Practical Strategies for Building
A Library 2.0 Game Plan
Terence K. Huwe
Institute for Research on Labor and Employment Library
University of California, Berkeley
ACRL Webcast, May 14, 2007
What We’ll Cover Today:
Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 in context of:
– Long-term research library goals and practices
– A changing technology environment
– Rapidly evolving student populations of “Millennials”
and “NextGens”
Implementation strategies--with examples from the IRLE
Library (and a few others too)
Concrete starting points for 2.0 technologies that make
sense in local settings
We’ll focus on the easy-to-get-started applications
We won’t be looking at “live” applications—this is an
overview
Library2.0: A Strategic Approach,
Step by Step
Step 1: Understand the new applications
Step 1A: Assess your Web services for
new opportunities
Step 2: Update your community
awareness
Step 3: Review Library 1.0 as a game
plan guide
Step 4: Choose 2.0 applications based on
perceived community needs
Overview of Web 2.0 & Library 2.0:
They’re Fast-Moving “Memes”
Web 2.0 & Library 2.0 are moving targets
It’s all about interactivity, community-building,
“talking back”
The Semantic Web will redefine the playing field
with new embedded capabilities—so thinking
ahead is crucial
Web4Lib “2.0” discussion thread: Library 1.0
architecture remains “balkanized” –fix it first
The Information Cascade: 2.0 books, Blogs,
Podcasts, Webcasts, journal articles and more!
For the rest of us: We have to start somewhere
The Immediate Challenge:
Harness “Technologies of
Collaboration” to be Distinctive
Library Journal: “Journey to Library 2.0”
by Robin Hastings (April 15, 2007, p. 36)
Books and case studies—lots of test
projects, a bewildering array of choices
The good news: getting started is not
difficult, and can be broken into steps
But--it helps if you know where you want
to go!
Polling Question
A. How many of you are Blogging at
work?
B. How many of are podcasting—either at
home or at work?
C. How many of you utilize a social
bookmarking program?
Library 2.0 Planning:
Steps 1, 1A & 2 Go Together
Step 1: Understand the technology choices and
make informed decisions on which to use
Step 1A: Review your Web, assess your
physical space
Step 2: Take a fresh, in-depth look at your user
community. If necessary, consider:
–
–
–
–
Interviews
Focus groups
“Information audits”
Research the literature
Step 1: Technology Evaluation
A Brief Rundown of 2.0 Applications & Some Products
Blogs: Blogger & Bloglines for starters
Wikis: JotSpot
Podcasts: Odeo
Intranets & Extranets: Joomla, Google
Social Networking: MySpace, Second Life
Social Bookmarking: del.ici.us, flickr
Step 1A:
Assess Existing “Bridge Technologies”
Standard Web technologies are the “glue” for
most 2.0 applications--and they’re changing too
The Power of Place: The “Library Commons”
has become a vibrant “innovation lab” for
understanding how students use the new tools
Intranets, Extranets and “virtual private
networks” remain crucial to community building
in firms and in “communities of practice”
Examples of “Bridges”
Google “appliances” can build an Extranet:
– Easy to launch, effective community builder
Joomla: Intranet-in-a-box (?)
– Terrific, open source, but hard to customize
Jotspot:
– Bought recently by Google--sort of a “super wiki”
Research Library Web sites:
– The California Digital Library: Wow!
Digital Conversations (email or other)
Library Commons: Physical space planning is
“hot”
Step 2: Reassess Your Community
The research university is changing fast
Some “Communities of Practice” within the
University are converging, others are splitting
apart
How are teaching and research being
approached?
How is community service being approached
How are students interacting and studying?
What special knowledge can you bring to the
mix?
Polling Question: Teaching and
Outreach
A. How many of you regularly engage in
structured user interview processes?
B. How many of you network with faculty
on a one to one basis and discuss library
and teaching technologies?
C. How many offer one to one or group
training for users—faculty and grads
especially?
Some Things to Watch For and
Actions to Consider
Survey: How much “authoring” is going on via
the Web, and by whom? (Blogs, Wikis, ejournals)
– This can be a major tip-off for community readiness
Survey: What are they saying in the disciplines?
Action: Create a focus group or small group
Action: Try implementing an interactive feature
Action: Understand undergraduate culture in
your setting
Step 3: Utilizing “Library 1.0” Strategies to
Understand 2.0 Opportunities
Use your Webs and Intranets--they’re still crucial
Apply everything meaningful about “Library 1.0:”
– Reference, outreach, collection planning
– Excuse my saying so: they’re still “killer
app’s”
– May ’07 Web4Lib “1.0 & 2.0” thread: yes, 1.0
technologies aren’t flawless—but let’s get to
work
Step 4: Match New Technologies with
Your Community
Having reassessed your user community,
you have some new knowledge
It’s time to assess the applications and
see which (if any) fit
Here’s how we did at UC Berkeley’s
Institute for Research on Labor &
Employment
Our Community in Context
“Organized Research Unit” at UCB
80 faculty from 14 schools and
departments
A 400-person community of practice within
a 45,000 campus setting (students & staff)
We support faculty research and doctorallevel study--not undergraduate teaching
The Library is the Networking
Leader
We run the Web, Intranet & Extranets
We generate print & digital publications
We manage “online conversations”
We take the lead on introducing many new
technologies
In 2006, we renovated the Library and
created a multi-function Library Commons
What We Needed More of:
Secure document sharing
Interactive Web services in support of
faculty, particularly for fieldwork
Webcasting and Podcasting
An better Intranet with full scale
“Facebook”
Rapid publication of hard-hitting research
on the California workforce--digital and in
print, too
How We Began:
Blogging--for a few years now
Intranet: Started with Zope, moved to Joomla
Webcasting & Webconferencing
– Tapping services offered by campus
– Exploring international applications, US-China
Wikis
– For the InterDisicplinary Immigration Workshop
Our own “Facebook” with Flickr site to follow
SCREENSHOT IRENE WEB
With Blogging Up and Running…
Time to re-launch a secure Intranet
We picked Joomla over Google
– We’ve found we need more customizing than we
thought (and that programming work is arduous)
We wanted a secure “home” –and most of all, a
“Facebook”
We’re interested in utilizing Social Bookmarking
as an add-on to our Blogs (del.ici.us)
From Webcasts to Podcasts
Campus jumped in—but they charge for
services
Podcast downloads exceed Webcasts
You can get both at the Campus
NewsCenter
“And this just in”: “CalTube” (a YouTube
wannabe)
No local support? Use Odeo and get
started on the cheap
Odeo: The “Start Fast” Tool
Odeo is a compendious mish-mash of
podcasts—more than a little distracting
But librarians are using it for podcasts
Low threshold to getting going—a real plus
And Here’s Another Emerging
Solution for Apple Aficionados
With the release of Leopard in October 2007,
Apple is launching a low-cost podcasting setup
What’s needed: a Mac (Mini OK) in the
screening room, a Mac server, and disk space—
lots of it
We’re going to propose this setup so we can
build a local archive—and beat the $1800 perevent setup cost that the campus charges
Some Other Examples of Quick
Starts that are Working Well
Robin Hastings, Missouri River Regional
Library:
Using del.ici.us to improve the Reference
Database
Robin’s Case Study in Time Savings
“We add links to our del.icio.us account that are used
regularly by our reference staff. Each computer on the
ref desk, as well as each ref staff's computer, has a "post
to del.icio.us" button on the toolbar that makes this a
pretty easy process for them. This has *greatly*
improved our ability to get links onto the reference links
page without having to go through me (the library's
webmaster) to be hand-coded into the page. The
reference staff use this del.icio.us account instead of
bookmarks on the machines because all links are there
all the time - this has really helped them keep track of
the services that they use online!”
…More Staff Time Savers
Leslie Johnston
Head, Digital Access Services
University of Virginia Library
A site that keeps track of digital initiatives
Another Viewpoint on Library 2.0
David Walker, Library Web Services
Manager, California State University:
 2.0 technologies shouldn’t crowd out
systems integration
 Undergrads may not subscribe to services
 Usability should drive 2.0 integration
 If we focus too much on 2.0 tech, are we
drawing energy away from our legacy
“fixes?” (OPAC, ILS, ERM, CMS)
In Response: Strategic Thinking
Drives the Right Implementations
Each of these 2.0 projects shown here link
people—the “sizzle” is up front
Blogs, Wikis, bookmarks: they don’t have to run
on a campus server—so ramping up can be
speedy—and driven by solo, enterprising staff
The architects of the projects have done their
homework
Daring, strategic thinking can trump cautious
thinking—i.e., sometimes you gotta take the leap
We must monitor emerging technologies in order
to strengthen our legacy systems
In Summary
Developing a Library 2.0 game plan does
not have to be a monumental task
Take a bite-size approach, and start with
applications you personally enjoy
“Library 1.0” is still powerful
Communities of practices are changing
Understanding the direction of change
should guide your game plan
Resources and References
Web4Lib: http://lists.webjunction.org/wjlists/web4lib/
Missouri River Regional Library Reference Links Database:
http://www.mrrl.org/services/refer/links/index.php
UVA Digital Library Bookmarks: http://del.icio.us/uva_digital_library
Joomla: http://www.joomla.org/
Google Extranet Building Blocks: http://groups.google.com/
Library Journal Article: “Journey to Library 2.0” by Robin Hastings
(April 15, 2007, p. 36)
Odeo: http://odeo.com/about
Jotspot: http://www.jot.com/
Learning Spaces, an Edcause ebook:
http://www.educause.edu/books/learningspaces/10569
Practical Strategies for Building
A Library 2.0 Game Plan
Terence K. Huwe
Institute for Research on Labor and Employment Library
University of California, Berkeley
ACRL Webcast, May 14, 2007