Week 3--Social Networking

Since I have 2 daughters in college, I have had a MySpace account for a while and recently created a Facebook account. I hadn't done much with the Facebook account prior to this week. I was not familiar with LinkedIn before this class.

How can social networking be used by MLA to connect members?
I was very excited to find so many Librarians, Libraries and Librarians Groups on Facebook! One reason I had not done much with it before was that I felt most of the members were young adults or younger and I felt odd asking them to "be my friend". I think it is a good way to "get to know" other people with a similar interest. I love to browse pages and see what else people are interested in. It makes me feel more like I know them. Librarians are generally a generous group, willing to share information with others, but networking with others even virtually through Facebook and MySpace, draws everyone closer together.
Should your library have a Facebook or MySpace page?
I would love to have a Facebook page for my Library, but with the filters put in place through the VA, I don't anticipate it being possible anytime soon. I do think it would be another way to reach potential users, though.
Are there privacy concerns for individuals when using social networking sites.
There are always privacy concerns to be aware of. Even going into a store and using a credit card is a privacy concern. The important thing is to be aware of the concerns and think before you post.
What did you like or not like about your experience with Facebook or MySpace.
I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the possibilities of Facebook and MySpace. I enjoy spending time exploring on my computer anyway, and this opens up a whole new world! I'm not so sure about LinkedIn, but maybe more experience with it will change that.

Week 2--Wikis

The question is What is the difference between a blog and a wiki? If I create a blog, it is to share my thoughts with others. They are allowed to comment, but the main emphasis is on what I think. A wiki, on the other hand, is a collaboration--kind of like "stone soup". Everyone brings the knowledge they have to the wiki and the end result is greater than any of the pieces! A blog would be useful in my library for sharing new resources, information I have come across, hints, tips, etc. A wiki is better suited to everyone sharing their knowledge and expertise and allowing everyone to teach and learn.

Week 1 Blogging & RSS

This will be so helpful! I have been wanting to set up a blog for my library to allow people to learn quickly about new materials in the library, services we offer, and new websites and information I find and want to share with others. With the current security restrictions at my facility, this has not been an option so I created a fake blog that has a similar purpose--but people cannot leave comments. I much prefer this interactive blog!!
Knowing about the RSS feature will be really helpful also. I now have an alternate route to suggest to library users for tracking tables of contents and search updates that they are interested in. I'm anxious to explore ways to make these features work for my customers!