Evaluation and Best Practices

Best Practices:

I actually struggled in answering the first question posed this week: what are the best tools that can be implemented easily and with the most impact.  Its difficult to answer the question because each tool we have learned about over the course has different audiences, purposes and can impact an individual's relationship with the library in various ways.  I would go as far to say that this question is very situational and personal.  For example, I didn't really find RSS feeds useful because I a) would rather browse the web, b) didn't like going into a separate account to check for updates and, c) had websites that I go to everyday anyway.  However, I found blogs to be so much fun, useful in learning about cultural and perspective information and rely a lot on using blogs now.  The point is that I feel each tool has the potential to impact a person in different ways.  It can impact business and news information (RSS feeds), community pooling (wikis), social lives/love lives (social networks), alternative learning styles (gaming/virtual worlds), just to give some examples.  One thing that is consistent throughout my blog and several others was the idea that ALL of these tools can be cheap and are user-friendly.  Any library can implement a blog, wiki, facebook account or Feed for free.  If there is more they are looking for, upgrading to premium memberships for most of these services is still cost effective in comparison to hiring a media director, paying for advertisements or hiring a contractor/not a librarian degree techie to do all of this stuff.  The lesson from this is that because these tools are for the most part free, it cannot hurt to try a few in your library and see over time what it can do.  

After completing all of the lessons, I completely see a place for social software in libraries.  We all know the potential of these tools, such as community, teen or kids blogs, social bookmarking to widen access to all forms of information and connecting with users outside of the physical library, but the one reason I feel strongly about social software in the library is its user-friendliness.  From the perspective of someone who is intimidated by anything techie, this course made me realize how easy it can be if tools are created with user-design in mind.  I feel really comfortable in creating a blog, linking my RSS feed to it, commenting on others' blogs, creating social groups through facebook, adding friends to my YouTube account and editing wikis.  Because these tools are user friendly, they do not require full time positions dedicated to them (though they could for say the main branch at TPL or LPL).  For a small public library or even academic libraries with different departments, these tools can be managed as a side job.  I think you could dedicate one or two hours a day to checking the blog/updating and replying and still be able to complete daily tasks.  Also, these tools can be developed as a team and maintained by the staff, not just one person.  That is not to say I don;t think one position specified for social software isn't a good idea, but I think that implementing a blog is a great way to reach a wider audience and widen access to different forms of information while keeping in budget and working together when the means aren't always flooding in. 

Personal Experiences:

A bit long, but quickly, my personal experience with social software was extremely eye opening. I didn't realize how easy these tools can be implemented and yet how strong of bonds they can create between libraries and all sorts diverse users.  My favourite tool was the blog.  I was never interested in blogs and came in with the impression that blogs were those 'diaries' of people who well, didn't have anything better to do.  This course brought to my attention the usefulness of blogs when there is a purpose!  You can learn a lot from others perspectives and opinions and the audience is so diverse that you open up to information you may have never considered.  Blogs are great because they can be specific in subject, reference blogs, chats, teen rooms, basically anything.  It really gives a chance for libraries to be creative and relax a little.  Because blogs are 'informal', they give libraries a chance to connect with users who might feel intimidated by libraries and the 'higher' language/social associations they hold. It provides everyone with an equal chance to learn how they want to and about the things that interest them.   I really like how blogs promote different forms of information.  FOr example, blog posts of youtube videos or facebook groups are just as informative as journals (not comparing the content but the means of the information).   I think that as long as people are getting information and access to information, the means in which it is done is minor.  

Sorry, but more next week. haha.