Thing 22: Staying current

Remember when you signed a book out of a library by taking the card out of it and...
You know, I was too young to really remember this. I just remember the card and in school we signed our name on it and left it with the librarian.
They stamped the back.
And I took it home.

Things got more advanced when I was in college. I worked at the library that year way back in 95. We were switching over from the card catalog...yeah, the one with ACTUAL cards...to the new computer system.
I don't think it was done when I left.
And every time I ask for my transcripts from that college they tell me I have overdue fees from 5 years after I left there. I'd like to know how I checked out books from that library in SC when I was living in New York.
Funny funny things.

Bottom line, times change. And staying current is a challenge for any library. I think most of the time, libraries resist change and lag behind in technology.
These tools we've reviewed are the first time I've seen some of them, some I've utilized myself for years. These are all things we can use to continue to push our libraries into the future.

I'll be starting on MLS in 2010 if everything goes according to plan. I'm hoping to discover even more useful tools during my studies. I will always strive to stay as current as I'm able in the areas of useful technologies to whatever library I work at in the future.
The most useful way to keep up I've found is to talk to people. Check out what sites people are going to, sharing useful info I have to other students (And there are quite a few new tools I've found doing this that I've shared with friends and classmates online.)
People come across random things online and don't think to tell people about them. Maybe I'll keep this blog as my "technologies" blog.