readings for week 5

In Weblogs and RSS in information work the authors list 4 different uses for Blogs and RSS by libraries - directing users to resources, commenting on national activities and events related to library and information, providing news, and engaging with users through requested feedback. I have noticed that most of the library blogs that I've looked at in case studies and for the blog review don't use their blogs and RSS features to really engage users. This might be due to the fact that the creators of library blogs are more interested in information pushing rather that the exchange of information, but many blogs explain in great detail what a blog is and what RSS is and yet there are almost no comments left by users. It make me wonder why that is.

In Success Story: RSS Moves into the Mainstream at the University of Alberta Libraries the author states that he is surprized none of the students in the undergraduate course that he is teaching at the University of Alberta know what RSS or even weblogs are. The article is dated June 2005. This is supposed to be the techno-savy/information generation.

When it comes to technological innovation, I think you really need the power of microsoft or some other corporate entity to market software and web applications. Until you have mass use of RSS most users won't understand the concept. The average library users are even less techno-savy than the average university undergrad. Even if there was a social software for dummies (If there is one already please excuse my ignorance), it would help to get more people engaged in blogging and RSS and other social software.

There are also a lot of applications which seem to do what RSS does through email. I bought one book from Amazon in the spring (the text for 506) and I have been getting e-mails from them ever since on products I might be interested in. I know this is different in that I didn't choose to receive the emails (or I forgot to check the litle box indicating I didn't want to receive the emails), but the vast majority of library users might think that RSS is the same sort of thing and that they will be inundated with unwanted email.

They also have to sign up on an aggregator and follow instructions on adding a feed. While we have all done it for this class, for a lot of people it's too much effort and too complicated and they'd rather just bookmark their favourite sites and visit them from time to time.

I don't see that library blogs in the immediate future will have much luck turning their websites into interactive community spaces through blogs and RSS.