#19 Discovering Web 2.0 Tools

Took a look at a few sites. Some appear to be more user friendly than others. I was familiar with a few of the sites (like Bloglines, Technorati, Flicka) from this assignment. Used the short list, it was easier to search by categories that were of interest. I liked biblio.com. With this site you are able to search for used and out of print books. This is something that may come in handy some day. It was user friendly and was set up similar to amazon. Liked the "books under $2"section of this site. Also took a look at Farecast, which offers free airfare predictions. Reminded me of Expedia.com. Really enjoyed Picnik, similar to Flicka. Plan to "play" with this one a bit more.

Web Based Apps

I was interested to discover that there is such a thing as Web based Apps. I like the idea of having the ability to create and share documents without having to purchase or install desktop applications. I can definitely see it's use in the workplace. Although I am not sure how comfortable I would feel sharing (or having all) my documents online. I do like the idea of not having to buy expensive software and then installing it on my desktop. I loved the template library. There were some interesting templates. I like fact sheets, speech outline, multiple choice test, vehicle bill of sale. I am currently just playing around with the resume template. It has been awhile since I last updated my resume (not that I expect needing it anytime soon), but I thought it would be an interesting document to create. Have not gotten as far as saving it yet. Hope that doesn't pose any problems. There are things I would not use Zoho for, anything I did not feel comfortable sharing with others (such as bills or pricing I do for my husband's business). Interesting to know what's out there.

New Addition

Reluctantly, the newest "four legged" addition to the family! I fell for the old "mommy can we please keep it". That black furball is a kitten.

Playing Around with PBwiki

Played around with PBwiki and finally added my favorite vacation spot, Disney. Hit a couple of "bumps" along the way. I did create my own account with PBwiki, although I am not sure why. Once I was in the SPL 23 PBwiki, I just needed to use that password. I also had to use two different e-mail addresses before my account went through. I don't see myself using the account I created for myself, but, I guess it is there if I need it. My second "bump" was I had some difficulty adding my fave vacation spot. When I clicked on edit and saw the page, I got scared and thought this can't be right. Then I clicked on new page. But, that didn't add my vacation to the right place. So there might be other Disney vacation info floating around in there somewhere. :) I luckily got help from a co-worker, and discovered that yes, I was suppose to add on to the page in the edit area. Knowing that made adding to the favorite blog page easier.

So, What's In a Wiki?

Before beginning this exercise, I had some knowledge of Wikipedia. I knew it was an online encyclopedia that was created by it's users. But, for obvious reasons, I never used it. It was difficult for me to get use to the idea that "anyone" can add, edit, or delete. I did not/do not feel it is as reliable as the "real thing". After exploring for this exercise, I was surprised by the extend of wikis. I had only thought of it in the encyclopedia sense. I never thought of it in terms of other uses, especially not for libraries. But, libraries all of the country are beginning to wiki. I learned it could be used as a pathfinder (I remember doing that dreaded assignment in library school :) ) and with subject guides, book reviews and community activities.
I liked the Princeton Public Library's Book Lovers Wiki. I think this a good application of wiki for libraries. Like Amazon, users can post synopses and reviews for books they have read. This gives the user more info and allows other users to make more informed decisions on selection. I believe that there needs to be some librarian moderating. A librarian would need to be in control of what stays and what may need to be deleted (if inappropriate to the wikis purpose). I found it interesting how Princeton Library also informed users if they did not own a book. But, let users know it could be ILLed. Also liked the staff reviews. St. Joseph's County Library Pathfinders explored topics of interest such as crafts, travel and pets. For each topic, a list of books, magazines, online resources, and even an upcoming library program connected to the topic was offered. I thought this was a great collaboration among users, librarians, etc. It could only be beneficial to the library wiki user. In conclusion, I believe wiki's present some interesting ideas to be explored by libraries.

Library 2.0

I read all 5 perspectives under the discovery resources. But the two that stuck in my mind the most were "Away from Icebergs" by Rick Anderson and "To a Temporary Place in Time" by Dr. Wendy Schultz. I found Anderson's analogies interesting. He compared the librarian profession to a boat with three icebergs that threatened it. The three icebergs being the "just in case collection", "reliance on user education" and the"come to us". Anderson states we must eliminate barriers and find new ways to bring services to patrons without insisting they come to us (us being the physical place, the library). He believes we need to find ways to service them outside the physical library. I agree, we need to find new ways to service users and eliminate any barriers. As librarians, we need to embrace change. But I also agree with Dr. Wendy Schultz philosophy that we must have a library renewal within current trends. We need to "re-package" some ideas and ways. Not necessarily re-invent them. As stated by Schultz, libraries are not just documents and books, they are conversations, people, ideas. I believe we need to find a happy medium that will mold the two perspectives. Whatever way we go I do agree that all this new info in print and online will put a premium on service, tailoring information to the needs of a patron/user. Our relationships with users should not change, maybe just the way we go about it.

Del.icio.us

For this assignment, we needed to view a 12 minute tutorial on del.icio.us and then take a look around (using the sachblog account that was created for this purpose). As with some of the previous assignments, I found this one a bit confusing.
From the tutorial and my del.icio.us exploration, I learned that del.icio.us allows you to bookmark a web page and then add tags to categorize them. You bookmark something you will want to use again someday. The analogy I created for myself to understand this concept is: I am reading a cookbook, and I find a recipe I like, so I fold the page over (don't worry it's my own book :) ) or I stick a post it on the page. I then write "dessert" on the post it. Dessert would be the tag. I tag it knowing I will want to use this recipe someday. My "tag" in my recipe book is private, it's my book. But, if I was on del.icio.us, it is social bookmarking and anyone can see it.
When exploring with the sachblog account, I discovered that articles were on the left of the page (these were the articles that were tagged) and the actually tags (words) were listed on the right. I liked how it let you know how many people tagged the article. Could definitely see the potential use of tagging. Reminds me of a very unstructured type of cataloging. Can see the use in the academic world, best suited for those who work intensively with computers. Was not up for the challenge of creating my own account. I feel like I have created so many accounts as it is that I will probably never use again.