Tech

Social Media in Times of Emergency

In the month of August, the East Coast was hit with two natural disasters, one foreseen, Hurricane Irene, and one without notice, the August 23rd earthquake. Though one primary form of established media failed—phone service during the earthquake was interrupted for many, if not most—both government agencies and individual citizens used social media to learnRead… Read more »

National Dialogue for Improving Federal Websites Topic Specific Dialogue-a-thons Start Today

We’re off to a great start on the National Dialogue on Improving Federal Websites. A many people have submitted, voted, and commented on a broad range of ideas. Please continue to spread the word, participate, and encourage others to chime in, especially in their area of expertise. Dialog-a-thons: We’ve scheduled one-hour “dialog-a-thons” on each ofRead… Read more »

White House releases report on government transparency

The White House released a report today detailing efforts the Obama administration has made to government transparency. Watchdogs largely praised administration efforts but said true change could take more time. According to the 33-page document, “The Obama Administration’s Commitment to Open Government: A Status Report,” officials have increased government openness by, for example, approving moreRead… Read more »

No virtual mayor for Chicago Transit Authority

The City of Chicago (IL) has teamed up with mobile application foursquare, but the Chicago Tribune points out a glaring omission: No Chicago Transit Authority stops are included on the list. Last week, Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced a partnership with the location-based app; residents and visitors can earn an official Windy City badge if theyRead… Read more »

Facebook devours Twitter…a simple strategy

Facebook is about to eat Twitter for lunch. I’m slowly recognizing that more and more of my activity is migrating from Twitter to Facebook. I’ve also been wondering if Apples upcoming IOS 5 integration with Twitter is a strategic mistake on Apple’s part? What will it take for Facebook to finish Twitter off? Here’s myRead… Read more »

Future Ready 365 – Join the Conversation!

Thanks to Cindy Romaine, SLA President 2011, for this article: Future Ready 365. This article was originally published in the 2011 Best Practices for Government Libraries: e-Initiatives and e-Efforts: Expanding Our Horizons. Best Practices is a collaborative document that is put out annually on a specific topic of interest to government librarians. The 2011 editionRead… Read more »

Brilliant free ebook on online community building

The marvellous Rich Millington is giving away a fabulous ebook on developing online communities. Rich’s blog, Feverbee, is packed full of great hints and tips, and I recommend you subscribe to that. All you have to do to get the ebook is to sign up to the mailing list for his Pillar Summit online learningRead… Read more »