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...