Week 8 Answer boards and Social searching

I do see a number of ways a public library can use 'Answer boards' and 'Social Searching' to benefit library users. While I think Answer boards do have a place, they shouldn't be use exclusively by librarians but as a last resort if they can't find information within their libraries own book or electronic resources.
There may be times when a librarian may need to use an Answer board website if the enquiry is one that is very specialised or broad and the librarian can't locate any information to satisfactorily answer the question. The Librarian can use the "Slamming the boards' website to find the answer.
Libraries can also place links on their own website to Answer board websites, so library patrons can use and ask questions and obtain answers for themselves. Then user can, if they want more information, use the library's own catalogue to search and locate the information. This would help in the area of general reference and/or specific reference questions and specialised reference questions.
With 'social searching', this could be used by libraries to assist patrons in choosing resources. An example can be with 'Amazon' with its features 'Customers who bought this item also bought' and 'Customer reviews'. Libraries can use these features to see what authors write similar books which would assist patrons looking for new authors who write books similar to one they like. This would be good for readers' advisory service. For library patrons, reading the customer reviews can provide them an insight to books they may like to read as well. Library book groups can also use a service like this to get ideas for future books to read and the customer reviews can be used for discussion points for book groups.
Libraries, thus, could incorporate both Answer boards and social searching to aid library patrons in finding information - especially reference enquiries and selecting reading material.

Week 7 Tagging, Folksonomies, etc

I can see a number of uses in a public library for Tagging, folksonomies, del.icio.us, and Library Thing.
With Library Thing, book groups, like the ones being run at Hornsby library and its branches, can each set up an account, whereby, they can keep a list of what books each individual group has read over the previous year. Also, these books groups could establish there own blogs so each member of the group can post about the book they have read for that month. This Library Thing account and blog can then be linked to the library's own website and members of a book group who couldn't attend a meeting can still keep up-to-date with their fellow members. Also, once these blogs are established they can be registered with Technorati and be linked with other book group blogs. This will allow for more varied ideas, views and opinions to be shared, especially with other libraries and other book groups.
A public library can, using del.icio.us, can create tags to highlight specific collections and resources. Users can click on the tags they're interested in and find a list of items that the library has on that subject.An example being 'Hornsby Flora' and a list of resources on the native flora of Hornsby can listed so users know what resources they can access to find out more about the native flora of the Hornsby area. It would also be good for displays, especially in the junior collection, as themes and subjects for school projects or general interest, can be listed under these tags. This can also be applied for students studying for the Higher School Certificate. Students can create tags to list resources that they can use for study, especially websites and databases that can aid their studies. Again, these tags can be linked to the library's own website for access.
Thus, one can see that there are a number of possible uses for tagging for a public library to promote and provide wider access to its resources, both print and electronic, for a variety of users of the library and to make accessing these resources more user friendly.

Week 6 Video online.

I finally managed to place a online video onto my blog. I did it a month or two ago but didn't write about it on my blog. But it's there under my week 5 entry about wikis. Please have a look.

Learning 2.0 Week 5 - Wilis

Wikis, and especially Wikipedia, are information post that are created and maintained by contributors who have an interest in the subject posted as a wiki. Wilis cover an array of subjects and interests, and many of these are library related. A public library service, like the one I work at in Hornsby, can use wikis in many different areas.
The first would be to outline the library's own procedural manual that are used within the library. From borrowing conditions, fees and charges, joining, using electronic equipment like computers, printers, photocopiers, and self-check machines.
the library's wiki can highlight any changes and developments, from changes to borrowing rules, fees and charges, or building changes. A good example would have been Hornsby library's own refurbishment in December 2007. This could have been mentioned on our wiki for the benefit of library users.
As the library often has exhibitions and talks, these can be written about. From displays to author talks, community events, both staff and library users can contribute what they thought about the event.
A page on the wiki could be set up for library users to contribute to library's wiki. This page can be used for people to write their views or criticism about the library. This would be an open contribution by users.
Hornsby public library has an extensive local history and family section, and a page could be set up for this for all library users interested in this area. Users could contribute new information on range of topics concerning the local history of the area.
Lastly, Hornsby library and its branches run a number of book groups. These groups can have pages set up where they can contribute views on books they have read or are currently reading. They can also write a brief synopsis on the book and about the author.
A number of these contributions to the library wiki can be either closed or open models. The closed models would be the procedure manual where only library staff can contribute. The open models would be the local history, exhibitions and author talks, and the book groups.
Thus, a library wiki can have benefits in promoting the resources and activities of the library and allow library users to contribute so they feel a degree of inclusion to the library's functioning.

Latest reading.

Eleanor Rigby by Douglas Coupland.

Liz Dunn is a lonely, middle-aged, overweight woman, living a mundane life in Vancouver. Resigned to her life of a boring clerical job, a small dingy home unit, and strained relationships with her immediate family. She has come to except the way her life is and always be.

Suddenly, one day, her life takes a different track as the Hale-Bop comet streaks high across the sky. An event in her past, when she was a teenager, and the consequences of that event, comes back into her life - her son!

Jeremy is in his early twenties and is enduring his own problems. A young life of foster homes and various jobs has left him aimless. At the same time his body is destroying itself, limiting his future.

The coming together of these two people seem to come at the right time for both of them. As one needs emotional support, the other needs physical support. Jeremy, with his positive outlook and determination to live as much as possible, brings Liz out of her shell and changes her life. Jeremy broadens her horizons and possibilities to the world. Liz, at the same time, provides Jeremy with a home and material comfort that he needs. So, for a short time, a familial bond forms between the two.

After Jeremy's death another bolt from the blue brings another change in direction to Liz's life once again, and events lead her to Austria to confront another element from her past that connect her to herself and Jeremy - Jeremy's father Klaus. A middle aged man, Klaus is lonely as well, due to his own mental health problems. He and Liz form a connection, and through the memory of Jeremy, develop a relationship. Suddenly life doesn't seem lonely for either of them, and companionship replaces solitariness for the future.

Coupland's novel focuses on how seemingly ordinary lives are, deep below the surface, extraordinary in their own unique way. Also, no matter what type of person we are or what type of lives we lead, all of us need to connect with other people.

Abaza : a modern encyclopedia. By Louis Nowra, 2001.

Welcome to Abaza, the strange pacific nation of Louis Nowra's novel. Structured like an encyclopedia, it tells the history, culture, society, and personalities of the island nation. Four condemned men await their fate in the capital's jail. Each, with different positions in Abaza society, narrate the story, detailing the various elements that contribute to the country's make up. From the various despotic rulers; the mad revolutionary and his child army; the drug pitu; the macabre adventures of Tegi the cartoon charater and his creator; and the corruption and violence.

Linking all this is Aba, the svengali figure, who weilds the true power. His machiavellian acts ensures his own position within the power structure of Abaza's government and politics, but condemns others - including Abaza.

At first I read it like the encyclopedia it sets out to be, by going back and forth to the various entries that were linked to one another. A quarter way through, however, I gave this up and decided to read it straight through like a regular novel. By doing this, I, as the reader, later discovered how the various links to other entries came together to form the whole. Also, Nowra succeeds in writing the entries in the voices of each of the condemn men - from the semi-literate child soldier, the educated professor, the journalist, and the former government insider. Each supply the various outlooks of Abaza through their place in society.

At times funny, shocking and ugly, this fictional nation state of the south pacific is vividly brought to life. So, do yourself a favour, take a trip to Abaza.