Week 12 - Wrap up; Social networks and catch up

Social networking is a very popular online service that people can share their interests and activities with others.  The most common social network services are email, Facebook, Twitter, Wikis, etc.  These web based social networking services make people connect and share their interests without any geographic barriers.  They can share with others any time and any where.  New technology, such as Iphone and Ipad, changes people's work and life.  Especially young generation, they prefer to share and chat with their friends by using digital technology.  Social networking services have lots of potential to be used in library services, especially for marketing, client interaction.   We can find many libraries' web page have provided social network services, such as blog, facebook, twitter, rss, and more.  It is not surprising that we can utilize social network to make connection with our digital community.  Library as the information gateway, we should redesign our services to connect our patrons in the digital age.  

Week 11 - Online applications and tools

I think Google Docs is straight forward and easy to be used.  In the library, it is a new way that we can be possibly to set up a team work document in Google Docs.  It saves time on sending email to others.   Online free apps have changed the way we do things in our daily activities.  In the future, I think it can help us to organize every day routine work, such as OH&S report, meeting report, holiday programs' records, etc.

Week 10 - Mashups

Mashups is fun and creative.   It can be used for many things in the library, such as promotion materials, displays, children activities.  It seems an endless list of creative application that we can make and use for many things.  I like "Big huge labs" that enable me to create and design ideas for library activities, such as school holiday programs.   There is no doubt that Mashups can be used for many things in the library.

Week 9 - Podcasts and audio

It is amazing.  The use of podcast and audio is very common everywhere in the digital world.  In the library sector, we can utilize it as a communication tool to show and tell any events or activities to our patrons.   The advance of information and communication technology (ICT) makes connection with our patrons easier than before.  The digital users can search the internet and locate library's news easily.  It is an effective way that end-users can find our services from the web.  The use of podcast and audio enables patrons accessing our services without any barrier.   Libraries can use it for library tours, lectures, book clubs, author talks, and more.   It is a fantastic marketing opportunity that can offer to our patrons.

Week 8 - Answer boards and social searching

"Slamming the boards" provides an opportunity to all librarians with questions and answers around the world.  It seems a new reference section placed in a digital world, that enables members to access knowledge and organize knowledge.   It is a good idea for everyone to enhance their views and explore their knowledge. However, the site is occupied with many commercial advertisement that makes me impatient to explore it any longer.  

Week 7 -Tagging, Delicious and LibraryThing

The collaborative online social bookmarking site -Delicious
I have created some bookmarks and tags on my http://www.delicious.com/midson88 .  It is a good idea that we can use one site to gather and store different bookmarks for library staff.  This collaboration reference center can organize information by tags that everyone can find them easily.  Library staff can make use of this social tool to put links into different tags.  The good example from Sutherland Shire Library's Bookmark shows how this social networking is linking all information for library reference interview.  As all tags can be searched, shared and accessed by others. 
Technorati- I have not used or heard of this site before.  It is a good opportunity to look at it. As mentioned from the web site, there are over 112 million blogs currently being tracked by this site.  I think it has a great potential to promote our library services.
Library staff can locate information by related links or tags.
'Library-Thing' is a social networking site for book lovers that connect people based on the books they share.  It allows people contribute tags, ratings, and reviews.  
 

Week 6 - Video Online

HSC Student Lock In - an video created by Mosman Library

It is a good tool to promote library events and activities on the web, such as YouTube.  Libraries can easily introduce new services to the digital patrons, especially for those who seldom go and use library services.  Nowadays, we have many videos uploaded online by different libraries.  The main purpose is to let digital citizens searching library's information easily.  They can access anytime and anywhere.  New technology builds a better connection than before.  Libraries can promote and encourage more people to use library services. 

Week 5 - wiki

“Library success: A Best Practices Wiki”- it works as an encyclopedia, a manual, a directory, that containing and organizing information about library communities.  It provides comprehensive information on all library issues.  Library professionals can easily share information and ideas at one destination.  It is a venue where people can communicate and learn about what is happening in the community.  It demonstrates an excellent example on how to manage information and share with others.  Set up a “Library Book Club” with the application of wiki would be a good marketing strategy to attract more library users. They can contribute and edit on wiki to share their ideas without entering a physical library.  However, it requires experienced staff to check and update information regularly to prevent incorrect information published. 

Week 4 - RSS

RSS is a useful tool to keep up with updated blogs and other information.  It is easy for users to receive any current information without checking for updates regularly.  All updates will be in one place from the amazing rss aggregator.  As information providers, it is an excellent opportunity to promote library events, services, new collections by using RSS.  With this new technology -RSS, library users or non-library users can find out information about their libraries.  It has a great potential for library promotion in future. Five RSS feed has been added by using Google reader.  As a new user, I find the reader is very easy to use.  It is not necessary to check any updates from different sites.  Following blogs by import to own blog is absolutely fantistic.

Week 3 - Explore Flickr

Flickr provides another method to share information and ideas around us.  People can upload photos on the web to share information with their friends and others.  It is easy to tag photos that can enrich the information society.  Libraries have understood the importance of Web 2.0 tools.  The use of social networking tool such as 'Flickr' can promote our library services, and reach the digital citizens easily.  I have uploaded some photos about the opening ceremony of Ryde Library.  It was exciting on that day, and we had over 3,000 people visited us.
The link is  http://www.flickr.com/photos/midson88/

Week 2-Web 2 Blog

From last two decades, new technology is evolving rapidly in the information society.  The advent of information communication technologies (ICT), such as the use of Internet, Iphone, Ipad, enhance information seekers alternative ways to access information. 
Information technology is changing every day.  More than that, the digital generations like to communicate and share information using different soical-networking, such as Blog, Twitter, etc.  Libraries are facing challenges as information providers and information gateways.  Library professionals should aware of technology trends and design library services that can reach community users in the future. 
"Blog" is an essential tool to market library's services, such as workshop, exhibits.  It can promote library services in a creative way to the community users.   Sutherland Library has started a good example of setting blogs to advertise its services.
In the information-technology-dominated age, libraries should have the ability to use technology to accomplish new services.  It is essential to realize the importance of web 2.0 tools, such as blogs, wikis.  However, some libraries still wait and see.