Demonstration 10: Finalise

Blogs I have left comments on:

I have commented on Abby's test page for her blog.

I have commented on Barbara's blog page about the social media image.

I made a comment on Tafe 2020 future librarians page, how informative it was.

I commented on Chris' blog pages  - one on the photo of Milo the dog, and one on the Facebook page about Tasmania. 

Demonstration 9: Review in blog

 

Differences experienced between the blog and class WIKI

For me, the main difference I experienced between the class WIKI and my blog was complexity in use these two tools. Once I had been granted access to the WIKI it was relatively straightforward to create a page and comment or edit other pages, or add an image etc.

The blog was more complicated and required more steps.  You must create a Google account firstly. Then, if the blog has defaulted to html mode without you knowing (& even finding out what that means), it is not easy to work out why you cannot format text or add images etc to the blog when the information needed to rectify this was not in the help or settings in the Blogger tool. You needed to know what the icons meant in Blogger to add an image to a page for example, but in the WIKI I could just simply drag a PNG or JPEG image into the page (but that method didn't work with the blog tool). It seemed difficult for the system to give access to each other's blog, this did not present a problem with using different pages on the WIKI once the administrator had granted access to the class.  With Blogger you need to know the URL to the individual's page and they have to have the settings right so you can access it.

If you intend to use it often, perhaps a blog is worth the effort in understanding all the ins and outs of using it.  Overall, the WIKI was a more enjoyable experience in user-friendliness. The blog seemed to have a higher level of sophistication in terms of presentation & 'gadgets' etc. If you are a dedicated and frequent blogger, then a blog may be the preferred tool. However, if you are just one of several people contributing to a certain focussed project that does not require many bells & whistles in formats etc, then a simple WIKI may suit the purpose better.

 Which Type of social media would be best for a public library to keep its members up to date

I don't believe there is a single answer to that question.  The library would need to look at its demographics to ensure the social media it is using suits the types of customers that the library has. That said, given that Facebook is still the social media platform with the greatest reach, currently it would probably be wise for a public library to use Facebook to inform and keep in touch with its members. If the library customers' demographic are people with less time on their hands to read longer posts and who wish to engage with short frequent or regular posts, then Twitter could be a useful social media tool to employ.  If there are lots of older members at the library, they may prefer more Facebook, & even more old-fashioned emails.  If there are a lot of members of the library who require enjoy videos, instruction in certain topics, equipment or media, or are students, then YouTube could also be a good channel for the library to use to inform them of what's happening. If the library has a reasonable number of mid-age range female members, then posting on Pinterest could also be a way to keep members up to date given the popularity of that type of social media among that demographic. A library with more younger members may want to use Instagram to appeal to users for whom photographic/image content is important. Some public libraries also run short blogs to keep their members up to date, these linking to the other platforms - Facebook, YouTube etc.  

My overall view is that the particular public library should analyse the demographics and preferences of its customers & local community, keep abreast of the trends, and choose the type/s of social media that best cater/s for its members to keep them up to date. The choice of social media to use will most likely be a combination of more than one type.   

 How a library could make use of a blog

A library can make use of a blog for various purposes. Its blog could advise library customers of happenings, events, what's new at the library, and urgent & vital information such as about changes due to CoVID19. The blog can provide quick updates to library customers. The University of Newcastle's library blog includes details of their library's webinar about finding library resources (The University of Newcastle, Australia, 2020a), how to seek assistance from library staff and details about self-help library guides (The University of Newcastle, Australia, 2020b).  It also has an item about the reopening of kids' and carers' rooms at two of their campuses, as these rooms had been closed during the height of the pandemic (The University of Newcastle, Australia, 2020c).  Another of their library's blog items updates borrowers about arrangements for returning items to one of the University's libraries that is closed for maintenance over a weekend (The University of Newcastle, Australia, 2020d).    

 

Demonstration 8: Photo-sharing sites (e.g. Flickr, Pinterest)

 

Image of social media

 

Many Wonderful Artists. (n.d.) Social-media-1453843_1920 [a photographic image of social media]. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/search/?media=photos&license=7%2C9%2C10&text=social%20media&advanced=1

The experience of using Flickr, a photo-sharing site 

It was difficult to access Flickr on my browser. It wasn't suitable on Explorer so I had to switch back to Chrome.  I wasn't comfortable with allowing it to create cookies for third parties, but there appears to be no other way to use Flickr. Then, finally I searched for the image I wanted. I was able to search for photographs of social media in Flickr using 'social media' as the keyword to search. On the menu settings and drop down, firstly I selected Creative Commons, and then No known copyright restrictions to find images to choose from. Then I took a snip of the image and copied and saved it as a JPEG file, and then used the picture icon on the blog to upload it to my blog.  I would give the experience a thumbs down for ease of use, but there is a significant variety of images available under Creative Commons or No known copyright restriction. 

How a library could make use of a photo-sharing site

One way a library could make use of a photo-sharing site is in assisting with a library's community or local history projects.

For example, Lake Macquarie public libraries are looking for pictures/photographs of local schools for the local history collection. Lake Macquarie public libraries could use Flickr for the public to post and share these images/photos on. This will help it build this local history collection of public school in the area. Lake Macquarie public libraries hold digital collections of images of local history, so enabling the public to view, and add to these and provide comment comment/information about them will add to the local history collection. These images are also available for the public to use.  They can help researchers and students, or just the public who are interested in particular topics/local history images. 

Similarly, The University of Newcastle also uses the photo-sharing site Flicker to make it's photographic cultural collection available to users and the general public. (This was demonstrated to us in class by our teacher, Narelle.) 

Another way a library could use a photo-sharing site is in seeking & sharing contributions for special events. A public library could use a photo-sharing site for its community to contribute images, say for children's book week, or another theme.  Library customers could provide images of things or scenes that depict to them a certain book or theme for a book for children's book week. These could be shared with the contributors' permission to promote book week or the event in question.

These are just a couple of examples of ways libraries could use a photo-sharing site.

Demonstration 7: Video sharing sites (e.g.YouTube)

Evaluating the experience of using a video - sharing site

I have gone from having rarely used YouTube before I started TAFE, to using it quite often due to TAFE studies.  It is fairly straight forward except that other YouTube videos can immediately start playing at the end of the one you're watching if you are not on the ball and that can be a little bit annoying.

It was a seamless search to find a library-oriented video.  The keyword 'library' when searching on YouTube (searched on my browser) YouTube.com)opened up a world of library videos to explore.... It was straight forward to same the image as a png file them upload to the blog using the picture icon, and it was easy to use the video icon in the blog to upload and embed the video on the blog.  Given that video has become very popular in recent years and even more so during the pandemic, so people have adapted to video rather than in-person activities. With computer technology widespread in today's society many people have access at home & on their phones & tablets, not just in the library, to video-sharing. Overtime, video has become a more versatile tool, used for more purposes. Therefore, video-sharing sites are a very important tool for modern libraries and can increase accessibility for users, especially currently given restrictions due to the pandemic on movement, social distancing, and for people social isolating. 

How social networking could be used in a library

Libraries can make use of video sharing sites for lots of purposes. They can use them to do as the Tasmanian library in Launceston has done below for children's story-time, and other kids' related activities - how to make things, crafts etc.  They can use them to provide instructions on how to use their resources, such as using various parts of their e-library ('how to' videos).  They may also include access to other useful video sites where users can access videos from like LinkedIn for short courses people could undertake during the pandemic & so on (like Newcastle City Libraries is doing).  They also might ask users to post videos on certain topics or have a competition where users can post a video about library related themes, e.g. my favourite movie, what I did in the school holidays, what I like best about my local library etc.  The list is endless.  😊

I used the keyword 'Storytime' to tag the video so it would be easy to find in a search, and that is the content of the video.  I didn't add 'kids' to the tag as in libraries, storytime usually relates to children.  

Here is the screen shot of School Holiday Storytime with  Launceston Library: 

(Launceston Library, 2020, July 30a)

  

An embedded video of School Holiday Storytime with  Launceston Library is below:

Launceston Library. (2020, July 30b).

Demonstration 6: Social networking site (e.g. Facebook)

Evaluating the experience on a social media site

I'm not yet very comfortable with the experience of searching on Facebook.  There is a fair bit of clutter and empty content, but it's just a matter of getting used to it. It was not too hard. Either navigate on your browser to Facebook.com and do a search for the library you want the page of, or search in your browser for the library you are thinking of and click on the icon on their webpage that takes you to a link for their Facebook page. The library Facebook pages I looked at tended to be a bit too disorganised and busy for my liking, but they may suit other more regular social media users better.  It was relatively straight forward to save the image below to a png file and upload to my blog using the picture icon in the blog.

How social media can be used in a library

I think that a library can use social networking to publicise when they are going to hold events, to let people know about changes such as when opening hours etc could change during the pandemic.  They can also use it to be aware of their users' likes.  Social networking is a way of keeping in touch with their local library community  Perhaps they could also use it for forums like reading groups for particular interest groups. For libraries that are affiliated with a local council or other larger institution (school, TAFE, a uni etc), they could also highlight interesting or important events coming up for their parent organisation and how the library may have some role on that. Libraries might also use social media to inform users of changes in their collection, now books purchased, expansion of the children's collection etc. 

• An example of a library using social networking is how the Newcastle TAFE library uses its Blog - on the blog it provides updates to students, such as how new students can obtain a TAFE card, and promotes on its blog new resources that the library has. The TAFE library uses the blog to provide brief information to its users and links to further information.

• Another example of how a library can use social networking is the Newcastle City Libraries.  The Newcastle City Libraries use social networking fairly widely - on their Facebook page they include videos for users e.g. story reading, and they list short summaries of up-coming community and cultural events sponsored by the Newcastle Council, and they include a Have Your Say feature where people can provide their views on a specific topic etc.  The Newcastle Public Libraries also use social networking to push information out to their users when people subscribe to an RSS feed e.g. for new titles on Borrow Box, & Press Reader. Users can also subscribe to various types of e-newsletters.        

On the the Facebook page of Lake Macquarie Public Library, I like a page by a lifeguard showing a children's book about creatures in the sea. It is shown below: 

(Lake Mac Libraries, 2020)

Demonstration 5: WIKI

Using the class WIKI

On the class WIKI, I have commented on Narelle's page, plus now Abby, Kaitlin's & Sean's. I found the experience accessing the WIKI difficult, but finally had success. I would not rate it as a fun experience. 😕  However, after using Blogger, WIKI is a breeze.  On the WIKI, it was easy to insert images, just drag them. It was easy to see other people's pages and make a comment, or add something to their page or change it.

How a WIKI could be used in a library

In a library, a WIKI could be used to share experiences and gather information. 

• The NLA has a WIKI for Trove for users to provide information to help them increase their store of information. 
• Lake Macquarie Public Library is trying to gather information about public schools in the local area, and people could contribute to this by adding their knowledge/information and memories about local public schools on WIKI. Then gradually as users add more content/ information this increases the knowledge bank for the public library about public schools and their history in the local area. 

This is just a quick example of how libraries can use WIKIs. :)

The Fifth Post

Still can't get my image to add to the blog. Will have to come back to it later when I work out what I am doing.

PS.  Have now managed it...Hooray!

The Fourth Post

Now it is a private blog with the option to manage content posts. Still struggling with the add image problem however.

The Third Post

At least now I have been able to find a nice light blue theme for my blog reminiscent of the ocean.😀

The Second Post

Still trying to get my image across to the blog and it's not working. I must be doing something wrong but not sure what???

Ah. I have had some help. (Thank goodness for wonderful library staff.) 😊

Here it is...

 

The First Day

This is my first day on the blog. It is very daunting. It's like being at sea on an unfamiliar ocean, floating out into the unknown not knowing where it will take you...