Del.icio.us Subject Guides: Maintaining Subject Guides Using a Social Bookmarking Site.

Abstract

By using Web 2.0 social bookmarking sites, libraries can more easily manage subject guides and other lists of Web resources. Social bookmarking services such as Delicious provide a one-click method to bookmark a Web site, allowing librarians to describe and categorize Web sites. Using a small amount of JavaScript, these bookmarked resources can be dynamically included into subject guides and other Web-based library resources. This paper describes and analyses the use of social bookmarking at a medium-sized comprehensive college library for the creation and maintenance of modern languages subject guides. A brief technical description outlining necessary JavaScript code provides a way for librarians to try this idea elsewhere. This paper examines the initiative at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) Library to utilize the social bookmarking Web site del.icio.us to easily update and maintain modern language subject-specific guides on the library Web site. Previously, the subject guides have proven difficult to maintain and a solution that allowed subject librarians to quickly and easily update subject guides from anywhere was desired. By using del.icio.us, librarians at TCNJ have been able to stream line subject guide maintenance. This paper describes the process used to include resources bookmarked on del.icio.us by librarians from both the subject librarians' and systems librarian's perspectives. Included is a brief technical description that outlines the JavaScript code that needs to be included in the subject guides that other libraries can use as an example if they choose to embark on a similar project. The response from librarians and teaching faculty has been positive. Librarians appreciate the ease of use while teaching faculty appreciate the constantly evolving nature of the subject guides. Recommendations on ways to expand this project, including methods to allowing students and faculty to identify content to be included in subject guides using del.icio.us are also discussed.