WIKIS

In some ways Wikipedia could be seen as the enemy of public libraries - as the sacriligious Bigpond ad went: who need libraries when you get broadband? The fact is that many librarians use Wikipedia as a tool in answering reference questions. As pointed out in one of the Wikis, they have proven to be more accurate and up to date that printed encyclopedias. In that sense they are very useful.
They are also good in that they provide an easy way or people with little technical knowledge to create or contribute towards websites.
I do wonder though how well used some of the smaller less well known wikis are. For example, I checked out the Benjamin Franklin wiki referenced and there were many sections with no contributions. Do people have time to discuss things on a wiki?
Another site referenced, the Book lovers wiki, explained that they had moved on from this technology to using their catalogue instead.
Are wikis just an interim technology or are they here for the long haul?

RSS

Wow, you could spend your whole life gathering information and you'd never have enough time to read it all. I can see how RSS is a helpful tool for people who want to skim titles in their various fields of interest and decide what to read or not. I like the news sites best. In a library context it would useful for keeping up to date with library news and development, and also perhaps new fiction reviews etc.
Sorry I've slipped out of character now - too hard with not enough time.

Images of the past

Manly public library
Originally uploaded by Christian Bartens

Pictures pictures everywhere... drowning in images... need rescued. Thank Flickr for coming to our rescue with their photo organising/storage site. Searched for my local library and found an unauthorised photo of me without my silver suit and visor! Information can be disseminated the old fashioned way too - books on a mobile library at the local ferry wharf. This Flickr is powerful stuff, we can become one big global family. Look out when the family photo album comes out. It could take some time.....

The Future

I can see the future - we are all wearing silver reflective suits and wrap around tinted visors with inbuilt media receivers. Information pounds us like never ending tidal waves - how will we be able to function in this info-maxed-out future?

There's a rumour of a movement. A movement who's sole aim is train and prepare themselves to rise up at the appointed time, to tame the information tempest. They call their discipline Learning 2.0. They are ordering the chaos, the facts, the photos, the videos; they are recording our histories and broadcasting our opinions.

They are the Cybrarians of the Future.

Can we dare dream of such a hope? I will join these people to learn what I can - our future may depend on it.