Wikis

I have not had any real experiences with wikis. When the YA wiki came out I had read parts of the wiki but unsure how it worked I had never contributed to it. After watching the wiki video clip I was amazed out how easy it is. I might go back to the YA wiki and give my input.

I think wikis would be most useful when a group of people are all trying to compile info when they are not able to physically meet together. I understand the concern of someone "messing" up the wiki but it sounds like you can always go back to a previous version of it. I also like the idea that you can make your wiki private or public. When I have more time I would like to go back to some of the wikis listed and try to add/change them.

Technorati

Ok, not a big fan. The website was overwhelming for me. I tried searching for "learning 2.0" under different search options. The results were too massive. I think the search option would have been more useful if I was searching for something I have an interest in. Maybe I will try it again. However I did play around reading some of the headlines that were preselected. I actually found this more interesting than trying to search "learning 2.0".

del.icio.us

A week ago I created a del.icio.us account and tagged the websites that I had bookmarked on my computer. To be honest since then I have only opened up my del.icio.us account once and that was to add something else. In saying this I don't know how helpful I would find it as a research tool. I can see how helpful it would be if you use multiple computers and always want access to your bookmarks.

IS has a lot on their del.icio.us account but how many staff members turn to the account before doing a general online search? I might be wrong but I would guess that instinct would be to do a google search and then pull up del.icio.us if you can't find something with your search. Don't get me wrong I think this is a great way to keep track of useful websites but at the same time I think it is kind of like that one reference book you pull off the shelf when you hit the wall for ideas.

This is dedicated to my younger sister and the hundreds of times she had to bite the bar of soap. I don't think she ever learned her lesson.

http://www.redkid.net/generator/soap/

Library Thing

Can I say "I love it!" I actually created two accounts. The first account is my personal this is what I read and would like to read account. The other account I created is my favorite storytime books which I posted here. I quickly marked some titles that I liked but I am going to go back and add more with tags. This is exciting for me because I am always planning at the last moment and can't come up with anything. I have tried to keep lists via paper and excel but they never seem to work for me because the lists are in one place and I am somewhere else ... not anymore!

If anyone has any great storytime books I should know about let me know. I do storytime for K/1st grade.

social networking

In order for libraries to network out to new users, libraries need to be where their patrons are. I think the YAAB myspace page shows just that. YAAB is able to reach out to wider variety of teens through the use of friends. Both teens and parents have the ability to find teen events, resources, and great reads. Not to mention the cool posting of things such as the robot videos :)

We must not forget that adults can benefit from a social networking page too. Access to the catalog and databases, events, booktalks, and video clips of library forums would be a couple of things to consider on a library networking page.

Meebo

Ok, I discovered meebo a couple years ago on vacation. Choosing to leave my laptop at home I was at the mercy of a foreign computer without any messengers installed. Low and behold this is when someone showed me meebo.

I think having a MeeboMe widget on our website would be great. I like the idea that a patron can "talk" with a staff member without actually picking up the phone. For a lot of patrons this would actually be an easier way of contacting the library. Just think ... no more using valuable minutes on your cell phone, no background noise interference (screaming kids), can save chat log to refer back to, and the option of not speaking directly to a staff member.