[Web4lib] Facebook

Thu Sep 10 14:17:42 EDT 2009

Here's a specific example for you of the use of something like Second Life.  I recently joined it, and have worked for the Alliance Virtual Library on my own time in the past month.  There's another library in Second Life that is holding "live" readings, virtually every night.  Last night, I got an invitation to attend a reading of Greek Mythology, stories about Theseus....Now, I love Greek mythology and would have loved to attend, but I had other plans....

Picture this....you (your avatar) is sitting in a simulation of Mount Olympus while someone else's avatar, which bears a striking resemblance to Zeus....is sitting on a nearby cloud and you hear, through your computer, a real voice reading Homer, or some other great work of Greek literature.  

The simulation is really fairly crowded.  This library's events (West of Ireland), are always quite crowded.  The people in the audience can be  gamers or people just having fun
a virtual world, but they were walking around this simulation of Ancient Greece and stumbled on the reading.  They very well could be inspired to pick up a book and read it for the first time.  And not just any book, but a Greek mythology book.

This is what this virtual world is capable of doing.  Its very exciting.  Perhaps some libraries aren't quite ready for it, but look ahead.  The possibilities are really exciting.

Lisa

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Lisa Cohn, ILL, WebMaster,  Reference
Bloomfield Public Library,  bplnj.org
90 Broad Street, Bloomfield, NJ 07003
  973-566-6200x217, lcohn at bplnj.org
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---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: "L Cohn" <lcohn at bplnj.org>
Date:  Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:05:50 -0400

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>I think blogs were the new thing, but were quickly passed by newer and more impressive forms of Web 2.0.  Technology ran a little faster than blogs could keep up with.  Blogs were updated faster than some websites, but other Web 2.0 technologies, including Facebook, Second Life and Twitter are just faster yet...instantaneous.
>
>Lisa
>------------------------------------
>Lisa Cohn, ILL, WebMaster,  Reference
>Bloomfield Public Library,  bplnj.org
>90 Broad Street, Bloomfield, NJ 07003
>  973-566-6200x217, lcohn at bplnj.org
>------------------------------------
>
>
>---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
>From: "Mitchell, Michael" <Michael.Mitchell at brazosport.edu>
>Date:  Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:20:45 -0500
>
>>Thanks for your answers. I feel a bit more enlightened now though not necessarily convinced. I keep trying to believe in Library 2.0, or even small parts of it, but I'm just not being very successful in convincing myself of the utility of most of it. 
>>	For example, we can stay in their face with Facebook, I see that now, but I just don't see that we (Brazosport College Library) have that much to put in their faces. There is a time and place for everything. We can let them add social tags to books and other items but I don't see imprecise descriptions helping anyone much. Blogging is so over-rated and becoming quite passé. They're everywhere but look how many blogs haven't been updated in months. Aren't they sad looking? Our reference librarian is participating in a national reference service that invites texted questions. I think he said he's gotten about six questions so far in a month or so. But it's new so maybe word just needs to spread. 
>>	I'll keep lurking and thinking here.
>>
>>
>>Michael Mitchell
>>Technical Services Librarian
>>Brazosport College
>>Lake Jackson, TX
>>michael.mitchell at brazosport.edu 
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Mitchell, Michael
>>Sent: Thursday, September 10, 2009 9:43 AM
>>To: web4lib at webjunction.org
>>Subject: RE: [Web4lib] Facebook
>>
>>What are the advantages of Facebook over Web pages on the library Web
>>site? I'm afraid I really don't understand. I just don't see anything
>>special there. I'm really asking, not trolling.
>>
>>
>>Michael Mitchell
>>Technical Services Librarian
>>Brazosport College
>>Lake Jackson, TX
>>michael.mitchell at brazosport.edu 
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
>>[mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Leo Robert Klein
>>Sent: Thursday, September 10, 2009 9:22 AM
>>To: web4lib at webjunction.org
>>Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Facebook
>>
>>John Fereira wrote:
>>> Christine Zeitler wrote:
>>>> One of the academic libraries at which I work is attempting to decide
>>if
>>>> they want to use Facebook to interact with the students.  
>>> 
>>> I think that the more important question here is whether students want
>>
>>> to use Facebook to interact with libraries.
>>
>>Good point but increasingly it seems as if Facebook is more an entry 
>>point for various types of communication, including friends of course, 
>>but also professional and personal interests.
>>
>>I mean, just looking at my own list, I've got the Chicago Historical 
>>Society, a couple of my old schools and something called 'Static FBML' 
>>whose meaning I honestly can't remember.
>>
>>Assuming a similar collection (adjusted for age) on the part of our 
>>users and I don't think it's too exotic if the library starts banging on
>>
>>their Facebook door as well.
>>
>>LEO
>>
>>-- -------------------
>>www.leoklein.com (site)
>>www.ChicagoLibrarian.com (blog)
>>
>>aim/msn/yhoo/goog: 'leorobertklein'
>>-- -------------------------------
>>
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