Libraries and Wikis

I'll be honest that I've had mixed feelings about wikis in general. I think at its heart it is a useful and quick way to change or edit web content by a variety of users. This could be handy as was seen in a few examples for libraries that wanted up-to-date online resources for things like subject guides or book reviews or even just general library index of terms where many staff and potentially even patrons could add or edit content.

The problem with wikis (especially on a large scale like wikipedia) comes back to control and citations. When there are constant free-flowing changes to content and numerous people can edit or change the information, how do you know who wrote what and whether the "source" is credible? In a way wikis are helpful in showing the strengths and weaknesses of the online age of constant change and updates. Wikis make the most of allowing free-flowing information and access, yet the ability to cite and control the content becomes even more and more difficult.

Library 2.0 Thoughts

After reading some blogs and posts about Library 2.0 a few immediate thoughts came to mind...
First, the whole idea of Library 2.0. IMO anyway is not far removed from library fundamentals to begin with. Libraries especially over the last century or so have been ever evolving to meet the needs and wants of its users. Collections typically are geared to the community as are programs. Plus, technology has been used before to help meet user and staff needs, just look at how card catalogs have given way to OPACs and so forth over the last 30 years. So the concept of library service using technology to meet users wants and expectations is not necessarily a new idea. The tools being used and the terminology (ie. 2.0, etc.) being created are what is new.

Library 2.0 is the next logical step in the process of having library service fully geared to the user in the modern age of integrated computers, technology and communication. Clearly the online environment has and will continue to change how people use libraries and even how people view libraries. Blogs and places like Flickr, Bloglines, del.icio.us and LibraryThing have shown the capacity of the online world to help people share and organize online information to suit their needs and that is, I would argue the key roll a library has always had, which is to help people find and organize information so that they can use it. So it is a natural fit to take some of these online tools and programs and learn from them to help libraries meet their patron's needs. The tools and resources within libraries are changing away from physical materials to virtual. The advantage is that now people can create, sort and share personal information, photos, books, catalogs, blogs, you name it. Library 2.0 to me is just the verbalization of the furthering concept that now library collections, services, programs, catalogs and materials are meeting and adjusting to user needs in the online environment rather than in the physical library.

Having said all this... I personally believe the are several dangers lurking ahead that will have to be addressed related to Library 2.0 and technology in general. Rick Anderson addresses a few of these concerns in his piece called, "Away from the 'Iceburgs'." Here's the URL: http://www.oclc.org/nextspace/002/2.htm Ultimately, he points out how flawed it might be to have a "just in case" collection when many people will want their materials available online and they will probably find them online. Another point he brings out is, how are libraries going to keep up with user education of these new tools when there are so many potential users? I agree whole-heartedly that both of these are concerns and in fact, I'd take them a step further. One concern is that there will be a group of library users who may get left behind who are use to older ways of searching and using libraries who are not as technology savvy or computer literate. How will we be able to fit those people into the library as it changes so they don't get completely left behind?

Secondly, libraries have entered an age of print vs. electronic and in most cases electronic will win out, which is fine, except that I would question the long term health of having a mostly online collection only in the sense that how many people read a book cover to cover online? Or even to browse a book online and pick out quotes to use in a paper? I guess my concern is I would like to see more studies done to see what user preference is when it comes to print vs. online books. To me there is no doubt that online journals are better because of the ease of searching databases and the fact that articles can read and or printed off easier and quicker than a book and this of course is not even addressing the copyright issue.

Then finally, there's the whole library idea of owning vs. loaning or borrowing. Physical materials have a certain ownership to them, the library owns the item til it becomes of little value, whereas depending on the agreements at your library many online materials are not permanent, they are being rented if you will and what would happen if agreements or arrangements changed and all of sudden you no longer had a certain item. To me these are some of the top concerns I have in the Library 2.0 world. How well libraries adapt to all of these new technologies and concerns will help determine what the library of the future will look like...

Browsing Technorati

After looking around in Technorati, IMO anyway it is at least more user friendly in its interface than many tagging, searching and blog related sites. Aside from the advanced search feature, the ability to adjust your search from tags to blogs is quite helpful when trying to broaden or narrow how you want to search for a certain topic in the web 2.0 type environment. The popular search function in Technorati in all honesty did not surprise me too much as some of the more popular technology related terms and items were listed from learning 2.0 to web 2.0 to iphone and facebook. I was a little surprised though that there were not more personal names on the list like movie stars or politicians. The only "names" listed that I could see in top search were Andrea Rincon and Al Gore. That's just a few of my initial 2 cents from browsing through Technorati.

Social Bookmarking

Another small project I just did for TLC 2.0 is to explore Del.icio.us and learn more about tagging and social bookmarking. For me one of the interesting and most useful tools in Del.icio.us is the feature that allows you to click on the link for the other users who bookmarked (or saved) the site. It is interesting because it allows you to not only view people's notes but see all sorts of common tags associated with that particular site and what words individual users tagged (or associated) it with. This sort of free-flowing social tagging or social cataloging if you will of online sites, I believe shows a method that more libraries should learn to embrace. Because social bookmarking or tagging is useful not just in cataloging the online environment, but it could help redesign how physical materials are tagged as well. Meaning there's no reason to abandon LOC subject headings, yet by the same token if social tagging allows more people to help describe a certain item, in Del.icio.us's case the items are web sites, then hopefully or potentially anyway it may make the items easier to find. If this is true than why not incorporate similar philosophies in libraries. After all a library's main goal is to make materials more readily available and if tagging could make them easier for people to find later on, then why not use these methods along with the methods already in place (like subject headings, etc.). Plus, tagging and cataloging from a library-type perspective under similar circumstances is already being done by sites like LibraryThing. Ultimately, IMO social bookmarking will make life easier for everyone in the long run eventually from users to librarians because of how easier it could make it to find information quickly.

Rolling with Rollyo

Today's adventure included exploring Rollyo and creating searchrolls. While, IMO the interface left something to be desired, the idea behind Rollyo is extremely useful. The ability to customize a search of web sites and search engines is always a good thing. The best example I could give is that of cable TV, imagine if you knew what stations you wanted and you could customize your subscription to just include those stations you wanted. It's similar to that with browsing search engines and sites. Customizing is always a good thing as it can eliminate unneccesary results and focus on places that are of interest to you and what you want. My example is a customized search focusing on film web sites and search engines to help people find movies and DVDs. Here is the URL for my searchroll created in Rollyo http://rollyo.com/mattb1980/ the link for the search is on the right side of the page entitled, "Film Sites". Enjoy.

The wonderful and glorious librarything

As someone who has been a volunteer cataloger before, I really enjoy librarything. Now, of course, I'm bias in more ways than one, but that being said the ease and potential usefulness of librarything is IMO anyway unmistakeable. One of the downsides of most catalogs is the lack of flexibility of subject headings and sites like librarything could potentially anyway open up a wide array of possibilities in terms of tagging items and descriptions and involving other librarians and even patrons in helping to identify ways to catalog, tag and describe books. Plus, librarything's most important aspect IMO is that it is a useful tool to get the public and book fans especially more involved in the world of books, libraries and cataloging. It allow anyone to not just catalog their own collections but to write book reviews, join groups and more. I definately think all libraries at least on a small level should look at librarything as a tool to possibly not only improve their own OPAC but as way to get the public more involved and excited about books, collections and the functionality of libraries and what we do. I also started cataloging a few of my books using LibraryThing. Here's a link to my collection: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/MattErin241628 . On a side note, it appears I'm the only one on there right now anyway that has a 1866 copy of "The book of household pets". It is one of the funniest books I've ever looked at.

The fun of image generation

I played with some image generators as part of the TLC 2.0 assignment and at least from what I can tell there are at the very least creative ways to teach or display points. Clearly, the comedic element with these image generators is almost endless and could be used potentially in almost anything from a web site to a powerpoint to a handout and would definately add some needed flavor to a variety of library tools like handouts or tutorials. I personally enjoy the generator blog because of the variety and diversity of the sign generators within it... here's the URL: http://generatorblog.blogspot.com/

And the image above was created, through the Disneyland Sign Generator from the Generator blog.