Library Thing

I like Library Thing! This is a really neat way to not only catalog and tag items that are part of your personal favorites, but to see other readers who are interested in the same types of items and how they have chosen to represent them in their own catalogs. This tool is similar in many ways to Shelfari, which I also subscribe to and am a big fan of, and it even seems to have some functionality associated with it that is not found in Shelfari. I am only just beginning to tap into the possibilities that Library Thing offers, but it seems that there are many ways that we might take advantage of it here in Libraryland. The Library Thing for Libraries feature, for example, would seem to be a great way to encourage customers to tag items in our catalog with their own info. The tag clouds that are generated from such input could potentially entice readers to try things that they might not if they are only looking at the cataloging that we generate. I plan to update this post once I have had a chance to play a bit more with the LT features, but till then I will just say that I am excited about this tool and am looking forward to using it more in the future.

Podcasting

Podcasts are a great way to stay up to date with my favorite radio content. I am an ardent supporter and fan of public radio, and their podcasts allow me to easily keep up with the news and programs I may have missed while at work. I also use the podcasts provided by the University of Tennessee for my online info science classes. This tool is a convenient way to review past lectures and stay on top of my coursework.

I have not tried creating my own podcast yet, mostly because I don't have a mic on this computer, but I plan to give it a go on my home computer! I have really enjoyed the podcasts Cindy has used in this series of exercises and I think that they can really add to the richness and depth of an online educational experience.

Online Social Networking and Libraries

You may notice that I am not specifically referring to MySpace in the title of this post. This is largely a reflection of my opposition to so many of the things that the owner of MySpace (Rupert Murdoch) stands for, and you couldn't make me like him or it in a thousand years... having said that, I'll write the rest of this with an eye to the concept of online social networking in general, rather than focusing on specific sites.

Like many of those whose articles are featured in this discovery exercise, I think that online social networking is a very interesting and intriguing development, and one that holds much potential for librarians and libraries. The idea of libraries connecting with these established and growing online communities is especially interesting since it represents new ways of thinking about promotion of our programs and services. The ability to connect with large numbers of users at once presents us with a wealth of new opportunities to market to these communities and to help them to better understand what the library can be and do for them. OSN also presents us with a unique channel for receiving feedback from customers and potential customers about the quality of our current services, and new ways to connect those customers to our services as well.

Of course, there are some concerns that OSN use raises, and these are not to be taken lightly. However, institutional use of these networks does not expose us to the same types of risks that individual users face, and even presents us with some opportunities that are not available to individual users as well. Overall, I think that many libraries could benefit from establishing an online presence in these communities as long as they are willing and able to keep up with the added work and responsibility that may accompany that presence. I am excited that we, as a system, are actively engaged in exploring these communities and thinking about how we might use them to our benefit.

Wikiworld

Wikis, in my humble opinion, are cool as all get out... I love that you can so easily create and maintain a web space that can be used collaboratively with others. The possibilities for their usefulness are wide and really only limited by our own imaginations, especially in the library setting. Obviously the examples shown in this exercise provide a good cross sampling of some of these many uses, and highlight the ways in which wikis can be used as collaborative tools to enhance productivity and enrich library services. I particularly like the Princeton RA wiki and the Library Success wiki because they are wonderful examples of this collaborative spirit at work.

In the Library Success wiki, we as librarians find both a portal for exploring what others in the profession find works well for them, and a forum for contributing to that discussion as well. Similarly, the Princeton RA wiki provides a space for that community to share their reading suggestions and to link to library materials and services in unique ways. Both wikis require passwords to edit content as well, so there is a fair degree of control over the content that is included on their site. I am excited that we have begun to use wikis for our system, even if they are still kind of unofficial from what I understand, and look forward to reaping the rewards of the collaborative interaction that they offer.

I'm into IM

Before I began my graduate studies, I was ambivalent about IM and its uses. Since then, I have come to appreciate the spontaneity that IM affords users, allowing them to communicate thoughts and ideas in a much more interactive manner than is possible with email. I have had many opportunities to text chat and IM with classmates and friends who are hundreds of miles away, and I have to say that this technology has made cooperative, synchronous learning not only possible but exciting as well. The ability for several participants to bounce ideas off one another in real time can greatly enhance cohesiveness and productivity. On the other hand, because the technology is so ubiquitous, it can sometimes be a distraction to accomplishing other work. Like all technology, it is definitely important to balance your immersion in IM with other work, and means of socialization. Done correctly, IM is one of the most productive ways to communicate thoughts and ideas quickly and collaboratively. It is exciting to think of ways in which libraries can begin to more fully utilize that potential in our everyday work.