The following is the list of Web2.0 tools and services that are used in libraries now a days to reach more patrons and improve quality of library services.
Blogs:The term web-log, or blog, was coined by Jorn Barger in 1997 and refers to a simple webpage consisting of brief paragraphs of opinion, information, personal diary entries, or links, called posts, arranged chronologically with the most recent first, in the style of an online journal. Most blogs also allow visitors to add a comment below a blog entry.(Paul Anderson).
RSS :RSS is a family of formats which allow users to find out about updates to the content of RSS-enabled websites, blogs or podcasts without actually having to go and visit the site. Instead, information from the website (typically, a new story’s title and synopsis, along with the originating website’s name) is collected within a feed (which uses the RSS format) and ‘piped’ to the user in a process known as syndication. In order to be able to use a feed a prospective user must install a software tool known as an aggregator or feed reader, onto their computer desktop. Once this has been done, the user must decide which RSS feeds they want to receive and then subscribe to them. The client software will then periodically check for updates to the RSS feed and keep the user informed of any changes…( Paul Anderson).
Wikis: A wiki is a website where every page can be edited in a web browser, by whomever happens to be reading it. It’s so terrifically easy for people to jump in and revise pages that wikis are becoming known as the tool of choice for large, multiple-participant projects. This tutorial is about how to effectively use a wiki to keep notes and share ideas amongst a group of people, and how to organize that wiki to avoid lost thoughts and encourage serendipity.
Instant messaging, often shortened to simply “IM” or “IMing,” is the exchange of text messages through a a software application in real-time. Generally included in the IM software is the ability to easily see whether a chosen friend, co-worker or “buddy” is online and connected through the selected service. Instant messaging differs from ordinary e-mail in the immediacy of the message exchange and also makes a continued exchange simpler than sending e-mail back and forth.
Social bookmarking tools allow users to store their bookmarks or Internet Favourites remotely on a site so they can be accessed from any computer connected to the internet, rather than being stored within your browser. Sites such as del.icio.us (http://del.icio.us) allow you to store, organise and share your internet resources.(Jane Secker )
Podcasting is a simple means of distributing audio content over the Internet, taking advantage of the power of RSS. Content consumers (end-users) can subscribe to a feed of a producer’s audio content and receive automatic downloads of new content as it is made available online. A more comprehensive discussion of podcasting can be found in the Wikipedia entry on podcasting. For the library that works hard to produce audio content such as recordings of programs or library tours, podcasting can be an effective means of making that content more widely available.
Widget: In computer programming, a widget (or control) is an interface element that a computer user interacts with, such as a window or a text box. Widgets are sometimes qualified as virtual to distinguish them from their physical counterparts, e.g. virtual buttons that can be clicked with a mouse cursor, vs. physical buttons that can be pressed with a finger. Widgets are often packaged together in widget toolkits. Programmers use widgets to build graphical user interfaces (GUIs). [http://tinyurl.com/nzwjp –
Virtual world is a computer-based simulated environment intended for its users to inhabit and interact via avatars. These avatars are usually depicted as textual, two-dimensional, or three-dimensional graphical representations, although other forms are possible[1] (auditory[2] and touch sensations for example). Some, but not all, virtual worlds allow for multiple users.
