Using a Personalised Start Page Service to Deliver a Public Library Portal

Eddie Byrne, Senior Librarian, Dublin City Public Libraries Internet Librarian International London, 15 th October 2009 Session A105 - Where to Start Using a Personalised Start Page Service to Deliver a Public Library Portal Dublin City Public Libraries www.netvibes.com/dublincitypubliclibraries

Why do it?
What are the initial considerations?
What are the Issues / Risks?
Will people use it?
Are there benefits for the Library?
Dublin City Public Libraries www.netvibes.com/dublincitypubliclibraries

Why?
To facilitate centralised management of the Internet desktop on all public access PCs (200+) across 21 locations
To provide a value-added product for our Library Web Users
To provide greatly enhanced access to a range of select resources
To enable the promotion of library activities and services via the public access Internet PCs

Considerations
Budget & Resources
Timeline
Off-the-Shelf or Bespoke?
Hosting – Local or Remote?
Ease of Implemention & Maintenance
Adaptability, Flexibility
Performance – Stability, Speed
Promotion

Timeline
Nov - Dec 2007 – Investigation, Solution Proposed
January 2008 – Desktop trialled in one location
February 2008 – Roll out to all locations completed
October 2008 – 'Media' tab added
November 6, 2008 -Problems!
November 2008 – Move to new platform

The Solution
Pageflakes
An Ajax-based Startpage
Resource & Tool aggregator
Sharable Desktop
Organised in Tabs, each tab containing user-defined modules
Netvibes (from November 2008)
Little Advertising
Runs Fast
Stable
Strong customer support

Dublin City Public Libraries www.pageflakes.com/dublincitypubliclibraries

Dublin City Public Libraries Delicious widget Twitter widget RSS flickr widget

Dublin City Public Libraries Webpage widget Link widget UWA widget (html) Weather widget Stick your notes widget UWA widget (html)

Risks?
Platform Failure (Interruptions to Service)
Platform Failure (Loss of Service)
Widget Failure (Malfunction)
Failure of Associated Services (delicious, Twitter)
Reliance on third parties with whom there are no contractual agreements ( Risk Assessment for Use of Third Party Web 2.0 Services: A UKOLN Briefing Document, QA Focus, Nov 2007. )
Risk Management
Risk Management Strategy in Place
RSS Backup
Netvibes Support
Alternative Solution Ready to Go
Dublin City Public Libraries

Dublin City Public Libraries Permissions Widget Failure Performance Server Errors Issues Broken Links

November 2008 Loss of service for a week (6 - 14 November) Silence from Pageflakes Company Changes Afoot Introduction of prominent advertisement flake without consultation or alternative model being offered Netvibes Alternative Implemented Dublin City Public Libraries www.netvibes.com/dublincitypubliclibraries Problems!

Article Planning & Pitfalls: Using Pageflakes for a Public Library Portal Michael Stephens in conversation with Eddie Byrne Submitted by Michael Stephens on December 1, 2008 ALA Techsource Blog (American Library Association) SEE http://www.alatechsource.org/blog/2008/11/planning-pitfalls-using-pageflakes-for-a-public-library-portal.html Dublin City Public Libraries www.netvibes.com/dublincitypubliclibraries

Dublin City Public Libraries www.netvibes.com/dublincitypubliclibraries Support

Dublin City Public Libraries www.netvibes.com/dublincitypubliclibraries //faq.netvibes.com/service_status

Dublin City Public Libraries www.netvibes.com/dublincitypubliclibraries Visits: 2403 From Library Internet PCs: 1345 From Outside Library: 1058 (Outside Ireland – 879) 626 84.5% 296 26.4% 178 51.7% 256 33.2% 157 37.6% 368 48.9% 522 61.7% Library = Jun - Aug 2009 + + + + + + 2403 = Usage

Dublin City Public Libraries www.netvibes.com/dublincitypubliclibraries Visits: 2403 From Library Internet PCs: 1345 From Outside Library: 1058 (Outside Ireland – 879) 626 84.5% 296 26.4% 178 51.7% 256 33.2% 157 37.6% 368 48.9% 522 61.7% Library = From Outside Library: 1978 (Outside Ireland – 1589) 920 – Outside Ireland Jun - Aug 2009

Referrals from Netvibes Page To: Dublin City Public Libraries www.netvibes.com/dublincitypubliclibraries Online Catalogue : 343 Ranking: No.3 of 43 sources (no.2 – Borrowbooks.ie: 1840; no.4 Wikipedia: 98) dublincity.ie : 540 Ranking: No.20 of 2178 sources ( Libraries’ Pages – 370, of which 77 are external ) (June – August 2009) Usage

Dublin City Public Libraries
once every other day
twice or three times
Acknowledgement: Giada Gelli

Dublin City Public Libraries Acknowledgement: Giada Gelli

Dublin City Public Libraries 78.8% (26) Acknowledgement: Giada Gelli

Dublin City Public Libraries Euro Elections Borrowbooks.ie Acknowledgement: Giada Gelli

Dublin City Public Libraries Acknowledgement: Giada Gelli Newbies

Comments + - Interesting page; good for Euro Elections - It's very easy to use - I like to use Dublin City Library and Netvibes to get more information for myself about entertainment and press section - (Your Netvibes page) has been great. - I am aware of much more that happens in the libraries ..makes it much more obvious that events are happening - Everything is on this site and it is regularly updated - Saves time and recent information updates - Will probably subscribe to Netvibes now that I know it exists Dublin City Public Libraries www.netvibes.com/dublincitypubliclibraries Acknowledgement: Giada Gelli

Comments - - very very slow to load - I was never aware of its existence until this survey - I think it would be nice to have a few simpler RSS feeds - I don't use it - Has not helped. Seems to just duplicate their website - I don´t know what you mean by "start page on netvibes"!! - Hasn’t really changed the way I keep up to date with the library Dublin City Public Libraries www.netvibes.com/dublincitypubliclibraries Acknowledgement: Giada Gelli

… and! not for the average Public Library user, too techie, sorry " I question ur involvement there. Netvibes is for tech-savvie people , I don't get that vibe from the website and certainly not from my in situ visits. I work in a library myself, I know the library 2.0 vibe: don't waste ur time for the sake of experimentation, users resent it! Even though it's "free" it still costs staff time. If no resources to buy books, engage in person, not via social networking. It's badly perceived ." Dublin City Public Libraries www.netvibes.com/dublincitypubliclibraries - Library Worker Acknowledgement: Giada Gelli

A Success?
Zero Financial Outlay in terms of Product Purchase / Maintenance
Cost Measured in Terms of Staff Time Only
Less Intervention Required by IT Support
Easy to Implement and Maintain
Product Fulfills Requirements (the Why?)
Solution proving largely stable and flexible
Strategies in place in the event of interruptions/ failures
People ARE Using It!

Links
http://www.netvibes.com/dublincitypubliclibraries
http://www.pageflakes.com/dublincitypubliclibraries
http://www.alatechsource.org/blog/2008/11/planning-pitfalls-using-pageflakes-for-a-public-library-portal.html
http://blog.netvibes.com/using-public-pages-as-virtual-libraries/
Dublin City Public Libraries www.netvibes.com/dublincitypubliclibraries Acknowledgement Giada Gelli, MLIS Student, University College Dublin, for permission to draw on survey material collated as part of her Master‘s Thesis.

Many Thanks! Dublin City Public Libraries www.netvibes.com/dublincitypubliclibraries Eddie Byrne, Senior Librarian, Dublin City Public Libraries [email_address] www.slideshare.net/ebyrne41 Lest you forget!

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Using a Personalised Start Page Service to Deliver a Public Library Portal

by Eddie Byrne on Oct 18, 2009

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Using a Personalised Start Page Service to Deliver a Public Library Portal Webinar Transcript