PUTTING THE NET IN SOCIAL NETWORKING

If you didn't notice my heading, I'm about to talk a little about "the net" in social networking. No, not the Sandra Bullock flick, rather, the shiny stick with the cabling at one end.

The thing I love most about social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn is that I can easily communicate with friends and colleagues and get my own little piece of www real estate at the same time. Oh and... It's fun!

The thing that I don't love is how they manage to suck me in and wipe hours, nay, blocks of hours from my life. Hence the net part. Of course, this "it's sucking me in" opinion might have something to do with the fact that I'm usually partaking merely as a social venture, which cuts into my free time, and my healthier habits like walking-the-dog and peeling-my-eyes-from-a-computer-screen.

If you are like my mom and exclaiming (and partially accusing), "You are on FaceBook?" as if it is the equivalent to a girls gone wild video, then obviously, you're watching the same Dateline that she is. [By the way, my mom totally reads this. Hi, Mom!] If that is you, then watch this Common Craft Video on Social Networking. It's not all bad.



But, my mom makes a valid point (and she doesn't even know it)- and that is how do you decide what to share about yourself online? I'm pretty darn conservative with the information I put out there- this blog is actually a big step for me. But I'm a believer in keeping up.

As a librarian, if I want to connect with students or patrons, then you better believe that I need to be able to navigate a MySpace page. And if a patron wants to visit my Facebook page, they'll find links to and maybe even use a resource like WorldCat or PubMed that they wouldn't have otherwise thought to use. Another way "the net" works. If they find out that I have a personality along the way, even better.

BLOG vs. WIKI

While not quite a Celebrity Deathmatch, the Blog vs. Wiki is definitely a hot debate. I have spent the last year and a half on a committee that debated the very thing- in the end we chose wiki- and I'll tell you why in a minute. Before we chose it, we (meaning myself and a few others) needed to educate and convince the rest of the committee what a wiki was in the first place.

Wikis don't quite have the recognition or quick I-get-it-factors that blogs now have. Ex: "Oh it's an online diary- I get it." Or, "Oh, it has static entries in reverse chronological order that people can post- I get it."

This is me trying to quickly explain a wiki to my mom:

"Mom, it's a dynamic, collaborative online database that anyone can instantly
edit, change and modify!"
"Hmmmm, so people can add to it from wherever?"
"Yep."
"Hmmmm, your father was just saying that he wants people to start compiling
stories for the Family Reunion in August."
"A wiki would be perfect for that!"

Check out this video "Wikis in Plain Language" if you want to learn more.

Blogs are great for recording thoughts and sharing news in linear and one-way fashions. Wikis are better suited for storing data and collaborative work. The committee I'm on was charged to create on online forum where health information professionals who serve Native peoples could network and share ideas, programs and best practices. We decided to use a wiki- Mediawiki to be exact - to set such a thing up. (I will add the link as soon as we're out of test mode- hopefully in the next few weeks!)

WHAT CAME FIRST- RSS OR THE INFO?

RSS feeds are indeed a very useful tool. My organization already uses RSS as a means to keep people up-to-date on our advocacy happenings, which are generally time-sensitive and have a dedicated group of followers.

As the librarian, I use RSS to keep track of blogs, tables of contents, and news. Like most librarians, I have a dual role here- constant seeking of subject news and resources for my organization and constituents, and library news to keep me sharp.

When I was asked to reflect on how I can see RSS being used by my library, my thoughts quickly migrated to a "New Materials" feed. I have many patrons that would benefit from learning about new resources that we've acquired. But would people subscribe?

Hold yer horses, Saucey. The first logical thing to think about is not the RSS, but the source. First, the issue to think about is simply the creation, posting and upkeep of such a list. Do I have time to do it? Ideally- yes. And that information would be housed on the library web site, for all to peruse- not just subscribe to. The RSS should be an afterthought of the information itself, not the purpose.

But why did I have to take this round about course to arrive back at the need for a "new material" listing for our library? Oh yeah, because that is timely information that people want to know... and the best way for timely information gathering is RSS.

If you don't know what-the-hey an RSS is- then check out this Common Craft video "RSS in Plain Language."

WELCOME TO MY WORLD OF SAUCINESS

Hello!

In this inaugural post I will do my best to win your hearts and minds- a daunting task to be sure. I am desperately in need of a Web tools tune up, so I've enrolled in MLA's Web 2.0 101 class. The first assignment- create a blog. So far so good!

I've long enjoyed other people's blogs but was not all up in the action myself-- and I hate to miss out. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what this blog will encompass. Libraryland- fo' shizzle. But with so many other lands waiting to be explored- Culinaryland, Musicland, AmericanIdolland (A guilty pleasure that I might as well confess up front)- I'm sure I'll have more to say. We'll keep the scope open for now, shall we?

You may be wondering about the title. Well, let's just say that it doesn't have anything to do with the lushy glug-glug variety, and I would be misleading you if you thought my reductions were divine... No, this sauciness is more of a state of being. Something I hope spills out through the screen.

That's Saucey. Not Saucy. Now, I'm not claiming that I'm never "fresh" or "improperly bold", as the dictionary would suggest if I chose the latter. Instead, these definitions from the Urban Dictionary are more my speed.

Saucey:
1. A way of describing one who is fabulous in
appearance or general being or lifestyle
2. Easy flowing

Btw, I think everyone is saucey in their own right. Embrace that inner sauciness, librarians!