Thing 2 Library 2.0

The resources gave a good overview of the Library 2.0 issues. I previously just had a superficial understanding of social web tools and terms like Wiki, blogs, RSS feeds, and want to "keep up" with technology, so that is why I'm participating in 23 Things. My adolescent daughter uses MySpace, IM, YouTube, WebKinz all the time to socialize with friends. She can't wait to help me set up a MySpace page! Being a career Mom it will be hard to find time to do the Things but like Stephen Abram says, it's easier to find time to learn something we are interested in and the 23 Things gives self-paced guidance. So far I've been using my lunch breaks at work.

I recently attended an SLA webinar "Social Networking Inside the Organization" but it was a quick overview that just skimmed the surface. Terms were little more than defined, so I didn't get much out of it. Last month at an SLA Ethics Town Hall meeting, Cody Hanson spoke about the lack of information privacy in Web 2.0.

I work in a corporate library, so much of Library 2.0 seems geared toward public libraries. Some day I hope to migrate to Hennepin County Libraries, so it's still of interest to me, even if it isn't as applicable in my own library. Two of Rick Anderson's "icebergs" were looming in my library: "Just in Case" and "Come to Us". I recently received feedback from library users of my company that they wanted "less paper" and more electronic availability of information so they don't have to "get off their butts" and come to the library. So I sent out a survey and based on the results am no longer keeping a hard copy "just in case" of information that is also available on our LAN (soon to be SharePoint site). The library was beginning to be seen, as John Blyberg's log puts it, a back storage room of hanging folders.

In terms of making my library more interactive, users can upload documents and photos to our collection, sharing information; it's a collaborative effort to keep the information up to date. We'll see if any of the 23 Things could be of use, though I'm sure many won't apply and are just for fun (like #15, 18, 20).