BOOKMARKING+and+TAGGING+with+DELICIOUS

"Bookmarking" and “Tagging" are Web2.0 processes that allow a user to label, save and share online resources, including digital objects, for retrieval at a later time. The user will “bookmark” a site and then “tag” or label the bookmark. In the tagging/labeling procedure a user creates a descriptive word for the particular resource. This enables the saving and sharing of the information for future access. Many sites employ the use of tagging for sharing information and social networking, such as //Delicious//, //Flickr//, //Digg// and //Facebook//. I feel that bookmarking and tagging are important tools that are useful to students as soon as they are taught research skills. Working in a school library I am asked to review with students the resources that are available to aid them in their research assignments. I always go over the uses of the card catalog and research sites online, including those that are subscribed to by the school. I always instruct the students in how to open a Word document, to save it, and to keep a record of their resources, by copying and pasting links and citations. This way they are able to keep track of where they have gotten their information from and will make citing their bibliographic references much simpler. With the advent of //Delicious// this practice is now updated and made one step easier. //Delicious// is an “information sharing resource” service that allows the user to bookmark and save interesting informational links. Once the user joins they are assigned their own URL, accessed via a password, and they can begin bookmarking. From this the user is able store the referenced “bookmarked” information. It is as easy as 1-2-3…open your //Delicious// page, minimize it, open and copy the URL link you want saved, and paste it back into your Delicious page. There is a section for the title of the URL, a section for notes and a section for “tagging” that particular site. In “tagging” the information site the user is assigning the information a descriptive word (such as “Web2.0” or “Caldecott Books,” etc) that will assist them and others in referencing this information in the future. They are given the option of having a //Delicious// toolbar set up on their browser if they choose in order to make bookmarking easy. The user can also choose to make the information available to the public on the website or to keep it private. In being assigned a //Delicious// URL the user is able to link to whomever they want to share the information with. In storing all of information in one centralized location and not on a certain computer, the user is able to access the information from any computer, anywhere. This is an added benefit for students when they are assigned group research projects. Also, the user can categorize their tags into bundles, or “tag bundles,” making organization and access uncomplicated. //Delicious// is an exciting tool that has become a part of my research skills curriculum. Students will find it invaluable! Here is a link to a //Delicious// site: []
 * BOOKMARKING and TAGGING with //DELICIOUS// **