Tagging, Folksonomies & Technorati

In a discussion post on this subject during Week 7, I believe it was Melia Fidel who pointed out what an organizational bunch that us librarians are and after this 2.0, I have come to realize that it is not only librarians that are organizational but most of the active web population. We would have to be, wouldn't we? The web is so vast that without organization, everything would be a huge mess. I was unaware of the specifics of tagging and also that services like Del.icio.us and Technorati existed to help users organize their information. The man who developed Technorati (whose name I have forgotten) is now a multi-millionaire because he recognized the need people have in their lives to organize. Such a simple concept. What a genius!
At first, I couldn't encompass how either of these sites could be used in a library/ or educational setting. It seemed like so much trouble to teach students about these services when most students would just add it to favorites on their toolbar. But then Anne had a suggestion to gear the instruction towards the teachers that you would be collaborating with and that made alot more sense being that they would have many more sites to keep track of. Before learning about these sites, I had previously constructed my own form of folksonomie- it worked like this. I would simply create a main topic folder under my favorites tab and categorize each website under specific topic folders. Old school? Maybe but available on my toolbar at all times without having to log in to another site. I find it works fine but I agree, it is good to know that these sites exist in the case that one might find use for it in the future.
I actually found alot more useful information in reading the perspectives on Library 2.0 and the futures of libraries. I even jotted down some thoughts that would be perfect to reiterate in an interview for a library position. For instance, on the subject of acquisition of technology within your library, it was suggested that a librarian should not buy technology for the sake of technology. Without a firm foundation in the mission and goals of the school, new technologies are not implemented for the sake of coolness and status. New technology should be put to the test: Does it meet the users need in a new or improved way? Does it create a useful service for pairing users together with the information they seek? When budgeting for technology, these are some questions to consider. Previously, we had an in class assignment in which we were asked what types of technology we would have available in our dream library. I remember Melia and I requesting all of the coolest technology just for the sake of having it, but not necessarily questioning how we would use it. I see how that could be a mistake budget wise. Another recommendation by Library 2.0 is to focus on using the interlibrary loan service (ILL) as much as possible and to provide access to a variety of databases where users can access information. This helps to cut down on the cost of print versions while still providing users with the most up to date information.
The Library 2.0 article really made me think about how best to "serve" my clientele - the students- and really motivated me to start questioning the ways in which I could create a technology plan that works.