How I learned to stop worrying and love social software K.G. Schneider, May 2007 http://freerangelibrarian.com.
Download ReportTranscript How I learned to stop worrying and love social software K.G. Schneider, May 2007 http://freerangelibrarian.com.
How I learned to stop worrying and love social software K.G. Schneider, May 2007 http://freerangelibrarian.com Where we are going today Environmental scan of the state of the Web Review of social software Expanding your personal comfort zone with social software Ideas for incorporating social software into your library service model Ask me anything… Please—ask away! If I don’t know the answer, I’ll make something up! Me Worked in every type/size library except school Children’s librarian (Queens) Rural library director (upstate NY) Systems librarian (upstate NY, FL) Special library director (EPA) Internet librarian (Queens, Newark) Academic librarian (FL) Internet training CEO (NJ) More Me UIUC GSLIS, 1992 MFA in Writing, 2006 Reader, writer, gardener, cook Co-moderator, PUBLIB, 1996 – Air Force veteran, 1983-1991 Raised in San Francisco, have lived worldwide You So how was the Pew quiz? Some facts about our brave new world Fall, 2006: out of over 3,000 incoming freshmen at one campus, only 90 did not bring laptops Some 34% of internet users have used wifi 87% of online users have used the Web for research Sources: Chronicle of Higher Ed; Pew Mar-06 Mar-05 Mar-04 Mar-03 Mar-02 Mar-01 Mar-00 Mar-99 Mar-98 Mar-97 Mar-96 Mar-95 Internet Adoption, 1996-2006 (Pew) 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Where do future taxpayers go online? (Pew, 3/07) 89% of online teens have access at home 75% have internet access at school 70% go online from a friend or relative’s house 50% have gone online from a library 9% go online from a community center or house of worship Social software (Web 2.0) “Any web-based software tool that supports or fosters group interaction” blogs, YouTube, Flickr, instant messaging, Facebook, Librarything, de.licio.us, Second Life, Twitter… even Amazon Games are not social software per se, but gamer theory plays a role in Web 2.0 2.0 behaviors (data from Pew) 36% of online American adults have consulted Wikipedia 28% of internet users have tagged online content 55% of all Americans ages 12-17 use online social networking sites 12% of Web users say they have downloaded a podcast 2.0 Participation benefits Current awareness Enhancing library services Embedding librarians in our culture at large Staff morale Social Software Characteristics Low-barrier (cost, skill, effort) Easy-to-use Interactive Conversational Reader as creator Immediate Attractive Low-maintenance Remixable 2.0 Hardware Computers Cell phones/Handheld PCs/Smartphones Gaming hardware iPods Laptops Webcams Camcorders Digital cameras Social Software intermingtwinglement: you can… Blog from Flickr and YouTube Social-bookmark blog posts Send pictures to Flickr from your Treo Track Twitter traffic on your PDA … etc. …It’s very open and remixable A brief tour of 2.0 technologies Some social software we won’t discuss today* Social bookmarks Connotea Amazon Myspace Facebook * It’s all important… I just had to pick’n’choose Blogs: the plus side Easy, free to set up Can be maintained with “found content” A good outlet for your in-house writers, new librarians, etc. Blogs: the minus side Most library blogs are deadly dull They need commitment and time to get popular Providing a blog may not be your library’s raison d’etre Blog software (all free) WordPress or WordPress MultiUser http://blogs.lib.fsu.edu Blogger Wordpress.com http://ulatmac.wordpress .com/ OMG… so many blogs… Ask staff, patrons, friends, favorite bloggers what they read Add their links Use a feed reader such as Bloglines or Google Reader You don’t have to read everything in your reader! Instant Messaging Occupies a handy space between phone and email A great way to share URLs in a phone discussion Single most underutilized 2.0 technology for librarians Quick texting tutorial Twitter: microblogging “A national phone survey of bloggers finds that most are focused on describing their personal experiences to a relatively small audience of readers” (Pew) Flickr, a photo-sharing service Youtube Librarything Second Life What color is your Web 2.0? Librarians today… Technovangelist directors Techno-resistant or -neutral directors Enthusiastic new(er) librarians who want to implement every new technology Staff who consider technology an intrusion Staff who are moderately tech-friendly but feel overwhelmed by the IT-pile-on IT staff stressed out about IT overload and IT underbudgeting Technical services departments worried that you’ll outsource their work Many people wondering where they will be in twenty years 2.0 Librarian Culture Humorous Non-hierarchical Time/space “shifted” Skeptical of “authority” Tepid about privacy and DRM Immediate, hereand-now, epistolary High tolerance of errors and typos Ten ways to liberate your 2.0 child* 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. * Ask staff and patrons for blog recommendations Make brief “emerging technologies” presentations a regular part of staff meetings Comment on someone’s Flickr stream Ask your staff to pick your IM screen name Put Dance Dance Revolution in the staff lounge Ask your staff to pick your Second Life avatar Send staff to ALA’s Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium Ask staff to blog a conference presentation, and share that with your board Buy a camcorder and ask staff to make a YouTube video about their work Embrace the technology you most fear or dislike Without starting a blog… but of course, if your blogging muse calls, answer her You don’t have to be good at something to make an impression Varying levels of participation Encouraging (rewarding) staff participation in group blogs or other 2.0 projects Creating and maintaining blogs Providing content for a community blog Being “IM-available” Get IM screen names and make sure they are on your business cards Hear me out: You cannot do it all. But you can use 2.0 for a teachable moment about doing some of it well. A 2.0 implementation project can teach: Selecting services that complement the mission Technology planning Cross-department collaboration Marketing Instructional development The 5 -- 3 -- 1 Model Pick 5 2.0 technologies Focus on 3 Select and implement 1 When that one is working to your satisfaction, repeat the process What librarians need to hear Learning about 2.0 technologies is about knowing their audience Learning one new thing won’t kill them Not everything can or should be implemented What IT needs to hear 2.0 technologies will be carefully chosen and will fit into the library mission Every technology needs sustainable development IT’s contributions will be acknowledged Security and access can be balanced Final thoughts “Change is inevitable… growth is optional” Even Cher can’t turn back time You can embrace 2.0 technologies in a way that honors our collective heritage And don’t forget: books are for use. License For permission to reuse/remix these slides, email K.G. Schneider at [email protected] (she’s quite generous… she just likes to know how her work is being used, and may have more current slides to offer)