drive or move the files regularly to another drive or device.

To download a podcast to your computer, right click on the download link and choose save target as. You can then choose where to save it so you can find it again and transfer it to your MP3 player. If you are using another browser that has different methods, save the MP3 files in the same way that you save other files, such as PDFs and images, via your browser.

If you like, schedule regular updates to selected podcasts by downloading a simple bit of software known as a podcatcher. There are several different podcatchers available free on the internet, such as iTunes and Juice. If you have an iPod you may want to watch How to download podcasts from iTunes.

How to create a podcast

There are a number of free open source software products available for you to use if you wish to create your own podcast. Here are three examples.

Audacity is an example of free open source software for recording and editing sounds. It is available for Macs, Microsoft Windows and other operating systems. You can download it from the Audacity website. It will take up about 4KB of space on your computer (not much). Of course once you start creating recordings that’s when you start to take up space on your computer.

Watch 'How to create a podcast' using Audacity. This video also gives some great tips on podcasting.

Power Sound Editor is similar to Audacity but is just set up for Windows, including Windows Vista. There are video and text tutorials on the website.

Watch How to record using Power Sound Editor.

Audiobook Cutter splits your audio books and podcasts into files that can be easily used on mobile MP3 players because of their small-size. The split points are determined automatically based on silence detection so long podcasts or audio books can be divided into shorter albums.

Have a look at the documentation on how it works.

Other software can be located by typing “digital audio open source software” into a search engine.

Discover

Listen to a podcast

You may find one that interests you at the following locations:

State Library of New South Wales

State Library of Victoria

ABC Radio’s Radio National

ABC Radio’s Triple J

The Powerhouse Museum in Sydney .

Walking West End located on the State Library of Queensland’s website

The British Library’s Taking Liberties Exhibition has a number of podcasts that compliment the exhibition

Explore

Search for another podcast using a search engine or one of the dedicated podcast search engines or directories.

Blog about your favourite podcasts or how your library could use podcasts for clients and/or staff.

Adventure (optional)

Subscribe to a podcast.

Or if you’re really adventurous create your own podcast using one of the freely available digital audio software programs. Put a link to it in your blog.

Next Test Drive – Web Browsers

Test Drive # 6: Videos Online

2009-04-16T08:30:00.000+10:00

Online video has improved in leaps and bounds in the last few years - there's more of it and the quality is much higher (bigger screen sizes, fewer pauses when watching). This change is largely about improvements in technology - digital video cameras are much more common (including on standard digital cameras and mobile phones), high-speed internet access is more common (important for watching videos but also for uploading them to the internet), and video editing software has become far less expensive (often free online or pre-installed on newly purchased computers). Another major reason is that online storage (server space) has dropped dramatically in price. Because of this companies like YouTube and Google Video are able to host videos from millions of users without charging them.

The (relative) ease of creating video, uploading it to the web, and storing it in an easy-to-access environment is starting to impact the way our society gets its news. Think about it - anyone with a mobile phone can capture a news event and save it to an online video account.

The two best known video sharing sites are YouTube and Google video. However there are many other video hosting sites available on the web. Examples are listed below.

YouTube

YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload, view and share video clips. Unregistered users can watch videos, while registered users are permitted to upload. Videos have a 10 minute cap.

Embedding Video

All YouTube videos offer a code that allows you to embed a video (it doesn’t have to be yours - you can embed any video you find on YouTube) on your website or blog.

YouTube has a help page that has a selection of videos in multiple languages that provides tips and advice to users. Go to http://www.youtube.com/user/YouTubeHelp#p/a to find out what you need to know.

Google video

Although Google now own YouTube, they still host their own video sharing website and video search engine called Google Video. Unfortunately users can no longer upload content to Google Video.

Other video hosting websites

YouTube is the best known video website. There are several other video hosting websites available. Two you might like to explore are:

Dailymotion – based in Paris, France, this site hosts a range of video sharing sites in different languages. Users must register to upload.

Vimeo - this site only hosts videos created and uploaded by users. No commercial videos are allowed. Users must register to upload.

Discover

Try searching these examples in YouTube , Google Video or one of the other video sites shown above

“Masterchef”
“Queensland dust storms”
“Library 2.0”
“Powderfinger”
“State of origin 2009”

Explore

Find out how libraries are using videos online.

Q150 mosaic art project: Curator Sam Di Mauro talks about the genesis of the Q150 mosaic art project and the challenges involved in arranging the 150 tiles created by communities all across Queensland.

Staff Training : Indigenous Knowledge Centre (IKC) administrators came together in Cairns, Australia to share their experiences and learn new skills.

Guide to Using Library Collection : Laurel Dingle, Music Librarian, talks about Music Queensland - the digital music collection of the State Library of Queensland.

British Library’s Taking Liberties exhibition: Curator Matthew Shaw talks about this exhibition which offers an inspiring array of original documents charting Britain’s “1,000-year struggle for our freedoms and rights”.

Carnegie Library – the greatest escape: a video to promote reading

Blog about your discoveries. What are the possibilities for your organization using online videos?

Adventure

Find a YouTube video you like and embed it in your blog.

Here are the instructions:

1. Go to http://www.youtube.com/ and

find the video. Look for the box to the right of the video (see the example below).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7wlwQFVOPs

2. Copy the code in the box marked Embed (make sure you have all the text – it is a long line).

3. Log into your blog and compose a new posting.

4. Click on the Edit Html link.

5. Paste in the code you copied from the YouTube Embed box in step 2. (hint: make sure that you are on “Edit Html” and that you don’t switch back to the “Compose mode).

6. “Publish” your post.

7. Click “View blog” to see your video.

Test Drive #5: More Google

2009-02-02T14:02:00.003+10:00

Google has a large range of products and services for individuals and businesses to use. This week we discover a selection of these.

Google Translate:

http://www.translate.google.com/

Have you ever needed to translate words, phrases or a block of text into a different language? Google’s Translate application allows you to do this effortlessly.

You can now translate the contents of an entire website, which can benefit libraries’ multicultural clientele. Google Translate will convert the webpage into your selected language. Note however that it cannot change any words that are part of an image file.

Explore:

Use the “Text and Web” tab to search for a phrase in your own language and find its translation in another language.
Select a website you would like to translate. Paste the URL into the text box and select another language.
Describe in your blog how Google Translate might be used as a tool to help library clients

Google Books

http://books.google.com/

Search or browse the Google Books collections. Where a book is out of copyright, or the book publisher has given Google Books permission, you can preview the book and often access entire contents of the book. Where the book is in the public domain, you can also download a copy of the book.

For example, searching with the keywords history and “English literature” and restricting the search to “full view only” the Google Books search results in 904 full view books (see one example below).

Explore:

Try a search on Google Books. Use the Advanced Search feature. Type in your keywords or phrases and select “full view only” from the search options.

i-Google

www.google.com/ig

iGoogle is your personalised Google home page. You can add news, weather, clocks, games and any other gadgets that interest you. This personalised home page allows you to have items that interest you on your home page. If you are interested in the latest news, weather or sports find a gadget for that topic and drag and drop it into your home page.

You will find the iGoogle tab on the right hand side of the Google home page.

Discover:

Watch this youtube video about how to create an iGoogle home page.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pbf0dlESX8E

Adventure (optional):

Create your own iGoogle page.

Google Calendar

www.google.com/calendar

Google's free online calendar allows you to keep track of important dates, meetings, and commitments and set up email or sms reminders for these. You can access your Google Calendar from anywhere in the world and share your calendar with friends and family.

Explore:

Record in your blog how libraries and library-related groups might use Google Calendar.

Adventure (optional):

Create your own Google Calendar, adding personalised entries.

Google Maps

http://www.maps.google.com.au/

Google Maps allows you to search for places, businesses and directions. There are several features that enhance this service compared to other direction seeking sites. These include the ability to create your own personalised maps, add your business to the map, and create and add reviews to locations.

One feature of Google Maps is My Maps. You will find this option adjacent to the get directions link on the Google Maps home page.

You will need a Google Account or a GMail account to be able to create maps. You can personalise maps by adding markers, comments, photos, videos and you can share the maps with friends or make the map public for anyone to find and use.

Discover:

Watch this youtube video about how to create your own personalised map on Google Maps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TftFnot5uXw

Uses for Personalised Maps:

Showing the date and location of book club meetings
Highlighting places of interest in your local area
Planning a day, weekend or overseas trip

Adventure (optional):

Create your own personalised map. Write in your blog about what you ‘mapped’. Put the link to the map in your blog if you made the map public or published it on your website.

Next Test Drive – Vodcasting

Test Drive #4 - Web Browsers

2009-01-01T09:25:00.000+10:00

Getting around the web

A web browser is the software program loaded on your computer, Smartphone or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) which you use to connect to the Internet. The browser is used for retrieving, presenting, and navigating information resources on the World Wide Web and email. An information resource is identified by an address or Uniform Resource Locator (URL) this may be a web page, image, video, or other piece of content. Hyperlinks in web pages or other resources enable you to easily navigate your browser to other sites or resources.

There are lots of different web browsers, but the most popular ones for computers are Windows Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Google Chrome, and Opera. Smartphones and PDA’s also use web browsers specially designed for them.

Popular computer browsers

You are using a web browser right now to look at this page. Which web browser are you using?

Google explains what a web browser is:

Look at the blue bar at the top-left of your screen, this is the title of the web page and will display the browser logo.

What is the best web browser?

Brian Tong from Cnet hosts this fun video comparing the top four browsers against each other. These top four browsers will be compared against each other based on their speed, security, customization and special features.

Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKTmiXJd3EU. Copy and paste this URL into your browser address field.

Web Browsers

You can download Internet Explorer 8, Firefox, Opera, Chrome and Safari for free from each company's website. If you have one browser already, you can test out the others. Note that there are slight differences between the Windows and Macintosh versions.

When you first launch your web browser, usually by double-clicking on the icon on your desktop, a predefined web page appears. This page is referred to as your home page or start page. With Firefox for instance, you may be taken to the Firefox start page or to a page selected by your Internet service provider.

Outfitted with a browser, you can surf to your heart's content, but it's easy to get lost surfing the net. That's where your browser really helps, as it comes loaded with all sorts of handy features. Fortunately, you can learn the basics in just a few minutes, and then explore the more advanced functions. Take the time to learn about its features and use the help pages from your menu bar. In the long run, it will save you hours of frustration and make finding resources and information more efficient.

Smartphones and PDA’s

Browsing the web is one of the advantages of owning a Smartphone. A browser's speed depends largely on the hardware capabilities of the phone it's loaded on. Touchscreen phones such as the iPhone are ideal for this as they're equipped to display Web pages on their larger screens. Some of the popular mobile browsers are iPhone's Mobile Safari, Palm Pre's WebOS, Opera Mini 5, Google's Android mobile OS and Blackberry Storm.

Discover:

Take a Tour of Firefox 3.5 Watch the Video. Add comments to your blog on these features. How do they compare with the Google Chrome page you looked at?

Have a look at a Google Chrome page. It is a browser that combines a minimal design with sophisticated technology to make the web faster, safer, and easier

Explore:

Download another browser to your library or home computer. Share your thoughts on this new browser. If you are unable to download a browser to your pc because of firewall restrictions at your library, let us know your thoughts and discuss on your blog.

Fashion Your Firefox —a handy Web application that recommends add-ons based on your interests. Would you find one of these applications useful?

Adventure:

(optional)

Browse Add-ons for Firefox – Have a look at the Popular and just added add-ons. Can you see one that would be useful in the library?

Browse the Collections would you find the Reference Desk collection useful for your library?

Test Drive #2: Mashups

2008-12-21T08:53:00.009+10:00

A mashup is a web application that uses content from more than one

source to create a single new service displayed in a single window. For example, you could combine the addresses and photographs of your library branches with a Google map to create a map mashup.

The term mashup originally comes from pop music, where people seamlessly combine music from one song with the vocal track from another—thereby mashing them together to create something new.

Many people are experimenting with mashups using Amazon, eBay, Flickr, Google, Yahoo, and YouTube.

There are different genres of mashups and these can be used for sharing knowledge and promoting services or events. Some of these include:

Mapping mashups

Here is an example of a mapping mashup.

Video & Photo mashups

A video mashup is the combination of multiple sources of video—which usually have no relevance with each other to produce a single video.

Here is an example of a video mashup:

40 Inspirational Speeches in 2 mins

The emergence of photo hosting and social networking sites like Flickr has led to a variety of interesting photo mashups.

Above is an example of a photo mashup from Re Picture Australia

Title: SORRY

Creator: Kim Dove – Australia.

Description: - Part of Picture Australia Re-Picture Australia project. In conjunction with the National Library of Australia Parliament House Canberra Younger generation looking forward to a new future, now we have acknowledged the past wrongs. Young dancers performing at Coomonderry Swamp, Berry.

News mashups

News sources (such as the New York Times, the BBC, or Reuters) have used technologies like RSS to disseminate news feeds related to various topics. Feed mashups can aggregate a user's feeds and present them over the Web, creating a personalized newspaper that caters to the reader's particular interests.

An example of a news mashup: http://visualheadlines.com/.

How are mashups created?

David Berlind from ZDNet shows how mashups are created.

Why create a mashup?

To bring applications together.
To enhance an existing source of data.
To improve usability.
To make a web page more dynamic and engaging.

Discover:

Libraries using mashups:

Wood County Cemetery Locator. This Google Maps mashup precisely locates each cemetery in the County for local history clients. http://www.mcmillanlibrary.org/history/cemeteries.html

Then and Now: Historic New York images from New York Public Library using Flickr and Google Street view. http://www.paulhagon.com/thenandnow/nypl/sets/72157618018834234/

Explore:

Real Estate - SuburbView (http://www.suburbview.com/) is a mapping mashup identifying houses for sale or rent. Houses are located via postcode. Type in your postcode and see what’s for sale in your local area.

Have a look at The MashUp Awards (http://mashupawards.com/winners/)

Find one that interests you and talk about it on your blog.

Adventure:

[Optional]

Create and share your own map using Google maps and share it on your blog. Go to http://maps.google.com.au/ and click on the video tutorial to learn how to get started. You might like to map a location, holiday, or favorite walk.