Wrap up

I think my favourite discovery has been google docs as it is going to revolutionise my home and work life!
Also found some interesting tools for my genealogy researching.
Everywhere I go now all I see is RSS!  I am taking notice of a lot of different things I took for granted - like the use of mashups in websites.

Mashups

Mashups is great for combining Flickr with the OPAC catalogue and community tags

Podcasts

Podcasts can be great to keep up with the latest episodic information on a subject

YouTube

I often watch YouTube to see previews of movies or shows I am thinking of going to see or buy.  I found this cute music adaptation of one of the Jane Austen movies :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyTx_80qgOI&feature=fvst

Maybe the library could post previews of the movies they have!

Web 2.0 awards

I found this extremely useful for the genealogy section (and I'm sure other sections would be equally as useful).  My favourite site was :
http://www.myheritage.com/

I'm sure Cultural Collections would find this very useful.

Google docs

I really like this - I don't know how many times I've tried to figure out a way to print my documents from home at work and been very frustrated because of incompatability.  This completely solves the problem!
https://docs.google.com/document/pub?id=1xBy1i5yJWoDXU6mKxPJqJtVFinoXG4U4gM9lgwGtyWw

Wiki sandbox

Not used very much and looks like crap!

I think patrons annotating the catalogue could be very useful, helping people to assess an item without actually looking at the physical item.  Patrons could decide which printed resources they want to use without leaving their own homes.  But beware!  other people's opinions are not necessarily applicable to your own personal needs, thereby possibly denying you the chance to see something really interesting.  Also, some filtering process should be in place as you could imagine what some of the comments would be like.

Library 2.0

The concept of Library 2.0 has enabled libraries to not only not be left behind in this rapidly advancing technological age, but be leading the pack.  I think our libraries have risen to the occasion admirably and am very pleased to see how the students are enjoying the Information Commons, new Huxley environment and the refashioned Flowers Room.  It's also great to think you don't have to collect every publication that was ever written, put them on the shelves most often never to be looked at again as most of the time you can find all this on the web

Technorati

This is going to be very handy for searching genealogy blogs of people with the same names as I am searching.

Delicious

Delicious is going to be very yummy!

Web 2.0 Technologies

The University library is making excellent use of Web 2.0 Technologies.  I especially enjoy Flickr.  The Snowball collection is absolutely fantastic and I often look through the photos.  The 1960s Hunter St photos were great as well.  I've always especially loved the Cultural Collections website.

Library Thing

Library Thing will help me to determine whether a book is worth reading or not.  If a lot of people have read it, you'd have to assume it has some worthwhile information.  A public library would find it extremely useful for the collection development.
http://www.librarything.com/profile/nlr841

Image Generator

http://www.fakemagazinecover.com/make.asp?template=19-540-600-free_copy_of_scene_magazine-27_13_496_571

RSS feeds

I have never heard of RSS feeds but have now found a very handy use for them (besides the usual movie reviews, Jane Austen blogs etc.) - I have added a Schmidt genealogy forum (which seems to be used regularly)

The dos and don'ts of technology (according to me)

DO - use the latest technology to your benefit in finding out and recording information which can be useful to others for their research (ie family histories and backgrounds)
DON'T - put all your personal stuff all over the internet (ie day to day garbage)

Procession through Newcastle on Autonomy Day, 1967

Procession through Newcastle on Autonomy Day, 1967
Originally uploaded by Cultural Collections, University of Newcastle

This is the top of Hunter Street (past Pacific St) in the 1960s - those were the days!

Family history research

Here's an example of what you can find - Warialda Historical Society's "Passing Glimpses" newsletter entry for a 1901 cricket game which my great grandfather played in - and I have a photo of him with his cricket team (middle front row) - also added my favourite old family photo of him in the early 1940s with his grand daughters

7.5 Habits of Lifelong Learning

EASIEST :

HABIT 2 - Accept responsibility for your own learning.

I am always wanting to know things - particularly historical facts, so I am constantly combing through library catalogues looking for history books to read and searching the web for more information.  I usually seek out some project that interests me.  Now I've hit on the old family history (hasn't everyone) I'll be happily employed for evermore.

HARDEST :

HABIT 6 - Use technology to your advantage.

I find it hard to keep abreast of new technology as it's not natural to me.  I haven't grown up with all these new fangled things!  We didn't even get TV until I was 11.  I like it (a lot) but find it hard to be adept.

"Computer dating is fine, if you're a computer."
Rita May Brown.

First post

If you're interested you'll find a lot of old pioneering photos on this blog which I found at a wonderful pioneering website