Transcript LIBRARIES IN THE CHANGING WEB ENVIRONMENT

LIBRARIES IN THE CHANGING WEB
ENVIRONMENT
Tanja Merčun
University of Ljubljana
Department of Library and Information Science and Book Studies
the changing environment: users - web - society
web 2.0 and libraries: a wake-up call
how to remain relevant players?
innovative services
accessibility
new standard for user-centred design
constant change
security
intuitive tools
maintainence
sustainability
privacy
flexibility
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web 2.0 
evaluation
openess
critical mass
user engagement
usefulness
sharing
network effect
trust
quality of user contibuted content
collaboration
interaction
personalization
2.0 philosophy vs. tools/technology
what & how
library 2.0 in Slovenia
not many libraries offering active user participation,
communication with peers or personalization
unrealistic to expect a broad 2.0 adoption
problems in Slovene libraries:
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unused services
difficult user communication with the library
directing users away from the site
lacking contents (rich, unique and useful information that
would attract users)
first attract and keep users as regular visitors of
library websites if we want to apply 2.0 services for
user-to-user interaction and communication
choosing 2.0 features
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evaluate current services
find out what users need
define the aims
what & how to implement & how to maintain it
3 groups of library 2.0 features:
1. usability
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features that add to the site’s usability and are
independent from the number of their users
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personalization, communication forms, RSS, mushups,
browsing & exploratory options, my library
2. social networking
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features libraries can use for marketing and connecting
with their users
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twitter, Facebook, chats
3. user supplied content
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features that allow users to contribute content and at the
same time require the library to abandon the total control
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ratings, comments, reviews, tagging, …
libraries slowly opening up their virtual spaces
a few libraries leading the way
in creating 2.0 services, libraries have started using 2.0
principles
libraries need to work together to create better
services for users, exploit the full potential of
2.0 and surpass some of the 2.0 issues (critical
mass, maintainence)
are libraries in Slovenia ready for 2.0 environment?
still not a thorough understanding of the concept, its
potentials and possible pitfalls
Web 2.0 could help libraries move forward, better serve
their users, provide an enriched set of services and
contents, reinvent their virtual spaces and turn them
into valuable third places for all users
will libraries be able to use that to their advantage?
thank you!
[email protected]