Q and A

«?», Robert Stadler’s question mark installation in Paris
Originally uploaded by Dom Dada

Being a librarian is less something you do, and more something you are. Thanks SLNSW for the opportunity to do the web 2.0 programme and discover that for every Q there is always a very interesting A.

Second life and libraries

Just a few thoughts on SL. I know this will probably make me sound like a complete phobe, but second life gives me the creeps. I have used virtual environments for training and I think that is something that could really be extended, but I imagine many of us have enough trouble negotiating the real world without introducing a second one. Having said that, if we are to have SL, at least we can go to the library, many in fact. SL highlights something about the online life that bothers me, that is, the balance between what is acceptable in real life and what is acceptable in life online. For example, at my library you can ask for us to purchase books, and we regularly purchase items as borrower requests. In real life, a borrower will come to the desk with a few requests, 2 or 3 at most. Online, the record is 24 items, by one person in one session. No one would come to the desk and ask for that many items, they self regulate. That regulation seems to be missing, or at least blurred online. There seems to be a sense of invisibility, or immunity that sitting at a computer gives. I wonder if a better online presense by my library will make a difference. If developing a social presense and an interactive rather than a one way communication will reconnect us with our online borrowers. Hope so, and definitely worth aiming for.

Social networking and libraries

I was particularly interested in the Rotorua site. It looked clean, yet friendly and easy to navigate. I think it must be great for the staff to see those comments from their friends. As a marketing tool, a presence on facebook or myspace seems a no-brainer for a public library. At the moment, all the web interaction in my library is one way. A borrower uses the online opac and reserves a book, or uses the online request form to ask for something we don't hold. I don't think they see that there are people at the other end at all. There is a growing band of library users who search for items on the net, request them over the net and our interaction with them is limited to the very small time they spend in the library collecting their items. If there is a self-checkout unit, you may never see them at all. I think we can do better. It they are on the net, then so should we. Not just the catalogue but something that shows who we are. Something that allows for communication other than 'click to reserve'. A social presence can combine podcasts of author talks, photos of displays, and feedback, feedback, feedback. We need to get conversations going with our users, and our friends can converse with each other. We all talk about making the library the community hub. We need to think about the online community as well.

Online Applications

I can't believe the sheer amount of FREE online applications. I have just learned so much from this programme. The video explanation for google docs reminded me of the wiki video. Similar goals in online sharing and editing.
My workplace however would require much more control over their documents. While google docs ensure that everyone is looking at the same version, I couldn't tell if past versions were kept in history, or if there was tracking for who made what variation to a document. I also don't think this sort of application would suit the forms required for legal purposes. FOI for example, where's the papertrail? We live in a highly regulated world, particularly if you work in any level of government - and that includes most libraries. I think these applications are great, especially for informal use, but I don't see them working in places that have legal requirements for document tracking and security.

Mashups

Fantastic! I love the London: a life in Google maps, just brilliant. I can see a great use for this sort of application in the library. My library has a fantastic number of local history photos in our collection. We could create web tours using the photos and google maps. We could podcast from our oral collection to compliment the experience. It could be done online or visitors to the area could take a tour using this information in a portable format. Mashups look like a way of pulling the best information or images from the best sources and putting them together in an accessable format...sounds like librarianship to me : >

Podcasts

Podcasts would be a great way to access oral histories, Many libraries have terrific OH collections that rarely see the light of day. Creating podcasts to link from the home page would be a great way for the collection to be used. I use podcasts myself to hear radio programmes that are on while I am at work. There are some really good book related programmes on radio and television that could be link from a library homepage, especially ones that discuss some of our book club titles. A great way to enrich a discussion!

Slam The Boards

I have seen Slam the Boards referenced in library journals, so it was really interesting to get to the wiki and read the posts. I went to Yahoo7.answers, but since I haven't been to the Bakersfield Convention Centre, or felt it was my place to provide opinion on modern NFL running backs or scrotum discolouration, I gave it a miss. I did however help a borrower at the desk with an answer, so the afternoon wasn't a complete loss. : > As a way to reach non-library users however, this is great marketing. I will go back and have a look at other answer boards later. We do have an online query centre - Ask A Librarian - link on our website that is used by the public , but unlike the open boards, you do need to be thinking 'Library' to use it in the first place. Looking at some of the [poor] answers offered on the open boards did make me realize how much information we library staff have at our fingertips and how we need to get that expertise out there.