Week 5 Reflections

This past week I learned more about Library 2.0, adding Delicious data to library websites, RSS feeds, Google News RSS feeds and lastly the impact of new technologies on current awareness tools in academic libraries.

I'd like to talk a little bit about Mu's article, "The Impact of New Technologies on Current Awareness Tools in Academic Libraries." Her article stressed using RSS feeds and using social bookmarking tools.

She like the other articles I read this week stated that using social media tools are in fact helping patrons to connect and have positive experiences (Mu, 2011).  RSS feeds actually bring information to the user instead of user having to hunt it down. This process can be accomplished by using a reader, of which there are several types of feed readers: Web based readers, such as Google reader (which I have used before); Email readers, such as Microsoft Outlook; and Browser readers, such as Firefox. Basically the main reason to use a reader is for saving time.

Social bookmarking tools are very popular and there are many available for users. They include but are not limited to ones such as Delicious, Twitter, Digg, Reddit, StumbelUpon, Tweettime, Mixx, Diigo and Slashdot.

Librarian Carla Redden stated that "Social bookmarking,  called tagging might have the most potential as a Web 2.0 tool that can be utilized in academic libraries to benefit their users (Mu, 2011).

It was interesting to learn that Delicious and Diigo are considered the world's largest social bookmarking sites.

The cute boy and girl are holding pictures of what the symbol for RSS feeds looks like.

This weeks reading also included specific articles that actually explained how what RSS feeds are and how to go about using them. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. Google Feed Burner's article stated that "the biggest names on the web offer content feeds including USA Today.com, BBC News, ABC news and Amazon.com. 

It was shocking to learn that, "there are over 2,000 different feed reading applications, also know as news aggregators" (Google Feedburner).

Finally, Easton (2011) refers to RSS feed are the "glue of Web 2.0 technologies and millions of people rely on RSS feeds to pull web content from their computers and drop it into one of thier feeders. There are many applications that are dependant on RSS feeds such as blogs, wikis, and podcasts.