SNIPpets

Part A – Library 2.0

The advent and impact of social networking has significantly changed libraries, librarianship and librarians. No longer is the library confined to a physical building or its collection to print resources lined up on shelves. Rather than the transfer of information it presumed users wanted, the emphasis is now on the creation of information that users have indicated they need.

Matthews (2009) claims that a library’s website is now its “most important feature” because it has become the first stop for clients seeking information.  It is the public face of the library and its presentation can tell the user much about the organisation. Therefore, the design, content and structure of the library’s website are of paramount importance.

Although many libraries have had a web presence for some time, in the past, “Web 1.0 took people to the information; [whereas] Web 2.0 will take the information to the people.” (Davis, cited in Miller, 2005). The new library website has to be focused on its users, delivering information, resources and services that meet their actual, rather than their assumed, needs, guided by client requests, response, participation and feedback.

While the starting point of the Library 2.0 journey and the specifics of service and delivery will be different for each institution, (Casey & Savastinuk, 2006), nevertheless there are some common denominators which underpin the philosophy and thus the development of the website.  Hay & Wallis (2011) state that Library 2.0 is based on community, conversation, collaboration and content-creation and although Matthews (2009) identifies a collection of attributes that will enhance this philosophy, it could be argued that a well-designed website should be built on more than just surface attributes. Its development should be driven
by the answers to these questions…

• What is the purpose of this website?
• How will its purpose, content and design be determined?
• Who will be the target audience?
• What are the essential concepts underpinning its content?
• What are the essential elements underpinning its design?
• How will the site be strucutured and organised?
• How will users be able to find what they are looking for?
• How can users’ information literacy be supported?
• How will users feel that they are part of the library’s community?
• How will the website’s goals be evaluated? (OLJ activity, September 10)

The selection of the applications whose purpose, features and functionality support the purpose, content and design of the library website and which will enable it to develop a broad online presence is critical. The Arizona State University Libraries websites demonstrate how this can be done successfully. Rather being confined to physical buildings, they have moved beyond the walls and into the realm of the students using a range of applications to ensure that current customers are better served and new users targeted. The selection of tools not only supports the “four C’s of social networking” (Hay & Wallis, 2011) but is also appropriate for its higher-education clientele.  (OLJ activity, September 2).

However, not all tools, such as Facebook and Twitter, are suitable for or available to all users and so substitutes need to be found. Choices need to be made based on their accessibility, purpose, features and functionality (Reflections 7) as well as any unique features of the clientele, such as age or profession.  For example, a law library might benefit from having the top legal stories curated daily through services like Scoop.it or paper.li; a school library might want its students to share their work using tools like Photopeach, or create visual pathfinders with Only2clicks;  or a public library might advertise new titles through Goodreads or Shelfari.  Their common denominator must be that they are interactive, participatory and support both the creation and consumption of information. Springfield Township High School Library is an exemplar of the use of client-specific tools.

Central to the library’s participation in the social networking environment is a librarian who understands its philosophies, practices and potential.  (OLJ, September 15).

Librarian 2.0 is a mashup of the old and the new focusing on the users, services, technology, content and context in a collaborative, interactive environment.

(Braxton, blogpost, September 15)

While the traditional knowledge, skills and attributes remain an essential core, they are enriched by new Library 2.0-based capabilities enabling a more diverse, richer experience for both librarian and client. Policies, programs and practices reflect the new paradigm and the users’ needs become their driver. Rather than being the sage-on-the-stage dispensing information, Librarian 2.0 becomes the guide-on-the-side facilitating the acquisition of knowledge and skills.

Who is Librarian 2.0?

However, to be truly immersed in the role of Librarian 2.0, the information professional needs to examine their current beliefs and practices and develop their own manifesto, such as that created by Cohen (2006). Such an inspection will provide a solid foundation on which to build the collaborative, creative, client-oriented library of the 21^st century.

Barbara’s Manifesto on PhotoPeach

Part B   My Learning Journey

This unit was a key impetus in my undertaking this third masters degree.  Despite retiring in 2006, my passion for being a teacher librarian remains and much of my development throughout this unit has been through that perspective.  While social networking is not new to me – I have been a member of several professional email-based listservs since the mid-90s and have established a profile through these – Web 2.0 has developed since my retirement and this was an opportunity to understand a new range of concepts and tools that would enhance my professional knowledge and practice.

While I was familiar with the format and purpose of tools like Facebook, Delicious, Flickr, wikis and blogs and had accounts for each, these were personal, restricted and seldom used because I believe that my day-to-day doings are only of interest to my family and friends. However, having moved to rural New South Wales where the local teacher librarian network has few members despite its vast area and where access to professional learning is hampered by availability, distance and cost, I became interested in how such tools could be used to design and deliver professional development opportunities to those in isolated circumstances.  (blogpost, July 11.)  Although my time as an information professional is drawing to a close, ( blogpost, October 7)  I believe I now have the knowledge, skills and profile to be able to guide other teacher librarians to establish a Library 2.0 presence.

Assignment 1 appeared to provide the opportunity to do this, but my passion was invigorated by attending a seminar with Joyce Valenza  in Sydney.  ( blogpost, July 28, ) Seeing many of the tools used in context demonstrating how those who were once just ‘information consumers’ could now be ‘information creators’ crystallised the focus and format of Book Week for Beginners.  In addition, I established iCentre to discuss and explore the issues raised, my first foray into a public social networking domain. Membership of that is now 87, including Valenza herself, and it is my intention to expand the concept in 2012 to a wiki exploring the use of the tools within the new national K-12 curriculum.

The focus of Library 2.0 in Module 3 particularly this quote…

Web 1.0 took people to information, Web 2.0 will take information to the people

 (Davis, cited in Miller, 2005)

expanded my understanding significantly. Despite meeting the criteria summarised in Reflections 4, Book Week for Beginners still had a Web 1.0 feel about it and I had been disappointed in the level of participation.  Miller (2005) talks about the “architecture of participation” in which there is a sense of community built on co-operation, collaboration and user-generated content, but I felt this was missing from that project.   Preece (2000) offered a range of explanations for this which I shared via a Facebook document because others had the same experience, another indication of my growing confidence. Therefore, I began to explore ways of reaching and engaging a broader audience for the 2012 incarnation of the project.

Inspired by the Arizona State University library’s breadth of presence, particularly The Library Channel, I began examining how libraries were using a range of tools to reach their clients, and how the use of these impacted on the purpose, concept and design of websites, (blogpost, September 10), particularly school library websites.  Ten years ago, a school library website was seen as a natural extension of the school’s resources and as the developer of an award-winning website (now defunct) it surprised me that many Australian school libraries no longer have that public web presence, and for those that do, it is a blog with irregular entries about new resources and library events.  There were very few primary school sites. Of those with which I was familiar in my role as a judge of the IASL School Library Webpage Award only two, Scotch College and Springfield Township High School seem to have made the transition in the way I expected. While this may be because of the decline of qualified teacher librarians in schools, Hay (2010) suggests that “Unfortunately for some TLs, conversations about the implications of Web 2.0 were occurring within their school community or education system, without them being seen as an essential strategic partner.”

Therefore, it is my intention to continue my learning journey as a social networker to make Book Week for Beginners 2012 a role model for a primary school library’s Library 2.0 presence.  Having an in-depth understanding of who Librarian 2.0 is, using sound website design principles, a range of appropriate tools that can be employed in the primary sector, and a focus on delegating activities so they become authentic learning opportunities should enable participants  to expand their own knowledge and skills. This will satisfy both my original goal of providing professional learning for those in isolated circumstances and my new goal of encouraging teacher librarians to make their library the hub of a school without walls.

From being someone who used Facebook occasionally to share photos of my grandchildren, I’ve moved to having the confidence and competence to help my colleagues undertake their own learning journey. Real retirement will have to wait. (SNIPpets, blogpost, October 7.)

References

Casey, M. & Savastinuk, L. (2006).  Library 2.0: Service for the next-generation library, Library Journal, 1 September. Retrieved from http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6365200.html

Cohen, L. (2006). A Librarian’s 2.0 manifesto. [videoclip].  Retrieved from http://youtu.be/ZblrRs3fkSU

Hay, L. (2010).  Shift happens. It’s time to rethink, rebuild and rebrand. Access 24 (4) 5-10.
Retrieved from http://www.asla.org.au/pubs/access/commentary-24042010.htm

Hay, L. & Wallis, J. (2011). Library 2.0 and participatory library services. [INF506 Module 3]. Retrieved September 12, 2011 from Charles Sturt University website http://interact.csu.edu.au/portal/site/INF506_201160_W_D/page/184825d0-2883-4183-80b1-073953ada9f6

Mathews, B. (2009). Web design matters: Ten essentials for any library site. Library Journal, (15 February).
Retrieved from http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6634712.html?industryid=47126

Miller, P. (2005). Web 2.0: Building the new library, Ariadne, 45, 30 October. Retrieved from http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue45/miller

Preece, J. (2000) Online communities: Designing usability, supporting sociability. Chichester, England: John Wiley & Sons

I have been working in the K-6 education sector for almost 40 years, both as a classroom-based teacher and a teacher librarian.  In that time I developed a comprehensive CV and following the completion of this subject (and thus, this degree) my time as a formal information professional will be drawing to a close.  However, through my work in the profession I do have a national and international profile and I can’t see myself bowing out completely particularly as a mentor to new TLs who are just realising the wonders and potential of the profession.  No longer being in a school and able to put the new ideas into practice directly with staff and students, it is time to hand the baton over to younger, more able colleagues.

That said, my learning throughout this unit has inspired me to continue developing my social networking skills and seeking ways that these can improve the professional practice of TLs, particularly those in isolated circumstances.  Book Week for Beginners will be re-incarnated in 2012, using and demonstrating a wider range of tools, and I will continue to seek out appropriate tools that can be used to connect with K-6 students and share these through a wiki so I can show how they might be used. I discovered many years ago that I like online publishing and Web 2.0 has opened up so many possibilities to do this that I can’t wait to play!  Although I still guard my privacy closely, this course has enabled me to develop the confidence and competence to be ‘out there’ – the best may be yet to come.

Great infographic from Skillsoft putting the learner at the centre

Eric Carle is one of my favourite authors for little people and his new book trailer is an example of the sort of thing I would have on a K-6 Library 2.0 website.

Like this as a way to keep important quotes/ideas together – it’s that librarian thing of having things sorted showing through.

 

A tool in itself is not able to create a community, only members can.

Fred Cavazza

Despite the hundreds of tools now available enabling information consumers to become information creators, “The main characteristic of social media is audience fragmentation: sources (hundreds of millions of blogs, wikis, forums…) as well as tools.”  So how can a community grow in an online environment, shaping something that is more than a collection of disparate people and posts?  How can that collection of people who have something in common, however tenuous become an information ecology?

An information ecology is a system of people, practices, values and technologies in a particular local environment… only the participants of an information ecology can establish the identity and place of the technologies that are found there

“complex system of parts and relationships – responds to local environmental changes and local interventions – exhibits diversity and experiences continual evolution with different parts co-evolving”

Nardi & O’Day 

Online communities come together because of  a shared need or interest and rely on the sociocultural information literacy of the group … What is shared is shaped by

• how information is situated in a landscape,
• what forms of information are valued,
• how to use the information in order to achieve context specific outcomes, and
• what information activities are appropriate and effective for information access (Lloyd 2010)

If the emphasis of ‘social media’ is on social then the tighter the purpose for gathering, the greater the sense of community and likelihood of participation and action. By identifying and knowing what information is valid, valuable and valued within a community and sharing this, the more successful the community will be.

In a small community identifying what information is needed is much easier and the SN can be built on participation and feedback, but larger organisations need to second-guess much of what is needed because fewer of its members are likely to provide feedback and direction. It becomes a balancing act between the ‘big-brother’ approach of providing what we want people to know and the SN approach of them telling us what they want to know.

Connecting learning between ETL529 Online Communities (from M.App.SCi., 2002) , INF433 Information Literacy and INF506 Social Networking for Information Professionals

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Who is Librarian 2.0?

Abram presents a comprehensive list of characteristics of Librarian 2.0 (Reflections 5 ) and Definitions of Librarian 2.0 vary although there is a common thread of collaboration, interactivity, user-centred content and services and use of technology.

A mashup of the old and the new focusing on the users, services, technology, content and context in a collaborative, interactive environment.

Barbara, 2011

Essential Knowledge

1. the demographics of the clientele so that information, resources and services are
• well situated in the particular landscape
• valid, valuable and valued within the particular context
• in a framework or format that is accessible by the clients
• appropriate and effective for helping the clients meet their information needs
2. the principles of educational and sociocultural information literacy.
3. the range of resources available beyond the physical collection housed within the library’s walls and how to provide access to these
4. how social networking enriches and enhances the library’s presence in the community
5. the purpose, features and functionality of appropriate Web 2.0 tools to support conversation, collaboration, interactivity and user-centred content
6. the issues involved in intellectual property, copyright and ethical use
7. the mechanics of online privacy, safety and security
8. the principles underpinning Library 2.0
9. the role and responsibilities of the 21st century librarian within their organisation

Essential Skills

1. Demonstrate lifelong learning in practices and programs
2. Identify and implement policies, programs and practices based on consultation and collaboration
3. Understand the purpose of Web 2.0 applications and use their functionality to deliver user-centred services, information and resources
4. Know how to locate, access, and evaluate information., services and resources and assist clients in developing their own information literacy skills, including using digital technologies
5. Ability to develop policies based on best practice to support programs, practices and priorities
6. Ability to develop and implement a social media and other marketing strategies

Essential Attributes

1. The ability to work in and contribute to a collaborative environment which acknowledges and values the strengths of its individuals and the synergy of the team
2. A belief that collaboration and communication produce better outcomes for all
3. The willingness and flexibility to seek new, more efficient and more effective ways to deliver resources and services and embrace change
4. A desire to develop professional knowledge and improve professional practice, demonstrating personal lifelong learning
5. A belief that colleagues and clients are all threads in the same tapestry and all have an equal value in and responsibilty to its creation
6. Perseverance, patience and a willingness to “go the extra mile” to satisfy a client’s requests
7. Customer service skills which treat all clients with respect and dignity
8. A desire to look beyond the immediate and seek out the opinions and needs of the “long tail’
9. Commitment to develop and learn from Personal Learning Network
10. Commitment to principles underpinning Library 2.0

The specifics of the Library 2.0 model will be different for each library system. Every library has a different starting point.

Casey & Savastinuk 

Barbara’s Manifesto on PhotoPeach

Website design

Matthews says the library’s website is the “ultimate sales tool” as it is often the user’s first port of call and should therefore clearly demonstrate who you are and what you are about.  To be successful it should have

• a clear, clean homepage which features important information and entices the reader back to see what is new
• a design structure that meets the needs of the target audience, including breaking a large site into age-appropriate segments
• visual cues to aid navigation and identify features
• inspiring photos which entice the reader to visit the physical structure
• search facilities available from every page
• consideration of the needs of users of devices such as tablets and smart phones
• opportunities for user feedback including suggestions, compliments and complaints coupled with the library’s timely response
• many ways for the user to get to the information/service/resource they need without having to know library jargon
• Google Analytics to observe and understand how the site is being used as part of the evaluation process
• easy ways for the user to seek help

A school’s library website serves many functions and should showcase the educational ethos of the school. It demonstrates the connections between teachers and learners, and teaching and learning, supporting these long after the bell rings at 3.00pm.

A quality school library website

• provides essential information about the library, it services and resources
• connects the curriculum and supporting resources, breaching the walls housing the physical collection taking both
  teacher and learner to a universe of ideas, information and insight that enable them to both consume and create information
• supports student learning by providing demonstrations, explanations and guidelines
• enables students, traditionally ‘information consumers’, to show that they are also ‘information creators’ by sharing their
  presentations with the world.
• allows its users to discuss and recommend resources; participate in activities and celebrate achievements and events
• develops a sense of community amongst its users as they strive towards a common goal – supporting the development of the students’ education

Therefore its content and design must be carefully considered to meet these criteria. It must demonstrate that it is built on the principles that underpin modern pedagogy –constructivism, constructionism, consultation and collaboration – as well as supporting the underlying principles of modern library services – collaboration, conversation, community and content-creation.

The ten principles on which a school library website should be built are

1. Purpose – Identifying and understanding the purpose of the website provides it philosophy, content, direction, structure and priorities as well as the benchmark for evaluation
2. Collaboration – Key stakeholders must have input into the purpose, content and design to ensure the website meets the needs of its users.
3. Knowledge of the target audience – The needs and abilities of the website’s target audience must drive the purpose, content, design and structure.  Information and applications must be accessible to them.
4. Content - This must meet the needs and the abilities of the users; reflect the purpose of the site; be accessible to all including those with physical or language disabilities; be responsive to users’ suggestions and include the name of the organisation taking responsibility and the date of creation/updates to ensure authority and currency.
5. Design - The overall design needs to be built on clarity not clutter, so the user can identify what is important and how to access it. Basic design principles of layout, colour, and format should be followed.
6. Design elements - These need to reflect the interests of and appeal to the audience; include text, graphics and multimedia which enhance the content; provide opportunities for user participation and feedback
7. Structure -The website needs to be structured and organised so that all content is included; priorities are addressed; navigation is simple and straightforward; changes can be made easily; procedures and placement are documented to ensure consistency. Navigation is a critical part of the structure so the homepage should contain the most important information which must be clearly visible; most information should be avaialble within two clicks from the homepage; menus must be clear and links must work; entries should be tagged using a consistent taxonomy that reflects the users’ lexicon; and a search facility should be avaialble from all pages
8. Education – Instructions and guidelines should be supplied to enable users to complete set assignments; use tools such as the catalogue and databases; understand the ethical use of information; maintian their online safety, security and privacy; and use any social networking tools embedded in the site
9. Community - Users can become an integral part of the library’s community through being ble to share their learning; celebrate special events; participate in activities and challenges; acknowledge achievements; review and recommend resources; be information creators and make suggestions
10. Evaluation - If the website is to be effective and efficient and responsive to user needs, perfomance indicators and a timeline for evaluation need to be identified and implemented.

As the creator of an award-winning library website just 10 years ago (now defunct) it was an interesting exercise to compare how it would look if it were updated to Web 2.0 technologies. While the customised look and basic desgn principles would remain, nearly everything else would change because of the ease of collaboration and creation of content using SN technologies.  Most importantly, the workload could be shared and the site’s responsiveness to users’ needs and feedback would be greatly enhanced, improving its currency and relevance.  Students could share their learning much more readily and have much greater ownership of and participation in the site.

A-Z of Social Networking for Librarians
The task says to examine 5 letters and apply them to a library I know, but this whole post could apply to the library I’m thinking of because it seems to have no SN policies or practices at all.  However, without being on staff it is difficult to gauge whether this is a reflection of the patrons’ demographics, lack of staff knowledge or lack of staff or lack of demand.  But five letters …

C=CONTENT – The website is two-dimensional.  It has a front page that appers to be ‘active’ but nearly all the links just lead to catalogue entries for various audiences.  The monthly 2-page newsletter is available in pdf format but there are no separate sections for Kids, YA, and so forth.  Model public library pages that I like are Westf Bloomfield Townnship Public Library and the Melbourne Library Service  Much could be learned from using these sites as starting points.

G= GOOD READS Patrons are often looking for the next thing to read and this library’s website could benefit from offering recommendations.  There are a number of sites including Library Thing, Shelfari and Goodreads that enable readers to share opinions as well as sites like What should I read next and Whichbook? that analyse the characteristics of a book you’ve enjoyed and suggest something similar

F=FACEBOOK There is no evidence of a FB page nor Twitter options.  Reservations and overdues are available via email and this seems to be the most interactive medium used.

R=REFERENCE There is a link to online databases provided through NSW.net and access to some of these is available from home.  Although there is a ‘cheat sheet’ this offers very little info about how to use the databases once access is gained.  There seems to be an assumption that if you were wanting to use one then you would know how to search it intuitively.

Z=ZEAL There seems to be litte interest in providing services through SN – even ebooks were not on the horizon when I asked about them 12 months ago.

According to this post, best libraries are/have

Active SN regularly updated

Blog to offer value and content

Content that is more than a catalogue search facility, links and the management documents

Direction through a clear SN policy and structure

Ebooks – (not even on their horizon when asked about them last year)

Facebook – an essential because of its popularity

Good Reads – assistance for patrons thru reviews etc

Help – more than 1-2 responsible for SN – works in larger libraries but problematic in schools and small libraries

Interesting – SN content needsto be interesting if it is to engage

Joomla – open source software to build library websites – many schools & govt enterprises locked into prescribed  systems and templates

Koha – open source, free, allows access to catalogue

Library Thing to share collections with others

Mobile – enabling access to the library’s services via mobile devices

Ning – enables specific SN for libraries but no longer free

Open Source – use these to save money

Podcast – share info, interviews etc

Quick recognition codes (my addition)

Reference  -you may think that offering reference services via social networking is impossible but the reality is that so many of your patrons use facebook, twitter and youtube that you can offer the answers to frequently asked questions as a form of reference services on these sites.

S-Slideshare, this heavy traffic and awesome social networking site lets you share power point presentations.  Use this site to embed your presentations and promote them on other sites as well.

Text messaging to keep in touch with patrons

UStream – to broadcast live

Video – use Vimeo, You Tube etc to engage patrons

Widgets – use to add life/info to webpages

Young people love SN so exploit it to connect with them

Zeal – enthusiasm is the best way to make SN work

ASU is a great example of the use of SN tools to connect with their users, with an emphasis on demonstrating what the library offers the students and how easy it is for students to access those services. Rather than confining itself to a collection of brick and mortar buildings, it has taken itself into the realm of its users.

YouTube is used to deliver one-minute clips that have a specific focus and presented by a vibrant librarian who engages the viewer in a personal conversation The Social Connection emphasises that services are a result of collaboration between the librarians and users and offers a number of ways of connecting with the library – personal,individual consultation, Facebook, Twitter, ask-a-librarian and the suggestions box on the website.

The diversity of subject of the videos suggests that content creation is in response to student needs but also makes them aware of the diverse range of resources and materials available, so broadening the concept of “library.”

By reaching out to patrons through Facebook, Twitter as well as Flickr and Vimeo, where photos and videos of library events are shared, a sense of community is developed – all the members have a shared goal, interest or need that gives them a reason to belong, connect and contribute. These media also recognise the online connectedness of its patrons including their mobile access, delivering content that meets their needs rather than the students of a U3A, for example.

The most common thread of all the media is that they are clearly monitored and responses made quickly. Tweets are answered, Facebook comments responded to, the blog updated regularly so patrons would feel that their needs are driving what’s happening, rather than the librarians deciding what’s best for them.