Thing 51: Libraries and the social web a hot topic

Learning 2.0 started investigating ways libraries and librarians could use the "new" Internet in the fall of 2006; even if you joined us later on, you've surely given the subject a good deal of thought and attention.

In the past few weeks, some of the other people and organizations thinking about libraries and the social web have been popping up with information and ideas that bear thinking about.

A few I've noticed:

• CollegeDegree.com posted a list of 25 social networking tools libraries should think about (which I found via an entry at Stephen Abram's blog, which Chris Bates pointed me to)
  
  
• Mary Madden of the Pew Internet & American Life Project gave a presentation, "The Internet and Libraries: Snapshots from a new media landscape," and posted her slideshow.
  
  
• In a less theoretical move, the (U.S.) Library of Congress decided to find out how people would react to their historical photos on the social web by putting some on Flickr. Their stated aims:
  

To share photographs from the Library’s collections with people who enjoy images but might not visit the Library’s own Web site.

To gain a better understanding of how social tagging and community input could benefit both the Library and users of the collections.

To gain experience participating in Web communities that are interested in the kinds of materials in the Library’s collections.


The response, at least from the online community, has been great!

Discovery Exercise

1. Take a look at the latest developments concerning libraries and the social web, either through these links or by doing you own investigation. (Don't forget to share your discoveries with the rest of us, either by responding to this post or on the Ning network!)
   
   
2. You've probably also gotten some practical experience either interacting with library patrons through social media or helping them use other components of "Web 2.0." And you might be using MySpace or Facebook for personal reasons. Think (and blog!) about what you've found out from both sources. Are things progressing the way you expected them to? Has anything surprised you?
   

Thing 50: I'm Cooked!

It's like YouTube for cooks!

Here is a great site for all you chef's, aspiring chef's, and food burners. Imcooked.com is a web community for sharing your favorite recipe's. Got a killer meatloaf recipe? Record yourself preparing it and upload it to the site for users to see and follow along with. Want to see how people prepare a particular food or drink? Click on the Channels tab for seafood, desserts, and lots more. My favorite video by far has to be How to Clone a Big Mac by Todd Wilbur from topsecretrecipes.com fame.

But wait! Thats not all. Imcooked.com also has celebrities preparing their favorite foods. Watch Sir Paul McCartney make mashed 'taters and Christopher Walken roast a chicken.

Discovery Exercise:

1. Go to Imcooked.com (creating an account is optional) and do a search on your favorite dish/drink.
2. Didn't see what you were looking for? Click on the Videos tap and explore the Top Favorites.
3. Blog about what you thought about the site. Is there a recipe you can't wait to try?
   

The new guide, same as the old guide(s)

February's Discovery Guide will be ... your previous guides! Yes, you read that right. Instead of one guide for the entire month, you can expect a post or two from the guides you've already gotten to know.

As it turns out, all of us had some great sites we were just dying to let everyone know about, but not enough to fill up an entire month unless we worked together. So that's what we're going to do.

If you've got one or two sites you'd like to write up, let me know, and we'll work you into the loop. Or maybe you'd like to be a Discovery Guide for an entire month? Just say so!