LinkedIn

Not sure I like this one. Maybe I don't have a personal use for it and that's why I haven't taken to it. It may be useful to know about in the future though (when I have one of those high flying library jobs!)
It could be useful for making contacts or looking for jobs but I prefer these things to be done in the real world. Like I say, maybe I am just not at the stage of really needing these things yet!
One feature that I do really like though is the link to an Amazon book list. Being a student I am always on the lookout for books that could be of use so this is a welcome feature.
(Image credit: rubybgold)

Facebook

It seems quite appropriate to be discussing Facebook in the same week that it hit 500 million users. Apparently if Facebook was a country it would be the third largest in the world!
Facebook seems to be here to stay where other similar sites have come and gone. It seems the ideal tool for libraries to use to promote their services and collections. I know that the UL has various apps that can be added to a Facebook page to renew library books etc. Adding things like this to a service that people actually use seems to be a good idea.
As events are added to the library's home page they appear on the news feed of the individuals Facebook page. It seems to be one way to get the message across without relying on the user to check for updates all the time. Although this is an advantage, it shouldn't be relied on as the only way to get information out. I know from personal experience that the news feed can move very fast and it can be easy to miss things - especially if you are subscribed to a lot of sites!
Creating a group for a library is an interesting idea but I would worry about how to manage a large user base. It also relies on users asking to join your group which might not always get the best response.
Given the popularity of Facebook and the way that it seems to have invaded everyday culture I think it would be shortsighted of libraries to ignore its potential!
(Image credit: daveynin)

LibraryThing

At last - something that I have used before. Maybe I am not so far behind in this Web 2.0 thing as I was staring to think!
I have mostly used LibraryThing to see others reviews of books that I have read or am thinking about reading. I always find it more reliable for reviews than commercial sites since it doesn't try to sell me anything. It can be very reassuring to see that others have hated the best selling paperback that everyone swore that you would love!
I like the idea of using it for libraries, although I do see that it would only work for smaller libraries. I dread to think what it would take to put the ULs collection on there! I like anything interactive where the users can tag the books and give recommendations. I sometimes feel that there is only so much we can do when we never actually read the books. The at a glance availability feature comes in handy to. I enjoyed reading the "Social networking for bookworms" article and would recommend it to anyone who has skipped it.
The alerts feature is really useful. Not quite sure how I managed it (I think I just put in my postcode) but my LibraryThing page gives me updates on local book related events such as signings. This could be really useful for promoting the library.
Overall, I think that this is my favour tie "Thing" so far and I look forward to further developments.

Reflection week

The thing that worries me most about my blog posts is that they are too short. Sometimes I find that I can go on and on about something and sometimes I can genuinely say everything I want to say in a paragraph. I try not to look at what others have written until after I have posted my entry for the week, otherwise I would get too bogged down in the he/she has already said that nightmare! It is sometimes comforting to read them afterwards and find out that others think the same as you!
My favourite Things so far have been Slideshare and Flickr. I can really see the applications for a library, especially Slideshare for user training. I am looking forward to some of the Things yet to come, especially Wordle. I am having a hard time not playing with that one!
I think that most of the activities have suited my learning style. I find it easier to play around with something than just read about it and I have plenty of opportunity to have a play.
I feel more confident of some of the Things than others but that is probably a result of how much time I have had that week to play around with them. Once the Things are over I will probably revisit them and explore them more fully in my own time.
I am looking forward to the rest of the Things and am glad to have made it this far!
(Image credit: in da mood!)

Delicious

Delicious is another one of those websites that I have heard about but not really looked at. As a student I have visited a couple of my lecturers recommended reading lists on Delicious but not a lot else.
For someone who has two computers at work like me, plus another one at home, I can see the obvious advantages of having bookmarks stored online so I always have access. I am forever having to duplicate bookmarks which does seem like a lot of wasted effort.
For libraries it is useful to have web links in one place like this, since it is usually what students today expect. I think that it would be better suited to subject libraries than a general library like the UL since it can have a narrower focus and avoid it getting too complicated.
It does seem to me like quite a complicated resource to master and one that I am going to explore in a bit more detail. I am not quite convinced so far but I may be in the future.
(Image credit: .craig)

Slideshare

You Too Can Use Web 2.0

View more presentations from valeriev.

Credit to valeriev for the presentation

I have used something similar to Slideshare in my studies. Being a distance learning student I found it really useful as a tool for delivering a lecture via distance. The first thing that strikes me about using the application in the UL is the reader education programme. I am not sure what the average attendance is like but whenever I help a reader using the catalogue and mention that there are training courses available they all say that they "don't have the time for that"/ I wonder though if it because they don't want to risk looking 'stupid'. Not that I am suggesting for a moment that they are (U have worked in the UL for eight years now and I still feel like I am just getting a grip on things!) but I have found from personal experience that it is hard to show weakness and ask for help. Maybe having something like a Slideshare presentation would help users to overcome this? They still get the training and they can be anonymous at the same time.
I think it could also be useful for delivering training sessions or presentations to staff since it can be difficult to find a time for everyone to get together (as I found out in Doodle week). I can appreciate though that there are some presentations that people would not want to share with the whole universe. It is the same with any Web 2.0 application - you have to be selective in what you share.

Flickr

Credit to Florrievassingbourne for the image
I have used Flickr in the past mainly to look at other peoples pictures but always liked the principle behind it. It seems like the ideal way to see your friends photos without waiting for everyone else to look at them first.
I have seen some of the photos of the UL on Flickr before and have been quite impressed with the quality of some. I am not sure that I agree with anyone being able to take photos in the UL but with cameras on phones etc, I am not sure how much we can do to stop it. I know I have had to ask people not to take pictures before but it's a matter of catching them in the act.
I think that the virtual tour is a great idea, especially for places like the UL. There are places that the students do not get to see but even more that the general public never get to see. I also think that showing students around the library in a virtual way helps to make it less intimidating when then actually turn up!
I have to wonder about the tags used in Flickr though. The above image was tagged "Pigeons" which I had to squint to see on the tower!