Regional libraries

2nd Spider Web – 5

Originally uploaded by meeyauw

In search of a Web 2.0 presence at my local library, I eventually discovered an impressive array of things. I say ‘eventually’ because the link from the homepage was not outstanding in any way. Apart from clearly written explanations of Web 2.0 applications, as well as links in each section, the library boasted the following:

  • a readers’ advisory wiki
  • a training wiki
  • Facebook profile, including a catalogue search
  • Librarything-generated book cover images and tag clouds
  • MySpace youth forum (to meet online and discuss music, reading & movies)
  • Podcasts author talks
  • Links to Second Life resources and directory of virtual worlds by category (eg. for kids, for techies, for teens, for newbies, for artists, for 40+, etc.)
  • YouTube (list of popular video hosting sites

That’s a great start, and I think the problem of attracting users here is the same as in school libraries. There is a lot of great stuff there, it’s a matter of marketing to users.

6 thoughts on “Regional libraries”

  1. Which library was this, Tania?
    I’ve put a feed to your blog because I have found yours to be so interesting, I always seem to learn something new from you.
    Lisa (also doing Learning Web 2.0, at Mossgiel Park PS)http://lisahillschoolstuff.wordpress.com/ (My real, serious, very basic blog) and lisahill.globalteacher.org.au for learning on).

  2. Hi Lisa, I was referring to Watsonia library, part of Yarra Plenty Regional libraries in the north of Melbourne.
    Thanks for the enormous compliment. How come you have two blogs? Must look up where your school is because it’s not a familiar name.

  3. Hi Tania – actually, I’ve got three!
    I made my first blog with Blogger so that I could share my photos and journal ramblings from trips overseas with my family who all live interstate (http://hillfamilysoutherndivision.blogspot.com/) but I never progressed beyond putting in photos and a bit of text.
    Then I went to the SLAV Re-imagining Conference and was inspired to set up my own ‘professional blog’ (http://lisahillschoolstuff.wordpress.com/) which I use for library stuff, pontificating about education issues in the media and so on.
    And then SLAV offered the Learning Web 2.0 course, and I didn’t want to mess up my original neat and tidy blog so I set up the third one (lisahill.globalteacher.org.au) to learn new tricks on. I find this less stressful because the only people who see this one are other people who are learning too, so I don’t feel that I have to tidy things up and make everything look ‘professional’ when I’m fooling around with it late at night.
    Lisa

  4. Your travel blog is fantastic. Too late to read properly tonight. Always too late. How do you keep up with 3 blogs?

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