Web2.0

Well, this was fun. In reality, I had been using this tool for a long time in various guises. I had used Biblio.com for some time to locate out of print requests and also to occasionally guestimate the value of a particular volume. My best friend sold a car for us using Craigslist--she was getting calls the same day she posted the ad. I went to Oodle just for the fun of it and entered "boats" and our zip code. Go a gazillion hits. The only fly in the ointment is that it specified within 50 miles and Jonesborough, Tennessee is much further away than 50 miles so the listings needed to be perused carefully. The link for Cocktail Builder is broken from the awards site, but can be reached by hand entering the URL. Just visited, but did not add any favorite recipes. I dislike Google Maps as often the directions are flawed and if you follow them exactly, lost you will be. I LOVE Google Earth as truly amazing--I was able to find the house I lived in in the 4th grade in Tucson, Arizona. Cool!!!! Unfortunately, it does not work so easily on our heavily forested ridges.

All the above mentioned, plus more are fantastic tools for the library's use in reference and for patrons using public access internet. Some can be used to purchase obscure volumes, or find just about any needed information in an organized manner instead of just fishing. It takes out some of the challenge of finding something obscure, but has the reward of practically instant gratification.