Task 16 iGoogle home page

This task was fun. It seemed the end result of your creation was only limited by your imagine. Some of the gadgets I added included Google map search, Google book search, Google reader. Google Docs was another one so it was convenient to report on this task using Google Docs and then post it to my blog.
Another change I made to the iGoogle home page was to select a new theme. What a choice.

I confess I did get carried away with adding gadgets to my iGoogle home page but then I read about "tabs". Setting up different tabs resolved the clutter problem I initially had on the home page.

Other stuff of interest I added included the all important weather forecast and the Melbourne rain radar, ABC news, a calendar, the white pages and so the list goes on.
Searching through the list of gadgets I came across a number of different flickr slide shows which you could add to your iGoogle home page. The photo below is an example from a Nature slide show which I had added.

Task 15 Google Book Search

For me, a Goggle Book Search read is not quite the same as curling up on the sofa with a hard copy of a good book.

However, in my look at Book Search I did find that there were some advantages. The links to related books, other editions, web pages and finding a library with a copy can be useful.
The main disadvantage I found was that some of the text may be difficult to read and illustrations and photos don't display so well.

During a search, a book that caught my attention had been published in 1860. The book was a personal account of a women's point of view of everyday life in the colonies. My experiences in Australia told the story of a women's 15 month visit to the Australian colonies from 1856-7.
When I tried to download the book it came up with an error so I will have to try again. I think it's one I must read.

Task 14 Google Docs

I decided write my comment for this task using Google Docs and then post the document to my blog. It seemed simple enough initially.
However, I seemed to keep losing the document I had started. Anyway, I eventually got the hang of going in and out of a document.
Also, you have to configure your blog settings which you find under Settings in your Google Docs account

After my tour around Google Docs the main advantage I thought was the ability of a group to contribute to a working document. No need for emailing or having multiple copies of the document causing confusion. As well, the document is accessible from any computer.
It was interesting reading some of the User Examples as it gave an insight into how other people were using Google Docs.

Task 13 Google Maps

I had fun with Google Maps.

A feature I felt was most useful was the Get directions option. Using Google maps when planning to travel to an unfamiliar venue is ideal as it indicates the number of km's and travel time as well.

It's also a good way to plan a holiday. I was able to locate the pensions where we had stayed during a trip to Europe in 2005.

One place we visited was Leutasch in Austria. The pension we stayed at was called Haus Charivari.
Clicking on the word Leutasch in the sentence above will take you to the Google map.

Task 12 Explore MySpace and Facebook

Well I took the plunge and created an account so I could explore Facebook.

It certainly can be a place where all is revealed and it's easy to see how things can move beyond your control. So I decided just to keep a low profile and then see what develops. As well, I joined the Swinburne Library bikers users, one of the groups in facebook and made contact with several friends in the Swinburne network.

I found the Educause article listed as one of the discovery resources useful reading and it provided a helpful summary of Facebook.

It was interesting to browse a number of public libraries who have adopted Myspace profiles to link with teen users. A sign of the times as libraries need to keep in touch and relevant to their users.

Task 17 del.isi.ous

At this point I decided to skip ahead several tasks and have a look at del.icio.us.

The aspect of del.icio.us which I have found most beneficial is being able to either access or add bookmarks to my account from any computer. The ability to store and share bookmarks on the web provides another useful communication tool for interested users.

During my discovery tour of del.icio.us it seemed that on any given search term a host of results bounced right back to you. One often wondered where a particular link would lead. However, I think it important to first evaluate the material found.

In my travels I found a lot had been written about Web2.0 and libraries. Another link lead to me to Blogging Libraries wiki The purpose of this wiki was to collect links to libraries which have blogs. Yes, there was a link to Swinburne University of Technology Library.

RSS Feeds and Blogs

Task 9 Set up a feed reader.
To complete task 9 I decided to use Google Reader since it meant not having to remember another login. This is a real bonus. It was straightforward to set up and using folders to organise your subscriptions can help avoid things getting out of control.
I also added some items to my sharred page. There's link from my blog.
This task has been most useful and will be something that I will continue to use in the future.

Task 10 Add some subscriptions.
It's easy to get carried away and I found myself subscribing to numerous sites of interest including ABS, Choice Online and some ABC and Radio National programs. All good stuff I thought.

I spend some time looking at Digg.com and found a lot of "stuff" covering all sorts of topics. It would seem that with these social networking technologies your involvement can vary depending on your level of interest. I used the search option to find something with an Australian flavour. Although it hadn't hit the front page, I did find an item about the Choir of Hard Kocks.
The Living Library story from the Malmo Public Library in Sweden also rated a mention.
I don't think Digg.com will become my primary source of news but it is an interesting concept. What will they think of next?

Task 11 Subscribe to some blogs.
Using both Technorati and Google Blog Search, I was able to locate a number of library blogs and set up a link to several on my blog.

I found a site called Salem Press which provided a listing of Library Blogs.

Now its onto the next task, MySpace and Facebook. Hmm.....