How do you keep ahead of the library game?

In a recent post I discussed the new facebook page for librarians. In the four years or so of blogging, the way I've kept out to date has been via blogs. I've also used twitter to some degree to keep ahead. I did also occasionally pop into the library 2.0 ning site. I also created a daily google alert for the term library and library 2.0.
Anyhow, anybody else get there information any other way.

Facebook group for librarians

(Found via here). Brian Kelly blog post pointed out that Aaron Tay has created a facebook page for librarians called Library Related People Facebook group. I had heard of Aaron previously via his blog and the recently deceased Ning site for Library 2.0, in which he was a prominant member of the community.
Seems the site as growing, and as Brian says in the article:-

Will be more to do with the extent of Aaron’s professional network and his esteem in the library community.

Anyhow, its certainly worth a visit and good on you Aaron for creating it.

What future for the social web?

Recent news of the demise of Ning and the possible closure of Bebo has seemed to underline the disintegrating space for social websites. It seems the power of facebook has taken over the whole space.
Phil Bradley though has an interesting blogpost entitled Alternatives to Ning.

Liver and Mash.....another library mash up

The fourth UK library mash up is happening in Liverpool. The ning site says :-

The next (unless someone else sneaks in first) Mashed Libraries event will take place at the University of Liverpool on the 14th May 2010. Bookings will open on 6th April 2010.

The twitter hash tag is #mashliv.

For those that go, have a good one.

Ning Library 2.0 saved

Ning Library 2.0 saved, so I have been informed. Gary, thanks for the heads up, i'll hopefully use it a bit more often now.

Is Library 2.0 dead?

With the closure today of Ning Library 2.0 happening today, the decrease in blog posts and increase in micro blogging, it seems that library 2.0 as a meme is on the demise. In some ways this is true.
This maybe seen in the closure of the Ning site, in which Bill Drew said of its closure:-

The network has not seen much traffic the last few months and most people requesting to join are posting profiles full of link spam. The return is no longer worth the work. I am not transferring it to anyone else......... It grew far beyond my wildest hopes. At one point it got over 50 posts a day but is now getting less than 4 posts a month.

It seems that library 2.0 had lost its cadre of zest for many users. Although Bill points out many users and post joined at first this dropped. Without a conversation (and too much spam), people would disappear.

Other area's where there seems a decline in what has been termed web 2.0 is a decline or at least change in blogging, especially with some of the early library 2.0 bloggers. Jenny Levine's Shifted Librarian has changed her blog into a lifestream rather than a blog. This she describes as:-

lets me run a stripped-down version of my own personal Friend Feed (but without the comments on individual items). It totally rocks.

Michael Casey's influential Librarycrunch has become the Michael Casey blog, therefore its become an individual blog, rather than a more group/borg blog.

Brian Mathews blog the Ubiquitous librarian said recently:-

However I’ve noticed a steady overall decline in post quantity in 2009. Walt probably has an algorithm to measure that. I think the probable cause is that many of us were moving past the newbie stage of librarianship and were really starting to sink our teeth into the profession. Now we’re just too busy for constant online reflection. Additionally, Facebook and Twitter have evolved to replace the long form narrative (blog posts) in favor of quick bursts of ideas.

In many ways, the Library 2.0 seems a fallacy of the past. A word we used to start a conversation about. A word we used to bind us and throw around idea's. It was something new at the time.

Now, even the word library 2.0 seems dated, and we are now in the realm of semantic web/web 3.0.

Its a shame the ning site has closed, but that shows the speed of change in the digital/library world. Anyway, library 2.0 is not dead, as I would have to change my blog and thats not likely to happen.

Library 2.0 ning site may close

Nearly three years ago I mentioned Nings library 2.0 site created by Bill Drew. Well, I just recieved this email:-

Unless I hear a huge outcry over the next 24 hours, I will shut down this group effective Thursday evening , Feb. 25. Most people trying to join are spammers or just seeing what they can get into. I do not want to transfer the ownership of this group to anyone else. There have only been a few blog posts since the first of the year and hardly any discussions. The groups appear to be moribund as well.

I hope it doesn't close, because I thing when it was originally released it was great. I still go there and love reading the aricles by Araan Tay on there. But I don't add to the conversation anymore as work and life seem to take over. Bill, I hope you don't close it, but thanks for a great site if you do.

Using Twitter at academic conferences

(Found via ilibrarian). I was pointed to How People Are Using Twitter During Conferences in which the report says:-

“Microblogging at conferences seems to be an additional way of discussing presented topics and exchanging additional information. It is not limited to the face-to-face audience or the location of the conference. Microblogging rather allows virtually anyone to actively participate in the thematic debates. Our research shows that several conference speakers and attendees are using Twitter for various purposes. Communicating and sharing resources seem to be one of the most interesting and relevant ways in which one microblogs.”

I'm not a fan of twitter. I see the advantages, but find the noise to perplexing, but when I went to the Mash up at Birkbeck, I was surprised at how many people twittered at the conference. As the Oop north mash up is soon, I can see i'll ne twittering there myself.

Oh dear, haven't I been here before?

oh my. I was reeding David Rothman's blog entitled Directory of Librarians Who Twitter. Its very good, and I obviously joind but I do feel I take these things up (note ning). Lets hope I can keep it going.

I got my ipod touch

I final got it. Thankfully i'll get my wi-fi friday and be able to use it. Also next week is the library mash up i'm going to. I'll use it there to blog etc.

Owen Stephens interview on Panlibus

Owen Stephens on the library mashed library '08 at Birkbeck which I had mention before, has been interview By Richard Wallis on Panlibus about the event. Seems like the Mashed library looks a very interesting event.

a quick thanks

To Sarah Houghton (aka Librarian in black) for point out my questionaire. Ning I thought might have helped, but Sarah's comments meant I got some feedback on the questinaire itself already from New Zealand.

libraries and blogging

As I have said so many times before (1 & 2). As the dissertation is about libraries,librarians and blogging, I thought I would do some interviews to get some idea's etc. But, what I found disconcerting (and I should've known this), was the lack of library blogs, in comparison to librarians who blog.
Is it me, or wouldn't a libraries advocacy be better placed by allowing libraries and customers to interface by this technology (and others)? I mean I'm not trying to sound like an old sour puss (which I can be), but I then came accross an a forum discussion on librarian blogger ning entitled Working our way around the red tape, in which Kirsten was trying to set up a blog but all blog entries would have to go through there PR department. Please. How ineffective is that? It seems weird as library professionals w can talk to ourselves through blogs but not our users.
Anyhow, thankful I sent a request to for libraries that blog and got inundated with offers of assistance. Thanks for that.

The week that was.........

Another week and another three blogs to add.
1.Having discussed Revish before, its seems it will be rolling out on march the 30th. Revish is different to other social cataloguing sites, in that its more about book reviews. Looking forward to it.
2. Still enjoying the social networking site for library 2.0 on ning. I've recently joined the librarian blogger for ning. check it.
3. Rachel Singer Gordon, over on Liminal Librarian asks what other 5 (non) library blogs they read. People have time to read non-library blogs?

Master's dissertation on library 2.O

After going through library 2.0 ning, I noted Mike Habib blog, and his masters dissertation titled 'Toward Academic Library 2.0: Development and Application of a Library 2.0 Methodology. Its well worth a look for those who do (and don't) know much on the subject.

Library 2.0 on Ning

Bill Drew has created a Ning social website for library 2.0 enthusiasts. Ning is described as :-
Ning is an online platform for creating social websites and social networks. The websites running on its service are built in standard PHP and the platform itself is built in Java.
Its a great idea by Bill and worth joining. Here's mine.