Thing #15 Library: Past, Present, and Future

Rick Anderson in "Away from the Icebergs," refers to the bygone information age, potential disasters, and significant threats. One of these "threats" he refers to is the "just in case" print collection.  I think that he speaks too harshly of the library's past.  The library's present of 2.0 has been built on the past: on rich print collections and personal trips to the library. Dr. Wendy Schultz presents a more positive view of the library's past.  She refers to the "treasured past" and "adventure of the future." She says that libraries are not just collections, but also conversations, communities, and a place that "preserves and promotes memories." 
I believe we should feel excited about the emerging world of 2.0 and beyond, but as we embrace the future, let's remember to appreciate the past.  As I imagine becoming a librarian, I see stacks filled with books that students are anxious to read; I see reading areas where one can sit and read that irresistible novel; I hear myself talking to other readers about characters, plots, and themes.  Yes, I also see cutting edge technology and computer access.  But, a library that is technology rich does not have to be print poor.  I have expressed this idea before, and I repeat it again: Keep the books!  Embrace technology, but keep the books!  The present is full of change, so let us future librarians make wise choices. The library of the future has room for its past.

Thing #14 Technorati Tags

What a surprise when I found The Huffington Post as #1 on Technorati's Top 100 Blogs.  I subscribed to the RSS feed recently for this blog.  I checked out a couple of other "Tops" that looked interesting.  The Daily Dish, #11, featured some political cartoons.  Political cartoons generate interesting quick-writes and discussions in the classroom.  A thought-provoking cartoon posted on a library web page or enewsletter could draw the reader's attention to an important idea.  Libraries should probably stay away from political cartoons, though.  #12 was Read, Write, Web which featured an interesting article on posting book reviews with correct format and tags in order to be a good citizen and make money on the book review.  It suggested using a structured format such as ePub.  I had never heard of this web help.  This article gave me an example of the importance of tagging an item appropriately.  As I am linking articles in Diigo, I have the option of tagging.  I have not put much thought into the tags I assign, but I have learned that the tags can be valuable as I save more articles and return to them searching for a particular nugget to glean. 
I am learning more about adding and removing widgets to my blog.  It's fun to personalize my blog while organizing its information.  Technorati and tags had much to offer as I continue to explore my technical side.

Thing #13 Delightful Diigo and Delicious

I was delighted with my experiences with Diigo and Delicious.  I bookmarked favorite sites on Delicious including Flickr photostreams and School Library sites.  I like that you can bookmark different kinds of sites.  I was directed to Diigo when I clicked on Furl, and it was a happy accident.  I like the features that allow you to highlight text and add sticky notes.  I began researching articles for my professional reference list and was able to highlight important points that I want to go back and re-read.  When I start putting together my reference list, I will be able to go back to my saved articles.  This bookmark feature is going to make my research so much easier.  I will not have to save files to my computer.  I can access my bookmarks from any computer.  I also will not have to remember links and webpages.  Oh, my happy brain!  Bookmarking sites will greatly aid my personal research as a student and consequently, my research as a librarian.