wikis

Here is another technology that feels a little daunting at first glance, but I have confidence from my previous experiences with the web 2.0 applications that this one will prove doable as well. After looking at the links to the sample wikis I was surprised to see such a variety of interfaces to work with. Initially those differences confused me when trying to get a grasp on how to access the information in the wiki. However, as I explored the possibilities I found lots of great uses for wikis. Some of my favorites are:

• conference resources--the Chicago ALA wiki was a great tool for informing newcomers about community info as well as conference info
• research guides--of course Chad's Bizwiki is a gem
• wikis in academic courses--this seems a useful way to communicate course information with a class. This example from a course at Eckard was interesting.
• collaborative documents or projects--I liked the example of planning a camping trip in one of the tutorials where various people add and sort information needed for the trip. "Library Success: a best practices wiki" appeared to gather a goldmine of information for librarians from multiple types of libraries.

Next I will be experimenting with our wiki "sandbox". I'll let you know how it goes.

del.icio.us and technorati

del.icio.us was easy and fun for me to set up an account and use. I particularly like having the button in my browser toolbar that lets me set up a link from the page that I am currently viewing. So far I haven't done much exploring with the tag searches, but I can see where it would be useful to find links to other sites that people are using for a specific topic.

Technorati was a little more confusing at first and then once I started exploring it it seemed a little scary when my blog posts started showing up in a list from a search. It makes me question the issue of private vs. public when I am expressing my opinions. Who do I want reading my thoughts? On the other hand, how easy is it to post all kinds of bizarre opinions and still remain anonymous? Still I can see the benefits for librarians who want a quick way to connect with each other and share their sources and innovative ideas on bringing services to their patrons.

Stretching my perspective

I tried a sample of the recommended readings from step #15 On Library 2.0 & Web 2.0... So far I have read the article from OCLC Next Space newsletter called, "Web 2.0: where will the next generation web take libraries".

Here are a few thoughts that stood out to me:

• user centered libraries--base all plans and services on user needs and wants
• principle that "Library is human" makes the library a social and emotionally engaging center for learning and experience (Michael Stephens)
• "Icebergs" to look out for and avoid: 1. creating the "just in case" collection; 2. reliance on user education (instead we should make our tools more user friendly); 3. holding on to the "come to us" model of library service (Rick Anderson)
• libraries are communities, they preserve and promote community memories (Wendy Schultz)

I am just beginning to get a grasp of the shift in society and technology and how it is impacting the image and function of libraries. I don't see myself ever spending hours in Second Life, but I am glad some librarians are looking for ways to reach patrons through that "community". My personal vision of libraries focuses more on enhancing library as a physical place that mixes technology with the human element. The following quote seems to fit the new model for libraries.

"With Library 3D, we have strayed far into virtual reality in the flight from bricks and mortar into software. Yet many businesses are demonstrating that storefronts can still draw customers, if they offer a compelling experience: a clearly defined environment that is authentic (true and good); humane (emotional, irrational); experiential (designed, theatrical); impassioned; relevant (understandable, timely); and participatory (open, lived, shared).4" (Wendy Schultz, Andrew Zolli closing comments at a Sun Brand Summit)

This Learning 2.0 project is definitely stretching my view of libraries. In case you want to look at some fun examples of libraries using web 2.0 applications I would recommend the PowerPoint presentation by Helene Blowers (originator of the 23 Steps program). Here is the link for her blog, "LibraryBytes", if you want to follow her connections to technology and libraries. The presentation is linked under the post called, "Tutzing, Berlin & Frankfurt Presentations" on July 6, 2007.

Rollyo

This is one application that I am not ready to tackle for creating my own lists, but I did find a couple of links that might be useful.
cooking
reference
guitar tablature (for my son--I will wait to get feedback from him or another library blogger who is more into playing music than I am)
It was interesting to see a few celebrities listed in this site and their choice of preferred websites.

Maybe a school librarian could use this on her webpage to give students a quick location to search for answers to historic or scientific homework questions. This way they will automatically search from reputable sites rather than a generic Google search.

Looking at LibraryThing

I can see why the Learning 2.0 leaders said this was a week for "play". I am really enjoying exploring the new applications this week. I have only scratched the surface of LibraryThing, but I can see that it would have some great potential for sharing new book titles. One of my favorite features (as mentioned by another user) is the automatic link to pictures of the book covers--much more appealing than a written list of titles.

Moving right along

Somehow I missed the connection to the site FD Toys when I first looked at Flickr. The choices for playing with images look like things I will enjoy experimenting with as I upload more pictures to Flickr.

Here is my first attempt with a trading card for CIC.

I looked at The Generator (blog), also. The list of options is literally mind boggling. And to think that I thought there were too many choices in the grocery store! Here is a picture that made me smile.

CU Community Photo Galleries

CU Community Photo Galleries

This site has photos from events in our area. I found a group of pictures from my grandson's swimming lessons! The site lets me link directly to my blog.

My grandson, GABRIEL, had lots of fun on the slide at the pool.

#9 - RSS musings

Initially I felt quite overwhelmed with the concept of RSS and newsreaders. I thought, "I don't want to follow multiple news sources. Why would I need to know how to use this technology?" But for the sake of the "23 Steps" I determined to forge ahead.

Imagine my relief when the first two tutorials made the basics of RSS quite clear. Next I went through the steps in bloglines and set up my own account complete with several feeds. So far so good. They actually work!

Moving on to examine the bloglines search tools became more of a challenge. I think I will seek out some advice from colleagues before I spend more time exploring these sites.

The search tools seemed time-consuming for locating RSS feeds. At this point I prefer to add feeds to sites that I already know about or to sites recommended by co-workers or to sites recommended in articles that I read.

Here are a few of the sites that I linked to through bloglines:
Library Bytes by Helene Blowers (primary developer of our Library 2.0 program)
Shifted Librarian - cutting edge articles on technology and the future of libraries
BBC - if I must read news this one seems more global in coverage
The Simple Dollar - a "fun" blog about money wisdom and unexpected tangents like "10 Books that changed my life"