Web 2.0 and Library 2.0

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Web 2.0 and Library 2.0

• A practical guide for public libraries

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Purpose of this clinic

• Introduce libraries to new internet technologies
• Give examples of how these are being used in
  libraries.
• Give you links to additional resources/training
  guides, if you want to learn more
• We hope you explore some of these new tools, and
  think about how you can use them in your library

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Some tips before we get started

• Dont panic!
• We will cover a lot of very different
  technologies, so feel free to ask questions or
  get us to repeat things
• Web 2.0 isnt all or nothing!
• Dont feel pressure to use all of these tools.
• If they are a good fit for your library services,
  then run with them.
• If not, then try to understand how they might
  affect libraries in general

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Web 2.0 might feel overwhelming
Angermeier, Markus. Web 2.0 Mindmap.
 http//kosmar.de/archives/2005/11/11/the-huge-clo
ud-lens-bubble-map-web20/
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but well try to put it in perspective!
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Overview of Clinic

• We will divide Web 2.0 into two categories
• Web 2.0 for beginners
• If you are comfortable with the Internet and/or
  can do some web editing, these are for you!
• Will cover some library specific (Library 2.0)
  technologies Web 2.0 tools designed for
  libraries and patrons
• Advanced Web 2.0
• Requires some additional equipment OR technical
  skill OR costs

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Overview of Clinic

• After the presentation, we will lead a discussion
  of what web 2.0/ library 2.0 means to public
  libraries in general
• We will be using Walt Crawfords discussion of
  these trends as a reference point. (This article
  is listed on our Web 2.0 Clearinghouse page, if
  you want to read it later)

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Handouts

• A copy of this slide show
• A bibliography of other articles on Web 2.0
• 1 brief article that summarizes the various
  technologies

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What is Web 2.0?
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What is Web 2.0 or Social Networking Software?

• From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
• Web 2.0refers to a perceived second generation
  of web-based communities and hosted services -
  such as social-networking sites, wikis and
  folksonomies - which facilitate collaboration
  and sharing between users.
• Is not an update to Web technical specifications.
  Instead
• it is a change in how we use the internet

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Broad trends in Web 2.0
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Broad trends in Web 2.0

• User generated content
• Anyone can add or edit an information source,
  without knowledge of HTML or any other
  programming
• What is the users motivation? Getting noticed
  e.g. creating videos, photo collections, web
  sites, etc.

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Broad trends in Web 2.0

• Power of the masses
• Collaboration of many on a single piece of
  software or web site
• Users often encouraged to offer opinions and
  suggestions, and can influence how software or
  web sites develop

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Broad trends in Web 2.0

• New ways to gather and classify information
• More powerful and specific search engines (e.g.
  ones that only search blogs)
• Aggregators gather news and information from
  different sites into one piece of software or web
  site
• Tags - Users classifying their own information
  (tagging)

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Broad trends in Web 2.0

• Open standards that are easier to use
• Mashup - Users combine features from different
  sites/programs, as programming languages become
  based on open standards or open source code.
• This requires less programming skill than
  traditional computer programming

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Broad trends in Web 2.0

• Social Networking
• Emphasis on people to people connections on the
  internet (e.g. Myspace, Facebook)

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What does this mean for libraries?

• The evolution of what some call Library 2.0.
  This is when libraries
• Adopt Web 2.0 technologies to improve library
  services
• Deliver information to everything from laptops to
  PDAs to iPods
• Connect with everyone using their communication
  mode of choice telephone, Skype, IM, texting,
  email, virtual reference, etc.
• Accept tagging and user-driven content
  descriptions and classifications in OPAC,
  databases where appropriate.
• Connect users to discussions, conversations, and
  communities of practice (social networks)

Adapted from Web 2.0, Library 2.0, and Librarian
2.0 Preparing for the 2.0 World by Stephen Abram
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Web 2.0 for beginners
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Web 2.0 for beginners

• Blogs
• Wikis
• RSS
• Tagging/Social Bookmarking
• Social Networking Sites
• Myspace, Facebook, Twitter
• Library specific technologies
• Library Elf
• Library Thing
• Story Code
• Bibliocommons

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Blogs
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Blogs

• Web site with frequent postings in reverse
  chronological order
• Do not need to know HTML to write a blog
• Blog items can be subject oriented or personal in
  nature, and range from serious journalism to more
  trivial matters
• Often linked to other Web 2.0 technologies, like
  tagging or RSS feeds
• Readers can often leave comments for specific
  postings on your blog

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Some library uses for blogs

• Good source of information for library staff on
  library trends
• ALA, CLA, OLITA have blogs, as do recognized
  publications e.g. Library Journal
• Library staff maintain their own blogs, some of
  which have good links to articles and news of
  interest
• You can use it to publish library news, or run a
  themed blog e.g. Book Club Blog.

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How can I start blogging?

• There are lots of free blogging tools!
• Blogger - https//www.blogger.com/start
• Wordpress - http//wordpress.com/
• 40 Free Blog Hosts - http//mashable.com/2007/08
  /06/free-blog-hosts

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Wikis
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Wikis

• Collaborative tool that allows multiple users to
  add and edit web pages
• Editorial review comes from other participants
• Wikipedia is the most famous, but there are lots
  of subject oriented wikis. In Wikipedia, the
  quality of entries varies, and tends to slant to
  pop-culture

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Some library uses for Wikis

• Add Wikipedia to your list of ready reference
  resources, while teaching patrons about its
  limitations and pitfalls. Expose them to other
  ready reference resources at the same time
• Create a wiki with a library focus (e.g.
  recommended books) or a community focus (e.g.
  local history) and invite members of the
  community or members of library groups to edit it
• Make a wiki intranet to collaborate with staff on
  a project, or to post and edit internal library
  documents

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How can I start a wiki?

• There are lots of free wiki building tools
• Some wikis are hosted elsewhere (wiki farms), and
  some are programs you download and set up on your
  own web server. (See our Clearinghouse for more
  details)

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Blogs and Wikis demonstration
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Web 2.0 for beginners

• Blogs ?
• Wikis ?
• RSS
• Tagging/Social Bookmarking
• Social Networking Sites
• Myspace, Facebook, Twitter
• Library specific technologies
• Library Elf
• Library Thing
• Story Code
• Bibliocommons

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RSS
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RSS

• RSS news feeds track when web sites, blogs, or
  podcasts are updated. The updated portions are
  highlighted in your RSS reader
• To read feeds, you need an RSS reader (sometimes
  called an aggregator), which may be a separate
  piece of software, or may be built into your
  browser.

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Some library uses for RSS

• Current Awareness - Use RSS to deliver updates
  about your favourite library blogs to your
  desktop (current awareness). Join the SOLS RSS
  Feed!
• Searching topics - Teach patrons how to access
  feeds for their own information searching
• New Books - See if your ILS offers RSS feeds for
  new books entered into your catalogue
• Local News - Create a news feed for your web
  site.
• Journal alerts -Teach patrons how to make their
  EBSCO and Gale database searches into RSS feeds
• Podcast - Use as part of a podcast (more on that
  later)

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How can I read RSS feeds?

• To read RSS feeds, youll need a feed reader or
  feed aggregator
• Internet Explorer 7.0 has one built into the
  browser that is as easy to use as book marking
• Google makes a feed reader that is also
  incorporated into your browser, called Google
  Reader
• Bloglines is a separate web site that manages RSS
  feeds, and is very popular
• For step by step instructions on how to use RSS
  readers, visit the SOLS home page, and click on
  Help With RSS

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How can I use RSS feeds in my library?

• To make an RSS feed for your librarys web site,
  you have lots of options (from easiest to
  hardest)
• Feedburner - If you are using a blog to post your
  news blurbs, many hosted blogs offer some way of
  automatically making an RSS feed. Feedburner can
  also make feeds from Blogger, WordPress, MySpace
  or other blog sources
• Feedity or Feed43 -If you are not using a blog
  service, these two can create an RSS feed from a
  plain HTML page
• Feedforall - software you buy that generates RSS
  code that you insert into your web site
• XM L Code from scratch - Code a feed by yourself
  in XML see article by Danny Sullivan in our
  Clearinghouse

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RSS demonstration
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Web 2.0 for beginners

• Blogs ?
• Wikis ?
• RSS ?
• Tagging/Social Bookmarking
• Social Networking Sites
• Myspace, Facebook, Twitter
• Library specific technologies
• Library Elf
• Library Thing
• Story Code
• Bibliocommons

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Tagging/Social Bookmarking
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Tagging/Social Bookmarking

• Users categorize online items by keyword - this
  includes photos, websites, or videos - and share
  their selections and tags with others
• Sometimes known as folksonomies
• 28 of internet users have tagged or categorized
  online content such as photos, news stories or
  blog posts.
• Forget Dewey and his decimals, internet users
  are revolutionizing the way we classify
  information
• and make sense of it 1

1. Statistic and quote from Pew Internet
American Life Project Survey
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Tagging/Social Bookmarking

• Examples of tagging/social bookmarking Tools
• del.icio.us users categorize and share favorite
  web page bookmarks
• Furl - save a copy of any web page, share it with
  others, and store and organize all of your
  bookmarks.
• Reddit, Digg - User-generated news links and news
  stories. Other users vote on their favourite
  story to promote stories to the front page.

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Some library uses for tagging

• Use del.icio.us to organize your library web
  sites links page.
• Use it to share links with staff, or work on
  staff team projects
• You can add links from your web site directly to
  these tagging sites, so that users can
  automatically tag them. The links are usually
  graphics that look like this

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How can I start tagging?

• Sign up for any of these tagging sites, and try
  them out!
• del.icio.us is probably the easiest (and most
  logical) place to start.

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Web 2.0 for beginners

• Blogs ?
• Wikis ?
• RSS ?
• Tagging/Social Bookmarking?
• Social Networking Sites
• Myspace, Facebook, Twitter
• Library specific technologies
• Library Elf
• Library Thing
• Story Code
• Bibliocommons

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Social Networking
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Social Networking

• MySpace users create a website with personal
  profile, blogs, groups, photos, friends
  listings, favourites, etc.
• Facebook similar to MySpace users can join
  one or more networks, based on where you went to
  school, where you work or live, etc.
• Twitter - a micro-blogging service
  (text-based, up to 140 characters long) that
  allows users to broadcast "updates on what they
  are doing. Can be distributed via web sites,
  text messaging, instant messaging, email.

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Some Library Uses for Social Networking

• Myspace, Facebook - Create a library page in
  either product e.g. Thunder Bay P.L.
• Libraries with more technical resources have
  created a Facebook app that inserts a search
  box for the librarys catalogue on any Facebook
  profile
• Twitter
• Missouri River Regional Library is using it
  broadcast links to new items on the librarys web
  site e.g. Flickr pictures, upcoming events, press
  releases.
• Other libraries are dumping existing RSS feeds
  into Twitter

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How can I start using social networking?

• See how other libraries are using these tools
  (see our bibliography)
• If you think they would appeal to your patrons,
  set up an account they are all free!

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Social Networking demonstration
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Web 2.0 for beginners

• Blogs ?
• Wikis ?
• RSS ?
• Tagging/Social Bookmarking?
• Social Networking Sites ?
• Myspace, Facebook, Twitter
• Library specific technologies
• Library Elf
• Library Thing
• Story Code
• Bibliocommons

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Library Specific Technologies
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Library Specific Technologies

• Library Elf Library reminder service sends an
  email, RSS alert, or text messages before items
  are due, and for overdues.
• ISBN Bookmarklets (OCLC/Library Lookup) Users
  can link from a book they find in Amazon.ca to
  their library, to see if it is available locally
• Story Code codes the user experience of
  reading a book, and then recommends similar books
• Library Thing - users catalog their own books
  using their own subject tags, or LC/Dewey
  subjects. Connects readers to other readers with
  similar tastes, and can make book recommendations
• Has expanded into LibraryThing for libraries, an
  OPAC with reviews, ratings and tags

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Library Specific Technologies

• Bibliocommons (in development) a social
  networking web service that will allow
  user-created content in OPACs. Some examples of
  what it might do
• Enable library patrons to annotate the libraries
  bibliographic records with tags (by genre,
  personal tags, etc.) and/or subscribe to other
  patrons tags. Tags can be private or shared.
• Library web page might feature "recently returned
  items", or "users waiting for this item might
  also like" recommendations, to generate interest
• An on hold list might provides alternate
  recommendations, or automatically offer ILL
  alternatives

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How can I get started with these tools?

• Try them out and incorporate them into readers
  advisory sessions. Add Library Thing or Story
  Code to a list of readers advisory links on your
  web page
• Library Elf If your library is not on the list
  of supported libraries, see our bibliography for
  details on how to get added
• ISBN Bookmarklets (OCLC/Library Lookup) See our
  bibliography for details on how to get added to
  OCLC list of supported libraries
• Bibliocommons is being supported by OLA and by
  Knowledge Ontario. Ontario libraries should wait
  to see if there are any province wide initiatives
• In the interim, check with your ILS perhaps
  some of these features are being considered as
  upgrades or add-ons to the OPAC?

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Tagging and Library 2.0 demonstration
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Advanced Web 2.0
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What makes them advanced?

• They require additional equipment (e.g. cameras,
  microphones) or software
• They require some experience with advanced
  computer programming or web technology
• They involved extra costs (registration fees,
  equipment costs, etc.)
• They involve a lot of time and effort, and may
  not suit every library!

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So why bother learning about them?

• Your patrons may be aware of them, or may ask
  questions about them
• Your library colleagues or municipalities may
  work on projects like these, and learning about
  them will help keep you in the loop

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Advanced Web 2.0

• Multimedia Sharing
• Youtube
• Flickr
• Podcasting
• Data mash-ups
• Virtual Worlds - Second Life
• Gaming

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Multimedia Sharing
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Multimedia Sharing

• YouTube - video sharing website where users can
  upload, view and share video clips.
• Flickr - photo sharing web site

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Some library uses for multimedia sharing

• YouTube make video tours of the library or
  specific collections, or have teens create videos
  as part of your teen programming.
• Flickr - Create library photo tours , start a
  Flickr group for your Friends of the Library,
  post images from library and community events,
  etc.

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How I can start using multimedia sharing?

• If this fits in with your web site, or would
  appeal to your patrons, set up an account they
  are all free!
• You will need equipment
• Flickr equipment A digital camera
• YouTube equipment
• A device that can capture digital movies e.g. a
  camcorder, digital camera, or cell phone
• Once you copy the movies to your computer, you
  can upload them as-is to YouTube, or edit them
  with iMovie (comes with Mac computers) or Windows
  Movie Maker (can download for free from
  Microsoft). These will add titles and special
  effects

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Advanced Web 2.0

• Multimedia Sharing ?
• Youtube
• Flickr
• Podcasting
• Data mash-ups
• Virtual Worlds - Second Life
• Gaming

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Podcasting
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Podcasting

• A podcast is a collection of audio or video files
  that users can "subscribe" to, much like an RSS
  feed
• Some RSS feed readers will read podcasts (e.g.
  Bloglines), but a lot of people use iTunes
• When new "episodes" become available in the
  podcast they will be automatically downloaded to
  that reader
• Podcasts are not real-time. The material is
  pre-recorded and users can check out the material
  at their leisure
• They can be played back on an MP3 player or on
  your computer using Windows Media Player or
  Realplayer (both free software)

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Some Library Uses for Podcasting

• Podcast story time readings/Mother Goose
• Use for patron training or library tours
• Podcast author readings held at the library
• Collaborate with your municipality/tourism board
  on audio tours of your municipality

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How can I start podcasting?

• To do a podcast, youll need
• A computer (Mac or PC) with a sound card and a
  built-in microphone, or an external microphone
  plugged into your computer's sound card
• Internet Access
• Lots of server space on your web server OR An
  account on Odeo.com, a site that lets you record
  and share audio for free

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Advanced Web 2.0

• Multimedia Sharing ?
• Youtube
• Flickr
• Podcasting ?
• Data mash-ups
• Virtual Worlds - Second Life
• Gaming

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Data Mashups
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Data Mashups

• A mashup is a web application that combines data
  from more than one source into a new, seamless
  web experience
• Some libraries are finding ways to combine their
  existing tools (e.g. catalogues) with other web
  applications (e.g. maps, Google searches, Amazon,
  etc.)
• Usually requires some technical proficiency/web
  programming expertise

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Some library uses for mashups

• Some examples of how libraries have used data
  mashups
• Mapping ILL requests geographically
• Google gadgets (little customizable panels on
  Googles personalized home page) that link to the
  library catalogue, or hottest items list, etc.
• Book Carousel combined the catalogues hot
  books list with other graphics coding to create
  a visual popular items list

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How I can do mashups?

• A lot of these mashups are only practical for
  libraries with dedicated IT or web development
  staff.
• However, Google Maps allows you to easily create
  personalized maps (My maps) and gives you the
  code to embed them in your own web page its an
  easy one to try out

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Advanced Web 2.0

• Multimedia Sharing ?
• Youtube
• Flickr
• Podcasting ?
• Data mash-ups ?
• Virtual Worlds - Second Life
• Gaming

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Virtual Worlds - Second Life
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Virtual Worlds Second Life

• Users (or "Residents") join Second Life, an
  online world
• They interact with each other using avatars,
  which are onscreen characters/depictions of
  themselves
• Residents can explore, socialize, participate in
  individual and group activities, create and trade
  virtual property and services from one another.
  Trade usually involves the (real) purchase of
  Second Life money
• Inspired by cyberpunk literature (e.g. Neal
  Stephenson, William Gibson, etc)
• According to the Wikipedia, librarians are among
  the more active educators in Second Life

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Some examples of libraries using Second Life

• The Illinois' Alliance Library System Libraries
  set up a virtual, multitype library system
  within Second Life. It is staffed by real
  reference librarians
• The Public Library of Charlotte Mecklenburg
  County partnered with the Alliance Library System
  and SirsiDynix to create an interactive and
  informative space for young adults in Teen Second
  Life
• Many university libraries are offering reference
  services and instruction in Second Life
• Most are partnering with vendors to purchase the
  land required for these projects

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Second Life - InfoIsland Library
http//www.flickr.com/photos/librarydao/293588061/
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InfoIsland - Reference Desk and Librarians
http//www.flickr.com/photos/24258714_at_N00/87118150
2/
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How can I participate in Second Life?

• Realistically, we know you probably dont have
  enough time for your real life, let alone a
  second one!
• However, you can join Second Life for free and
  take tours of the library, or even join a class
  or lecture at the library, if you want to learn
  more

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Advanced Web 2.0

• Multimedia Sharing ?
• Youtube
• Flickr
• Podcasting ?
• Data mash-ups ?
• Virtual Worlds - Second Life ?
• Gaming

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Gaming
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Gaming

• Gaming
• Nintendo, Xbox games such as Dance Dance
  Revolution, Guitar Hero, etc.
• Libraries are offering gaming nights or
  tournaments to lure teens to library services

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Should you offer gaming? Some issues

• Does require a significant investment in
  equipment and staff time, as well as some
  technical know how
• May need to apply for LSDF funding or Trillium
  grants to get seed money
• May be difficult to justify to library boards or
  the community!
• Some good reasons to try it
• Gets teens to library, which may encourage them
  to participate in other traditional library
  activities
• Can be linked with literacy initiatives (e.g.
  teens can only use games if they sign out two
  books per month)

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Summing up
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Some concluding thoughts

• Walt Crawford made the following comments on
  adapting to Web 2.0
• Relax. Take a deep breath
• take a look atsome of the many other innovative
  public and academic libraries. See if what
  theyre doing makes sense in your environmentor
  if they bring other possibilities to mind
• Some of the tools and concepts can be used with
  little or no monetary investment and expertise.
  Some of them wont work out for you some will
• If youre not already doing so, read some of the
  blogs and articles by librarians who are doing
  these things

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Some concluding thoughts

• Walt Crawford continued
• Dont worry about doing it allyou cant
• Do keep an open mind to ideas and tools that
  started outside the library fieldif you havent
  already been doing so
• Consider the benefits of change, but dont assume
  that all change is inherently good
• Do all this, and youll probably build better
  libraries and enjoy your work more in the process

Library 2.0 and Library 2.0.. Cites and
Insights Crawford at Large, Volume 6, No. 2,
Midwinter 2006.