Transcript Web 2.0 and Library 2.0: Addressing Institutional Barriers

http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/conferences/ili-2006/
Web 2.0 and Library 2.0:
Addressing Institutional Barriers
Brian Kelly
UKOLN
University of Bath
Bath
Acceptable Use Policy
Recording/broadcasting of this talk,
taking photographs, discussing the
content using email, instant
messaging, Blogs, SMS, etc. is
Email
[email protected] permitted providing distractions to
others is minimised.
ili2006 tag used in del.icio.us
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A centre of expertise in digital information management
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(but note caveat) www.ukoln.ac.uk
Contents
Web 2.0 / Library 2.0
• It's great
Organisational barriers
• Technology is immature
 Legal risks
• It's too costly
 It's scary
• …
Addressing the barriers
• Understanding our culture
• Risk assessment and risk management
• Deployment strategies
Safe Experimentation
• Examples of uses of Web 2.0 (refer to handouts
and online version of slides)
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www.ukoln.ac.uk
Web 2.0
Web 2.0 and Library 2.0
We've heard how:
• Blogs allow our users to easily create content and
share their views
• Wikis allow communities to easily collaborate in
creation of content
• Social networking services (e.g. Flickr,
del.icio.us) allow communities to share resources
(e.g. photographs, bookmarks)
• Syndication technologies (e.g. RSS, Atom) allow
communities to be easily repurposed
• Messaging technologies (e.g. MSN, Jabber,
Skype) allow people to communicate
So we will all be deploying these services within our
institutions. Are we?
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Takeup Of New Technologies
The Gartner curve
Rising expectations
Service plateau
Enterprise
software
Large
budgets
…
Chasm
Failure to go beyond developers
& early adopters (cf Gopher)
Trough
Need for:
of despair
• Advocacy
• Listening to users
Developers
• Addressing concerns
• Deployment strategies This talks looks at approaches
Early
• …
for avoiding thewww.ukoln.ac.uk
chasm
adopters
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Web 2.0 Barriers
The Barriers
There are barriers to the deployment of Web 2.0:
• It's scary: I've just mastered CSS; we've just
spend a lot of money on a CMS; …
• It's immature: I've heard it all before (XML,
Semantic Web, …) . This is just new hype
• There are legal risks: Copyright infringement; data
protection; protection of minors; …
• Infringement of guidelines: Web 2.0 infringes our
AUP; accessibility legislation; e-Gov legislation; ..
• Institutional inertia: We'd like to do it but we have
large existing systems; reluctant colleagues; …
How do we go about addressing these barriers?
what ifmanagement
the concerns are legitimate!)
A(And
centre ofshould
expertise inwe
digital–information
www.ukoln.ac.uk
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IT Services Barrier
6
Nobody Likes Us - The Users' View
IT Services – providing the answers or blocking the users?
• Don't understand learning and teaching and think that
students only ever use the Web for messing around.
• Have no interest in what the users actually want and
generally prefer to give the users what they themselves
think they want. (I've seen senior IS staff dismiss the
data gathered in formal user requirements gathering
exercises because it doesn't fit their own viewpoint.)
• Tend to work in silos (example: student information
systems team which won't talk to the VLE team), and will
do anything to avoid working with others outside of their
own silo. They have no concept of team working across
services or with academic staff.
• Consultation usually consists of them telling you
what they are going to do. If you tell them what you
want they don't listen!
A centre of
expertise in digital
information
management
www.ukoln.ac.uk
Do these
comments
ring
any bells?
If not, how can you
be sure?
IT Services Barrier
A Blairite Vision Of Control?
The government wishes to introduce:
• ID cards
• Greater powers of arrest
• …
in order to minimise the dangers of global terrorism
IT Services (esp. networking staff) seem to wish to:
• Manage applications used by users
• Ban certain software
• …
in order to minimise dangers of computer attacks
X
The rational for organisations to wish to introduce greater control
mechanisms is understandable.
But citizens / users may regard such measures as not also necessary and
may tolerate some level of risk-taking.
A centre
expertise
in digital
www.ukoln.ac.uk
(And do any
of of
the
above
"sexinformation
up" the management
information to achieve these
goals?)
7
IT Services Barrier
8
Beware The IT Fundamentalists
We need to avoid simplistic solutions to the complexities:
• Open Standards Fundamentalist: we just need XML
• Open Source Fundamentalist: we just need Linux
• Vendor Fundamentalist: we must need next version of
our enterprise system (and you must fit in with this)
• Accessibility Fundamentalist: we must do WCAG
• User Fundamentalist: we must do whatever users
want
• Legal Fundamentalist: it breaches copyright, …
• Ownership Fundamentalist: must own everything we
use
• Perfectionist: It doesn't do everything, so we'll do
nothing
• Simplistic Developer: I've developed a perfect solution
– I don't care if it doesn't run in the real world
Web
2.0: Itincools,
trendy,
mustn't get let behind
A•centre
of expertise
digital information
management
www.ukoln.ac.uk
Library Barrier
The Librarian Fundamentalists
Librarians:
• Think they know better than the user e.g. they don't like
people using Google Scholar; they should use Web of
Knowledge (who cares that users find it easier to use
Google Scholar & finds references they need that way?)
• Think that users should be forced to learn Boolean
searching & other formal search techniques because this
is good for them (despite Sheffield's study).
• Don't want the users to search for themselves (cf
folksonomies) because they won't get it right.
• They still want to classify the entire Web - despite the
fact that users don't use their lists of Web links.
• Want services to be perfect before they release them
to users. They are uneasy with the concept of 'forever
beta' (they don't believe that users have the ability to
figure things out themselves and work around the bugs).
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The Users Barrier
The Problem With The Users
The enthusiastic users will be:
• Here, encouraged by Web 2.0 descriptions
• Cheering the critiques of the service departments
However:
• Many users are conservative & won't care
• Many will feel threatened
• Many won't like WiFi in libraries, lecture theatres,
students chatting on IRC, Googling answers, …
• Many will soon ask for WiFi to be removed,
blocked from lecture theatres (including areas
where it's not yet available!)
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Cultural Change
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Addressing the Barriers
How do we address such barriers:
• A change in culture
• Being more open (surely what HE & public
sector is about?)
• Revisiting AUPs
• Developing more sophisticated models for
standards, accessibility, open source, …
• Information literacy; staff development; …
• Safe experimentation; encouraging
enthusiasts; …
• Developing key principles
• Ongoing debate and discussion www.ukoln.ac.uk
A centre of expertise in digital information management
Culture Change
Need To Change Catch Phrases
Computer Says No!
Time to ditch this catch phrase
Wikis? IT Services says no
Folksonomies? Library says no
Skype? UKERNA says no
Yer, but, no, but, yer
Time to embrace the
ambiguities acknowledged
by Vicky Pollard
Yer, like Wikis are well cool,
but, OK so I copied my homework,
I always
copy my
homework
Abut,
centre like
of expertise
in digital information
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X
Images from
BBC
Web site
www.ukoln.ac.uk
Cultural Change
Implement An Open Approach
Implementing an open approach should not be difficult:
• We have tradition of sharing & using OSS
• The HE sector is now more open to discussing open
access issues (e-prints, financial issues, …)
• Creative Commons (CC) provides a legal framework
What can we do:
• Make support services resources available with CC
licence: see paper on "Let's Free IT Support Materials!"
• Exploit UKOLN's QA Focus briefing documents:
100+ documents available with CC licence
• …
Using other's resources and service may be unpopular
(job security, ideology, …). For example, should IT
services
hostin email,
… when
this can be outsourced?
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digital information
management
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Revisiting AUPs
Acceptable Use Policies (AUP)
Is Skype Permitted over JANET?
"The Computing Service is frequently asked for a ruling on
whether Skype may legitimately be used ... the Computing
Service considers that use of Skype contravenes the
JANET Acceptable Use Policy, although UKERNA does not
concur with this view." (now toned down)
Missing The Point?
There may be (religious) debates over the interpretation of
UKERNA's words. But
• Did the policy come from God? Is it infallible?
• Why do we hide behind AUPs?
14
Proposal: An AUP is meant to work on behalf of an organisation,
helping to ensure the effective use of IT by its users.
An AUP should not be used as a control mechanism to prevent
A centre of
digitalfrown
information
management
www.ukoln.ac.uk
usage which
ITexpertise
staff inmay
upon.
Cultural Change

The Need For An AUPP
AUPs:
• Shouldn't be cast in stone: technologies change;
usage changes; culture changes (e.g. AUPs
banning social use; email; Web; messaging; …)
• Therefore need for mechanisms for changing
AUPs and engagement with users
Proposal:
• We need an Acceptable Use Policy Process
(AUPP)
• We need mechanisms to ensure users can input
into the discussion process
• We need more flexibility in our AUPs (e.g. to
reflect blended learning, pervasiveness of IT; …)
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www.ukoln.ac.uk
Taking Risks
Risk Management
IWMW 2006 has taken a risk management approach to
its evaluation of Web 2.0 technologies:
• Agreements: e.g. in the case of the Chatbot.
• Use of well-established services: Google &
del.icio.us are well-established and have financial
security.
• Notification: warnings that services could be lost.
• Engagement: with the user community: users actively
engage in the evaluation of the services.
• Provision of alternative services: multiple OMPL tools.
• Use in non-mission critical areas: not for bookings!
• Long term experiences of services: usage stats
• Availability of alternative sources of data: e.g.
standard Web server log files.
• Data export and aggregation: RSS feeds, aggregated
Noteinthat
you also
takeviewers,
risks in not
Suprglu,
OPML
etc.providing a service!
Will
your
users
go elsewhere?
A
centre
of expertise
in digital
information management
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www.ukoln.ac.uk
Piloting Web 2.0
Safe Experimentation
How can we gain experiences of Web 2.0:
• Safe environment
• Which minimise risks
• Which allow learning
Possibilities:
• Using technologies at events such as ILI!
• Supporting the services which your users
use (e.g. Google!)
• Using services which require minimal effort
Let's review how Web 2.0 was used at the IWMW 2006
event, June 2006. Slides taken from "Web 2.0: Behind The
Hype"
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Encourage Enthusiasts
http://bathsciencenews.blogspot.com/
http://bathlibpod.wetpaint.com/
Rather than a top-down approach
to development, encouraging
enthusiasts to develop solutions
in areas of interest to them may
be an alternative approach.
The University of bath Library
has experimented with:
• Blogs to provide information
on news in the areas of
science
• Wikis for planning deployment
of a library Podcast
Benefits:
• Staff development
• Engagement with users
Other examples of simple
• Feedback on potential
deployment areas are given in
elsewhere ("why isn't there
handoutA centre of expertise in digital information managementmore of this" www.ukoln.ac.uk
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Web 2.0 and IWMW 2006
Blogs
Blogs
Users
Syndication
Blogs:
• We link to Blogs by IWMW 2006
delegates & recommend a tag
http://iwmw2006.blogspot.com/
(IWMW2006) to make it easier to
find other Blogs, photos,
bookmarks, etc. about the event
(e.g. using Technorati)
• This is great for impact analysis
(.. IWMW-2006 was fantastic: at
its best it was like living in some
kind of experimental utopian
always-online community, and
even at its worst … it was always
interesting and thoughtprovoking. )
• Note use of ILI2006 tag
Why? Facilitates sharing of thoughts about
event.
for this
event
http://www.meanboyfriend.com/overdue_ideas/
Effort: None – the Bloggers are doing the work!
Risks: They
nasty
things;
upset
people; …
A centre say
of expertise
in digital
information
management
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www.ukoln.ac.uk
Web 2.0 and IWMW 2006
Wikis
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/
workshops/webmaster-2005/wiki-test/
http://iwmw-barriers.pbwiki.com/
Wikis
Users
Syndication
Wikis:
• Used successfully at
IWMW 2005
and
UKOLN / UCISA events for
note-taking in breakout
groups, social use, …
• Available at IWMW 2006:
 UKOLN Wiki (MediaWiki)
 Other Wikis (for various
parallel sessions – in order to
gain wider experiences of
software)
Why? Wikis have proved popular at other UKOLN events
Why diversity: To allow us to gain a feel of different Wikis and their
strengthA centre
& weaknesses.
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Web 2.0 and IWMW 2006
Maps
APIs
AJAX
Mashups
Syndication
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/
workshops/webmaster-2006/maps/
Google Map of University of
Bath embedded on Web
site
Provides:
• Usability (rescalable and
repositioning through
use of AJAX)
• Can be personalised
(map from my home)
• Effective use of scarce
resources (avoids
techies duplicating
Risk: What if Google go out-of-business?
existing services)
Response: What if local staff leave? What
if other development work they should do
fails to get
done?
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Note: Northumbria have
www.ukoln.ac.uk
better examples
Building A Community
http://www.frappr.com/iwmw2006
Building a community for
your Web site can:
• Maximise impact by
allowing interested
parties to discuss
their shared
interests
• Provide you with
feedback & ideas
• Allow you to provide
targetted information
Web 2.0 services such as Frappr, Blogger, MySpace, etc. allow
Web communities to be easily set up (and may be particularly
centre
of expertise
in digital information management
www.ukoln.ac.uk
valuableA to
the
'Net Generation')
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Web 2.0 and IWMW 2006
Del.icio.us
http://del.icio.us/lisbk/iwmw2006-web2.0-panel
http://del.icio.us/url/cce31782b323dd77ab48f5ff54ead71c
http://del.icio.us/gardnerr
Tags
AJAX
Collaboration
Del.icio.us social
bookmarking service
available for use to:
• Provide access to
resources mentioned in
talks & workshops
• Allow others to bookmark
related resources
• Allow users to view
others’ bookmarks
• Monitor who’s
bookmarked your
resources
Note use of ILI2006 tag
Tag misuse? Not needed in some areas (e.g. citation analysis,
other people
interests)
Soinformation
if misspelt
still gain benefits. www.ukoln.ac.uk
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Web 2.0 and IWMW 2006
Syndication
Mashups
Mashup - aggregating
content from various sources
IWMW 2006:
• Set up IWMW 2006
Suprgru page
• Mashup from:
• IWMW 2006 Web site
• Third party services such as
Blogs, Wikis, bookmarking
services, Flickr, search
engines, …
Why? Simple demonstration to encourage debate about the issues.
Effort: Simple (fill in a Web form) Experiences: Superglu service
not always
available
what,
usemanagement
Netvibes.com, PLEX,www.ukoln.ac.uk
…)
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of expertise (so
in digital
information
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Web 2.0
Microformats
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/
workshops/webmaster-2006/sessions/kelly/
Tags
Collaboration
Pages on IWMW
2006 Web site have
microformats
Plugins such as Tails
display contact and
event details & allow
them to be uploaded
to Outlook, Google
Calendar, etc
Further information on microformats given in "An Introduction
to
Microformats"
QAinformation
Focus management
briefing document no.www.ukoln.ac.uk
100"
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Podcasts
http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/
workshops/webmaster-2005/podcasts/podcast.xml
RSS
Users
Syndication
Podcasts:
• Used at IWMW
2005 (prior to
general public
interest)
• Podcasting
session at IWMW
2006
Why? Gain experiences at popular technology; explore difference
usages and technical and non-technical issues
Effort: Non
being
by workshop
A centre–ofwork
expertise
in digitalled
information
management facilitator.
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Web 2.0 and IWMW 2006
Communications: Chat
IRC chat facility was popular
at IWMW 2005/6.
Gabbly being evaluated:
• If no systems effort
available
• On-the-fly chatting
How long to set up:
• Go to
<http://gabbly.com/>
• Create chat on your
institution’s home page
• How long?
This provides on-the-fly
creation of chat facilities 
Too good to be true? Suspicious
of anything this simple? See risk
assessment
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Users
Collaboration
AJAX
Syndication
www.ukoln.ac.uk
Communications: Sound & Video
VoIP, Access Grid technologies,
streaming video, … have rich
potential in supporting events:
• Speakers who can't travel
• Delegates who can't travel
• Maximising impact
• Reaching potential delegates
• Reaching sceptics
• Just-in-time speakers (cf
Blended Learning 2006 conf.)
• Accessibility (ill, slept in, …)
Issues: Technical difficulties; privacy; trust; business models; …
Plans: AEvaluate;
reflect
oninformation
issues management
& act accordingly; … www.ukoln.ac.uk
centre of expertise
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Wikipedia
URIs
Wikis
Collaboration
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IWMW
Note see advice provided to
Museums community
Summary of IWMW series
available in Wikipedia:
• High profile location
• Google friendly
• Maximise impact
• Community can update
• Good guys seem to win
• CC rights assigned
• Clean URI
• May provide stable URI
Shouldn't all information
professionals be helping to
improve the quality of information
in such a popular service?
Clean, stable URIs? Mashups, integration, annotation, etc. helped
by use of
clean
(e.g. inapplication
independent)
and stablewww.ukoln.ac.uk
URIs
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Conclusions
Summary
We have seen:
• Several lightweight example of how Web
2.0 technologies can be used
• Examples of the benefits of Web 2.0
attitudes (user-focus; benefits of
collaborative approaches; trust)
• Ways of minimising risks and costs
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Conclusions
Conclusions
To conclude:
• Web 2.0 / Library 2.0 can provide real benefits for
our users
• However organisations tend to be conservative
• We therefore need:
 Advocacy
 To listen to users' concerns
 To address users' concerns e.g. through a risk
management approach
• We can all benefit by adopting Web 2.0 principles
of openness and sharing. So let us:
 Share our advocacy resources, risk management
techniques, etc.
 Have an ILI 2.0 social network based on openness, trust,
collaboration, ..
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