Technology Sandbox
The core resources that libraries should be using to reach a wider audience are blogging, Facebook and other social media, and Twitter. These are tools that libraries can use to get the most information to people who want to see it. Perhaps it is due to my age group within my generation, I think that the social media platform that I actually read post on is Facebook. Other platforms such as Flickr, Instagram, and Tumblr, I tend to scroll through especially with pictures or if the post is too long. I also think this is why Twitter is such a good tool as well. It limits the characters, so you have to be clear and concise about what you post.
While these tools are great for reaching a wider audience, they also depend on the survival of the company in an ever-changing online world. We all remember the popularity of Myspace when it first emerged, and how it ebbed over a short period of time. This is one reason why I think that libraries, archives, and other information agencies should set up their own independent blogs, and have a way to subscribe to them through RSS readers and feeds. Even without the RSS, people can still visit their blogs and the information agencies do not have to worry about the demise of private companies when trying to reach a larger audience.
If my information agency was a transparent one and did not have a Twitter account, I would definitely set one up for it. However, maintaining the Twitter account would not be my strongest skill. I still have not settled on how to use my personal professional Twitter account. The idea of starting a company to help information agencies with their Web 2.0 needs or starting any company whatsoever does not appeal to me, so that idea would definitely be out. I did a group project for my Information Technology class on Google+, and I have been asked by a friend, who is an instructional designer for a local university, to do a webinar for teacher in the community surrounding the university as a part its community outreach program. I turned her down for several reasons: I do not have the time to do now, and Google+ is not a very intuitive platform. Perhaps if I could do a webinar on another platform, I would be willing to do one. While I do wish this would all go away, I realize that is not a realistic stance to take. I must become more familiar with these types of platforms if I want to be employed by information agencies.