#23 Is this really the end? Or just the beginning...

I was always positive about the 23 Things concept but working through this program has exceeded my expectations. I have discovered more useful tools than I had thought possible, started new initiatives for our library service, had fun, but lost sleeping time.

I’m so glad I understand rss feeds. I have become quite dependent upon Bloglines for keeping up to date so I am constantly exposed to new library ideas and possibilities. My blogines feeds include Technorati and podcast searches.
I use Del.icio.us all the time. I search by my Rollyos when I want information on medicines, to locate an art image or to find a recipe. I will continue to upload photos to Flickr but more importantly use it as a very valuable image resource. And of course I love image generators. Library Thing is now part of my own profile as well as being a useful bibliographic tool. YouTube has given me more laughs than anything else for quite a while. I am now in the habit of storing vital documents on Zoho for easy retrieval.

At our library we have started uploading our data to Library Thing to test whether we can use their Libraries product. We are using contacts found via library blogs to add code to our catalogue that will allow users to add rss feeds from updates.
We are planning on starting a staff library blog as a communication means. We are exploring online book clubs and are also looking at wikis.
We would like to offer podcasts of our author talks and much much more.

And following (yet again) the example of Vampgirl, the next step is Learning 2.1.

#22 Audiobooks

As someone who listens constantly to audiobooks whilst walking, cooking, driving etc I was quite excited by the prospect of a new trove of titles to plunder. I was even thinking of seriously asking the red suited man in the sky for an ipod. From a personal point of view I was slightly disappointed with the range of titles offered on World eBooks and Gutenberg although they do offer some great classic titles. And I liked the fact that on the Audiobooks for Free site you could listen to a sample prior to downloading. Nevertheless I now feel inspired to discover what might be available via subscription sites.
Some public libraries offer downloadable audio titles for limited loan periods. Pretty canny - they automatically delete off the listening device when the loan period expires.
I would like to explore offering this service at our library. SirsiDynix have a product that does this. However at the moment it is limited I think because the titles cannot be downloaded to an ipod. When they resolve these licensing issues, we would certainly consider purchasing it.

#21 Podcasts

I decided to see how easy it was to make a podcast myself so you can listen to what I found out about podcasts whilst doing this exercise.
Listen to my podcast
To do this, I downloaded Audacity to record my spoken words. I also had to download an mp3 encoder to be able to export the file as an mp3 file. I then had to register with Box.net to store host the file online so it could be shared with the word via this blog.

For my fellow IT persons in libraries

#20 Down the Tube

Yet more byways in which to lose oneself.

I spent more time than I had on YouTube. I was looking for a genuinely funny video about libraries and chose this one for what has to be the most morale boosting line for librarians battling with 2.0 = "Dewey is like Google for smart people".
Another close contender was "The Professional Librarian" dealing with correct returns policy. Also worth a look are the YouTube Salute to librarians and clips from Monty Python and Mary Hartman.
Of course there are some serious videos where libraries are using YouTube for promotional or training purposes that we could adapt and adopt. I would especially like to explore offering a YouTube clip on the catalogue that would engage users with our databases so they could find the resources they wanted to when they really needed them.
Something else that I discovered whilst doing this exercise - YouTube has an amazing diversity of material. I hadn't really expected that it could also be such a powerful information repository, despite its searching limitations. Quite by chance in a search for "London" and "library", I came across some footage related to concentration camps during the second world war. My father was a victim of several so I started looking for some shots of any of his camps in what I suppose is a continuing search of mine to make up for the conversations I never had with him whilst he was alive. I was marvelling at the depth of resources when I came across some very powerful footage that was accompanied by a glorious Bach cantata and I realised that this clip was actually a celebration or worse of the Holocaust. This was very chilling and I ceased these explorations.

So moving right along and nothing to do with libraries- this clip is for other baby boomers who started watching television in the late fifties.

#19 Weaving the web

Working my way through these Web 2.0 winners could take some time. Lucky it's a rainy Sunday. There are some wonderful tools for people and libraries to use, but gosh some people do just have too much time on their hands, leading innocent bystanders like me into temptation. I have resisted, yet again, the urge to sign up for an organization tool Backpack. Seriously though, does the world need sites that look for True Stories in one sentence or a tool for sending emails with all your corrections in it? And more self-publishing in Lulu? I am reminded of Martin Luther: The multitude of books is a great evil. There is no limit to this fever for writing; every one must be an author; some out of vanity, to acquire celebrity and raise up a name, others for the sake of mere gain. Table Talk, 1530s.
So thought I'd focus on some tools for libraries. Library Thing we already know about and love. I looked at Biblio which is a rare and second hand book finder that I wasn't aware of, and will use again. I like the fact that some of their profits are donated towards communities in need.
I thought I would look at some other searching tools and was sidetracked by Swicki. I couldn't resist adding my search for food and cooking videos widget on the left. Just enter a search term and it will locate relevant videos for you. I might even like it more than Rollyo but I will have to explore further. I definitely want to add some of these metasearch tools to our website.
I was most impressed by the tools that rely upon collaborative knowledge eg. Listdump, Craigslist, Yahoo Answers, all of which I have used. And I was very taken with Boxxset which is a tool for bringing together different media eg. blogs, videos, fan fiction etc all on one topic. Would be particularly useful for cult titles and TV shows.
Google Maps I already knew about and have used quite extensively. They can be added to library sites where appropriate and I have even annotated the maps using an image generator. (Thank you Thing #5)
I might just have to go and play with a few more tools now. But I will leave you with this link to the Top 87 Bad Predictions about the Future and a tip for those who still have time to live a real first life. Go and see Death at a funeral. It will have you laughing out loud.

#18 Tragic but true

For my dedicated readers who have been eagerly awaiting my next post. It's a bit difficult to maintain interest in the blog when one's library server and associated systems eg. catalogue, remote patron authentication server, email, network drives are deleted as happened to this unfortunate soul.
So much for VMware.
We are now able to offer to offer a basic library service again but  no reservations, catalogue or access to online resources. And we have lost 36 hours of transactions so you can imagine the mayhem that can cause! Anyone who has coped with similar scenarios - feel free to share your strategies for coping with the data issues.
So where does Library 2.0 fit into this scenario? Using Zoho writer  I have chosen this font to closely resemble handwriting as my small protest against reliance upon computer systems.
More seriously though, I have now used Zoho writer to store some vital documents eg. Outlook contacts and some IT documentation online, so I will have those resources to fall back on next time there is a system disaster.  I really like the concept of web based applications for document storage and sharing, and for collaborative work.  It all enhances mobility. I am looking forward to using all these new tools next time  I travel. The only concern I would have here relates to security. It would also be very useful for our public access users without USB drives as well.
I liked Zoho Writer more than Google Docs. More similar to Office and very functional.
I was quite captivated by the Online Planner and will come back to play with it when I have more time. Except of course for the fear that one shouldn't become too dependent upon IT or online systems be cause they could all be deleted by a simple keystroke!

#17 Playing around with PBWiki

I think the late nights working on Learning 2.0 have addled my brain. Yesterday morning I told a borrower at the circulation desk that she had a book still out called "Overdue Still Out". It was only as I remarked upon the coincidence of the title and looked at her bewildered face that I realised what I had done. And they leave me in charge of the system?!
I added our library and my blog to the Favorites list. See below.
More signs of an addled brain. I could not get the syntax with the brackets right. Somehow we were supposed to enter it so the title of our blog appeared rather than the url but no matter what variation I tried it always displayed both within the brackets. The only way I could get it right was to go in to the source and copy the html of someone else who had done it successfully. Will someone please tell me the secret?
I enjoyed reading the Favorite Books blog and added my own entry recalling treasured children's books, inspired I think by rhumage's paean to school stories.

Byway without the Blog

So I'm home from work feeling less than healthy but I thought I should just pay a bill and maybe check my work email in case there was anything urgent (the addictive personality never rests) and all of a sudden I'm adding more books onto Library Thing - 223 cookbooks at the last count. And then maybe a little peek at my colleagues blogs when I was sucked in by the clever Flickr slideshow generator I found on Anthony's blog.
So how could I resist adding a live slideshow of more of my china (which may have meant dragging the camera out)..... So gratify me and take a look - its down on the left. I haven't quite worked out how to show the full picture but that's because I have to return to my sickbed with my book (Chameleon's shadow by Minette Walters) which is very gripping by the way.

#16 WIKI is for World Individuals Knowledge Initiatives

I had become, albeit relunctantly, a convert to Wikipedia. It can be the quickest way of finding a certain level of information (no definition for “shinboners” though). I am also impressed by the constancy of the updating. In looking at the entries for two authors yesterday I noted that each had been updated within the previous 48 hours. So I thought I understood the concept of wikis but after reading through some of the resources I realised that there was so much more to it.
I liked the Princeton book reviews. I thought we could host one of our book clubs via a wiki. I was amused to see that ratings of titles on the catalogue could also be considered as wikis. (Sort of like the Just Returned trolley). The idea that one can contribute’s one own ideas or information for posterity is tempting.
But I think the real value of wikis for library professionals is not just in the sharing of information but in actually capturing it. As a systems person I am a subscriber to various lists which share technical information. The challenge has always been to store it so that it can be retrieved when it is needed. This is where the wiki would be invaluable. A perfect example of this is the CODI SQLWiki. Codi refers to the Customers of Dynix who have been emailing SQL queries to the list for years and we have all been madly saving them on our own PCs, sometimes never to be seen again. Now they can all be accessed via a simple taxonomy in one location.
The Australian CODA group also used a wiki when planning our recent conference – cuts down the stream of emails and allows everyone to edit. I only wish I had known about wikis when planning my mother-in-law’s 90th birthday recently. It would have lessened the angst and drama of the flurry of emails amongst family members.
Cindy Boke’s presentation on wikis was so effective I had to restrain myself from setting one up instantly (well it was late at night).
Another good resource is the Wiki Toolbox 30+.
And The Cataloging Wiki for our intrepid cataloguer Dogsister.

Who is Pearl Bay?

The world is divided into those who immediately recognise the significance of the allusion and those who have no idea where Pearl Bay comes from.
It is the imaginary location of my most favourite TV show ever.

Blogging and Byways

A wonderful thing about this course has been the diversions down the laneways of the blogosphere. Quite randomly I came across Stephen Fry’s blog. (I think I was checking out a Rollyo search constructed by Dogsister) and he was so amusing and erudite that I had to subscribe. Imagine my surprised and sort of gratification yesterday when the subject of his “blessay” (his combination of blog and essay, not mine) was Addiction. I felt he must be speaking to me, considering it was the subject of my own post earlier that day. I couldn’t resist making a comment (yet another registration!). I have been impressed with the thoughtfulness of the many comments.
And in my frequent reading of Dave Pattern's blog - see last post, I thought I would also share this amusing cartoon found on his blog but sourced from Salon, about how the Dewey system in Libraries is destroying publishing. Have a laugh.
And lastly, in today's update of Tame the Web Michael Stephens talked about his excitement at his prospective trip to Australia. Apparently he will be running a very relevant sounding seminar called "The Hyperlinked Library".

#15 Library 2.0

It is a sign of these digital times that there is no dearth of material about Library 2.0. But what to extract from this for ourselves and our libraries?
We have to decide (again)what is our core purpose and use Web 2.0 Tools to achieve those goals. Our focus should be on adding real value to the user’s experience.
I know only too well (see last post) how easy it is to become sidetracked by the range of online stuff that one can do. How do we preserve the balance between enriching one’s life with online engagement and forgetting to have a life altogether?
So if our core goals are loosely based around notions of providing access to the resources and knowledge that people want and need, we need to focus on applications that contribute to those ends, not just do something clever because we can.
Be user centred – thinking about the tools that we have used so far on this course, I have become even keener to offer rss feeds from our catalogue, and the capacity for users to add their own tags to it and also to have the opportunity to engage with other readers via a blog or wiki.
I have been really impressed by what Dave Pattern in Yorkshire has done with his catalogue. Users can subscribe to rss feeds, email alerts, contribute ratings and comments and more. He uses the same Horizon Information Portal as do we so I emailed him to find out how we could do this but was crestfallen to hear that he used a second server, and some technical programming. Still I am pursuing the conversation with him.
And similarly with Library Thing for Libraries – they responded to my email query but again we do not have the correct database structure to easily do it. However, they are prepared to experiment with other ways.
So, the core goals can be there,and the will to change, but technology can let you down. The challenge is to try not to be daunted and to persevere.

Confessions of a Not So Secret Addict

How will I ever get to the next exercise if I don't stop playing with my fonts and colours? I'm being sucked into a vortex again - is that the real meaning of Web 2.0? One becomes more tangled in the spider web and is eventually consumed?
Or maybe it is just because that's what I am - an addict -whether it is to eating chocolate, or to buying china on Ebay (and it's possible I have slightly slipped off that wagon), or cataloguing more cookbooks on to Library Thing.
I've had to become a lifetime paid up member so that I can add more of my collection. I became so carried away last week with adding books that I neglected to tag them but I am glad to report that I have found that it is possible to add tags in bulk after the event.
Addictions has its upside. Look at how lovely this Paynsley Jug with Tulips looks this morning. You can see more of my china in the slideshow on the left.

#14 Technorati trails

I had already stumbled across Technorati or rather it had stumbled over me (see 2 posts ago) but I was amazed to see how extensive the blogosphere was. Technorati seems to be a great tool for mining the wealth of other people's thoughts, knowledge and ideas.
I proudly claimed my blog. I carried out the comparison searching exercise on Library 2.0. The results seem consistent with any keyword vs. more targeted search but what a treasure trove of blogs I found! I restricted myself to adding feeds for only 2 of them but just fancy, quite coincidentally one of them was Helene Blowers. I looked at the adding of Technorati tags stuff but decided it wasn't strictly necessary as my blog had already been sourced on it.
Some great widgets under Tools. I added My Favorites above - you can even search it, and a button suggesting people (which people I'm not sure) add my blog to their "fave" list.
I will use this again when searching for the sort of discussion that you would find on a blog. I am most likely to search the Blog directory for the more dedicated blogs. Must go and add Technorati to my Delicious bookmarks.

#13 Delicious or not?

I was thinking maybe not so delicious. I had been looking forward to this exercise - bookmarks I could access from anywhere instead of sending them to all to my hotmail address and having to trawl through to find them, but I was initially disappointed and somewhat confused.
It did not seem not user friendly, maybe if I had looked at the PCML example first as suggested it would have been better but I assumed I understood the principle behind it. So my first mistake was to rush in and import all the bookmarks from my desktop at work.
Suddenly I had 10 pages of uncategorised bookmarks! I couldn't see how to delete them en masse so I had to delete my whole account.
Feeling really out of the loop I looked to vampgirl for guidance. I began to see what you might do with the concept of tags and bundles and then carefully imported some bookmarks folder by folder. By the second folder I realised it was sensible to change the "Imported" tag before importing.
It is still possible I am missing some crucial point of elucidation because the only way I can get it to work effectively for me is to give the tags the same name as the bundles - my tags.
I think I will find it very useful but only if used in a disciplined way. For me the 2 basic rules will be: only use it for sites that I will use when mobile, and tag each bookmark in an organised fashion. (Well, I used to be a cataloguer.)
I'm not convinced of the usefulness of the the networking angle so maybe I'll explore that when more time.
And I think it's possible we could use Delicious to enhance our reference work, if we put some work into creating an rationalised bundle.
I've added my Delicious links to my page on the right. I also added it to my Facebook profile but it doesn't show up there so it seems a bit pointless. In fact Facebook generally seems a bit pointless to me but more of that later.

#12 Rollyo - sounds like Rolo to me but I just love chocolate

Did I say last week that I was now a free spirit who was less addicted to her computer? Hmn....Perhaps before I started making searchrolls. I think these are great and would be useful from both a personal point of view and also on the library website.
I asked various members of my family what they might search for regularly. One suggested art works, and the other who is interested in health gave me some good medicines sites. And following the self-indulgent food theme, I made a recipe finder, just in case there was something I couldn't track down in one of my cookbooks! (142 on Library Thing at last count.)
The challenge, especially with the artworks, was to choose the right part of the site to locate the desired data eg. images, recipes, whatever, and not extraneous material. This perhaps goes against what the Rollyo site said about going to the top of the domain always, but I think it is more useful. You can do a test search yourself - see black link on the right.
Library websites could offer some of the customised searches for users - rather like the pathfinders that we learnt how to build in our library courses.

Self-indulgent sidetracks via StatCounter and Library Thing

In the pursuit of narcissism I installed StatCounter (thanks to the talented Jewinda ). In following the links of who had looked at my blog from Alabama, I discovered I had been included in a Technorati search on the term SirsiDynix. This repository could be very useful to me at work so I have now added this rss feed.
Getting sidetracked again, I saw that someone had clicked on my blog via Library Thing so I found that the perfect late night activity was to start looking at who else had many cookbooks in common with me. I found people who had really similar libraries to whatI had on my real shelves so this prompted another flurry of uploading my books. And to crown this timewasting self-indulgence, I have started editing the entries where Amazon couldn't find a cover to find the appropriate cover from other people who have scanned the image and uploaded it BUT I AM NOT GOING TO START SCANNING!

#8++Making life even simpler - integrating RSS with Email

Becoming even more streamlined - I have discovered I can import my RSS feeds from Bloglines into my Outlook account.(We are on Office 2007). I like being able to see any updates at a moment's notice. To do this, go into Bloglines, under Additional Features choose to export subscriptions and save the file. Then right-click on the RSS Feeds folder in Outlook and choose to import an OPML file. I can also add any new feeds directly into Outlook.

#11 Cooking up Library Thing

OK I've been having more fun, and following the theme of this blog it's been all about self-indulgence and addiction. I have to confess to owning nearly 400 cookbooks (out of a total library that runs to thousands) so I thought I would catalogue my favorite 50 or so. These are all cookbooks that I use - from the trusted friends that taught me to cook and which I have used constantly, to some shiny but very carefully chosen new ones. And I have to admit to being something of a cookbook snob. Yes it's nice to have pictures but the more enduring classics eg. Jane Grigson, Elizabeth David, Claudia Roden ,Elizabeth Luard, Marcella Hazan .... teach you about food in its context and how to really cook. For those other addicts among you you can see more of my collection at
library thing.
I don't really think though that I would use Library Thing much in relation to my personal collection but more as a bibliographic tool. And I would love to add tags to our library catalogue. I've emailed Library Thing to try and set up a test of this.

#10 Generating Bob

Yes, I can see why this is called play week. I made a movie clip! See Bob Dylan pushing Learning 2.0 and this is is how I did it. It's sooo easy and I had fun.
Dylan Message Generator

#9 Finding feeds - it really DOES make life simple.

It's just like Flickr - the more I find out about RSS and setting it up for myself, the more I like it. I have been experimenting with search tools, as well as just going to some of my favourite sites and looking for rss links.
I liked Technorati. I used it locate some blogs on Masons Ironstone China because even though I am no longer using Ebay, my original passion for the china remains. I got a surprising number of results. I think I have found a blog with some genuine enthusiasts, not just a marketplace but time will tell. Along the same theme I ventured back into Ebay to test out the rss possibilities (just for the exercise you understand). I did a harmelss enough search ie. not one that would lead me into temptation, for Masons lids and discovered how easily a rss link for that search could be saved. Using Firefox makes this so easy. So I added that to my bloglines.
I tested Topix. Initially I couldn't quite see how to search but I found it eventually and have set up a feed for "public libraries and catalogues" .I may have to narrow it down more.
I really didn't like Feedster, or maybe I was just doing something wrong. I did a search for feeds on a public figure (whom I have a distant connection with, funnily enough via someone I met on Ebay) but there was no rss link in the results. Eventually, I added it by just copying the url.
I used Google blog search just for testing purposes to see if I could locate one of the Live Journal communities (Australian watchers of House) that my daughter belongs to, and it did, so I think this would be a useful tool as well.
And finally, (for the moment anyway)I have added an alert from Library Journal via the ANZ Ref centre database for new articles discussing library software .Very relevant as we have to look for a new LMS soon.

#8 Making life really simple

I think this is consistent with my last entry and newly declared intention of reclaiming some of life back from the online world because it channels anything I might be interested in to one spot. I had been trying to achieve that previously to Learning 2.0 anyway by using the links bar in my browsers etc but this is a much more efficient of staying up to date on work and other interests in a less time-consuming way.
I set up a bloglines account (and I am beginning to wish I had set up my blog using Bloglines because everything really would be in one spot). I used some of the options from the directory like BBC, a couple of library ones and Salon. I also used the Communities option to enter my daughter's Live Journal - very simple to do, just put in her user name - but she wasn't happy so I had to remove it. For the purposes of the exercise I added my own flickr account and I also added a tag update for the Glasgow School of Art so that I will know when anyone uploads a photo of one of my favourite buildings. I added the blogs of some of my colleagues as well as Davey P. a wonderful exponent of Library 2.0 from Yorkshire that I have come to know via the SirsiDynix Horizon list.
I was amused last night after the Grand Final to click on the BBC headline - their angle was that Aboriginal players were now dominating football. Interestingly, I can't find a trace of this story now.
I have added my public bloglines account to my blog profile but it is still constantly changing.

#7 Technology - random musings

There have been 3 separate strands of thoughts running through my head this week in relation to technology. Working in systems in the library, I'm clearly committed to it but I think there can be TOO MUCH of a good thing. As I've said previously,I really enjoy many of the tools, I've been relying on online resources not only for work, but for managing my life generally, but I think you can get seduced into a bottomless pit. This fairly pedestrian observation has come noticeably to the surface for me this week as a result of giving up my ebay habit. I don't turn my home computer on as much (ie the second I wake up, or come in the door). And I have found that I have a lightening of spirit or something because I am free now to do other things. I have become too easily sucked in to checking my email compulsively or doing random google searches. So that's my new resolve - to stay away from the computer more!
Something else that I have been thinking about is how important it is to have a realistic attitude to technology. It doesn't always work. Expect things to go wrong.
We have been trying to set up a new public access network at one of our library branches in the past few weeks and it has been been plagued by many problems. These have all been much more bearable because firstly I always double the projected time for any new installation, and secondly the staff have had a relaxed attitude. Things don't work any quicker by having dramatics!
The final thing that I have been thinking about is people's fear of technology. One of the great outcomes of this Learning 2.0 course is that many library staff will become more comfortable with trying new things and solving problems. People often have the tendency to cry for help immediately anything unexpected happens without trying to resolve the problem themselves. They don't want to take responsiblity for thinking about the issue so they continue to be scared of technology. I wish I could convince people to try to work things out themselves -it really isn't rocket science - because once they do, the whole weight of fear of something going wrong with the computer will fall from their shoulders and they will feel wonderful!

#6More Flickr Fun

Well,I didn't really have more fun. Maybe you have to be in the mood. I've seen some very clever flickr fun on other blogs. I think it would have to have a purpose for me ie. marketing or for a funny birthday card.
What I do love about Flickr (this is my learning summary for the week) are the resource sharing aspects as I said below. I also think it is a wonderful search tool - better in a way than Google images. For example,last night we were talking about the statue of Goethe in Frankfurt airport that we had seen in a jet lagged state 3 years ago,and by using Flickr, we were able to locate several different pictures of it (to settle an argument).

Secret addict gives up

I need to have it on the public record that I am no longer looking at Ebay for china!!!
What seemed like a harmless diversion is becoming a dangerous "habit". No more. I will only buy china if I come across it by accident.

Maryborough

We went to Maryborough for the weekend. Mark Twain described it as " a railway station with a town attached" and that's a pretty fair description. The photo doesn't really do justice to it. Coincidentally, after we had booked, I discovered that there would be an Antique market held on the platform on Sunday and I can report to all my readers that I had a lucky and inexpensive china find.
But the real find of the weekend was Melville Caves in the Kooyora State Park. Huge granite boulders with "caves" forming in the cavities in between. A peaceful and beautiful spot for a picnic on a fine Spring afternoon.

#5 Flickr Again

I love Flickr! What a wonderful way of resource sharing that is open to everyone. I have just put a few travel photos up so far Photos but I really like the way I can click on the tags that I have used, to see how others have photographed the same place/thing etc. And you can speed up the process by downloading the Flickr uploader tool. Flickr tries hard to make the whole process easy. It automatically prompts you to save to a Set and I also like the way it offers you a list of all the previous tags that you have used to save retyping.
I'm going to find it hard to move on from this exercise. I want to upload more photos....

#More on Flickr

Well I didn't learn from last night and press the off button when I should have. Or tonight.
I have finally worked out after far too long how to insert a photo from Flickr into the blog. Last night my post only had a red cross. I have just cheated by re-editing and changing the link. I was using the url from "share your photos" in flickr. This time I just right-clicked on the image to get the correct url to insert. And I also have a flickr profile but more on that later Photos on Flickr. The good news is that my life is not totally being drained away by the internet. I did a real librarian type thing tonight and went to an author event at Readings to hear Patrick Gale in conversation. How to describe his novels best? Written by someone with a deeply subtle way of getting inside his characters's hearts and minds. Cressida and I spoke to him afterwards -he was unassuming, compassionate and just really nice.
The bad news is that I haven't had any time to check new Ebay listings tonight.

#5 Flickr

I'm not going to have time for a life anymore - will I ever be able to leave the Flickr site?
So many photos, so many tags...
My first shot (ha ha) is above. Note there is some attempt at relevance. This was a gorgeous old library that we visited in Prague.
What have I learned tonight? Find the off button on the computer before I am dragged inexorably into it.

#3 First post

I think this is all going to be fun. As my title says - an excuse for self-indulgence. The desire to talk about oneself and publish is obviously innate, judging by the plethora of blogs in the world.
A word about the photo. Romantic image of self - wandering down cobbled streets in old English town in search of second hand bookshops and antique china. The Shambles is the oldest street (medieval?) in the city of York in England where I was earlier this year indulging in various of my passions. I may use this journal to record some of my experiences as an Ebay addict. As well as of course to record my Learning 2.0 activities and consider how we could use Web 2.0 to enrich the library catalogue and more.