Thing 23 - Final thoughts

This is it, my final thing, number 23! It's come around surprisingly quickly and seeing as I'm on leave next week, for the first time in the whole programme, I'm ahead!!

Oxford 23 things has been an excellent programme for trying out Web 2.0 tools, whether you're a complete novice or you've already dabbled. As I worked through the tasks, I discovered that I'd used more Web 2.0 tools than I thought I had. It's been interesting to think about how to apply these tools in a professional and library context.

My favourite tool definitely has to be Google Reader and RSS feeds. Although I'd had a go with Google Reader before, I hadn't stuck with it but since re-familiarising myself with it, I'm a convert who keeps up to date on most of my feeds. It saves me a lot of time, being able to read updates through an aggregator rather than checking each individual site. Other tools that I've liked are Twitter and iGoogle, of which I was already a dedicated user.

As for my least favourite tool, it has to be Flickr. I'm not a big photographer and when I do take photos that I want to share, I'm more likely to post them on Facebook. Also I really resented the fact that I had to set up yet another username and password, this time a YahooID. Every time I've had to use it, I've forgotten what it is and spent ages having to look it up! I'm still slightly sceptical about LinkedIn but who knows, I may be persuaded round.

I've learnt a lot during my foray into the world of Web 2.0 and it's given food for thought. I'm still not sure if the library and information world are making too much of Web 2.0. It's difficult to measure it's effectiveness as a method of communicating with users and there's are questions over whether students want the library in their online social space. Surely it's only a matter of time until the next big thing comes along.

That said, I don't want to end of a negative note so I'd just like to thank Staff Development and all those involved in the planning and execution of Oxford 23 things. Well done on a great programme!

Things 21 & 22 - Widgets

So we're nearly at the end of 23 things, just one final Web 2.o tool to go, and a very useful one at that... it is the widget!

I did as the tasks requested, adding a Flickr photostream to my blog and my delicious bookmarks to my iGoogle page. Both were easy to do. The photostream would be good if I used Flickr properly and the photos were relevant to the blog content so I see the benefits but seeing as I don't, it looks a bit silly really. As for the delicious bookmarks, I really didn't like how the widget looked so after a day or so it was promptly removed!!

Widgets offer a good way of streaming content from your various Web 2.0 accounts to a centralised location e.g. your iGoogle page or blog. There is an infinite amount of different ones you can play with so you could say that the world is your oyster when it comes to customising your pages.

Things 19 & 20 - Google Docs & ThinkFree Office

As part of the Office 2.0 task, I've had a go with Google Docs and ThinkFree Office.

I can see the benefits of using cloud computing, especially when you're moving around a lot and rarely at the same computer. I'm still a little wary of storing documents on a company's server both for privacy and stability reasons.

After testing both services, I'm definitely leaning towards Google docs. It was much easier to use than ThinkFree and although it doesn't have as much functionality, it's user-friendliness swings it for me. ThinkFree just seemed a bit more complicated and not very intuitive.

I'll consider using these services in the future as they are a good tool for collaborating on a document with colleagues without having to email around multiple versions. I might even employ it during my next batch of group work for uni, that way no-one has the excuse that they don't have access to PowerPoint!!

Things 17 & 18 - Wikis & Wikipedia

I have some experience of wikis. I used them as part of my library degree and as a trainee, we had a wiki to share information, although it wasn't very heavily used. I've used the Oxford Web 2.0 & the C&RD wikis before but never edited them. As my library already has a case study on the Web 2.0 wiki, I did some OULS spotting which resulted in me updating some links on the History Faculty Library page.

I find wikis extremely useful for sharing information and it can be easily updated. They're easy to use and much more practical than distributing multiple versions of documents between colleagues. They offer a valuable tool for project work with colleagues.

The other task related to wikis is looking at Wikipedia.
It is a useful resource for getting an quick overview of a subject but obviously the fact that anyone can edit the entries means you should take it with a pinch of salt! The reliability and accuracy of Wikipedia should definitely be questioned and it isn't a reliable source for academic research. I've never looked at the discussion or history pages before. It's very interesting to see how an article has evolved to its current state!

Things 15 & 16 - Twitter

I've had a Twitter account since April last year but gave up after a grand total of 6 tweets!
I just never really got into it so I'm giving it another go for #ox23 (see I'm getting the hang of it already!)

One of the things I like best about Facebook is reading people status updates so Twitter really indulges me on this! It's a brillant way to share current information quickly, the retweet feature helps to get information out to a wider interested audience and helps people avoid missing something they might not have seen otherwise!

I feel it can be quite difficult to use until you've mastered the symbols (@ and #) and the navigation. Sometimes it's hard to find people that you know are on there but you don't know their twitter name or email.

There is a rather large library & information professional presence on Twitter. It provides another opportunity for librarians to network and share information, but it offers a currency and immediacy that offers mediums cannot. I can see the sharing of links to articles and blogposts being really useful in my library school studies and for keeping on top of professional issues.

Thing 14 - LinkedIn

This is only going to be a short post as I've tried LinkedIn before and I'm not a fan. Although in the name of 23 things I'm giving it another go and have updated my profile and started adding people to my network.

I see why it's a good thing to have a social network that is purely professional, especially when you read those horror stories on the news about interviewers finding prospective employees on Facebook then not giving them the job based on what they've found!

I find that LinkedIn is not very intuitive, and quite difficult to use. Maybe the more I use it, the easier it'll get. However I remain sceptical.

Thing 13 - Facebook and Libraries

I've been a member of Facebook for a few years now and use it as a way of keeping in touch those people that I don't see regularly and that live long distances from me. Also, I'll have to admit that I do like seeing what other people are up to! Obviously there are things about Facebook that I don't like such as those stupid applications like Cafe World & Farmville and the increasing "oops, sorry something has gone wrong" messages.

In terms of using Facebook in a library context, there are definitely some benefits.
It offers an alternative method of communicating with the library's users as well as giving them an alternative point of entry into the library's information and resources. It can be used as a promotional tool for the library's events, training and services and can provide readers with instant news updates. A Facebook presence can also raise the library's profile in the public domain and encourages interaction between the library and readers in the form of feedback. Therefore it has the ability to act as an excellent marketing tool. Another feature which is particularly beneficial to libraries is the library-specific applications which can be used to personalise your page. You can include feeds from Delicious of your useful links, you can search SOLO, Copac, Worldcat and Jstor and I've discovered that there is an application which displays your guides created by the new LibGuides software which the Bodleian Libraries has just purchased.

There are inevitably some downsides to using Facebook in libraries. It is a social networking service and it is important to maintain a professional image. There are continued concerns over privacy and security issues, as there are with any social networking service. There is often a low uptake, which may be because users do not want libraries encroaching into their social space.

Overall, I would say that Facebook offers another medium for libraries to interact with their users and stay current in the online environment.