INF506 Reflective Statement

A Web 2.0 Library is described as being user centered, providing a multimedia experience, is socially rich and is community innovative in changing with users and community.  (Maness, 2006, para 8)

When I started this unit in November 2010 I had no contact with Web 2.0 technologies.  Since then I have created a blog and a wiki.  I have had experience of Facebook, del.icio.us, Twitter and Second Life.  I’ve read a great deal about Web 2.0 technologies and seen how they apply to libraries and to people generally.  I’ve had the frustration of being without a computer for almost three weeks whilst various things were done to it and managing study in a public library.  I’ve become a fan of Web 2.0.

One of the most public faces of Web 2.0 technology is Second Life.  I can see the value in such things as HealthInfo Island (http://healthinfoisland.blogspot.com/2010/09/healthinfo-island-make-over.html) and Info Island (http://infoisland.org/about/).  However, to access this easily really up-to-date computer systems are required.  For the educational environment setting up a virtual meeting place can have its advantages particularly for distance education but I find the artificiality distracting.  However my experience of virtually gaming worlds is non-existent. I live in a limited web world.

My first enticement to Web 2.0 was a little widget called RSS.  Li (2008, p. 31) says a person using RSS can realistically subscribe to more blogs, monitor more social networking pages and generally stay connected more that other people. I think this widget is a wonderful tool that can be used by every library everywhere.  It does everything a good librarian wants – it gets information out to the client, it does it immediately and the client doesn’t have to make an effort to receive it. 

Facebook was used as the main communication tool throughout this unit.  I am accustomed to the use of subject forums which can vary from very good to very poor.  Facebook is an excellent tool for communication in this area.  As a person with a strong privacy code I find Facebook as a personal revelation daunting but used in this context it is an effective way of opening and keeping a dialogue going.  I can see it as a tool libraries can use to alert a diverse group on various areas.

Twitter is of course a quick alerting tool where the item of interest can be kept to 140 characters.  During the course this was shown to be used very effectively by libraries worldwide.

My project consisted of creating a wiki for the Mental Health Museum of W.A. of which I am secretary.  This was an elegant solution to a problem of preserving corporate knowledge and information in the rapidly aging population of this group.  Before doing this unit I would never have considered the concept of the wiki let alone the possibility of creating one.  As a librarian I am imbued with the concept of preservation of information but the creation of the wiki was a Web 2.0 solution to this problem since it allows collaboration of all the committee members and will be accessible online for the foreseeable future.

During the course of this unit the students were exposed to many technological tools.  Some of these are mostly useful in educational areas but a number can translate readily to library use.  Podcasting is a Web 2.0 tool that can enhance the effectiveness of teaching, for instance, how to access and search a database.  Most librarians undertake this task.

As with anything to do with the public there are always procedures and policies and legalities that must be followed.  Embracing Library 2.0 means covering the usual areas of confidentiality, privacy, copyright and all the rest with the addition of the permanency and publicity of online-publishing.  This requires careful consideration and well-developed social media policies.

One of the difficulties of bringing Web 2.0 to the library is how open the organization is to hosting it.  Most libraries are progressive in inclination from the first embracing of the catalogue on computer.  The difficulty is persuading management that it is worth while taking on.  Like most things in the library world this is best achieved by nibbling away at the edges of the difficulty until the goal of Library 2.0 is achieved.

Reference

Li, C. & Bernoff, J. (2008). Jujitsu and the technologies of the groundswell. In

Groundswell: winning in a world transformed by social technologies

(pp. 17-37). Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business Press.

Maness, J.M.  (2006). Library 2.0 theory: Web 2.0 and its implications for libraries. Webology, 3(2) June, 2006. Retrieved from http://www.webology.org/2006/v3n2/a25.html.

INF506 Evaluative Statement

Social networking is predicated on the 4Cs: collaboration, conversation, community, and content creation.  With the improvement of computer hardware and software and communication technology connectedness in the first world is continual and omnipresent.  Social networking tools cover the range of interactive and informational technologies.  These technologies can be alerting such as RSS feeds and Twitter; informational such as blogs and wikis and educational with podcasts or video streaming and web-conferencing.  There can be value adding with mashups and social interaction with Facebook, MySpace and Flickr.  These tools allow interactive functionality including social bookmarking such as del.icio.us, folksomonies and tagging, personal media such as MP3 files, personalization using my profile features and allowing all forms of commentary.

Maness (2006, para 38) describes Library 2.0 as a user centered, user driven mashup of traditional library and innovative Web 2.0 services rich in content interactivity, and social activity.

During the course of this unit the various technologies were examined and an understanding of how Web 2.0 could be introduced to a Web 1.0 library was developed.  Existing services can be extended by incorporating Web 2.0 technologies.  Email notification of reservations can be extended to text messaging (Hull, 2011, A-Z, para 3) or a RSS feed (Hull, 2011, Reasons, para 7).  Other ways of incorporating Web 2.0 don’t necessarily require funding just staff enthusiasm.  This can include using programs like LibraryThing to create a specialist list of texts, creating a list of good reads and texting it to clients or creating a presence on Facebook.  (Hull, 2011, A-Z, para 3-6)

 All good librarians are user focused.  Participatory library service extends this focus to enable clients to be part of the conversation.  These libraries use Web 2.0 tools to connect with people, information and ideas.  By using social networking tools such as blogging or Facebook comments are invited so the library is communicating more effectively. (Hull, 2011, Reasons, para 6)  The National Library of Australia offers a participatory library service since it utilizes blogs, Facebook, Twitter and RSS feeds.  (Hull, 2011, Reasons, para 4-5)

In a networked world there are a range of issues that need to be addressed.  Policy is intended to control activity and guide action.  Information policy is about the regulation of people, organizations and processes involved in information flow in society.  Some areas of interest are the creative commons, intellectual property, online safety, acceptable use of the internet, information access for all, trans-literacy and regulating the internet.  Age appropriate access is already addressed in most libraries regarding computer use and all libraries have policies regarding confidentiality and privacy.  Social media tools such as Facebook and MySpace blur the boundaries and encourage sharing of personal information.  Twitter has and immediacy that discards discretion.

A social media policy is a must in a Web 2.0 library. 

This needs to cover

·         the range of legal requirements such as business and enabling acts, records management requirements, discrimination, etc.;

·         copyright and permissions and all the requirements for lawful publishing;

·         confidentiality and privacy issues such as keeping corporate secrets and preserving proprietary information and respecting colleagues’ privacy;

·         correct online behaviour and etiquette with care about statements made, not causing or taking offense; and

·         taking responsibility for authorship, opinions and errors.  (Hull, 2011, Social Media Policy, para 3)

During this unit social networking technologies were interactively used to gain an understanding of their use and place in the Web 2.0 world.  This included bookmarking, virtual worlds, blogging, tweeting and using Facebook.  An understanding was developed of the social networking issues that require attention in the Web 20 environment.  Promoting Web 2.0 into the work environment and examining social issues also increased my understanding of social networking technologies.  These technologies will eventually be incorporated into most libraries in Australia.

Reference

Hull, R. (2011, January 22). A to Z. Message posted to http://robyn-robynhull.blogspot.com/.

Hull, R. (2011, January 30), Reasons why libraries should be on social media. Message posted to http://robyn-robynhull.blogspot.com/.

Hull, R. (2011, February 3). Social media policy. Message posted to http://robyn-robynhull.blogspot.com/.

Maness, J.M.  (2006). 2.0 Theory: Web 2.0 and its implications for libraries. Webology, 3(2) June, 2006. retrieved from http://www.webology.org/2006/v3n2/a25.html.

Social Media Policy

Most organizations have policies in place with regard to use of work communication devices.  There is a limit on private telephone calls, and using emails and the internet for personal business.  There are also rules about net-etiquette, flaming, etc.  These policies can be extended to cover social media.  Authorized personnel make announcements within strict guidelines.  These need to be considered as well.

Five points needing consideration for social media policies when employees are using Web 2.0 tools and spaces for work and personal use while using the organizations computers/network and time are:

1.  Legal – business and enabling acts, records management requirements, discrimination, etc.  These are part of business culture but need to be considered in the more relaxed environment of social media.

2.  Confidentiality – keeping corporate secrets and preserving colleagues’ privacy.  Disclosure policies can be incorporated and extended.

3.  Etiquette – watching what is said, not causing or taking offence, preserving the proprieties.  Correct behaviour is expected at work and should continue online.

4.  Responsibility – acknowledging authorship, own opinion, errors and correcting errors. 

5.  Publishing – all the requirements of publishing including copyright and getting permissions for photos etc. need to be listed.

Legal – none of the articles mentioned working to specific acts although anyone who works in government, health or law has their actions mandated by acts.  For instance public servants cannot comment on anything to do with their government.

Confidentiality – Anderson (2009, para 9), Lauby (2009, para 16) Kroski (2009, para 11) and IBM (2010, para 9) stressed the need for keeping proprietary secrets.

Etiquette – Lauby (2009, para 11), Kroski (2009, para 15) and IBM (2010, para 9) promote respectful attitudes for online discussion.

Responsibility – Lauby (2009, para 7), Kroski (2009, para 13) and IBM (2010, para 9) require acknowledgement of authorship.

Publishing – IBM (2010, para 9), Kroski (2009 para 13) and Lauby (2009, para 17) cover copyright requirements.

Reference

Anderson, J. (2009, April 8). Social media policies and museums. Indianapolis Museum of Art. Message posted to http://www.imamuseum.org/blog/2009/04/08/social-media-policies-museum.

IBM Social Computing Guidelines Blogs, wikis, social networks, virtual worlds and social media. (2010). Retrieved January 31, 2010 from http://www.ibm.com/blogs/zz/en/guidelines.html.

Kroski, E. (2009, October 1). Should your library have a social media policy? School Library Journal. Message posted to http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6699104.html.

Lauby, S. (2009, June 2). 10 Must-Haves for Your Social Media Policy, Mashable, 6 February. Message posted to http://mashable.com/2009/06/02/social-media-policy-musts/.