Sorry

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s apology motion has been tabled in Parliament:

Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

We reflect on their past mistreatment.

We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations – this blemished chapter in our nation’s history.

The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia’s history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.

We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians.

We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country.

For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry.

To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry.

And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry.

We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation.

For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written.

We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians.

A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again.

A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity.

A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed.

A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.

A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia.

Slightly amended dream job title

First it was creative information librarian, then it was emerging technologies librarian, now a slight amendment to the dream job title*.

*drum roll please*

Emerging Technologies and Conferences Librarian.

Given that I have spent much of the past ten days at symposiums/conferrences and arrived back at work enthused and eager I think that, in an effort to maintain the momentum, the slight adjustment to the dream job title is justified.

The emerging technologies part stays the same but I have added in conferences.

Now I don't want to be greedy so, when it comes to conferences, the following rules apply:

Relevant conferences in my home state - paid for by library

Relevant conferences interstate - conference fees paid for by library, airfares & accommodation paid for by me.

International conferences to be negotiated on a case by case basis.

What could be fairer than that?

The emerging technologies part is to investigate new technologies and assess how they could be used in a library setting.

If suitable I would implement the technology (in conjunction with the relevant team) and train staff and public in its use.

I would also be responsible for keeping up with my bloglines every day.

____________________________

* obviously my dream job title is international jetsetting and superhero librarian but should that one not be available this is my fallback position!

VALA. Day 3. Afternoon plenary

Stuart Weibel , Senior Research Scientist, OCLC Programs and Research, USA Making identifiers concrete (so library places and spaces don't have to be)

Libraries are a trusted source of info.
Overwhelming branding image is books

Social networking Sites (SNS)

• Motivate people to participate
• tagging
• book reviews
• emergent relationships
• It isn't different, only the technical manifestation is
• delover library services to emerging social networks

Examples of SNS

• facebook
• myspace
• second life
• twitter

Libraries are an experience as well as a service

Can libraries compete in SNS?

• sns fuelled by $ entrepreneurship
• rate of innovation failure is rapid
• distinguish between trends and trendy

Library catalogues

• evolving to networks
• linked to global locations, people, concepts etc.
• fit into our patrons' workspaces and lives
• platform for past knowledge and future productivity

Resources

• coherence
• context
• durable environment
• emerging technologies

FRBR (Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records) entities

Social bibliographies (user generated content)

Characteristics of first class entities
persistent identity on the web
accessible to all
stand alone
curated


persistence

• universal accessibility
• cultural memory
• search engine optmisation
• canonical id
• library branding (URI)
• usability of URI's
• should be speakable
• should be as short as possible
• hackability & truncatable

GLIMIR (Global Library Manifestation ID)

• global in scope
• canonical
• business neutral
• provides URL equity
• fits within FRBR model

_________________________

From Wikipedia:

FRBR comprises groups of entities:
Group 1 entities are Work, Expression, Manifestation, and Item, and represent the products of intellectual or artistic endeavour.
Group 2 entities are person and corporate body, responsible for the custodianship of Group 1’s intellectual or artistic endeavour.
Group 3 entities are subjects of Group 1 or Group 2’s intellectual endeavour, and include concepts, objects, events, places.
Group 1 entities are the foundation of the FRBR model:
Work is a “distinct intellectual or artistic creation.” (IFLA 1998)
Expression is “the specific intellectual or artistic form that a work takes each time it is ‘realized.’” (IFLA 1998)
Manifestation is “the physical embodiment of an expression of a work. As an entity, manifestation represents all the physical objects that bear the same characteristics, in respect to both intellectual content and physical form.” (IFLA 1998)
Item is “a single exemplar of a manifestation. The entity defined as item is a concrete entity.” (IFLA 1998)

VALA. Day 3 Session 3b

Carla Pilarski and Debbie Posker, University of Newcastle, NSW Reaching the audience using podcasts, SMS/texting and blogs at the University of Newcastle Library

Podcasts, SMS, Blogs

Uni students
face to face
online

Podcast
production - used lectopia (now echo 360)

steps

• capture
• process
• monitor
• deliver

Library top ten things to know

Getting to know the library

Hear-do-learn

SMS service

• Altarama - reference by sms
• 100 characters by sms messsage (replies)
• students sms reference enquiry and receive response (by sms) within 24 hours

altarama - reference tracker (response send link/url)

Blogs

• online version of newsletter

nb:See their 2006 vala paper for info.

VALA. Day 3 Session 3a

Tony Iezzi, Vision Australia, Vic Information access: forging new paths

Daisy (Digital Accessibly Information System)

• digital talking book
• easy to navigate
• future proofed in digital model
• daisy consortium (56 member nations)
• fosters independence

Bookport handheld device.

Transitioning technology.

oyo or loaned by Vision.

newspapers, books, magazines etc. easily downloaded

around $400-$500 per device.

VALA. Day 3 Session 2c

Sue Owen and Kat Clancy, Deakin University, Vic Deakin Library website 2.0: iterative change for maximum gain

Google presentation (part of google docs)

aim was to improve access to Deakin Library (website)

'get noticed get like google' or die

Methodology

• content inventory
• card sorting test (topic areas to logical applications)
• whiteboard prototyping
• user testing and review cycles

Header and left navigation menu compulsory design - part of university template.

Users didn't differentiate between web site and opac.

Orientation week vodcast - your library, your space

Subject guides (library guides) online

Use LibX, a firefox extension that can search the library if firefox is open (not necessarily open to library page)

nb:Firefox is the uni's browser of choice for students - it's on their enrolment dvd

Also has a link to Encore (Educational Network and Community for Open Resource Exchange)

Use IM (Meebo)

Internal library wiki


Facebook page

• from individual profile students can search library catalogue (in house developed widget)
• australia is 3rd fastest growing group on facebook

Future plans

• help via blog
• internal newsletter via blog
• Igoogle

VALA. Day 3 Session 2b

Jan Lavelle and Carmel Denholm, State Library of Tasmania All for naught: using existing bibliographic data to deliver modern search tools

TALIS plus is the name of the new (upgraded?) catalogue search mechanism at the State Library of Tasmania.

It uses faceted browsing and was largely designed by staff.

Design process
user behaviour
genre browsing.

To be effective the facets needed to be consistent and coherent.

13 Facets were decided upon:

• author
• fiction/non fiction
• format
• genre
• topic
• audience
• availability
• library location
• series
• Tasmania(n)
• region
• time period
• language

Issues faced:

• data quality
• data availabilty
• technical constraints
• conceptual difficulties/resource intensive

"A hold is just an issue that hasn't happened yet"

Some of the entry points/facets are similar (topic. fic/nf, audience)

Uses 'next gen catalogue' access points

Data is exposed

Standard library thing for libraries tags in full record.

data is only 'real time/live' at final access point (is it on shelf at the moment?)

VALA. Day 3, Session 1. Luke Wroblewski

Senior Principal of Product Ideation & Design, Yahoo! Inc. and Principal of LukeW Interface Designs, USA. Designing for today's Web

Luke was an excellent and inspiring speaker.

Squidoo - eye tracking study. people scan all directions, don't read text.

Design considerations
Presentation - what am I building , why should I care how it looks
should quickly communicate:
what it is, (usefulness)
how it can be used/how to use it (usability)
desirability - why use it

Interaction -how application responds to user input/actions
ease of use

Organisation - structure of application

Trends & shifts
Ways we interact with our (online) audience
Locomotion
Conversation
Manipulation

Yahoo Answers
zero - 90 million in 18 months…
allows you to have anything answered in 5 mins

Conversation prominent online
Manipulating - mixing , re-adding, - showed Writely >> google docs

Web transitions
digital representations of physical entities. 1st websites included:
directories
online brochures

Digital manipulations of physical goods
e-commerce
amazon, ebay

Digital Services
conversation
display
content creation
aggregation
entertainment (hanging out)


Digital Service costs now quite low
hosting - less than cup of coffee per month
free Open Source
development toolkits
instant global audience - 1.2 billion people online sept 07

Musts
know your core business
define yourself
focus on the core
build outward

Decide and define core business and then expand from that core (outward, upward)

Digg
voting
commenting
socially filtering the news
intro of one click digg - activity went through the roof

Flickr
core focus = person takes picture
how do you build outward from the core - grow outward, don’t just whack it on top of it.

Back of Pack info(like what used to be on back of cereal box)
support the story
outline features and benefits

Eg. Yahoo - Can click to get help - explaining in context

Unpacking experience
experience of getting new Apple laptop out of the box
very personal and engaging to unpack

jump cut - can start using immediately

google videos - have to log in first

PBwiki - not intuitive or easy to work out

AJAX Interface design - allows you to just update/change a part of page without complete reload
Traditionally: user action, screen reload, data update

AJAX - user action, data update (just small part of page updated)
Digg, ratings on YouTube, To do lists.

Design Patterns

Using rich interactions to make info retrieval more interesting

Content experiences

Creating Navigating systems and site tree - traditionally
Usually - set up with hierarchies - closed, expensive, complex, accurate
Non-traditional - inter-relationships that are messy.
Accurate enough

Content page should contain:
content
point to related content
context (little)


Content should dominate

Access points internally

On most websites a few bits get all the attention

Design considerations
primary focus on primary content
need to fulfil promise

Everyone can create
focus on creating community
creating community is a way to share interests & goals

Great products create community

Rare to organise around nothing

Who’s in a community
Creators - 1% (core creators)
Synthesisers - 10% (do stuff with the thing that originated)
Consumers - 100% - all benefit

Community
pool of people providing a filter
original content
increased engagement
invested customers
collaboration & innovation

Best practices
enable identity
welcome
personal branding
re-entry points

Quality content is based on level of effort to put something in.

Barriers to entry help increase quality control (eg login)

VALA Day 2. Afternoon Plenary

Michael Geist , Canada Research Chair of Internet and E-commerce Law, University of Ottawa, Canada Unlocking access: in support of a hands-on Internet policy

podcasts.culture.ca

'law & technology' U of Ottawa podcasts

creative archive licence group

Net 2008

• blogs
• podcasts
• social networking
• enables people to speak out, create
• share experiences

Creation

• desktop software
• video distribution (youtube, bbc etc.)
• flickr -billions of photos -over 100 million available under Creative Commons licences

Collaborative media

• wikipedia - 2 million articles in english.
• encyclopedia of Life -catalogue all life on earth in 10 years - started last year.
• OhMyNews - citizen journalism
• Project Gutenberg
• LibriVox (audio of it)
• MIT Open Courseware - online syllabus, course materials, powerpoint demos, podcasts, videocasts.
• Public Library of Science - open access peer reviewed scientific journal

Internet archive is good for more than the Way Back machine, it will host any content that the individual has the copyright to.

Digitisation projects worldwide making information available to all.

Underlying most of this is open source software.

Net 2018

Connectivity

• broadband
• muni wifi
• net neutrality
• spam
• spyware

Enhance participation

• liability issues
• domain names
• privacy
• trust
• transparency

Anti-circumvention

• fair use
• term extension
• orphan works
• wipo

Content

• open access
• digitisation
• crown copyright
• public broadcasting

___________________________

VALA. Day 2, Session 2c.

Ellen Forsyth, State Library of New South Wales Fancy walkie talkies, Star Trek communicators or roving reference? (2006 Travel Scholar)

Ellen talked about the VOCERA device which is a Wifi 'badge' which means that libraries can provide a roving reference service rather than a static, physical reference desk.

Staff can basically roam the shelves looking for people to help rather than waiting for people to approach the desk for help.

'Staff need to learn to stroll rather than stride'

A number of US public libraries are using the vocera devices to provide reference services.

• Pasadena Public Library
• Orange County
• King County
• Santa Monica

Each badge costs approx. US$400

As at Jan 08, no Australian libraries using the system

___________________________

Seems suited to large, multi storey libraries rather than CoBLS' libraries. Can see it being useful in say, the Baillieu Library, where users don't want to traipse down three flights to ask a reference librarian.

VALA. Day 2. Afternoon session 2.Libraries Interact

Kathryn Greenhill, Murdoch University, WA and Constance Wiebrands, Curtin University, WA Libraries interact: collaboration & community in the Australian library blogosphere.

librariesinteract

Tools used to set up the site.

• wordpress
• feedburner
• technorati
• gmail/google groups
• pbwiki
• connotea
• citeulike

Tools for 2.0 libraries

• australian library blog list
• australian library blog search (google search engine)
• surveys
• VLINT (virtual libraries interact new technology?)
• Frappr
• Thali tags
• professional reading room
• facebook

'community of practice'

VALA. Day 2. Afternoon session 1

Alan Butters. Sybis, Vic. New RFID technologies & standards - what does it all mean for your library?

Given that TODETEM. (The Org Daft Enough To Employ Me), has started RFID'ing I was quite interested in the topic.

He spoke about what info should be on the tag, the encoding, (ID mandatory, all else optional) and the different frequencies.

• Low (animal tags)
• High (libraries, file tracking)
• UHF (warehousing)
• Microwave (city link)

Frequency needs to 'match' the application: read speed, distance/range.

UHF

• faster read rates
• greater read distance
• cheaper tags
• more powerful
• compatibility

UHF vs Current technology

UHF is:

• new technology
• current mobile phone technology
• no data on safety (yet)
• international guidelines
• accelerated life testing
• hard to control (fields)

Can't mix and match HF and UHF

VALA. Day 1, Session 2c

Cameron Barnes and Karan Jones, University of New England, NSW. Making a virtual community real: redeveloping eSKILLS Plus using Web 2.0

Why are you building a social space?

Who is your audience?

What are their needs and wants?

What are your requirements?

What is your budget?

What makes you so certain customers will want to use your social space?

Don't build a social space just to jump on the bandwagon

Don't assume 'if you build it they will come'

Being where users are is no good if they aren't buying what you're selling

To succeed

Marketing Plan
- mail outs regularly
- use email
- endorsement from 'respected' library staff
- site renamed 'meeting place'
- competitions
- prizes
- promotions
- emphasis on fun, new features, photos
- user generated content

Evaluate

Think hard about your purpose

Effective promotion is essential

Consider prizes and giveaways - they really work

http://une.edu.au/library/eskillsplus

_____________________________________

VALA. Day 1, Session 2b

Kathryn Greenhill, Murdoch University, WA. Do we remove all the walls? Second Life librarianship.

Second Life is overhyped and it's growth is levelling off.

virtuallibrariesinteract.info

Advantages of having a presence in Second Life

• learn a new interface
• understand users who game
• breakdown professional isolation
• increase coding skills (creating objects)
• fun creative expression
• collaborative learning community
• network about real life library topics
• expert professional support
• nimble thinking and adaptable

What works in Second Life

• events
• reference desk
• casual get togethers
• outdoor settings
• friending and using network
• collaborations around subject matter, not geography
• volunteers working on their own interests

What doesn't work

• static collections, no people
• closed off buildings
• clickable objects
• solo exploration

_____________________________

As stated elsewhere Kathryn has my dream job title (Emerging Technologies Specialist) and it's easy to see why her bosses would want her to have this title. She gave a great presentation, introducing us to Second Life librarianship, and showed us a lot of the 'trial and error' type experimentation they went through when building their second life presence.

I've been on Second Life for a while but this presentation energised me into going back to 2nd life and exploring it in more depth than I had dones previously.

VALA. Day 1, Session 2a

Lynette Lewis. YPRL. Library 2.0: taking it to the street.

Lynette spoke about 2.0 & YPRL.

Themes such as:

• Participation
• Communities
• Whose space
• Shifting the focus
• letting go
• collaboration

emerged as important considerations when adopting 2.0 technology.

• constantly changing environment
• new technologies
• focus on different ways (of doing things)

Showed a photo of Ivanhoe Library's deskless reference desk. There is no physical desk - the librarian has a mobile phone and a tablet pc and roams the shelves helping people.

Library Worker 2.0

• Find information
• Enable learning
• Create content
• Celebrate culture
• Lead the organisation

Community spaces online

• library blog
• Wikis
• Genealogy
• Local History

Wiki - YPRL books

links to oz lit and other online book resources

Library Worker 2.0 Training Wiki

2.0 classes (for the public)

• Blogs
• second life
• librarything
• RSS
• ipods

YPRL has a presence on Flickr, Facebook, Youtube.

________________________

I like the idea of the Library Worker 2.0 (or 2.1) program.

It 'legitimises' the program and may make some staff who are 'against' 2.0, and all it stands for, realise that this is the way that libraries are evolving.

Telling people that they are using 2.0 as a procrastination tool or as a way of avoiding doing their 'real' work only reinforces the negative perceptions in the minds of staff who overhear such conversations.

YPRL seem to have some good ideas when it comes to incorporating 2.0 into everyday library life. Is it perfect as the presentations make out? Probably not, but the enthusiasm seems to be there.

VALA. Day 1, Session 1.

Keynote Speaker Andy Powell.

Lesson learned too late - I should have done some pre-reading for this session.

Andy spoke about digital repositories and web 2.0. He was a founding member of Dublin Core (I didn't know whether it was core, or corps - as in corps de ballet, until I got back to work and googled it)

Andy was an engaging speaker, I just didn't have the base knowledge to follow his talk.

However the Connecting Librarian did. Click here for her summary.

BTH: Wrapup

This was a great conference (symposium).

I came away buzzing with ideas that I hope one day to get a chance to implement. Given that I attended as an 'unaffiliated' individual I sujspect I'll be setting up trial sites for my own nefarious purposes rather than for work.

The symposium clarified my ideas for where I want to work (CHRLC -they let their staff go to conferences such as this), what I want to do (Emerging Technologies Librarian anyone)

Now I'm not just finding out about 2.0 tools, I'm keen to use them in a library setting.

I know now that I want to be in a place where I can say "Hey why don't we use this application in our library - this is how it works, this is what it could he used for, how do you think we could use it?"

I also think it's important that staff be able to attend conferences, symposiums etc that are relevant to what they are trying to do.

Perhaps some form of cost sharing could be implemented to enable more people who attend (those that want to).

ETA :
Following a comment that was made to me on Friday I'd just like to point out that I attended this symposium on my own dime because I was interested in the topics being discussed and I was going to be in Brisbane anyway. That I choose to spend part of my annual leave at such a conference is my choice and my choice alone.

My attendance at the Beyond the Hype symposium should not be used as part of a tally of conferences, talks, symposiums etc. that I have attended for work.

Does this mean that anything I learned at this symposium should not be used in my job? What would be the point of that?

I would've thought that keenness and enthusiasm should be encouraged, not discouraged.

If I, or anyone else, is interested in something that will benefit the library shouldn't we be encouraged to attend where realistic? (I realise there are cost and staffing implications and that is not possible for everyone to attend everything they want to (I'm not even saying we should be able to attend everything we want))

Stepping off soapbox now.

BTH: Online branch libraries

Kate Davis, Gold Coast City Council Library, “Towards the online branch library: developing online services & collections at Gold Coast City Council Library”

Suite of initiatives for online users

Project scope
* information architecture for online library
* building online collections
* access to online collections
* online reference and readers advisory
* outreach via SNS
* towards opac 2.0
* mediated and disintermediated online reference & readers adv.

ebooks & e-audio (overdrive)

monthly promotional themes (corporate branded promo)

web accessability for small screen devices

Netstream (newsletters)

________________________

I like the idea of treating the online environment as a 'separate library branch' sort of. It gives a focus to the online resources and I think would be a good way of marketing/promoting our online presence as the 'online branch'.

BTH: Libraries Interact

Peta Hopkins, Bond University, “Libraries Interact: a personal view of practical 2.0”

Librariesinteract.info (wordpress blog)

Thali (This helps australian libraries interact)

Google groups

PBWiki (for documentation)

Custome search engine by google (if a not for ptofit then google ads can be turned off)

Use FRAPPR for community map

RSS tools
* technorati
* bloglines
* feedburner

facebook (Libraries interact)

Social media: facilitates long distance communities by providing an alternative for 'face time'.

__________________________

Uses several web 2 tools to create an online presence which would be ideal for any library,

BTH: Emerging Technologies Librarian

Kathryn Greenhill, Murdoch University, “Five social software sites that libraries shouldn’t ignore”

Why social software?
* connecting people with info.

Meebo widget (Ask a Librarian)

Online library
* pictures
* papers
* film clips
* bookmarks

Storage and retrieval via social elements

Social does not mean trivial

Social Operating Systems

Film clips
* Youtube
* Viddler
* Bliptv
* Teachertube
* Godtube

Photos
* Flickr
* Zoomr
* Picasa
* Photobucket
* Snapfish

Bookmarks
* Del.icio.us
* Magnolia
* Citeulike
* Connotea

Networks
* Facebook
* Myspace
* Friendster
* Bebo
* Xanga
* Ning

Tags
* Digg
* Reddit
* Stumbleupon
* Perthnorg


Flickr has a 365 library days project (check it out)

Facebook Flyer - targeted facebook announcements

CHECKLIST
* ensure reasonable public access
* ensure staff know how to search contetn
* check library's web presence
* use social software to talk to other libraries
* it's not about what suits us but about what suits our users

__________________

Emerging Technologies Librarian - this is my current dream job title (I know Kathryn's title is actually Emerging Technologies Specialist)

Lots of useful info in this session - about the software that's out there and what we can do with it in our library.

BTH: Wikis: emerging from the hype phase

Bernie Lewin, Arup, “ Wikis: emerging from the hype phase"

Most wikis fail!

What is a wiki?
* a collaborative web development tool
* all users involved in structure and design

Site management
* article page
* behind that is a discussion page
* history page
* records every edit to the page
* watch pages

Other useful management pages
* most popular pages
* most linked to pages

When to use wikis
* for knowledge sharing
* not for broadcasting

What are wikis good for?
* nurturing knowledge development (not controlling it)
* empowering the user to take control

When to try a wiki
* to serve real need to share body of info.
* there is a genuine interest in sharing it

A healthy collaborative spirit must exist

To make a wiki work
* do the groundwork
* solicit approval from bosses
* recruit well placed activists


Prebuild a basic design with a welcolming main page

Upload critical mass of information

LAUNCH IT

Biggest problem is encouraging folks to contribute.

_____________________

A wiki would be good for rosters, procedures, etc. could be accessed from home. Might give it a try.

BTH: Never mind the students, what about us?

Jennifer Creese, UQ, “Social networking: never mind the students, what about us? Use of social networking software for professional networking & development for library staff”

Purpose of project
* Social networking in the workplace
* Suits modern workstyles/cultures
* Facebook Friday (company in US insists that all staff take a half hour every friday to update their profiles on facebook)

Surveyed staff to see which, if any, SNS they used.
* Facebook
* Myspace
* Multiply
* Friendster

Training Program.
* non compulsory
* flexible
* Facebook as sns of choice
* UQL staff facebook group
* basic level of web 2.0 familiarity required

Concerns
* privacy
* appropriateness for work
* time
* 'tech overload'

Guidelines
*monitor/limit private infor (public as well as private)
* careful outreach on individual level
* limit 'time wasting'
* keep up to date (scrap and run if necessary)

Potential future developments
* eforums
* use by project groups and working parties
* potential outreach to academics, researchers

_____________________

Interesting session which identified some of the concerns our staff had about learning 2.0.

BTH: From classic to 2.0

Mylee Joseph, SLNSW, “From classic to 2.0: equipping State Library of NSW with a new toolkit”

A new strategic framework for SLNSW
More client focussed library
New library service model
* adopt learning 2.0
* tailored to particular business
* toolkit
* transferable skills
* all staff (incl. security guards, shop personnel etc.)


Agenda:
* expose staff to industry leading ideas
* customers to have interest/right in contributing
* build staff skills
* plug skills into core policies
* identify what policies need to be changed
- eg: in current code of conduct all blog posts must be approved by State Lib'n or Asst S-L

Concerns
* Ageing staff
* brain drain
* content staff

Test pilots
* Self assessment survey (web 2.0)
*learning 2.0 -test pilot edition

Summary
* Customise for your library
* Address code of conduct issues
* Talk to HR about training times
* Don't assume competency
* Provide support
* Collaborate on design of ideas
* Model the behaviour that you want to see
* Blog anonymously
* Code of conduct reminders
______________________

You know sometimes you go to a talk and afterwards you think 'I wish so-and-so had been here to hear that talk'?

Well that is so what I wish about this talk.

So much of what Mylee was saying is valid for my workplace (I sometimes unfavourably compare our ideas process with a maze - it ain't easy that's for sure!)

This talk left me thinking about whether I could plan something like this for CoBLS (and what would I do with it if I did.

Pick of the talks so far I think.

BTH: The book is dead long live the book

Dr Sherman Young, Macquarie University, “Beyond 2.0: Songs from the Geek Chorus”

Dr Young has written a book titled The book is dead, long live the book and, in his own words, was at the conference to be controversial.

What is technology?
Does technology drive social change?

The importance of technology
How it is used
How we use it

Mobility means that there is a choice for info.
Unlimited access
Desire to connect

No clear transition point between web 1.0 and web 2.0.

Produsage

Wired 13/05 "We are the web (Kelly)

Digital ethnography (wesch)

Web 2 is about creativity; an edit culture

Diaries point inwards, blogs point outwards

WEB 3.0
'The semantic web'
Information behaviour of the researchers of the future

Web 1.0 Connectivity
Web 2.0 Creativity
Web 3.0 Collectivity

Can Google et al fulful the role?

Portable Apps (Is that a library in your pocket?)

The best way to predict the future is to invent it (Alan Kay)

Pitfalls of web 3.0
Invisible web
Open source

_____________________________

Really interesting speaker I liked what he was saying and was already trying to apply it to my workplace.

BTH: Day 1 wrap

Well what a day.

I started the day by breakfasting at a coffee shop overlooking the Brisbane River, then it was a short ferry ride to the symposium venue at QUT (Gardens Point campus).

I could have walked but hey why not ferry.

The campus has the best location - it is across the road from the Botanic Gardens on one side and overlooks the river on the other.

After registering I took advantage of the free coffee available (also there was a plate of 'carob and nut energy balls') to set us up for the day.

I got chatting to some Qld Health Librarians who were a great bunch and invited me to their special morning tea get together.

At lunch time I put together a plate of delicious sandwiches and fruit* and headed for the gardens with a group from QUT (all different campuses) where we exchanged library ideas and generally solved the problems of all librarians everywhere!

Also met up with the dynamic duo from Central Highlands and we continued to solve the problems of the library world - this time with particular reference to Victorian Public Libraries.

Afternoon tea was spent with Ballarat gang - we formed a consortium to cover 3 of the 6 workshops and exchange notes afterwards.

After the sympsium we went our separate ways - before meeting up for dinner at Southbank.

From the symposium I wandered to the new Brisbane Square Library (I'd arranged a guided tour -see report here) and checked out the Southbank night market before eating a delicious meal in great company.

BTH:Touring Brisbane Square Library

Brisbane Square Library opened in late 2006. It has a superb location at the top of the Queen Street Mall, overlooking the river.

It is a modern, state of the art library over three levels.


From Flickr under a creative commons licence http://www.flickr.com/photos/pichigh/495822227/

The ground floor (well where else would it be) entrance is wide and welcoming, and the clever use of natural light makes it an inviting space.

On the ground floor is the News Lounge with international newspapers, live stock reports and news feed on plasma screens

Automated book sorter viewing windows

Library holds and check outs

Service counter for fast Council transactions

Community meeting room

Automated book sorter


"A section of the automated book sorter at Brisbane Central Library. A conveyor belt transfers items from the return area on the floor above. Items are measured, checked in, sorted by Dewey number and placed onto book trolleys. Bigger books are put on the top shelf of a trolley, or left for human intervention."
Fascinating to watch. (from Flickr under creative commons licence.Taken by Petaj http://www.flickr.com/photos/54511827@N00/466655118/)

The book sorter cost $2million (I think thats what he said but I'm not sure).

Up the escalator to the 1st floor where we find

The Children’s Lounge

A range of meeting and study rooms

The Learning Lounge, ideal for groups and self paced online learning.

The City Zoo containing Xbox consoles and plasma screens for sports broadcasts and documentaries and an Internet area equipped with 38 multi-functional computers.

The Central Business Centre for longer customer transactions including licensing, permits and mapping

The Development Lounge, a meeting space for planners to meet with property developers

Up another escalator to the 2nd floor

(from Flickr under creative commons licence.Taken by Petaj http://www.flickr.com/photos/54511827@N00/466655118/)

The Literature Lounge is the quiet space to read and will also host author events.

The Brisbane History Gallery highlights Brisbane’s past.

The majority of the library collection.

The shelf ends are lit from within and the shelves are not too high and are well spaced.

The collection has 110,000 volumes (I think - my notes are a bit dodgy)

It is a really well done purpose built library (I think the architect won an award for the design) and well worth a visit if you find yourself in Brisbane.

BTH: Workshop 3

Workshop 3: Podcasting, Flickr, Youtube, Slideshare

I opted for this workshop as I really wanted to frolic with podcasts & youtube.

Unfortunately we started with flickr & slideshare - both of which I use a fair bit and feel confident in using.

This meant we didn't have time to pod & tube (bummer)

On the plus side I did learn about a flickr addon to search for photos by cc licence type.

And they did give us a kicka** manual which I will work my way through someday

BTH: EBLIP

EBLIP, library 2.0 and Australian health librarians: revealing the evidence

This was aimed pretty much at Health Librarians so apart from the general eblip stuff my mind wandered somewhat!

Evidence Based Librarianship
*five principles behind it:
1. Ask (question)
2. Acquire (evidence)
3. Appraise (evidence)
4. Apply (evidence)
5. Assess (impact & performance) and report findings

Continually gather evidence along the way (but don’t necessarily implement it).

BTH: “Super dooper!: CI library goes YouTubing

Luisa Rossitto, QUT “Super dooper!: CI library goes YouTubing”

Created a departmental library video for students on youtube.

Aim
* create friendly online presence
* available when library is not
* promote spaces and resources

Project
1. Plan - audience & purpose
2. Take photos
3. Add text
4. Effects
5. Sound
6. Refine
7. Youtube
8. Promote it

Infotubeys (sp?) awards on youtube for library clips...

This would be so easy to do - wonder if I'd be allowed to? Might just do it anyway, could ning it.

Luisa has the best job title "Creative Information Librarian" I want that title - I reckon I can be really creative with information...

BTH: Libguides

Libguides: a portal to the next dimension of library instruction

Libguides is a commercial application which you can use to develop library guides for patrons.

* subject related
* learning objects'
* flash movies
* blogs to support specific courses
*meebo widgets (eg chat 9-5)

http://www.springshare.com/

Prob more academic library than public library

libguides.depauw.edu

libguides.uta.edu

libguides.bc.edu

BTH: Hype replacement

Brad Jones, Southbank Institute of Technology, “Hype replacement: a prognosis for Web 2.0

Many libraries are stuck in web1.

I.T. Departments routinely block access to web2 sites (how many librarians can access Facebook, Myspace etc. from their desk?

Open web - this is cutting edge, this is where libraries need to be.
* Access to these technologies is often done at home
* Work IT environments often restrict access to sites filtered as 'not business' or 'categorized as games and gaming'.
* Business to business workspace
* Business to consumer

Think of your users
* They may have similar restrictions
* Can't access all the services you are providing
* Think alternatives for access



Evidence based librarianship

We know the enemy and the issues.

BTH: Skinny leg jeans don’t look good on everyone

Kate Watson, University of the Sunshine Coast, “Library 2.tryhard – skinny leg jeans don’t look good on everyone”

This was an extremely interesting session. The speaker was a young librarian who I would have thought would have been embracing 2.0 technologies with vim and vigour yet she was basically speaking about not implementing them.

Are services being driven by demand? Or it is just hype?

Are we just following trends? (ie: wearing skinny leg jeans)

Shouldn't we be monitoring trends rather than just implementing trends?

Add the application when it is deemed necessary and becomes a required service. (What % need to want the application to warrant its adoption?)

Just because the technology is there it doesn't mean the clients want you using it. (Web 2.0 in your space or in their space?)

USC also surveyed students and the students didn't mention wanting the library to be on myspace, facebook etc.

This talk was very interesting to me as the staff at C0BLS seem to basically be divided into two camps. Those that are embracing web 2.0 and those that aren't.

The PTB seem also to be divided between the two camps which makes it difficult to discuss and/or suggest ways to use these technologies. (depending on where you work & who you report to it can be just as tough to be an 'embracer' as it can to be a 'non-embracer')

This talk was about being cautious when it comes to being 'early adopters' of new technologies (which is true certainly), However 2o years ago how many library users would have suggested that the library should provide internet access (for example).

BTH: Why search again and again

Encore and next generation searching@ UQ.
Keith Webster - University of Queensland.

Physical space = learning space

They use some 'librarything' type product (free) from Amazon. This means that when a student searches their catalogue the record contains a link to Amazon to buy the book.

They also use “Encore” a search engine with the library catalogue, databases, news items, tags, student tags, reviews, ratings (student interaction) etc. This allows students to get to the licensed products which Google doesn’t allow.

In Semesters 1 & 2 , 2007 they surveyed students and found that Myspace was way more popular than Facebook, and that there was little interst in Secondlife. (interesting)

The survey also asked where the students go for information

1. Teacher/Tutor
2. Google
3. Friends, Librarians, Wikipedia

72% of students use search engines first,
2% use library website

UQ are now using a simple search box (similar to google) that searches both the library catalogue and the external databases in the same search.

Results of the search are displayed with tag clouds (the tags are from LCSH but displayed in tag cloud form)

IMHO: they are realising that the new gen of students are comfortable with a search engine type front end (did you mean -alternative) rather than a traditional opac front end (with its precise requirements - spelling etc.)

BTH: This is not a profession you can retire into

Beyond The Hype - Christine Mackenzie -YPRL

Christine is the Library Manager @ Yarra Plenty.

She started by giving us some stats about YPRL (which I tried to write down so that I could compare them with CoBLS but looking at them now they don't make a lot of sense.)

She discussed Library Web 2.0 Activities in terms of:

* finding information
* enabling learning
* creating content
* celebrating culture

And that the library can become the “third place” – a place where you are not at home, and not at work. (content, comfort, community)

Think library as community loungeroom; user centered with multimedia exposure and experience, socially rich and a place that communicates innovation. (space with content)

Basically enhancing the patron experience.

So we must:
* learn to learn
* adapt to change
* scan the horizon (look to the future)

Outcomes:

* informed
* connected
* inclusive
* communities

She spoke about learning 2.0 and YPRL - the Victorian statewide program and how YPRL are now rolling out the 23 things to their stakeholders (board members, councils etc.)

Christine also spoke about the 'roadshow' that she and a couple of other senior(?) staff put together for the rest of the YPRL staff.

The roadshow demonstrated the sort of technology that 2.0 involves

* downloadable audio
* digital camera
* adaptive technologies
* digital stories (or did I mean storage)
* Google things

She mentioned the L2 unconference (would have loved to have gone to that)

Also the YPRL blogs, wikis, library thing tags in their catalogue, and so on.

Wikinorthia (a LH wiki in conjunction with Darebin & Moreland, iirc) which aims to collect the LH stories of the municipalities. (Can't wait for it to go live so's I can contribute my kindergarten story)

I liked her description of the LH online presence. "Local History with an E" - (there's no copyright on titles , wonder if we can 'adopt' the phrase?)

She spoke about adding value to the opac (eg Librarything)

Training for the public:
* wikinorthia
* blogging
* librarything

Using a blog for staff communication instead of email

It was interesting to hear her speak - I don't necessarily agree with everything she said but it was interesting to hear her ideas and what she felt the future of Public Libraries might be.

be great to be in a position to have ideas and be able to implement them (or discuss their possible implementation)

She was an interesting and inspiring speaker - I could work for her...