Social OPACs

I started out searching the Univ. of Pennsylvania online catalog for the author, Jane Austen, but the only feature I noticed that fits with the theme of social tagging is the "More Like This" option which suggests additional items by the author or within the same series or on the same subject. As a dual librarian and library user, I know the value of suggestions for like items. Patrons commonly ask for something along the same lines as what has initially caught their interest. I then tried the Hennepin County Library's Bookspace site and clicked on the fiction category, Minnesota Book Awards. I like the being able to see images of the book covers as well as posted comments. It's amazing how much comments can sway the decision to explore material further or move on to something new! The overall layout of this site is quite impressive. It's clean but yet there's a good deal of information presented as well as links to related items. I found myself getting side-tracked for a good 10 minutes or more exploring what else is available! I moved on to the Ann Arbor District Library Catalog Tag Cloud. I noticed the tag, "Scotalnd" which is likely meant to be Scotland and see the potential for possibly more errors and less preciseness with folksonomies. I clicked on sisters and four results popped up showing the title and author as well as other tags. The other tags provide just enough information to get a sense of the theme of each result without needing to go further for a summary or abstract. Like Amazon.com, other titles checked out (or in Amazon's case, purchased) by users who borrowed the particular item of interest are displayed. I think the addition of comments and suggestions definitely makes the catalog more friendly and interesting!

Social Bookmarking

We all love to save useful webpages for future use, however, there are times when traditional bookmarks can't be utilized due to poor organization, use of a computer other than our own, etc. I really like the idea of social bookmarking sites that can be accessed from anywhere, provide easy sorting of webpages as well as links to related information others have found. As far as I'm aware, social tagging is already active in some OPACs in which library staff and patrons identify resources and suggest related items of possible interest. The recommendations of those with similar interests can be of great value.

I appreciate the exposure to Connotea and CiteULike for management of bibliographic references. These look especially useful for students, clinicians and writers and I'll definitely have to give them a try!

Online Collaboration Tools

I like the idea of being able to access and modify a document or presentation from any computer with internet access without having to carry a memory stick.

This group of online tools seems really broad with endless applications. I know instant messaging has been successful for reference in some library settings but there is so much more to explore!

Wiki of websites

Third time was a charm getting my wiki post to look like the others but, overall, it was quite an easy excercise. I realize wikis don't require knowledge of html but I'm curious if there are other specifications for adjusting font size, etc. Anything that makes web editing simpler is much appreciated!

Wikis

Wikis are appealing to me, not only because of their Hawiian-derived name, but because they allow for easy sharing and editing of information. I see wikis as having high practical application for library staff given their collaborative natures and organized structures. As David Rothman pointed out in his presentation, wikis allow multiple people to make contributions as opposed to blogs which tend to be operated and maintained by one or two individuals. One possible idea is a wiki for the LET Committee where members can share teaching tools and related educational links. A wiki is easily accessible by all and members could add to documents under development in their own time.