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?