Technology Trends

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INTRODUCTION

It seems that every year people turn increasingly toward living their lives through technology. It has inundated society, families, jobs, and lives. Three developing trends that in some ways overlap each other are specifically related to living in a technology world. These trends are particularly important to the school librarian because many students are living their lives through the web. In order to reach those students, the librarian must be knowledgeable about the trends and applications and be able to use and apply them in a library setting. By using them, the librarian makes the library relevant to students, and brings the library to students where the students are.

The first trend is social communication through various tools on the web; the second trend is using collaborative tools and sharing information with the masses through the web; the third trend is social networking via the web. While some of the applications listed under each of these trends have been around for while, each and every day more and more platforms or applications are developed, and sometimes those platforms could fit comfortably under more than one of these trend categories.

Library professionals are charged with the job of not only keeping abreast of the ever-changing world of technology, but also being leaders in using technology. The trends and the applications that fit within those trends will be discussed in the following sections. Additionally, some of the applications will be discussed along with ideas for use of those applications in a library setting, specifically a school library setting, although many of the applications could apply to other types of libraries. Library professionals should be informed about t...

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