Meredith Farkas

Hi! I'm Meredith and I live in rural Vermont with my husband Adam. I'm the Distance Learning Librarian at Norwich University. Our library is small, so really, I get to do a little bit of everything which means that my job is never dull. I write a blog about libraries and technology (and whatever happens to be on my mind) called Information Wants to be Free and also contribute to a collaborative blog, TechEssence, which is dedicated to giving folks concrete introductions to library-related technologies.

I am known to some people as the Queen of Wikis because I’ve created a few (Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki, ALA Chicago 2005 Wiki, ALA New Orleans 2006 Wiki and CIL2006 Wiki). It’s not really that I’m wiki crazy, just that I happen to have found a lot of good uses for them in my life. I’m all about librarians collaborating and sharing ideas to benefit the profession.

I recently finished writing a book on social software applications in libraries, which will be published by ITI in late 2006 or early 2007. It’s a really nuts-and-bolts book that will introduce social technologies, tell you how they’re being implemented in libraries, and tell you how you can implement them in your library. A lot like this course!

In March, 2006, I was named a Library Journal Mover and Shaker for my passion for playing with technology and sharing what I’ve learned with others. Who would’ve ever thought I’d get an award for playing?

Before getting my library degree from Florida State University, I worked as a child and family therapist. In this work, I learned a great deal about building rapport and developing collaborative relationships among agencies with common goals. A lot of the skills I learned as a therapist have served me well as a librarian.

I think this is a really exciting time to be getting involved in the library field, and I look forward to being part of the wonderful technological and philosophical changes that libraries will go through over the next few decades.

Here's my dry and boring bio:

Meredith Farkas (BA, Wesleyan University; MSW, Florida State University; MLIS, Florida State University) is the Distance Learning Librarian at Norwich University in Vermont. In this position, she frequently has the opportunity to develop social software applications to connect with her library's patrons. She is the author of the blog Information Wants To Be Free and the creator and administrator of the ALA New Orleans 2006 Wiki and Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki. In March 2006, Meredith was named a Mover and Shaker by Library Journal. Her book Social Software in Libraries: Building Collaboration, Communication and Community Online will be published by Information Today in early 2007.