Views on Web 2.0 and the Library

Various articles saught to anticipate the effect of many new technologies upon the world of library materials, patrons and information exchange. The interchange between the library and the patron at home would become an important service, and ways in which del.icio.us, Flicker and YouTube might share in the exchange were considered. More instant service, tools of research expanded by technology and the value of on the spot communication would all play a part in determining the personal and physical structure of the library.

23rd Thing

If asked to participate again, yes, I would.
The overall experience of venturing into Web 2.0 was perhaps amazement at what there is out there. Its channels and opportunities are inventive and exciting. A favourite avenue was the wikis. Another was the chance to see the Web 2.0 winners and to learn from their formatting and creativity.
Areas for improvement. On many occasions, the entrance to sites was either blocked or difficult to open. It was unfortunate that many good people were put off from finding out about something that they would like to use in future because of this. Also, it was very difficult to do this during working hours: upon hitting a snag, it would take much more time than it should to work one's way to the point of learning.
Skills learned: ask questions.

The Opaque Tube

I did try, but at this point I have not been able to enter YouTube, and when I went to Google Video, I was booted; at Yahoo Video, there was no burning bride.

Zig Z. on Digital

My choice of audiobook for an 'excursion' was Zig Ziglar's 'Conversations with my Dog', which had an immediate touch of reality, if little Caesar was what Mr. Z. and his wife ('Sugar Baby') wanted. Anyone who has been around corgis knows that they appear to be made to take control once their stubby little feet hit the carpet as they seem to understand that sheep and humans are not dissimilar, and that is what 'Taffy' does in the opening lines of this audio. The 'excursion' allowed a listener to decide whether the audio publisher had selected a reader whose voice projected a certain quality from the book. As Mr. Ziglar reads his own words, the bite is a fait accompli. I was left with a bit of a cliffhanger as I reserved the digital book just to see what would happen, and was 'redirected to a connection that is not secure' (more angst). Exactly what will happen when it is ready, I am yet to learn. ...

Pods to Bloglines

After venturing through a number of library podcasts, I found myself in the NPR Podcast Directory; and by cut and pasting the URL line to my Bloglines address, I was able to enjoy the free experience of joining listeners at Aspen for a very clear broadcast via pod. I attempted to send this on to my blog and accept the need for further training. NPR said it was an expensive procedure so please contribute; but for us it's free, and we are free to remember copyright.

Zoho Depot

Under the constraints of time, it was difficult to condense Zoho into a comfortable workshop; however, I managed to create PBC's most barren wiki, which seemed to want to progress from its third page to the first without manga illustrations. Also, I began a Presentation. A site packed with tools, which could be used in many ways, each option deserving of time and testing. Zoho Depot: it was a bit like walking into Office Depot.

Web 2.0 awards

I am afraid I had to come away with three favourites, which I appreciate is two over the top; however, it was difficult to calculate the merits and host a run-off. For me, the most exciting was VisualComplexity (Visual Arts) because I appreciated the in-depth approach to lots of stimulating images, and I enjoyed what the contributors had to say. PBWiki (Hosted Wikis) seemed very good at teaching what it was about; and, there was Biblio (Books), a catalogue, which was neither teaching nor commenting; but it did list a book I had been thinking about at a lower price than I had found elsewhere, and that was worth a round of applause! Also, I liked the way Biblio was designed.

As for applications within the Library, it would be awfully nice to see the PPMs turned into an internal website with helpful tags tying together similar subjects; and, certainly, the Supervisors' Manual could do with a tagged, web/wiki approach.

Wiki World

Perhaps my discovery within the world of wiki might be the possibility of speed in things experimental. If a particular wiki were able to attract the imagination of the right group of individuals, the union should result in valuable problem solving. It seems very much a thing of knowing where to go and keeping up with the issues. One item which was rather revealing occurred when a reader pointed out that she found the information she needed for a conference on the wiki site rather than on the official site for the conference.

How might a wiki be used within a library system? Various types of wikis: a) one for new recruits for the purpose of sharing new patron serving ideas - or survival tips; b) brainstorming wikis for everyone on what ideas are needed at a particular moment; c) obviously, a Reference Desk wiki for research exchange. As new problems arise, new short term wikis could be announced.