Social Networking for Libraries

With MySpace becoming a force in the general community enabling friends to stay connected and informed of each others interests and friends its not surprising Museums and Libraries are hoping to tap into this market. Online clients could interact directly with information specialist at libraries asking questions directly on the libraries myspace page. The library would be seen as responsive to the new ways in which people seek and share information. The library would be clearly identifiable as a brand logo could be created and used on all its links to up and coming exhibitions, podcasts, photoes and blogs. The library could also support a link to sites associated with libraries eg. imminent authors, literary prize winners, various prominent exhibitions and the work of library fellows. The library would need to invest time and money into making their myspace page an evolving experience. Information generated from what people click on could be used to improve marketing strategies and perhaps influence the nature of future exhibitions depending on the level of interest generated online.

2.0 online applications

I can see how some of the applications could be useful in the work place. Sharing documents through Google Docs would certainly circumvent the need to open large email attachments. Collaboration on team projects could be improved as more ideas may flow between team members. Perhaps it would also inspire a sense of inclusion in a project and openess. Someone coordinating a project, where they need input from a large number of people, could also benefit. Slideshare's whiteboard and ability to share powerpoint presentations could be used by those involved in educational projects such as developing presentations for library clients. I recently worked in a team where we met regularly to fine tune a powerpoint presentation and this tool could have been used in this situation. Online applications are useful tools as long as we don't overlook the human need for face to face consultation.

Mashups

The British Library initiative of using Google Maps together with their own incredible maps of London through the centuries to create a Mashup giving the viewer a virtual exhibition of London over a number of time periods is something we could do in relation to our maps of Sydney. For example i was able to click on a map pin and bring up a map of St James Palace and Park in 1710. Truely impressive! and a wonderful way to share map collections with the public.

Maybe not slammin...

I'm not sure answering questions on "slamming the boards" will reap many rewards for our library. It may raise our profile to some degree but wouldn't it be a better use of staff time and reap better rewards for our clients if we focused our energy and resources on our own web site resources and our core services such as our information request service?

Podcasts

Podcasts are a great way to introduce new clients to the library. An entertaining and informative snapshot about the library could inspire someone to visit our library. They could also be incorporated into our online guides eg. providing genealogy tutorials for the beginner. I noticed from browsing through podcasts that libraries use them to broaden access to their collections and programs. Lectures about items held in collections, guest speakers at special events and children's programs seemed to be popular uses for podcasts. I enjoyed listening to the audio podcast on the British Library web site on Anne Boleyn's Book of Hours. I think a podcast can enable you to feel more connected to the item that interests you. Some of our Rare Books and iconic realia could be featured in a well presented podcast. The State Library of Queensland has a large number of webcasts on various topics on their web site. I'm not sure what the difference is between a podcast and a webcast?

my library

LibraryThing ...is the real thing

I really enjoyed adding My Library to my blog, especially having the option to show the book jacket cover. A very useful resource for readers isolated by distance wanting to discuss their favorite book with someone else who also appreciates a particular author or genre style. You feel curious to read the reviews by others of your favorite books.

Its also interesting to note that 2 of the books i have listed have been dramatised in films.
(Hotel Du Lac and Jane Eyre)

Photo "On set with Jane Eyre" by ecoescape on Flickr.

Del.icio.us titbits

It was interesting to see how the National Library of Australia is using Del.icio.us to improve its AskNow service. I imagine clients feel some sense of reassurance that the bookmarked pages contain reliable and authoritative information. I was pleased to see that http:\\del.icio.us \usefulresources was accessible by anyone and not just a tool for Librarians. The maintenance of the site is of course done by Librarians ensuring the integrity of the information. I wonder if the NLA is able to generate statistics on the number of hits a del.icio.us bookmarked tag generates? If so, this information could be used to improve or expand bookmarked resources in a particular subject area.