"The term Reboot, in media dealing with serial fiction, means to discard much or even all previous continuity in the series and start anew with fresh ideas."
This blog will hopefully introduce emerging technologies, gadgets, trends, and apps and show how we can implement their fundamental concepts into archives, libraries, and special collections. Web 2.0 is slowly falling behind in mainstream user browsing. Within the last few years, we have seen the rise and fall of Myspace; the rise of Flickr followed by the rise of Photobucket, Picasa, and several other photo sites; the integration of YouTube and Google Video; the rise and fall of Second Life; the rise of iTunes apps and iTunes U; and so many other trends.
Though it might seem impossible to keep up with all of these (and, I'm sure it is), I believe that the important thing to look at is not the actions, but the causes. For instance, users are becoming more reliant on having a single username and password for several products. Google offers Gmail, Google Checkout, Blogger, Picasa, YouTube, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Sites, and Reader (just to name a few) that can fulfill a user's complete Internet experience while only using one single sign on. Why? Because it's much simpler than having to remember a million different usernames and passwords. By incorporating these lessons into the archives, library, or any other information center, hopefully your users can begin to experience your collections more easily and begin to use your materials more than ever.
I hope that this blog can bring inspiration to your own organization! Additionally, I hope that you will leave me feedback and comments about your own experiences and ideas. If you're at all interested in contributing blog entries or have some ideas that you want me to research, please let me know that too! I hope to keep this updated once or twice a week, and if there are particularly cool introductions in the world of gadgets and tech, maybe more! :)
