Library 2.0 looks at how web 2.0 tools can be used by the library in providing services for the community. The technologies that are part of the second generation of web services called web 2.0 offer new services that invite the community to participate and provide feedback. Librarians can then modify library services to meet user needs as part of an ongoing evaluation.
On a personal level I find the application of web 2.0 tools in the library work environment a challenge. I am able to grasp the basic web 2.0 concepts and use these tools but find that I need to take some time to think of ideas to make the technology work effectively in a library context. Whilst knowledge of the modern technologies is essential in being successful with library 2.0 so too is awareness of the library community and its needs. Libraries need to consider serving the community at large, not just the familiar, regular users.
As I'm a reference librarian I've been considering how library 2.0 can be applied to reference services. Wikipedia, the online collaborative encyclopedia for example, is known and used by many librarians but should be checked against other web pages for validity in answering enquiries. This is due the fact that the public can edit Wikipedia entries.
In a university library context students can now access a vast majority of journal articles online via databases to which the university subscribes. Many public libraries also provide access to online databases. Whilst users may not need to be in the library to view some of the resources available they could still need a librarian's assistance with site navigation. In some instances this help can be obtained online as a virtual reference service assisting with distance education and travelling students. Library 2.0 is about making the information or service available immediately where ever the patron may be located.
At the reference desk when dealing with customers in person I have had the opportunity to broach the subject of web 2.0 tools. Just recently I was assisting a patron that was to give a professional talk. He wished to display a slide show of images as part of his presentation and wanted to know if he could use both images and software from the Internet to do this. I suggested that he develop an account with flickr and then during his presentation use the slide show option.
I think the library blog is relevant to our local residents but they don't provide much feedback at this point in the way of offering comments on the page. Perhaps the library staff should set the ball rolling and post a few comments as this might encourage others to add their thoughts? The library 2.0 revolution is relevant to our customers but many of them possibly aren't aware of how it operates or can benefit them. Social bookmarking and tagging using del.icio.us is useful to anyone who wants to save a collection of web pages for future reference and really, that's most of us. Students in particular would find this tool essential.
Completing training in web 2.0 is the first step to gaining awareness and through discussion with fellow colleagues more informed decisions can be made about how to apply these new technologies to our current library clientele.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
YouTube
Despite personally not liking the title of YouTube I find the variety of video content available fascinating! I remember hearing about YouTube some years ago and wondering why people would want to spend time watching videos online. Now after some exposure to the site I understand! My brother has shared many clips of bands performing and we have watched comedian Michael Richards' blunder when he was blatantly racist during one of his stand up comedy routines.
I'm still operating in the land of dial up Internet so this makes downloading YouTube painful. There's lots of buffering the media and waiting. Little video segments appear and then there's more buffering and more waiting. Plenty of time to make a Chai tea and return. I don't tend to visit YouTube at all. Being a huge Seinfeld fan today I conducted a YouTube search. I like the searching features that appear along the top of the page providing avenues for more time wasting! I chose to watch a short video titled "Elaine's dance" from Season 8. It's fun reading the comments as well. Here's the link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=5xi4O1yi6b0
Libraries can utilise YouTube by providing links to relevant videos on their web pages. For example, staff can access videos explaining web 2.0 tools. With regards to the public, what about the posting of a brief virtual library tour? Events can also be recorded and made available through YouTube. People watching these videos may then be drawn to visit the library in the future. YouTube provides an exciting avenue of exposure for the public library.
I'm still operating in the land of dial up Internet so this makes downloading YouTube painful. There's lots of buffering the media and waiting. Little video segments appear and then there's more buffering and more waiting. Plenty of time to make a Chai tea and return. I don't tend to visit YouTube at all. Being a huge Seinfeld fan today I conducted a YouTube search. I like the searching features that appear along the top of the page providing avenues for more time wasting! I chose to watch a short video titled "Elaine's dance" from Season 8. It's fun reading the comments as well. Here's the link: http://youtube.com/watch?v=5xi4O1yi6b0
Libraries can utilise YouTube by providing links to relevant videos on their web pages. For example, staff can access videos explaining web 2.0 tools. With regards to the public, what about the posting of a brief virtual library tour? Events can also be recorded and made available through YouTube. People watching these videos may then be drawn to visit the library in the future. YouTube provides an exciting avenue of exposure for the public library.
Wikis and libraries.
Wikis are advantageous, particularly to library staff, because an individual's technological skills can differ greatly in this profession. Librarians who have ideas for the content of a web page, but not the knowledge of computer programming languages, can actively participate using Wiki software. This assists the person (or people) who usually take responsibility for web page updates in the library and promotes sharing the workload and team building.
Wikis could be used internally by library staff in the creation of a document such as the compiling of branch meeting minutes. Staff from branch libraries could contribute their individual reports and further editing can be made by any staff to correct inaccuracies.
Wikis can be used by librarians as a searching tool on the reference desk or for searching at home. I read a Wiki set up for a librarian conference in Chicago in 2005: http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wiki/. I found the information about the city provided by locals very interesting from a travel perspective. I'd like to visit soon! This lead me to perform a Google search using a city's name, the word travel and wiki. Chicago aside, I found the Australia Travel Wiki: http://www.australiatravelwiki.com/?t=anon. This site is powered by Wetpaint software.
Additionally libraries could develop a community wiki to provide a place for members of the public to provide information about upcoming events and give reviews on restaurants, shopping (or anything really!) in the local area. Aside from being an interesting source of information a wiki such as this would further establish the presence of the library in the online environment.
Wikis could be used internally by library staff in the creation of a document such as the compiling of branch meeting minutes. Staff from branch libraries could contribute their individual reports and further editing can be made by any staff to correct inaccuracies.
Wikis can be used by librarians as a searching tool on the reference desk or for searching at home. I read a Wiki set up for a librarian conference in Chicago in 2005: http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wiki/. I found the information about the city provided by locals very interesting from a travel perspective. I'd like to visit soon! This lead me to perform a Google search using a city's name, the word travel and wiki. Chicago aside, I found the Australia Travel Wiki: http://www.australiatravelwiki.com/?t=anon. This site is powered by Wetpaint software.
Additionally libraries could develop a community wiki to provide a place for members of the public to provide information about upcoming events and give reviews on restaurants, shopping (or anything really!) in the local area. Aside from being an interesting source of information a wiki such as this would further establish the presence of the library in the online environment.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Social Bookmarking... mmm del.icio.us.
As a reference librarian I have already been introduced to the concept of social bookmarking and using del.icio.us. At the time I understood the value of having a collection of favourite or frequently used websites saved in one location for future perusal. I did, however, fail to see the social networking benefits, in that people might find it useful to browse others' lists and discover new websites as a result of searching common tags. The short "Social Bookmarking in Plain English" video demystified the process of using del.icio.us and opened up some advantages for myself!
Briefly searching del.icio.us and adding my own blog to the library's account has helped me to understand how to navigate this site. In my del.icio.us travels I explored the Visual Arts pages of my local library's account and was interested in seeing the lists of other people who had added particular web pages to their accounts. I then visited some of their accounts.
I have seen tag clouds on web pages before (but didn't know they were called this). One page that springs to mind is the Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/ After searching for a particular movie one can click on a plot keyword and then a tag cloud is presented to assist further searching. flickr also has a category of tags that have been created in the last 24 hours and over the last week. I clicked on eastermonday and found lots of pictures of people out and about relaxing! I look forward to utilising del.icio.us and exploring tags in general in the future.
Briefly searching del.icio.us and adding my own blog to the library's account has helped me to understand how to navigate this site. In my del.icio.us travels I explored the Visual Arts pages of my local library's account and was interested in seeing the lists of other people who had added particular web pages to their accounts. I then visited some of their accounts.
I have seen tag clouds on web pages before (but didn't know they were called this). One page that springs to mind is the Internet Movie Database: http://www.imdb.com/ After searching for a particular movie one can click on a plot keyword and then a tag cloud is presented to assist further searching. flickr also has a category of tags that have been created in the last 24 hours and over the last week. I clicked on eastermonday and found lots of pictures of people out and about relaxing! I look forward to utilising del.icio.us and exploring tags in general in the future.
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