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Far from the stereotypical image of a stodgy old librarian shushing those who rustle book pages too loudly, librarians in Ontario’s public service are embracing new media to keep their clients up to date.

Whether it’s Twitter, RSS feeds, podcasting or social bookmarking services, librarians are recognizing that information comes from more multiple sources these days. From politicians to firefighters, government workers are turning to new media for the news that matters to them and librarians are keeping pace with Web portals that deliver social media mash-ups.

Martha Murphy is the librarian for the Office of the Fire Marshall. She uses the office’s Web site “Fire News” to push out news information about the ministry, and a subscription-based e-mail newsletter. She is able to automate much of that news gathering with the help of RSS.

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