Google groups is great for communication and sharing ideas.....over long distance as well as within the same building. It's an alternative to wikis, and could be used instead of emailing documents around. Is the esternal hosting attractive? However how many tools do we need to do the same thing?
Where is a magic comparison for selecting "the" tool that best suits your purpose?

Ok looked at Google groups which was thing 42
Looked at a library social networking group soc.libraries.talk (operating since 1992!!)
Checked out the usage stats..they grew during the 90'2, peaked in the late 90's, now seem to be tailing off a bit. However there are still peaks eg. Feb and Mar 07 with 94 and 100 posts respectively.
used this group to search for "cats" and found a library cat site. Oldish post, clicked through, but a dead link. google searching did the trick....and at the M.D. Anderson Library at the University of Houston they have these cuties http://www.ironfrog.com/librarycatsmap/txh-four.html

Reading the IFLA Statement of International Cataloging Principles

(an adaptation of the Paris Principles of 1961, updating them to move into the digital age.).I was delighted to see that the first and foremost principle is still "to serve the convenience of the users of the catalogue".

The fifth principle is 'sufficiency and necessity'. "Only those elements in description and controlled forms of names for access that are required to fulfill user tasks and are essential to uniquely identify an entity should be included."

So why do we insert a name tile series entry on works where a clear series entry is easily visible on the work in hand? This results in a cluttered and confusing OPAC display, with duplicate entries for each title listed for your favourite author.
Annoying for the catalogue user to sift through double the entries, and what a waste of staff time editing bib records to include the wretched things.

IFLA invite comments

And here's another one (much more interesting than the previous one)

| View | Upload your own

Now to embed something from Slideshare!!

This is not very exciting but since i've just got a new Hyundai i30 (comes complete with the Hyundai theme song on a thumb drive to slot into one of the three USB ports in the car......there you go.

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and we're on a roll here

A couple more images to embed, from Image generatot

It's Friday the 18th and our second lot of visitors (4 adults plus two small children) will leave us tonight...life will almost be back to normal with no more tour guiding and transport duties. Also looking forward to returning to a normal diet....eating out is nice but can be too much of a good thing. Has the stress of all the visitors made me lose any hair??? check the photo.....

Is this it?

Now, having resurrected my old wiki (unloved since 2007) here is a link to it:
my old wiki

Will this work??

Just sent (published) a document to the blog via google docs........the process worked

Now here's really exciting document to share

(But not really)


file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/s920532d/Desktop/BBC%20Active%20DVDs.doc

And another post after much brain srain to remeber how to access this blog.

Michael Stephens session on Wed morning was great...the main message I took away was marketing (sort of)...get your library out where your users are, wherever that may be.

Also funny to have the gaming metality expounded upon. Am I more likely to take risks? Maybe... but not while driving!
Certainly I think to implement any sort of change you must take risks.
We never have as much information as we would like, the information is rarely truly comparative , and it doesn't arrive in time.

So having listened to 7.5 habits here we go:
Goals: I'll know when I get there OR To complete 23 things
Obstacles: lack of time, meeting commitments and interruptions
Important to keep to a regular Friday pm time slot and relocate out of my office
Task list is the 23 things.....

Week one

Well so far very small steps after a week of distractions.
Really need to get some of this background reading underway. Agree completely that our core business includes and requires understanding the environments that our users occupy. Ipso facto Web 2.0 or whatever you like to call emerging/emergent technologies.
Concentrate on exploration....discovery ...play.
The last one is easy, computer games preferred over housework any day. The games I play include large elements of exploration and discovery (plus the odd moments of mayhem).
Now back to more serious reading....

First things

Remember the gmail account this time.....