Thunder Bay Public Library

The Thunder Bay Public Library (TBPL) is an example of a public library that uses del.icio.us tags on its website in order to allow its users to bookmark and organize online sites for its patrons.  Existing as part of a two-pronged approach to digital information organization, users can either select from online resources that library staff have identified and organized by subject on the Internet Links page, or they can click through to the same information to their del.icio.us Tag Cloud page.  This last step does not deliver any new information at this stage that the patron would not be able to obtain through the main Internet Links page.  However, they are then able to connect to all the del.icio.us items tagged by the broader user community, not just by those resources tagged by the TBPL network.

Unlike some library websites, there’s a nice little introduction to the concept of social bookmarking and tags right on the page above the tag cloud, something I’m sure is appreciated by those unfamiliar with the concept.  However, finding the tag cloud page from the TBPL main webpage took some doing as it’s not promoted anywhere.  For those familiar with websites, it’s a relatively simple matter to find the path for Virtual Collection – Internet Links – Del.icio.us Tag Cloud.  However, users who would benefit from the tag classifications – perhaps those who also experience some difficulty with the traditional library classifications – may be the same people who would have trouble navigating this far.  Once the user does make it to the right page, a del.icio.us tag list is displayed in a cloud format on the page.  This comprehensive list includes all the tags – not just the most popular ones – and its inclusivity makes it easy to navigate.  Clicking on the ie. Genealogy tag brings you right to TBPL’s del.icio.us account page; anyone can access this remotely in order to view the links.

All in all, once you reach the tag cloud (and sorry to keep harping on that, but it seems like it could be a real concern), it’s great; the information is comprehensive (470 items in about 140 tags) and easy to steer your way through.  While not fully collaborative within the TBPL framework itself, it does provide the stepping stone to the broader del.icio.us information community.

I just have my concerns about new users finding it ….