Tear Down the Walls! LibGuides and Evolving Learning Spaces Ken Ronkowitz November 2008

Overview Learning spaces continue to evolve as web tools further erase the physical walls of classrooms, libraries and other educational settings. This session examines the use of LibGuides, a web 2.0 content management and information sharing system designed specifically for libraries but being used at Passaic County Community College as a collaborative tool for courses. This hosted service offers opportunities to create and share reusable content, tagging, widgets, embedded video, RSS, and easy integration with other tools like Delicious and Facebook.

Learning spaces continue to evolve as web tools further erase the physical walls of classrooms, libraries and other educational settings.

This session examines the use of LibGuides, a web 2.0 content management and information sharing system designed specifically for libraries but being used at Passaic County Community College as a collaborative tool for courses.

This hosted service offers opportunities to create and share reusable content, tagging, widgets, embedded video, RSS, and easy integration with other tools like Delicious and Facebook.

“ Library 2.0” – easy read/write and collaboration for librarians and faculty for resources and shared links The Community = 400+ libraries/schools worldwide, sharing ideas, content, and collaborating on creating guides. http://www.springshare.com/libguides/

“ Library 2.0” – easy read/write and collaboration for librarians and faculty for resources and shared links

The Community = 400+ libraries/schools worldwide, sharing ideas, content, and collaborating on creating guides.

What Attracted PCCC to LibGuides pccc.libguides.com Hosted service (small school; small IT dept.) Shared edit access to pages/sites Web page creation without needing to know HTML (though you have access to the code if you have that knowledge) Easily embed videos, RSS feeds, podcasts…

Hosted service (small school; small IT dept.)

Shared edit access to pages/sites

Web page creation without needing to know HTML (though you have access to the code if you have that knowledge)

Easily embed videos, RSS feeds, podcasts…

At Passaic County Community College pccc.libguides.com Purchased as part of our Writing Initiative grant To be used with each of 20 GenEd courses being redesigned as “writing-intensive” Collaborative design of guide with Initiative team, faculty member and a reference librarian. Introduced at Summer 2008 Initiative Institute and immediately embraced by faculty – including those not participating in the first courses to be redesigned (or even part of the Initiative!)

Purchased as part of our Writing Initiative grant

To be used with each of 20 GenEd courses being redesigned as “writing-intensive”

Collaborative design of guide with Initiative team, faculty member and a reference librarian.

Introduced at Summer 2008 Initiative Institute and immediately embraced by faculty – including those not participating in the first courses to be redesigned (or even part of the Initiative!)

Research Guides Old model No author access to guides All changes through “webmaster” Timely updates less likely to occur Little or no collaboration NEW

Old model

No author access to guides

All changes through “webmaster”

Timely updates less likely to occur

Little or no collaboration

NEW

Reusable content (learning objects) – pull or link boxes/guides from your own guides, other guides from your site other school sites (with internal permission) Connect with others in the LibGuides' social network --> Collaboration beyond shared editorial control

Reusable content (learning objects) – pull or link boxes/guides from

your own guides,

other guides from your site

other school sites (with internal permission)

Connect with others in the LibGuides' social network -->

LibGuides Social Network http://springsharelounge.com/

TYPES OF CONTENT

Easy Rich Text (WYSIWYG) Editor

Images Users can upload images (gif, jpg, png) from their computer into the LibGuides boxes via the Rich Text Editor, and the images will be stored on LibGuides servers. Initial storage limit is set to 2 GB per institution, i.e. approx 10,000 images using the average image sizes, and with that limit increasing over time.

Users can upload images (gif, jpg, png) from their computer into the LibGuides boxes via the Rich Text Editor, and the images will be stored on LibGuides servers.

Initial storage limit is set to 2 GB per institution, i.e. approx 10,000 images using the average image sizes, and with that limit increasing over time.

Tag clouds RSS feeds Videos Widgets Polls Comments Chat Profiles 2.0

Tag clouds

RSS feeds

Videos

Widgets

Polls

Comments

Chat

Profiles

Widgets LibGuides widgets enable you to embed library content into any blog, website, social network, or a courseware system. The widgets are flash components that can be placed inside any web page. Patrons can also search your library catalog directly from any LibGuides widget.

LibGuides widgets enable you to embed library content into any blog, website, social network, or a courseware system. The widgets are flash components that can be placed inside any web page. Patrons can also search your library catalog directly from any LibGuides widget.

Google Scholar Search This content box enables users to search the Google scholar database from LibGuides. The librarian can also create a “default query” for users of Google scholar. The query will appear when the visitor loads the box.

This content box enables users to search the Google scholar database from LibGuides.

The librarian can also create a “default query” for users of Google scholar. The query will appear when the visitor loads the box.

Book Links Provide links to your library catalog - or Amazon, Google books or any other site where the visitor can get more information about the book.

Provide links to your library catalog - or Amazon, Google books or any other site where the visitor can get more information about the book.

Dates & Event Calendar Dates and events content box enables you to create a list of events and order them chronologically. Each event can have a date, short description, URL, and additional information fields attached to it.

Dates and events content box enables you to create a list of events and order them chronologically. Each event can have a date, short description, URL, and additional information fields attached to it.

Dynamic Scripting Insert dynamic scripts for web forms, catalog search boxes, or online databases search boxes inside your guides.

Insert dynamic scripts for web forms, catalog search boxes, or online databases search boxes inside your guides.

Users Can Submit Comments, Add a Link… You can enable your visitors to submit their favorite links on a given topic or a subject.

You can enable your visitors to submit their favorite links on a given topic or a subject.

Interactive Polls Interactive poll enables you to create a poll on your page. Create a question and enter up to 6 choices for your poll. Each poll choice can have an associated URL.

Interactive poll enables you to create a poll on your page. Create a question and enter up to 6 choices for your poll. Each poll choice can have an associated URL.

LibGuides In Facebook first library app available to Facebook’s 60 million users (now has 3 apps) users just select LibGuides from apps list app will recognize the user's school affiliation and present them with their "home" system. distribute library content across the web meet students where they are improve visibility of resources & services

first library app available to Facebook’s 60 million users (now has 3 apps)

users just select LibGuides from apps list

app will recognize the user's school affiliation and present them with their "home" system.

distribute library content across the web

meet students where they are

improve visibility of resources & services

Twitter Integration Now when you publish a new guide you can broadcast the news on Twitter for all your followers to see. Anybody subscribed to your updates will see the name of your newly-published guide and the URL to access it.

Now when you publish a new guide you can broadcast the news on Twitter for all your followers to see. Anybody subscribed to your updates will see the name of your newly-published guide and the URL to access it.

Users Can Share… your pages via popular social networking sites with just a click

Post To LibGuides Add a browser button so that you can very easily add content to your guides. Add "Post to LibGuides" Button to Your Browser

Add a browser button so that you can very easily add content to your guides.

Add "Post to LibGuides" Button to Your Browser

Administration

Stats Track usage statistics for your Guides System Summary # Guides # Accounts Homepage Views Total Guide Views 70 45 7311 20799

Track usage statistics for your Guides

System Summary

# Guides # Accounts Homepage Views Total Guide Views 70 45 7311 20799

Backup Guide owners can create local backups of their guides, in html format, on their computers. Springshare does daily backups of all databases – but a local backup can come in handy if you accidentally delete a box or a page on your guide - you can quickly rebuild it using data from your local backup.

Guide owners can create local backups of their guides, in html format, on their computers.

Springshare does daily backups of all databases – but a local backup can come in handy if you accidentally delete a box or a page on your guide - you can quickly rebuild it using data from your local backup.

Uniform Look for All Guides The admin can "lock" the color scheme for all guides in your system. It is recommended that you create a sample guide first, experiment with different colors, and inform your users of this change before setting this option.

The admin can "lock" the color scheme for all guides in your system. It is recommended that you create a sample guide first, experiment with different colors, and inform your users of this change before setting this option.

Marketing Customizing & branding of site Library promotion Workshops

Customizing & branding of site

Library promotion

Workshops

Additional presentation materials at: http://pccc.libguides.com/users