I Love Libraries

Don W. posted an interesting blog this week on the ALA Student Member Blog.  It was about the Facebook group "I Love Libraries".  I Love Libraries is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to library advocacy.  Don W. was encouraging people to become a fan of this group.  His goal was to get 10,000 fans by July.  At first this group struck me as odd.  Libraries on Facebook?  I tend to think of Facebook as a mindless social network.  Yeah, I'm a member.  I use it to catch up with old friends.  I've never really thought about what a powerful marketing tool it could be.  At no cost, Facebooks offers a chance for people to see a message, decide if they want to support the message, and gives them the option to pass it along.  

I think Don W. might be on to something here.  I'm going to join the cause and see what happens.  I'm going to invite all of my friends and see how many join.  My guess is that at least 80% will join.  I mean, who will say, "No, I hate libraries?"

Facebook reaches millions of people everyday.  Why not use it to get out your message?  And what better message than that of Library Advocacy?  

Video Killed the Radio Star for a New Generation?

  There's always something new coming along to replace the old.  This week was no exception.  Amazon began offering a free Kindle application for iPhone and iPod Touch.  When I was young Mtv came along and revolutionized the way we listened to music.  Suddenly music wasn't just something you heard, it was now something you could see.  Since that time there have been other inventions that have changed the way we listen to music such as Apple's iPod.

When Amazon debuted Kindle it changed the way we read books.  Now you could easily carry around your entire personal library without breaking your back.  While the concept seemed appealing, the price tag was anything but.  Still Kindle sold out quickly and I have to say I was shocked.  I would have never guessed that so many would jump on the digital book bandwagon as quickly as they did.  To me it seemed an expensive way to read a book, but that's the same debate my sister and I had when iPod came out.  As much as I love gadgets, I can't see myself ever dropping $359 + the price of the book to read a book.  Now that the application is available iPod (something I already own) I might have to check it out.  With that being said, I can't imagine reading War and Peace on a little electronic screen.

While I think the addition of the iPod component will have more people picking up an electronic book instead of a paperback, I have to wonder what this really means for the future of books.  Will digital kill the paperback star?  In all reality, I doubt it.  I don't think technology will ever completely replace the want for real books.  Sure, it is much easier on your back to tote around a small electronic device instead of a crate of books, but there will always be people like me who love the smell and feel of books far more than the sleek allure of technology.  If Mtv taught us anything it is that video didn't kill the radio star, it only temporarily maimed it.  I mean, when was the last time you saw a video on Mtv? 

Wiki Wiki Wiki What?

Being a person who is a complete Internet addict, I immediately fell in love with Wikipedia.  Like any new relationship, the possibilities seemed endless.  I could type in a subject and instantly have nearly all the information I could ask for.  Oh how I loved typing in Frank Lloyd Wright being able to read about his life and work.  I could view pictures of his famous buildings and click on links to Wikipedia pages to learn more about specific Wright buildings.  Sometimes I would type in random words just to see what it would return.  This seemed to be my endless fountain of information.  Like any relationship, after a while, the cracks began to show.  I'd type in a subject and the information would seem a little off.  Not so much that it caused a major concern, but I would read something and think to myself, "I don't think that's true."  Then one day it happened.  I typed in the name of my high school.  The page quickly loaded and I began to peruse the information.  History, yes, yes, that all seems correct.  Freedom Writers Controversy, yep, I remember reading about that in the newspaper.  As I scrolled down the page everything seemed to check out until I got to the section labeled Notable Alumni.  There were just a few names listed, but one stuck in my head.  The last one on the list was my co-worker Matthew.  I thought, "Matthew is a notable alum?  What for?"  Oh, it says he's a "Former Sweeper for Rotherham United (UK)"  Now I'm thinking this must be a joke.  I clicked on the link and it took me to a listing for Matthaus Lang von Wallenburg.  I turned to Matthew and said, "Why are you listed as a notable alum?"  He started laughing and said, "I wanted to prove that you can't believe everything you read on Wikipedia."  That was it for me.  Relationship over.  Like the ending of any relationship there is always a lesson to be learned.  The lesson here is to take Wikipedia and all Wikis for what they are...USER CREATED CONTENT.  While much of the information is verified, much of it isn't; making it important to check your facts.  While I still flirt with Wikipedia, we'll never have the love affair we did in the beginning.