Thing 3: Blog Search Tools

After reading the information for this blog entry, I know that it's possible to search for blogs using blog Engines, and each blog engine offers a variety of tools to assist users. For example, "you can search for keywords in blog posts, search for entire blog posts that have been tagged with a certain keyword, or search for blogs that have been registered and tagged as whole blogs about a certain subject" (like photography, Libraries).

We were also asked to select two blog engines and search for blogs using keywords, the subject, and other search terms. There were a list of search engines to choose from. For example, Technorati, Blog Search Engines, Blog Search Engines: the complete overview, and Directory of Blog Search Engines to find Blogs.

For this excercise, I chose along with Technorati, Blog Search Engines and compared the two.

Using the Technorati search engine, I typed in the subject "libraries". This subject produced 26,477 results. There were so much to choose from. There were blogs about library cuts, programs, library research papers, and some blogs about "the everyday life of a librarian".

Using this same subject term, I explored the Blog Search Engine.

This search yeilded 13, 000 results. Some of the blogs located in this search were Google Vs Libraries, college libraries, how to read books on-line, among several others.

What I discovered while exploring these two blog engines is that it's much more productive to search by using a subject term than by using keywords in a post.

Thing 2

First of all, I wanted to participate in 23 things because I think I understand how important knowing how to navigate in this environment(web 2.0) has become. In the last decade, the needs of library users has expanded. Of course, I believe, that the library will always attract those patrons looking for a good book, magazine, the newspaper, a program, or just wanting to use the computers to check e-mail or fill out an on-line application. However, with the advances in technology, libraries and librarians must extend their arms to embrace a different type of user. These are our users who communicate and connect to others via social networks. As a librarian , I want to be able to support and assist these users with ease and confidence.

Also, in the article Library Technology Reports, the author states that "we need to understand the tools, use them, and recognize their significance to library services. A well-trained staff is the key to utilizing social technologies". As a librarian, I hope that 23 things will contribute to what I already know about web and library 2.0 and also lend a hand in the realization that this type of knowledge is on going, necessary, and contributes to the ways that people connect and communicate with each other.

Thing 1

I now have a blog! Me with a blog! I never thought I would really venture out in this direction, but life keeps getting sweeter all the time. Creating this blog wasn't that difficult. In fact, it wasn't difficult at all once I got over my initial fear about doing this.

Anyway, I'm starting to get a little bit excited about this thing!
So, on to thing two!