Week 3: Social Networking Tools

1.How can social networking be used by MLA to connect members.

Social networking can be used to connect memeber of MLA by posting their opinions about the current technology and their ideas about improving information delivery by the medical librarians. If the identity of the person is verified by the membership of the MLA, I think the communication in the social networking is more accountable and reliable so that I don't need to be concerned about exposing myself to the unknown world.

2. Should your library have a Facebook or Myspace page?

No, I don't thinks so yet. First my hospital library has limited users. There are not many physicians and medical staff who utilize library facility to get the information they need. (I think they get their information by themselves). There are quite a few physicians who still want to be informed in a printed not in an electronic format about recent journal articles.
Second, it is quite certain that the security system would stop the Facebook in our hospital network. It is not easy to make Facebook go through based on the reasons that it can help employers socialize or share their ideas in the workplace. Even if it is good to know who is our colleague, the administration determines that security issue far outweigh the value of the communication between the colleague.

3. Are there privacy concerns for individuals when using socila networking sites?

Yes, there are. I don't like strangers read or know what I am doing in my private lives, especially when I talk with my friends. I think it lets the stranger exert influence over one's life about what they think and how they live. It is dangerous for teenagers who are very susceptible to views and perception of their peers. Too much exposure would lead to psychological vulnerabiltiy.

MLA CE WEEK 2

What is the difference between a blog and a wiki? What sort of things might be better suited for a blog and better suited for a wiki?
Wiki is a kind of book written by several authors. People can contribute their ideas and store the documents and later others can edit the contents of the book. If there are a project in a library where many people need to share the parts of the project like library magazines or newsletters, they can collaborate to make one by storing and editing their ideas online without asking for revisions.
Blog is to report of unique perspectives of certain subjects. Anyone can be a news reporter in their own blog. He want to share the news on the web and collection fo the post. People can respond by commneting blogger's ideas. It is a two way communication between a blogger and readers. In solo librarian library, Blog is a better option to promote the library events and market library services.

How am I going to use a blog in my library? As a librarian who was recently hired in the library where users were rarely introduced to emerging technology by a librarian, I want to prensent a blog as a way to communicate with our users. I can use a blog to market library and let them post their information need and their suggestion about library.
I am really grateful about David's instruction about how to use pubmed RSS feed to send updated information to the doctors by setting limit to specific journals. I also love the RSS feed for TOC in pubmed. I can send updated TOC as soon as they are ready. I agree with many of you that I should be more selective in subscribing to RSS feed because I am always swamped with tons of updates.

WEB 1st week

I want to go back where my parents and friends live.