I already have pages on some of the most popular social networking sites — including MySpace and Facebook — so I decided to branch out and try something new. 

I joined Multiply.com, which is a social networking site which allows you post and share media, such as photos, videos, etc. with your friends.  I found it to be more private than other networking sites (they call it  a “real world” networking site because you have be invited to be someone’s friend). It is convenient to be able to upload your content all to one place where it can easily be shared with friends & family.  You can also pull content from existing Flickr or YouTube accounts as well. 

I think social networking is popular because it allows people to connect around common interests, and makes it easy to stay in touch no matter how much distance separates you.  I think many people want a space of their own in the world where they can express themselves!

I love downloadable books!  I found the process fairly easy, except for figuring out how to get to the Overdrive page — I find our series of links confusing.  The selection of books is just so-so, but I think it is an incredible resource. Hopefully iPod compatibility will happen soon.

I listened to part of Chris Bohjalian’s Double Bind, and have transferred it to my mp3 player so I can finish it when I’m driving/working out.

Part 1:

I tried IMing two different libraries with this question: What percentage of U.S. teenagers play video games? (it’s something I’ve been trying to research myself, and haven’t had a lot of luck finding.)

I found the experience frustrating. It did open my eyes to the other side’s perspective for when I am answering IM questions, though. It took over 5 minutes for the first library to IM back. They asked some clarifying questions and about 10 minutes later said it would take a few minutes. 20 minutes after the original question, they sent me a link. The second library never responded at all.

If you want a quick answer to a question, it’s still probably best to call or go to the library. I think most libraries haven’t put enough resources/staff into IMing to make it a full-fledged service. I know that is a big issue with YA IM here — it is only available a couple hours a day, if that. I am often doing it while I’m on the desk and busy with other patrons, so IM questions get pushed to last. I guess it’s better than nothing.  I did eventually get an OK answer, and the people were really friendly, so I would call it successful.

Part 2:

I admit I didn’t actually send an email / IM within the building, since I do that regularly (and answer both emails and IMs). I think this is a great way for teens to contact us, since they can be anonymous and they are often very comfortable with technology & electronic communication. I know Ask a Librarian tends to be fairly slow (I know I’m not always able to get back to people right away), but I always try to be as thorough as possible in my answers. IM is more immediate, but also more spotty (at least in the YA dept).

I found my searches in Wikipedia, Wikihow, and Wet Paint helpful. I learned how to properly vacuum a rug, about the national softball team, and found a wiki that summarized learning principles — I know that I will use Wikihow again for sure.

I think wikis are great for gathering information from many sources, and for finding information on topics that are too new, pop-culturish, or narrow to be found in most major encyclopedias. One has to take the information they find on Wikis with a grain of salt, though, and make sure to double check with other sources if possible.

I added a couple of links to the PRPL entry on Wikipedia. I have used wikis in the past for group projects and find them easy to edit, and great ways to share information between group members.

I did the search “video games” and learning (and tried it with and without quotes) because I am currently doing research on this topic.  I was surprised that a result came up in the Ancestry Library Edition (it ended up being a newspaper ad from Oregon — I didn’t see any video game relevance ).

I enjoyed doing this exercise.  I think that what I learned from doing various types of searches will make me better able to help middle school students who are doing research.  One Stop Search is a good place to start, but will they need to know how to look through and decide which articles are relevant.  It would need to be emphasized that students should scroll past the first page of listings, since the records are not in relevance order but in database order.

Advantages of One Stop Search:  If you are just starting your project/not sure where to go, broader reach, covers wider range of materials, allows you to find results even when you don’t know exactly where to look, don’t have to search multiple times

Advantages of Single Databases:  More focused, accurate results, less overwhelming, easier to pick out relevant articles

Question:  Is there a way to search within one single magazine/journal only in our databases?  (for example, BusinessWeek)

I LOVE RSS feeds, but I have to admit, I think using a Feed Aggregator such as Bloglines is a really clunky way to harness the power of RSS.

I do have a couple feeds that are aggregated in my Outlook account here at the Library, but I usually don’t have time to look at them and I don’t find it that helpful.

What I think RSS Feeds are the best for is embedding information into a web site or blog. When you embed the RSS feed, all you have to do is update the original location (your Flickr page, your blog, etc.) and the embedded feeds on any web site anywhere will automatically update too!

You can see an example of an embedded feed on the right side of this blog (YA Loft Blog). It updates itself as soon as I add a new post in the blog it’s feeding from.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIt-sv6zQZY

These teens know how to Dance Dance Revolution.  Watch them do flips, turns, headstands, and more — all while hitting every single dance move for a perfect score. I know I can’t DDR like this!

Ways the Library could use YouTube:

• Make vod-casts (streamable videos) that tell about upcoming events at the Library
• Give a virtual tour of the Library through a video
• Embed YouTube videos such as vod-casts, tours, or author interviews in our web site

I have been using Flickr for over a year now to store, categorize, and share photos I take of Young Adult events, programs, and the YA Loft redesign last summer.

Check out the YA Loft’s Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/91566002@N00/

I posted a new picture today:

Ways the Library could use Flickr:

• I’d like to see the various PRPL Flickr accounts that already exist tied together in some way — whether merged into one account or “friended” to each other
• Each Flickr account creates its own RSS feed, so it’s very easy to have a constantly-updated picture slide-show on any web page. We are already using this to some extent; perhaps we could integrate it more seamlessly
• Have a “New Book”/ “New AV” Flickr account where we post pictures of the newest items that have come into the library.

Possible Tags

Displays, Programs, Gaming, Park Ridge Public Library, New Books

Flickr Fun

My favorite Flickr toy is Moo Cards.  It’s cheap and easy to print professional looking mini-cards with personalized information on the back and photos from your Flickr account onf the front.  You can also create stickers!

Using Flickr Outside of Work

I’ve used Flickr in the past at home to share pictures with my friends and family. The only trouble I have found is that Flickr reduces the quality of pictures so it’s not a great way to allow others to download your photos.

I think a great way to add blogs to our web site would be to introduce a “book-discussion” blog for patrons who use our book club service in Reader Services.  We could post links to resources and web sites, review popular book club books, allow patrons to comment on books or resources they have used.  If we decided to be really daring, we could even start a blog where book discussions happen in the comments section of the blog.  We post a book title and questions, participants add their thoughts and answers through commenting on the blog.

 I am constantly amazed at how easy it is to set up a blog that looks professional, is simple to update, and incorporates all kinds of widgets, RSS, features, photos, etc.  Why isn’t everyone doing their sites this way?  Writing your own HTML seems cumbersome and outdated in comparison.

The first post on my wired up blog!  Why is Web 2.0 important to me? Because I believe our world is changing, and young people have already adapted to this new online, social network environment. To understand the young people I work with, I need to be part of that world, too. Don’t believe it? Watch the video below from the MacArthur Foundation.