Okay, I missed the deadline for the MLA’s web2.0 101 class, but Rachel Resnick didn’t. She’s signed up and turned in her first assignment:
http://rachels101blog.blogspot.com/
Step 4: How do you think you could use RSS feeds at your library? How do you think patrons could use RSS feeds? Write a brief response on your blog.
I currently use them to keep up with various types of weblogs and webpages (via Page2RSS) regarding issues to my place of employment; once I find them, I either then email the links to the people who would be interested in them, and/or save them to a Furl account; I’m hoping this course will give me additional options.
Anyone else taking the class?
[Update] Follow along at the course blog where students are reflecting on how this will be useful in their professional life.
If anyone missed the deadline to sign up for the class, but still wants to participate, you may, although you won’t earn any MLA CE credits. Weekly tasks will be posted to the website/blog (http://sns.mlanet.org/snsce/); you can perform the tasks, and even post your own comments to the course blog. There are over 600 participants registered, so it’s a HUGE class! One instructor informed me that they expect the site to remain up for a couple years; if that’s actually the case, then you could do the tasks at your convenience. They don’t know yet whether the course will be offered again, or at what price.
I’m taking this class as well, and it’s really helped me think about how RSS feeds especially might be useful to health professionals.
I think the most interesting feature of RSS feeds is that they can be used to help patrons keep up with scholarly literature. Part of the assignment from this week was to subscribe to a Pubmed search, which is a quick and easy way for users to stay up to date with specific topics in health sciences. The trick is getting the word out to people that this service exists.
I also subscribed to MLA Philly’s chapter blog to help keep me informed about upcoming events, and a few health sciences librarians’ blogs for news and helpful tips.
I liked your blog post, Rachel! Writing your response in a step-by-step format is a good idea.
I am taking the class too. Even though I subscribe to many rss fees, none of them are library related except for the course, and PubMed.
Rachel, your blog is awesome. Mine is very much a work in progress in terms of design.
I am very glad that MLA came up with this idea. I am looking forward to learning more about the world of web 2.0.
I signed up for this class not knowing what to expect.
After one week I recommend this course to others. Learn by doing works! I have learned more by creating a blog and subscribing to RRS feeds than by sitting in lectures about these web 2.0 technologies.
Rachel, seeing your blog was a help. I appreciate Jackie and Katherine’s comments. I am glad to know who else in Philadelphia MLA is taking this course. Also I thank MLA for offering this course.