# 23 The End ... not with a bang but a whimper*

The mathematically inclined would argue that the world can be broken down into statistics. Tthe Learning 2.0 program is no exception.
We have had -

• nine weeks
• 23 exercises
• 1 blog
• many RSS feeds
• unlimited photos on Flickr
• some funny pictures
• 1 catalogue of our own books (LibraryThing)
• 1 purpose-built search engine
• many tools with funny names (Wiki, Technorati, Del.ici.ous, etc)
• and an infinite range of possibilities for the future in libraries.

It is easy to feel overwhelmed by the technology and the more I have learned, the more I realise I don't know very much. But that's okay. Recognising your inadequacies can be positive if you open your mind to further learning.

To make an assessment at the end of the program, we need to return to the beginning -
Habit 1 – Begin with the end in mind
Habit 2 – Accept responsibility for your own learning
Habit 3 – View problems as challenges
Habit 4 – Have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner
Habit 5 – Create your own learning toolbox
Habit 6 – Use technology to your advantage
Habit 7 – Teach and mentor others
Habit 7 ½ – PLAY!Have fun! It's never too late to become a lifelong learner.
Did I take on these habits? Yes I did and as a result I was able to complete the program, thanks especially to my colleagues for their mentoring and sharing of knowledge. And surely that's what being a librarian is all about.

* apologies to T.S. Eliot

# 22 Audiobooks

As a time-poor person who likes to multi-task, I've been thinking about how good it would be to be able to download books on to a MP3 player or IPod and listen while I walk the dog or potter in the garden. I know very little about how to go about this and of course I want to do it for free. This task gave me some insight into how to solve my problem. I looked at this site -
http://worldebookfair.com/Mp3eBooks.htm
- but I can't say that I have found the answer to my prayers. The range of books is limited and seems to be mainly classics. Is it a copyright issue? The computer-generated voices are dreadful and ruin the beauty of the language. I did listen to one book which was read by a real person, or so she said when she gave her name, but it didn't sound like any person I know. Until the range of titles can be hugely increased and until the voice issue can be solved, I don't think ebooks will take off.

# 21 Podcasts

I can imagine uses for podcasts in a library environment - user education, in particular, e.g. how to use the print station, how to use the catalogue - but I think expecting people to listen to instructions in the hustle and bustle of a 21st century library might be asking a bit much. I found it difficult enough to listen to the Learning 2.0 podcasts in our workroom - but then my workstation is situated next to a printer! And no, we didn't have access to headphones.
In terms of personal use, I find that my visual comprehension is far superior to my auditory comprehension and I prefer to see things written, even if on a computer screen. I find my eyes wandering when I listen to a podcast on a computer and therefore my attention is distracted. Many of the podcast voices are computer-like and do not make for pleasant listening. I browsed the podcast links given in this exercise and added one RSS lead to my bloglines.

# 20 YouTube for beginners

I had a look around YouTube - interesting enough, I suppose, if you've got something specific in mind or if you don't have anything else to do. There are only so many hours in the day and I don't really want to use any of my spare time looking at clips, humorous or otherwise.
However, I must admit I did enjoy the "Medieval Helpdesk" clip; it reminded me of my role at the Information Desk. We often explain what seem to be very simple concepts, only to realise that the customers just don't "get" it.
Back to YouTube - I did enjoy listening to a few song clips (I was able to combine my Learning 2.0 task with a bit of bonding-time with my daughter) and here is one of our favourites -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axpuVLQ_m4w

I don't know why this doesn't show as a link but it is Ben Folds singing "Brick". I just worked out that you can open another window and play music while working on something else (like a blog). Now that makes sense to me. Multi-tasking at its best!

# 19 Web 2.0 Awards

I had a bit of fun looking at the Awards and focused on Events. upcoming.yahoo.com opened with local events; www.eventful.com also listed links for several other countries but did not list the U.S.; www.confabb.com is a U.S.-based site which lists conferences. I searched for "quilting" and found references to U.S. and international quilting festivals (is it too late for me to go to the International Quilt Festival at Houston, Texas 1-4 November?). More realistically, it linked me to the Stitch and Craft Show in Melbourne next year, though it lists the venue as the "Melbourne Racing Club" when in fact it is held at the Caulfield Racecourse. Must have gotten mixed up in translation.
I also looked at www.fuzzmail.org which allows the recipients of email to view the email in real time. I'm not sure I like the idea of this. Imagine the receiver being able to see you change your mind about how you phrase something or even about including something questionable in an email. We all know the pitfalls of breaching email etiquette (e.g. use of capitals to signify anger) and I think fuzzmail may be even more dangerous. Maybe I'll just stick to www.cocktailbuilder.com/ for some fun ideas!

# 18 On-line productivity - Zoho Writer & Google Docs

Is anyone else getting sick of having to log in to so many new features? I feel like I am leaving a giant footprint in the computer world when I would like to be far less intrusive.
I had a look at Zoho Writer - looks good in theory since it may mean lessening the Microsoft dominance (I assume that people can buy a computer and use Zoho instead of buying Microsoft Word software, thought how anyone is going to organise their desktop without Windows is beyond me and usually computer dealers throw in the whole Microsoft package anyway). I wasn't able to connect it to my blog.
Google Docs offers an alternative to Microsoft Excel (amongst other features) and seems to work in a similar way. The ability to share seems to be a big advantage, if sharing is necessary to your brief, but I think I'll stick to my old-fashioned ways (Microsoft).

# Playing around with PB Wiki

I surprised myself by being able to complete this task without any assistance - I feel I am actually progressing in these learning tasks. I added my blog to the plcmclearning favourite blogs - http://plcmclearning.pbwiki.com/Favorite%20Blogs - but sadly the Glen Eira title is very small and insignificant compared to the other library services. I must see if some of my cleverer colleagues can change it.