Library 2.0

I will be attending the SirsiDynix Superconference in Detroit next weekend and plan on blogging events, contents and general impressions each day.It shouldn't be very had to do a better job at it than last year, as I was thoroughly overwhelmed with the task then. This year, I'll carry my copy of "Tips for Conference Bloggers" and try to apply it as best I can. also, thanks to great examples such as David Lee King, I should be better equipped this year.TTYS ;)technorati tags:library-20, library2.0, library 2.0, libraries, blogging, conference (Source: rambleonsylvie)

I'm hoping most of us have heard about the upcoming Reference Renaissance conference August 4-5 in Denver. If not, please check it out! Born from the ashes of the VRD conference, it promises to have a lot of great idea sharing. This is also a reminder that the call for papers ends 4/4! http://www.bcr.org/referencerenaissance/ --Bill Pardue (Source: Forum - Library 2.0)

I was very lucky to share a podium with Jen Maney, Pima County Public Library, and John Blyberg, Darien Library, on Friday morning at the 2008 Public library Association conference in Minneapolis, MN. I wrote two pages of hurriedly scribbled notes while Jen spoke and I really wanted to share them here. They tap into some of the themes I've written about at TechSource since we began in 2005.Jen opened her talk, titled "Let's get Excited (and Realistic) about Web 2.0," by noting that there is no magic wand we can wave to make your library suddenly be in the 21st century. Web 2.0 is an individual thing. Each person - and I would say each institution -- brings their own perspective to the tools. Because Jen works in the Web area of her library, she's participated in a lot of discussions of choosing and using emerging technologies."Get over it," Maney said about taking on some of those emerging tools and social media - "Experiment." She also echoed some of the current thinking around exploration and learning. "Play," she said. "It's what your users are already doing." What an excellent reason to start a Learning 2.0 program -- something Maney noted her library and the State of Arizona were taking on! WooHoo!The motto in her department is "Designing for Uncertainty." We have no idea what the future holds with services, technology, etc. This way their planning is timely and focused on the users. Then Maney noted the importance of adopting and using the tools that WORK for the institution. This is the evaluation piece that Casey and Savistinuk made part of their original definition of Library 2.0:It is a model for library service that encourages constant and purposeful change, inviting user participation in the creation of both the physical and the virtual services they want, supported by consistently evaluating services.Maney's take was "lonely is bad. ...

I was very lucky to share a podium with Jen Maney, Pima County Public Library, and John Blyberg, Darien Library, on Friday morning at the 2008 Public library Association conference in Minneapolis, MN. I wrote two pages of hurriedly scribbled notes while Jen spoke and I really wanted to share them here. They tap into some of the themes I've written about at TechSource since we began in 2005.Jen opened her talk, titled "Let's get Excited (and Realistic) about Web 2.0," by noting that there is no magic wand we can wave to make your library suddenly be in the 21st century. Web 2.0 is an individual thing. Each person - and I would say each institution -- brings their own perspective to the tools. Because Jen works in the Web area of her library, she's participated in a lot of discussions of choosing and using emerging technologies."Get over it," Maney said about taking on some of those emerging tools and social media - "Experiment." She also echoed some of the current thinking around exploration and learning. "Play," she said. "It's what your users are already doing." What an excellent reason to start a Learning 2.0 program -- something Maney noted her library and the State of Arizona were taking on! WooHoo!The motto in her department is "Designing for Uncertainty." We have no idea what the future holds with services, technology, etc. This way their planning is timely and focused on the users. Then Maney noted the importance of adopting and using the tools that WORK for the institution. This is the evaluation piece that Casey and Savistinuk made part of their original definition of Library 2.0:It is a model for library service that encourages constant and purposeful change, inviting user participation in the creation of both the physical and the virtual services they want, supported by consistently evaluating services.Maney's take was "lonely is bad. ...

Customers services. Customers services at our cities' public libraries need continuing improvement with more staff development opportunities and continuing supervisory programs. Teaching library. Our cities' public libraries could be teaching libraries for the library, archival, records management and information policy professions in the same way medical centers are teaching hospitals with many professional seminars and rounds as well as introducing students to the professions, promoting the growth and development of that interest. Transparency. Cultivating interest could begin with backstage behind the scenes transparency demonstrating how our public libraries do what they do to make available the people and the services and the books and the materials. Backstage behind the scenes. For example, how about web based online tours backstage behind the scenes at our Cambridge Public Library! Difficulties in rendering customers services. a. Mean intimidating customers services       In Massachusetts at our Cambridge Public Library one of the       librarians outwardly follows Reference Desk protocols but goes       about it in a intimidating mean manner with library       users/clientele/consumers .       Hurtles. Alternatives.       A teen approaches the Reference Desk librarian. Instead of       information with hints, tips and pointers directing and inspiring       the kid's navigation of the resources available the complicated       response from the librarian served to describe a task that was more       of an obstacle for the kid in a discouraging manner and in a loud       manner calling the attention of other people in the room to the       reference transaction.       How well does this response serve you?       What we need are reference desk librarians who always ask toward       the end of a transaction how well does this response to your       enquiry serve you?...       Feedback. Concerns. ...

Although brief, I had a great time at PLA. The folks I talked to were fired up about many of the sessions. I was also glad to see some old friends. I took a quick view of where we are in 2008 with the use of Web 2.0 in libraries. The cool thing I realized from listening to Jen and John was we were all really talking about people and planning, decisions and great opportunities. A lot of the discussion and questions focused on users and how the library offers access. I misquoted the ALA Code of Ethics in my discussion about blocking access and creating policy. Here’s the real deal: We provide the highest level of service to all library users through appropriate and usefully organized resources; equitable service policies; equitable access; and accurate, unbiased, and courteous responses to all requests. Thanks to my esteemed colleagues who presented with me and to all who attended. My slides are here: Web2.0StephensPLA.pdf We also audio-recorded the session, and I’ll post that as soon as it’s ready. (Source: Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology)

From the abstract of Can Social Bookmarking Improve Web Search?: Social bookmarking is a recent phenomenon which has the potential to give us a great deal of data about pages on the web. One major question is whether that data can be used to augment systems like web search. To answer this question, over the past year we have gathered what we believe to be the largest dataset from a social bookmarking site yet analyzed by academic researchers. Our dataset represents about forty million bookmarks from the social bookmarking site del.icio.us. We contribute a characterization of posts to del.icio.us: how many bookmarks exist (about 115 million), how fast is it growing, and how active are the URLs being posted about (quite active). We also contribute a characterization of tags used by bookmarkers. We found that certain tags tend to gravitate towards certain domains, and vice versa. We also found that tags occur in over 50 percent of the pages that they annotate, and in only 20 percent of cases do they not occur in the page text, backlink page text, or forward link page text of the pages they annotate. We conclude that social bookmarking can provide search data not currently provided by other sources, though it may currently lack the size and distribution of tags necessary to make a significant impact. Link stolen from Lorcan Dempsey's weblog. (Source: LISNews.org)

07_01_000049 Originally uploaded by Boston Public Library Jessmyn notes that Boston Public Library is on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/boston_public_library/ Great stuff and useful evidence for deciding if Flickr fits your mission or goals for service. (Source: Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology)

Marshall and Jen Originally uploaded by jblyberg I presented with Jen Maney and John Blyberg at PLA. Slides will be up soon, but I also wanted to thank Marshall Shore, the man who said no to Dewey for introducing us. I was tickled that some students from my LIS768 class at St. Kate’s got to meet him - they are doing a group project on his work at Maricopa! (Source: Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology)

Via Helene Blowers on Flickr: http://pages.cms.k12.nc.us/superintendent/blog/ I’d like to share an email I sent to all of our 18,000-plus employees this morning. Here it is: Dear CMS Employees: When you make a mistake, the best thing to do is just admit it. Folks, we blew it, and I apologize. While the decision to start random background checks for current employees was made with the best of intentions – to keep our students and staff safe – we dropped the ball, big time, in terms of communication and execution. So where do we go from here? If you haven’t filled out the form, throw it away. If you have filled out the form, ask your supervisor to return it to you so you may destroy it. (To safeguard your identity, I suggest you shred it.) I will share more information on this topic with you at a later time. Right now, I just want you to know how sorry I am that this was handled so badly. Our employees are the lifeblood of this organization. We count on you, every day, to do what’s right for kids. We need to do what’s right for you as well. Sincerely, Peter C. Gorman That email was one part of a very painful morning for me. Since coming to CMS, I have worked hard to build rapport with all CMS employees — teachers, administrators, staff, support folks. There are so many people in this district who work hard for our kids every day, and I appreciate all that our employees do. This district has set ambitious goals. Our success in achieving them depends in large part on the trust and support of our employees. My apology to all of them is heartfelt, and I hope that we can move on from this and continue to work together in an atmosphere of trust and respect to do what’s best for kids. (Source: Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology)

Hello All, I'm a middle school media specialist from South Carolina. I have always enjoyed integrating technology and now with Web 2.0 capabilities and social networking, the possibilities are irresistible. Another passion is reading and talking about books. What an opportunity we have today with Skype, podcasts, blogging, and many other ways to share our opinions and thoughts about the books we read. My newest adventure is Diigo and and reading e-books - mmmm.... if I had just had Diigo during critical analysis!! (Source: Forum - Library 2.0)

Nice piece from David Pogue at the NYT: http://pogue.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/are-you-taking-advantage-of-web-20/ Before my talk, though, an emcee warmed up the audience with an exercise. He pointed out the wireless laptops on every table in the ballroom, and explained that anything typed on them would appear on huge screens. Using this instant-feedback mechanism, he posed P.R.-related questions to the attendees and commented on the responses as they appeared on the big screens. One of them was: “Why isn’t your company (or client) taking advantage of Web 2.0?” The audience loved that one; within seconds, there were 132 responses on the screen in a huge, scrolling list. “Not enough money.” “Don’t understand it.” “No technical resources.” “Not enough manpower.” “No visible return on investment.” “Fear of ridicule.” “Fear of slander.” “Fear of permanence.” “Fear of the public running amok.” Would that be fun or what at a conference? What questions would you ask? Later, Pogue writes: When a company embraces the possibilities of Web 2.0, though, it makes contact with its public in a more casual, less sanitized way that, as a result, is accepted with much less cynicism. Web 2.0 offers a direct, more trusted line of communications than anything that came before it. Nice. (Source: Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology)

-Fixed the problems people had with pygame.init() -Added RoundedRect() (Source: pligg - all)

Just to add a little more on the topic of RSS - I’ve also been reminded of the excellent service from the Library of the University of California. INFOMINE is a virtual library of Internet resources relevant to faculty, students, and research staff at the university level. It contains useful Internet resources such as databases, electronic journals, electronic books, bulletin boards, mailing lists, online library card catalogs, articles, directories of researchers, and many other types of information. Do a search; browse or search by subject category; pick up the What’s New RSS feed or email alert service; wander over to the General Reference; check out the Other Search Tools; or visit the INFOMINE blog. (Source: heyjude)

Thanks J! Thanks DLK Originally uploaded by mstephens7 Yes, I did receive this during our talk at PLA! (Source: Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology)

CML I love this sign! Originally uploaded by tscrobinson (Source: Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology)

Mobile Public Library - computer sign Originally uploaded by cindiann Cindi writes: this library has a curious lack of signage. this was only one of two I saw in the whole place. No sign above the service desks or at the entrance to the reference room. …and actually, I like it. It says: if you need help, ask. Also odd (but maybe this just reflects my background as an academic librarian) is that there are three or four people at each of the three service desks. (Source: Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology)

The Dangerous Ideas* session presented at PLA on Friday morning should be on the agenda for every library conference. It started a conversation that speaks to the survival and the vitality of libraries as they evolve into the future. As Darwin discovered, it’s not necessarily the swiftest or strongest or largest species that survive; it is those most adaptable to change. The dangerous ideas conversation is all about adaptation and change. It begins with the question “What if …?” What if librarians would promote and participate in the development of Wikipedia? What if we made decisions that are not based on scarcity? What if libraries large and small invest together to adopt open source solutions? What if teens in the library were our partners instead of our problem? What if we learned to advertise the allure of libraries as successfully as soft drinks and junk food? (This is just a sampling of the provocative questions raised.) Half of the “what ifs” above came from the audience as a result of the refreshing level of interactivity. (What if all conference sessions stimulated participation from the audience?) Questioning assumptions is contagious and uncomfortable. There was anxiety and reaction mixed with excitement. In the atmosphere of brainstorming “unthinkable thoughts,” the point is to confront the discomfort, find the opportunities, and then move forward with actions. One audience member suggested that the next PLA (2010) should be totally focused on “what if?” Someone else said we can’t wait that long—that the next PLA should be one grand discussion of the results of two years of action. Catch the fever at whatiflibs.wetpaint.com. *Presenters: Deirdre Routt/Omaha PL, Stacey Aldrich/California State Library, Brian Auger/Howard County Library, Amy de Groff/Howard County Library, Rivkah Sass/Omaha PL (Source: BlogJunction)

From Jason, in my LIS753 Class: Here’s an article I came across on this topic. Lexington County Library Bans Social Networking Sites - http://www.thestate.com/154/story/304545.html It’s from TheState.com, South Carolina. They include an online poll asking readers if they think such social software should be banned. As of this morning (3/29) of 101 votes, 52 votes for yes and 49 for no. Here’s part of the article: The primary reason for the decision was research that shows social networking sites can make computer systems vulnerable to viruses, said Dan MacNeill, executive director of the Lexington County Public Library. “This is security for our network system, our computers.” The library hasn’t encountered such problems, but library officials said they want to be proactive. “We knew it was going to be a problem for some folks … and it was not done without a tremendous amount of thought, and a tremendous amount of research,” said David Fellows, chairman of the Lexington County Library Board and owner of a computer business. Greenville County and some libraries in North Carolina also have restricted the use of social networking sites, said Sam Hastings, director of the University of South Carolina’s School of Library and Information science. “It is a legitimate concern,” Hastings said. Viruses? Viruses? I just voted. This will be interesting to watch. (Source: Tame The Web: Libraries and Technology)

Hi, everyone. I've been an archivist for over 11 years but just joined Ning today. I'm interested in how others are using 2.0 technology for outreach as well as other professional areas. I work in a university library and am the head of the special collections department. (Source: Forum - Library 2.0)