Looking Back to Look Forward

Looking back over all that we have covered and accomplished over the last eight weeks, I am amazed, verily astounded even!

So many things that I have just heard about but never tried (like blogging and Delicious) have become an interesting and even integral part of my on-line life now. As time permits, I intend to revisit many of the topics in order to keep them fresh in my mind. As always, the question arises "how can this be applied?". Seeing what's 'out there' certainly will help me think outside the box.

This has been an enjoyable, challenging, and creative community experience. It was fun to peek into other people's blogs to see what they were up to and I found myself constantly amazed at the depth and creativity of my fellow bloggers.

Thanks to everyone who made this experience possible!

YouTube and Podcasts

What a cool addition to our LonelyPlanet library collection of travel books!

I just went on a virtual vacation by watching several LonelyPlanet entries on YouTube. check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laDBokx-K0I&feature=related for a trip to Hawaii. Follow the links on the lower-right hand side and you can (virtually) travel to the Sahara, Amsterdam, Scotland...it's amazing!

One reason I selected Lonely Planet from all of the mega-offerings on Youtube is because it was a name I recognized as being (hopefully) reputable and providing something not too shocking to watch. Call me naive but some YouTube selections just looked, well, questionable to say the least.

For tons of ideas on how other library systems have incorporated podcasts into their programs, check out http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Podcasting. See how other library do everything from podcast tours to computer instruction.

Blog entry

Wow! I used Zoho Writer to create this blog entry. Zoho appears to be very flexible, offering everything from creating documents to project management and website creation. There are several commendable points:

• Documents created in Zoho are accessible anywhere you have access to the Internet. No need to save things to a thumb drive or email. However, as has already been mentioned, docs on the web are still 'out there' in cyber-space so who knows what is really safe or protected.
• Tags - rather than creating folders for storage and wondering which folder is more intuitive for saving item, just tag it with multiple tags and it will in essence appear in both folders 'caused you can search by tags rather than folder names.
• Format - no more worrying about Word versus Word Perfect. At least, that's what the theory is...hard to know without testing.
• Easier than Word to include pics , emoticons , etc

• It's collaborative - it was easy to create this entry and invite my sister via email to share her comments by giving her read/write access.

• Interesting that it has a "Print using PDF" option. Would be nice to have a "Save using PDF" option.

Wiki-World

A wiki is not, repeat NOT a website created by wiccans to disseminate mis-information. Yes, I've actually had a patron ask me that as her child's school librarian had banned the use of Wikipedia for that very reason.

And how many of us out there in library-land still use Wikipedia as a fast and easy source of information when asked by a patron "What's the major export of Brazil?". I confess that my hand is raised, regardless of the training in library school that it is not an authoritative source. What it is, is a quick and easy starting point. Much like using triangulation to map points of reference, information from Wikipedia can be used in conjunction with other, more authoritative sources, some of which are even cited with links at the end of Wikipedia articles.

Beyond Wikipedia, I loved the Library Success Wiki so much that I immediately bookmarked it on Delicious. Interesting to note that Meredith Farkas' name was shown as the contact person for the Library Wiki as we had all read her article last week for our assignment on Library 2.0.

Not all wiki's need to be considered un-authoritative. It depends upon who can contribute to the wiki. The SJCPL Subject Guide wiki is created by librarians to give the users locally focused information. As a user, I would trust this source.

Several of the wikis that I visited for the assignment had the branded wiki image similar to Wikipedia - lots of white space, pale grey background, and similar arrangment of elements. This interface continuity creates a comfort zone for users who already are familiar with the 'look and feel' of Wikipedia. It was interesting to note that the mfagan wiki broke from this image.

Bottom line: wikis are popular, familiar, and easy to use. Their collaborative nature makes them a great tool for the workplace. But, as a source of information, always check who can contribute to the content.

Hey - let's create a Wiki-WorkFlows manual for our library staff! We could incorprate searches, help, FAQ's, and recent changes. We could also add trouble-shooting tips for our new staff and public PCs. Yes, it is possible to create user-restricted wikis that require logins.

But is it what they want?

Kudos to Meredith Farkas for pointing out that what we provide for our patrons, no matter how well-intentioned, may not be what they want. University library patrons are not the same as public library patrons; rural library patrons are not the same as urban library patrons. Many times I have had patrons come into my branch and just ask to be shown how to use email or do a simple search on the Internet. Other patrons, especially teens, live on MySpace, MSN Chat, etc. How many libraries have created blogs that no one uses?

Granted, our demographics are changing and we need to be constantly scanning the horizon for how best to accommodate those changes. Which brings us to another point: Meredith wrote extensively about assessment. I would add to that we need to: ASSESS what our patrons really want, ASSESS if what we’re planning to offer will address that need or a perceived future need, and finally, ASSESS how well did we perform in meeting that need. One of the needs I’ve seen with our rural patrons is to have access to technology that they feel comfortable with and understand. That would explain why books on CDs are still more popular than Download Library.

Michael Stephens, “Into a New world of Librarianship”, notes that Librarians 2.0 plan for their users, while controlling technolust. I also like his observation that Librarians 2.0 watch for the impact of technology AND recognize the need for honest, human conversations. Of course, librarians themselves are also consumers of Library 2.0, not just purveyors. Chip Nilges and John Riemer point out the exciting aspects of metadata and the collective intelligence of tagging that should have most librarians panting with excitement.

Library 2.0, for me, is a tool. True, it is a new (for now) and exciting tool, but it is still simply just that: a tool. If I am interested in connecting and collaborating with other groups and people, then it becomes a social tool. If I am interested in a quick, seamless gathering of data (RSS feeds, etc) then it becomes a strategy. If I am interested in the efficient storage and retrieval of data (Delicious, LibraryThing, Flickr), then it is an organizational tool.

But, at the end of the day, I really don’t care what it’s called so long as it makes my life easier. And, I'm guessing that perspective is the same whether we are the librarian or the patron.

Delicious and Technorati

Sound of funeral dirge in the background....my home computer died this week. The ol' hard drive just stopped working. Which brings us to the topic of Delicious. I wish I had created those bookmarks BEFORE my old system went to the great dustbin in the sky. With all the upgrades at work, it also makes sense to save bookmarks to a 'non-local' source such as Delicious in case you are working in another branch or your staff PC is re-imaged.

Tagging makes information storage and retrieval more meaningful. It was interesting to note, of the bookmarks I added, how many other people had added them as well. Creates more opportunities of communication between people of like interests.

Technorati was interesting but a little overwhelming. After reading through several of the most popular blogs, subject-related blogs, etc. I found it important to remind myself that these were created by people expressing their opinions. They are not meant to be taken as authoritative. As a librarian, this reminds me once again about how important our job is in assisting our patrons to find good quality, authoritative information on subjects - not just someone's opinion expressed in their blog.

Library Thing and Facebook

Library Thing is fabulous! It's like a virtual world-wide reader's advisory resource. Cataloguing the initial five books was just a beginning. A wealth of information yet so easy to use.

Interesting question about Facebook and organizations. Facebook can be an invaluable resource, especially for non-profit organizations. A good example is how the Humane Society uses Facebook and MySpace as a forum to express opnions and create grass-roots level advocacy.

But, that's not to say everyone should jump into it. If your target audience doesn't use social networking tools, then Facebook may not be for you. One of the biggest drawbacks to Facebook for organizations is the potential loss of control over their image - with open access, you can't control the conext in which your organization may show up.

And, for all you subversive dissents out there - here's an interesting link to Egyptian youth and Facebook. http://www.digiactive.org/2008/06/03/pros-cons-egypt-activists-rely-on-facebook-what-if-its-blocked/

For me, the biggest personal drawback to being on Facebook (I just joined last week) is the amount of email it generates as people want to sign on as friends. Who are these people? I don't even recognize most of them! Although, I did hear from two old high school boyfriends. Hmmm..