Calling All Numbers..

So, I've worked my way through Module 4 of INF505. In theory I now possess the knowledge to create my own call numbers. Well, I say in theory. In fact I really am able to create my own call numbers. Unfortunately they do not always seem to match those which are given as the answers to the various exercises.

So, what is so difficult? I always thought Dewey was a pretty simple systen. Just say what the subject of the item is and give it the appropriate number, right? Hmm.. not that simple after all. Even if you can work out the correct subject (many may apply!) you then have to worry about building the number to include historical or geographical references that will make it more specific. I can cope with this concept, but I may not be alone here in finding the Dewey Tables and the way they express themselves as utterly confusing. I'm sure that once you've been using them for a while they make perfect sense, but to me right now it feels like I'm wading through treacle.

What about the book number part of the call number then? Surely that's just the first three letters of the author's name? Well, true, this is a bit simpler, except that sometimes it isn't. The SCIS rules we are being asked to apply complicate the book number process, although this still pales by comparison with the extra complexity they add to the Dewey number allocation.

While I can understand the processes involved here I think that I would be lucky to get the right Dewey numbers half the time, although I'm sure many would be close. I'm certainly glad that Assignment 2 won't be asking us to create them ourselves, and that there are more points available for assigning Subject Headings, which seems rather more intuitive, although still fraught with the occasional pitfall.

My own thought on the whole Dewey number thing is that, even without the extra SCIS rules to contend with, they are overly specific for the vast majority of libraries. They have imposed a limit of nine digitis for school libraries, but realistically that's still way too big. Even when I used to find items in my University library, which was large, I never paid attention to anything after the first five digits. Most children don't look beyond the decimal point, and really don't need to. I can see that a specific subject library might need more specificity, but for most of us it's simply a lot of wasted effort.

Time to Catalogue a Few Thoughts

Well, ETL 505 is well underway, and I have to admit that I've been a bit remiss in not commenting upon my learning before now. However, I think it would be as well to note a few thoughts before I begin the first assignment. Judging by the comments on the forums people have found this area of the course to be a challenging one. While the fact that I've been lagging behind has made it difficult to contribute much to these conversations, I have at least been able to benefit from them, especially with regard to some of the errors in the cataloguing exercises I just completed. Frankly, I was well capable of making plenty of my own mistakes without having any built in.
Laying that aside, my general impression of cataloguing thus far is a) favourable and b) horrified. Whilst I enjoy the challenge of this kind of methodical work with attention to detail, I think that I might need quite a bit more time before I could feel myself competent. I dread to think what damage I would do if let loose  on a real catalogue.
Additionally, I may not be alone in thinking that I seem to have chosen perhaps the worst moment in history to begin studying library cataloguing. The very recent introduction of RDA, which seems likely to become the standard in the future (although the literature is adopting a let's wait and see stance. Thanks), and which is such a radical departure from the AACR2 practice, means that we really need to get a handle on both the old and the new. I think that it would have been useful to cut down the first few weeks of background information and get stuck into the practical cataloguing sooner if we are to achieve mastery of this subject.
Ah well, here is a short RDA entry for myself at this point.

2.3.2        Title Proper                                                                        Brain dead mess
2.3.6        Variant Title                                                                       ETL505 student
2.4.2        Statement of responsibility relating to title proper          RDA cataloguing exercises
20.2         Contributor                                                                         ETL505
18.5         Relationship designator                                                   puppeteer                                        
      

INF 506 Assignment 3 - Evaluation

Evaluative Statement

Over the past 3 months I have read, watched, listened, interacted and reflected on what I have learned about social networking and how it applies to my school, libraries and other organisations. So here is an evaluation of that process.

Library 2.0, it’s concepts, theory and practice were to some extent omnipresent in all learning activities for this course, but were perhaps more explicitly considered in the ‘4Cs at ASU’ post (Farley, 2013b). Essentially, the term library 2.0 simply refers to the use of Web 2.0 tools and approaches, as laid out by Miller (2005), in a library setting. Arizona State University (ASU) provides a fantastic example of what library 2.0 can be, using a variety of social media to communicate with its community, keeping them informed in about services and resources that are available in an engaging way. It should be noted, however, that to establish this kind of online presence must be the result of a lot of hard work. As Partridge, Lee and Munro (2010) conclude, becoming librarian 2.0 is more about skills and interpersonal abilities than simply registering with a few social media sites. It’s all about how you use the tools to hand to become more open and participative (Casey and Savatinuk, 2006).

In ‘Blog or Bleaaaurgh?’ (Farley, 2013a) I was able to assess the social media use of my own school library. While it was pleasing to see that the library had ventured into the world of social media, the overwhelming impression was that their blog was, well… underwhelming. With a relatively affluent youth audience as their primary community there should be few limits to what media they could be using. ASU (Farley, 2013b) demonstrates how tools such as Twitter and Facebook can be effective for communicating with a similar audience, but also how the integration of audio-visual material can enliven what you are presenting. ‘Blog or Bleaaaurgh?’ (Farley, 2013a) reflected on how tools such as podcasting and Slideshare could be used to make the school library blog more interesting, as recommended by Brown (2010).

‘Blog or Bleaaaaurgh’ (Farley, 2013a) also touches briefly on the need for direction when implementing a social media tool such as a blog. However, this was reflected upon in more depth by the ‘Marketing Strategy (Don't Fall Asleep Yet!)’ post (Farley, 2013c), where Brown’s (2009) advice was considered in relation to my own school and library. The first area discussed was the need for some kind of market research to find out exactly who the users will be and what kinds of social media will suit them best. Are you, for example, simply improving the service to your current customer base, or are you trying to expand your influence into new areas. As Casey and Savastinuk (2006) note, those who were previously non-users can now potentially be reached by libraries if they consider the ‘long tail’ and use their online presence to meet the needs of minority interest groups. I see little value in the use of social media if it is only being used to engage those who were engaged anyway.

Another important issue considered was the profile of users, as laid out by Bernoff (2012). In an era of accountability we need some kind of data to show that we are not wasting our time on social media. Since the creators and conversationalists form a minority of online users we will need to focus our efforts if we are to bring them in and foster the community network we so desire.

These are but a couple of the issues facing the user of social media. With particular reference to libraries we would also need to consider areas such as equity of access (Bertot, Jaeger, McClure, Wright and Jensen, 2009). Not everyone has the skills or access to the Internet, and while libraries do provide this they need to ensure that a balance is struck between access provision for all and provision for those who are most in need. There are also issues surrounding privacy and the release of archived materials (Hodson, 2006). Exactly what is suitable for general release online, and how do we protect people’s personal information? Similarly, we have the issue of copyright and the need to use Creative Commons (Partridge, Lee and Munro, 2010). Clearly it would be crazy to embark on a social networking campaign without due consideration of these issues, and a written policy that will hopefully help you avoid or deal with issues as they arise, yet that is exactly what some organisations do, and as Brown (2009) says, they are just wasting their time.

Reflective Statement

Well then, having done all the heavy work, as it were, what have I learned from all this, and has it had any impact on my professional development?

I have increased my familiarity with social networking tools and sites, but I believe I am now more aware than ever that this is really of little long-term value due to the ephemeral nature of online sites and trends. Not so long ago MySpace was king of the hill, but now skulks around outside the castle gates. What this means in real terms is that what I know now will be worthless in a few year’s time unless I stay connected to what is happening online, networking with other information professionals to keep up to date.

In terms of teaching practice, this means that there is little value spending vast amounts of time educating students about how to use individual tools. The focus needs to be upon enabling them to select the tools they need and create their own understanding. More long-term value can be had from learning about digital citizenship issues (Tan, 2011) that will remain relevant over time.

As well as the need to keep up to date with what is currently available, I think I see a need to stay in touch with ongoing trends and the direction that things are heading. While I have enjoyed my involvement in Second Life and can see the benefits of using immersive technology such as this I don’t know anyone outside the course with any involvement in it, and the high network demands make it difficult for everyone to use it. Also, many people still seem to be rather suspicious of these kinds of virtual worlds. It would be very easy to simply forget about it, but I think that as technology improves the online environment may well become more of a simulated environment. Second Life is worthy of involvement because it is potentially the future.

I’m not sure that this is something I’ve learned, but I am more convinced of the impossibility of being involved in too many networks at once. Utecht (2008) lays out how most people’s journey progresses from total immersion through to finding a balance. I can see that it would be very easy to get stuck in his ‘know it all’ stage, spending increasing amounts of time online, but personally I need to get some sleep at night. While I think it’s a good idea to immerse yourself in a new network or tool to master it and decide upon its usefulness, I think efforts need to be focused on one thing at a time, and long-term involvement in social networks need to be limited to a manageable number. While I can find the time and mental capacity to check up on two or three regularly, beyond that I find it difficult to maintain any significant involvement.

Increased involvement online necessitates increased awareness of certain areas, such as copyright. While I was already aware of Creative Commons I have improved my familiarity with it through further use. However, I haven’t really flagged this up with my students. This is an area that requires my attention over the coming months. Having said that, copyright issues are easily avoided by self-producing material to post online, and to a large extent that is the approach I have taken with my class. I think it would be a great introduction for them to begin attributing licences to their work to build an understanding of copyright and the value of open access to material (Mashup Australia).

My knowledge and awareness of policy issues has definitely increased recently, partly through my reading, and partly through the panic my blog seemed to cause the school administration when they realised there was communication going on that they had no control over. While I was lucky they didn’t shut me down they did ban blogging for everyone else until they had a firm written policy in place. It did make me realise that Li’s comments (Schwartzman, 2010) about managers unable to release the reins of control as social media opens up new conversations are still relevant. While we are continuously urged to integrate technology in to what we do I think that there is still a lot of misunderstanding and fear of what that means in reality. I see my role as an information professionals as to show that those fears are purely reactionary.

References:

Bernoff, J. (2012, 4^th January). The Global Social Takeover. [Web Log Post] Retrieved 10^th April 2013 from http://forrester.typepad.com/groundswell/2012/01/the-global-social-takeover.html

Bertot, J. C., Jaeger, P. T., McClure, C. R., Wright, C. B. & Jensen, E. (2009). Public Libraries and the Internet 2008-2009: Issues, Implications, and Challenges. First Monday, 14(11). Retrieved 29^th April 2013 from http://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/viewArticle/2700/2351

Brown, AL. (2009). Developing an Effective Social Media Marketing Strategy. Salt Lake City Social Media Examiner, (30 July). Retrieved 19^th April 2013 from http://www.examiner.com/article/developing-an-effective-social-media-marketing-strategy

Brown, AL. (2010, 22^nd January). A-Z of Social Networking for Libraries. [Web Log Post] Retrieved 1^st April 2013 from http://socialnetworkinglibrarian.com/2010/01/22/a-to-z-of-social-networking-for-libraries/

Casey, M. E. & Savastinuk, L. C. (2006). Library 2.0: Service for the next-generation library, Library Journal, 1 September. Retrieved from http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6365200.html

Farley, A. (2013a, 1^st April). Blog or Bleaaaurgh? [Web Log Post]. Retrieved from http://adamf-anabasis.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/blog-or-bleaaaurgh.html

Farley, A. (2013b, 1^st April). 4Cs at ASU. [Web Log Post]. Retrieved from http://adamf-anabasis.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/4cs-at-asu.html

Farley, A. (2013c, 19^th April). Marketing Strategy (Don't Fall Asleep Yet!). [Web Log Post]. Retrieved from http://adamf-anabasis.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/marketing-strategy-dont-fall-asleep-yet.html

Hodson, S.S. (2006). Archives on the Web: Unlocking collections while safeguarding privacy, First Monday, 11(8). Retrieved 29^th April 2013 from http://firstmonday.org/issues/issue11_8/hodson/index.html

Mashup Australia (n.d.). Open Access. Retrieved 22^nd March 2013 from  http://mashupaustralia.org/open-access-to-psi/

Miller, P. (2005). Web 2.0: Building the New Library. Ariadne, 45, 29^th October. Retrieved 27^th March 2013 from http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue45/miller

Partridge, H., Lee, J., & Munro, C. (2010). Becoming "Librarian 2.0": The Skills, Knowledge, and Attributes Required by Library and Information Science Professionals in a Web 2.0 World (and Beyond). Library Trends, 59(1-2), pp.315-335.

Schwartzman, E. (2010, 14^th September). Selling Social Media Strategy to Leadership with Charlene Li. [Podcast]. Retrieved 22^nd March 2013 from http://ontherecordpodcast.com/pr/otro/selling-social-media-boss.aspx

Tan, T. (2011). Educating Digital Citizens. Leadership, 41(1), pp.30-32.

Utecht, J. (2008, 3^rd April) Stages of PLN Adoption. [Web Log Post]. Retrieved 2^nd June 2013 from http://www.thethinkingstick.com/stages-of-pln-adoption

Trends and Their Impact on Policy

A quick search on YouTube reveals a hoard of videos dealing with predicted future trends, and there have been further updates to the Shift Happens video since this one was released in 2009. However, this one is still of interest to us as it focuses on how we use media, and the rise of digital media. Four years later these may no longer have the same impact, but they continue to progress and are worth considering in terms of how organisations should handle them in their policies.

Of particular interest to those of us concerned with libraries and other information handling professions is the rapid digitisation of books by Google. As a user this is great news, as they will be providing easier access to previously rare and inaccessible documents, although I would be concerned at the cost of accessing such materials. From a library perspective there are also issues of cost and selection of what materials to be made available. Policy documents would have to outline what material should be made available and at what point this becomes unfeasible.

Another trend is the rising numbers of visitors to social networking sites such as Facebook. For libraries this demand means that they should be looking to provide greater public access to these networks (and to be involved in them themselves), which obviously comes at a cost. Another consideration for the policy! Saying that, there are also issues such as child protection. While providing access for adults is great, for younger visitors there may need to be some controls in place. How this will be managed/supervised will also need to be considered in the policy.

 This has already led to another trend, a shift in advertising for many organisations away from traditional media. As a user this will drive me to look for social networks that are free of advertising if it becomes overpowering, although generally adverts in a sidebar can be ignored. For organisations this means they need to ensure their advertising is effective without driving customers to other sites.

According to this video the average teen sent 2272 texts per month. Whether or not this remains an accurate statistic, it shows that youths are extremely communicative. For the library, or any other organisation wanting to tap into this market, the onus is on you to stay abreast of current communication trends and to devote time to establishing a presence in this environment.

Finally, we have the issue of SPAM. Pretty much since email was invented it became infested with SPAM, to the point I gave up on my Hotmail account because it was so overloaded. Filters have improved since then, but the issue remains, and organisations need to be aware that they may be impersonated by spammers for nefarious motives. Individuals need to know that their identity may be stolen without their knowledge, and that SPAM no longer is restricted to email. For schools and libraries the issue of cyber safety needs to be promoted as part of an overall technology policy.

Marketing Strategy (Don't Fall Asleep Yet!)

It sounds odd to think of marketing in a school context, although perhaps less so to those of us working in the Independent sector, where many of the parents already view themselves as clients and can have demanding expectations. I don’t work in Admin, but I’m pretty sure that my school has a marketing strategy, and would be surprised if it’s not written down somewhere (they love that stuff!), but does it include social media? I don’t think so. At least I don’t see much evidence of it.

Now, what about the library? Well, it has a blog, but I don’t think anyone knows it is there. They could definitely do with some kind of policy for their social media marketing, but what should they do exactly?

Well, Brown’s (2009, http://www.examiner.com/article/developing-an-effective-social-media-marketing-strategy) first tip is to actually write something down. What’s the point having a blog if you don’t plan how you will use it? Just getting something down on paper would provide the beginnings of a concrete plan of action.

The best place to start would be to consider the client-base. Who do we want to communicate with? In this case there are two distinct groups with different expectations. On the one hand there are the parents, and on the other the students. We need to consider their preferred methods of communication. Is a blog the right way to go, or should the library set up its own Facebook page or Twitter feed? It is quite likely that the parents have different preferences to the students in this regard. I would recommend a survey to gather data on this.

We also need to consider the categories of user, as demonstrated on the Bernoff/Schadler ladder ( see http://forrester.typepad.com/groundswell/2012/01/the-global-social-takeover.html). What are we aiming to achieve with our social networking? Do we expect students to be engaging as conversationalists or simply checking out what we have to offer as spectators. Obviously there will be a range of internet user types within the client-base, but we need to set ourselves some targets, even if it is simply to be viewed a certain number of times within a set period. This will then allow us to plan for improvement and growth.

Finally, there are the practicalities to consider. This is Brown’s number two tip: set how much time will be devoted to this. Life may be hectic in the library, but nobody will know unless you find the time to keep them informed, and your network will flop unless you keep it regularly updated, so we need to set a regular amount of time aside each day/week to maintain our social profile, and this should be clearly recorded in the policy.

Blog or Bleaaaurgh?

Ok, so I’ve read the A-Z of social networking for libraries (Brown, A., 2010, http://socialnetworkinglibrarian.com/2010/01/22/a-to-z-of-social-networking-for-libraries/) and I want to consider how they apply to my own school library.

B is for Blog. Hmm... well, I had to check this one. My school is a P-12, divided into a Primary campus and a High School campus. After a little hunting through the student portal I found a blog for the High School library, but as suspected there is not one for the Primary library at all. Considering that these libraries co-exist at the same school this incongruity just seems to signal that there is a lack of collaboration within the school. I think the best option would be to share one together. Then, of course they need to make it more obvious. It’s so hidden that I doubt anyone except the High School librarian has ever actually looked at it.

I is for interesting. I have to admit that at first glance I wanted to leave the library blog page because it looked so dull. It is dominated by a background of bookshelves (because it’s a library!) and the posts are all text. To be fair they have also included a series of images alongside the posts to try and liven it up a little, but they are almost exclusively photos of static displays of books from around the library. There are really few redeeming features to this blog, and it is not surprising that I could not find a single comment on any of the posts.

S is for Slideshare, and P is for podcasting. Both of these would liven up the blog no end and could involve student collaboration in their creation (simultaneously lessening the burden on the library staff!).

M is for mobile, and thanks to our school’s hardworking IT department we even have our own app. The school culture certainly embraces mobile technology, but the library is falling behind. Perhaps a Twitter feed would be the way to engage the students with what they have to offer?

Overall, my school library does not have a D for direction in its use of social media right now, but with a little Z for zeal they could still embrace the library 2.0 ethos.

4Cs at ASU

Arizona State University provides an impressive amount of information to its students through social media. On top of maintaining their website they also provide Twitter updates, Facebook posts and create YouTube videos (also posted on Vimeo). So, are these networks being used effectively? Are they achieving the 4Cs of Web 2.0: collaboration, conversation, community and content creation.

In terms of collaboration there is not a massive amount going on between the library and students/faculty staff online, but the videos push the message that the librarians are there to work with you, and articulate clearly how they are contactable and how they can help with resources, or simply providing group collaborative spaces to work in.

Conversation is certainly encouraged by the ASU library. Their Facebook page actively elicits comments from users. However, having said that, although a few users ‘like’ things on the page, written feedback is minimal. The real conversations presumably take place face to face or on IM.

This isn’t entirely surprising. Although what I think the library does best is to provide a sense of community through its regular updates and the lively information videos, ultimately they are still a part of the organisation and the majority of students are unlikely to want to contribute on their Facebook page even if they have viewed it. Possibly their most useful conversation is on Twitter, where they have over 2000 followers. While the Facebook page is used mainly to review things that have already happened, the Twitter feed keeps students up to date with current and upcoming news, as well as occasionally reminding them about library resources. I would certainly have found this useful when I was an Undergraduate. I’m sure that 90% of what was going on  passed me by unnoticed.

Overall I would give this library a big thumbs up for its use of web 2.0, but it does perhaps fall down on content creation. Yes, it creates an awful lot of excellent material of its own to keep visitors interested and coming back, and although feedback is encouraged, I did not actually see much contribution from those visitors, although obviously I am judging based on the most recent communications. Possibly, due to the constantly changing nature of web 2.0, in a month’s time I would be given a slightly different impression.

Podcasting.. overlooked and underused?

Reading Eashe's article on podcasting (2006, http://www.infotoday.com/cilmag/apr06/Eash.shtml) it occurred to me that I have been incredibly dense. I had what I thought was the great idea of getting the children to write stories, or any other creative efforts, in their spare moments and to then rcord them using Audacity. This has been successful so far, at least with some of them anyway. I intended to find the time to share these in class, but the curriculum being what it is we have nowhere near enough time.Now I know that I should have been releasing these audio files as podcasts for all to share. Parents could even sign up for an RSS feed if I look into it properly.
Beyond that, I should be getting them to post reviews and lectures of their own to share what they have learned in a real and motivating way. It is so easy to do, but it is also so easy to overlook the obvious possibilities presented by a technology until you step back and look at the broader picture. Next term then..

Microblogging... a big word for a little thing

So, micrologging eh? We had a staff PD on Twitter last year at which almost every single person conceded to never having looked at or considered joining Twitter, and I am pretty sure the numbers would be pretty much the same a year later, except that I would now have to confess to being a 'follower'. Personally I find it a massive struggle to even find the time to check my emails each day and when asked whether I received one often have to confess that it is probably buried in the list of messages that didn't look urgent enough to bother opening just yet. I don't believe I am alone in this. Realistically then, is there a place for microblogging in schools, and is there any hope of getting the teachers on board with it?
Having laid aside my initial aversion to having another layer of communication dumped on me I began to think of how this might possibly be of benefit. Firstly, it might actually lessen the size of my email inbox. Many unimportant messages that are currently emailed might be better placed as a microblog.
Secondly, we are often asked at the end of meeting to go away and look at something and feedback our thoughts later. Of course, as soon as everyone walks out of the door that is instantly forgottten. Staff might find it easier to add their thoughts to a microblog discussion, and the administration should be able to get their desired feedback.
So, what would need to happen for this to work. The crucial factor, according to Grenfell (2011, http://www.steptwo.com.au/papers/kmc_microblogging/index.html) is that leadership must be engaged with the tool. Staff can feel more involved and appreciative of the organisation's purpose/direction, but they need to know that they are part of a real conversation that the management are also involved in, otherwise they might as well just chat about it in the staff room at lunch time.
I think also, that what people want now is easy access. They want to be able to access and communicate on their phones or tablets as well as their laptops. To this end it is important to research the available tools and select the most flexible.
There are also issues of discussions that you want to keep to select groups, and you need to be able to maintain your membership lists. Most tools allow this kind of thing (http://www.cio.com.au/article/328255/12_microblogging_tools_consider/) but again it is important to research how the different tools will meet your needs.
There is certainly a place for microblogging in most organisations, even schools. You might even want to let the kids in on it! The key thing is to know what you want it for and to implement it accordingly.

Exploiting Social Media

So, I have read, watched and listened to various experts telling me about how how social networking and social media are now vitally important to businesses. What is surprising is that there is anyone who still doubts this. But apparently there are many high-end business leaders for whom the idea of giving up control and communicating with the public is offputting. Then there are those who want to use these networks but see them as simply another old-style promotionl tool. It must be noted, however, that these articles are a little bit dated.

The key messages that I have imbibed from Gary Hayes and Charlene Li are that if you want to promote your product/message you need to engage the audience in a conversation. They need to feel free to give feedback and offer ideas. For that to happen you need to come across as more than a faceless institution. You need to invest time and energy into getting to know your audience and, critically, building a trusting relationship with them. This is of course no problem because we all spend insane amounts of time online nowadays. The key question for teacher librarians is where to find this time. There will be those who argue that they can't spare it, but in today's world this should and must be a priority, so that time will have to be found.

Lost in an Endless Forest of Mediocrity

Ok, so I've done the reading and watched the YouTube video. I now know that Web 2.0 is all about blogging my little cotton socks off, linking, sharing and generally collaborating with every other online user of the  internet. Software is no longer a product to be bought and installed on your PC, it is a service that you subscribe to, and the more of us that use it and give feedback the more effective it becomes.
Web 2.0 applications operate by harnessing our collective intelligence and we advertise them for free by liking, sharing and linking on our other networks. I feel empowered and motivated to participate in building this grand new online landscape.

But wait! There are voices of dissent in this brave new world. Is 'web 2.0' just a buzzword? Are these definitions merely rehashed ideas that permeated the initial creation of the web?

Well, yes and no. These ideas of collaborative sharing were certainly part of the initial vision of the internet, but there can be no denying that the application of this vision has caught up with the idea. It is not a new web, but it is a more developed web. Where the next stage of that development goes will be interesting to see, if anywhere. Perhaps the web has already done the bulk of its evolution and anything that come from now on will be just window dressing?

Hopefully there will be more effective methods for filtering through the boggy mire of detritus. One of the major criticisms of web 2.0 seems to be that it has perpetrated a cult of amateurism, and that it is nigh on impossible to sort the quality from the vast amounts of junk. Still, on the positive side, therein lies an opening for your friendly local teacher librarian to step in with a highly developed set of search skills to light your way.

INF506 Social Networker.. Me?

My own definition of Social Networking is quite simply that it is the interaction between individuals and organisations via websites designed for that purpose. I think this phenomenon was founded in the desire to communicate more effectively with groups of friends in a public forum, but grew on the twin desires to show off our lives to others, and to know what other people are up to. Some people are prolific contributors while many will only ever look. However, these networks now also allow for communication by public and private organisations as we choose to include them in or personal networks, and they are increasingly more reflective of society as a whole.

I think my use of social networking sites is motivated by the desire to keep in touch with people I would not otherwise see often. I speak of course of Facebook, although my recent experience is that most people I know rarely/never post updates, while a small number of individuals with a lot of spare time post every mundane activity in their lives, and I tend to wonder why I am still checking it out. Beyond that I have dabbled in social bookmarking such as Delicious and Diigo for study and work, but tend to forget that they are there. While I have used blogs in study and at school, I would not use one in my private life. I think that, like many people, I do not have the time to use these networks often enough for them to feel useful.

I suppose I expect to learn new ways to use social networks/media from INF506, and to reprogram myself to be a more automatic/comfortable user of sites such as Twitter. I am particularly interested to see how we use Second Life. I have been aware of its use in education for some time, but have yet to see this in action.