Web 2.0, Libraries & Generation Y...Oh My!

The Pew Internet & American Life Project released a new study on December 30th about the research capabilities of Americans and their use of public libraries. The study - Information Searches That Solve Problems: How People Use the Internet, Libraries, & Government Agencies When They Need Help - show some surprising findings:

• More than half of Americans visited a library in the past year with many of them drawn in by the computers rather than the books.


• Of the 53 percent of U.S. adults who said they visited a library in 2007, the biggest users were young adults aged 18 to 30 in the tech-loving group known as Generation Y.


• The survey showed 62 percent of Generation Y respondents said they visited a public library in the past year...


• Most people use multiple avenues to find information: 64 percent of those who went to the public library were very successful; 63 percent of those who used the Internet were very successful.

The report's findings were against popular stereotypes, especially in relation to Teens & Twenty-somethings. "We were surprised by these findings, particularly in relation to Generation Y," said Lee Rainie, co-author of the study and director of the Pew project.

Take a look at the recent Web 2.0 column in the online tech magazine, TechNewsWorld - "Survey: Techie Gen Y Is Also Library-Savvy." It has some pretty flattering stuff to say about libraries and their adoption of tech solutions.

The report was also covered in Yahoo! News and Assosiated Press.

hcplc=Lib 2.0

Let the training begin...

Now that we have been teasing you with some 2.0 ‘concepts’ (euphemism for toys), you’re probably wondering – “How’s this training going to work?” and “How do I participate?”

Here’s how:
Starting the week of January 7th, ALL library staff will be invited to begin the hcplc=Lib 2.0 training program. You will be asked to spend about 15 minutes every other day – more if you have the time – looking at the bi-weekly workbook topic, following some of the tutorials and readings, exploring the ‘toys’ associated with the topic and posting your thoughts and findings to the training blog by using the comments feature.

During the course of the training, you will be creating your own blog as your personal workbook for the training. This will be your space to experiment, track, and show off your training progress. You will also be able to look at the blogs of the other participants, see how they’re doing and leave comments.

Take a few minutes over the coming week and look at the sections of the hcplc=Lib 2.0 training blog. The sections of the hcplc=lib 2.0 Workbook are already posted for you to peek ahead.

While doing your tour of the blog, pay special attention to:
- The About hcplc=Lib 2.0 section of the workbook. It will provide many answers to your questions about program.
- The Library 2.0 Blogroll which has a few 2.0 oriented blogs to get you started.
- The Keeping Current listing of research tips and information sites.

Once we begin the training program you will see the appropriate workbook section as the daily blog post, followed by other posts and instructions focused on the topic.

Still have questions about the training? There’s a link to ask questions about the mechanics of the training program at the bottom of the hcplc=Lib 2.0 Workbook links.

Please remember, the main goals of this training are:
-encourage exploration of Web 2.0/Library 2.0 concepts and new technologies by staff.
-provide staff with new tools (that are freely available on the Internet) to better support the library's mission to have “a network of free libraries with open access, a community focus, welcoming environments, a broad range of relevant materials in a variety of formats, and highly qualified, customer-focused employees.”
-And to have some FUN!

Hey, don't forget to take the How 2.0 R U? survey - 70 of your co-workers already have ;)

Radio when you want it

National Public Radio has lots of interesting coverage of timely topics. This week, for example, they have been marking the 10th anniversary of the first weblogs with daily stories; this morning's story is about people whose blogs brought them attention from publishers who noticed not only their popularity but the fact that they have something to say and know how to write. So, from 2.0 to print they go!
The great thing about NPR, and other radio as well, is that you can actually listen whenever you like, and that is 2.0. Do what you like when you like. So you can subscribe to podcasts and download them from iTunes to your iPod and listen when you have time, while you are out for a walk, cleaning the house, etc. Or you can go to the station's website and download just the shows you want to hear to your mp3 player, or you can listen to what you want right on your computer.
On Saturday's edition of All Things Considered I heard a 20 something woman explain why she had dropped out of Facebook. You can hear that story right here.
And just because it is wonderful, listen to this story about a bat in winter.
By the way, our community radio station, WMNF, offers podcasts of their locally produced shows; you can see the list and an explanation of podcasting right here.

How 2.0 R U?

As we get ready for the start of the 2008 hcplc=Lib 2.0 training, we'd like to know how comfortable (and knowledgeable) you are with Web/Library 2.0 concepts and tools.

Please take a few minutes and let us know about your 2.0 experience by answering a few brief questions on our 2.0 survey. The survey is anonymous and the aggregate results will be posted during the first week of the training in January.

Take the survey.

(hint: click the big button)

Mashups are Amazing

One of the wonderful things about web 2.0 is what happens when one service is combined with another to create something completely new and useful. That's called a mashup, and earth album is one of my favorites. It combines the satellite view of googlemaps with the photo sharing site, flickr. The result is an easy way to find photos of any place on earth. Imagine sharing this with customers who are planning a vacation, or kids who are doing a geography report. Try it out now and take a look at your own home town or places you have traveled to. And if you post your own photos to flickr and tag them by location, you may see them on earth album someday.

What is a Wiki?

We’ve seen the introduction of a few Wikis here in this library system yet many people are still unsure of what they are and how they can be used. The term wiki comes from the Hawaiian language and it means “quick” or “very fast,” an apt description of an online tool which can be quickly and easily accessed, edited, and updated.

Take a look at the video and learn more about this collaborative tool.

Web 2.0 and the Twelve Days of Christmas

Well in the world of 2.0 I posted to the wrong blog. So here is the poem about Web 2.0 and the Twelve Days of Christmas! Lets try this again....

Here is a poem for the season that also helps illustrate all the aspects of Web 2.0. This poem was actually written by a business person, but it still illustrates how 2.0 has touched every aspect of the work world.Enjoy!http://www.smallbiztrends.com/2007/12/12-days-of-christmas-in-a-web-20-world.html

Did you know?

Why are we embarking on this Library 2.0 training project? Change is occurring at such a rapid rate, perhaps we can't hope to keep up, but we can try. This video (which is a bit over 8 minutes but very much worth the time) is part of a movement to ensure that our schools, and our libraries, are preparing our children for a future we cannot even imagine.

Where Can I Find Web 2.0 Now?

It’s great to talk about all of this Web 2.0 technology and try to work out how to apply it to the library as Library 2.0, but wouldn’t it be better to see some of this stuff being used in practice now?

Here are some Web 2.0 features and sites that use them now…beyond the social networking (MySpace.com), photo sharing (Flickr.com), video sharing (YouTube.com) and social bookmarking (del.icio.us) sites…

Personalization & User Ratings-
Amazon.com has you log in and will make recommendations for you based on your searches, you shopping and your lists. You can add your comments and reviews to merchandise you see on their site.

User Commenting (like on our blog)-
TBO.com/Tampatrib.com lets readers add comments to the news stories listed in this online edition.

Tagging-
Ann Arbor Library District Catalog allows logged-in card holders to add “tags” or subject headings to the entries which can then be searched or browsed just like the subject headings that the catalogers add,

Collaborative Authoring-
Wikipedia, 'the Free Encyclopedia' that lets anybody log in and create and edit content. It’s a far cry from Britannica, but wildly popular.

“Mashups” (two or more services combined to form a new service)-
Housingmaps.com uses Google Maps and Craigslist to create interactive mapping of houses for sale or rent.

Take a look at a few of these and use the comments feature below to suggest one that you’ve found.

Teens Love Libraries!

Do you have creative teens at your library too? Tell them about The Director's Chair, TBLC's contest for middle and high school students to make YouTube videos promoting Ask A Librarian. They can win fame and great prizes. And you can let them know about the print and electronic resources available at the library to help them become great videographers.

RSS Feeds

RSS (formally "RDF Site Summary", known colloquially as "Really Simple Syndication") is a family of Web feed formats used to publish frequently updated content such as blog entries, news headlines or podcasts. An RSS document, which is called a "feed", "web feed", or "channel", contains either a summary of content from an associated web site or the full text. RSS makes it possible for people to keep up with their favorite web sites in an automated manner that's easier than checking them manually.
RSS content can be read using software called an "RSS reader", "feed reader" or an "aggregator". The user subscribes to a feed by entering the feed's link into the reader or by clicking an RSS icon in a browser that initiates the subscription process. The reader checks the user's subscribed feeds regularly for new content, downloading any updates that it finds.
The initials "RSS" are used to refer to the following formats:

Really Simple Syndication (RSS 2.0)
RDF Site Summary (RSS 1.0 and RSS 0.90)
Rich Site Summary (RSS 0.91)
RSS formats are specified using XML, a generic specification for the creation of data formats.

If you would like to sign-up for an RSS feed with BookLetters go to the Databases & Websites page and click on the link for Find a Good Book. Look at the bottom of the page and you will see the link for BookLetters RSS. When you click on it, you will be able to get news delivered to your desktop! So if you are feeling adventuresome try it!

Bet you can't read just one

There are so many interesting and informative blogs out there. One way to find blogs that you want to read is through the blogs you already read. Many blogs include a list of recommended sites along the side (see our blogroll over there on the right), and often you'll find bloggers mentioning each other in their posts.
For example, I like to look at Book By Its Cover, a blog that celebrates the art of all kinds of books, including picture books, graphic novels, and handmade books.
And speaking of beautiful books, you can view a slide show of The New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books 2007.

What is Library 2.0/Web 2.0?

Check this out...

"Web 2.0...The Machine is US/ing Us."



Read a transcript of the video at Digital Ethnography.

Also, take a look at:

"Understanding Web 2.0"