Mashups and API

Exercise one...view a mashup and "blog about it" Okay, here I go! The mashup I chose from the mashupawards.com web site was World New Map. It was the first one I thought I'd find interesting and it was very cool to roll over the various countries and have them highlight and then show a name in a little label above the cursor. Clicking on the country then gave you a brief look at a few recent news stories. Interesting concept and I could see it being a useful tool for someone taking a class on the world (history, politics society, etc). Of course you get a fair amount of sports news along with the politics!
I also went to programmableweb.com and found "Oral Histories of Route 66 Map" which did what I expected it to do which was pull up a map, with little bubbles; which I could click on it would give me a "blurb and picture about that point on Route 66. This mashup is a very neat idea.

Exercise 2...Rollyo and librarianblogs and privacy....
The second exercise was to visit www.rollyo.com and explore the searchroll the instructor created and then to search within for discussions on privacy. This is an interesting way to scan several librarian blogs and then search within them for a specific topic to view various librarians’ takes on the topic. I have to admit the view that the "Next Gens" want to be found versus the rest of us for whom the thought of being "found" leaves us cold was right on. I'm not sure I want to be found at all times! I don't have a cell phone and have to admit I don't really need one! I don't need to be "found" at all times and I sure don't want "the world" knowing everything I do (obvious which generation I fall into!).

Have to admit this week is one where I really felt at a loss to make a connection to the tool, until I listened to the podcast from The Library 2.0 Mashup Gang. Scott Pluchak’s idea of adding the “Go Local” information to an OPAC in such a way that when a patron clicked on a subject that they would also see the local web agencies and groups and where they were located made a lot of sense. North Carolina has also participated in the “Go Local” project and I can see where it would help the public libraries especially for there to be a way that not only can they get to information for their patrons but they can also refer them to agencies/groups which might further help them.