Web Award Winners

I think this was the coolest! http://www.programmableweb.com/

There is so much out on the web that I didn't know about. I really dig the off-the-wall maps that someone has taken the time to create (mashup). This is a chance for others to share their secret hobbies and interests in full. I can't wait to explore this site further.
The web awards are the best of the best. I spent some time on http://www.onesentence.org/ which is 'an experiment in brevity.' It was easy to search, since folks had added those magic tags to their posts. Very useful! A library could apply this idea for brief book reviews.

Tecnorati

OK, so this is how we tag our blogs. I searched around on the site, but I admit, my interest in reading random blogs from random individuals is low. But Tecnorati is a good idea - tagging blogs (with terms familiar to regular people) so the right people will find it. VBPL will definitely have to use this type of resource, once we get up & running.
The video we watched explaining Tecnorati was exactly what I don't like: "mmmm... what do I want to read now. oh, this looks good, maybe I'll like that." Just creating a big list of things TO READ. I have so much to read now, I can't imagine adding more!

Del.icio.us

I'm still getting the swing of this, so for now the best part of del.icio.us is having access to my most used bookmarks from my personal computer to any computer at the Reference Desk.
I'm not comfortable having people look at my bookmarks, so I'll make them more private. I don't know why all this online sharing bothers me. I talk too much and have no problem buying things online with my credit card, so I'm not some privacy freak. It's just weird to me to be so personal online, even with something as innocent as bookmarks.

MySpace

I tried creating a page and made a very vague one. This is not for me.
#1 - It's hard to fool around with when there are so many other pressing matters at work
#2 - Putting so much personal information, interests, heroes, favorite TV shows, "Who I'd like to meet" & more just seems presumptuous. I don't feel comfortable being so personal online, even if it was just my friends reading it.

I can see that others may enjoy MySpace, especially teens, who have a reputation for being pretty self-absorbed. Also if you were a member of a group of people who had similar interests. This would have been great when I was in Library School to get to know other students. Instead we had to gather, make small talk, go grab a beer at the Austin Brewery, call on the telephone, and interact in person. Oh, it was horrible.

OK, that was sarcastic. I'm sure it would have been neat to have this kind of virtual networking going on & maybe I would have met some different people than I actually did. FOR ME online social networks seem unnecessary and a bit unnatural.

OSN

Should VBPL use a social networking site to connect with teens?
Meredith Farkas's article really says it all: "... unfortunately most libraries are doing it really badly... A profile that offers nothing but a picture of the library, a blog post or two and a cutesy thing about how we won’t shush you just looks cheesy...Just putting up a profile does not make the library seem cool, nor does it make the library more visible."
So the answer is Yes, VBPL should use a social networking site, IF we do it WELL. Have a useful, handsome site that is worth the click.