First of all, I added tags (labels) to all of my blog posts. This was easy enough to do by editing each of the posts and putting keywords in the label field.
Then I created a Delicious account. I decided not to import all of my current browser bookmarks. Instead I chose a few often-used browser bookmarks and added them separately to my delicious account. I tagged each one with one or more keywords for easy finding later. Again this process was pretty simple, but I started to get worried about all of the accounts I have created in these last few "Things." Am I going to remember all of my accounts and what usernames and passwords I chose? Some of these web tools are already tied into to other accounts (such as google/blogger.com) and you can use previously created account information. I guess that is a good thing, but one more thing to remember!! I found out (after I created my delicious account) that the site is a part of Yahoo now (from the "Several Habits of Wildly Successful Delicious Users" article). I already have a yahoo account from MANY years ago, used it for my Flickr account, and wish Delicious would have told me that when I registered like Flickr did!!!! Then I wouldn't have created ANOTHER account!
After all of this account creating, blogging, photo & bookmark sharing, etc. I have started to feel web vulnerable. So far, I have tried to be careful about the personal information, pictures, bookmarks, and ideas I share publicly, but it has gotten difficult to "cover my tracks" everywhere I go. Sometimes I don't even understand what's public and what's private anymore. In fact, I'm totally confused by the "Inbox" on delicious. I got worried when I read in Brendon Connelly's "Several Habits of Wildly Successful Delicious Users" that "you can check out other users' inboxes by just replacing their USERNAME in this url:http://del.icio.us/inbox/USERNAME. By exploring through a few layers of who is watching who, you'll start to come up with your own list of people to stalk--just add them to your inbox!" Maybe I don't understand this, but other people can read my inbox?? I checked the FAQ's in delicious and one of the questions is: What is my Inbox (formerly known as "links for you"), and how do I use it? The ANSWER: "This is where you can receive bookmarks from other Delicious users. Your Inbox is not visible to other users." Huh? Which is true? Whatever the answer is, I am going to try to be sure that anything I post anywhere is going to be something that I don't care about being public!
Ok, so after all of the paranoia, back to delicious and social bookmarking. I feel that it will be useful for me personally at work since I work in several different locations during the week. I have actually noticed recently that keeping all of my bookmarks in my browser is becoming a problem since they are only set to one computer. Delicious will help me retrieve all of my important bookmarks from ANY computer. YAY! I can also see how this web tool could be useful for librarians who work at a reference desk, point, etc. away from their office computers. And, if I understand it correctly, I guess a library could set up a delicious acccount of frequently-used web resources and share it with patrons. Or the patrons would have access to the library account through tags or bookmarks sent to an Inbox? I think I will need to do some further investigation into this tool. I suddenly feel uncomfortable . . .
I am familiar with all 3 parts of Thing 8 - IMing, txting, and web conferencing.
I am currently participating in our library's version of chatting/IMing, Ask-A Librarian. It is a web-based service that requires no downloads, just an updated version of Java. Therefore, it is convenient for the librarians to use anywhere, even at home. Also, patrons just click on a link from one of our library webpages and can chat with a librarian after entering some brief info about themselves and typing their question if they choose. In my brief experience chatting with patrons (1 year), we also used another type of software called Pidgin before moving to the web-based service. It required downloading the software on each computer you used and required the Meebo aggregator so patrons could use the service from various other IM services including Yahoo, Google Talk, and AOL. The Pidgin software worked fairly well, but most seem to be pleased with the new service. It does, however, take some getting used to typing quickly, searching the web for answers to questions, pushing pages, and handling more than one patron at once!! I have enjoyed my experiences so far and look forward to my time chatting each week.
I am familiar with texting in my personal life - mostly friends, but have not heard of anyone using this service in the libraries. I'm not sure I understand how librarians can use texting with personal cell phones since the service usually incurs a cost. However, it seems from the article, that there are other ways to incorporate texting with library services: "To make it easier for libraries to include SMS in their communications options, Innovative Interfaces Inc. (III) says it build SMS messaging into future versions of its Millennium library automation system. Some of the functionality expected from the vendor’s SMS integration into its ILS includes the ability to send text messages to patrons’ mobile phones so library users can be alerted when requested materials are available as well as to help libraries provide other circulation-related functions.Given that many library patrons interact almost constantly through their cell phones, receiving library notices through them will be more convenient and immediate than printed notices or even e-mail." If this service was provided, patrons (especially of the younger generations) could benefit since they are so often using their cell phones for communication.
I have also attended a number of "web conferences" on various library-related topics. With a bit of planning and time management, they all seemed to work well from the my end (the attendee). Usually I just had to go to a few sites, download a bit of software, dial a phone number, and I was "in." It was fairly effortless for me to be at my desk and learn new information and also participate in the conference without having to go anywhere. Creating a web conference, on the other hand, could be a bit more challenging. I could see how creating or participating in web conferencing could benefit many librarians since most do not have the time or money to travel. I also believe that much more library-related information can be shared this way.
The web 2.0 communication tools presented in Thing 8 could all be useful to libraries of all sizes. They are being incorporated in many ways in many libraries today and are helping patrons get information better, faster, and in the way they want it.
So here is the result of playing with the online image generators for over an hour. Check it out at NeonCentral. I also made myself a Bayern München football jersey at FootballShirtAvatar - SWEET! You could definitely use image generators to get creative with any online material provided by your library. I have heard of several libraries making trading cards of their librarians and they seem to be a big hit with the students!
As you can see I had a little fun with the Flickr tools and mashups. It's true, you could spend ALL DAY here. I don't know exactly how some of these things would be useful to librarians unless they were working on a very specific, creative project. I think someone would have more fun editing his/her own pictures and creating fun stuff for friends and family. I guess I'm still not on the photo sharing bandwagon. It just seems a little risky to have photos floating about on the web that are available to anyone. I'm sure you can set all kinds of privacy settings, but photos always seem to find their way to a place we don't want them . . .
This is the only library-related picture I have at the moment. I'll have to work on getting some others.
I checked out the Clemens and Alcuin libraries of the College of St. Benedict and St. John's University Flickr feature called "add a note" to highlight books in their collections. Their idea is pretty interesting. I can see how this idea would be great for a new books collection or a special collections display. I like the idea of people being able to add a tag or maybe even comment on a book they have read already. I also looked at what some other libraries were doing with Flickr - Library pictures, 365 library days project, Second Life Library 2.0, etc. I was not too interested in the Library pictures site since I would need a lot of time on my hands to scroll through the pictures and I wasn't sure what the point of the 365 library days project. Also, I checked the Second Life Flickr site and was appalled at some of the images. This is the problem I have with "open to the public" sites. There's always someone who has to "ruin the party." It seemed like a good idea to share images of library spaces in Second Life, but I was immediately turned off when I saw the disturbing images. I guess the hard part of creating a library project in Flickr and making it public would be grasping the concept that you don't really have full control. Anyway, I do think some very good ideas are coming out of this 2.0 tool and I am thinking of using it to host my personal pictures - private for friends and family ONLY of course.
