Thing 18: Technorati

Okay - first, let me claim this blog as my own, and allow this blog and technorati to talk with each other...

Technorati Profile

And now that I'm claimed, won't you...



So I have to "ping" technorati when I update this blog, so it will get the new content? hmm, i hope the spider is fast enough on it's own...

And I'd like to tag this blog as:
VBPLL2.

Suffice to say that Technorati is a search engine for blogs and blog posts. You can mix and match any of these things...blogs, videos, bookmarks, myspace pages, etc.

honestly, it's a bit dizzying to do all of these things together, but it's good to know these tools are out there.

i do like technorati, though i'd never go out there and just browse "popular" or whatnot. i'd generally use it as a search engine for a specific topic or need. i'm more likely to use rss feeds into my google aggregator to keep up with my blogs of interest.

i'm also impressed with how easy technorati makes it to embed their stuff into your blog. can't do much more than give the html away. and it makes sense for them - the more people that link to technorati from their blogs, the bigger e-real estate they gain!

Thing 17: Tagging and Del.icio.us

So we're just branching out everywhere, aren't we?

I must say I like this tagging idea. As someone in the field of hyper-sensitive organization of information, it is a little disturbing that there is absolutely no control or authority in how people tag things. If joe schmo wants to tag the CNN site as "blasphemous" he can, while mary doe tags it as "news." Go figure - something for every taste.

First impression of del.icio.us - where in the heck did the name come from? am i missing something? is there an advantage to making a word look like an IP address with "." breaking it up?? i don't get it...

That aside, I love the idea that I can have web-based bookmarks that will be available regardless of which computer I'm using. That in itself makes this a valuable service.

I'm not sure I'd really use the social bookmarking aspect in following who tags sites similar to ones I've tagged, then again I'll never say never.

on the other hand, i'm not sure i want people snooping into my bookmarks, either. guess that's the price to pay in this social 2.0 world...show me yours and i'll show you mine...

I think it's a cool feature, too, about podcasting. looks easy to post mp3 files to del.icio.us, and it's handy that they'll create the rss feed for you!

i think this would be a great tool for research. particularly if one is doing research on some esoteric topic and the field of colleagues is limited. would be a great way to find others doing the same esoteric thing you are!

Thing 16: creating MySpace profile

Random thoughts as I go along:
- Do you really think anyone really reads those "terms of service" and "privacy policy" (which hasn't been updated since 2005..who knows what kind of ride we can be taken for by blithely clicking "sign up" ??
- why in the world does myspace need my birthday (so they can say they're not liable when a 5 year old signs up..wonder how many people are born like me on myspace on 1/1/1907 ??) or gender, or postal code. sheesh!
- great. websense is blocking me from uploading pics.
- think i'll be antisocial and skip inviting my non-existent friends.
- they must have built-in rss if they do automatic updates when a friend updates their space iwth new photos, videos, etc. that's handy.
- another great. can't do the verification email because websense blocks gmail. sigh. guess now i'm stuck.

- okay i'm still unverified, but I could get to my inbox. why is some guy named tom welcoming me to myspace? sorry, tom, i'm busy.


overall impressions? don't try this at work if your network has enabled a web filter! and - even thinking about creating a personal myspace page (and maintaining it) and dealing with all of my so-called friends and groups - it's exhausting. i'm having a hard time keeping up with my non-virtual friends and family... merry ho ho ho.

Thing 15: VBPL and social networking

Well, are we ever going to MySpace or Facebook it? I've read various articles and have been swayed from my original opinion as to whether we should or not. At first, I thought this myspace stuff was just the craze of the day. after more thought and investigation, it seems that these sites may not be here to stay, but they are certainly the precursor of whatever is going to come next. if major advertisers like coca cola and you name it are going after the screen-agers where they currently live in cyperspace, then libraries need to make that effort to meet teens there too! if we don't get on this bandwagon soon, we're sure to be left in the dust.

aren't we always saying we need to be involved with future generations of library users? if we don't get them now, they'll be sold on wikipedia for life and will never know they need a more authoritative and reliable source. there goes their need for the library - or at least the need may still exist but they'll never be aware of it.

sure, there are alot of controversies and considerations with having a page on say, myspace. for one, it's got to be kept current! we can't rely on one virtual librarian to maintain a vibrant myspace area where kids will want to visit time and again. it's got to be a team effort,and would be great to have the teens of the library involved.

also we'll have to address the issue of comments and community postings to our myspace page. who will our friends be? these are exciting questions to answer! in thinking about these answers, we're actually helping define our library strategies as well as our virtual identity. these are things we need to be thinking about.

i know the marketing team is always looking for ways to increase usage and circulation. well, here's one strategy just staring us in the face - let's take advantage of it!

Thing 14: Posting to a Wiki

I've completed my first posting (added a staff pick) to the VBPL readers advisory wiki. Not surprisingly, it was quite simple! I especially like the fact I don't need yet another login to update the page; a guest account is available.

wikispaces offers a very nice and intuitive user interface. no knowledge of html required, yet if one does have advanced skills, there's the possiblity of adding widgets and code. i wonder who stole from whom...blogspot from wikispaces or vice versa??

other misc thoughts on the RA wiki:
- can we link the items to those in the catalog? sure we can!
- are the recommended reads for adults still under construction? "fiction" and "nonfiction" are not links, though I imagine one fine day they will be!
- would be nice to link to the booklists available in the catalog. the sirsi lists contain a bit more info about each item recommended.

and finally - i think internal wikis are/will be great for library teams. one team that i was on made use of a wiki, and it was very helpful. if taken seriously enough, collaborative use of wikis could eliminate the need for so many meetings!

Thing 13: Exploring Wikis

Well it is a wiki world we live in these days. For better or worse, wikis (and blogs) are popping up on just about any topic conceivable. Some are useful, and some are not. Isn't this true, too, of the old fashioned websites? As with everything, one wiki might be wonderful and helpful and accurate, while another may be a total waste of time and disk space. Regardless, it takes a village to create a wiki.

First I looked at Princeton Public Library's wiki. Nicely done as far as organization and navigation - one could get from the wiki to their virtual library or catalog as well as other sites easily. I especially like the fact they include up front a FAQ - someone just hitting this page out of the blue might not understand immediately it's reason for being.

I also looked at Bull Run's wiki. Although hosted on the same site (pbwiki.com), there's a world of difference between the two. It seems like Princeton is limiting their focus to reviews, whereas Bull Run takes entries on a variety of topics. Sorry, BR, but I like to see a little organization when I'm reading something on the web. Sure, one never knows what fun tidbit one might find (like a link to a color generator), but it's a bit too schizophrenic for my taste!

So to what areas of libraries do wiki's lend themselves? Certainly one in which collaboration is prevalent, and opinions are good enough. Wiki's are not places where I'd assume everything I read is accurate. So I don't expect to find 100% accuracy, but I do expect to find a variety of opinions and flavors on a topic. Due to this, I would say that recommended reading lists are ideal for a wiki. Nobody's opinion on a book they've read can be wrong! and the more opinions and books read - the better!

one thing I would like to see in a library recommended reading wiki: links from the books read to items in the catalog - where possible.