Patrick Patterson
http://www.patrickrunfit.com
papatter at indiana.edu
This course will take a look at a variety of different types of emerging technologies that have been created and developed in recent years. The focus of this course will be to look at the tools and technology that are considered to be Web 2.0/3.0 and social networking. Some of the items that will be explored during the workshop are blogs, virtual reference, and social bookmarking.
The workshop is related to both the Library Systems (S554) and Education of Information Users (S573) courses. As with the the Library Systems class the workshop will also be taking a look at technology and how it can be applied to the way in which we provide reference services to patrons. It also relates to the Education of Information Users course because we will be taking a look at a variety of different methods that can be used for online learning and training. One session will be dedicated to looking specifically at how people are growing up with technology and what impact that will have within the library.
Reading through current job announcements for librarians a common theme for all is having experience and knowledge with web 2.0 related technologies. Whether a person is interested in reference, cataloging, library instruction, or electronic services knowing about web related technologies is a requirement. For example, the City of Houston is currently searching for a Librarian who will be able to provide both virtual tutoring and reference services to patrons. According to the job description on the GovermentJobs.com (n.d.) website preference will be given to people who have the “Ability to effectively use and teach a variety of computer resources and applications”. The University of Texas School of Information (2008) website has a posting listed for a Technical Services Librarian with the Rapid City Public Library who is capable of “ using Web 2.0 resources, social networking tools, and through traditional library services”.
This workshop will involve hands on learning giving students a chance to use and evaluate a variety of different tools that include, but not limited to RSS Feeds, Blogs, and Social Networking. It will be an opportunity to explore how the tools can be used to enhance the learning and the discovery of information within a library. This will be an opportunity for students to explore, evaluate, and use a variety of different types of technology.
References
GovermentJobs. (n.d.) Librarian II. Retrieved from December 31,2008
http://governmentjobs.com/view_job.cfm?JobID=142173.
the university of texas School of Information. (2008) JobWeb. Retrieved December 31,2008 from http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/jobweb/JobDetails.php?JobID=27754.