Thing 11 - IM (Instant Messaging)

Discovery Exercise

Why should libraries use IM?
How is IM different that traditional communication channels?
How many of the IM population are our customers and why should we care?



Why should libraries use IM?
IM is great for libraries to use because it offers an open line of communication for people who live a great distance from a library. It is a way for them to quickly get answers to their questions. It is also perfect for people who can’t get to the library to find the information themselves whether it be a transportation problem or a medical problem.


How is IM different than traditional communication channels?
IM is great too because it doesn’t leave you wondering if and when you will be getting a response back. IM allows for a much faster, speedier response over the traditional communication channels. Many individuals prefer IM over traditional emailing. On the flip side of things IM lacks security and authentication, and a sense of recording the conversation.


How many of the IM population are our customers and why should we care?
I don’t know the exact figure as to how many of our customers are IM users but I did read that a little over 50 million adults use IM. We as library staff care because this can (and is) be another service that we can provide to our customers on our Internet computers. It will allow them to IM the library staff about a question they have right from the computer if they prefer. It opens the doors to people who like to IM instead of using other means of communication.

Thing 10 - Useful Library Blogs

I found that a few of the search tools were a little too busy for me. They seemed to have a lot going on each page. It become a little overwhelming with so much content to look at. I did like Technorati. The layout was pretty good and didn't seem to be as overwhelming to look at. I liked that you could quickly access popular searches or popular search categories. On the website www.topix.com it had some great searches that you could quickly access too. I liked that you could access local information to our area quickly. I found it interesting to see what topics other people are interested in. It is perfect for accessing the latest information on breaking news.

I found that the website www.syndic8.com was a little confusing to me. It didn't seem very clear to me as to where to begin. The layout was not very inviting. Needless to say I did not spend very much time on this website. All of these sites can be helpful in finding information/blogs on particular subjects.

Learning about RSS Feeds - Thing 9

Discovery Exercise (Option 2):

1. Follow the discovery resources above to learn more about RSS and newsreaders.
2. Create a Google Reader account for yourself and subscribe to at least 10 newsfeeds using your reader.Here are some possible RSS feeds for you to choose from:The L2 Chronicles blog feed
VBPL Talks blog feed
RSS Feed availalbe from Wavy TV
Hampton Roads news from WVEC
Unshelved blog feed
The Shifted Librarian blog feed
3. Create a blog post about this exercise. Here are some questions to get you started:

What do you like about RSS and newsreaders?
How do you think that you might be able to use this technology in your work or your personal life?
How can libraries use RSS or take advantage of this new technology?




For this assignment I chose option # 2 to create a Google Reader account. I have prior to the start of Learning 2.0 already created an account with Bloglines. I wanted to compare the two of them and see just how different they are. I have really enjoyed the benefits of having all my RSS feeds all in one location. It saves me a lot of time being able to keep up with the news and the latest information from one central location. I really like that they are very fast and efficient at keeping me posted on the latest and greatest news. I have enjoyed working with both Bloglines and Google Reader. They are both very similar to each other.

This technology can be extremely useful in both my work and my personal life. In my career it is helpful in accessing information quickly from several different sites. It will allow me to save time and to efficiently get the information that I need for customers. It is the perfect tool for both work and my personal life to keep up with current events all in one organized fashion.

I think that libraries can explode with the ideas of using RSS feeds from both an internal and an external view point. It will allow all of the internal customers to access information quickly and easily as opposed to searching through lots of paperwork. Our customers would be able to use this as a way of communicating with us about what kind of information they are seeking. As technology continues to advance, ideas become endless.....

7 1/2 Habits - Easiest/Hardest

There are a lot of great habits to use when learning new material. One of the easiest habits that I try to apply to whenever possible is to use technology to my advantage. I really enjoy working with new technology. It is fascinating to me to learn about how something works or how to accomplish a task much quicker and more efficient. Technology certainly has come along way!

The hardest habit for me to do is to play. I am not sure why what should be one of the easiest seems to be my hardest. I think for me time seems to be an issue. There doesn't seem to be enough time for me to really sit down and "play" with concepts that are new. It seems to be all about getting the assignment done and then moving on to the next one without really stopping to look into it a little further and explore to see what else it has to offer.

Library 2.0 - Thing 5

I think that Library 2.0 will be a positive change for the libraries as a whole. I think it's great that the library recognizes that there is an evolving change in technology and how people access the information that they need. It allows us to take advantage of new service points to help people all over in our community in ways that we would never have been able to do so before. I think that as a whole we will and are able to reach out to more people through the Internet and new service points then ever before without having them step foot into a library. We are not just about "books" anymore. We are now about providing access to information in many means.