Cast your net on the WWW...

Most everybody these days either has a presence on a social networking site such as Facebook or MySpace (or has at least heard of them!). These sites are most commonly used for personal use - sharing photos, news, opinions, and keeping in touch. But there are also opportunities through these forums for public institutions such as libraries to increase their visibility and expand their customer service options.

As recently noted by blogger Seb Chan of the Powerhouse Museum (http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/dmsblog/index.php/2008/03/11/applying-a-new-social-media-framework-from-forresters-to-the-cultural-sector/), social networking sites can support five key business functions, all of which are applicable in the library context:

1. Research - who uses the library and why, what services are working well, what new services would patrons like?
2. Marketing - promotion of library services and events
3. Sales - attracting new members
4. Support - provide a forum for customer feedback
5. Development - new schemes, programs and services can be advertised among members and fans

A presence on social networking sites such as Facebook benefits not only the library itself but also its members. Such pages act as a virtual meeting point for like-minded individuals and can build friendships and networks (social networking does indeed have SOCIAL benefits!!).

It does seem strange to me, however, that even in the face of such potential benefits, many employers still prohibit the use or accessing of social networking sites during work hours or from staff computers. Clearly recognition of the wide uses of these sites for professional purposes still has some way to go!

Share and share alike :)

Hands up who sees this on a distressingly regular basis in their library?

1. Patron brings memory stick to use public access computer but stick is somehow incompatible with computer and it won't work, so he storms out, fuming...
2. Patron brings memory stick to use public access computer but has brought wrong file on stick so he storms out, fuming...
3. Patron brings memory stick to use public access computer but creates a file so large it won't fit on memory stick so he can't take it home, so he storms out, fuming...

I could go on...

1. A collaborator you are working with sends you an updated draft of a document, so you save it on your computer only to discover it has the same file name as YOUR copy and you've just saved over your own copy...*grrr!*
2. You submit a collaborative final report to your boss only to find you've submitted the wrong file because you've lost track of the real one amongst all the drafts you've been inundated with...*blush!*
3. You are sharing a document with colleagues and going colour-blind from all the Track Changes and Comments added by your co-workers...*sigh!*

While email has certainly revolutionised our ability to share and collaborate on documents, and portable memory devices allow us to transfer our work simply (usually) between workstations or users, these methods can quickly become cumbersome (or worse). If only there were a central repository where collaborators could keep ONE copy of a file with ALL the latest changes...!

Google Docs (http://docs.google.com/) and Writeboard (www.writeboard.com) present just this opportunity. These online repositories allow you to upload documents, invite collaborators to view and edit them, and exchange them freely amongst your colleagues and friends without ever having to save or rename or update a copy on your own computer! And it has some fantastic bonuses: it's free, it needs no specialist software, you can use it from any web-enabled PC in the world, it's private, and it gives you HEAPS of storage!

The implications for libraries of these services are exciting. Our library operates as part of the Riverina Regional Library network, who are scattered over a geographical area half the size of Victoria. Sharing documents, slides, presentations, pictures and reports suddenly becomes so possible when we can all access a single web link. No more documents lost in email! We can encourage and train patrons to use these services to eliminate the need for memory sticks (so often lost or left behind) and expensive printing.

These free services are just some of many available on the net to streamline both our work practices and our budgets (important in the case of a small library such as ours at Talbingo, which operates on an annual budget of less than $5000). Here's some further examples of cool free stuff:

• 
  http://www.zamzar.com/ - free file conversion software
• 
  www.omnidrive.com - free storage to back up your files and virus protection
• 
  http://www.senduit.com/ - transfer big files over the web and stop clogging up your inbox!
• 
  http://doodle.com/ - schedule meetings and events over the web
• 
  http://www.picnik.com/ - edit your photos for free - byebye Photoshop!

Mashed up (and no, it's not a potato...)

Interact, merge, mingle, coalesce, amalgamate and intermix - we all know the pulling power of the Web and its ability to draw us together from across the street and across the world. But did you realise that as many Web-based technologies improve in speed and accessibility that they too are being brought together to improve many of the sites that we all love? Many sites are now festooned with with maps, photos, video and audio and pop-out information bars - all to improve the quality and quantity of information we can access. This amalgamation of technologies is called mashing, and sites which utilise it are known as mashups.

A personal favourite of mine is Digg. As a bit of a newshound myself, I love seeing what other people think is hot and not in news. But there's a lot more than news on Digg - diggers can submit links to anything on the Net they think is fun, cool, or important: it can be video, links, stories, even music and audio. Voting stories up (digging) and down (burying) is what makes Digg unique. I have to say that with the advent of YouTube, a lot of humorous clips seem to be appearing as top Digg stories, which I find a bit frivolous and annoying, but I guess it's a matter of out-digging the video diggers with "real" news to overcome this trend!

Another very cool site I discovered today is VoiceThread. How cool is this?? As a university lecturer, tutor, and library assistant, I can just see so many applications for this technology! VoiceThread takes the concept of video conferencing and webcam chatting to a whole new level. Group discussions can be facilitated, shared, saved, and downloaded from anywhere in the world and - the best bit - there's no software to install! And it's so much more than just voice - you can add images, documents, sound, or video, and participants can participate through voice (with a mic or telephone), text, audio file, or video (via a webcam). So no matter who you are and how you like to be involved - talk, text, or picture - there's a place for you in VoiceThread!


Library Mash:

I've already referred to VoiceThread and how it could (and should) grab educators by storm. Education is a big part of what we do in libraries. Mashups give us so much scope to broaden our the quality and quantity of our delivery. Here's a few examples and ideas:

• Lost your library? New in town? Library services such as the Riverina Regional Library network could tempt new borrowers using mashups to display local library locations. Maps, driving directions, pictures and virtual tours can all be incorporated into existing websites. American public libraries already have a similar service: take a look at: http://www.libraries411.com/glibrarymaps.php?lat=34.040511&lng=-118.180628&dls=6295&dsp=4&dtype=BR
• To come back to my favourite,VoiceThread, there's huge potential here for online staff training, group story-telling, oral history, tutoring or interactive research services.

Issues:

PamL made a very salient point last September on the Mashups discussion board. Copyright and intellectual property are issues to be wary of when drawing on mixed sources on the net. Remember - someone had to create it, and that someone should be properly acknowledge before you add their material or application to your personal or professional website!

For your ears only

Busy??

Can't get to the radio for your favourite programs? Or the kids insist on listening to their radio channel which means you miss yours?

Slept in and missed a tutorial?

Can't afford to fly to London for the latest British Library lecture?

Being low on time, long on sleep, or short on cash no longer means you need to miss presentations, programs, or lectures that might be of personal or professional interest. The development of compressed audio technology has opened up a world of internet audio that is available on demand. Podcasts gives us the opportunity to listen to audio on demand. And, better still, podcasting gives far more options in terms of content and programming than radio does. With Podcasting, listeners can determine what programming they want to receive and when they want to listen to it.

Don't be downcast by the name though - you don't need an iPod to listen to a podcast (which is a relief to those of us who refuse to fall victim to the current fashion trends in listening technology!). Any mp3 friendly device - a garden-variety mp3 player, car stereo, or almost any computer with a sound card and speakers - can get you listening right away.


How to subscribe to a podcast

Many computers come equipped with (free!) software which will automatically download each new podcast as it becomes available. It's so easy! There are many different podcatchers available such as iTunes or Juice. Ultimately it is up to you to decide what software package works best for you.

Podcasting works the same as a standard RSS feed reader, with the only difference being that the feed you subscribe to contains an audio file. Instead of reading content in your RSS feed aggregator, you can listen to your feed using a reader that supports podcasting, or you can listen to them on your personal device whenever and wherever you want!

For Librarians - the sound of success...

Many consumers like to "try before they buy", whether it be a new kind of ice-cream or dipping into the local library services. Often people feel embarassed about coming to the circulation desk with a list of queries about your services - they don't want to waste your time or may feel embarassed about their lack of knowledge (although answering those queries is exactly what we are there for! :) ). Audio podcasts are one way in which patrons can browse your services at their leisure. You might want to think about podcasting about some of the following:

• A virtual audio tour of your library or library service (or, if you are brave, you could webcast it in video!...but that's another story)
• "How to" guides - how to find material, how to do research, how to make a reserve, how to renew online, facilities for people with disabilities, opening hours, library fines, interlibrary loans ... the list goes on!
• What's coming up at the library (start your own newscast!)
• Seminars, talks or presentations which may have been held at the library
• Story-Time on demand (parents will love this!!)
• Training seminars for staff (particularly useful for those of us whose branches are remote from the mother ship!)
• Material for the visually-impaired or those with reading difficulties
• Book reviews and author talks
• Oral history (great adjunct to local history collections!)

How to " pod " your " 'cast " to the world!

In simple terms, podcasting is a 3 step process:

1. Create audio file with audio recording software
2. Add the audio file to an RSS feed
3. Tell the world about your podcast!

The LibrarySuccess wiki (http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Podcasting) has some great links and guidelines for uploading your own podcasts. There are many websites through which you can upload your material and have it converted to mp3 format (usually for free!). If you've got a phoneline and a computer, you're ready to go! Try this site: http://www.podcasting-tools.com/ - it has all the background, tools, tips and toys you'll need!

If you've got questions, the world has answers

Ever dreamed of a life where you could ask a question and just about anyone in the world could pop up with an answer? Even better, you could reasonable faith in that answer because it has been refereed and vetted by experts in the area? Sounds too good to be true?

The internet has indeed made the world our information oyster. The use of social searching and answer board websites gives us all the opportunity to fling our queries into cyberspace and benefit from the knowledge and experience of potentially anybody with a modem!

Many librarians now identify themselves as such when they post answers to online questions. This continues to strengthen the veracity and reliability of online answers boards. This practice can have direct benefits for individual libraries or wider library services. By identifying yourself by your profession and including the name of your library in your answer, patrons can be made aware of the library's role as a reference service. What a great (and free!) way to publicise your research skills and the services offered by your branch or region!

So come on, all you library smart-pants's! Some popular answer board websites include Yahoo Answers (the big fish! answers.yahoo.com), Wiki Answers (wiki.answers.com), and AskVille (askville.amazon.com). A quick registration procedure is all it takes to get you questioning and answering.

LibraryThing

Your books, my books...let's share our books!

Myth would have it that it's the doctor's child that always gets sick, the mechanic's car that always breaks down, and the shoemaker who always goes barefoot. Well, librarians are no different - we are notorious for our extensive and unwieldy personal collections of books. Overflowing shelves, cabinets, boxes, and even just random piles of books traditionally inhabit our homes! While we love every one of those precious books, and usually know where everything is if asked to find something amongst it all, I'm sure it was an exasperated spouse that has come up with the perfect solution. It plays on a librarian's love of technowizardry while imposing a sense of order on the chaos of our personal book collections - entrez LibraryThing!

With LibraryThing, you create an online catalogue of your precious personal library. And even better, you can use the very cool and simple tagging options to group books by keywords or subjects. So when your kids come asking "do we have any books on Asia because I've got an assignment due tomorrow, Mum" - it's straight to LibraryThing for the answer!

But wait - there's more! You can rate your books and add recommendations, talk with other members on the forums, and (if you are the nosey type) check out what's on your friends' bookshelves ;)

Try it for yourself: http://www.librarything.com/