Week 5 has arrived and have I traveled far and wide in cyberspace!  Hats off to Presenters and Organizers who had the vision and made the time to empower those who were otherwise engaged.  Social software tools are definitely worthwhile and a new way of working:  collaboratively, interactively, efficiently.

Favorite course experiences include: informative webcasts and screencasts, illustrative implementations of Library 2.0, the readings which added breath and depth, and naturally the interactive elements:  blog comments and chats.  Oh alright, I LIKED everything.

Personally, RSS feeds will keep me current and save time.  Professionally, Blogs will expand my thinking as colleagues share their discoveries and experiences and create a virtual community that empowers its own.

The beauty of Flickr is that you bring the world near.  Sharing pictures of people, places, and events multiplies the pleasure and divides the pain.  People who are separated by time and space can visualize, understand, feel, and act once having seen the situation.  Many can rejoice at the happy conclusion of a project or offer to lend a hand when disaster strikes.  Photos go up, notes and comments are written, and concerned parties may blog thoughts and plans. 

As a high school librarian I believe service learning experiences could be shared by the whole community, discoveries chronicled, and support elicited.  All our students participate in a two weeks winter term where reading, writing, and media are components.  Posting photos to Flickr would create an online photo gallery of each year's service learning bounty which could then be archived and used to promote such opportunities in coming years.

Libraries who establish a presence in MySpace are reaching out to the young at heart through meaningful connections.  Those Libraries and Library Organizations that splash onto the screen with music, images, and creative profiles capture the attention of MySpace visitors.  They have chosen to reach out and offer their services and resources to those who gather in MySpace, granted primarily for other purposes:  friending, socializing, planning fun or venting. 

Nevertheless, some teen in the midst of a crisis may stumble over a Library signpost which points the way to help:  whether informational reading as they face a life decision or difficulty, to leisure options like movies, music, good reads, or to practical help with the work of doing school.  A Library Presence in MySpace says we care and are there for you when you are ready to come by-in person or online.  The opportunity is merely offered but the choice is left to the independent adolescent, no pressure, no problem.

Stop the workflow, I want to wiki.  Fast, simple, collaborative, centralized information.  What a way to market library services, resources, and foster friends of the Library.

Today's Webcast was so encouraging.  I have been to OU's Biz Wiki on the recommendation of SWON Libraries' Glen Horton and now via 5 Weeks' examples.  Very impressive way to work as a Reference Librarian in Public Services and Instruction.  Starr's parting words:  just get started; learn by doing is just what I needed to hear.  Stuff the fear of fudging.  Thank you both!

After reading the articles and visiting the listed wikis, I am impressed with Installed: MediaWiki and PMWiki and Hosted: PBWiki and Wetpaint.  I explored Linda Behen's new high school library wiki for St. Ursala School using Wetpaint.  Very impressive library advocacy!  In part because of today's Webcast, I expect to get started with PBWiki which is free, easy to use, has fewer ads, and easy backup.   I need to build confidence and gain experience with minimal frustration. 

What may frighten traditionalists about wikis, is that they can be changed, edited, and rewritten, by somebody else.  The polished phrase, the logical sequence, the carefully chosen example may be altered!  The hierachical model of the one in charge and in control takes a blow. 

Having spoken the dreaded worry aloud, we can move on to acknowledge that there are times when we would all enjoy trusted companions on the journey:  a joint project, in-house publication, possible solutions to challenges that face an institution, new programming ideas, curriculum changes, information literacy innovations, etc. 

Social bookmarking is better than favorites!  It's easy to build lists of sites you want to revisit.  I plan to explore the possibilities for organizing and sharing sites with others.

In libraries, social bookmarking acts as a guide for students/staff/patrons. In a school library Web sites can be tagged and shared for a unit of study or to assist in the research pursuits of individuals, classes, or departments.  Social bookmarking has potential for enhancing professional development efforts and leisure pursuits for target audiences.

RSS was a theoretical tool until I was nudged in the right direction.  Staying current and saving time are very appealing.  Now I must work reading the feed content into my daily workflow and thus reap the benefits.  It will take some time to identify the best feeds to facilitate my work world. 

We were warned that Bloglines has "issues."  I was able to subscribe to feeds but not able to edit and create folders.  I will check back and see if conditions improve before opening an account in Google Reader.

Fellow Online Learners:

We have a wonderful world of learning before us in Five Weeks to a Social Library: Webcasts, Screencasts, Chats, Readings, and Hands-on Activities. The power of Examples surprised me, however.  Take the time to click around the world of libraries to see what is being done and imagine how you too can incorporate these same services and resources in your library.  The visual excites.  See and learn how to implement Blogs, RSS, and Social Bookmarking in creative ways.  Make time for Examples.  The investment will bear good fruit @yourlibrary.

The blogging tool I would choose for our high school library would be Blogger.  I am looking for a tool that is easy to learn and maintain.  Since it is free, requires no software installation, is stored on Google's server, and uses ready to use templates, getting started seems very doable.  I would prefer to focus on content rather than the technical mechanics as I begin. 

As I develop blogging skills I would consider upgrading to a tool that offers more versatility such as Drupal or Wordpress

After reviewing several blogs, I observe that libraries continue to provide the same content but use different delivery mechanisms to engage their users.

Those about the business of library advocacy have used e-mail, Web sites, displays, and newsletters to bring services and resources to the attention of patrons.  Blogs can be used to provide this same content but offer a more interactive medium. 

Patrons still need to know what's new, what events are scheduled, what's in the collection, and what services are provided.  Effective blogs accomplish these goals using a variety of categories depending on the community needs.  What is unique to blogging is the opportunity to search the site, click on archived information, subscribe to RSS feeds, post a comment or feedback.  Blogs allow for more ownership or "participatory management."  Blogs level the playing field and enable a greater exchange of information:  thoughts, expectations, and experience.  Consequently, a greater sense of community develops.  Blogs centralize information but allow for versatility.  The user may IM, Chat, Phone, or E-mail the staff. The user may click on learning links or reading lists, documents:  study guides/notes/syllabi/how to, watch screencasts, or listen to a podcast The user may assign a tag, write a book review, or offer a suggestion.  In short, blogs empower the end user while permitting staff to promote library services and resources.