All this new tech...

I know we've been discussing the potential role of blogs, RSS feeds, wikis, podcasts and social networks in a library setting. A discussion on this same topic is underway on DIG_REF, one of the listservs that I follow.

R. David Lankes, posted the following to the list:

"We're preparing a technology brief for ALA on social networks and the like. It is currently available for public comment. It may be helpful:http://iis.syr.edu/projects/PNOpen/"

I haven't gotten through the entire thing yet -- it's 56-pages long -- but it's interesting reading so far. I especially like their concept that libraries are in the "conversation business," meaning that we are responsible for facilitating "conversations" between patrons and books, patrons and other patrons, patrons and databases, etc. The idea is that our role is to hook our patrons up to the information that they need, whatever its source.

Check this out!