Isn't it funny?

Isn't it funny how often we take an 'easy' path, only to end up miles from our destination. It is so tempting, in the current financial climate, to follow the quickest and 'easiest' way to get by - but where is this path really leading us? A few hundred dollars closer to paying the mortgage?Further away from our true aspirations?
How can we follow that little mouse like voice inside that leads us to goodness when we are so transfixed by that one that screams "Dentist bill" and "Food" and "Rates" and "That bloody credit card?" And when we try to shake off these burdens (just for a moment's respite) another one tumbles on to us.
Is this why we rush through each day, ignoring those less fortunate, while we juggle around dollars, spending them here and there before we've even received them?
And while I sit here, wasting time spelling out the modern curse to those who are already well acquainted, I leave this list of questions unanswered.
Because, really, I'd be kidding myself if I said I knew.

Social networking

It is very interesting that so many libraries exist in second life. This is an excellent way to reach the young community and others who may not physically want to visit the library.
As for myspace and facebook sites, these popular online meeting spaces are the perfect areas to target niche audiences. A different myspace page could be created for each age group or genre group accordingly. We could also have a general page for promotion of the library and this could link to the several niche pages. These social networking sites are perfect vehicles for book clubs and writing/study groups. Transfering this idea to second life brings these virtual communities of interest to a whole new level, with avatars and visual elements somewhat mirroring reality.

Online apps.

Online applications are another example of the internet's power in collaborative organisation. With the software based online, compatibility between users (as well as the ability to collaborate) is strengenthed. While powerpoint is easy to use, it can not be used socially (unless emailed continuously from recipient to recipient).
The ease at which documents can be created and distributed online, makes this software very suitable for the purposes of the library.
The application I created was promotional, and showed the public what was on offer, but these applications extend past this.
They could be used to create any number of informative texts on all sorts of subject matter, and could be geared at several age and interest groups.

mashups

Here is the fantastic mashup I created. Its point --- unknown, its purpose --- even cloudier. But it was a fun waste of time. I can see that mashups incorporating maps with images and information can be quite useful and fun. But my slow, traditional brain hasn't conjured up much use for most of the applications on hugefunlab - other than their fun factor.

Of course, that's not to say that they aren't useful for society at large, or for libraries and other community-based institutions. I guess they provide a means to a design end - that is, any one with a computer, internet access and digital camera can try their hand at graphic design. This means that we all have a chance to partake in activities that were once too expensive and require advanced skills.

podcasting

Podcasting is yet another web based technology that could be used in numerous ways in the library. We could use it for story time (for children who are house bound or couldn't make it), as well as for any talks or seminars we hold. We could also use this technology for promotional purposes, and to let the public know more about the library. Different podcasts could be geared to different audience groups, and we could create a series of talks about a subject without needing to set aside a physical time and space for our patrons.

Slamming the boards

An answer board site would work well for libraries. The ability for librarians to compile commonly asked questions online provides a non-spatial & non-linear aspect to providing information. This would be especially helpful for patrons who can't visit the library during opening hours, like shift workers, or those with physical disabilities.
The use of the web in documenting and facilitating these discourses means that not just library members would have access to the information.
This web space would also provide an invaluable source of customer feedback, as patrons could offer suggestions, or even question the vailidity of the information we provide.
Also, we could create a number of different forums, geared to different interest groups. These could be organized along demographic details such as age or cultural background. We could also identify a number of niche groups and organise along these, ie, such as historical romance, graphic novels/manga, or project managment. We could involve members of the public in these niche interest forums, which would create online communities of particular knowledge, without formal hierarchy - but with expert knowledge.

Delicious folksonomies

The use of social bookmarking sites like delicious would be very useful for libraries and study groups. In terms of a library environment, it could be used by the borrower to create reading groups or study groups. It could also be used by library staff to highlight categories of information.
The creation of folksonomies via these social methods is another interesting step away from formal systems of classification, and the future effect of this on our understanding of the universe.
Here is a link to my delicious page.

video embedding

The availability of digital technology, as well as the increased capabilities of the web makes this an exciting time for libraries.
Video embedding could be used for numerous services and targetted at most sectors of the borrowing public.
We could include videos of story times and other events hosted by the library.
We could also include instructional videos on how to use self checkers, databases, catalogue, etc. It could be used to promote the library as a whole, and to inform patrons of all of our services.

Wicked Wikis

The technology of the wiki makes it a very useful tool for libraries and book clubs. The ability to edit another's work means the accuracy of the information can become strengthened after each new idea is added.
I also thought that its use as a social space for exchanging information is very significant in our community, and this could be applied to all different sectors of the library. Whether used as a bookclub type space, or as a community noticeboard, or even as a mode of communication between library staff and their patrons, the wiki offers seemingly endless possibilities.

Finally, I know what RSS means!
This technology is interesting in the sense that it organises the information we choose to view it one convenient location.
This is promising for libraries because it could make it easier for borrowers to find the information they are after.
I'm concerned about the way these ideas are promoted with little or no mention of any negative social consequences or issues.
One issue I think important to raise is the online tracking of information.
Once the user has registered their details to google ( and many other web based services) they are often allowing a 'cookie' onto their computer. This cookie is a piece of software that tracks the movements of the user through the net. It records search terms entered, websites visited, etc, and then the companies who use this cookie then sell this personal information to other companies who tailor marketing strategies to us.
Where is this new sense of technological convenience really taking us?