A Review of Social Software
This post is part of a presentation for UNT’s SLIS 5330: Academic Libraries course. In this space, I will dump some key themes and my URL examples so that the students can have an electronic copy of the sites mentioned. This will also provide a place to give feedback or discuss issues we were not able to explore in class. This is an outline only.
Introduction 2.0
What is Web 2.0? This article, from O’Reilly, originator of the phrase, explains why Web 2.0 is different from the internet as it was in the beginning.
Library 2.0
The white paper that started a movement: (this link opens a pdf)
The Talis Paper gave wings to the discussion which continues today in the Biblioblogosphere. Some key examples might be, but are not limited to:
John Blygerg’s Library 2.0 tagged posts
Michael Stephens’ Tame the Web Technology, ride the cluetrain
Michael Casey, all L2, all the time
Walt Crawford in Cites and Insights 6:2, offers a very good roundup of the debate as of Midwinter 2006
Why does L2 matter?
For me, Library 2.0 is about realizing that the library does not belong to us. It never has and we must let our patrons, the real owners, guide the services of the library. L2 asks libraries to place services where our users already are with tools they are already using. Michael Habib created this diagram which is the best and most detailed I have seen.
Not everyone believes in the existence of Library 2.0, though I think that the discourse surrounding this debate has been amiable.
Below are links to the social software, with their respective examples, that I (will) use in the class.
Blogs
Platforms: Blogger, WordPress, MoveableType, LiveJournal
Lampson Library’s WPopac by Casey Bisson (Updated: Sorry for the original mistake. I must have been typing with my brain off.)
Wikis
Platforms: PMWiki, MediaWiki, PBWiki
Ohio University Libraries Biz Wiki By Chad Boeninger
Tagging/Social Bookmarking
Platforms: Del.icio.us and Furl
Not an academic library, but a truly librarian use of Del.icio.us
San Mateo Public Library’s Del.icio.us page, used mostly for staff
Flickr
South Carolina State Library
The Librarians and Libraries Pool, where you won’t need floaties
Social Networking
Platforms: MySpace and Facebook
Helene Blowers is compiling a list of libraries on MySpace. The links to the post at the bottom are very good reading as well.
Summary, Library 2.0 is all about building community, participating in a meaningful discussion, and being beta!
–Jane, not the fish