#16 Wikis

I've loved wikis from the beginning, even when the library intelligentsia forbade them. Nowadays, I'm proud that I used the technology anyway. What is so interesting about wikis? Unlike a normal published source, wikis can be mostly opinion. They can be void of the politics that crate the words of so many excepted news sources. As a librarian/researcher, I'm personally more interested in peoples' opinions anyway. Traditional encyclopedias, newspapers, and magazines usually give watered-down information. If a crime happened, we may read the story in the newspaper. We learn of brave boys in uniform. We read of the 'helpless' white girl or black woman. A wiki can contain the originally printed news story as well an alternative review. A wiki can also take on a blog format. There is often a place where others can comment and links for additional information. A reader may learn that the police bungled the investigation, or learn of hidden truths covered up by the establishment.

So how can this technology be of use to libraries? It adds an element of honesty to otherwise dry book reviews and reader's guides. As I was looking through the Princeton Book Lover's Wiki, I noticed the open social-media format in which anyone can give their opinion of a book. Official library readers guides and reviews can be watered down and bureaucratic. I personally feel that a costumer who has paid good money for a horribly written book will write a better review, than an employed person with loyalty to their administration.

#15 Away from the “Icebergs”

I have read the "Away From Icebergs" article and skimmed several others. The library is a physical place filled with books that most people don't read anymore. Most of our users are on the computers trying to learn skills that should have been obtained when they were youngsters. Typical library users are often judgment impaired. They leave their children for us to take care of, and saddle us with giving them a crash-course computer science degree in 3 minutes. Library users have evolved into humans addicted to taking the easy, less costly route throughout life.

The rewards for librarians that make everything easy for their users, while condemning and neglecting each other will move libraries on the path of extinction. Rather, users need to learn that dues-paying begins at their library. How can this be accomplished? We need more services that rely on user education and training, services that force customers to think on their feet. We already have our Pharos computer sign-in system. Customers must watch readouts and interact with technology in a timely fashion, or they will not be able to use the computers at all. Libraries should consider high fines for overdue and lost cards/materials. We should also spend considerably less time pursuing criminals and abolishing criminal activities. It's a jungle out there, and only the best parents and most prepared students will survive. We as librarians are society's measuring-stick. We decide who is literate, who is educated properly, and who is safe in this world. It's time we start playing the part.

#14 Exploring Technorati

Technorati was fun, but much too extensive for my taste. True, the blog searches, tag searches, and post searches, were all different, but I felt that the tag searches were the most comprehensive. 'Tagging' brings back posts and blogs in the results. People seem to be good at tagging like bits of information and sharing the information, making Technorati a good resource for journalists and researchers. I had talked to many coworkers about Technorati beforehand, so i was not surprised by all this. One point is clear, however. There are too many different ways to search here, and all the mechanics are best done behind the scenes. Tagging is good, but I like search engines that incorporate tagging automatically like Google.

#13 Social Bookmarking in Del.icio.us

While looking around Delicious, I noticed a bookmark visited by 1252 people. RSS Calender is the name of the web page bookmarked. The web page allows users to synchronize any calenders and deliver the calender to anyone via rss feeds. This does seem to be an amazing way of telling people what's gong on. At the library, we might use this technology to share desk schedules, company calenders, and any duty done on a rotation basis. By searching through tags, any student can come up with web pages on any topic. The best thing is that new web pages can be discovered quickly.

#12 JAXCAT Gadget

How could this gadget be used outside of a library setting? I read a wiki article that talked about web pages using search engines and search tools to make money. The provider makes some business deal with other companies and charges those companies for using the web page for advertising space. I wonder if a library could do this?

#11 Library Thing

My "Library Thing" gadget is up and running. I like this. It's nice to be able to share my favorite books instantly with others. I am especially glad this tool is random. I'm not trying to change or convert anyone who reads my blog. There are just 5 random books listed, just like it says on the right side of the blog.

#10 Image Generators

By now, everyone knows that I love Google. I like using databases too, but customers refuse to learn. They don't care about education and are not interested in any kind of advancement. I work at busy service desks and am constantly harassed by both customers and supervisors. What's a hard-working librarian to do? Use Google. It's quick when I am stressed out. (which is everyday) Most of all, I can gently move terrible people through my life as quickly as possible. The image generator I used can be found here: http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/.