Social Software in Academic Libraries Meredith Farkas

Meredith Farkas

Wikis

What is a wiki? Content management system Allows people to collaboratively develop a website without any tech-savvy Wiki=quick (in Hawaiian)‏ All community members can add to or edit the work of others

Content management system

Allows people to collaboratively develop a website without any tech-savvy

Wiki=quick (in Hawaiian)‏

All community members can add to or edit the work of others

Wiki structure and syntax A tale of two wikis... Library Success Wiki Computers in Libraries 2008 Wiki

A tale of two wikis...

Library Success Wiki

Computers in Libraries 2008 Wiki

Wikis vs. Blogs No one owns content Anyone can edit other people’s work No specific organization (hyperlinks)‏ A person owns their post Only author can edit their work (others can comment)‏ Organized in reverse chronological order

No one owns content

Anyone can edit other people’s work

No specific organization (hyperlinks)‏

A person owns their post

Only author can edit their work (others can comment)‏

Organized in reverse chronological order

Perpetual work in progress Good for collaborative group work Posts are permanent Good for disseminating info/starting a dialog Wikis vs. Blogs

Perpetual work in progress

Good for collaborative group work

Posts are permanent

Good for disseminating info/starting a dialog

Why wiki? Easy to use Web-based Anyone can make changes Version control Findability Many free and open-source options

Easy to use

Web-based

Anyone can make changes

Version control

Findability

Many free and open-source options

Why not wiki? Too open (trust issues)‏ Disorganized Vandalism and spam Wikis aren’t for everyone. If control is a major issue with the site you’re developing, a wiki may not be the right tool for the job.

Too open (trust issues)‏

Disorganized

Vandalism and spam

Wikis aren’t for everyone. If control is a major issue with the site you’re developing, a wiki may not be the right tool for the job.

Community wikis Roc Wiki (Rochester, NY)‏ Davis Wiki (Davis, CA)‏ Arbor Wiki (Ann Arbor, MI)‏ A good start: Mac Library Experience A great start: Stevens County Rural Library District Wiki (WA)‏

Roc Wiki (Rochester, NY)‏

Davis Wiki (Davis, CA)‏

Arbor Wiki (Ann Arbor, MI)‏

A good start: Mac Library Experience

A great start: Stevens County Rural Library District Wiki (WA)‏

Subject guides Ohio University Library’s Biz Wiki Norwich University Research Guides

Ohio University Library’s Biz Wiki

Norwich University Research Guides

Wiki is intranet for information sharing Most are behind the firewall or are password protected. Albany County Public Library Staff Wiki Memphis Public Library Wiki

Most are behind the firewall or are password protected.

Albany County Public Library Staff Wiki

Memphis Public Library Wiki

Collaboratively-developed manual Print manuals are really hard to update Antioch University New England Library Staff Training and Support Wiki North Metro Technical College Library

Print manuals are really hard to update

Antioch University New England Library Staff Training and Support Wiki

North Metro Technical College Library

Wiki tips: Software Popular options for a wiki hosted on your server MediaWiki PmWiki Twiki DokuWiki DekiWiki

Popular options for a wiki hosted on your server

MediaWiki

PmWiki

Twiki

DokuWiki

DekiWiki

Wiki tips: Software (cont’d)‏ Popular options for wikis hosted by the software company PBWiki WetPaint SeedWiki Wikispaces Wikia

Popular options for wikis hosted by the software company

PBWiki

WetPaint

SeedWiki

Wikispaces

Wikia

If you want control, no ads, etc., host the wiki on your own server If you don’t have server space, need the wiki for a small, time-limited project, or don’t want to maintain new tech, go with a hosted wiki Check out the WikiMatrix when thinking about which software to use Wiki tips: Software (cont’d)‏

If you want control, no ads, etc., host the wiki on your own server

If you don’t have server space, need the wiki for a small, time-limited project, or don’t want to maintain new tech, go with a hosted wiki

Check out the WikiMatrix when thinking about which software to use

Wiki tips: Seeding the wiki No one wants to add to an empty wiki Also, people don’t know what to add Add some content to the major categories before going live Creating an organization scheme will prevent orphan links and chaos

No one wants to add to an empty wiki

Also, people don’t know what to add

Add some content to the major categories before going live

Creating an organization scheme will prevent orphan links and chaos

Wiki tips: Education Wikis need lots of info for novice users What is a wiki What can you do with this wiki How to edit the wiki FAQ Whom to contact for more help Training is important

Wikis need lots of info for novice users

What is a wiki

What can you do with this wiki

How to edit the wiki

FAQ

Whom to contact for more help

Training is important

Wiki tips: Content development Do lots of marketing Focus on the functionality, not the tool If possible, offer trainings Partner with groups/people related to your mission Don’t do it all yourself! Give the wiki a grassroots feel, make it welcoming

Do lots of marketing

Focus on the functionality, not the tool

If possible, offer trainings

Partner with groups/people related to your mission

Don’t do it all yourself!

Give the wiki a grassroots feel, make it welcoming

Wiki tips: Management Security Should you require registration? Dealing with spam Bad Behavior plugin Monitor the wiki several times per day Get to know and love RSS Find lots of dedicated helpers!

Security

Should you require registration?

Dealing with spam

Bad Behavior plugin

Monitor the wiki several times per day

Get to know and love RSS

Find lots of dedicated helpers!

How to deal with content you don’t like Guidelines Limit to on-topic posts Take a note from the Wikipedia’s policies and guidelines or the Library Success Wiki Get a group of volunteers to patron a public open wiki If you need to delete something - use discussion area to explain why things were deleted

Guidelines

Limit to on-topic posts

Take a note from the Wikipedia’s policies and guidelines or the Library Success Wiki

Get a group of volunteers to patron a public open wiki

If you need to delete something - use discussion area to explain why things were deleted

Let’s create a wiki!

RSS

Without RSS Visit every page separately Never know when a page will be updated Remember URLs for each page

Visit every page separately

Never know when a page will be updated

Remember URLs for each page

What is RSS? Format for syndicating content on the web Makes the content portable so it can be syndicated Based on XML - content separated from presentation.

Format for syndicating content on the web

Makes the content portable so it can be syndicated

Based on XML - content separated from presentation.

What is RSS? Often used for content that is updated RSS content is dynamically updated as soon as the content on the original page is updated.

Often used for content that is updated

RSS content is dynamically updated as soon as the content on the original page is updated.

Without RSS

With RSS

What types of content have RSS feeds?

Ways to get RSS-enabled content

Personal homepage

Email

SMS

Syndicated on a website

RSS aggregator Application used for displaying multiple RSS feeds Two types Web-based aggregator Desktop aggregator

Application used for displaying multiple RSS feeds

Two types

Web-based aggregator

Desktop aggregator

Why should librarians care about RSS? Allows patrons to receive our content how and when they want. Allows us to put the same content on multiple pages and have it updated dynamically. Allows us to put dynamically updated content from other providers on our site.

Allows patrons to receive our content how and when they want.

Allows us to put the same content on multiple pages and have it updated dynamically.

Allows us to put dynamically updated content from other providers on our site.

Ideas for using RSS in libraries

Pull content in

Syndicate outside content

Bring content to courseware

New book feeds

New book feeds

Creating a virtual reading room

Let’s mix and display some RSS feeds!

Social Bookmarking

What is Social Bookmarking Just like regular browser bookmarks, but web-based and using tags instead of folders Tag - descriptive metadata You can assign multiple tags to anything you bookmark Your bookmarks can be public or private

Just like regular browser bookmarks, but web-based and using tags instead of folders

Tag - descriptive metadata

You can assign multiple tags to anything you bookmark

Your bookmarks can be public or private

Social Bookmarking Options del.icio.us Furl Connotea CiteULike StumbleUpon

del.icio.us

Furl

Connotea

CiteULike

StumbleUpon

Libraries Using Social Bookmarking The College of New Jersey University of Michigan Health Sciences Library Springfield Technical and Community College

The College of New Jersey

University of Michigan Health Sciences Library

Springfield Technical and Community College

Let's get del.icio.us!

Custom Search Allows you to search multiple hand-chosen websites in a single search Examples: Google CSE Rollyo

Allows you to search multiple hand-chosen websites in a single search

Examples:

Google CSE

Rollyo

Personalized Home Pages Like “portals” in the 1990s. Create customized “start pages” for different constituents Popular home pages Netvibes Pageflakes iGoogle

Like “portals” in the 1990s.

Create customized “start pages” for different constituents

Popular home pages

Netvibes

Pageflakes

iGoogle

Widgets Little gadget that offers some functionality on the page Examples: MeeboMe LibraryThing widgets Widgets are portable Can go on start pages, in Facebook, on any website, etc.

Little gadget that offers some functionality on the page

Examples:

MeeboMe

LibraryThing widgets

Widgets are portable

Can go on start pages, in Facebook, on any website, etc.

Planning for Social Software

Choosing a Project Avoid technolust Know your population Weigh your options through play Understand the culture of each technology

Avoid technolust

Know your population

Weigh your options through play

Understand the culture of each technology

Selling ideas Have plenty of hard data Have a prototype Encourage staff to “kick the tires” Offer training for staff Be patient

Have plenty of hard data

Have a prototype

Encourage staff to “kick the tires”

Offer training for staff

Be patient

Selling ideas to IT Involve IT in planning Know your stuff Build relationships and find champions

Involve IT in planning

Know your stuff

Build relationships and find champions

Maintenance Do you need a policy? Do you need maintenance procedures?

Do you need a policy?

Do you need maintenance procedures?

Partnerships Partnering with organizations with common goals Learning Support/Writing Center Academic Computing Student Life Industry, media, etc.

Partnering with organizations with common goals

Learning Support/Writing Center

Academic Computing

Student Life

Industry, media, etc.

Promotion Marketing Website All over campus Local media Faculty – build into a course Focus on functionality Training

Marketing

Website

All over campus

Local media

Faculty – build into a course

Focus on functionality

Training

Assessment How do you assess? Usage statistics? Surveys Most libraries aren’t doing any assessment of social tools

How do you assess?

Usage statistics?

Surveys

Most libraries aren’t doing any assessment of social tools