Thoughts about The 13 Things

This has been a great learning experience for me. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the web 2.0 tools are to use. I'm one of the dinosaurs who is used to having to write HTML code in order to use the web. I think the tool I'm going to like best for personal use is Flickr. I'm terrible about printing out photos, so maybe I'll be better at sharing them on the web! For library use, I'll try to incorporate RSS feeds and maybe blogging or some of the productivity tools.

The class format was very good. Taking one tool a week was about all I could handle with my busy schedule. I'd say the only problem was keeping up week after week. I did get pretty far behind from time to time. Maybe it would be good to have some kind of class that could be broken up into smaller chunks or modules.

Library 2.0

The words that come to my mind regarding Library 2.0 are: feedback, input, and conversation. Unlike the stereotypical version of a library, libraries using the new social networking technologies allow their users to become major players in the content and presentation of the web-based virtual library. This occurs because the users can give instant feedback to the staff in real-time, plus they can add their own content to the virtual library site. In many cases, this acts to enrich the site and make it more attractive to other users.

As far as using these technologies in my library, it goes back to the first thing I learned in library school, "know your audience." In my hospital library, I do have some younger users who use many of the web 2.0 technologies. I also have many more users who are much older and who are still adjusting to basic computer use. So far I have offered to set up RSS feeds to some of the younger ones with some success. I do plan to eventually add links to RSS feeds to the major medical journals on our library web site. I'm also considering a blog as a possible mechanism for a library newsletter. Because I have no interest in re-inventing the wheel, I link to video tutorials whenever possible instead of making my own. As far as the other great tools I have learned about in this class, I will have to experiment more with them before I decide how to use them in the library.

Podcasting

After a few missteps, I was able to add the CDCs "Outbreaks and In the News" Podcast to my Google Reader. I chose this because, as an ex-microbiologist, I'm still very interested in infectious diseases. Now if I only had time to look at all the great stuff I have coming into my Google Reader....

YouTube

I was amazed at the variety of subjects on YouTube. I was disappointed that many of the links under Library were porn videos - sigh! The video I chose to link to my blog was posted by the University of Canterbury Library entitled "Why You Like Using the Library." It was approximatley three minutes of interviews where library users talked about why they like using the various libraries on the campus. Answers varied from the staff and how well they treated the users (great service, recognized them by name, not just another face, etc.); free Internet; importance of books (Yea!); cozy spaces to hang out; quiet place to study; warm and dry; no one around to bother them. They had lots of library fans. This will be a great video to revisit on bad days to remind myself that libraries do have fans! The link is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Qb1UhlKYEY

Online productivity tools

I wish I would have known about some of those neat options in Google tools before I bought all of those To/From Christmas tags! I think it's great how we now have so many choices beyond Microsoft Office and that they can be shared so easily. I do admit, though, that I started suffering from too many choices as I looked at all of the different tools and all of the choices within the tools. I think I'll have to re-visit this lesson after the holidays when my mind is clearer in order to get a better idea of how I might be able to use them in my home and professional life. It's just too much to absorb right now.

I created my own wiki, the Moose and Maggie wiki (surprise!). It's about my obsession, my dogs, Moose and Maggie. As I mentioned in my previous entry, I am using a wiki for professional reasons, the MCMLA 2009 planning committee, but this one is for my own use. I thought it might be a fun way to communicate with my various dog sitters when I travel. I usually give them a list of "things to know about Moose and Maggie" to make the sitting job easier, but why not put all of this information, along with photos and stories, in a wiki? That way, Greg and I can continually update the information as needed, and the sitters can also update the wiki while we are gone, even add pictures of what the dogs are doing, so we can dote on them in our absence!

Are we ridiculous or what?! :-)

Wikis

I noticed that one library lists all of its annotated resources on a wiki and lets students add to the notations. I really like this because students usually know their assignments much better than the librarians do and can use these notes to guide other students to the resources that they find most useful. Plus, a glowing recommendation from a peer is bound to be considered more valuable than the opinion of a librarian ;-) .

I am a member of the planning committee for the 2009 meeting of MCMLA and we are using a wiki to organize our committee information. It has been very useful and prevented a lot of email clutter. Only committee members can edit the wiki.

The main pitfall I find for some wikis is the lack of control over who can edit the information. If this is not controlled, it can lead to too much oportunity for misuse and inaccurate information.