Social Networking Tools: Hands on Learning

Fellow law librarian, blogger, and social networking diva Connie Crosby will be teaching a day-long web course on Social Networking Tools on Thursday, August 9, 2007. According to the description:

Web 2.0, Facebook, Second Life - have taken the world and the library by storm! Explore these social media networking tools in this hands-on computer lab class. Set up a blog and wiki, view RSS feeds in an aggregator, try a social bookmarking site such as del.icio.us, and create a profile on professional networking site LinkedIn. Look at Flickr, LibraryThing, Ning, Facebook, MySpace and Second Life. Test out the latest apps such as Twitter and Jaiku. We will try some of these and have a "tour" of others, as well as discuss the implications for libraries.

Specific learning outcomes for students

At the end of the course, participants will:

• be able to set up a blog using Blogger or Wordpress
• be able to set up a wiki using PB Wiki
• set up some RSS feeds in a web-based aggregator such as Google Reader or Bloglines
• set up a profile on business networking site LinkedIn
• try using a web-based social bookmarking site such as del.icio.us or equivalent
• become familiar with Ning, Twitter, Jaiku, Flickr, LibraryThing , MySpace, Facebook and Second Life either through hands-on use or a live "tour" given to the class, depending upon time
• become familiar with how these are being used by libraries and library staff

Key topics covered

• who in society is using these applications?
• how are they being used by libraries and library staff?
• what are both the positive and negative aspects to these technologies?
• using social networking applications inside the firewall
• issues surrounding communication in public spaces
• what is Library 2.0 compared to Web 2.0
• how to learn more
• how to stay current in this area

Registration is only $240 Canadian, which is something like $40 US, eh? It looks like a great opportunity to ramp up your skills on the latest computer-mediated communications technologies.