Web 2.0 101 - Week 3 Social Networking

How can social networking be used by MLA to connect members

The most obvious way that I can see MLA members using social networking is for members to be able to contact other members who share similar interests, or those who work in similar institutions for networking and collaboration.  Chapters, Sections and SIGs could use social networking for planning events at Annual meetings.

Should your library have a Facebook or MySpace page?

I don’t believe that it’s necessary for libraries to have pages on Facebook or MySpace.  Unless I’m missing the mark on the way people - and young people, in particular - utilize social networking pages, I see people logging in to Facebook to try to find friends, concerts, movies, etc…not their local public (school, hospital, whatever) library.  I guess what I’m getting at is these things are for people, not institutions.  If someone says “Delaware Academy of Medicine” to me and I have no clue what that is, the first thing I’m going to do is Google it, not look on Facebook.

•  Are there privacy concerns for individuals when using social networking sites.

Of course!  Just like with everything else we do…be careful what you write.  When I joined Facebook, I didn’t answer most of the questions because (aside from being too lazy!) I didn’t think it was necessary.  By the same token, as well as avoiding posting personal information, one should also think twice before posting messages on these sites.  Knowing that anybody…potential employers…your parents…your boyfriend/girlfriend…could be searching these sites for information about you…think about what you post before you post it.  Could what you say today come back to bite you 10 years down the road?

• What did you like or not like about your experience with Facebook or MySpace.

I had a hard time getting around in Facebook…without going back to the assignment blog and following step by step instructions.  I think maybe that it’s just that I’m really not familiar with using these sorts of services.  I have this Facebook page…now that do I DO with it?  I’ve had a LinkedIn page for almost a year.  It’s been fun to invite friends and colleagues to be part of LinkedIn, and to see who knows whom, but that’s the extent of what I do with it.  I log in and look around and then ask, “now what?”  So I have a Facebook page, now what?

Web 2.0 101 - Week 2

What is the difference between a blog and a wiki?

The basic difference between a blog and a wiki is that the content major on a blog can only be updated by one person, or a group of people.  Many people may comment on the content of a blog, and those comments can be made visible, but only certain people can update the content. 

A wiki is different.  Almost anyone can create or edit content for a wiki.  This gives greater flexibility, for instance, if a group is working on a project.  Every member of the group can post information and you can see how the document changes over time.

What sort of things might be better suited for a blog and better suited for a wiki?

 A blog would be better, for instance, if one is creating a sort of online diary and wants to share his rambling thoughts and musings for others to comment on.  A wiki, however, would be better when you need many people to share their thoughts on a subject.

Check out the DelMIRA wiki at http://delmira.wetpaint.com

First Web 2.0 101 Blog

So these are the questions we have to answer: 

How do you think you could use RSS feeds at your library?

How do you think patrons could use RSS feeds?

Write a brief response on your blog.

1.  Being the manager of a group purchasing consortia that purchases electronic resources for medical libraries in Delaware, I could see using a blog to post questions and promote conversation between DelMIRA members.  If I’m looking at a new resource, I can post a link to the resource with access instructions and ask members to evaluate the resource and share their comments.

2.  I think it’ll be tough going at first as I’m not 100% convinced myself that blogging and RSS feeds are useful.   It seems to me that blogs and RSS feeds are simply “email on steroids,” and at this point, I’m not sure I see the value.  I have 4 websites bookmarked that I visit every morning when I log in to my computer.  All 4 bookmarks appear at the top of my IE window as icons so I don’t have to go searching for the bookmarks.  Just 4 clicks and I’ve visited each site I need/want to visit and I’m done.  It takes me 3 clicks just to get into my reader.

BUT…this is new (well, maybe not so new) technology, so I’m more than willing to give it a shot and see what happens.  Who knows?  Maybe by week 8, I’ll be a convert!

I’m looking forward to the rest of this class.

rtm