Building Community and Collaboration Madeleine Lefebvre Ryerson University, Toronto Social Computing Tools for Learning and Knowledge Sharing IFLA World.

Building Community and CollaborationMadeleine Lefebvre

Ryerson University, Toronto

Social Computing Tools for Learning and Knowledge Sharing

IFLA World Library and Information Congress, Milan, August 2009

Themes

1. The Library on Facebook2. A Wikipedia faculty/librarian collaboration3. Mobile services4. RULA Learning 2.0 program

Outcomes along the way…

1. The Library on Facebook

2. Working with Wikipedia: a Faculty/Librarian Partnership

Wikipedia is challenged by academics as lacking the rigour and depth of the peer review

process

Yet it is a key component of the “social web” (enabling communities to create, modify, and share content)

And is popular with students!

Working with Wikipedia

• Graduate course assignment in Social Work• Developed and presented by professor and

librarian• Students chose their own topics• Examined scholarly and non scholarly ‐

discourse by critiquing entries and writing their own interventions for Wikipedia

Working with Wikipedia

The Wikipedia assignment encouraged students to think critically about the academic world they inhabit and to consider how marginalized communities might or might not be able to contribute to scholarly conversations

3. Mobile Services

2008 Survey: 811 responses, primarily undergraduate

Top 4 Uses

63% 38%

85%94%

Top Internet Use

46%

11%

13% 10%13%

New features wanted

45% 33%

32%

45%

32%

Texting from Catalogue

Study Room Booking

Mobile Catalogue

Find a Desktop

Computer

Find aLaptop

• Library Resources– Mobile Catalogue (available on Library website)

– Patron Record (available on Library website)

– Research Guides• Relevant Information based on faculty and

courses enrolled in

• Mapping Function– Find buildings, offices, labs, facilities,

services, etc…

• Student contributed Apps

In the works

Location Based and Context Aware Services

• Working with Computer Science– Hossein Rahnama, PhD candidate

• Delivers relevant information based on student’s location and profile information

• Uses GPS and Wi-Fi positioning technologies

• Specific to iPhone, iPod Touch, Google Android

Benefits to the Library

• Active participation in design and development

• Providing innovative services to the campus community (not just books and e-journal access...)

• Primary focus on student success

• Fostering collaboration with faculties and departments

• Seen as a neutral ground for launching new services

For more information

See full presentation by Sally Wilson and Graham McCarthy on Ryerson mobile services at

http://ocs.sfu.ca/m-libraries/index.php/mlib/mlib2009/paper/view/35/33

4. The RULA 2.0 Project

• Hands-on opportunity for staff to learn about Web 2.0 tools and services and to see how these tools are impacting libraries.

• An online self-discovery program that encourages staff to explore Web 2.0 through a series of weekly exercises.

• Based on Stephen Abram’s “23 things” and Helene Blowers’ Learning 2.0 program

Objectives of RULA 2.0

• To encourage staff exploration of Web 2.0 and new technologies

• To familiarize staff with Web 2.0 tools that can assist us in fulfilling our mission

• To foster team building, trust and open communication throughout Library staff during a period of reorganization and growth

Evaluation

• 45 librarians and staff “graduated”• Huge interest on campus, and requests to

rerun the program for other departments• Increased profile for the Library – new

branding• Much better sense of community across staff

lines, and learning about personal interests• Fun during the winter months

http://rula20.blogspot.com

RULA Intranet

Social Learning

provides a “place” where each person adds value…And each person feels valued

Thank You!