YouTube and Podcasting

Both YouTube and Podcasting can be of great value for public libraries. That is especially true when one is trying to promote or extend access to Library programs, give tours to the public of new facilities and make public announcements. It could represent the future of PR for Public Libraries.

Yet, there is one value I have recently discovered with YouTube Community for those of us who are relentless reference librarians -- fancy ourselves "Library Detectives". You can sometimes find bits of information that otherwise would not be accessible. I recently located information on a relatively obscure actress about whom I could find nothing of substance via Google from none other than her niece who was a teenage member of a YouTube group and giving viewers information on the next appearace. The World is getting smaller!

I must admit, however, that being a YouTube Community Member at age 57 puts me among the dinosaurs of that realm. Most of the active participants seem to be about 18 or a bit older.

Myspace versus Facebook

Facebook has a much better reputation among librarians than Myspace. Myspace seems to have been a meeting ground for very young kids over the years and it reached a point in 2006 that we were forced to block access to this site on our public computers since youngsters were instant messaging amongst the various groups and preventing others from doing homework and other assignments on the internet computers. Some of the profanity from the middle school aged kids when we did this was pretty ferocious. Once upon a time, long ago, it used to be kids talking incessantly on the phone. Now, the instant messaging craze has replaced that communication medium.

Another big problem in recent years has been the very real threat criminals using the Myspace social networking medium to lure youngsters for sex. I can't dismiss the negative press and fears that have been created by the misuse of this otherwise excellent tool.

I read a story in the trib a few days ago about Facebook being "in trouble" because too many old folks (like us) were signing up.

Libraries could benefit from social networking, but I don't yet know enough to say whether Facebook or Myspace would be preferable.

Wikis and Libraries

Wikis can be very handy for Librarys and for project planning among libraries. Unfortunately, Wikis used as fonts of information usually discovered by Google search don't always contain accurate information. Since many people can add to the Wiki at any time, and without anyone exercising quality control, the content is often suspect. Nevertheless, it can make for fast updating of information and correction of errors among participants who are knowledgeable and actively participating in the information gathering process.

DEL.ICIO.US and TECHNORATI

Del.icio.us can be exteremly useful in terms of keeping a personal record of links that can be portable -- not tied to any one PC -- and shared with others. Since there are many millions of sites "out there" and relatively few are of considerable quality, Librarians will need to be able to recommend the best available for the information needs of patrons.
http://del.icio.us/jimcasey123

Technorati offers a linking blogs and maintaining access to a broad array of subject offerings.
http://www.technorati.com/blogs/jimcasey1-jimsblog.blogspot.com