Wiki in the Library

I always thought wikis were collections of web pages edited by clueless contributors. Let me tell you - get something wrong and 50 million people will tell you! Anyone can modify the content of a webpage or collection of webpages. Web users tend to dismiss them as "inaccurate" but I beg to differ. Information is constantly updated and critiqued for accuracy & content. Libraries are now using them to create community pages. Garden clubs that meet in your city, stamp collecting -whatever! Grand Rapids PL is using wikis to illustrate what they have in their history collection. GRPL's wiki lists the scope of the history clipping file, not the entire content. OPL tried something like this with the Community Resources File. Maybe this could be adapted? Nice to know that the 650 articles I indexed on Boys Town won't go to waste!!!

2.0 Forever!

I finally realized what it means! Web 2.0 is not really a "new" version of the world wide web - just a new way of using it. 2.0 promotes creativity, social networking and video sharing - human interaction people! No more two tin cans and a string.. Library 2.0 is kind of a take off on the same principle. It is a fundamental shift in the way services are delivered to customers. It's more of a two-way street with immediate feedback. Remember a couple of years ago when we asked customers for their input on OPL's homepage? That's Library 2.0 - we're already doing it!! It seems ironic that in a world where technology tends to let us create our own little universe we are desperately trying to reconnect with one another.

Technorati

Not real thrilled with this one. I think it's more for hard-core bloggers who like to see the latest blog on a particular subject. It seems to be really heavy on the video portion of a blog. I guess my blogsphere is pretty small so I don't need a bigger one! It seems everyone wants me to sign up for their delicious, technorati or some new web feature and I need another password!!!

Delicious

Today I'm learning about a "Delicious". It is a website that essentially allows you to bookmark sites without being on a particular computer. Remember the days when you had to be on your favorite computer because it had all your bookmarks? This eliminates that! You can bookmark any site you want. Watch out that you don't get more bookmarks than you can handle! It is really easy to save everything that looks good and then end up with a Delcious the size of Google. I am disappointed that Delicious doesn't refer to jam!!

Library Things, Rollyos & Web life

Today I'm trying to learn about Library Things and Rollyos. LT is really like an electronic booklist that everyone can see what you're reading. Tags are descriptive words so others can quickly see what type of books you like. Rollyos are customized search engines. I think it might be really cool if you could combine your favorite search engines. I went with the prefab "Reference" search engine. Still way behind but learning!
I found a really neat article in the OWH on 12-24-08, evening ed. p. 3D. It was about all the different pwds you have on the Web if you use Twitter, Flickr, Google Chat and the like. Apparently, I am not the only one who has a mental meltdown trying to remember them all! Windows Live is trying to create an interface with all of these sites. The gist of the article was that while it was good it was still in testing mode. At least it's comforting to know that technology is expanding as my mental capacity is shrinking!