What do you think about libraries taking part in social networking sites?

I like it. Our YAAB page is a good example of what a library can do in myspace. I think it's a great place to have a presence and advertise books and library events. I think FVRL could also have a page that marketed our online HOMEWORK resources and had the option for homework help chat with a librarian. The arguments against it, saying 'we need to stay out of teen spaces cuz they might not want us there,' are moot because we wouldn't be soliciting friends. We're just there and if teens want to be our friend, then cool.

When I worked as a librarian at Portland Community College one of the student library helpers was adamant that the PCC library should have presence in myspace. She said that she was on her myspace account several times a day and she would appreciate getting messages from the library on that account. What kind of messages? How about new books, change of hours, you need to renew your materials...

I think FVRL would also benefit from a Facebook account. This would attract the "older" crowd and could include messages about hours and events. This would also be one more venue to solicit feedback and ideas from the community regarding the library and what our users would like to see us do.

I think the main concerns are: keeping up with the current social networking sites...don't stay on myspace once the majority of users have moved on; make sure that the personnel time spent on managing the pages is worth the PR and interactions we are getting out of it; can these sites be accessed at the library, or are they blocked by filters?

Tag Cloud

I love the look of tag clouds. I really wanted a tag cloud for my blog, so i googled "add tag cloud to google" (without the quotes) and found several sites with step by step instructions on how to manipulate the HTML on your blogger blog to add a tag cloud! I used the KC-Studio instructions.

The only thing I would add to these instructions is to make sure you have added a Label to your blog. And I would go back and edit your posts to add tags (labels) before you add the code. It was pretty easy!

Mozdev.org

One more thought today. When I use Firefox, I love the search box next to the address box that let's me do a quick search on google or amazon.com. I use this ALL THE TIME. This afternoon I thought, "Hey, wouldn't it be great if I could search Worldcat that easily?" So I chose "manage search engines" from the drop down box and pretty easily added Worldcat. Then there was a link to Mozdev, (no idea what that means,) so I thought I'd see what they had to offer. On a whim I typed in www.fvrl.org to see if I could search our catalog. No results. Then I tried www.multcolib.org and easily added Multnomah County Library's catalog to my search box. Can someone make this happen for FVRL? Please?

Meebo & IM

I love Meebo and have been a user for a year or two. When I started using IM I had a yahoo account and I had to download software to my computer to use it. That was fine for my home computer, but what about someone else's computer? Or work? Meebo makes it easy to chat online from any computer.

My heydays of online chat have passed, (I'm too busy at work and don't feel like typing too much when I'm home,) but I do still occasionally sign on to Meebo and chat with a friend. I've heard we have an internal chat program at FVRL, but I have not been signed up for it yet. I definitely see the advantage of coworker chat, especially at a library system where people are in many different locations.

I also see a point to having the ability for the library to IM with the public. I agree with H2 regarding teens and IM, but just because teens have moved on it doesn't mean everyone else has. I think a Meebo widget on our homepage to connect with users is a great idea, and I think it would be attractive to users of all ages.

RSS addendum

Well, I've been enjoying my bloglines this week. I like that it added the Bloglines bookmark and Sub with Bloglines buttons to my toolbar so that it is simple to add new feeds and easy to go to my Bloglines page. So far I haven't had to re-sign in, which is good because I have so many logins and passwords...I just can't remember all of them.

I am enjoying the fact that I don't have to waste my time clicking on each bookmark to see if a page has been updated. I can hit refresh on my bloglines a couple of times during the day and see whether my fav sites have been updated or not. Yea bloglines!

RSS continued

Oh, it seems I'm not done with RSS yet!

1. Feedster: the link didn't work (and i really wish the FVRL 2.0 blog would open sites in a NEW window so I don't have to hit back to get to the assignment!) Here's the message I get when I google Feedster: Feedster
Feedster.com. Version 2.1 BETA. Feedster is Changing... We'll be back up soon with exciting news! So, no thoughts on Feedster.

2. Topix: I'm not a fan of the overcrowded home page. It's a bit text-heavy for me. I do like the little interactive graph that comes with the search results, but if I'm looking for news, I'm going to do a Google news search. No question about it.

3. Syndic8.com: Ewwww, I hate the homepage. I didn't realize I had such feelings about graphic design, but these are some unappealing sites! This is definitely uglier than Topix. Reminds me a bit of the old Librarian's Index to the Internet site, though I see they haven't improved much. Hmmm, why on earth would Syndic8 default to chronological order starting with the OLDEST news? That is bizarre. Hmm, it's so ugly I have to move on.

4. Google Blog Search: I've used this many times. It has the familiar Google "brand" logo, familiar search interface, option to create an email alert. Seems solidly Google.

5. Technorati: it definitely has a more eye-pleasing design (to me) than the majority of these sites. The first result that popped up under libraries was from 24 minutes ago and was this: http://oedb.org/blogs/ilibrarian/2008/librar-ify-your-igoogle-start-page/
A google gadget that customizes your igoogle homepage with a new library related image from Flickr every time you log on. Very cool. I may have to reconsider my igoogle homepage....

The wikis were interesting and COMPLETELY OVERWHELMING! My favorite method of finding blogs of interest remains looking at the links from my favorite blogs. It was interesting to see the lengthy list of Public Library blogs...i'd love to see FVRL on that list!

RSS

Here's another example of "new" technology that I tried out a few? couple of? years ago and didn't stick with me. I'm willing to give it another go. For some reason, going through my bookmarks seems easier to me than using bloglines. I'm not a big fan of the interface for starters. I just don't like the way it looks, I get overwhelmed with the number of posts I haven't read and then I just quite reading them all together.

I had some success with a personalized igoogle homepage last year. I liked picking my own background and that I could read the post on my page or open it in a new window. I guess maybe it's just and aesthetics issue for me. Huh. But I don't check my google homepage anymore and I don't even remember my login. I'll try the Bloglines for the next few days and see how it works for me and report back.

I do like the idea of RSS feeds and libraries. I know we send out a monthly newsletter to folks who subscribe, but I'd also love to see the option for little reminders through RSS feeds. Upcoming reading group at Ridgefield? Add it to the blog and let RSS subscribers receive the message in their bloglines. Friends booksale this weekend? Ditto. ALA Newbery and Caldecott winners? Storytime break? Hot new book by popular author in the catalog and ready for holds? I guess the first step is to get some FVRL blogs going and advertise them so that the public can sign up for them. I'd love to see this happen and I'd love to be a part of it!

What if Topeka Library had the COOLEST way to promote teen reading?

Mashin' it up

So I have to add a couple of things I found since my mash ups post. First, the MashUpAwards site regularly posts cool mashup sites. A lot of these seem to be Twitter-related, and I see the Twitter assignment is coming, but I've looked at it a bit and really, who wants to know what I'm doing on a moment by moment basis? You don't, trust me.

But I did find THE COOLEST mashup site ever. I'm a huge Pandora fan (also an upcoming assignment), but Songza let's you listen to any song you want any time you want. I'm still trying to figure out what the catch is, but for the moment I'm wracking my brain trying to decide what song I want to listen to! Who knew Ben Folds did a cover of the Postal Service's Great Heights and the Postal Service did a cover of Phil Collins' Against All Odds? How have I lived this long without songza?

Del.icio.us

Oh my, I feel like I'm coming out of a fog. Where did the past 30-40 minutes go? One moment I'm doing research for my library 2.0 post and the next thing I know I'm reading The Best of Craigslist 2007. How did I get there? I don't know...one bookmark led to another...I know I started at the IS Desk del.icio.us account.

Del.icio.us is one of those programs that I always hear about and have played with some, but have never really become addicted to. I like the idea of being able to access my bookmarks at home, at work, at my in-laws, etc. But there is also something very personal about bookmarks and I wonder how I'd be judged if the world could see my eclectic tastes?

I love that the IS desk has an account. I definitely see this as useful on the reference desk. I also think that the library could have Del.icio.us accounts that we advertise to the public. It could be another place to have the "Resources by Subject" link list that we have on the FVRL site. I would like to see an easy way to search by user so that the accounts of libraries, museums, schools, etc, could more easily be located.

Will I sign up for my own account? Probably. But will I forget the password within the month and have it go the way of my Bloglines account? Possibly.

more flickr

I love mashups. I used the beader (right) and the warholizer (below) to manipulate my Outside of a Dog photo.



How could libraries use mashups? I'd love to see a google map with photos (external and internal) of all of the FVRL locations and hours and contact info. That would be so much better than the current map on the FVRL site.