Here are the materials I used for my presentation:
In general, I didn't learn much new about online social networking tools. However, it was quite interesting to see The University of Iowa Libraries' involvement in putting the conference together. I see this as a trend in librarianship toward working with departments outside of the library system to provide services involving new new technologies (in this case, librarians were helping to provide services to teachers). Additionally, some librarians were attending the conference to better understand how online social networking tools work.
My Spring 2008 IMLS work will be spread out between continuing my work with Jon Winet and working with Cliff Missen and Brent Palmer at Widernet. I had a meeting with Cliff and Brent - I will be researching ways to make database driven sites like Wikipedia remain database driven as they are implemented into an eGranary. My first project involves the Virtual Health Library website. Sites on eGranaries are currently static html pages. These webpages are only searchable through keyword queries like those implemented in a simple Google search. Adopting dynamic, database-driven websites into the eGranary, as opposed to static html page scrapes, would make such things as a search-within-results and search history possible in the eGranary. There will be many things to consider in adopting database driven sites to the eGranary (how to implement updates into the eGranary, server configurations, language support, cataloging standards and crosswalks, etc). The eventual goal for this semester is to adopt a database driven website (or however many as possible) into an eGranary, and to establish best practices for future dynamic adoption.
