Review 3- Emerging technologies changing our services delivery models

Invited from Yuyi Morales on Vimeo.

As entering the world of Web 2.0, librarians need to seek a new technology to enhance, broaden library services and increase effectiveness. This article introduced several new and free technologies that are suitable for libraries to enhance their services. Author had widely illustrated the new technologies and given the example how libraries applied it in library services. These technologies include: Blogs, Wikis, Rss feeds, Podcasts, Vodcasts, Web conferencing and Instant messaging.

Blogs
Traditionally, Blog is an online diary where author can publish any content and express what they feel. Blogs can be a library promotional tool to inform user the new events or services of library. Also, users can give comment to the Blogs so that it enhances the interaction between library and users. One of the example is Madison Public Library published a blog for providing basic news, new services.

The best library blog 2007
Hey Jude
A Library By Any Other Name

Wiki
The second technology which author described is Wiki software. Wiki is a web-baed platform that is open editing so that users can contribute, promote, edit and delete any or all content. For example, Wiki is be used as a book club in The Princeton Public Library which called BookLovers that readers can post reviews on the it.


RSS
RSS is an XML format and a supplement of internet browser. It informs users the website or blogs has been updated and give quick headlines from thousand of website which users applied. Librarians use RSS to publish information to the users. RSS is used to inform users about the new journal content or new additional of library materials in particular field which users expect for.


Photos from workbench

Podcasts and Vodcasts
‘A podcast is an audio program distributed over the internet.’ (Kajewski, 2007) and Vodcast is an acronym for Video On Demand. Users can download the video program and audio recording from internet. Similar to Blog, librarians can upload different kind of program such as training tools, new book reviews, interview and tutorials to internet so that users can subscript those audios and then download them to iPod or MP4 player.

Web Conferencing
Web conferencing is a technology that makes a group meetings and live presentation through internet. Normally, the web conferencing involves PowerPoint presentation and web co-browsing. The host and participants can speak, text, view the presentation by using web conferencing software. By using this technology, local libraries can bring the services to rural and small libraries.

Instant messaging
Instant messaging is software that allows communication between two or more people using typed text via computer real time. (Kajewski, 2007) Librarians provide virtual referencing services to their users by using instant messaging.

This article give a deeply introduction of the new technologies to world of Library 2.0. Author used a lot of public library as an example to prove that the new technologies benefits libraries services, but the shortcoming is what barriers and difficulties are libraries faced when they applied those technologies are not discussed. Casey and savastinuk (2006) pointed out that librarians should consider whether libraries are already improving and adding the services by using new technologies. If author can talk more about how small or rural libraries use those technologies to enhance the services and what problems they face, the article may become more persuasive and comprehensive.

To close, it is a wonderful article to give great overview new and free technologies and show how those technologies can be used in libraries environment. However, while libraries implement new services by the new technologies, it should be consider its location, budget constraints and a lack of awareness and expertise. (Bejune, 2007, p.33)

Reference List
Bejune, M. (2007). Wikis in Libraries. Information Technokoy & Libraries, 26 (3), 26-38. Retrieved August 25, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.

Casey, M.E., Savastinuk, L.C. (2006) Library 2.0: service for the next-generation library. Retrived August 28, 2009 from http://libraryjournal.com/article/CA365200.html?q=Library+2%2E0.

Kajewski, M. (2007) Emerging technologies changing our service delivery models. The Electronic Library, 25(4), 420-429. Retrieved August 25, 2009, from Emerald Management Xtra Complete.