LIBR 246-12: Web 2.0 and Social Networking Tools (Fall 2008)

I love the video tutorials that we looked at this week. At my library we have a tutorial on our webpage, but it is a series of slides. I think that the videos are much more engaging than just clicking through a series of screens. I see people doing this every day--not just for the library, but for the school in general. Going through an online orientation is part of the requirements for enrollment. Boring!! It literally is just a series of screens that you read and answer questions about. You print out your quiz results at the end. I think it's difficult to really glean any useful information out of them for some people who tend to be aural or hands-on learners. 

With regard to photo sharing, I liked the "31 Flavors" idea of inviting patrons to tag photos in Flickr. Recently, I did a search for my library's pictures on Flickr. I was amazed to see some really terrific photos--some of them even better than the ones we had on our campus website!! I was also able to locate some wonderful pictures of Library Tech Program graduation ceremonies that some of our students had posted. It was a nice surprise to see them, and I was able to connect with some of the students we had lost touch with. Talk about creating a community! It's our own little Shatford Library family!!