MLA Web 2.0 Week 3

On Facebook, I was frustrated in my attempts to automatically add "friends" from my address book. I received a message that I had an "unsupported email address" because my internet service provider is not currently available through Facebook.

The focus of Linkin is professional networking with an emphasis on the individual registrant. Connections are built based primarily on educational and professional networks. Linkin could be a very valuable tool for building professional networks and for job hunting.

The focus of Facebook is broader and the emphasis is on groups. Contacts are identified as "friends" and shared interests may be very diverse ranging from personal to professional.

Social networking could be very useful to MLA members serving on committees or working on projects, especially where individuals are geographically dispersed.

I don't believe that a Facebook or MySpace page would be possible for in our agency library due to Information Technology restrictions. Our agency is very concerned about network security and the protection of patient information.

I believe there are privacy concerns for individuals who participate in social networks. There have been news stories about potential employers rejecting job candidates based upon information in a social network. The registration process for the social networking sites also requests significant personal data which could be revealed if there are security breaches. Advertisers also seek demographic data and the social networks could provide extensive valuable data to companies seeking to effectively target their adds to customers most likely to purchase the products.

The Denver Public Library eVolver site is a great way for a public library to attract teenagers to the services and activities the library provides, but it also warrants careful attention to potential
privacy/security issues.

Differences between a blog and a wiki

A Blog lists posting in reverse chronological order by a single author. A Blog may contain an archive of previous postings.

A Wiki is a collaborative effort of a small or a broad community. A Wiki is often written and edited by many contributing members of a community. Wikis may be used for professional purposes or for personal pursuits.

Use of RSS feeds in a hospital library

I use RSS feeds from a number of news sites to scan for items of potential interest to patrons. My approach is to scan a broad array of topics and to selectively relay targeted items tailored to the interests of a specific patron. Many of my patrons conduct there own subject specialty targeted scans, but they may miss articles or news items outside of their usually reviewed sources. I plan to work with more patrons to teach them how to create RSS feeds relevant to their particular interests

Week 1

I am enjoying the course. Several of the library blogs I visited are very impressive. I appreciate the flexibility to complete assignments when time permits, because a number of the sites required for the course are blocked at work.

Time for Tea

Almost anytime is the perfect time for tea.

Choose a white tea, a green tea, or a black tea.