Tagging

I enjoyed searching through tags on Flickr and LibraryThing.com. I thought the tagging made it fun to browse and see what you stumbled upon. Sometimes I would end up in a completely different place than I started. Sometimes it was difficult to make the searches as precise as I wanted. I had never used LibraryThing.com. This is a really cool site. I'm going to keep adding to my library. I really enjoyed seeing what other folks were reading. This site is a neat way to get new reading suggestions.

I do see tagging as a wonderful tool for web users. It's so easy to use. Tagging allows so many possibilities for accessing information. However, since tags are created by individuals, terminology is very subjective While a little haphazard, it is in line with the interconnective appeal of the internet.

I see myself continuing to use tagging as a web user. Browsing for web information through others' tags can sometimes lead to helpful or interesting information.

Maybe tagging would allow RCPL the opportunity to track how users actually use library materials. Allow users to see what other users are up to?

Social Software

So, who decided that the Hennepin County Library was an 87 year old woman?

I do think that social software such as MySpace can be an effective way to reach a certain audience. Although, you never really know for certain who you're actually reaching. As with many internet applications, this type of software causes concerns about safety and privacy. It would be important to educate users about keeping certain types of information private. I realize that MySpace does offer certain privacy protections...allowing only approved users to view one's site, etc...

Realistically, I believe this is an excellent way to reach the young adult community. Just looking at the friends of Hennepin, this is what young adults and teenagers are doing with large parts of their time. Social software could be a great way to reach this hard to reach audience/population. Although, by the time that a lot of organizations start to catch on and utilize social networking sites to reach teens, it is likely that the 'scene' will have evolved and MySpace may well be uncool. I did notice that some libraries have set up sites geared toward teen audiences (PLCM-"library loft").

Flickr & youtube

I've been using Flickr for a while. I have a lot of out of town friends that use Flickr as a way to share pictures. It really is a great way to share...assuming those with whom you want to share will also be online. It's nice to not have to deal with large email attachments/downloads. Flickr offers easy ways to organize and manage pictures. I did a little searching around and found other pictures of performing groups of interest, etc... I did upload a photo. I have not yet utilized Flickr for sharing my own pictures. I am frequently reluctant to share personal photos online. However, it is possible to keep your pictures on Flickr private. I think the library could use Flickr for sharing pictures of some of the great programs offered. Also featuring photos of our great space/building might attract some community members that have never visited the library.

When using youtube in the past, I would always just click on a link that was emailed by a friend. There a lot of crazy stuff out there. I even found a clip of a channel 25 broadcast about a friend that recently appeared on Wheel of Fortune. I was excited to find that. When viewing several of the videos, they would skip frequently. I realize this is probably due to file size. I'm sure that this will get better with time...allowing quicker downloads of larger video files. With permission from those participating, it would be neat to video certain programs...the library may even want to create their own video appealing to a certain audience (e.g. TEENS!).

Wikis

I have to admit...I am a fan of the general idea of wikis; however, I realize they can be somewhat of a double-edged sword. I find the collaborative nature of these newer technologies to be fascinating. I think organizations, such as libraries, can benefit from wikis. Wikis allow the user to benefit from the expertise of many. On the other hand, it is so easy to contribute and edit (as long as no restrictions are in place). This ease of manipulating content can sometimes compromise authority and reliability. In certain contexts, wikis can be a wonderful resource. At a former place of employment, committee members formed a wiki especially for the purpose of editing their committee document/proposal. I thought this was a very effective method of communication. In the future, I see myself continuing to use wikis while searching for ideas, looking for certain types of infromation... Ithink the library could benefit from using wikis for specific projects...allowing employees to work together.

RSS Feeds

I have been using Bloglines for the past several months. Prior to using bloglines, I would save sites to my favorites, email links to myself.... I was always forgetting to go to certain sites. By using the RSS aggregator (Bloglines) I am able to do more 'one stop shopping.' I started by subscribing to several news, entertainment, and professional feeds. I even subscribe to a pop-culture feed. One of my favorite sites to check is Wired News. In addition to using Bloglines, I also use gmail's customizable web page (even better since I use their email service). I find this service useful for checking daily info (e.g. weather, email, stock ticker). I have since stumbled on new feeds. It is so easy to add to my list. I would never manage keeping up with all this information otherwise.

I recently read an article in Computers in Libraries (vol. 26, no. 9; Oct. 2006) that described the process used by librarians at the College of New Jersey for providing RSS feeds of new books into the course management system for the school. These librarians used RSS feeds to show recent subject specific book acquisitions. The feeds were linked directly with the library's catalog (Voyager). While RCPL won't be dealing with course management software as an academic library would, our users could easily stay connected with new library arrivals, etc... Rather than having to check the library's website and click through at least once to receive information on new arrivals, wouldn't it be wonderful if we could provide this information to be sent directly to their homepage (or an aggregator)? Providing information on happenings at RCPL could be so easily transmitted.

Benefits of Blogs

As I close out my first day of work as a new librarian with 1431@RCPL, I am excited about the possibilities of blogs both personally and professionally. I have been using blogs to stay up to date on personal interests from baking to professional happenings to music and movies. I have friends that love to use these newer technologies for vehement political rants. The interactive nature of blogs allows for both the creator and the user to benefit from each other's unique ideas, perspectives and expiences. There are so many possibilities: publicity for new arrivals, book discussions, movie & music reviews, featuring healpful websites, highlighting past and upcoming programs and services, ... The library could use blogging as a vehicle for learning more about our community of users; the ease of creation of blogs would allow the library to quickly communicate new services and resources offered to our patrons.