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Social Tools: Enhancing Library Services Through Technology

Explore the dynamic use of social tools like blogs, social bookmarking, and podcasts to enhance library services. Discover how these tools achieve strategic priorities, encourage collaboration, and improve communication, with practical examples and lessons learned. Discover how Mohawk Library leverages these tools for outreach, information sharing, and user engagement.

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Social Tools: Enhancing Library Services Through Technology

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  1. Social Tools: More than just a good time Presented by: Jenn Horwath Cynthia Williamson Library @ Mohawk

  2. Agenda • Definitions • Social Tools • In Action @ Mohawk • Strategic Priority Achieved • Features/Benefits of Software, • iPoodles? • Info to Go • Lessons Learned

  3. Definitions • Social Tools: • Web as platform • Encourage collaboration, information sharing online and in real-time • User-created content (many-to-many communication) • Strategic priorities: • Agreed upon by library lead team • Essential services that fulfill mission of Library

  4. Strategic Priorities SupportingExploration and Use of Emerging Technologies • “Learning enhancement: the library will leverage relevant and emerging technologies in the creation of evolving service options” • “Be involved, proactive and responsive within the rapidly changing information and knowledge economy” • “Use technology for maximum advantage” • “Improve communications”

  5. Social Tool: BlogsBlogs in action @ Mohawk • Library newsletter: TheBRAIN_blog (Sept. 2003) • Staff information sharing: BRAIN Trust (Sept. 2003) • Library classes: Research Skills Instruction blog (Feb. 2004)

  6. Key features of blogging software • Easy to update: • Many staff members can contribute • Can post frequently b/c it’s quick & easy • Broadcast functionality included (RSS) • Instant CMS: includes archive, search functionality, recent post listing, etc. • Comments feature included

  7. Social tool: BlogsAchieves Strategic Priorities • Library outreach, communication with users • Information literacy • Cost efficient – free!

  8. http://mohawklrc2.blogspot.com/

  9. http://libraryclasses.wordpress.com/

  10. Info to Go BRAIN_blog • Use free Blogger.com • Post to it every 2 weeks • Functionality used: archive, links, comments activated but not actively encouraged • Try it: http://www.blogger.com

  11. Info to Go Research Skills Instruction blog • Use Wordpress.com (also available: Wordpress.org – downloadable) • Why 2 different blogs? Can add files in Wordpress – Blogger no longer supports this function. • Try it: http://www.wordpress.com

  12. iPoodles? • Service drives technology • Only features necessary to service are utilized

  13. Lessons Learned • BRAIN Trust fizzled – too many places to look • BRAIN_blog & Research Skills Instruction blog worked – use technology to match priority instead of other way around • BRAIN_blog visits have risen 23% since last year – from 150/month at inception to over 300 month. • External vs. Internal hosting: examine your IT support first.

  14. Social Bookmarking in Action @ Mohawk • Information services staff use FURL to recommend websites to add to the library collection • Shared del.icio.us account for Net Generation study

  15. Social Bookmarking SoftwareKey Features: • Easy to add website with comments and clippings • FURL allows standard subject headings • Add tags and/or ratings (or not) • FURL catches duplicate posts • Del.cio.us allows posts without a login, easier to maintain more than one account

  16. Social Tool: Social BookmarkingStrategic Priorities Achieved • Improved communication, more efficient than email • Easy collaboration; inspiring • Free (closer to beer than kittens) • Communication

  17. FURL • Staff “Furl” website, include a suggestion for subject area; comments about why site is useful; clipping (from website or other recommendation) • CM Librarian receives email when FURL account is used • CM Librarian can easily see what needs to be vetted, leave messages for cataloguers • Cataloguers can easily see what needs to be done

  18. FURL

  19. Del.icio.us • Jenn and I share a Del.icio.us account to collect research on Net Generation (findings coming to a session near you somewhere, sometime!) • Post interesting websites and documents to our Netgen study Del.icio.us account • Web research is all in one place • Include comments and reasons for posting

  20. Info to Go • Its 1-2-3 to set up a FURL or del.icio.us account • Share passwords • Training sessions for “reluctant” adopters • Lead by example

  21. IPoodles? • Why isn’t one of Mohawk’s portal groups sufficient? No logging in & finding a folder • One click FURL feature makes it really easy to recommend a website, no cutting & pasting, no remembering to send it some time • Why not just email? Recommendations not stuck in CM Librarian’s inbox but in an archive for everyone to see

  22. Lessons Learned • FURL easy to use; easy to learn, much better staff use than the Reference wiki…Why? It’s easier? • Ongoing, training and encouraging required.

  23. Social Tool: PodcastingPodcasting in action @ Mohawk • The BRAINcast • Every 2 weeks • Always feature Library or online research tools (catalogue, ebooks, etc.)

  24. Social Tool – PodcastingStrategic Priorities Achieved • Information literacy instruction • Outreach • Expertise

  25. Key features of podcasting software • Audio file • Hosting • RSS feeds • Web page/Blog

  26. http://braincast.libsyn.com

  27. Screenshot of stats in libsyn

  28. Info to Go • First create audio: • Audacity (free!), Adobe Audition, GarageBand, Pro Tools, etc. • Then choose hosting solution: • Internal – your own servers • External – Internet Archive, free and for fee options • Create your RSS feed: • Poderator, Feedburner, Roll your own

  29. Info to Go • Use all-in-one solution: • Hosting, RSS feed creation, blog/web site, recording (some) • Libsyn, Ourmedia, Odeo, Podomatic • Add music and sound effects: • Podsafe Music Network • Freesound • Open Media Directory • Uhort • More

  30. Info to Go • Add it to iTunes directory: http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcaststechspecs.html

  31. iPoodles? • Technology drove the service at the outset - “how can we use podcasting?” • But…one more access point for tutorials can’t be a bad thing • Expertise gained can be used in college conferences and to assist faculty

  32. Lessons Learned • Easy to set up! • Don’t expect instant audience or buy-in • Factor in the time for creation and production

  33. Social Tool: Wiki • According to Wikipedia, “A wiki is a website that allows the visitors themselves to easily add, remove, and otherwise edit and change available content...” Strategies met: • Collaboration • Improved strategic collection development • Build a faculty liaison aid • Free (more like kittens than beer)

  34. Wikis in Action @ Mohawk • Two wikis • Used in-house, not for public (yet) • Collection and Access Management • Sharing policies, collection profiles, new title lists, weeding statistics • Reference • Schedules, reference questions, issues & debates

  35. Key Features: Mediawiki • Mediawiki - • Needs server & some programming skills for set-up • Highly “customizable” • No programming skills to build and edit but not easy at first • Problems: • We needed I.T. for server & set-up • Lack of control over format and access. • Had to ask I.T. personnel to add pictures!

  36. Front Page of CAM Wiki created using MediaWiki

  37. Key Features: PB Wiki • Decided to go it on our own and use PB Wiki • We control access, not I.T. • Good first wiki, templates & help available • Easy to edit (relatively speaking for non-techies!) • Easy to add pictures, upload files • History. Its easy to revert to old pages. Use it to store statistics! • New CAM wiki

  38. CAM Wiki created using PBWiki

  39. PB Wiki Forums

  40. Mohawk Portal Group Homepage

  41. Info to Go Media Wiki: If you have a server and some programming skills, try Media Wiki, its free, robust. PB Wiki: If you don’t have a server, try PB Wiki, web-based, templates available, good help forum, easy starting place.

  42. IPoodles? • Why isn’t an in-house group sufficient? • no control over what goes where, what appears & what doesn’t • only members, can never be public

  43. Lessons Learned • Regrets, I’ve had a few….. • It’s about collaboration, don’t keep it to yourself • Remember “perpetual beta” • Training and encouraging • Collaboration vs. collectivism (“wikiality”)

  44. Social Tool: Instant MessengerIM in action @ Mohawk • Use Trillian and monitor Yahoo!, MSN and AOL (began Feb. 2005) • Offered 8.30am – 9pm M-F, S&S 9am-5pm • Monitored by staff at less busy e-Library desk • Buddy name: braintogo • Promoted by signage, web site, campus newspaper. • Uptake has been slow – 41 transactions (vs. 60 in virtual reference service) from Sept. – Dec. 06 – a slow rise in usage

  45. Social tool: Instant MessengerStrategic Priorities Achieved • Reference service anytime, anywhere • Focus on our users – students are comfortable with this technology • See: Pew studies – How Americans Use Instant Messaging and The Rise of the Instant Message Generation [74% of teens with Internet access have used IM]

  46. Key features of IM service • Set up buddy name on Yahoo!, MSN, AOL • Monitor many accounts from one interface (Trillian) • Easy for all staff to use • Free! • Logs transactions • Meet the students where they are

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