Wikis, Online Applications & Tools

I already knew a bit about Wikipedia, but not much else about Wikis. I have now learnt that Wiki means "quick" in Hawaiian, and that Wikis are quick because the processes of reading and editing are combined. They are also in a constant state of change because anyone can add, delete or modify the information contained within them (creators may even deliberately leave gaps, hoping that someone else will fill them in).
Unfortunately, this also means that the information added to them is not necessarily correct!
After exploring some of the library wikis, I think one of their best uses could be as a collaborative tool in the sharing of best practice ideas, as in the Library Outreach Wiki.
http://libraryoutreach.pbwiki.com/

Tagging, Folksonomies & Technorati

So far, I've spent a lot of time reading about Technorati and Delicious and exploring their applications - but I eventually needed help from the lovely Donna to be able to apply these (I now have Technorati linked to my blog) Not sure I'll be using these a lot - but at least I know a bit about them now!
I found Rick Anderson's article "Away from the icebergs" very interesting - he points out that as Web 2.0 technology continues to emerge, there will be a move away from our patrons' expectations of just a physical library collection. They will expect to be able to access information in all types of format, including digital collections of journals, books, blogs, podcasts, etc. - and it will be part of the librarian's role to educate library users in the use of these technologies. Libraries also no longer have the monopoly power in the "information marketplace" that they possessed in the days before Internet use became widespread.