Libraries 2.0: Week 11: Mash ups

I'm having a little trouble with mash-ups. I get the general concept of taking information from two or more sources and combining them together: a map and a band's tour information, a book record and an image of the cover, a YouTube video and a cease-and-desist order. I suppose the part I'm not taking into consideration is the automated part. Any web page can have parts from other web pages. This feature automatically combines parts from other sources working together to create an original part on a new page--kind of like online baking. You take one part Google map and 4 parts news feeds, mix them, and soon you have a map indicating where politicians have promised great things to the locals. That opposed to a regular web page which might have a map, the names of politicians, and what the politicians have promised. However, those are more like a salad than a baked good because the items, though in close proximity, are not working together.

So, how would this help in a library?

• Updating information pages. Rather than saying "We have 100,000 plus volumes," the web page could tell the reader in real time exactly how many volumes the library owns--or how many people work there (with names and pictures), how many items are currently checked out, and how long it has been since a patron asked "you got any books?"
• Finding books. Put an RFID in each item, throw in some GPS and a map of the library. The web page could tell the patron exactly where to find the item, even if it is at the circulation desk, by a copier, or in the trunk of someone's car. ("I can't find the book you say I have overdue." "Did you check in the car parked at 825 3rd Ave NW?") This could also work to help find books what "walked out" of the library.
• Trans-site book information. Searching our library's OPAC could bring up the book, the location, availability, a picture of the cover, and comments from online bookseller sites, and book reviews from published periodicals.

Those are some thoughts on mash-ups. If any of it is incorrect, I hope someone tells me because, as I said, I'm not sure I fully understand mash ups.

On the bright side, after all this time, I've finally added "blog" to my Outlook dictionary. Yeah, I'm totally into this 2.0 stuff.

And have a good day.