Practical uses for Web 2.0 in a library environment

1. Practical uses for Web 2.0 in a library environment Phil Bradley http://www.philb.com

2. What is Web 2.0? • Let’s just not go there shall we? • Definitions are less important than what you can do with it • Oh, if you really insist…

3. What is Web 2.0? • Web 2.0 is a term often applied to a perceived ongoing transition of the World Wide Web from a collection of websites to a full-fledged computing platform serving web applications to end users. Ultimately Web 2.0 services are expected to replace desktop computing applications for many purposes. • Wikipedia entry

4. Yes… and? • It’s a platform • It harnesses collective intelligence • Data can be used and re-used in many ways • Users are directly involved with development • It’s not limited to a single device • A rich user experience • Tim O’Reilly ‘What is Web 2.0?’

5. Yes… but? • “It’s vacuous marketing hype” • “Web 2.0 is totally silly” • “Meaningless” • “is made entirely of pretentious self serving morons.” • “a lot of thin but very hot air blown at you by those who are convinced that having nothing to say is by no means a good reason to shut up.”

7. So…? • The Web as a platform • Collective intelligence • The end of the software cycle • Major change in the way we look at things • Old wine and new bottles? • Generic term applied to a variety of resources • Web 2.0 is not a ‘thing’ – it’s a state of mind

8. Web 2.0 is not a thing – it’s a state of mind

9. OK… so how can I use it? • Weblogs • Create a library weblog • Additional or new library resources • Introduce members of staff • Use it as a repository of data and information by using categories and tags • Don’t regard a weblog as a diary – it’s an important website in its own right…

11. Weblogs continued… • Use the weblog RSS feed on the site home page as a news feed • Encourage people to add the feed to their start page or RSS reader • Create a different weblog for a different subject area – invite other authors • Use it in a different way, on a different page

14. News reports from the BBC

15. RSS and search

16. So, what else can I do with RSS? • Add to content to webpages • Add content to a news aggregator • Add content to a start page • Keep current with comments and updates • In conclusion therefore… RSS brings data to you, and allows you to send it out to other places.

17. Using news aggregators • Such as Bloglines or the Google Reader • Keep up to date • Up to the minute • Create your own searches • Use these to create your own news feeds • Combine these and publish them for users

19. Podcasts • Provide access to audio content • Guides/tours around a library

21. Podcasts 2 • Content that can’t easily be made available in other formats • Content that is accessible on the move • Not time or place dependent.

22. Start Pages • Pageflakes • Netvibes • Collate data into one place • Not machine dependent • Good for: • Links • Email • Search engines • RSS feeds • Weather • Etc…

23. Start Pages

24. Using start pages • Individually • As a group • Share tabbed pages • Alternative to email contact • To Do lists • Note pads • Always immediately available

26. Bookmarking • Limited to a specific machine • Not informative • Difficult to find what you wan • Inflexible • Cannot easily share bookmarks

28. What are the alternatives? • Del.icio.us • Diigo • Raw Sugar …

29. You can: • Share your bookmarks • Between computers • Between colleagues • Between users • Create bookmark sets • To supplement projects • To assist users • Annotate (or tag) bookmarks

30. Great for searching! • http://del.icio.us/tag/<search_term>

31. Search builders • Create your own search engines • Limit to trusted sites • As small as you want, as large as you need • Use the given URL or • Cut and paste onto your own site • Use them and then throw them

32. That would be: • Rollyo • Google Custom Search Builder • Eurekster swicki • Yahoo Search builder

33. Collaborate on knowledge • Provide content onto a webpage • Items, notes, articles • Links to news or blogs • Search functions • Video options • Let others collaborate

34. Creating communities • Zimbio • Flickr • Grou.ps • Plum • Squidoo • Pageflakes • Facebook

36. Flickr

37. Squidoo

38. Facebook

39. Wikis

40. Wikis • LIS wiki • Library success wiki • Wikipedia • Peanut butter wiki

41. Instant messaging • “Email is for old people” • Talk instantly back and forth • Share files (or not!) • Share webcam discussions • Group chat • IM from webpages • Create chatrooms

42. Instant Messenger Services

43. Using… • Plugoo • Gabbly Chat • Meebo rooms

44. Collaborate • On documents – Google docs • On spreadsheets - NumSum • With calendars - Planzo • With training - Jybe • With projects – MyWebDesktop • With To Do lists – TaDaList • With webpages – Conversate

45. Combine everything! • With RSS and other Web 2.0 resources anything can work with anything else • Content can be changed and manipulated into different formats that you control • Users can get involved • Geography doesn’t matter • Speed is easy • It’s not technical!

46. So why not… • Create search engines for subject groups • Get users involved with a Zimbio group on an aspect of <whatever>? • Create a Squidoo lens for a subject? • Start a library weblog? • Create a flickr group

47. Or… • A podcast or a radio station, both involving music students • A Pageflakes page that you can share with colleagues • Create del.icio.us or FURL accounts and share them • Start a wiki for all the librarians in the area

48. Or even • Use instant messaging to provide information in a different way • Create a book reading club using LibraryThing, Amazon and a weblog • Have a library tour on YouTube

49. Or even • Create trading cards from Flickr photographs • Create fun/interesting new posters • Set up a Facebook, Bebo, MySpace account for the library • Publish your own books with Lulu • Share presentations with Slideshare.net

50. BUT…