Responsive Service Delivery in the Digital Age

1. Responsive Service Delivery in the Digital Age LIR Seminar 2007 Ellen Breen, DCU Library

2. Presentation Overview Web 2.0 Information Landscape Our users Service challenges and responses

3. Web 2.0 • Lots of definitions • Describes lots of new resources which are based on the web instead of your PC which can be viewed by groups or everyone in ways not possible before • User generated content • Sharing, participation, communities • News media

4. Social Computing • Collaborative authoring services • Wikis - Wikipedia (+60%) • Social networks(15%-60%) • Myspace & Facebook • Communication tools • MSN Messenger (40-80%) • RSS Feeds (20%) Source: Forrester Research, Inc.

5. Social Computing • Blogs (40% – 60%) (read for fun) • Video sharing • You Tube (20% - +50%) • Image sharing • Flickr (5% - 25%) • Social games / spaces • Second life (-10%) • Social bookmarking • Del.icio.us (5% - 20%) Source: Forrester Research, Inc.

6. Tagging A tag is a (relevant) keyword or term associated with or assigned to a piece of information (like picture, article, or video clip), thus describing the item and enabling keyword-based classification of information it is applied to.(Wikipedia) A Tag Cloud is a visual representation of content tags used on a website Large font = most used tag

7. Online Information Landscape • Traditional web resources • New web resources • Library e –resources Students are faced with “navigating in a virtual world where distinctions are increasingly blurred between communication and information, published and unpublished, private and public, free and fee, author and reader, written and spoken, edition and update, original and copy…. (Giannini)

8. Our users: the Millenial Generation Also known as: Gen Y Web Gen Digital Natives • Born between 1980 and 2000 • Grown up with the internet • Always connected…to information and each other • Multi-tasking is a way of life / like to work in groups • Learners who prefer graphics/short bites of information, experiential activities, using technology

9. Cited In Obliner, 2004

10. The Millenial Generation • Look to technology to overcome lack of skills and experience • Want to access information quickly and are confident in finding information for themselves • Low brand loyalty • Expect high standards in customer service and support (face to face and online)

11. Library users • Millenials lack IT skills to support academic work (Educause Centre for Applied Research, Study of UG and IT, 2006) • NB. Not all our users fit the “millenial” profile in relation to internet use and IT skills • Search engine is the first choice for finding information: fast, convenient and easy to use (OCLC Survey: College Students’ Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources) • What does this mean for us? • Library brand = Books We do need to understand the needs of these students is important and key to ensuring the Library is responsible and relevant (third of ECAR survey respondents)

12. Service challenges • One size won’t fit all (choices) • Review service delivery models • We need to provide services at point of need • we go where our users are, they don’t have to come to us! • We need to enhance their (online) library experience • Good customer service • 80% of consumers blame a sales person for bad shopping experience

13. Service challenges • We need to (really) engage with our users – get them involved in service planning and development activities • How? • We need to provide tools which allow them to discover quality information quickly and easily and deliver it to them! • Information Literacy (education and experience)

14. An important focus for libraries is attention to services that save time, are sensitive to user workflow, and are targeted and engaging. We need to get in the “workflow of the user”(Lorcan Dempsey)

15. Service responses • Exploit web 2.0 technologies • get in the flow…. • involve users = Library 2.0 Darlene Fichter http://library2.usask.ca/~fichter/blog_on_the_side/2006/04/web-2.html

16. Integrate library with other services VLEs Student portals Amazon, Google etc (e-commerce applications)

17. Online support and communication • FAQs, guides etc • SMS • Instant messaging • Email • Class discussion forum • Podcasts • RSS feeds • Record workshops • Blogs

18. Other spaces… • Bebo, Myspace • Second Life

19. Discovery Tools • We need to make discovery and delivery of resources fast,efficient and reliable… Finding Time MagazinePenn State University Library http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKvR0OC4nYc

20. Discovery Tools • Meta search tools • The Library 2.0 catalogue • You might also be interested in…. • Your class is also reading….. • Post a review? • Did you mean? • Sorry this book is checked out, but….. • Check the contents page of this book – link to Amazon…. - Add a tag???

21. http://www.lib.byu.edu/ Harold B. Library “A simple search box designed to get you going fast. It won't solve all of your research problems but it will give that term paper a kick in the right direction”

22. http://www.lib.umn.edu/undergrad/index.phtml University of minnesota

24. http://www.lib.byu.edu/

26. Summary “Get in the flow”….go where our users are Engage in new ways with users “A new generation with new needs” Quality experiences Get creative –try things out…. Alan November: Rethinking Libraries of Today http://nlcommunities.com/podcasts/1798/blc06/entry119864.aspx

27. Bibliography Anderson, Paul. What is Web 2.0? Ideas, technologies and implications for education, JISC Technology and Standards Watch, February 2007-05-03 http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/techwatch/tsw0701b.pdf Bell, Lori et al. Get a [second] Life! Prospecting for gold in a 3-D world. Computers in Libraries, January 2007. Carr, Reg. What users want: An academic ‘hybrid’ library perspective. Ariadne, Issue 46, Februrary 2006 Charron, Chris et al. Social Computing. Forrester Research Inc. February 2006.

28. Bibliography Dempsey, Lorcan. Libraries in a web 2.0 environment. Presentation available at: http://www.oclc.org/research/staff/dempsey/presentations.htm Forrester Consulting. Is Europe ready for the millenials? Innovate to meet the needs of an emerging generation. Forrester Research Inc. 2006 Giannini, T. Virtual Libraries on the web: dream or reality? Presentation. Grassian, Esther & Trueman R.B. Stumbling, bumbling, teleporting and flying…Librarians avatars in second life. Reference Services Review, Vol. 35. No. 1. 2007 Lorenzo, G et al. How choice, co-creation, and culture are changing what it means to be net savy. Educause Quarterly, No. 1. 2007

29. Bibliography Lorenzo, George & Dziuban, Charles. Ensuring the net generation is net savy. Educause Learning Initiative (ELI) Paper 2: 2006 Mitchell, Eleanor & Watstein, S.B. Further thoughts about putting the user at the centre. Reference Services Review, Vol. 35, No.1. 2007 Oblinger, D. The next generation of educational engagement. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2004 (8). Oblinger, D. Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Millennials: Understanding the "New Students“, Educause Review, July/August 2003. Online Computer Library Centre (OCLC), Perceptions of Libraries and Information Services: A report to the OCLC membership, 2005. Sadeh, Tamar. User experience for library users: time for change. Password, January 2007.