In a recent post, where I attempted to outline the term Library 2.0 and describe what it means for Library and Information Systems, I suggested that the important ideas behind L2 could be approached by focusing on three general areas. I gave these areas the keywords Visibility, Flexibility and Usability. In this post, I’d like to look at a few examples from discussions on the web which I believe speak to the first category of Visibility. The following blog posts and articles highlight quite a broad range of possibilities for using Web 2.0 technologies to aid librarians in making their services more visible, and more transparent, to their clients and to eachother.
Following the Users – Making librarians visible to users, and users visible to librarians
Recently, several librarian bloggers have devoted time to the discussion of the potential of social software such as MySpace or Facebook to connect libraries with their users – notably, the ‘web 2.0 generation’ of users. A surprisingly large number of libraries have made identities for their libraries in these social communities.
I think what is most relevant about this is a change in thinking behind it – the thought matches up with some of the theses expressed in The Cluetrain Manifesto which speak to the rise of ‘human-sounding conversations’ between people in networked markets. Putting librarians on MySpace or Facebook seems to have the potential to network libraries with their users in personal ways – letting potential users see just what the people who work in the library are all about, and give individual feedback.
I like how many of the MySpace identities attempt to personify the libraries they represent “I’m the Denver Public Library Web Site for Teens!”, however I would like to see the individual librarians themselves become more visible in the communication process. This isn’t even necessarily something that needs to be accomplished via established venues like MySpace. Even a small step such as publishing a blog on the library website with an attached RSS feed could promote visible connections between library users and librarians. An important feature to include however, in my opinion, would be to ensure that the blogging librarians present themselves on a personal and individual level. One strong feature of many companies that have launched Web 2.0 applications is that they usually have individuals who communicate with their users directly. This communication technique no doubt began as a result of the almost permanent beta-status of 2.0ish initiatives, and flows both ways allowing users to ask questions and often even collaborate over issues that the designers have not been able to solve. Meredith Farkas comments on the possible use of a MySpace profile “as a two-way communications mechanism” in her blog post on Libraries in Social Networking Software.
Brian Mathews suggests in his recent alablog.org podcast about ‘Academic Library 2.0′ that there is a lot to be gained from “going where the users are” – not forcing patrons to visit the library website, but instead encountering them in the applications they use in their everyday life. Matthews gives the example of library users adding the library reference service to their instant messenger contacts list, and how this can be a lot more flexible than requiring users to use proprietary software.
Brian goes on to speak in his podcast about how he has been working on a project using an RSS feed aggregator to monitor “almost one hundred” Georgia Tech student blogs. By setting up keyword searches of these subscribed blogs for library-related terms Brian has been filtering out moments where students express information needs. He says: “I start my day – every morning – looking at what it is that students are talking about, and probably maybe four or five times a week there’s something there that’s a genuine information need that I can help them with”. He describes this kind of interaction with clients needing to be timely, meaningful and appropriate. I found Brian Mathews’ whitepaper on his experiment, stored in Georgia Tech’s institutional repository, which outlines his exciting project in more detail.
Students who attend the kinds of institutions at which this research commentary is aimed (that is, video game and media design students), are almost certainly familiar with, or already using applications which allow aggregation and searching of content themselves. A Library supporting one these institutions could work with academic staff to facilitate interactive (two way) linkages between web-based tools that students already make use of and course content and library services. By “following the users” the library could keep the users aware of its services, become better aware of the information needs of its clients, and open up channels for valuable communication between librarians and users.
It is particularly interesting to note that some librarians have built an library in the virtual world Second Life. Second Life has often been discussed as a potential virtual sandbox for teaching and testing game development ideas. It would be easy for librarians at a particular institution to set up virtual reference services to assist students in that environment. Students usering Second Life would be able to access library resources and discuss issues with virtually embodied librarians without leaving their development environment.
Making librarians visible to eachother
The LibSuccess wiki is an excellent example of a Web 2.0 application being used by librarians to promote visibility between those in the profession. This wiki allows librarians to communicate with colleagues around the world and contribute ideas and questions to a shared knowledgebase. I think this wiki seems an especially excellent tool for someone like myself who is new to the profession. Finding that other librarians have made the effort to make themselves visible (and make their thoughts and discussions transparent on the web) to the wider community makes me feel more confident and excited about a future career in the profession. It is great to read about librarians who have been doing exciting things, or have advice to share. It’s worth pointing out that this could also potentially provide a resource for non-librarians, too – even library patrons!
Michael Casey, in another alablog podcast describes how his public branch library staff use an internal blog to communicate within the organisation. Communication flows both ‘horizontally’ – between librarians about important recent news and tasks in the library – and also ‘vertically’ to provide a space for dialogue with the library managers. Michael comments that this means managers can enter into discussions with staff directly, rather than having important issues ‘digested’ to them by middle management.
Within the library of a small private game development college, technologies such as wikis and blogs might be used to facilitate communication between what is likely to be quite a small number of technologically-proficient staff, who may not all be working in the library at the same time. Making use of an international collaborative professional and social network like the LibSuccess wiki could help library staff to remain connected with others in their profession and keep them up today with current global discussions and ideas.
