Mashups - the final roundup!

For an excellent exposure to cutting edge technology -Mashups and API was a great ending to a wonderful but exciting course.

I found the different combinations of technology amazing. I was amazed at the maps and other technology mashups at work. I did notice a definite focus on "sexy babe" interfaces. Not wholly inspiring for librarians but at least they are organizing data. As a history undergrad I found the Cool Maps :: 7 Wonders really exciting. I spent an hour just checking out how everything was displayed. Nice to know there are other history geeks out there.

As far as RollYo I didn't find the search interface easy to use. It took me a few minutes to figure out how I was to use it. I did find it really neat that it could search the blogs but I want it to search all blogs not just one person's blog list. I'm not sure if I really figured out how to use it. I found it interesting that as far as privacy librarians can have different opinions and none of which were wrong. It was fascinating to read how excited we get as librarians that the main stream news highlights us. I guess it is the same as when a nurse or doctor reads about their profession.

This was a great course. I learned so much new technology and I considered myself as knowing the cutting edge.

Thanks for all the work!

YouTube

Wow the things you can see on YouTube and with the other services is amazing. I saw wonderful examples of libraries using this during National Library Week to advertise their services and shrug off the "boring" library image.

I can see these services being used in several ways.

1. Marketing library services in an interesting way.
2. Using these services to teach clients how to use resources (as we have learned through this course).
3. Using these services to archive presentations made (especially at academic institutions). Large databases of presentations could be created and managed by librarians to help keep the intrinsic knowledge of an institutions professors. In the private world this could be useful for inhouse training.
4. Use things like Odeo to highlight authors or news events to highlight resources in the library without having a author visit.

All of this requires that libraries and other organizations keep access to these video sharing resources open. I hope that libraries and organizations realize the power these resources can use for education and marketing.