Building Together With Collaborative Web Technologies Revised

Building together with Collaborative Web

Technologies:

How Can Public

& School Libraries Collaborate?

Conference Information

JAMAICA LIBRARY SERVICE60TH ANNIVERSARY

INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

FEBRUARY 16 – 21, 2009

SUNSET JAMAICA GRANDE RESORT & SPA, OCHO RIOS, ST. ANN, JAMAICA

About Presenter

Mr. Mark-Shane E. Scale, Lecturer/Departmental Librarian;

Department of Library & Information Studies, University of the West Indies, Mona,

markshane.scale AT gmail.com

Eric Schmidt, Google’s CEO,

summarizes today’s Web developments:

(qtd. in Amanda Beck)

“the Web has moved to its next stage" and has become

"significantly social", "open, and extensive"

Ordinary people are on the Web

Emerging Web services allow ordinary people to create content on the Web without knowledge of the underlying Internet's infrastructure.

Library Automation Yesterday

Library’s Database

OPAC

Bib. records a.k.a.

Cataloguing

User & or Circulation Records

Serial Tracking Records

Acquisition records

Today’s library automation is undergoing transformation

(Cohn et al. xvii).

Today’s Web has: “forced comprehensive re-examination of what automating the library really meant – not just for libraries but for the library user as well”

Because Library users are online…

INTERNET

Library users’ expectations areCHANGING.

Finding information is “fun”!

It doesn’t have to be tedious and time consuming like using the library.

Library user’s NEW expectations

Before the Web, to see what my friends are up to, I had to call them!

Now I can get live updates on what they are working

on.

Isn’t that cool?

Today’s use of computing for getting library work done includes:

Connecting the library’s database to the Connecting the library’s database to the systems of outsiders systems of outsiders

Accessing information in all formats Accessing information in all formats wherever its location, “at any time, day wherever its location, “at any time, day or night” or night”

(Cohn et al. xviii).

Library user’s NEW expectations

I definitely can access all the information I need in the comfort & security of

my home.

Right beside my coffee.

Today’s Library automation

Made possible by:

Cloud ComputingCloud Computing

Growing Internet Growing Internet usage among library usage among library

usersusers


The “virtualization of resources that maintains and manages itself

Kevin Hartig

Cloud computing

Concept refers to:

• the sharing and usage of applications and resources of a network environment to get work done without concern about ownership and management of the network’s resources and applications.


Computer resources & data not Computer resources & data not stored on one’s PC, but hosted stored on one’s PC, but hosted

elsewhere to be made accessible elsewhere to be made accessible in any location and at any time.in any location and at any time.

This new computing makes it possible for a new model of library automation.

A new model that can be based on the concept of CollaborationCollaboration

Collaboration

process whereby, “individuals and/or groups process whereby, “individuals and/or groups work together on a practical endeavor”. work together on a practical endeavor”.

has always been “a fundamental feature” in has always been “a fundamental feature” in every organisation every organisation

more important today due to Information and more important today due to Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) that Communication Technologies (ICT) that support “network formation and support”. support “network formation and support”.

Michelle W. L. Fong (vi)

ICT enabled Collaboration

Collaboration to take place “on a virtual Collaboration to take place “on a virtual dimension, regardless of time and dimension, regardless of time and location” location”

Creates the “virtual organization” - in Creates the “virtual organization” - in which a group of persons are able to which a group of persons are able to share and access available resources share and access available resources regardless of location.regardless of location.


Through ICT enabled Collaboration

The use of virtual organizations by small The use of virtual organizations by small and medium organizations with and medium organizations with suppliers and customers can result in suppliers and customers can result in higher customer satisfaction and the higher customer satisfaction and the achievement of “strategic objectives”. achievement of “strategic objectives”.


The Benefit of External Collaboration

Stamm, Bettina von. “Collaboration with other firms and customers: innovation’s secret weapon” Strategy & Leadership 32.3 (2004): 16 – 20.

External collaboration with other firms & customers result in improved

services and expanded company markets.

With Virtual External collaboration

Wagner, Christian, and Ann Majchrzak. "Enabling Customer-Centricity Using Wikis and the Wiki Way." Journal of Management Information Systems 23.3 (2006-7): 17 - 43.

Customers not only access but change the content on a company’s Web

presence.

ICT/Web tools for External Collaboration

• Wikis

• Collaborative Website Development tools

• Collaborative Online Documents

• Collaborative Custom Search Engines

Wikis

What are Wikis

tools for building websites without the tools for building websites without the knowledge of HTML and with the option knowledge of HTML and with the option of continuous collaboration. of continuous collaboration.

A “live evolving document” that allows A “live evolving document” that allows uses to track access to and monitor uses to track access to and monitor changes - PBwiki.com changes - PBwiki.com

Examples

The people's encyclopaedia

The people's instructional manual for how-to information

Wikis can

Support the creation of information resources that are continuously edited and expanded.

Wikis can create Intranets & Extranets

• Facilitating exchange of messages

• Manage company documents

• Publish newsletters and policies

• Create virtual PR or Marketing presence

Example of Albany County Public Library staff wiki providing information on the department of Technical Services

http://albystaff.pbwiki.com/TSS

Farkas, Meredith. “Technology Goes Local: Collecting Local Knowledge with Social Software.” American Libraries (Sep. 2008): 50.

“The local knowledge residing in the minds of our patrons is a treasure. Using social software, we can collect and preserve that knowledge for the benefit of the entire community. Since a wiki can receive contributions from many people, it's

a perfect tool for collecting local knowledge.”

Collaborative Website Development

Collaborative Website Development

Gary B. Shelly and Misty Vermaat

Philipp LenssenPhilipp Lenssen

Google Sites (http://sites.google.com) is a “content management system that includes wiki-like features” (268).

A content management systems organises and manages access to documents and files, as well as indexing files and documents created by users so as to facilitate searching and retrieval (732).

Google Sites

http://sites.google.com/site/sites/

Gralla, Preston. "Review: Microsoft Office Live Basics Vs. Google Apps For Your Domain." Information Week 20 Sep.

2008. Information Week 2 Jan. 2009 <http://www.informationweek.com/news/infrastructure/revie

ws/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=193003850>.

“simple to use and basic”

“point-and-click tools”

“create a page in minutes”.

Google sites is:

Google Sites features“Web-based page-creation tool…”“buttons for formatting text, creating links, including images... “several different layouts...from which you can choose…” “Publishing the site is simple; click the Publish button.” (par. 16)

Preston Gralla

Collaborative Web Documents:

Online document collaboration and sharing

Google Docs

“ traditional business programs (word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation software)”

“ used through a browser that connects to the data on Google's machines.”

Hosch, William L. "Google Inc." Hosch, William L. "Google Inc." Encyclopædia Encyclopædia BritannicaBritannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. . 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 18 Dec. 2008 <18 Dec. 2008 <http://search.eb.com/eb/article-278431>. >.

http://search.eb.com/eb/article-278431

Google Docs

Web-based Document Management System Web-based Document Management System “for storage and management of a

company’s documents, such as word processing documents, presentations, and

spreadsheets”.

(Shelly and Vermaat 736).

Google Docs

Web-based Document Management System that has

the ability to track a document in its life cycle, from creation, the various stages of being edited and finally, to the archival stage of a document.

(Shelly and Vermaat 736).

Collaborative Customizable Search Engines

Today, Search Engines are

popular tools for discovering content on the Web.

(Chuang and Wu 1). (Chuang and Wu 1).

Today search engines are considered the primary tools for information seeking on the Web and are among “the most important web services in cyberspace”

With today’s developments, Librarians can make search

engines better!

Just use tools for building customized search engines like Google Custom Search

GCSE allows the builder “to focus on selecting valuable content and tuning

the ranking criteria, while Google does all the "heavy lifting" of crawling, indexing, ranking, and displaying

results.”

Eric Enge and John Biundo,Eric Enge and John Biundo,Search Engine ConsultantsSearch Engine Consultants

“Reference librarians and digital bibliographers... can crank out

their bookmarks and favorites and convert them into focused search

engines.

Barbara QuintBarbara Quint EditorEditor

Searcher Magazine Searcher Magazine

When patrons/clients come to the Web site, they can tap the

recommended sources automatically as they perform

searches.



Even after the library is closed and the Even after the library is closed and the librarians have all gone home, the librarians have all gone home, the

genius and experience of the librarians genius and experience of the librarians will still be serving patrons, 24/7/365 will still be serving patrons, 24/7/365

(366 in a leap year).” (366 in a leap year).”



We have learnt of the new Web tools & Services that we can use to collaborate.

So what’s next?

Let us clarify our options!

THIS WAY PLEASE!

Options for Collaboration

1. Collaborating with users or the Public

2. Collaborating with other Librarians

Option 1

Collaborating with users or the Public

Librarians do not know it all, and sometimes

clients can better meet the information needs of

other clients.

Meredith Farkas

Options 1

Subject guides

Directories

Collaborating with users or the Public where they contribute to:

Search Engine development

Subject bibliographies

Option 2

Librarians within a parish can combine

their •expertise,

•resources &• time

Collaborating with other Librarians

How-to Books or Manuals for colleagues

Joint Subject guides for users

Joint Subject bibliographies

Option 2 – Librarians build

Resources for other Resources for other LibrariansLibrarians

• Joint Subject Joint Subject bibliographiesbibliographies

• Joint Subject guidesJoint Subject guides• How-to Guides or How-to Guides or

Manuals Manuals • Customised Search Customised Search

EnginesEngines

Resources for Users • Joint Subject bibliographies

• Joint Subject guides• How-to Guides or

Manuals • Customised Search

Engines

Now you know!

Why not do!

Collaborate! Now!

The END.