I recently got a call from a former boss (one of the best I've ever had!) asking for advice on how to stay current about technology when you're a public library reference librarian, you just don't have a lot of time or money, and you don't want to become a "techie." I believe that staying current these days means reading blogs, so that is my core recommendation, and I'd recommend tracking 10-12 of them if possible, just to get a broad enough view.

My major criteria for the blog recommendations are consistent posting over time, frequency (more than once a week), sticking to the topic, and a general sense of value to a public librarian. This could have been a very long list and it's very subjective (it is not a "best of"), so this truly is a baseline - add on from here.

• Read some blogs using an RSS reader/aggregator (NetVibes, PageFlakes, Google Reader, Bloglines, more at AllRSS). At minimum, you should be reading:
  
  
  
  • Librarian in Black
  
  
  • Library Garden
  
  
  • Library Link of the Day
  
  
  • LISNews
  
  
  • Tame the Web
  
  
  • You can also find a blog relevant to any work-related subject interests you have - Library Law, Pop Goes the Library (popular culture), The M-Word (marketing), ResourceShelf (reference), Library Grants, etc. - so check the list at LISWiki.
  
  
  
  


• Read Library Journal and Computers in Libraries.


• Read USA Today's Tech section (which you can read via RSS feed).


• Watch the SirsiDynix Virtual Institutes.


• Read the biweekly Carnival of the InfoSciences.


• Read AL Direct in your email inbox each Wednesday. (Disclaimer: I work for ALA, but I honestly believe that George Eberhart consistently provides a great roundup of news, blog posts, and events.)


• Read the reports (or at least the summaries) from the Pew Research Center.