Is it really free? “Using Social Media tools to develop your information service” Managing the evolution of legal libraries and information services 25 March 2009 James Mullan CMS Cameron McKenna LLP

My challenge… The role of Social Media tools in… Current Awareness provision Knowledge Management

The role of Social Media tools in…

Current Awareness provision

Knowledge Management

Social media is not ALL about personal blogs, throwing sheep, being poked or sharing what you had for lunch

What is Current Awareness (CA)? “ a system for notifying current documents … It can take the form of selective dissemination of information (SDI), information bulletins, indexing services or review of current literature” (International Encyclopaedia of Information and Library Science, 1997)

“ a system for notifying current documents … It can

take the form of selective dissemination of

information (SDI), information bulletins, indexing

services or review of current literature”

(International Encyclopaedia of Information and

Library Science, 1997)

Why do our clients need CA? Keep them informed Generate new work/leads/campaigns To make us look good!

Keep them informed

Generate new work/leads/campaigns

To make us look good!

What are some of the challenges? Timely Cost effective Innovative Targeted Easy to administer

Timely

Cost effective

Innovative

Targeted

Easy to administer

What you might be doing… Paper Bulletins Large text heavy web pages

Paper Bulletins

Large text heavy web pages

How Social Media tools can help

Twitter A Microblogging tool Made famous by celebrity users Stephen Fry Jonathan Ross Alan Carr Andy Murray Barack Obama James Mullan

A Microblogging tool

Made famous by celebrity users

Stephen Fry

Jonathan Ross

Alan Carr

Andy Murray

Barack Obama

James Mullan

Two ways to use Twitter To follow people/organisations As an “alerting” service

Two ways to use Twitter

To follow people/organisations

As an “alerting” service

@legislation @HMGov @DowningStreet @UKParliament

@legislation

@HMGov

@DowningStreet

@UKParliament

Alerting tools for Twitter Otherwise reliant on Twitter Search or Hashtags

Alerting tools for Twitter

Otherwise reliant on Twitter Search or Hashtags

Twitter

Twitter Hashtags used to tag/identify content Mumbai Terrorist attacks #Mumbai Australian Bush Fires #Bushfires UKSnow #UKSnow CreditCrunch #CreditCrunch

Hashtags used to tag/identify content

Mumbai Terrorist attacks #Mumbai

Australian Bush Fires #Bushfires

UKSnow #UKSnow

CreditCrunch #CreditCrunch

Twitter Can also used to promote content BPP Law School Inner Temple Current Awareness Law Firms/Lawyers in the US A&O/Nabarro

Can also used to promote content

BPP Law School

Inner Temple Current Awareness

Law Firms/Lawyers in the US

A&O/Nabarro

Really Simple Syndication (RSS) A means by which to “syndicate” content available on the Web Your “Radar” Used by all Social Media Tools

A means by which to “syndicate” content available on the Web

Your “Radar”

Used by all Social Media Tools

Why is RSS so important? Information becomes discreet Frees content from pages Many ways to reuse and remix

Information becomes discreet

Frees content from pages

Many ways to reuse and remix

Using RSS as publishing tool to replace… Current Awareness Services New Legislation New Cases Press Releases Journal Articles Intranet pages

Current Awareness Services

New Legislation

New Cases

Press Releases

Journal Articles

Intranet pages

Becoming an “RSS middleman” What RSS feeds are you currently using? Database vendors and suppliers have recognised the value of RSS

What RSS feeds are you currently using?

Database vendors and suppliers have recognised the value of RSS

Becoming an “RSS middleman” Westlaw PLC i-Law FT.Com OPSI

Westlaw

PLC

i-Law

FT.Com

OPSI

Blogs are a great way to find content: Google Blog Search Technorati Blogs and Blogging

Blogs are a great way to find content:

Google Blog Search

Technorati

Google Blog Search is a search technology focused on blogs Blogs now acknowledged as important content source

Google Blog Search is a search technology focused on blogs

Blogs now acknowledged as important content source

Search results for “law firm redundancies”

Re-use of search results

Technorati is an Internet search engine for searching blogs, competing with Google and Yahoo

Technorati is an Internet search engine for searching blogs, competing with Google and Yahoo

Search results for “CMS Cameron McKenna”

Capturing and Disseminating Information What are some of the challenges? Time Your organisations culture Processes Information overload

What are some of the challenges?

Time

Your organisations culture

Processes

Information overload

What you might be doing… Storing favourites Sending/forwarding emails Creating pages on Intranets

Storing favourites

Sending/forwarding emails

Creating pages on Intranets

How social media tools can help…

Twitter Delicious and Digg both Social Bookmarking tools Not immediately obvious how these tools could be used

Delicious and Digg both Social Bookmarking tools

Not immediately obvious how these tools could be used

What do you usually do when you find a useful resource? Tell your team about it? Send them an email with the link in it? Why not share them!

What do you usually do when you find a useful resource?

Tell your team about it?

Send them an email with the link in it?

Why not share them!

Potentially you can… Identify trends/Hot topics Make connections See how valuable particular sites are Receive updates when new resources are added

Potentially you can…

Identify trends/Hot topics

Make connections

See how valuable particular sites are

Receive updates when new resources are added

How? All about making your links “public” Categorising them Looking at others Discovering what people are interested in/doing

How?

All about making your links “public”

Categorising them

Looking at others

Discovering what people are interested in/doing

Many advantages over traditional methods of sharing/disseminating knowledge. Timeliness Cost Interactivity Updates

Many advantages over traditional methods of sharing/disseminating knowledge.

Timeliness

Cost

Interactivity

Updates

To replace emails As a knowledge store To replace an internal newsletter To update your clients How you could use a Blog

To replace emails

As a knowledge store

To replace an internal newsletter

To update your clients

Can help…but may also contribute to Information Overload Important to not drown in “noise” from… Your own content Content you’re reviewing (RSS)

Can help…but may also contribute to Information Overload

Important to not drown in “noise” from…

Your own content

Content you’re reviewing (RSS)

A “website” that allows uses to add, remove and edit content…easily! Commonly used to create: Knowledge bases Guides Documentation

A “website” that allows uses to add, remove and edit content…easily!

Commonly used to create:

Knowledge bases

Guides

Documentation

BIALL PR “How do I Wiki”

Viewing and Editing content

To summarise… Social media tools can help because… Intuitive/Easy to use Content is King Updates, updates, updates But double-edged sword

Social media tools can help because…

Intuitive/Easy to use

Content is King

Updates, updates, updates

But double-edged sword

What about…sustainability? Many doubts exist about: Web 2.0 applications being sustainable The risks associated with using external applications The pace of change online is relentless Natural wastage

Many doubts exist about:

Web 2.0 applications being sustainable

The risks associated with using external applications

The pace of change online is relentless

Natural wastage

What about…time? Hard to say what “real time costs” are when it comes to Social Media tools…

Hard to say what “real time costs” are when it comes to Social Media tools…

* http://museumtwo.blogspot.com/2008/04/how-much-time-does-web-20-take.html

What about…cost? Thankfully…Social Media tools are usually; Cheap Offer full or partial access for a certain number of users

Thankfully…Social Media tools are usually;

Cheap

Offer full or partial access for a certain number of users

What about…exposure? Many issues with Social Media tools around; Authentication controls Information “leakage” But what does not using them or blocking them say?

Many issues with Social Media tools around;

Authentication controls

Information “leakage”

But what does not using them or blocking them say?

What about…the people? Attitudes to Social Media tools major issue

Attitudes to Social Media tools major issue

Do we have to use these tools? Social Tools/Web 2.0 is not fad! RSS Feeds can be generic and require customisation Blogs and Wikis encourage the creation of content but at what cost?

Social Tools/Web 2.0 is not fad!

RSS Feeds can be generic and require customisation

Blogs and Wikis encourage the creation of content but at what cost?

The role of Information Services Are these tools going to make us redundant? Or change our roles beyond recognition?

Are these tools going to make us redundant?

Or change our roles beyond recognition?

Questions/Thoughts [email_address] http://www.therunninglibrarian.co.uk http://www.twitter.com/jimmy1712