Week 6: Things 13-15

Thing 13: Del.icio.us & Tagging
A few years back I had been using a bookmarking site - I loved the convenience of being able to access my bookmarks from any computer - especially when I wanted to demonstrate or use a web-site with students and staff. I didn't have to worry about typing in a wrong URL in front of an audience, or taking the time to set up bookmarks on that computer ahead of time. To be honest, I can't even remember the name of the site I was using - or why I stopped using it. (I do know that I recommended it in one of my staff newsletters, so I will go back & check out which one it was)
Del.icio.us differs from the site I used because of the "social" aspect. The ability to see how many people are bookmarking sites as well as the other sites people have bookmarked adds a whole new dimension to simply bookmarking.
I think for research assistance (at least for my students) it may not be the best site. I think it is just too easy to get off-track & not as focused as some other searches they could do. I did enjoy using the site, and I am looking forward to going back & playing with it some more - however, I spent much more time then I had intended exploring all of the other sites.

Thing14: Technorati
Perhaps if I go back & take a better look at Technorati at a different time (when I am not away on vacation) - I will end up liking it more ... but right now I found it overwhelming. This must really be what information overload is all about!
I did have different results when I searched for School Library Learning 2.0 in various ways. There is also a lot to explore under the popular blogs, searches and tags. At first it seemed to be mostly entertainment & news related - but you can really dig into any topic you are interested in.
Tagging has flexibility since you can create your own tags (rather then be bound by subject headings such as Library of Congress or Sears) - but I wonder if that will also make things difficult to search for at times? Or is more user-friendly because people choose tags that make sense to them (whereas LOC or Sears are not really user-friendly.
I will really have to spend more time with this site to try to find ways I could use it with students - but I think it may be overwhelming for them.

Thing 15 - Perspectives on Web 2.0
I agreed with the articles about 2.0 - libraries need to embrace 2.0 technologies & build "collections"that patrons can access from anywhere. This is a great opportunity for many libraries to reach people. Although print circulations may be dropping, libraries can use other usage statistics (digital collections, online databases) to prove that their value to the public is actually increasing.
To me Library 2.0 means the ability to better meet the needs of the user- through online and digital collections, and the more interactivity with users to find out and respond to their needs.
I am fearful that for school libraries (or at least mine) this could produce a larger gap in services. I have tried to keep up with new technologies and to integrate them into my school library and curriculum, but much stronger Internet filters and rules this year have proved extremely frustrating to my efforts. I had a "book blog" which is no longer accessible from school (although the technology director just told me Word Press may work better for me then Blogger )... I wanted to try to have students create podcasts instead of a more traditional presentation, but after recording a trial one, I was unable to download it to listen to it. I understand the need to have rules and filters in school settings, but I think if we have too many we are missing out on a chance to connect to and engage students using technology that they are already using at home - and instead of attracting them to the world of libraries and hooking them in when we have a chance, we will seem dated and dull in comparison to the 2.0 world they are living in.