Transcript Web 2.0 Services

#6 - Web 2.0 Services
Developing Success Factors
For Illinois public libraries
Researching Communities to Prepare for the Future
Created by: Mary Wilkins Jordan,
[email protected]
Agenda
Introduction
Definitions and Descriptions
Case Studies
Further Resources
Introduction
In Developing Success Factors, we look at the
attributes that people across Illinois said were most
important to them for their library.
Web 2.0 services is new to some, but was a top
response in the Researching Communities to
Prepare for the Future study.
Discussing these attributes within your library helps
hone your own skills and keep yourself at peak
efficiency.
Introduction
Web 2.0 is not a new idea; it is more of an extension of
the way libraries have always operated, sharing
information.
Web 2.0 technologies are sharing information back
and forth: libraries put out information aimed at
specific groups and patrons can share information
back.
Amazon.com is a great example of Web 2.0: Amazon
puts up information about books, then people add
their own reviews. Putting all the information
together, from the different sources, gives the best
understanding of the book.
What is the most important part???
Consistent Quality Content
Keep it together!
Share information, but remember you want the
users to come back to your Web site and
to your physical space.
Provide harmonious information flow
regardless of where patrons find it!
Written
Audio
Visual
It is for everyone!
Technology information is not just for kids or really
smart techies – it is for all of us!
– The whole point is that we have new ways to reach
people and provide service.
– As people increasingly turn to the internet for both
information and entertainment, you want to be ready
to provide both!
It is not okay to ignore changes in society!
In public libraries, we work for the public and need to
keep integrating new ways of providing the best
service to the community.
Some ways of providing information
Podcasting
Web 2.0
Services
Flickr
Twitter
MySpace/
Facebook
Blogging
Web 2.0
Written Content
Web 2.0 Written Content
Blogging
If you have not yet explored the world of library and librarian
blogs, you have missed out on a huge amount of information
being shared!
Blogging is simple to do, easy to set up, and initial costs are right
in line with public library budgets – free.
Talk with your web people (find some web people if you do not
have them yet) about the technical side of it – where to house
it, what software to use, etc.
But anyone can go to Blogger.com and set up a blog in literally less than
ten minutes. You can be sharing the information from your library, and
your community, with people locally and around the world!
Check out the Sauers book (last slide) for extremely detailed
information on setting up and running a blog.
What should you blog about?
• New titles, or those coming soon to your collection
• Staff recommendations on books, linked to your catalog
• Upcoming book club meetings/previous books read and the
club reactions
• Issues around the library budget
• Electronic resources you offer, and how access them inside
and outside the library
• Library law topics – copyright, filtering software, Patriot Act,
ADA accessibility, etc.
• Materials wanted for the library/fundraising goals
• Upcoming book sales/Previous book sales
• Anything and everything you want to tell people!
Blogging costs only staff time, you can use as much
space as you want, and people in your community
can easily get your information!!
Web 2.0 Written Content
Wiki
The most famous wiki is Wikipedia: www.wikipedia.org.
Wiki is a special kind of information sharing:
– The creator puts up the space and gives it a general topic, then
everyone can go and add content
– Whatever your interest is, you can go create a page on
Wikipedia to share your information with the world
– Everyone edit any information posted in a wiki
– The idea is that all ideas are shared, but with everyone working
together any bad information will be weeded out.
Wiki’s can be an almost instant method of sharing
information
After any sports event, or major news story, check the topic on
Wikipedia – chances are that someone has updated it already!
What do you do with a wiki?
This could be a great way for you and your patrons
to share information on library material and
programs! How might your library use a wiki?
Some general “how-to” guides to wikis:
– http://www.squidoo.com/how-to-start-a-wiki
– http://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-Wiki
– http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Starting_and_Running_a_Wiki_Website
Some library wiki material:
– http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Wikis
– http://booklovers.pbworks.com/Princeton%20Public%20Library
Web 2.0 Written Content
MySpace/Facebook
These social networking sites allow a library (or an
individual) to easily set up a personalized online
presence.
Here you can share information and make connections with
your patrons and your community in yet another way.
These social networks used to be for kids – but those days are
OVER!
Facebook, in particular, is increasingly attracting professionals and
growing very rapidly!
• More than 200 million active users
• More than 100 million users log on to Facebook at least once each day (how
many people check your library’s website each day?)
• More than two-thirds of Facebook users are outside of college
• The fastest growing demographic is those 35 years old and older
Let’s look further…
Check out their information pages:
Face book info for non-profits and community organizations:
http://www.facebook.com/advertising/FB_Pages_Communities_NonProfits.pdf
General introduction to MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=userTour.home
Libraries using these resources:
– http://www.facebook.com/pages/Iowa-City-IA/Iowa-City-PublicLibrary/6184503578
– http://apps.facebook.com/causes/305538?m=8ef6a43a
– http://www.myspace.com/bangorpubliclibrary
– http://www.myspace.com/abqlibraryteens
Invite your patrons be become the library’s Facebook fan.
Twitter
Twitter is the latest big Web 2.0 trend to hit the internet.
www.twitter.com
It is free to use and easy to sign up. (Fits nicely into even
the tightest budget!)
Users have 140 characters to express ideas – just enough
to share a thought or to share a link.
Like MySpace and Facebook, you can connect easily with
your users, and with a lot of other libraries or with other
who have similar interests!
For example: Creating a NASCAR car? Follow NASCAR drivers,
owners, sponsors, journalists, and fans via Twitter; help patrons
get much more information!
Some Twitter samples
Twitter for Libraries (and Librarians):
http://www.infotoday.com/cilmag/may09/Milstein.shtml
A wiki on Twitter for libraries:
http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Twitter
Some libraries using twitter:
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http://www.oshkoshpubliclibrary.org/node/1556
http://twitter.com/LibraryJournal
http://twitter.com/SiouxCenterLib
http://twitter.com/KimballLibrary
http://twitter.com/tplreference
How might your library use Twitter to highlight the
library’s services and programs?
Web 2.0
Audio Content
Web 2.0 Audio Content
Podcasting
A podcast is an audio recording, available on the internet;
listeners can either subscribe or just download individual
shows to their computer and/or MP3 players.
Like other Web2.0 sources, podcasting can be used to
broadcast information from your library, programs in the
library, and community information.
Most major media outlets now have podcasts, as do
individual people and organizations, and they cover
every topic imaginable!
– Look over NPR’s podcast lists for the range of potential topics:
http://www.npr.org/rss/podcast/podcast_directory.php?type=topic
Check out these links…
Background and How-to information:
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http://www.how-to-podcast-tutorial.com/index.htm
http://www.wise-women.org/tutorials/podcast/
http://www.slideshare.net/bburkett/podcasting-basic-information
http://www.lansing.lib.il.us/podcasts.html
The software often used for podcasting is audacity
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Libraries that podcast:
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http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Podcasting
http://podcast.denverlibrary.org/
http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=audience_teens_podcast
http://www.kankakee.lib.il.us/Podcasts.html
How might your library use podcasting?
Web 2.0 Audio Content
Overdrive and NetLibrary
Giving patrons the opportunity to download books to their
computer and/or MP3 player gives them flexibility in the way
they use library materials – at home or on the go.
They may not strictly be Web 2.0, but it does share some of the
basic ideas. These services are starting to offer the option of
patron comments on items, which makes it more clearly a
Web 2.0 idea.
Remember – Web 2.0 just means a sharing of information, nothing
special or magical; it is essentially the same thing we have always
done but now involves new ways of sharing.
Web 2.0
Visual Content
Web 2.0 Visual Content
Flickr
You may already be familiar with posting or
viewing photos on Flickr, but this is an easy way
for your library to share important pictures:
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Library architecture or unique features
Historical items in your collection or your community
Materials on display
Library events and/or community events
Staff recognition; letting people get acquainted with
staff members
Check out information on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/about/
Libraries on Flickr
Libraries use Flickr to share photos from programs,
new services, library disasters, etc.
Checkout the Lewis & Clark Library System Photostream on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lcls/
Other examples of library’s using Flickr
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/dublincitypubliclibraries/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/libraryloft/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/waterloopubliclibrary/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcpl/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/library_of_congress/
Web 2.0 Visual Content
YouTube
Sharing videos you make, or that your patrons
make for you, can be a great way to show off
your library and all the great things you do!
Look through the YouTube handbook for
information on using this resource:
http://www.youtube.com/t/yt_handbook_home
Some sample library videos
Note – these videos start playing as soon as they
pop open, so open one at a time
Lewis & Clark Library System’s YouTube offerings:
http://www.youtube.com/user/LewisClarkLS
Calgary Public Library’s YouTube Story Time:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQZk0CKgkIg
Other examples:
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AppCIzJD84&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYgOILcQyKk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSXxkbnir5k&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjxkQKwkP3M&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnXeNQ_VZiw&feature=related
Next up: Case Studies
A couple of case studies are presented next. These are
common issues in the library world, but should inspire
some discussion.
You can answer these individually, but there may be more
value in sharing your ideas with a larger group – your
department or with the library as a whole.
Even if a situation presented is not currently a problem in
your library, it is helpful to think through a solution –
maybe something different that you are trying now, or
something which may help you in the future.
Case Study #1
A senior citizen group visited the library, explaining that many
things their members need to do are easier done online
(banking, Social Security questions, etc.). However, many feel
uncomfortable using computers and would like some
specialized training. Specifically, they would like to find ways
to easily communicate among themselves, with friends, family
and others who share their interests and hobbies. They would
like the library to help.
What would be a good first response?
What kind of topics do you think they would be most interested in learning?
What resources should you recommend for training?
How could you use this opportunity to bring people into the library to use library
materials – either in person or online?
Case Study #2
At a recent library staff meeting, several people mentioned that
the Web site does not get much use, and several complaints
have been received. The problems, everyone agrees, stem
from its age – more than four years old without any
meaningful changes. It is difficult to find the catalog,
information on library hours is wrong, and the material the
Children’s librarians developed as homework helpers, along
the local school district, is buried and difficult to use.
What goals would the library want to see accomplished by the Web site?
What kinds of information would you like to share with different community
groups – kids, businesses, book lovers, seniors, etc.? How can that be
effectively done online?
Does your library have a web committee? How often does the website get
updated and enhanced?
Conclusion
Your library does not have to use all these
Web 2.0 technologies to highlight library
services and programs. Choose one as a
way to feature the library to a target
audience, when choose another, and
another.
Training Opportunities
WebJunction Illinois has a variety of
information relating to Web 2.0. Try these
WebJunction Illinois links for additional
information:
• Webinars and Web tools on Blogs, photo sharing , social software,
twitter, instant messaging, RSS among other topics:
http://il.webjunction.org/technology/web-tools
• http://il.webjunction.org/outreach
• http://il.webjunction.org/programming
Further Resources
Library 2.0 A Guide to Participatory Library Service by
Michael E. Casey and Laura C. Savastinuk.
Library 2.0 and Beyond: Innovative Technologies and
Tomorrow’s User edited by Nancy Courtney.
Blogging and RSS A Librarian’s Guide by Michael P.
Sauers.
The Ultimate Digital Library Where the New Information
Players Meet by Andrew K. Pace.