Wednesday, December 16, 2009

#23 of the 23 Things

#23 of the 23 Things is pretty simple: summarize your thoughts on the usefulness of the program. Overall, I thought it was a great program. I learned about a lot of very useful technological tools that I had never heard of before/never bothered to try before. I think this program should have required users to sign up for a social networking site like Myspace or Facebook. I find that a lot of public library users have questions about these websites and my experience with these sites has helped me answer many reference questions in the past.

The significance of a program like 23 Things is that people who work in public libraries need to know how to use the technological devices, websites, et cetera that their customers use---so they are prepared to answer questions. Also, as more people become Internet saavy, libraries can communicate with/provide services to their customers or potential customers online in a variety of ways. Thus, we need to stay up-to-date on new technologies and Web 2.0 applications. Providing reference assistance to library customers today requires librarians to constantly expand their knowledge of new technologies. I also like how some of the things I learned about through the program can help me provide better, more accurate answers to reference questions—I was especially impressed with Rollyo, as it seems like a great way to improve my search precision when trying to locate information for customers online. Overall, I would recommend that all libraries undertake training programs like this one on a frequent basis to stay up-to-date with new technological trends and innovations.

No comments:

Post a Comment