Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Ning

I am rapidly becoming a Ning fan.

I successfully joined a Ning women's Bible study group last night, and have already received welcoming emails from members of that group.

Other groups I am considering joining include Library Technicians United and Library 2.0.

Discussion Point:

  • Particularly interesting uses of social networking utilities by libraries and cultural organizations. Your observations about the most effective social networking utilities as used by libraries, museums and cultural organizations.

    I used the search term "library" to see what individual libraries I could find in Ning. One of the first I found listed was a familiar title: Bibliotheek 2.0. Bibliotheek is the Dutch library (or public library system?). People from the National Library of the Netherlands recently toured Australia and posted a blog about developments in libraries around Australia.

    Bibliotheek 2.0 includes blogs, news feeds, photos, videos, RSS feeds, dowloadable toolbars, Twitters, and LibraryThing. There is a community blog page with lots of current blogs and comments on the blogs. There is also a community discussion forum with lots of active discussion taking place. At present (29 April 2009) Bibliotheek 2.0 has 2,643 Ning members.

    A browse through further Ning "library" listings suggested that Ning is used more often by groups of librarians than by individual libraries, although there were some public libraries and even a school library using Ning. The school library included a book club among its features.

    Thus far I have been most impressed with the range of social networking facilities used by Bibliotheek 2.0 on their Ning site.

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