Sandbox Wiki

I could find the sandbox. I could view the various pages within the sandbox. Alas, it would not let me play in the sandbox. Couldn't get past the log-in requirement and wasn't prepared to pay for PBWiki in order to gain access. That said...

There are many ways something similar to this could be used. Just keeping track of the many events at any library would be most useful. In my own, there is a sheet to dig out to find out about the next event and the sheet does not contain information for other departments. Would much rather see it be a click away. For fun, a wiki could also become a way for employees to get to know one another better. Will have to mull this new tool a bit more.

Whatsa Wiki?

It's finally happened. I get it. Really. Finally. Now I fully understand what a Wiki is and even better, how a Wiki can be used. For readers, especially those of us always with an eye to the next great find, the idea I like a lot and think would be received well, is the idea of allowing patrons to annotate the library catalog ala Amazon.

Who "owns" the library? The taxpayers, of course. But do they feel like they own the library, i.e., that it is really theirs? A great way to create this sense of ownership is to encourage their participation with a Wiki that invites opinions and reviews. I also liked the subject Wikis, but these I suspect take a lot of time to set up in the beginning and require ongoing maintenance as new materials join the library, whereas the annotated catalog seems more likely to run itself once launched. Online communities of readers are appearing in myriad ways and while LibraryThing and GoodReads are great examples of this trend, a local library would add value onto itself by allowing its users to personalize it.

Patrons will catch on. They will get it. Really. One day. And they'll love it!

Libraries are Communities

In reading about Learning 2.0 and Web 2.0, I confess that some of it went beyond my personal library experience. What is absolutely clear, however, is that the core role of libraries hasn't changed. A library embodies community. Just as culture changes over times, though, so does the nature of library services.

A positive initiative is that libraries are working hard to remove barriers to learning and continually finding new ways to provide access to information. Instant messaging, online library catalogs, online databases, and so much more bring the library to the user, without the user potentially ever needing to set foot on the premises. Libraries need better staffing for training users. I have seen this in my own short tenure. Users are easily overwhelmed and the gap is poised to widen.

The diamond in the 'mine' of information overload is that I believe users will learn to recognize the library as a place of solutions and assistance. I treasure our library as a community, information, and culture hub and believe we can be successful in meeting people's information and recreational needs.

Technorati

Today I signed up with Technorati, the blog connection. This seems like a great tool and site for people who like to connect with others with similar interests and for those who track cultural trends. It is also great to see how other blogs are designed. I like the way a simple click can take you to a particular blog post or the entire blog, and the ability to create a Favorites list is time saving. Inserted the Technorati Fave logo on my own blog. This is an important tool among many which attempt to organize, and allow access, to aspects of The Web.

Not Just Tasty, it's Del.icio.us

This is my second experience with exploring Del.icio.us and I have yet to be sold on this tool. I definitely can see how it could be useful for a group project, or for an extended project that one individual is gathering information for. While collecting bookmarks makes sense, I already use "My Favorites" as a tool for this though I can see how a person who works on several computers would benefit from Del.icio.us. It's like a traveling "My Favorites." Over time, I have clicked on lots of links, but the truth is that I usually fall back on the sites that I know I can trust. It really does not matter to me how other people tag sites on a personal level and I guess I need a few more practical examples of how it would benefit me professionally. I will continue to explore it, but at this moment, the verdict is still out.

On a Roll with Rollyo

As a church musician in a "blended" congregation. I have a great deal of freedom to create music I enjoy playing. One of the challenges, however, is keeping the music sounding fresh and new while honoring traditional tunes. I decided to create a search roll using Rollyo that is comprised of music publishers whose sites I check regularly. The search roll is easy to create and I quickly added eight sites. Using several old standbys such as Amazing Grace and It is Well With My Soul, I quickly could see the value of using this tool. A user can easily navigate between sites AND not only does one arrive at the site, but actually goes right to the item containing the song you have listed. This is a significant time saver. A search does result in items you would not care about such as a music CD or links to Target. There are also distracting ads. Overall, however, this idea of grouping sites is valuable in the same way the BlogLines allows people to group their RSS feeds.