No More Things (for now)

The 25 Things experience was an excellent way to create awareness of some of the Web 2.0 technologies currently available. I liked the collaborative projects and mashups on Flickr, browsing around YouTube, following a few people on Twitter, and having fun with image generators. I was surprised by how easy it was to create a blog, and I will probably go back to investigate Delicious in greater depth. I would definitely be interested in another similar program in the future.

NetLibrary

NetLibrary wasn't as interesting as many of the other “Things” we’ve explored, because I'm already familiar with it, and I can't get excited about audio books. I understand their popularity, and the public loves the opportunity to download titles, but I still prefer reading books to listening to them. Because I don’t have a portable device to listen on, and I’m unlikely to listen to a book at my computer, downloadable audio doesn't hold much appeal for me. The possibilities for reading books on devices like the Kindle or Sony Reader interest me far more, but for now regular paper is fine.

Podcasts

I’ve enjoyed the Common Craft podcasts we’ve viewed throughout 25 Things. They were all short, clear, and easy to follow. I went to their website and discovered that all of their videos can be viewed there. When looking for helpful directories of podcasts, I found most of them disappointing, and cluttered with too much information. My favourite was Mediafly. http://mediafly.com/welcome It was clearly arranged by topic, without overloading each page. For Canadian content I liked Canada Podcasts. http://canadapodcasts.ca/

YouTube

I’d never paid much attention to YouTube, because enough videos turn up in e-mails or on websites I visit without having to search for more. I watched the library videos, and then began searching for music videos. I’m attaching two that I enjoyed. The first is Detroit ’67 by Sam Roberts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62YumTk349M
and the second is We Will Fall Together by Streetlight Manifesto. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YUtZ5y13o4

WPL Fun with 2.0

I added my blog to the Favourite Blogs page of the Fun with 2.0 Wiki, and then added links to a favourite restaurant, a favourite vacation spot, and a favourite website. It was all quite simple, and it would be a great way for a group to plan a project or event together

Wikis

I found the information on the creation of wikis interesting, especially the ease with which it can be done. I liked the idea of using them for small group collaboration, as we did for last year’s OLA summaries. I’ve never taken an overly critical view of Wikipedia. It’s not a place to go for serious research, but it’s excellent on topics not generally considered important enough for other reference sources. I experimented with searching for information on German style board games, which my children love. I looked up Reiner Knizia, the creator and designer of many enormously popular games. Wikipedia contained a lengthy article, including a complete list of his games and links to other sites. 360 Search led to three mentions and no real information, Grolier had nothing and Biography Reference Centre had nothing. Despite its limitations, Wikipedia is a useful source for a wide variety of information.

Web 2.0 and Libraries

Rick Anderson’s views in Away from the Icebergs are completely at odds with my own. He feels that library collections are a thing of the past, of little interest to current library users. Fortunately Michael Stephens takes a more balanced approach in Into a New World of Librarianship. He views technological change as positive, but not an end in itself. He talks about looking at the needs of users, building connections through Web 2.0 tools, avoiding “Techno-worship,” and looking for trends that might impact future services. Taking advantage of new technologies, but not letting these technologies set priorities, allows libraries to offer new services to the public, while retaining the best of their traditional role.