Reading Post for Unit 12

Weblogs: their use and application in science and technology libraries

This article discussed the history of blogs and some of the uses of weblogs in academic and library settings. The articles starts off by explaining the popularity of blogs and how easy it is for any one to set up their own personal blog for individual or collaborative use. New websites and software, such as the one I'm using for this one, allow users to create blogs and provide them with the design templates and webspace to do so. The article also discusses several examples where blogs can be used to assist teams or collaboration. There are several instances where I think blogs serve as a good collaborative and communication tool. It works well for coursework similar to what we are doing in this class, as we post our summaries online and have the ability to comment on a classmate's blog as well. Additionally, the example in the article, of a reference blog, is also a good use of weblogs. I've never used a blog as a "project management tool" when working with other students in a group. I'm actually not sure how effective this would be (I think there may be other software that would work better) but I do think a library using a blog to disseminate information is a good idea and great way to connect to patrons.


Using a wiki to manage a library instruction program: Sharing knowledge to better serve patrons

As the title states, this article explored the growth and usages of wikis. I really like wikis and have used them in different groups and jobs. Wikis make it easy to provide group members with information while also allowing others to comment and add their own information. Similar to the growth in popularity of blogs, wiki pages are becoming widely used because of available software and ease of use. Libraries can also use wikis for instruction, similar to the example of the Sherrod Library at East Tennessee State University, and for employees to share information amongst one another as well.


Creating the academic library folksonomy: Put social tagging to work at your institution" C&RL News

Tagging is the processes of attaching "tags" to websites as a way to organize and provide them with keyword characteristics. Even though I have utilized tagging before, I previously didn't really know how the whole process works. The article suggests that libraries use tagging to provide information to patrons, such as relevant websites on the Internet or databases. I've noticed how libraries have started to use tagging, like the Carnegie Library in it's catalog system. Still, libraries that establish a tagging system must watch out for malicious or spam tagging that could mess up the whole collaborative process that they are trying to create.


How a ragtag band created Wikipedia

This was a video of Jimmy Wales discussing the structure of Wikipedia and its influence/significance today. This was a pretty interesting lecture, although quite short. Wales explains how Wikipedia was driven by the idea of free access to information and uses the wiki software which allows anyone to contribute to the content. Even Wales calls the volunteer contribution model somewhat chaotic but I think that's a great part of Wikipedia. There are no set roles for the contributors and each individual can interact to their own desire and ability. I also thought it was interesting when he discussed the need to briefly lock articles regarding Bush and Kerry and instances of 'vandalism' on the site. However, this seems to be something that the administrators have their own process to deal with it.