2010 Horizon Report is out

The 2010 edition of the Horizon Report is out, looking at the future trends, challenges, technologies to watch (including electronic books).  Produced by the New Media Consortium, a not-for-profit organisation of more than 280 learning-focused organisations dedicated to the exploration and use of new media technologies, this will provide food for thought for all of us.

eReaders article - pros and cons of various brands

http://education2x.otago.ac.nz/cinzs/mod/resource/view.php?id=74  The article appeared in the journal Computers in New Zealand schools, and discusses the writers own impressions of the advantages and disadvantages of various brands of e-readers.  The article provides valuable insight into the sorts of things we need to think about as we begin to delve into this burgeoning technology.

Cynthia from the public library, Bridget from Kings College in Dunedin (Otago SLANZA rep) and I are also in the very beginning stages of investigating a possible PD day to have a hands on look at e-books, e-readers, talk about technical issues, copyright issues and anything else that people express an interest in.  Please feed back to one of us with any thoughts you may have on the topic, and with ideas of segments that would be valuable to you.  It is planned that this PD be cross-sector, and perhaps opened to teachers and other interested parties also, so broad thinking please, but also consider your own specific needs.

See Sally research

We shared this article at our last revalidation meeting - well worth reading and considering where the staff in your library sit on this digital continuum.  http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/neverendingsearch/2010/08/02/see-sally-research-an-environmental-scan/.

A post from Judith Way - follow up and record your Professional Development!

Judith Way recently attended a professional development course with Alan November and in this post, she offers up some of the ways that we can help our patrons check and validate information found on the internet.  There are many links to follow up on, and things that we could try with our students or staff.  Reading the post, following up on the links, and putting into place some activities for staff or students - or amending your existing web training programme - would make a useful addition to BOK 7 (or maybe 2, or 6, depending on your approach). 

If you find something in this that increases your understanding of how the web works, and which you incorporate into your work with staff and students - a reflection on how that has improved or changed your practise, and/or student learning outcomes would be excellent.

Libraries and Trasliteracies reading list

A post today from the Libraries and Transliteracy group led me to an excellent reading list which, at first glance, seems relevant across the spectrum of libraries.  One example from the list is U.S. IMPACT Public Library Study which is described as a "research initiative describing the impact of free access to computers and the internet".  Another article is entitled To Read or Not To Read: A Question of National Consequence.  This link takes the reader to an overview of the report, and provides access to the full document in PDF form.  Most of us should be able to find something of interest here for our journals.

Advice from LIANZA in completing BOK 11

This appeared on the NZLibs listserv today, to support library staff struggling to achieve the professional development requirements of BOK 11 - http://bit.ly/d160zU  The list of readings sits on the LIANZA website, and will be useful to many of you, I hope.

Libraries using Twitter

In doing some research for a SLANZA magazine article I came across this article called Twitter for libraries (and librarians) which offers some how and why information on a range of libraries using Twitter.  Ask a Librarian is an example of Twitter use by librarians in the UK (you will need a twitter account to check that one out).  It immediately strikes me that Twitter would be a very simple way to announce new book arrivals in the Public Library environment, and you could even have separate Twitter accounts for special interest groups...  Food for thought maybe.

Personal opinion here - Twitter has been the best free professional development for me in the last 18 months with respect to Web 2.0 applications.  Twitter has ultimately led me to all of the applications I now use and promote, courtesy of the wonderful people I follow.