Flickr III

I explored the map/Flickr combination and thought it was really great. The one that I explored was of the lighthouses of the Great Lakes. My only disappointment was that there were no photos of Lake Superior lights. I will have to explore this some more!!

Flickr II

I believe that Flickr is different from other photo sharing websites in that a user may search photos uploaded by other users without a specific invitation. On more traditional sites, a user must have permission or an invitation to view the photos of another and there are no general search methods. Tags are important because it allows others to search and find photos, but it is most important as a method by which an artist labels his or her work. Because tags are created by the photographer or person uploading- they have complete control over choosing the tag that leads others to the photo. Community is built through members searching for and finding others who share the same interests or subjects of photography.

Flickr

I think Flickr is great! I have been using Snapfish to upload my personal photos to share with friends and family, but I love how Flickr allows you to search everyone's photos. I plan to return to the site again to explore. Here is a link to a beautiful picture: http://flickr.com/photos/jekemp/342534305/ I did a search of antebellum mansions.

Librarything.com

I explored librarything.com and was very impressed. The site allows you to search for books and read reviews and ratings posted by others. I would recommend this site to others!!

Technorati

I found this site to be very interesting. It was neat to see the way everything is so connected! I think I will use this site again in the future.

Tagging and Folksonomy

Although I found this weeks lesson to be interesting, I guess I do not believe that it will that great of a research tool. As a method to bookmark pages and access them anywhere I find that it is a great tool, however I feel as though the process is too cumbersome for research.

My MySpace experience

After exploring MySpace, I can see that it is easy to use and it is understandable that many people, especially teenagers, utilize the site. I, however, have not changed my opinion that it is not something that I want to become involved in. I feel that as an educated 29 year old woman, I would not want to create a virtual reality where my personal life could be viewed by others. I do not see it as professional and no matter how restrictive I could make my own "page" I find it to be a bit on the ridiculous side.

Should VBPL use a social networking site to connect with teens?

Although I am not personally a fan of social networking sites, I do believe that any means by which a teen can be brought into interaction with their local library must be good. I do think that it is the reponsibility of libraries to stay abreast of technology and if Myspace or Facebook provide a medium through which kids can be reached, then they should go for it!!

Wiki Post

I have included my post under "Staff Picks" on the Virginia Beach Public Library Reader's Advisory wiki. I found it to be very easy! This is a great way for people to recommend materials to others. However, with that being said, unlimited editing with no method of control could also lead to inappropriate comments or posts.
Here is my staff pick:
Ellison, Ralph. Flying Home and Other Stories. A collection of early short stories by the author who would later pen his most acclaimed work, Invisible Man. Many characters are introduced, including Buster and Riley, two boys whose adventures make up four of the stories. Through these adventures the reader is a witness to a generational divide, evident in everyday life, brought forth by the reality of one generation being born into slavery and another generation being born free.

Wiki Findings

I found learning about wikis to be very interesting. I believe that they work well for posting book reviews, and could be utilized by libaries - perhaps with a link from the library's web page.