e-learning librarian’s toolbox

Here is a mashable.com article which provides a list of what Universities are using Web 2.0 tools for.

I guess University students in the US are different to TAFE students in Australia. We’ve tried to get students to communicate with us using Facebook, MySpace, IM and SMS. So far they have only responded to SMS communication – although admittedly we weren’t able to promote the other services much.

I wonder if other academic libraries in Australia have had much success.

Been a bit lax lately, but here are a couple of titbits worth looking at:

Don’t Worry, Be Scrappy: Good, Cheap Tech for Schools, Cloud Computing and More

It’s the perfect time to try cheap new technologies

Professional associations stand up for librarians: Tracey Caldwell looks at how the professional associations are embracing upskilling, specialisation, networking and Web 2.0 to help the beleaguered librarian

Fremont Public Library District’s Web 2.0 page is interesting, especially the Mobile page, though I think as the term Web 2.0 goes out of favour they might like to rename it to something more meaningful, especially the link name. Not everyone would know what “FPLD 2.0″ means.

This Daily Herald article gives a bit of a summary of how mobile technology is being used in academia and libraries.

“A growing number of Americans are wireless and mobile and are participating in a whole range of digital activities on the go, away from home or work…

Since libraries are in the information business, among other things, many are already adapting library services to the small screen. As usual in library innovation, academics are leading the way. “

I’m not sure our Australian TAFE students are as tech-dependent though. Still, it would be worth looking into.

I thought our new Spydus (Civica) system was good in that students and staff can pre-book computers and equipment from anywhere via the internet, but UQ students can use a visual display to quickly see what computers are available before they go to the lab. Maybe this is something we can work on for a future version of Spydus?

I also love the sound of the Innovations Lab. We definitely need one of those at our library!

“The library has launched a new Innovation Lab to work on projects that will … provide opportunities for collaboration with research groups from all over the University. “The aim of the Innovation Lab is to give library staff time and space away from their usual jobs to work on great ideas and make them a reality.” “

What a great idea and innovative use of a library in the evenings. Can’t see too many of our teachers giving up their evenings though.

“Starting in December 2008, the district began hosting monthly Learning At Night (LAN) parties for its teachers in the Sutherland secondary library… The district is trying to incorporate Web 2.0 tools, such as Skype and blogging, into the classroom in a way that benefits both its teachers and students.”

Full article.

This looks like it might be worth watching out for. Wish I could get to ALA Midwinter 2009 to have a peak. I’ll have to see if my boss will pay for the air fares and accomodation… Dream on Robyn!

“POMONA, Calif. – (Business Wire) Auto-Graphics, Inc… , a technology innovator providing library automation solutions for over 36 years, today announced the development of AGent Iluminar™, a next generation Web Services application for the company’s library automation platform.”

More here.

This podcast is very interesting, especially since I’ve worked in both fields.

http://chronicle.com/media/audio/v55/i07/techtherapy/

If you can’t spare 13 minutes, here is a summary:

Differences between libraries and IT:

• Different cultures and issues
• Some colleges trying to get them to work better together, but it’s not easy
• Seems to be a culture clash: “she’s from Mars, he’s from Venus” – i.e. libraries are stereotypically a female profession and IT jobs are stereotypically male (I can vouch for this - I definitely felt a little ostracised at times when I was a computer programmer, especially when I started managing others)
• Libraries have a long tradition of different practices and different values, whereas IT is the (relative) new kid on the block
• Libraries are very mission-oriented; IT departments are more task-oriented
• IT is all about access (connections to technology); libraries are about bringing meaning to access
• Libraries have a faculty (or education) orientation; IT staff don’t

Similarities between libraries and IT:

• Both refer to clients as “users”: term used by IT, libraries & drug dealers (I disagree with this – I used to call them “users” when I was a computer programmer, but now I’m a librarian I call them clients or customers)
• Both not so great in the people skills department (e.g. librarians have been called experts for so long they don’t like to admit when they don’t know something) (that’s because we know if we don’t know something we’re sure we can find the answer somewhere) 
• Both have changing work environments due to the nature of technology
• Both have uncertainty about the future (undermining factor) (e.g. libraries are uncertain about their future role (too much reliance on online database subscriptions?))
• Both resistant to change
• Both think they know what is best for the user
• Neither care about best practice but just keep doing what they’ve been doing (where did they get these results from? I don’t think so!)
• Both groups are throwing things out there and experimenting without planning (Mmmm???)
• Both feel like they are second-class citizens (e.g. librarians often don’t feel like they are considered an important part of the faculty)
• Both are passionate about information

Why is there such a rift? There is no choice, but IT and libraries are going to have to work together more.

How can things get better over time? Communicate, communicate, communicate

What are some of the solutions? Did I mention communicate?

Can libraries live without IT, and can IT live without libraries? 

Comments anyone?

This is mine:

What is yours? (I wouldn’t give away your real DOB though.)

“With the onslaught of social networking sites, such as Myspace, Facebook and Youtube, the Internet has adopted the name Web 2.0, a term describing the changing trends of the Web where users are directly linked to millions of items of information at their fingertips. Bell spoke about libraries catching up with the trend, adopting its own name, Library 2.0, encouraging a user to bring the information-getting process back to the library building through the use of online catalogues and information.”

More at SouthJerseyLocalNews.com.

LibraryThing, the social cataloging site that offers features to libraries like tag clouds and book recommendations, is expanding further into the social OPAC arena with the introduction of user reviews into LibraryThing for Libraries (LTFL). The new Reviews Enhancement package gives patrons at subscribing institutions the ability to both read book reviews from other library users as well as add their own, all without leaving the item page in the library’s online catalog.

Read more at
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6607897.html?desc=topstory