Forecast: Cloudy

Tag clouds are perhaps one of the more interesting developments in Web 2.0 technology. Users assign their own labels (tags) to items in a database. These are used as keywords when searching and browsing. Browsing is done not through a simple list of tags, but rather through what at first seems to be a massive jumble of words. The more a specific tag is used, the larger that word will appear in the tag cloud. For an example, check out LibraryThing.com.

The application for libraries is immediately obvious. Using tag clouds in our library databases would have a number of positive effects. The community involvement with the library collection would be increased. Not only would patrons be able to interact with the collection in a new way, but they would be more directly involved in its development. Why have catalogers or the Library of Congress decide what search terms are relevant when the community can develop its own terms which are uniquely suited to it? Properly cultivated, this could evolve into a more robust search system than any library staff could dream of creating on its own. Tag clouds could also prove useful for collection development. Not only would staff members have a visual guide to various areas of their collection but would have a unique window into how the community views the collection as well.

Of course, there would be drawbacks too. As with many Web 2.0 technologies, the tag clouds would need to be moderated in order to ensure no malicious tampering is done. There is also the usual knowledge gap. Just imagine a new computer user sitting down to browse the catalog and having a chaotic jumble of various sized words fill the computer screen. I certainly don’t think this should be the new replacement to our current search engines, but it could certainly prove to be a powerful supplement.

- Joe