As the name of my blog suggests, I feel I’m starting from
zero where Web 2.0 is concerned. I grew up in a very rural locale where dial-up
Internet was my family’s only option; therefore, most of the Internet’s
potential was not even available to me. It wasn’t until my freshman year of college
(surviving in a cramped dorm room and spending more time just finding ways to
procrastinate than it would take to actually write the essays) that I really
got serious about Facebook and tinkered with Tumblr, Skype, and YouTube.
College also familiarized me with Google Docs and Prezi, both of which served
me well in my part-time job at a public library as the young adult programming specialist; Prezi is a life-saver for elementary school presentations and
summer reading program events! I’m a huge fan.
Currently, my web habits include mainly Pinterest and the
occasional YouTube video. As far as social media is concerned, I guess I’m over
the hype. I took what I expected to be a brief hiatus from Facebook nearly a
year ago and have yet to reactivate my account. I do miss certain aspects, but
I’ve found that my life is so much simpler, healthier, and happier without it.
So, although zero might be a bit of an exaggeration, I know
I have far more still to learn. I hope that my familiarity with some of the
more popular social media sites and web tools will provide a good footing for
this course, and that the class teaches me how to utilize these to their
highest potential, as well as introduces me to other, as yet unexplored, technology
opportunities. Tweeting and blogging are both pretty foreign to me, so I’m
learning new things already! And even if I’m not crazy about certain web tools
for my own personal use, I am eager to use them toward the promotion of
libraries and to be able to assist library patrons with their vast technology
needs. I’m ready to become a library tech hero.
Hello Lindsay this is Jessie from class.
ReplyDeleteSocial media is definitely not everyone's cup of tea and as you mentioned, it is important for your job to be familiar with the tech. Who could predict that being comfortable navigating through FB or Tumblr or Twitter would be something that is considered a skill to put on a resume, instead of just being a way to pass the time.
I actually chose to create a Twitter and Tumblr account just so I could get used to using it for the future. Writing copy for a Tweet is a lot different than posting to a website. Making sure that you have something to hook people in with, without going over 140 characters is quite challenging. But as with all things in life moderation is important and social media is still just one tool of the trade. It shouldn't be relied upon as the only means of connecting with patrons.
It is cool to think that social media isn't just all fun and games and is often utilized for professional marketing purposes. Facebook and Twitter in particular have amazing flexibility!
ReplyDeleteHi Lindsay!
ReplyDeleteI am also excited to learn more about how to use and incorporate social media to promote and market library resources and collaborate more effectively with the students as the librarian at the academic college where I work. I have used Facebook but Twitter is a new can of worms to me! Hopefully I can go from zero to hero as well. I look forward to following your progress as I am sure that you will exceed your own expectations! Best:-)