Social Directory

I would use a wiki and blog about the library and its collections, specialists, and services and invite patrons to add tags, comments and reviews, and make suggestions for additions, deletions, improvements, enhancements, and what is working and what is not. I would see this resource as a collaborative effort between patrons and staff to build a user-centered directory of the library. The patrons tagging, blogging, and contributions of ideas for new and enhanced services and materials would essentially be a user’s vision and conception of the library. The library’s patrons would provide their collective perspective on the library and would hopefully gain a real, constructive partnership with the staff and management. This resource would be a representation/description of the library parallel to the library’s conceptualization of itself as seen in the design and layout of the library’s virtual (website) and physical spaces.

The directory would include entries by subject and types of services and collections. For example, a subject entry would include descriptions of the library’s print and electronic resources that cover the topic and reviews by staff and patrons of them. I would include video and audio to create a type of virtual tour of the library by topic and provide examples and samples.

I would also establish parallel or mirror sites on Facebook and/or MySpace to widen and expand the scope of the project and to open up the virtual reach of the library.