Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
page is more of a window into what the person values. “Friends” is a term no longer
used in the traditional sense. But these platforms provide a mechanism for finding
someone with passion for the same obscure hobby, minimizing the miles between
them in our global, networked community.
Library and information professionals can create an image for their libraries that
announces the library as a place to go to engage in thinking and learning. The
programs offered are topics that enrich the cultural fabric of a community. Librar-
ies of the 21st century are focused on being places within the community, provid-
ing space for a wide array of activities, such as makerspaces. Libraries can create
places that feel comfortable for people to create, build, innovate, and collaborate
with others in the community.
Technology has enabled the dissemination of communication and the storage
of vast amounts of cultural information. Some libraries are digitizing their special
collections and historical content and making these collections widely available on
the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA). DPLA can be found on the open
Web, providing access to millions of items that are connected and searchable by
timeline, map, virtual bookshelf, format type, subject matter, and the partner agen-
cies that added the digital collections to DPLA.
DPLA enables open access to digitized cultural heritage collections that can
benefit many, including software developers, researchers, and others that use
primary resources in new and transformative ways. These collections are rooted
in the humanities, consisting of digital objects from literature, music, drama, film,
dance, and art that provide a focal point for cultural information services.
Recreational Function
Technology inspires a whimsical side in the human spirit. When a family goes
on vacation and takes photos of their trip to the Great Pyramid of Giza, one of the
oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, they invariably return home
wanting to share their stories with a sense of “wow” that begs to be shared. Today's
social media outlets provide the networks for sharing vast amounts of information
generating a wow factor on Facebook, where a story is told, enjoyed, and passed
on. Stories are spread in one form of social media to another via Facebook, Twit-
ter, Snapchat, Pinterest, and other mobile apps.
Snapchat is a form of social media that lasts less than 24 hours and offers visual
communication that is more information-rich than text alone. A picture taken can
have layers added to it, as one can type a one-line statement and add highlight-
colored content by drawing or writing by hand on the image. The user can send an
ephemeral image that may include a background, a facial expression for emotion,
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