Did You Know 4.0-The Digital Shift and Information Policy: an INF506 OLJ Blog Entry

The video, "Did You Know 4.0" looks at how our world has changed since the introduction of modern digital technology.  When we look at how we use technology everyday for personal, professional or educational purposes, what are the guidelines we use? Are there guidelines?  In fact, there are rules when it comes to the technological world, but some have yet to be developed and some are still evolving.  These rules are called "information policy."

 "Information policy is the set of all public laws, regulations and policies that encourage, discourage or regulate the creation, use, storage and communication of information" (Weingarten, 1989). 

 When we make comments on Facebook, update our Twitter feeds, send emails and search the web, what rules do we follow? How are our physical interactions different than our virtual ones?
After watching this video, I noticed 5 changes in our society that can be defined as "shifts" based upon changes of the digital world that so many of us now depend on.

1 & 2.  Digital Literacy and Copyright-Not only do less people read and purchase newspapers, we now access information differently.  Instead of using print books to find answers, we browse the web.  In libraries specifically, we rely heavily on the use of databases instead of large reference books and we now offer e-books in addition to regular print books.  While there are definitely benefits to digitization, there are problems that arise.  If library patrons are going to use the Internet instead of books to get the information they need, it is the librarian's job to make sure patrons are trained in how to tell if something is trustworthy information.  By providing databases on the library website, the library is selecting reputable sources that patrons can search with confidence, thereby promoting "digital literacy."  In addition, offering e-books at libraries has been a controversial topic because of copyright issues.  When a library buys a print copy of a book, it has unlimited circulation.  With e-books, there is a limit to how many times a book can be checked out without renewing the license.  These types of problems can be addressed with proper information policies, something many e-book lenders have been trying to fine tune this past year as e-books have become more and more popular.

3 & 4.  The Digital Divide and Library Internet Use- President Obama was able to raise more money than John McCain in the 2008 election because he used social media to boost his campaign.  With 69% of adults using social media, Obama was able to reach many more people through digital media than McCain was the traditional way.   Advertising on a social networks is going to reach a lot of people, mainly those who are familiar with the Internet.  However, let us not forget that there are people out there who don't have access to the Internet and those people should not be discounted.  Perhaps if the Internet was free and available to all, this issue of the "digital divide" could be addressed.  By providing free Internet and computer use at the library, libraries work to promote online literacy and skills, hoping to close the digital divide.  However, in order to provide fair and equal opportunities to all,  libraries must create policies for acceptable use for this service to run smoothly.

5.  Social (Networking) Etiquette- With so many people using social networking sites, what is the etiquette or policy we follow? Many people keep their Facebook pages private, but some aren't very careful.  This video uses an example of an employee talking negatively of her boss on her Facebook page, and he sees her post because he is her Facebook friend! We need to remember to remain professional if we are going to open up our virtual lives for all to see.  We need to act as if we would in person when we are on social networks, and sometimes people forget that.  Even though we can access so  information on the go on our cell phones, there are situations when it's acceptable and when it's not.  For example, when we are out to dinner in public or at work in a meeting we should be focused on the people or the task at hand, not texting or updating our Twitter status in 140 characters or less.

Information policy is reflected in our physical  interactions every day, and it should be in our digital lives too.  Check out the video yourself and see what shifts you can identify!

The Essentials of Being an Information Professional in a Web 2.0 World: an INF506 OLJ Entry

After reading and watching some of the assigned articles and videos this week, I have been thinking a lot about what skills librarians need in order to successfully introduce Web 2.0 into the library.  If you'd like to view these materials, here are the links:

Stephen Abram's Web 2.0, Library 2.0, and Librarian 2.0: Preparing for the 2.0 World

Missy Harvey's What does it mean to be a Science Librarian 2.0?

2008 ALIA New Librarians Symposium- Comments on Library 2.0/Librarian Web 2.0

Laura Cohen's A Librarian's 2.0 Manifesto

Many of these sources discuss the importance of Web 2.0 in the library as a way of staying current and up to date in a technology based world.  While this is key, I also believe being able to adopt social networking in the library requires much more common sense; a positive attitude.  Here are some attributes I believe librarians need in order to introduce the world of Web 2.0 to their patrons, staff and their library:

• Be open-Embrace change and the unknown! If you hear about a new technology or how a library is using a new social networking tool, check it out, don't be afraid.  Social media can be helpful in many ways for educational and business purposes, but it's fun too!
• Encourage Staff-If you are in  a position to decide on what social networking tool your library is going to use, talk to your staff, encourage them to try them out at work and ask them for their input.
• Communication-Ask other librarians, patrons and staff what they use, like, know and then brainstorm how specific tools can be used in the library setting.

These points are all connected to one another and a positive attitude is key when adopting anything new in an organization.  Set an example by showing excitement for new ways libraries can use social networking tools, and other people will pick up on that.  After following the above points, it's also important to be able to be able to critically asses how web 2.0 can benefit your library specifically.  Think about the needs of users, staff and the library itself.  The communication part is extremely helpful in this area...and don't forget to have fun!

A to Z of Social Networking for Libraries: an INF506 OLJ Blog Entry



After reading AnnaLaura's blog article "A to Z of Social Networking for Libraries," I was excited to find that the Ames Free Library, where I am the Assistant Youth Services Librarian, has accomplished many of the social networking tasks that are so important for libraries utilizing web 2.0.  For example, we have several Active (for the letter A) web 2.0 platforms we use including Twitter, Flickr, Facebook (the letter F!), Pinterest and three Blogs (the letter B!).  The majority of our staff actively use these social networking sites with Zeal (the letter Z) and we are constantly trying to think of fun new ways we can use them to benefit the library.  However, there were a few areas where we could use improvement.  They are:

1. D-Direction-We have recently discussed how we can strategically use the web 2.0 platforms that staff manages.  It's easy for libraries to adopt new technologies, but how will they be used? Until this recent discussing, we were kind of aimlessly tweeting, posting and pinning.  Staff has read up on ways to use these technologies and we have come up with a basic game plan.  The library will use Twitter to represent the library publishing and marketing world.  Facebook will be used to advertise and connect with our patron group.  Pinterest is being used as a reader's advisory site.  This is all in the beginning stages, and we will evaluate how these strategies are working as time goes on.
2. E-E-Books - The library lends e-books through the library consortium but many people don't know about them.  We need to think of ways to advertise this service better.  We also lend e-readers like kindles and nooks, and these devices can be used as a way to promote e-books.
3. O-Open source- I hadn't heard of open source programs such as Joomla or Koha until I read this article.  It would be interesting to find out how implementing these open source programs can help blend social networking with the library website and card catalog.
4. R-Reference- While we currently offer reference service in person and through email we don't use social networks for answering reference questions.  I think adding this service to these sites would help promote more people to ask questions!
5. Y-Youth- As the Assistant Youth Services Librarian, I have been brainstorming ways to better reach out to youth through our social networking sites.  I would like to create a blog just for teens and a Facebook page where teens and the library can directly interact for fun programs like a virtual book club!

As you can see, the A-Z guide is a great way to evaluate library services and think of innovative ways to implement social networking into the library!

Using Delicious: a Social Bookmarking Tool (an INF506 OLJ entry)

What is Social Bookmarking?

As I mentioned in my previous post, students enrolled in INF506, Social Networking for Information Professionals, are required to create accounts on Delicious, a social bookmarking website.  So, what is social bookmarking? It's actually quite convenient.  Delicious allows users to take information from the web (articles, pictures, videos, etc.) and save them all in one place.  Users can also upload favorite articles and posts  from other social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to their Delicious account for easy access and organizing.  From a librarian's point of view, I find it similar to classification and cataloging.  For example, as I read the articles and watch the videos for class, I simply add the ones I find relevant to me to my Delicious account.  When I add something, I am able to "tag" the item, or classify it using a  folksonomy system, with a descriptive word such as "social networking" or "Facebook", allowing me to easily search and find the information I've saved so I can  refer back to it later.  Here is an example of what tags look like:

When I click on the tags, other documents will be retrieved so that I can find even more relevant information on the subject I'm searching for.  This also allows Delicious users to view what others have posted, enabling people to find users who have similar interests.  Delicious allows users to follow each other, so that when someone I follow posts something new I am able to view it in my feed and decide if I want to bookmark it myself.  So what's the point? All of this is a great way to group information together that I've found on the web and that I've been introduced to by other members.  I am then able to group items together by type through tagging for my own reference.

How is Social Bookmarking Helpful?

Using Delicious is helpful in many ways.  Right now, I am using it for educational and professional purposes.  I am bookmarking websites that will be helpful to me for class assignments and projects.  This is basically allowing me to build my reference list for these larger projects and allows easy, quick access to the information I need. This is a great way for all students to build lists of works that they can use for assignments, and librarians can refer students to this site and offer tutorials.

 I am also bookmarking articles relevant to my profession in library Youth Services, to be able to access ideas and other helpful tips on programming and services that I'd like to implement in the future.  Professionals in all fields will find organizing relevant information helpful using Delicious because it is a great way to collaborate on projects and share a variety of resources, ideas and media from a number of online places.

What are the Downsides?

For the most part, my experience using Delicious has been a positive one.  I love when social networking sites can help make my life easier.  Delicious allows me to organize and group similar information.  This is incredibly helpful for my projects in school and at work.  However, one thing to keep in mind is that technology doesn't always run smoothly.  Many classmates and I repeatedly got an error message every time we tried to follow someone on Delicious, making it difficult to find other users in order to share interesting and helpful information. After contacting Delicious, this problem has been resolved. This is a great example of users experimenting with social networking sites and trying to improve user experience.  Hopefully Delicious will use this feedback to address the issue and improve service.