Web 2.0 Awards

This site was very user friendly and categories were easily identifiable. I liked the rating categories given for each website because at a glance you could see how it was rated. In a library setting, I’d like to see it be able to be sorted by age groups also.

Technorati

The concept of Technorati as a search engine for tracking blogs, etc., using key words seems great. However, I found it difficult to search through for specific key words. As an overall collection of news and trivia, it works fine. I did find Icerocket easier to navigate.

Del.icio.us

Besides Del.icio.us being a useful tool for accessing bookmarks remotely, it’s potential for research assistance is great. This website allows you to share bookmarks/tags with others. So, you can see what information others have found on your particular topic and in turn they can see what you’ve done. A researcher could spend days examining a topic but when using Del.icio.us that time can be cut down considerably.

My Space

My space was easy to navigate and tabs were useful. I enjoyed searching for people I might now on this site but lists were long and many times scary. Users can customize their pages to show their personalities, interests and in many cases a side of them not known to many friends, i.e. a closet poet. It’s also a way for talented people to be showcased as unsigned musicians can post music. I believe My Space is so popular because it’s a way for friends to stay in touch because they can leave comments or messages.

Should VBPL use a social network site to connect w/teens?

I believe the VBPL should definitely use a social network site to connect with teens. It is a virtual world where teens can interact with adults in a safe environment. The VBPL can suggest books, videos, offer help with homework, research, college planning, career planning, and also offer gaming activities which are so popular. They can be a sounding board for an idea that the teen may not know how to talk with their parents about. It is important for the library to connect with teens where they hang out, on line.

VBPL Advisory Wiki

The VBPL wiki has alot of interesting information and a good source for reading materials. The different categories make it easy to search. It was fairly easy so adding my entry to the page wasn't too difficult. The font changes were a little irritating because I had to keep turning them off and on to take.

Other libraries can use wikis to communicate because its user friendly and it's always best when you share information.

Library Wiki's

I enjoyed the Booklovers Wiki because the books reviewed were by readers and not critics. Many times a critic will pan or applaud a piece that I find totally opposite in opinion. I believe this application would work well within a library because readers can contribute their opinions.

Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki - Eventhough no site is fool-proof, this one lends more credibility because they have created a safeguard for loggin on. This helps track changes and/or deletions. This site is a forum for libraries to share valuable information, tools, quick tips and success stories with other libraries. As the website says, basically if you know of anything that works, include it on this site. The site is easy to navigate because articles are grouped under general topics and if you cannot find your topic, there is an email address at the bottom.

IM'ing and Referencing at the Library

Virtual reference services at the Law Library deal mostly with specific topics. General information can be easily relayed, however, some topics need hands on research. It does, however, allow the librarian to direct patrons to websites or to the different court websites where they can find many forms. Many times a patron just doesn't know where to begin the research, so the librarian is a wealth of information on the process.

Instant Messaging at the Library

Instant messaging is a real time communication tool which is extremely useful in doing research. It is different than traditional channels because it allows all patrons access to library resources from where they're located. For example, students can continue working on a paper instead of having to stop and physically go to a library. Librarians can push down web pages to the customer. It also greatly improves the image of a librarian as a modern tech-savy person instead of their past image.