Google Docs

I used Google Docs to post the previous blog. It was so easy! I truly feel like some of these things are becoming more and more seamless here. Woo-woo!

Collaborative Web-Based Docs

Here is a test of the web-based applications versus using MicroSoft Office Suite. I had to disengage my pop-up blocker to do this. That bothered me a little. I can see how this would be a better way to post blogs as I hope to do here. The end to MicroSoft? Maybe no time soon but gosh...things do seem to be going fast! This seems like a great real-time sharing feature and would certainly work in an office environment where many are collaborating on the same project. Input of information on collections, circulation, and programming at individual libraries could all be set up on one document without asking for information and then having to repeat it again for a final published document. Let's see how this posts.

facebook

After exploring the Facebook Apps for Librarians, I think JStor is a great addition as a reference tool for librarians and their customers by providing those full-text articles they are often searching for. I believe there is an ARTStor too. BooksiRead seems good too but there are other resources for reviews and reader's advisory. The site I found to have the most appealing idea is LibGuides. I noticed that the guides were tailored for a highly specific audience, for example, students in a specific academic program at a particular school. However, the idea of creating and gathering together resources on one subject could be useful for YA and children librarians. Adding a constant stream of updated and interesting news on this topic would not only be helpful for homework but help create ongoing interest in the subject. I noticed quite a few guides included short videos. That would add to the interest level as well. p.s. I'm learning so much here!!

Playing with Wikis

I looked at some lists of wikis. A wiki I found intriguing was one where classified documents could be submitted anonymously! However,I have no access to such exciting things so I created an entry to Literawiki and wrote a very short review of the book, A Free Life, by Ha Jin then classified it under "Reviews". Why was my review so short? The first time I wrote an extended version and lost it when trying to save it. Oh well.

wikis

I explored quite a few wikis....what's funny is I'm always telling library customers not to rely on the information on wikipedia because it's not considered scholarly. But I find that wikis do serve many purposes. I especially like the idea of sharing thoughts and reviews on books. That would certainly work for a library's reading discussion group. I also liked the way wikis work collaborately...where each member of a specified group can share information with each other. The ALA conference wiki is a great example. I also see this in an academic format with study groups, etc.

On Library 2.0 & Web 2.0...

I read the resources except I was unable to access the article from Library Journal. I laughed out loud at The Annoyed Librarian's Anti-2.0 Manifesto and some comments on it as well...finally, a comedic look at all the hype. I'm not ready to trash this program at all. I welcome the opportunity to learn the new technology....technology is a tool and what libraries and librarians do with it is a matter of creativity and purpose. Of course some ideas fly, others don't. Why did Cool Librarian's library blog fail to get any interest? I know a lot of people are turned off by the term "blog". Maybe a different way of marketing it would help.

Okay, I don't have much time to write here so I'm flitting around the topic plus I'm on the reference desk...

but I find it funny how parallel this librarian/customer collaboration mimics the trends in education in recent years where teachers are no longer to "teach" but to "facilitate" learning. Some good comes from that but something is lost too.

I guess I was wondering why I would want some of the library customers tagging the resources. I suppose that's what they mean by "trust".

The concepts that excited me the most and seemed to hold the most possiblities are "collective intelligence", "novel and remixed content", and hopefully "simplicity".

Technorati

I joined Technorati today and posted my blog there. So far I feel like my blog is just a documentation of what I'm learning and doing. Hopefully, I can make it more personal when I'm through learning the tools. The world of blogging is huge! I have some things in mind I would like to explore in this new world down the road...primarily how artists use these technologies. I listed one blog on artmaking as a favorite. I thought it was funny that one of the popular blogs was how to make money blogging...really? That sounds like a long shot.

As far as searching for "Learning 2.0", I found a search box and an advanced search on Technorati. I found 19,977 entries in total including posts, blogs, videos, and photos. There were 948 hits for blogs. However, I could not find how to search the blog directory or tags. I read FAQs about them and how to get my blog involved in them but not how to search for other blog. I enlisted the help of fellow co-workers to no avail. Is the site defective? Why is it easy to find what everyone else is looking at but hard for me to find things? Alas, my non-techie lament! But on the positive side, there's quite a bit to look at and explore.