This network is for Library 2.0 Stuff
Describing Web/Library 2.0 to unwilling staff
My director has tasked me (and I'm very willing to take it on) with doing brief, hit-and-run, emails to all the library staff to explain Library 2.0 concepts and tools to our staff, most of whom have no desire to move forward (there are some and I'm thrilled to have them on board). This is a copy of the email I sent out today. I'd be curious to what y'all think. The next one will be on del.icio.us because it's probably the most relevant to them.
-t
Subject: What's this I hear about Library2.0?
Hi all,
You may have heard the terms "web 2.0" and "library 2.0" buzzing about the library world. Or maybe you haven't, and that's ok. But what I'd like to do is take a second and explain what both of those things mean, and some of the "2.0 tools" that you might continue to hear about, and that we here at CPLS might be looking at to better serve our patrons. I'll try to keep the editorial comments out of it (like what parts of it I love and what I can't stand), but I make no guarantees.
This is the first in a series of emails that I ' ll be sending out regarding Library 2.0, to explain some of the sites and concepts I've given a brief introduction to below. So if not all of it makes sense, or you need more details, or you have something to add, please feel free to email me, or better yet, the group. That's how this works.
So what exactly are Web 2.0 and Library 2.0?
Well, honestly, it depends who you ask. Web 2.0 is touted as the next generation web, with more interaction and interactive sites as opposed to just static information. Web 2.0 is everything from blogs, RSS feeds, wikis and IM/chat to things like Second Life (www.secondlife.com) myspace (www.myspace.com) (note, this will be blocked by the City IT dept), facebook (www.facebook.com) (this one will be blocked too), flickr (www.flickr.com), del.icio.us (http://del.icio.us), technorati (www.technorati.com) and dig (www.digg.com). What it really means is that the web sites that require you to do something with them (share information, play, create content) are becoming more popular. Terms like "social networking sites" are being buzzed about because of the ability to create neighborhoods and "friends" lists and to interact with others through the Internet in a way other than email or the more common chat programs such as AIM or Yahoo Instant Messenger.
It also is about creating the metadata (information about your Information) and sharing it with others. Things like sharing bookmarks and seeing how many have also bookmarked something (del.icio.us) or blogged about it (technorati) as well as tagging - what they've called it when people have applied their own labels to things like their photos (flickr), their blog entries (Livejournal, vox (www.vox.com)), their bookmarks (have you bookmarked sptimes.com? what did you label it? News? Local? Drek?) and who looks at what at any given moment (digg). The concept of tagging is the part that the libraries and librarians have kind of grasped onto, mostly because it's familiar to us - we like to organize. (Course, have you seen my desk lately?)
Library 2.0 is actually the application of the concepts of Web 2.0 to the library world. Things like del.icio.us which allow people to share what they ' ve bookmarked with anyone and technorati that allow people to see what others are blogging about and linking to in real time were things that libraries found useful. More recently, it's been about how real language tagging can be beneficial to library catalogs, and what catalogs can learn from sites such as del.icio.us and technorati.
The other buzz in the Library 2.0 community are the "social networking” side. Libraries and librarians with professional myspace accounts are popping up all over the place (Hennepin County (MN), Denver Public, Topeka (KS) just to name a few). It's not just for kids and teens anymore. In fact, facebook is in the process of overtaking myspace as the favored destination for teens and college students. A big buzz is being made over Second Life (www.secondlife.com), which we've had at least one information session on here at CPLS. And many, many libraries (including us) have photos of the libraries and library staff up on flickr.
What does it mean for us as a library?
Well, honestly, at this point, no one really knows how it will impact libraries in the long term. There’s a wiki called Library 2.0 (http://library20.ning.com) where Just that is being discussed. Things like tagging and sharing bookmarks will most likely have the greatest long term impact (imagine patrons being able to create tags for items in our catalog!!!), but the sexy aspects of 2.0 like Second Life and Twitter and Tumblr (www.tumblr.com) are what people seem to be talking about more. So I'll be, in this series of emails, talking about these various tools and sites in more detail as time goes on.
In my opinion (and you know what that's worth, and whoops, here I go slipping into judgment), it doesn't change libraries as much as we think it does. We're still places people can come for information, be it educational, recreational or social. We still need a sense of place, both physical and online, to allow them to do this. What it will require is a shift in attitude from "we have all the information" to "we need to have input from those around us on and in what we offer." And that could be tough for libraries and librarians to get.
Like I said above, feel free to email me (or the group!) with questions, comments or additional information about anything. We all learn from each other and no one knows it all.
:-)
-t
Subject: What's this I hear about Library2.0?
Hi all,
You may have heard the terms "web 2.0" and "library 2.0" buzzing about the library world. Or maybe you haven't, and that's ok. But what I'd like to do is take a second and explain what both of those things mean, and some of the "2.0 tools" that you might continue to hear about, and that we here at CPLS might be looking at to better serve our patrons. I'll try to keep the editorial comments out of it (like what parts of it I love and what I can't stand), but I make no guarantees.
This is the first in a series of emails that I ' ll be sending out regarding Library 2.0, to explain some of the sites and concepts I've given a brief introduction to below. So if not all of it makes sense, or you need more details, or you have something to add, please feel free to email me, or better yet, the group. That's how this works.
So what exactly are Web 2.0 and Library 2.0?
Well, honestly, it depends who you ask. Web 2.0 is touted as the next generation web, with more interaction and interactive sites as opposed to just static information. Web 2.0 is everything from blogs, RSS feeds, wikis and IM/chat to things like Second Life (www.secondlife.com) myspace (www.myspace.com) (note, this will be blocked by the City IT dept), facebook (www.facebook.com) (this one will be blocked too), flickr (www.flickr.com), del.icio.us (http://del.icio.us), technorati (www.technorati.com) and dig (www.digg.com). What it really means is that the web sites that require you to do something with them (share information, play, create content) are becoming more popular. Terms like "social networking sites" are being buzzed about because of the ability to create neighborhoods and "friends" lists and to interact with others through the Internet in a way other than email or the more common chat programs such as AIM or Yahoo Instant Messenger.
It also is about creating the metadata (information about your Information) and sharing it with others. Things like sharing bookmarks and seeing how many have also bookmarked something (del.icio.us) or blogged about it (technorati) as well as tagging - what they've called it when people have applied their own labels to things like their photos (flickr), their blog entries (Livejournal, vox (www.vox.com)), their bookmarks (have you bookmarked sptimes.com? what did you label it? News? Local? Drek?) and who looks at what at any given moment (digg). The concept of tagging is the part that the libraries and librarians have kind of grasped onto, mostly because it's familiar to us - we like to organize. (Course, have you seen my desk lately?)
Library 2.0 is actually the application of the concepts of Web 2.0 to the library world. Things like del.icio.us which allow people to share what they ' ve bookmarked with anyone and technorati that allow people to see what others are blogging about and linking to in real time were things that libraries found useful. More recently, it's been about how real language tagging can be beneficial to library catalogs, and what catalogs can learn from sites such as del.icio.us and technorati.
The other buzz in the Library 2.0 community are the "social networking” side. Libraries and librarians with professional myspace accounts are popping up all over the place (Hennepin County (MN), Denver Public, Topeka (KS) just to name a few). It's not just for kids and teens anymore. In fact, facebook is in the process of overtaking myspace as the favored destination for teens and college students. A big buzz is being made over Second Life (www.secondlife.com), which we've had at least one information session on here at CPLS. And many, many libraries (including us) have photos of the libraries and library staff up on flickr.
What does it mean for us as a library?
Well, honestly, at this point, no one really knows how it will impact libraries in the long term. There’s a wiki called Library 2.0 (http://library20.ning.com) where Just that is being discussed. Things like tagging and sharing bookmarks will most likely have the greatest long term impact (imagine patrons being able to create tags for items in our catalog!!!), but the sexy aspects of 2.0 like Second Life and Twitter and Tumblr (www.tumblr.com) are what people seem to be talking about more. So I'll be, in this series of emails, talking about these various tools and sites in more detail as time goes on.
In my opinion (and you know what that's worth, and whoops, here I go slipping into judgment), it doesn't change libraries as much as we think it does. We're still places people can come for information, be it educational, recreational or social. We still need a sense of place, both physical and online, to allow them to do this. What it will require is a shift in attitude from "we have all the information" to "we need to have input from those around us on and in what we offer." And that could be tough for libraries and librarians to get.
Like I said above, feel free to email me (or the group!) with questions, comments or additional information about anything. We all learn from each other and no one knows it all.
:-)
Tags: 2.0, definition, email, explanations, library, staff
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kathy on -
As information experts and those to whom the public looks for answers, we have no choice but to keep current on Web 2.0 developments, but it's really kinda fun, even for us non-digital-age users.
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Permalink Reply by seng on -
Your email was very informative and serves as a great introduction to Web 2.0. Many are confused about terminology such as Library 2.0 and Web 2.0 and the explanation you provide is clear and easy to understand. I think more brief and succinct emails may be less overwhelming and more accessible to staff who may be hesitant about learning Web 2.0 concepts. I believe your emails will be very helpful in inspiring staff to explore and learn about Web 2.0. Thanks for sharing and good luck!
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Permalink Reply by k baritel on -
Ooops!
I wanted to say I am more aware of Tracey's style and personality from her note than if she had written a bullet-ridden(can I write that?) note to the forum.
It was descriptive and informative for me.
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Permalink Reply by Mary-Alice McKillen on -
I find all of it fascinating, but how does one find time for all of it?
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Permalink Reply by jaunty1 on -
Contra Costa County Library's staff are all over this... It is so exciting. Thank you for the introduction.
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Permalink Reply by Kathleen Schmidt on -
This is very interesting thank you for sharing.
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Permalink Reply by CAT WATT on -
Aarrgghh! Does anybody else remember Fortran IV and punchcards? And when Pong was "like wow, man"? I don't know if I've been immersed in Web 2.0 or am drowning in it! But I'm up for the challenge of learning about the new technologies whether or not I end up embracing them.
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Permalink Reply by Erica J. on -
If I had no idea what Web 2.0 was, I might be somewhat "unwilling", too: Even as a regular user of some of these interactive technologies, I'm overwhelmed by all of the possibilities. It's kind of exhausting sampling everything!
You might simply explain to your reluctant co-workers one or two basic 2.0 technologies that libraries are currently using and have them sample them, just to let them see how it all works. Our library system is currently doing an employees-only, at-your-own-pace Library 2.0 workshop (with plenty of support), where it focuses on one technology each week.
Good luck!
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Permalink Reply by Robin Calonge on -
Hi Tracey, Thank you for your wonderful explanation of Web 2.0 and Library 2.0. Here at the Contra Costa County Library (CA) staff are voluntarily participating in a hands-on training program called "My Web 2.0: 10 Things in 10 Weeks." Those that complete all of the exercises during the ten week period will receive a mug. Assignments include blogs, wikis, Flickr, IM, Google Docs and del,icio,us. I found your definitions very helpful. Thanks again.
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Permalink Reply by Megan on -
Robin points out that our library is using, shall we say, bribery to expose as many people as possible to Web 2.0. Perhaps that is something other libraries should consider as well. I will do just about anything for a free travel mug. And, I know that at least one library system in WA entered participants going through a similar program in a drawing for a new ipod. They had record turn out!
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