Thing #16: Wikis

We all spend many hours sifting through emails, sometimes deleting that one valuable posting in our hast to rid ourselves of the mountains of clutter. I really feel that some well designed wikis could help librarians and teachers use their time and share resources more efficiently. Our biggest obstacle has been the district firewall and the belief that wikis and blogs are "social" instead of professional networks. Hopefully by presenting some examples of useful wikis, that belief will change.

Thing #15: Web 2.0, Library 2.0 and the Future of Libraries

Libraries need to embrace technology, not fear it. I think that many librarians worry that our wonderful centers filled with printed books will fade away if we encourage the use of online resources. I hope not. I see the eager faces of my young patrons as they choose their first books. But I also realize that these same students use YouTube, iTunes, MySpace, and other resources for entertainment and information.

Librarians of the 21st century need to wear many hats -- and keep changing them as our patrons' needs evolve. We need to teach our young patrons to be smart, savvy, and selective when it comes to internet resources.

Thing #14: Technorati

After searching the "blogosphere" of Technorati for School Library Learning 2.0, I found 251 results and many interesting articles. Here is just a sample of some of the results: AASL Announces Inaugural Best Web Sites for Teaching and Learning; 20 iTunes Feeds for the 2.0 Teacher; and the fantastic In Bb 2.0, a collaborative music and spoken word project conceived by Darren Solomon from Science for Girls.

I spent quite a lot of time browsing Technorati and using Delicious to tag some sites of interest. I think Technorati is a very user-friendly search engine that will help me connect with some blogs of interest to me as a librarian.

Thing #13: Tagging & Social Bookmarking Through Delicious

I must confess that I bookmark quite a lot at school and home and do not keep them very organized. I've been frustrated on many occasions and even starting copying and pasting websites into a word document just to save them. Of course then I need to find the file when I need it. I'm glad that Delicious was introduced to us. I am now a believer!

I've read several comments on how to use tagging and bookmarking in a school setting. I will definitely share this site with my teachers. I think this will also be a great way to share websites without emailing each one.

If you work in an elementary school, how do you plan to use Delicious with your staff or students?

Thing #12: Creating Community Through Commenting

I really enjoyed the article called 10 Techniques to Get More Comments on Your Blog. Inviting comments and asking questions would be great ways to encourage comments especially on my library blog for students and teachers. Since I consider myself a novice in the world of blogging, I also found helpful tips in Beginning Blogger Checklist: 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a New Blog. So what did you learn about commenting? Let's share!

Thing #11: Library Thing

Library Thing is very addictive. I spent some time adding books and searching the groups. I can see a use within a school environment by setting up an online "book club" for your students, teachers, and even parents. They could read and react to the book through Library Thing. I will recommend this site for the book lists...there's a little something for everyone. I added a Children's Books list that includes the books on the Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List for 2009-2010.

Thing #10: Image Generators

I found Wordle and the Custom Sign Generator very versatile and easy to use. The wordles are visually stimulating and would be a great way to generate interest in certain genres in the library. I will be using many of the image generators this year to add variety to my blogs and library newsletters.

http://www.wordle.net/. Images of Wordles are licensed .