Children's Book Week 2007

I was searching on the internet for some information on some of the cbc shortlisted books. I was trying to get some ideas for older children coming to the library, I wanted to engage them rather than have them thinking "how uncool it is to be dragged to the library".
On this site , http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/fiction/bookweek/
I stumbled across this fun puzzle, so thought I would put it here on my blog...enjoy!!

#23 Is this really the end? Or just the beginning (and yes I have finished the quilt!!!!)

I have done it, reached #23. I can remember when we were first told about the 23 things and library 2.0 I was quite excited, nothing like a new challenge but also thinking where will I find the time. But as I got into the program I made time as I wanted to explore all the new things. So many of the exercises I want to revisit, and delve into further. For instance LibraryThing and the online image generators were such fun and I barely scraped the surface.

I was lucky enough to go to a training day in Melbourne where the developer of this program Helene Blower's spoke, what an inspiring lady. She is so passionate about Learning 2.0 and libraries that you can't help being excited too. I guess what she had to say made the whole experience relevant to the libraries and how exciting if not different libraries can and will be.

THE QUILT

See picture, it is finished. The quilt is even down the sides just the little helper holding one side is not holding it up as well as they should (Aaron is that you?)It is 6 rings by 6 rings. Obviously setting myself a deadline worked! I will contact a professional quilter early next week and arrange for the quilting to be done. So what a day finish a quilt and Learning 2.0. I feel quite pleased with myself.

Tomorrow another chapter begins.....

This wont be my last post even though I have finished the exercise, I will post a picture of the quilted quilt and from time to time add posts that I feel might be of some interest. I have thoroughly enjoyed "blogging" and believe it is just the beginning of a long journey!

#22 Audiobooks (or "The end is in sight ")

Well you get this far and then a major trip! Why can't I open an account and download a book with NetLibrary? I would have thought with all this gained knowledge that a simple matter of opening account would not be a problem, but apparently it is. I don't know the answer but I am not too sad really.
As I said in my last post I have a MP3 player and use it everyday when I go walking. I walk for at least 1/2 an hour everyday, except Mondays when I work a long day, this gives me the opportunity to listen to books that I haven't had the chance to read. For instance not long ago I listened to Kate Grenville's, "The secret river'. I must look funny sometimes because I can be walking along and start to laugh or make an audible groan when something happens in a book. My children would argue here that the odd laugh or groan is preferable to me listening to music and walking along singing.
I also listen to audio books in the car and recently a borrower in the library mentioned she listens to audio books while she sews. Great idea, an idea I put into practice just the other day. I really love audio books they let you "read with your ears" so you can do other things as well. Fantastic!!!!

#21 podcasts, smodcasts, anycasts??

This exercise is looking at various sites where you can download and listen to podcasts. I have all ready found sites that allow you to do this prior to starting this exercise- I searched the net when I got a MP3 player. One of my favorit eplaces to download podcasts from is the ABC radio site, you can download selected parts of radio shows - do you know how much good stuff gets played on radio in the middle of the night? Or during the day when we are at work?

Of the three sites suggested in the exercise I found http://podcasts.yahoo.com/ to be the most user friendly. It was quite clear how to find podcasts, topics etc and there is quite a variety of topics to chose from. However if you browse around the Internet there are so many sites that offer podcasts, it almost is a case of do a search for something you like and lo and behold a podcast is on offer.

#20 You Tube....

You tube seems to be in the news so often these days that it is almost a household name. One of my friends sons has uploaded various videos he has taken. I think it is a thing that the younger people do, that makes me sound old doesn't it? Some of the news items about it are negative but I think with proper care and when needed parental guidance You Tube can be a great tool and even give a person a sense of self achievement by seeing their videos on a public forum.
Anyway I have included a link to a particular video clip that was brought to my attention through a patchwork group I belong to. It is rather special, almost goose bump stuff.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA By the way it has nothing to do with patchwork........


There are other video clips of the same fellow on you tube I haven't actually looked at them, always thinking of download limit! But I believe they are equally as good.

Now it is off to my sewing machine!!!!! The relevance of the sea gulls ..none whatsoever!

#19 web 2.0 awards list

I thought the best way to show that I have had a look at the web 2.0 awards list was to show something that I have made with the help of a site on the list. The site I explored and had fun with was http://swicki.eurekster.com/. I created a unique search engine (I think!) and will add the link here.

check out the quilter swicki at eurekster.com

As you can see I am nearing the end of the 23 things. I am also nearing the end of my Double Wedding Ring Quilt. Yes you did read that, I am making a concerted effort to finish both the quilt and the 23 things by next Monday...today is Tuesday. Why? Well on Monday I am starting a correspondence university course and think all my extra time and brain power may be struggling in coming to terms being a student again!!! Wish me luck. I am really looking forward to it, but when I received my first subject text books toady I did wonder what I have got myself into.

# 18 Zoho writer & Google Docs...hmmmmm

Wow! When I read that online application tools such as this could be the end of the Microsoft Office packages my immediate response was No Way! But hey they could be, why spend hundreds of $ on something when it is here to access free? You even get cute little emotion thingies.... So what is Zoho Writer, it simply is an online word processor, letting you do all the things a word processing package would but free. Who says nothing in the world is free?

Google Docs, seem to be spread sheet applications....hey there is so much on the net, just there waiting to be discovered! Get through all the junk and there are pretty cool things. Imagine not needing to load software to be able to use your computer to do the basics we do so regularly now. The sky is the limit.

MY SEWING still progresses, and yes progress is the word. I have completely finished half the quilt. I have also been making things such as a Christmas Stocking ( how prepared is that?) and toady I sewed 24 1/2 square triangles using a method I found on line. Half square triangles are a square made up of two different triangles of fabric. They can be fiddly to make but at http://www.blockcentral.com/ I found a brilliant method using paper and sewing a long dotted lines. It made 24 perfect ones, very exciting for a quilter who likes to find the easy methods!

*see photo above , 1 of the 24 half square triangles

http://www.blockcentral.com/hst/hst-1inch.pdf is the instructions,m habve aread and see how super easy!

Wiki's ...#16 #17

Haven't posted for a while. So thought I would have a look today at Wiki's. To me they seem like a bit of fun but not to be taken too seriously. How do you sort fact from fiction? I don't think you can...so just enjoy them.
For fun check out the wiki here
http://bullrunlibrary.pbwiki.com/
and you can find out the number 1 song on the day you were born.

"The first ever wiki site was created for the Portland Pattern Repository in 1995. That site now hosts tens of thousands of pages.


http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?WelcomeVisitors
http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?WikiHistory
http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?WikiDesignPrinciples "

Taken from "http://wiki.org/wiki.cgi?WhatIsWiki"

So I guess you are asking what is a wiki. It is a web site that people can add too, hence my feelings about fact and fiction. There are lots of wikis to explore just google wiki and you get 13,800,000 hits. When you have a spare moment or two check out a few they are a great time waster.

One of the exercises set down for #17 was to explore PBWiki , this is a wiki that is like a "wiki playground" in that you can input onto the wiki. This wiki is all about favorites, ie favorite blogs, books etc. I have added my blog into the list and see some familiar blogs there too. It is interesting to have a list of peoples favorites, maybe a little voyeristic? No simply, being a sticky beak!!

#15 On Library 2.0 & Web 2.0 ...

Wow! What an age we live in. I remember when I first started my course at Prahran TAFE the most technological thing we had to learn was the typewriter! Hasn't the world changed in the last 20 + years?
I remember going to Frankston Libray with my mother before I went to school, at the time the library was virtually divided down the centre one side was for the adults and the other side was for the children. If I had chosen my books before my mother came to me I had to just wait. It was just not done to go into the "adult" side. The other thing was the library had books...full stop. Naturally they used a card system too. Now you walk into a library adult and children's collections can be mingled, there are computers, talking books, CD Roms, videos, DVDs all these were not heard of not so many years ago. Libraries progress and staff have to too. It is that simple.
After progressing through 15 of the 23 things in Web 2.0 I have learnt so much and have to wonder what will happen in the future. Of course there will be changes in libraries but there will also be constants. Can you imagine snuggling up in bed with your PC? Nothing like a book to escape with. However the thirst for immediate knowledge is gaining momentum. People have mastered the art of Internet and realise that knowledge is only a "click" away, although some of that instant knowledge can be a little dubious. Due to the Internet people expect instant answers and therefore don't want a book the size of "War and Peace" to read through to find the snippet of detail that they are after. We in the library service must try to keep up with the advances in technology and be prepared to use what is available. If we as information deliverers aren't delivering it means we are failing ourselves and our customers / clients.
I think the biggest thing I have learnt doing this Web 2.0 course so far is just have a go. What is the worst that can happen? The more we learn and can see uses for the better people we become, both personally and professionally! Lets learn and pass on knowledge, it is a natural evolution.

#14 Technorati

Technorati Profile

I have just "claimed" my blog. I think that means if people do a search on the technorati site and happen to use a search term that I have used as a tag they may be lead to my blog. That reads like a bunch of gobbledygook doesn't it?
I am enjoying this "blogging" however does anyone read it???? The delicious site, the one with the full stops in strange places, was a bit of fun. It is interesting to see how many people use the same sites that you do. I really love www.taste.com.au, it is a great alternative to buying the magazines! I was actually lucky enough on the site to win a competition. I won a snazzy food processor just by answering a question. So now you can say you know someone who has won an Internet competition.

My Sewing
Well I had a bit of a run on today and actually did some of the quilt, I have intentions of getting to it again tomorrow so wish me luck!

As you see on my delicious posting I have mentioned EQ5. This is a software package allowing you to design quilts. I have been wanting to buy it for a while and have finally got it. (There is now EQ6) I have been playing around a bit with the software it, it has so many features that I have only experimented with a couple. I have ben designing a border for a mini round robin that I am in. The program allows you to colour in the pieces of a patchwork block and if you enter the size you want it will tell you exactly how much fabric is needed. I am having problems with the printing out stage, it seems to want me to print the entire quilt when all I want is the border. It is probably just a matter of re reading the instructions.

So what is a round robin you ask?
A round robin quilt for those who may not have heard of them is a quilt that is made by a group of quilters, a variation of doing friendship blocks. To start, everyone makes a block for the center. There can be all kinds of rules for size, color , theme, etc. The blocks are passed to someone else in the group. They add the first border. Then the next quilter adds the second. And so on, the organisers of a round robin usually use a "recipe" ie first round must contain triangles, second must contain applique etc etc.
I have been in 2 round robins where the centre block has been around 12 inch square, the mini one I am in is 3 inch square so this adds a further challenge. It is a fun way to do something a bit different.

Photos added....2 completed round robins and the mini centre (the purplish one)

#13 ....Del.icio.us

Number 12... Rollyo

I browsed this site and thought it was okay. I wasn't terribly excited and decided I really didn't need to sign up for it. Just another "gadget". Basically it lets you search sites you regularly visit from one spot. I use the "favorites" icon on my browser and think for my needs that is enough. The site by the way is www.rollyo.com

My sewing, well it is progressing slo.o.o.w.l.y. Isn't it amazing how you can always find something better to do when you really know you shouldn't. This weekend I have to make a start on sewing up some calico library bags. They are for children to decorate during in the July school holiday program. So once again the quilt, the dreaded quilt is going on the back burner. Any excuse will do!

Library Thing

Number 11 LIBRARY THING *** Today I had a look around librarything.com this site lets you catalogue books. It also has reviews, groups and gives you a chance to review books too. I catalogued 5 books today and they should appear on this post. There is another feature that looks like a bit of fun, it is a "suggester". For the books you have catalogued it will suggest books you might like as well, it also suggests books you probably wont like. I think this will be a site to add to my favorites - for all those "spare" moments!

On Line Image Generators

http://www.imagechef.com/ic/poem/ This is the link to the site which enabled me to make this flower. If you can read the quote you might recognise that it comes from "Alice in Wonderland".


There are a few different web sites to generate images, worth a play around.


SEWING
On a quilty note, I did some sewing over the last few days. Remember the bag I was making ... I have posted a photo for you. I used some fabric from a range that I wasn't all that excited about but when they were all put together it looked really great, hope the recipient liked it!


The dreaded Double Wedding Ring, I got to it too. When you are doing patchwork the seams generally are 1/4 of an inch. This is because patchwork has it's origins in the USA which uses the imperial system. To help patchworkers most sewing machine companies sell 1/4 inch preeser feet. These are the little feet like things that hold the fabric down. In total I have about 6 different feet, for zippers, butttons, embroidery etc. Well I was busy sewing along and kept thinking something is not quite right, you guessed it...the 1/4 inch foot I was using was the zipper foot. So now my seams are too big, as a resdult the the sewing is now sitting next to my table saying unpick me. I HATE unpicking!!!!!! I suppose that is why I got onto the computer. Nothing like procrastination.
Anyway I have made a decision...........I vow to have the quilt finished by the time I finish the 23 things learning blog!! Now I have set that in print I have to, don't I?

RSS FEEDS plus page elements

Well I made a blogline account and subscribed to a couple of feeds. I particulary liked the weather one, always had a bit of a fascination with weather. My home page on my computer at home is http://mirror.bom.gov.au/products/IDR023.shtml I like to see what is going on. When I was at school I did geography and we briefly touched on cloud shapes I wonder why we didn't do more weather stuff? After 5 years of learning about rice paddies I had had enough of geography so perhaps weather was taught in form 6 (year 12 to all you youngies out there.)

Whilst I have been playing around with bloglines I have been procrastinating and fiddling with a few other things, I added a page element with a link to my web page that I set up whilst at Box Hill TAFE. The link for some reason is right at the bottom of my blog.
I also read some of the blogs by other people in the library. Wow they are really good, I posted some comments on them, it seems a lot of travel is done by library people. It must be my turn soon.

Well I guess we did go away at Easter. Warrnambool, although not exotic is certainly a great place for a holiday. We did a lot of walking, we saw a light and laser show, played some tennis and just relaxed. The light and laser show was really interesting, it was all about the Lochard. A boat that sank in the area killing all but 2 people about 150 years ago. One of the survivors Tom Pearce actually survived three shipwrecks before dying in an accident on land. Can you imagine getting into a ship after one sinking? I wouldn't, let alone after 2 then 3.

OKAY I GIVE UP!

Help! RSS feeds... I have fiddled and fiddled and nothing is happening....well not in my brain anyway and certainly not on the computer. Maybe the computer is broken. Yes that is it. It couldn't be me, could it?

I think I will bury my self in bed, just like the picture and it will all go away ----

things always look better in the morning!

Technology & Me (week 3)

Six months ago I didn't even know what a blog is and now I have one! I really only made it because I had to for work but it is fun. Members of my family want me to show them how to make one, that is funny! To top this off I even bought a MP3 player today, I must be learning something.

I have been exploring Flickr a bit more and made a "stamp", which was pretty easy. I decided to load a picture from a Queensland holiday we had, don't you just love the steps? Sorry I can't remember where they are.
I will stop here and make a "trading card" which I will add to this post. I think I will add another holiday photo, .... a few days later - well there it is my first trading card. Wouldn't you just love to be sitting there enjoying that view? I know I would.

Learning About Flickr

Today I have been browsing through a web site called Flickr, this site is a photograph hosting site. It looks like it might be a very useful tool. The photographs can then be accessed by your family and friends. Of course in my opinion there is nothing like good old photo albums, but this could be the next best thing.

On a more quilty note, I am still working on the Double Wedding Ring Quilt, I guess I am about 1/4 of the way. However this weekend I will be making a patchwork bag. This bag I will send onto a person in my online pacthwork group as an Easter Swap, I will in return get one done by someone. It is called A secret sister swap because it is a secret! The group I belong to is an Australian-based, vibrant, easy-going group of quilters with members from all around the world. It is a really active group and we discuss everything from patchwork to warts, to goats and all else between.

18th March........

Well after some fiddling I have done it, I have registered with Flickr, and posted 5 quilty photos, the link is http://www.flickr.com/photos/booksareus/ have a look and let me know what you think.

Helen's Blog

Hello

This is my first attempt at a blog! I will tell you a little about my hobby. I have been patch working for 20 + years, the hardest part of this hobby is to find the time. I started by doing a sampler class in Western Australia when we moved there. It was initially a way to meet people in the area, however from that class on I was hooked. At the moment I am working on a Double wedding Ring quilt, it is rather slow going as I am not used to sewing curved seams. I hope to have it finished in the next few months. Generally I hand or machine quilt my work but I have decided to get this professionally quilted as there is a lot of white space.

The picture I have added is not my quilt but similar to the Double Wedding Ring I am working on!