Thing #7 - Communication - Web 2.0 tools

We have used email at our library for many years. I think using email to communicate with staff and co-workers that are not in my building is great. It is also usally more reliable than phone messages when trying to conduct other library business. I do, however, think it is used way too much to conduct communication with co-workers or staff that are 4 feet away from my cubicle. It becomes too easy to email and too hard to just walk 4 feet and talk to a person eye to eye. People say things in an email they would not dare say to your face.

I think using some of the Web 2.0 tools to conduct online reference would be great if you had enough staff to handle it and it you had set up parameters for its use. I can, however, see several of the reference staff from my library not being comfortable with it.

I currently do not use IM or SMS - never had the desire or the need for it, so far. I'm much more prefer the face to face or at least voice to voice communication. I'm sure that once I started using it, I would, however, find it as easy as email.

I took a look at an Opal program called Virtual Worlds for Kids, Tweens and Teens. I listened to about 10 minutes of the program. It included an audio presentation with slide presentations. The program was 60 minutes long. I don't know if I could have sat in front of my computer for 60 minutes just listening to someone talk without seeing an actual person. I think this type of web conferencing is great for extended learning (just want to know a little bit more about something). I've taken several computer training sessions via web conferencing and found them to be lacking to a live person.