Tech T.I.P. - May 7, 2009

GYR Group at Diigo: Building an Online Resource Directory

by Denise Olson

Diigo is an online bookmark management system designed to support the researcher. When you save a bookmark using Diigo, that bookmark is available to you wherever you can connect to the Internet regardless of the computer - or other device - you are using. But, that's just the beginning.

Using Diigo, you can highlight text on the site you are bookmarking and even post "sticky" notes on that page. Unless you make those annotations private (only visible to you), those notes will be visible to any Diigo user who visits this page. You can also include notes as part of the saved bookmark record that appears in your bookmark list. These notes can provide a detailed description of the page or remind you of exactly what it was about this page you found interesting.

Because research seldom happens in a vacuum, Diigo provides a platform full of collaboration tools allowing you to connect with others who share your interests. It's easy to email someone a collection of bookmarks, post a bookmark on Twitter and even generate a blog post from a bookmark. All of these are wonderful features, but my favorite has got to be Diigo groups.

A group is a place where people sharing a common interest can build a directory of useful links and share ideas with each other. Adding a bookmark to a group's collection is as simple as checking a box in the bookmark record as you save it. The true beauty of the group is that it brings the diverse efforts of the group's members together to create a comprehensive collection of research resources. Every bookmark added to the group increases the collection's value to all. The forum component of the group provides a facility for discussion - the merits of a source, citation options or just the joy of a special discovery. We Rabbits have all enjoyed the social benefits of blogging, Twitter and Facebook. This is yet another opportunity to get to know each other and share our discoveries.

Of course there's a Diigo group supporting The Association of Graveyard Rabbits! The goal of this group is to build a directory of graveyard/funeral resources for everyone. Although you do need to join the group to add bookmarks and comments, you don't need to be a member to use the resulting directory.

Thanks to Diigo, there's no such thing as an insignificant link. The smallest family cemetery is a resource to somebody - potentially quite a few somebodies - and the ten seconds it takes to bookmark it and add it to the GYRabbit group increases its visibility. Don't forget your own work. The many articles posted on GYRabbit blogs are themselves research resources and should be a part of the directory.

Please join us on Diigo and the Association of Graveyard Rabbits group to share in the building of a comprehensive directory supporting our cemetery research efforts. It will cost you nothing to join and we will all benefit in your participation.