Blog No. 5 - Keeping up with it all

Sometimes I find myself overwhelmed with following all the ever-changing and constantly emerging technology tools. Thankfully the Shifted Librarian posted just an entry to ease my mind. We can be selective in which blogs, journals and papers we read, and still be current and informed in not only our profession but in the disciplines that will make us better able to help our patrons.
What are some of your must-reads in any format?

Wouldn't you rejoice if you could post something in one spot and have it reach all of your various accounts (blogs, MySpace, Netflix, Flickr, etc.)? It looks like that may be possible from what we saw in class Saturday through the RSS group's presentation of NetVibes. I can't wait to try that out.

Back in January we looked at tagging and explored some library catalogs that have incorporated such tools. An article I read from E-content discusses what tools librarians will be using this year. Mary Ellen Bates, the author, talks about the following:
*wikis and blogs -They may reveal companies' hidden experts who don't realize that what they know is valuable or who don't want to seem boastful;
*podcasting - companies may develop podcasting labs so employees may share what they learned at a conference, seminar or meeting. Sometimes people are more comfortable talking about what they learned than writing about it. Plus, an emotional response may be conveyed better in a podcast than in a memo; and
*mashups - organizations will start using and developing mashups, "integrating internal information with open source content to create new discovery tools."

My favorite part of her column is her closing paragraph: "As Stephen Abram of SirsiDynix said at the 2006 Special Libraries Association annual conference, 'Don't tell [clients] how to do things; give them the tools and let them do it their own way.' I might add to that, 'give them the tools and get out of the way. Sit back and watch what they create.' ..."

That's exciting and here's an example: at Michigan State University, the library has a ref blog to serve as an archive for reference tips, tools and sources. How cool is that!