23 things over and out!

YaY! Finished before the deadline. What an achievement.

To help with work the concept of writing a blog helped. Photo sharing could be useful for both work and home. RSS feeds have helped with current awareness. Face book has helped with social and work networks.

The library could use lots of these technologies for a better service. We could set up a library blog...but who would read it? We could set up a library flickr...as long as the pictures were authorized and agreed to by those in the pictures. We could have Google maps on the library web page for location. That could be interesting. We could share our delicious links, but just get more overwhelmed with information. We could create our own YouTube videos. Could be helpful with remote presentation and/or for 24/7 demos of how to do things at point of need.

23 things could be improved by allowing more parameters for participants. For example one person who tried to put a full effort into it, got frustrated, and didn't get into it. Another who because of work time restraints and lack of enthusiasm has not participated. It is a hard call and there are so many of us at various points but it might have been good to run more group sessions earlier on maybe. For those of us in the outer campuses it has been harder to get the peer support that has occurred in some of the larger campuses I believe.

I think I will keep blogging. I started out thinking that I was meant to use it as a traditional blog and started telling my RTW (Return To Work) story but quickly got waylaid to just finish the 23 things and not think about myself. It was good therapy to start off with :-) I will continue to use many of the tools and toys learnt through this process. On Face Book I now have a communication tool with some of my relatives and friends that I did not have before. I have also connected with some friends from my deep dark past! I will want a permanent record of some of the instructions, as some were just dashed through to finish the 23 things without much thought of how to go back and actually do them with knowledge and/or how I might be able to instruct someone else to do it.

The 23 things team deserve full marks for a job well done! It has certainly been an excellent talking point around the library traps to ask how you are going, and what you have been learning as well as an excellent learning exercise.

Web Based Communication

I've used various instant messaging before. Yahoo, chat rooms, etc. Had a quick look at Google contact, but didn't want to stuff around with trying to get a colleague to chat with me.

I'm very interested in Skype, and have seen Jane demo it a couple of times. My brother in law recently worked in China and used Skype to call us on our land line. I, like another library blogger, don't have broadband at home, so don't think I could implement at home, but might give it a go in future.

There was a concept to use Skype for a Staff Development Committee meeting. It might happen in my life time?

I have seen instant messaging used in libraries as an alternative to InfoQuest. It requires someone to be ready and available at the point when client wants you though. I think I still like to use the phone. Maybe I'm just a bit of a luddite.

PodCast

I love the Life Matters program on Radio National, and the Conversation Hour on 774, so have subscribed and podcast them to my Google Reader. It took a bit of back tracking to week 9 to recall how to get into my Google Reader and subscribe.

Got excited with Video PodCasting and tried to relive some of the Tour De France highlights from SBS, but the downloads took a long time, and eventually was just an mp3 of the audio. Might have a look at the Australians. And with the ABC I love Enough Rope. Tried to download an episode but at 11.8 MB seems a BIG download for the University to be paying for just for my entertainment!

YouTube

I'm quite familiar with YouTube and have used it for some time. It can be a good time waster. The copyright though is a bit suss!

YouTube Monty Python - Gorilla Librarian interview

A colleague put me onto this. Very funny.

You Tube Mr. Bean in the Library

You would hate to have to police a patron like this!

Pet/s on Wiki

Added pictures of my 2 cats onto Library Pet Wiki. Seemed okay. It is easy when you are following directions!

Library 2 Experiences

I have had a wide range of Library 2 experiences. It will be interesting as Encore is rolled out how the more traditional student and older generation folk will handle it. I personally find some library 2 tools a bit confusing and scattered. For example a very generic interface like Ebsco 2 I get annoyed at as I might want to search specifically for a journal title and/or an author and year but the generic interface won't allow for such "advanced search functions".

When using such tools as Amazon I don't like the prompt of what else I might want to buy. Feels like going to McDonalds and getting asked if I want fries with that. If I want fries I will ask for them!

Delicious

Had a go at trying to get my head around Delicious. Was a bit disappointed initially in my searching, but can see benefits and applications. Imported my bookmarks, but disappointed at the format, and not sure how to properly tag my bookmarks.

IGoogle and revist Google maps

I've tired iGoogle, but now find logging into Google a bit cumbersome, and have deleted some of the gadgits I don't need. I revisited Google Maps and worked out how to see my house. I note that it the image is a bit dated as my SAAB for sale is not on the street, and the neighbours houses have had some work done on them.

Google tools

I have had a look at Google maps, Google documents, Google books and Google scholar. I have been using an application of Google maps bikely for plotting bike routes. It is great! http://www.bikely.com/ I tried getting down to street level at my home, but couldn't get an image. Google book seems limited by copyright. I participated in using an application for google documents. I could see this has potential. From experience it seems students are well utilizing Google scholar. It works quite seamlessly too with our publisher suites to allow for authentication and more potential full text.

So I came home from the doctor's

So having got the news from the doctor of my thoracic crush fracture on T12 I rang my wife via mobile phone from the emergency room. I then pulled myself together, struggled over to the pharmacy to get my pain medication, and then awkwardly drove the short distance home.

On getting home with my wife's assistance we put together the pullout couch in the backroom that overlooks the decking and view, and has a television and we could extend the phone cord into the room. This was going to be my residing place for many hours, days and nights after this event.

I then rang my boss to tell her my news and prognosis. She then went to work to sort out the workplace situation, and went exploring the appropriate contact phone numbers and contacts for our workplace's OHS people and TAC phone numbers.

Fortuitously at the doctor's surgery the x- ray people particularly emphasized to me this is probably going to be a TAC case. Keep a copy of ALL your receipts! Good advice! I did take copies of my bills before heading out in the afternoon to Medicare to see what I could get back from the $200+ I had already forked out that day for doctor's bills and x-rays.

Facebook/Myspace

I've been using Facebook for sometime. It is a good time waster, but can also be of value. I've connected with a couple of people from my past via it which has been good. As a library application, not sure. think it is more for social networking than for more serious applications.

RSS

So I've subscribed to digg, but didn't get that much out of it. I guess if I was more into a particular website or news site RSS might be useful, but it is just another thing to read. And although explored didn't find library sites that I'd really want to subscribe to. However, have been following an Information Literacy blog for some years by Sheila Webber so added that site to my blog.

LibraryThing

So I've had a go at adding some entries from my home library onto librarything. I've found in trying to locate items on Amazon that there is often only the American, and not the Australian published item, but have linked anyway. Also with Amazon, not always easy to find the exact publication date, ISBN, etc. so again compromise rather than chase the items around the world.

My Library http://www.librarything.com/catalog/GraemeO28

So I got to work on time....

So I drove to work, which was a bit awkward in a manual car, and by the time I got to work the back pain was getting a bit more prevalent. I opened up the library, prepared for the day, but then called my boss to say what had happened, but got an answer machine. I also rang another campus to try and get relief as I had no staff till later that day. Fortunately it was possible for someone to come and relieve me, but it would take them around an hour to get to Sunbury.

When they arrived, I left to go to my doctor's surgery. On the way I dropped off the damaged bike at my local bike shop explaining the situation and damage that had been done. When I arrived at my doctor's surgery it was full, and my doctor was on duty, but no available appointment. Initially I waited in the busy waiting room, but by now the pain and nausea was setting in. I told them at the desk what had happened and I was allowed to go to the emergency room to lie down and wait.

Not too long after my GP came in. Did an initial examination, and then sent me around for x-rays, all in the same building fortunately. Did this, but getting undressed for the x-ray was tough. Then back to the emergency room to lie down. On examination of the x-ray my GP announced you have a thoracic crush fracture on T12. This is serious. You will be off work for quite some time. Because of the location of the fracture there is not a lot we can do, but you must lie on your back as much as possible, no lifting of weights more than 5 kg, and I'll prescribe pain medication and write you a certificate for work.

At this the prognosis reality hit me. A bitter pill to swallow that this was going to effect the rest of my life, but there was the reality to be so thankful how this could of been so much more worse!

Posting a picture

A cycling mate sent me this picture before my accident. Even before my accident it still made me wince. It came from a bad incident that happened in America. Once cyclist killed 10 injured.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2008/06/03/1212258801492.html

Week 2/3 tasks

So I had a look at some of the other library blogs and left a few comments. I think the most interesting thing is to try and deduce who is who.

I'm already familiar with Flickr and have loaded some photos before. Here is the
VU_SWT MS Summer Cycle 08 See; http://www.flickr.com/photos/24136857@N04/sets/72157603989271895/

So there I was on the road....

So there I was on the road, fully conscious, and aware that this was not a good place to be. I was aware there was some back pain, but was more aware that there was my bike, and myself on the road.... I had to get off! So I got up, grabbed my bike, and sat on the gutter at the side of the road. The driver, and a witness came to my assistance, both very distraught. It felt like I had to calm them down, more than they were calming me down.

I tried to reassure that things were okay, no need to call an ambulance, and more concentrated on the driver as to why she had not seen me, nor gave way, etc. etc.

We exchanged names and addresses, and I got back on my bike and road home, as didn't think I'd make it to work on time.... and that back pain was persisting.... As I sheepishly road home I was aware that my front wheel had been a bit bent as it wasn't riding properly. I thought I'd better get the bike looked at for damage and repair.

I got home, showered, changed, had a panadol forte, told my wife what had happened, threw my damaged bike in the back of the car and drove to work.

It all started on the 10th of July....

Having riden my bike to the staff meeting at Sunshine campus the day before I was enthusiastic to ride to work as I had the opportunity. It was a bit cold, a bit wet, but I rugged up and set out early as I knew I had to open up Sunbury campus by 8:30, and knew from experience I needed to allow a good hour and a quarter. So off I set with backpack full of workstuff and a change of clothes, reflective vest, and xenon light ablaze.

Only about 2 kilometres from home I approached an intersection I've passed through many times before by bike and by car. Old Calder Hwy and Burrowyre Cresent in Keilor. There was a late model Ford Falcon at the intersection turning right, but waiting for traffic to clear. I had right of way, and I thought the driver had seen me approaching. Then, when I was right in front of the car, it came out of the intersection and I landed on the bonnet of the car. The driver must have realized something was wrong pretty quickly as she stopped, and I slid off the bonnet and went down onto the dark, cold, black hard road surface