Social Networks

Social Networks - what a great way to communicate and stay in touch with people with like interests and backgrounds - whether person or professional.
Old school friends, or existing and ex colleagues - a contact network can be created.
It is an easy was to keep in touch and keep people informed, whether if be an new activity, and change (whether personal or in a service area), to advise and inform. Social Networks also have the benefit of people choosing to be a contact or not.
Libraries can set up a social network of all existing and past colleagues for easy communication on reunions and get together's, changes, and departures.
Libraries could also set up social networks of participants who regularly attend specific activities to keep them informed, as one example.

Online applications and tools

Online applications and tools such as Google docs and Zoho have the potential to expand the capability of staff and online users to manipulate documents and make them more accessible by a wider audience. As a current website developer I have had access to additional software that has allowed me to convert documents for more universal access across the web. With Zoho, more staff will now have this same capability without the necessary software being made available to them by their organisation.
Google docs has potential unlimited use, but will improve communication, feedback, interaction with, and contributions from a much wider audience, especially regional library and community users, in the discussion, development, and creation of many documents requiring wider input.
For meetings where not all participants can attend, this is one means of ensuring their input is included. Where contributions are sought from colleagues with similar interests or job responsibilities, input can be requested without everyone needing to meet and discuss. These are only a few of the potential uses.

Mushups - possible library use

Mushups can have a use in the library - location maps (street and aerial) on the location of the libraries with images and information about opening hours, and directions to. Mushups could be used to show images of library development over time, or the building of a new library - including images, video footage, verbal commentary, with maps on new or existing location . . . Like other Library 2.0 technologies, for use of a better word, mushups use is limited only by the imagination of the user and the available technology / equipment.
Mashups take may and varied forms, they can be simple or extensive in their content, the example below is from BigHugeLabs where an image has been altered into a jigsaw.

Answer boards and social searching - Libraries definitely can play a role

Librarians as information specialists are in the most advantageous position to provide concise and accurate answers to questions posted on answers boards, while at the same time raising the profile of librarians and the library profession to the public, and most especially the internet user. There is a role for any library in “slamming the boards” for this very reason. It can also be used as a professional development activity for staff, and provide the public with an insight into the value of their local public library, its staff, and the collection - but only if we participate and make it obvious that the answers provided are from librarians!

Podcasts and Audio - many applications

Podcasts and Audio can have many applications in the library, the use is only limited by the imagination of the library staff, and the capabilities of the technology available to you.
Podcasts and audio can be used to video and record author talks, seminars, guest speakers, local and area history information, as well as instructional videos for training both the staff and the public. Podcasts and audio can be used for instructional videos on the use of the library and the catalogue, or simply videos introducing your library service.
For reading and guides to reading, Podcasts and audio of author talks, the reading of children's books, or instructional videos are all possible applications.

LibraryThing

LibraryThing is an interesting tool for creating and editing booklists, keeping lists of reading material, seeing what other people are reading and how they have rated these books. Once you log in it is relatively simple to use, plus the review, those an expression of individual view points and not professional reviews, provide and intersting insight into books before you choose to read them. There is an extensive range of tags available and in use, proding you with a wide range of options for creating reaing lists. A LibraryThing Widget can be added into blogs.

Videos online

There is such an enormous volume of unsolicited videos available online covering such a wide variety of subjects, that locating a video useful and specific for you Blog can be extremely time consuming. However, once that elusive video has been located, you will possibly find links to related videos that in themselves may also be useful. However, search techniques will influence your results, but have time is that all essential factor. After quite some time search, I located the following video, which when I viewed accessed other equally relevant clips.

A Love of Reading