A Year (almost) of 43 Things

In January 2005, Michael Stephens(Tame the Web) listed Twelve Techie Things for Librarians 2005, including one about social software in which he said "I would like to see more librarians present in the social realm of the web." With that inspiration, I engaged myself in 43 Things in 2005. I did it early enough in the life of 43 Things that I was able to claim the username Librarian.

43 Things is a place to list goals (up to 43 of them). It's social because you can see who else has signed up for the same goals, read and write entries about the goals, and give each other cheers for goals and entries (with one quick and easy click). The site makes good use of RSS, so I keep track of goals and people in Bloglines as much as I do on the site itself.

Over the past year, the site has also added 43 Places for travel goals and 43 People for goals about who you want to meet. You can set goals to meet famous people, but 43 People, in practice, is really mostly about keeping track of your virtual friends that you have made on 43 Things.

Is it really social? Oh, yeah. It's not difficult to sink hours into swapping cheers and entries and messages. I care about how KBB is doing in library school and she's excited that I got a job. Mairregirl and I discovered each other this month and she found out that we have a mutual real life friend. My newest friend has produced wonderful, funny podcasts that teach me about what it is like to have been born in South Asia and raised in the United States.

Do people really do the Things? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I recently gave up on my embroidery project. But, if I can read 60 more pages of Be Our Guest, a book by the Disney Institute about customer service, by midnight, I will complete my goal to read 30 books in 2005. Would I have done it without this goal? I don't think so. And I wouldn't know it if I had--I love that I have a log of the books I read this year.

Are there ways to practice librarianship on 43 Things? Sure. I have recommended books, tracked down subject headings for people to try in their OPACs, and cheered many people on their goal to start using the library. Currently 109 people are signed up for that last one. 195 people have done it--and 194 of them say that it's worth doing!

So, if you're making resolutions or setting goals for the new year, I invite you to join us at 43 Things. If you're a library type, sign up for the goal to team all the 43T librarians and I'll send you an invitation for the team. We don't know what our purpose is, but I imagine we'll think of something.     #

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