Removing barriers: developing
national guidelines for library
use of Web2.0
Gillian Hanlon
Scottish Library & Information Council

SLAINTE 2.0

Web2.0 in action
Function Service Objective
Blog Wordpress To create an informal space for news and discussion
Micro-blog Twitter To provide frequent short updates and contribute to virtual
professional networks
Photo sharing Flickr To promote libraries and library related activities and to host
archival images
Presentation SlideShare To share ideas and best practice and to make our CPD output
sharing more widely available
Video sharing YouTube To promote libraries and library related activities and to share
existing content from SLAINTE with a wider audience
Social bookmarking Delicious To collate and share a wide range of trusted resources related
to the library and information profession

Why use Web 2.0?
• Keep pace with technology and respond to user demand
• Promote library services and initiatives
• Facilitate interactive services and enables user
engagement
• Provide current awareness services and frequently
updated content - instant web publishing functionality
• Complement existing web content
• Low or no cost associated with most services
• No requirement for technical or computer programming
expertise

Web2.0 and CPD
• Widens professional
networks
• Promotes sharing of
good practice and
advice
• Presents informal
space for professional
discussion
• Fuels creative
thinking & innovation

Web2.0 and Conferences

Web2.0 Barriers
• User protection – some Web2.0 services may be
used to host inappropriate or offensive material
• Employee management –staff may spend time
social networking when they should be working
• Staff training –concerns about limited technical
expertise and the time required to maintain Web2.0
services
• Traditional professional approaches – resistance
to new in favour of traditional approaches to
information delivery and community engagement

Creating guidelines: aims
• Advocacy - to
promote the benefits
of Web2.0 in libraries
and dispel some
common myths
• Overcoming barriers -
to support libraries in
adopting Web2.0
• Support – to offer
practical tips

Creating guidelines: scope
Printed guidelines Web content
• To support Web2.0 • To offer practical “how to”
advocacy guidance and support
-Creative Commons • To collate and promote
license to allow sharing examples of use and best
and repurposing (e.g. practice, including case
within a business case) studies
• To promote Web2.0 and • To provide access to
convince the non- useful resources and
believers – at service or highlight new
institutional level developments

Printed guidelines: content
• Definitions
• Benefits (reaching your audience; developing
services; raising awareness/promotion;
professional development)
• Tips for implementation (practical start-up
pointers as well as instruction on dealing with
the wider issues – such as staffing concerns)
• Myths dispelled

Printed guidelines: myths dispelled
Myth: Myth:
“Web2.0 is “My IT dept just
just a fad.” won’t block
Web2.0 sites!”
“For me, Web2.0 is much more “After an initial request to unblock was
than a passing phase; it’s a declined, I wrote & presented a full
whole new mindset, a total business case; within 2 days, I was
culture rethink and it presents given full unfiltered access to the social
new ways of working.” networking category. “
Liz McGettigan, Richard Aird
Edinburgh City Council West Dunbartonshire Council

Web content: case studies
• City of Edinburgh Council – using a range
of Web2.0 services within a public library
service
• West Dunbartonshire Council – building a
successful business case
• Queen Margaret University library – using
a range of Web2.0 services integrated
within the library website

Web content: resources
• Tips and advice –
from SLIC/CILIPS
and the wider library
community
• Multimedia content –
instructional videos
and web tutorials
• Sample supporting
documents – AUPs,
writing guides etc

Next steps
• Guidelines published Aug/Sep 2009
• Slainte2.0 web content available Sep/Oct
• Maintaining web content - ongoing development,
addition of new resources etc
• Encouraging contributions – sharing good
practice, adding case studies
• Monitoring – the adoption and integration of
Web2.0 services within libraries

Contact
Gillian Hanlon
Information Officer, SLIC
W: http://www.slainte.org.uk
e: slic1@slainte.org.uk
Twitter: @gillianhanlon