May say more about the monkeyed state of my thought processes than connections and relevancy of these topics...
The program has in a designated spate of time forced/encouraged me to look at a range of internet applications and ideas that are being used, discussed or bandied about as options for and in our profession. That was a positive aspect for me personally, as one who does not share a pc or internet-world much beyond work.
Some applications and exercises had greater intrinsic value for me than others; looking at wikis, RSS feeds (although Bloglines was inconsistent for me) and online processing tools, compared to Image Generator, no matter how much I loved the much thumbed catalogue card!
The age of the program shows a little - some links not working and the lack of examples, exploring how libraries are enacting web 2.0 applications.
In coordinating the program again, I would tinker with it. Fellow bloggers have given incisive feedback and suggestions for enhancements.
My top few:
- Refined instructions per exercise to eliminate the needless ambiguity and thus reduce margin of error.
- Various account creation was annoying and could be streamlined with group accounts
- Replace some of the temperamental applications with more consistent alternatives ie Bloglines for Google reader or Sage
- Exercises exploring libraries use of web 2.0 to put some of the technology in real context
- The cheesy tone, with an exhortation to 'have fun' and 'play'' wore as the weeks went on.
Hackneyed phrasing and marketing hype surrounding the use of the terms and the evolution of the internet it is meant to describe, is sullying some of the message and the value. Once something is overblown, it lends itself to parody.
Librarians are engaging or being encouraged, pushed to utilise technology in new ways. The social aspect of web 2.0 applications that have enabled librarians to create content and publish online outside of traditional web administration barriers is energising for the profession. Libraries need to assess what applications are viable for patrons to engage better with our content and for us to engage with them, as opposed to adoption due to a label and the perception of 'current 'street cred'. A
The desire to be seen online and beyond barriers of space and time, should not come at the detriment of onsite services.
As some of our politicians have found, the interactive nature of the new internet is double-edged and so some aspects and applications need be treated with caution.
1 comment:
Thansk for the very useful comments about the program. Each time I administer the program I find better ways of organising things. It may be more useful to cut down on the amount of web 2.0 tools explored and focus on ones that people have found useful library applications??
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