Week 5: RSS and libraries.

The longer I take this course, the more I feel like an old geezer. As a Gen X-er, I always felt like I was pretty "hip" to new trends and scoffed at the notion that Gen-Y-ers or Milennials--or whatever the going term is today--were somehow more adept with technology than me. The further I study the tools in this course, the more I realize how "out of the loop" I really was, and how much this course will benefit me in trying to be a librarian with a fresh perspective on technology.

Like blogs, I see a great place for RSS in the library settin, though only if it is used in a useful way. RSS, in my opinion should be treated like a blog for all intents and purposes. The writer shoud relate the subject line to the subject matter whenever possible, and send out clear and to-the-point updates which are interesting to read. The focus should definitely be based more on content rather than quantity and the writer always needs to remember that he or she represents the organization as well as the individual.

Regardless of these rules, there is indeed a great deal of potential. Much as discussed in my blog last week, I can see RSS feeds as a useful way for libraries to update users about new additions to the collection but also as a great way for librarians to be kept up-to-date on industry standards, especially those RSS feeds produced by pubishers and vendors, as seen in this week's case study. RSS feeds are a great time-saver for professionals. As much as I'd rather go on the "hunt" for information personally, I can see a great case for professionals to use RSS to keep abreast of changes in their industry.

I can also see some really interesting applications for RSS in libraries for keeping students up to date of closures, changes in policy or special events. Perhaps even more exciting would be the ability to send out educational materials via RSS feed (for example: advice on how to use certain databases or on how to "do" Boolean logic). Certainly, we don't want to send people away from instructional services at the library, but we could at least give them the basics on a "first one is free" basis. :P

For me, the most interesting article this week was definitely Bloglines, Flickr, and del.icio.us make RSS delectable by Hollenback. Until I read this piece, I really didn't put it together how truly linked these various Web 2.0 tools are, and how they can be used to great effect in concert. Having read the article, I can also see lots of other ways that Web 2.0 tools can be utilized together to great effect in a library setting.

Like I said at the beginning of this blog, this course has given me a whole new excutement and understanding of Web 2.0 technologies and has made me realize just how much I have to learn if I actually have to be the "emerging technologies" techie that I claim to be!