Thing # 4 - Flickr

This photo was found on Flickr. It was posted by catherine.caf on October 7, 2007. The link to this site is: http://www.flickr.com/photos/catherinecaf/1508457980/


Being a cat lover, I found this picture irresistible - thus its inclusion on my blog as part of Thing # 4.

Taking a look at flickr was an awesome experience. As with most Web 2.0 tools, the idea of sharing information, and in this case, photos, is an outstanding one. I can really see the utility of this as a way of staying in touch with long-distance family and friends.

Beyond the personal level, I think the ideas that have been implemented by the College of St. Benedict and St. John's University of utilizing photo-sharing to highlight books in a collection is an excellent one. This would work well especially for new books that are added to the library's collection - a way of informing the community of what is new. It could also be a means of highlighting a particular topical series of books - possibly spotlighting a certain genre or a subject section of a reference collection. Many academic libraries offer their patrons subject research guides; this could possibly be a means of hosting a visual subject research guide.

Thing # 3 - RSS

I really like the features of the RSS feeds. This can be a tremendous tool for the information librarian that wants to stay on top of developments in his / her particular subject discipline or area of interest. Being able to be notified of new postings at one location can be real asset to managing one's time and keeping up-to-date on the latest.

Thing # 2 - Perspectives on 2.0

I really like the idea behind Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 - tools for "bringing together the small contributions of millions of people and making them matter." ("The Ongoing Web Revolution." Library Technology Reports. Sep / Oct 2007. p. 10.) The cooperative and collaborative nature is outstanding - pretty much a win-win situation.

The move of society in this direction behooves the library to become involved in that move. We need to be aware of the tools that are out there and investigate whether these tools can be a way of extending our services and partnership with the community we serve.

Growing up in the late baby-boomer generation, I currently lack exposure and knowledge of these tools. It is for this reason that I am attempting to learn "23 things". It is my hope and desire that I will not only gain an exposure to the tools but will also see ways in which I can implement these tools into the work that I do.

Thing # 1. Set up your blog

Thing # 1 is finished!!! I actually had fun putting various outfits and accessories on my avator. The hardest part was deciding which attributes to save and export into the blog. There were so many possibilites that could have worked. Just as I have never made an avator before, I also have never set up a blog before. It was actually easier than I was anticipating. I guess that which is unfamiliar to us always seems scarier than it actually is. Mmm...I guess it's a good thing there is a program like this to expose us to the many new things we are unfamiliar with.