"A Wiki is a quick-to-build, easy-to-edit website on which all information can be edited, changed, or rewritten by the users or members of the site". (Wiki = fast or quick). It's a way of getting information published on-line quickly and easily, without the need for an IT degree or knowledge of HTML.
In a public library context, setting up a wiki, accessible through the library's website, could be a great way of involving library customers. For example, we could ask them to post reviews of books they have enjoyed and even make comments about books that have already been reviewed. This could result in a club-like atmosphere, which would be attractive to certain groups of library users, particularly the 10 - 18 age group. Separate wikis could be established to satisfy different interests - cooking, gardening, astronomy, etc.
The main problem or disadvantage with wikis is maintaining editorial control, though this seems to be solved by limiting editing to specific people who must have an account and log in before any editing can take place. Those authorised to contribute to or edit a wiki could be limited to staff members (as in the St Joseph County Public Library's subject guides wiki - http://www.libraryforlife.org/subjectguides/index.php/Main_Page - ) or through email confirmation of address http://libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Main_Page - Library Success, a best practices wiki, which asks for email confirmation due to vandalism problems. Some wikis even charge for membership - Princeton Public Library's gold membership for the Book Lovers Wiki is $75 a year, but it does offer the chance for reviewers to win prizes.
In summary, from the small amount I have explored and regardless of the possible pitfalls, I can see how wikis could be used by public libraries. I have even started my own wiki - http://mysteryworld.pbwiki.com/mysteryworld - though I don't know if I will get time to do much with it. At present, it is definitely a work in progress.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
# 15 Library 2.0
This whole Library 2.0 training exercise has made me think about the future direction of libraries in a world that is constantly changing socially, politically, economically, environmentally and technologically.
Around 130 years ago, Melvil Dewey devised the Dewey Decimal Classification System and totally revolutionised the library world. Up until around ten years ago, libraries seemed to change at a slow, leisurely pace, almost as though change could only be accepted if there was no alternative. With the introduction of computers and the internet, not to mention the changes in social attitudes, change within libraries is now the norm. Libraries have to justify their place in the modern world. With so much information seemingly easily accessible on-line, librarians have to prove their role as information providers.
So how do we do this? Do we jump on the nearest bandwagon and eagerly embrace everything? Do we set up blogs and RSS feeds and rely on the new technology for our information resources? Or should we adopt a wait and see attitude, risking missing out altogether?
As an information services librarian in a frontline management position in a public library, I feel my power to bring about change in a physical sense is limited. My voice is small. However, I can embrace the changes in a metaphysical way, trying to bring about a change in mindset for myself and for my colleagues, ensuring that the people I work with will be able to accept the inevitable changes in a positive, empowering way. My personal shelf-life as a librarian is probably limited to a decade. I can only hope that the extent of positive change I have witnessed in the past decade will be replicated in the next ten years!
Around 130 years ago, Melvil Dewey devised the Dewey Decimal Classification System and totally revolutionised the library world. Up until around ten years ago, libraries seemed to change at a slow, leisurely pace, almost as though change could only be accepted if there was no alternative. With the introduction of computers and the internet, not to mention the changes in social attitudes, change within libraries is now the norm. Libraries have to justify their place in the modern world. With so much information seemingly easily accessible on-line, librarians have to prove their role as information providers.
So how do we do this? Do we jump on the nearest bandwagon and eagerly embrace everything? Do we set up blogs and RSS feeds and rely on the new technology for our information resources? Or should we adopt a wait and see attitude, risking missing out altogether?
As an information services librarian in a frontline management position in a public library, I feel my power to bring about change in a physical sense is limited. My voice is small. However, I can embrace the changes in a metaphysical way, trying to bring about a change in mindset for myself and for my colleagues, ensuring that the people I work with will be able to accept the inevitable changes in a positive, empowering way. My personal shelf-life as a librarian is probably limited to a decade. I can only hope that the extent of positive change I have witnessed in the past decade will be replicated in the next ten years!
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
# 14 Technorati
Technorati is the "leading search tool and authority for blogs", with more than 50 million blogs attached to it. This is an incredible number of blogs! With the world population at 6,602,224,175 (July 2007, CIA World Factbook), that means one out of 132 people has a blog! No wonder we need a way of searching blogs, apart from the usual internet search engines. Mind you, I don't really believe these statistics - I think that some people have more than one blog, which inflates the stats. Because I have set up my Ifancynancypearl blog through www.blogger.com, my blog is also accessible through Technorati.
Would I use Technorati? Probably not at the moment but who knows what the future may hold? I'm not sure how it could be applied in a professional sense. However, I feel it is important to know about such things if only to avoid being a technoramus.
Would I use Technorati? Probably not at the moment but who knows what the future may hold? I'm not sure how it could be applied in a professional sense. However, I feel it is important to know about such things if only to avoid being a technoramus.
Monday, October 15, 2007
# 13 Del.icio.us
"Del.icio.us is a social bookmarking manager which allows you to bookmark a web page and add tags to categorize your bookmarks".
This is an interesting tool - particularly handy if you use different computer terminals. However, the lack of privacy is a bit of a concern. We have so little privacy in our lives nowadays and even people who lead blameless lives can have a twinge of fear about how transparent and accessible our lives are. (Remember Sandra Bullock in The Net? In fact, Orwell's 1984 predicted some aspects of the world we are now living in). I'm not sure I will embrace the social networking aspect of Del.icio.us but nonetheless it has been an interesting experience.
This is an interesting tool - particularly handy if you use different computer terminals. However, the lack of privacy is a bit of a concern. We have so little privacy in our lives nowadays and even people who lead blameless lives can have a twinge of fear about how transparent and accessible our lives are. (Remember Sandra Bullock in The Net? In fact, Orwell's 1984 predicted some aspects of the world we are now living in). I'm not sure I will embrace the social networking aspect of Del.icio.us but nonetheless it has been an interesting experience.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
# 12 Rollyo
Rollyo is an entirely new concept for me - the idea of creating your own search engine to search only the websites you choose - and I love it (particularly since I managed to do the task with only a minimum of help). I am going to use Rollyo to create search engines in other topics which interest me.
Monday, October 8, 2007
# 11 LibraryThing
“I just said, 'Well, the real people performing miracles every day are librarians,' and we all laughed ourselves off our chairs.” (Nancy Pearl)
I have looked at LibraryThing before but this time I was encouraged to set up my own catalogue. I wish I had time to add all my books at home!
To get a hint of what Ifancynancypearl likes to read, here's the link:
http://www.librarything.com/catalog/ifancynancypearl
I also find LibraryThing helpful in finding suggestions for my personal reading and I have read many good books as a result. I can also use it in my information services role, in terms of finding similar books and placing suggestions for books that my library doesn't have.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
# 10 On-line image generator
Initially I thought I would be able to reinvent myself in a virtual world by generating a new image (think tall, slim, blonde, unencumbered) but I soon realised that the task referred to pictures!
My colleague, Yarnspinner, recommended this website - http://www.imagegenerator.org/ - and I had a bit of fun with it. It's worth looking at if you want to put together signs, etc. She also helped me transfer the image to my blog. Thanks Yarnspinner!
I'm not sure how I will personally use this skill, although it would have been really handy in 1994 when I was compiling the kindergarten newsletter (when cut and paste involved scissors and glue!).
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