Reflection (Thing 23)

What do you think about social media in libraries?

I think focusing on some social sites can be very beneficial for libraries. Tackling too many could problematic but putting the same content on as many as possible will allow libraries to reach more patrons and potential patrons that may not make it to the physical branch. These means of delivering information is much more effective than simply putting it up on a static site or printing brochures.

What do you wish FPL was (or wasn’t) doing?

I would like to see much more on our YouTube channel and Flickr type slideshows. We could put anything we do at the library online and I think people would seek it out. Puppet shows or book talks on youtube and flannels could be made as slide shows.

Have you learned anything from the program?

I had used most of the sites before, though a couple were new to me. There were many features I had not used before that 23 things had me try out. Google Docs Presentations was one such feature. I think most of all I learned that the sites I hate for myself may be very useful for an organization.

USER CHOICE (THING 22)

I found Docstoc in the SEOmoz awards. It is a site to upload documents for business and professionals to share. I found some good reading on the site. I like the ability to share resources. I read some presentations and papers about early literacy and library managemnet. It could be a really cool site if more libraries contributed.

GOOGLE DOCS (THING 16)

Docs has tons of cool features. I love the ability for multiple people to modify documents at the same time. I like the ability to create and share with docs. You can embed presentations wherever you like. Being able to access docs from any computer makes it a huge plus for me. This would have been great for school when the file you need is not on the jump drive as thought. There are also a few drawbacks to docs. Many of the features I use in similar programs are missing from docs. Or, it could just be that I have not found them where I expect to find them after using Microsoft programs for so long.

TAGGING (THING 8)

Tags make browsing websites much easier and more productive. I serendipitously follow tags to all sorts of nifty new things. Like libraries, websites can’t always sort or index all the associated terms. Tags can add much more depth to indexing.

GOOGLE MAPS (THING 15)

I have used maps several times to give patrons directions. They always get bad directions in the first place and show up to the ref desk at the time their event starts. I cant imagine leaving the house without directions from Google or using a phone's navigation. I have used google maps for thrift store excursions. I made six in a day once and scored some great vinyl.


View Larger Map

WIKIS (THING 21)

I like Wikis. I often use Wikipedia as a first stop for research. I like the way the site organizes information. It makes it quite easy to find a quick answer. I had never looked at the discussion tab before. It was actually very entertaining. People arguing to have their garbage information added back to pages. It’s good to see how often the pages get checked and edited.

To the FPL wiki I added Linda's.

PODCASTING (THING 20)

I have very little interest in podcasts. I do check one out every now and then. I know people that subscribe to tons and I hear about some good ones. I have never been tempted to subscribe myself though. Podcasting could be useful for our library. We could do walkthroughs like the tour that was discussed or for any other how-to’s. It seems like more work that it would be worth for the most part. I can’t imagine myself ever looking to a podcast for assistance with anything.

HULU (THING 19)

I think Hulu, like Pandora will expose people to new things that the library may offer on CD or DVD. The people that do not want to pay for services like Hulu Plus will likely still turn to the library for their needs. It would be nice if the library could offer everything streaming for the same cost as purchassing it for the collection.

YOUTUBE (THING 18)

Of the videos I watched most of them had a large number of views. Even the ones with the least had upwards of 200 views. Youtube is such an easy way to reach out to the community. It is not only a good way to reach our patrons that frequent the library but also those that may only use the digital branch. Puppet shows, flannels, book talks or book readings, I think we could put video of basically everything we do in children’s.

MUSIC STREAMING & SHARING (THING 17)

I use Pandora and Slacker. I think Slacker often plays a closer selection of music that I want to hear. Pandora often surprises me with artists that I keep giving thumbs down and music completely off target sometimes. Both sites have exposed me to new artists though. I think our patrons will use these types of sites and will continue checking CDs. On must sites you can’t just listen to specifics. So until then getting the CD is the easiest option.

TINY URL & YOU SEND IT (THINGS 13 & 14)

Tiny URL is useful if your putting links on handouts or need to actually remember a site. For the most i just hyperlink or delicious all the sites I need to keep track of.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/fixtures/default.stm

http://tinyurl.com/liverpoolfix

For YouSendIt I actually had a friend send me a file I had been trying to get from him. He complained about having to sign up for a trial but I finally got my file. I had originally given him a jumpdrive that he quickly lost. I wish I had of done this thing earlier.

FACEBOOK (THING 12)

I like to get my posts about themeboxes out there on our Facebook. Among many uses, FPL could use Facebook to invite people to events at the same time as getting information out to patrons.

LINKED IN (THING 11)

Aside from connecting people to job openings the site provides professionals with a place to discuss problems or career sensitive topics. A library could find people with specific skill sets they need for a position. I have started linking to people I have worked with outside the library. I have one of our Summer sponsors linked.

GOODREADS (THING 10)

The site is a great way to get recommendations from my friends. Most of the books I read are recommendations so the ability to share is much appreciated. I also love the ability to keep track of the book I plan to read. I always write down titles and then lose them. This is much more efficient.

DELICIOUS (THING 9)

I actually use this thing! I like the ability to bring up my favorites from anywhere. I never remember URLs. I have used the site for a while but don’t really use any of the other features.

INSTANT MESSAGING (THING 7)

I like Communicator. It is nice to not clutter up my inbox with a bunch of emails when I have some questions and don't want to bother finding them on the phone.

DIGG (THING 6)

I get what digg is supposed to be but I just wind up reading junk news about ridiculous topics I’m not even interested in. To me the site is a time waster. Also, I read that top users determine the rankings of links and therefore much of the site’s content. I’m not a fan.

PICTURE SHARING (THING 4)

Flickr is nice for sharing pics with my mum. It makes it easy to keep pictures in one place and easy to post them anywhere.

Tweet!

Twitter can be a useful tool for libraries in posting information about programs. With many people receiving tweets on their phone, posts get to people quickly and easily. Posts can be made to inform patrons about closings as well as events. Tweets can be sent much quicker than updating information on web pages. It is also a method of reaching patrons that do not check the web page. Younger patrons especially will appreciate getting updates on twitter.

RSS Feeds

The RSS feeds are helpful with keeping track of what I have already checked and what’s new. Outlook is especially convenient. I can see in bold what I have not yet viewed on specific sites. I like being able to read one entry at a time. With outlook I also get updates quicker than I might just checking sites on my own. I hate reading something time sensative a day too late.