Thing 16: Wikipalooza

I never used Wikipedia until about a year ago, and I was prepared to discard it as a worthless site. However, I found that I appreciated the site and agree with my those who deem it a decent starting point for research or a quick answer resource.

This exploration has shown me what other wikis are out there and how they are valuable. I especially can see the value of a wiki to a library-I think it would make a great RA tool. Allowing patrons to review books or make suggestions would be great! It's like having free staff! Really brings the old suggestion box idea up to snuff!

In the different sites highlighted in this area, a frequent contributor was Meredith Farkas (not sure if she's any relation to Scut Farkas from A Christmas Story, my favorite movie, but I digress). Ms. Farkas developed a wiki for an ALA conference in Chicago, which reminds me of my beloved (sorry to sound like a broken record) TripAdvisor. The contribution of ideas and suggestions, when offered with the right motivation, are very helpful to others. I did notice that her wiki Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki now carries a disclaimer stating that due to vandalism problems, email confirmations are now required. Therein seems to lie the root of the problem with wikis-the free sharing of "information" is not always presented objectively or accurately.

Here is my question: what is the main difference between wikis or sites like TripAdvisor, Facebook, or blogs? Is it the fact that there is no moderator? That doesn't seem 100% true, as it does appear that vicious, deragatory, or blatantly untrue wiki posts can be removed. Is it more that everyone is the moderator, instead of one figurehead?

One more note on Ms. Farkas: She had a segment on WebJunction where she states :And if someone don’t like what I wrote, they can make their own changes." If someone "don't" like?!! I bet she wishes WebJunction were a wiki so she could change what spellcheck probably incorrectly changed for her!

Thing 15: Web 2.0, Library 2.0, and the Future of Libraries

I found most of these articles pretty interesting, although the one mentioning Web 3.0 and 4.0 was just too much to take in as I've just wrapped my brain around Web 2.0!

If I read the "Iceberg" article correctly, it was published in 2006, and I found it interesting that the author mentioned that circ was down 55% in his library. I wonder what that percentage would be today-seems the recent economy has pushed circulation upwards. Regardless, I do agree that it's not necessary to own everything, but not because materials can be found on the web, but because of the cooperative spirit of libraries and the ability to ILL items. As long as one library owns something, it is accessible to almost everyone. It is our job to make sure our patrons know that! I also agree that libraries cannot rely on educating users, but instead, should make things simple. Again, a really good concept but not always as easy as it sounds. I think I can attest, and probably some of my classmates, that the technology we've been exploring during this project often seem easy at first, but really mastering them takes quite a bit of exploration and practice. I think a better way of looking at this would be not just "easy", but "non-intimidating" and even "fun". Patrons need to WANT to use these tools that we provide for them. Finally, getting rid of the "come to us" model-totally agree. After reading this, I felt some pride in my lil' hometown library, who has provided this outreach to our patrons for years, and I know there are so many other libraries who are also right on top of this. Just by having the card catalog online, the ability to seach and place holds, connect with AskAway, search WorldCat, find links to online reference sites, etc. we are bringing the library to the public--but it hasn't stopped the public from still coming to us too.

I also loved what Michael Stephens said in his article: Library 2.0 "watches for the impact of technology on users and new thinking on businesses, because it is, in fact, related." Libraries do not exist in a vacuum. Our patrons direct us. I think a big part of libraries is giving the public what they want, or what they need. This can be seen simply by the fact that libraries provide much more than books. Libraries need to remain relevant to the people that use them.

My last point is where Wendy Schultz says that libraries are not just in communities, they ARE communities. That sums up my impression of libraries and really, why I am becoming a librarian.

Thing 14: Technorati

My first thought when listening to the Podcast and hearing that Technorati was a way to search blogs for information was how authoritative information from blogs would be. While my first impression was "not very" authoritative, the more I thought about it, the information is not that different from much of what's out on the web. Also, I saw that there are authority ratings, which I guess are still fairly subjective and based on other user's responses or reactions to blogs and blog postings. I can relate this to my frequent use of TripAdvisor. Thru the years, I have come to trust certain TA members and immediately rule out others' opinions based on my history with them. In the end, it all boils down to how an individual trusts and views the information being presented to them.

I tried a few searches using Technorati. Some seemed very relevant, others not at all. Really not that different from a Google search-if the search terms meet a tag then it comes up as a source but often not at all in the context I had intended.

There is definitely a different result achieved in searching blogs vs. blog posts. I found the blog posts to be more relevant, but this is probably because the blog posts are more specific where the blogs themselves are very general, although there are blogs simply addressing one recurring topic or theme.

Random Thought of the Day

I am doing laundry and just realized that my daughter has a pair of pj bottoms with the same polka dot pattern and colors as my blog background.

Thing 13: Del.icio.us is Tasty, Think I Still Have to Work My Way Up to Yummy

I can see how this could be useful for people using computers all over the place (home, work, school, on the road, etc.). I basically only use my computer at home for personal use and school, and do only work related things at work. For me, I think the biggest benefit might come from discovering a site at home that I think I might utilize at work, or vice versa.

Like any of these tools and sites I've discovered so far, I'm sure the more I use it the more I'll come to view it as beneficial. Since I have nobody in my network, I'm also not reaping the full effect of the social aspects. I would imagine the social part works similarly to LibraryThing; finding users that think the same way, i.e. using similar tags, visiting similar sites.

Cool Article-A Little Affirmation

On our way home from the Smoky Mountains yesterday we stopped at a diner in southern Indiana for lunch. While waiting for our food, we were reading a copy of the Louisville, KY paper and I found an article about a local magazine, Bejeezus. The editor, in her early 20's, started the magazine several years ago with her brother when they were bored. Regarding the future of print material, here's what she said:

Harrison is fully aware that print magazines aren't too profitable these days, and she's had several people tell her to switch Bejeezus to an online publication instead. But she chooses to stay the course.

It won't be easy. Starting in April, Harrison and her crew will cut back to publishing twice a year in an effort to put out bigger and better issues.

"For me, print is a more personal way of communicating with people," she said. "I like creating something that people can actually hold on to and take with them to read on their porch, on a bus, lounging on their couch or whatever. That is so much more appealing to me than someone hunched over a desk staring at a computer screen."

I just thought it was neat to see that view taken by someone who produces reading materials as it is a sentiment we as library students and workers have been repeating and hoping that others share this view.