Videos Online

I had a look at both YouTube and Google Video. I liked the star ratings and the number of views statistics that YouTube has, but to start with I had an error message whenever I tried to open a video. I managed to watch a video only after I embedded onto my blog. I prefer the setup of Google Video but it doesn't have any ratings or statistics. The page downloaded faster than YouTube and I had no trouble watching any video. There is also a link so that you can watch the video on YouTube. After I used that link I could watch the videos on YouTube. Google Video also had more results on the various searches I did. Unfortunately Google Video did not seem to have the embed code available to enable it to be embedded onto a blog.

The Ipswich library is currently running a competition for our young adult members called Camera! Action! Libraries!. They are encouraged to create a short film or digital photo about or featuring the library. The competition information blog has a couple of embedded YouTube videos. One showing tips on creating a video and the other showing an entry in a similar competition run at the Christchurch Library in New Zealand. The competition also ties in to a Photostory workshop being run on the school holiday for the young adult members. The library is using these technologies to attract 13 - 18 year olds to interact with the library.

Online videos could also be useful as a training tool for the staff of the library. Trying to arrange training for a group of people who are rostered to work varying hours over a seven day working week and who also have to operate a customer service desk can be difficult. Using a video would ensure that all the staff received the same information and they could access the information at a time that was convenient to them. One drawback would be that the staff could not ask questions like they could if the training was done live.

Videos Online

Google Maps

I have created a map with a walking tour of some of the historic churches in Ipswich. I only included the ones within a comfortable walking distance of each other. I used information from Ipswich Heritage Trails, Urban Churches. This is the map

Google Calendar

If the library staff didn't already have calendars linked to the council email system and to the library webmail system, google calendar could be used in the same way. We make use of calendars in the library to organise meetings. If other staff are invited to a meeting, their calendar also shows the appointment with details of where the meeting will be held. Meeting guests can also receive an email reminder or a pop-up message. The new feature to make it easier to schedule events with guests will be useful. The new event page will include a calendar right next to the guest list, so you can see when people are free.
The customer service desks can also add calendars for the various meeting rooms and auditorium. This allows staff to see who has booked which room and when and helps staff to direct customers to the correct room.

iGoogle

This is a link to the iGoogle site I set up.It was a fairly straight forward process.

Google Books

I found Google Books very interesting. With a search of History, China full view, the results showed digitised books published in the 1700's and 1800's. This allows anyone to access old fragile books from anywhere, without having to visit the particular organisation that has the original. Most people would not know of the existence of these books, yet now by typing in the keywords of a subject that interests them, they can view these old tomes.

Google Translate

Google Translate will be useful to translate library information brochures and the library website for some of our customers. The local TAFE brings students from their English as a Second Language (ESL) classes to the public library to visit. They are given a tour and shown the library's adult learning collection and are encouraged to join the library. It will be useful to be able to give the customer a copy of the library information brochure in their native language so they have a better understanding of the borrowing guidelines. The list of languages in Google Translate covers most of the migrant groups in our area, but only includes a couple of the African languages. There are a number of Sudanese migrants joining our library and it would be useful to be able to translate into their language.