Building Community and Collaboration
Madeleine Lefebvre
Ryerson University, Toronto
Social Computing Tools for Learning and Knowledge Sharing
IFLA World Library and Information Congress, Milan, August 2009

1. The Library on Facebook
2. A Wikipedia faculty/librarian collaboration
3. Mobile services
4. RULA Learning 2.0 program
Outcomes along the way…

1. The Library on Facebook

2. Working with Wikipedia: a
Faculty/Librarian Partnership
Wikipedia is challenged by academics as lacking the rigour and depth of the peer review process
Yet it is a key component of the “social web”
(enabling communities to create, modify, and share content)
And is popular with students!

• Graduate course assignment in Social Work
• Developed and presented by professor and librarian
• Students chose their own topics
• Examined scholarly and non‐scholarly discourse by critiquing entries and writing their own interventions for Wikipedia

The Wikipedia assignment encouraged students to think critically about the academic world they inhabit and to consider how marginalized communities might or might not be able to contribute to scholarly conversations

2008 Survey:
811 responses, primarily undergraduate

94%
85%
63 %
38%

46%
11%
10%

45% 45%
33%
32%
32%

Study Room
Booking

Find a
Desktop
Computer

Find a
Laptop

In the works
• Library Resources
– Mobile Catalogue
(available on Library website)
– Patron Record (available on Library website)
– Research Guides
• Relevant Information based on faculty and courses enrolled in
• Mapping Function
– Find buildings, offices, labs, facilities, services, etc…
• Student contributed Apps

Location Based and Context Aware Services
• Working with Computer Science
– Hossein Rahnama, PhD candidate
• Delivers relevant information based on student’s location and profile information
• Uses GPS and Wi-Fi positioning technologies
• Specific to iPhone, iPod Touch,
Google Android

Benefits to the Library
• Active participation in design and development
• Providing innovative services to the campus community
(not just books and e-journal access...)
• Primary focus on student success
• Fostering collaboration with faculties and departments
• Seen as a neutral ground for launching new services

See full presentation by Sally Wilson and
Graham McCarthy on Ryerson mobile services at http://ocs.sfu.ca/mlibraries/index.php/mlib/mlib2009/paper/vie w/35/33

• Hands-on opportunity for staff to learn about
Web 2.0 tools and services and to see how these tools are impacting libraries.
• An online self-discovery program that encourages staff to explore Web 2.0 through a series of weekly exercises.
• Based on Stephen Abram’s “23 things” and
Helene Blowers’ Learning 2.0 program

• To encourage staff exploration of Web 2.0 and new technologies
• To familiarize staff with Web 2.0 tools that can assist us in fulfilling our mission
• To foster team building, trust and open communication throughout Library staff during a period of reorganization and growth

• 45 librarians and staff “graduated”
• Huge interest on campus, and requests to rerun the program for other departments
• Increased profile for the Library – new branding
• Much better sense of community across staff lines, and learning about personal interests
• Fun during the winter months

http://rula20.blogspot.com

RULA Intranet

Social Learning provides a “place” where each person adds value…
And each person feels valued
Thank You!