Library 2.0

I don't like black and white thinking. I think the answer is almost always a shade of gray. And I think the Library 2.0 is no exception. The idea of forsaking everything for technology is not a good idea in my opinion. But we must keep up with user needs, what patrons need and want from their library is key to staying relevant. I think it is a fine line that libraries walk in these digital days. I liked what librarian blooger Michael Stephens had to say about the new world of librarianship, “the Library is human” because it makes the library a social and emotionally engaging center for learning and experience." I think the library as a social place is a very important theme and we should not forget that the library is a fellow member of the community that people look to for support and experience. We must not forsake our library community for cybraries that merely give patrons access to hardware and software. Libraries should help patrons move along and get along in the world using the latest technology tools but should do so in a human and engaging environment. Librarians should be inherently aware of the need for moderation between technology and humanity. In this time of transition, as libraries try to find their place in our digital world we should work hard to ensure that we remain an organic part of the community.

Another great discovery, Zotero!

I had seen Zotero on library computers, watched other people use Zotero but had never tried it myself. Until today. Now I can count on Zotero for the rest of my days as a graduate student! The usefulness of this tool is endless. No more will I clutter up my email or my desktop with random notes of article citations or links to books I need. I now have a great web 2.0 tool to keep my research organized and help me collect good articles as I discover them. There are a lot of features to Zotero and I have probably only looked at half of them but just the basics are really helpful. The ability to label the item you want to bookmark is nice so you know at a glance if the citation is a book, article or website. You can also add notes to each item so you remember exactly what it is you liked about the material. Using the groups, you can keep things together according to topics or courses. I think that all library computers should have Zotero access and librarians should be promoting it in information literacy classes. Students should be exposed to this tool early in their college career so they can reap the benefits in every paper they write. When I write my next paper it is a good bet I will be using Zotero to keep me organized and on top of things! Take a look at a few things I posted into my new Zotero account.........
http://www.zotero.org/amilake/items

Rollyo

I had not even heard of Rollyo before this exploration so this was a brand new discovery. I searched around and looked at some searchrolls on various topics and decided to create my own searchroll with some librarian technology type blogs. It was a very easy process to create a search and really easy to register for an account. The user friendly interface and simple set up would make this great for anyone to use. A library could set up a search for book recommendations or a librarian could set up a search of citation sites or research sources pages for an information literacy class. I can see a lot uses for a tool like this in a library or even in a classroom. Check out my search here....
http://rollyo.com/amil/library_techno_blogs/

LibraryThing is kinda my thing

I am a bit surprised I did not know about LibraryThing before my introduction through this exploration. It is just the kind of tool I would use to discover new books to read and share good reads with my friends. I really enjoyed discovering LibraryThing and learning the features and capabilities. I added some of my favorite books and looked for some interesting things to read during the holiday break. I read many of the recommendations made for me and I enjoyed reading many reviews. LibraryThing was a very useful and enjoyable exploration! Check out my profile
http://www.librarything.com/home/amiL

The Amazing Adventures of Google

As much as I use Google on a daily basis, there are a few products I haven't used or explored. So this exercise was the perfect opportunity to check out something new in the Google realm. I somewhat reluctantly decided to check out Google Books. I am not fully sold on the idea of digital books. I believe they can be a useful addition to print books but by no means do I believe that only digital versions should exist. I think the lack of true ownership as well as the tactile experience of the physical book are key missing elements in digital forms. But that being said, I do think that digitalized forms of books, magazines and documents are an important research tool and can be a valuable asset in the library. I started exploring Google Books and was very quickly hooked. The back issues of magazines have clear color pictures and the text is clear and easy to read. The books have color cover images and story summaries and links to various sites to purchase. It is definitely an application I will use again.
I also decided to explore Google Earth. This is a very fascinating and addictive tool for looking at cities, buildings and maps of anywhere! You can check out your own city or street or look at a city across the globe. This is great to show kids in a school library or to show anyone in a public library. This is a tool that can help people explore places they would never be able to see otherwise. I will be spending a lot more time with Google Earth!

Google Docs

As I have stated before in this blog, I am a big fan of almost all of the Google tools and I have also used Google Docs in my previous library experience with very good results. We shared meeting notes, desk schedules and detailed "how to's" for the Circulation desk. As another collaborative tool it was invaluable for sharing information. The connection to Gmail and Google calendar was also extremely helpful for keeping organized and informed about everything happening in the library.

Woohoo for Wikis!

I have had some previous experience with wikis and find them to be quite useful in a library setting. The examples we looked at for this exploration are of course really great ways to use a wiki, I especially liked the public library page with lists of their classes and helpful hints for the public trying to get a grasp on all of the web 2.o tools out there. I also like the simple set up and design of the page. I think for the variety of people using a public library a simple, easy to follow design would be the most user friendly. The collaboration aspects of a wiki are also very intriguing. Collaborative tools benefit not only public libraries with shrinking budgets for staff but also in an academic setting where librarians work together on reference questions, teaching plans and a variety of projects. It seems there are a lot of pragmatic uses for wikis including conference information. It's really the perfect way to disseminate information about presentations, locations of interesting exhibits, vendors can share information and participants can share restaurant discoveries and impromptu gatherings. So far through the list of 23 Things I find wikis to be one with the most potential for regular and steady use.