social networking

I have done social networking before with Myspace and found that it was cool and interesting for a couple of months and, but quickly lost interest in it. I haven't even touched my account in probably a year. I don't really see the library being the place for social networking. In most cases the networks are heavily used by teens and I really don't see them using the networks to look at library events. I see them adding our website as a link so they can check in now and again. I think ultimately that youth are not into the libraries in the way that we think. They use us as a pit stop or a last minute place of information. Why can't we attract more of the teen to twenty somethings into just coming into the library to hang an relax like a book store. Go into any book store and you will find twenty to thirty years olds reading books, studying, or chatting quietly and using the space more like a library used to be rather than a retail outlet. Hardly anyone goes to a book store to just get in an out like they would a grocery store. Book stores offer what we used to offer and that is a place with the latest books, a quiet place to reflect, and read them. we should put more of our time and energy with finding ways of competing with the book stores and less time worrying about how to use the latest Internet tools. I don't see Powells and Barnes and Noble worrying about social networking to get people into their stores.

Wicked Widget

I am part of an age group where we pick and choose what technologies we use and others we dont use at all. My friends and I dont use IM at all, but I know that all my younger siblings use it on a constant basis more, than the good ol' fashion phone. I think If our library had enough people interested in using instant messenger along with standard ways asking for reference question ie phone and in person. If there is a reference desk where there are people constantly there working at the at computer that can field questions coming from IM, phone and in person it could work great. For smaller branches it wouldn't be very practical since we are always running around all over and might be awhile till we check the IM. I know that we have been talking about using IM within the system in contacting other services such as IT or IS services, which could really be effective without needing to tie up phone lines.

RSS Continued....

So I am now thoroughly tapped into the whole RSS blog thing. I have found that there is entirely more news and info out there than I could possibly ever even dream of wanting. For my meagre needs I found that the most simple and easy search was through google's blog search. With ithat I was able to narrow down what kind of blogs would interest me. I found some cool book collecting websites with upadated info that I wasn't aware of, and a couple of couple links to the library of congress. However I also found as I went through alot of the blog search engines that there were plenty of blogs that were really old and they were often times the ones I thought would be cool. Now the question begs to asked is what finally happens to some of those old blogs that no one wants to look at anymore, or do they go into a special digital archive for the historians of the future? What I see our library doing with RSS feeds is allow patrons to have up to date news information from a variety of sources made available on the PALS. Maybe limit them only to news organizations like CNN, or something that way they dont get out of hand. Or let them create their own accounts with their FVRL account with RSS feeds saved directly there.

RSS SSS SSS SSS SSS SSS

Well I don't know if I will ever use bloglines, but atleast I now know how it all works. I think I will enjoy checking out my comics and having new updates everyday directly from my email. I don' really look at the news online that much, because I listen to it on the radio as i'm going to and from work, plus the good ol fasion newspaper, remeber those? However I think I spent more time on teh web like certain members in my family I might find this all worthwhile. I had a hard time finding any news things to add when searching, so I made more of an effort trying to find things onthe web that I looked at more regularly. Like the Tolkienlibrary.com and tolkien.net.

Sketchy Pete Action Card!!!!

This feature is just too much fun and should not be allowed, or atleast should be sanctioned by the UN. I found it really easy to use and plan to do more and more and share them with everyone!!!! HAHAHAHAHA

Cool Flickr Image

This is one of the coolest images I've ever seen. Its very streamline and smooth. It combines two of my favorite pieces of visual art, escher and chess. What more could you ask for? All due to the kind support of Flickr. All and all pretty cool website that makes image looking way more indepth than in google images. Also thinks its cool the idea of being able to post your own art on there for the world to see.

New Technologies!!!!!

In response to the so called "7 1/2" habits I am not what you would call techno paranoid, but more unresponsive to change and new technologies that can apear to be seemingly pointless. I said I wouldn't do this blog thing, but after careful consideration and with blog vengeance in mind I have decided that I should bight the bullet and go ahead with the whole bloggity blog thing. Sorry that everyone who happens to lose their way onto this page is hit with my negativity. I will try to improve upon that point and hope learn how all this new technology exploitation works.