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Application of Web 2.0 in libraries: a study of Asmita College
Library
Prof. Nidhi N. Rakshikar,
M. L. I. Sc., SET
Department of Library
Abstract
Purpose – This paper seeks to provide an insight into the implementation of some of the innovative
Web 2.0 applications at Asmita College library to initiate use of Web 2.0 applications to the optimum
level to provide quality services with the use of advance ICT to satisfy changing needs of library
users.
Design/methodology/approach – All the services based on Web 2.0 in library were studied with the
utility aspect of those services. The prevalence of seven Web 2.0 applications in descending order
was: multimedia sharing services, blogs, forums, social tagging services, social networking services,
social book marking services and wikis.
Findings –The Asmita College library has made a number of provisions to adopt some Web 2.0
applications in its library services to create information literacy. The presence of Web 2.0 applications
was found to have a correlation with the overall web site quality, and in particular, service quality.
Research limitations/implications – This paper covers in-depth case study of Asmita College library
only. Emerging genres of Web 2.0 applications such as mashups and virtual worlds have not been
included.
Practical implications – This study may guide other library professionals in application of Web 2.0
in their libraries to initiate Web 2.0 to the optimum level to provide quality services Decision makers
and web developers may benchmark their own efforts in deploying Web 2.0 applications against this
study. The numerous exemplars cited here serve as a springboard to generate more ideas on how Web
2.0 applications could be used and harnessed to improve the overall quality of academic library web
sites and blogs.
Originality/value – This paper unites two research interests: Web 2.0 and quality library services.
Keywords - Web 2.0, Academic Libraries
Paper type - Research paper

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Introduction
The advent of the internet has not only revolutionised the way academic libraries collect and
disseminate information but also redefined users expectations from the libraries to change
the way of providing library services. Web 2.0 is a best medium to interact with youth and to
know their changing expectations from academic libraries.
S.R. Ranganathan‟s Fifth Principle of Library Science states that “the library is a growing
organism”. In the modern context this statement is clearly exemplified by the number of new
forms of information sources and services that have started adorning the walls of libraries.
The boundaries of libraries have broadened to accept these new sources and services into
their daily operation. The resources of the libraries have grown from physical objects to
virtual objects, from card catalogues to online public access catalogues (OPACs), and
cooperative cataloguing to social cataloguing with an ability to comment, review and reuse
with the application of Web 2.0 techniques. This enormous change in the information arena
has prompted openness in the library community. Social cataloguing tools such as
LibraryThings (see www. librarything.com/), GoodReads (see www.goodreads.com/),
Shelfari (see www.shelfari. com/) and Gurulib (see www.gurulib.com/) (Jeffries, 2008) have
made information representation more accessible and viable for the masses. These techniques
have transformed the normal activities of libraries in a collaborative process where each
potential reader can catalogue the resources they use in their own way and can share that
information by inviting others to view, comment, rate and give feedback.
Users expect rapid information extraction, in a way that does not require them to remember
long URLs instead to hit Google, or ways in which they can easily select resources through
sieved information in the form of reviews or comments about the content. Such sieved
information access can be made possible through the use of a library toolbar application
(Brown, 2007; Jones, 2008), where information can be associated and integrated with single-
click access to a variety of information resources (Ram et al., 2009).

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Web 2.0
Tim O‟ Reilly coined the phrase web 2.0 in his article „what is web 2.0‟ in the year 2005.
Web 2.0 refers to new stage of development in the World Wide Web. Web 2.0 consists of a
set of Internet technologies that facilitate open and participatory work. Second generation of
internet based services that let people collaborate and share information online.
Web was formerly mainly static and non-interactive and most websites were created by
universities, businesses and research institutions. Web 2.0 is dynamic, interactive and much
of the web activity is about sharing information and ideas. This second generation of web
also known as read/write web.
Web 2.0 Tools
Web 2.0 allows to create and publish digital media through the internet.
 Contribute, share, collaborate through
 Text (Blogs, wikis) Blogs are being used to exchange information, and to
share views on a topic in chronological order, like a personal diary. Wikis are
being used as a tool for creating, authoring and allowing a group of people to
edit website content collaboratively.
 Images (Flickr) Albums can be created for different events, to share through
Flickr, Picassa.
 Videos (Youtube) Video on demand services such as YouTube (see
http://youtube.com) is a multimedia based website where online videos and
flash movies can be shared and viewed at any time.
 Audio (Podcasts) Audio files can be shared through Podcasts.
 PPT presentations(Slideshare) Slideshare will allow professionals to share the
PPT presentations on particular aspects to guide users. These PPT‟s can be
further added to blogs and websites form slideshare.

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 RSS is a format used for the automatic syndication of content. Instead of
checking websites for daily updates, people can subscribe to the website RSS
feed and get notified every time new content is added to the website.
Web 2.0 Utilities Blogs
 Blogs: Blogs are being used to exchange information, and to share views on a topic in
chronological order, like a personal diary. A blog of Asmita College library is sharing
information on different useful aspects such as list of useful links, detail information
about library collection, photo gallery, etc. (asmitacollegelibrary.blogspot.com)
Blogs have many implications for libraries. Library managers therefore need
to be aware of what blogs can do to promote the library and its services. Sometimes
library blogs can be building blocks for communicating news and information to
users. Creating a blog for a library is a free, easy and fast way to communicate
information to users. It can function as a medium for users to participate in service
development.

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Social Networking sites
 Social Networking sites: It can be facilitated through twiter, Facebook,etc. Asmita
college library have its facebook page which provides recruitment updates, library
notices, intimations of library events, etc.
Wikis
 Wikis: wiki provide shared information space where conference planners can share
information with all conference attendees Wiki provide an ideal tool and information

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space for creating and sharing documents where procedure manuals, glossaries,
FAQ‟s, research documents, etc can be easily accessed. A common use of wiki for
academicians in collaborative writing through online writing tool. OCLC provides
OpenworldCat facility through wiki which provides guidelines to web catalogue user.
Wikipedia provides an overview comparison of wikis and more traditional content
management systems through wiki engines. Asmita College library blog shared
Wikipedia as an information search tool on its library blog to facilitate quick search.
Social Bookmarking
 Social bookmarking: Social bookmarking applications enable people to save or
bookmark their favorite websites, blogspots, images, articles or podcasts with the
required title or description in online space. Information professionals and teachers
can provide web citations or bibliographies of e-content through social bookmarking
to students. Here is an example of Del.icio.us .com.
 Podcasting: Podcast allows sharing of audio files. Podcasts will help libraries to
provide audio tour or orientation to the new users as and when required. It‟s an easy
to distribute recorded lectures as well as recorded speeches as and when demanded by
students.

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Photo sharing
 Photo sharing: Institutional history can be created though organizing images
chronologically to depict institutional historical reflection. Library of Congress have
shared their images by creating chronological photo Gallery on Pinterest. Photo
albums can be created for different academic events. These albums can be shared
through slideshow on blogs or websites. Flickr, Picasa, Pinterest will allow creating
and sharing photo albums on web. Asmita College library have created different
albums of library exhibitions which are shared through library blog.
 Video sharing: YouTube was founded in February 2005, by early commerce
pioneers. YouTube is consumer media company for people to watch and share
original videos worldwide through a web. Library orientation videos can be prepared
to share on web. Sharing of user manual or instructions about use of library software
or steps to form search strategy can be made in video form.

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Slide sharing
 Slide sharing: Power Point presentations of lectures or user manuals of software‟s
can be created and shared through slideshare which can be embedded in library blog
or institutional website. Asmita college library blog have shared user manual for using
OPAC in SOUL 2.0 library software.
Thumbstacks is a new site for making and sharing presentations on the web.
Dynamic Websites

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 Dynamic Websites:
Web 2.0 allows to create dynamic websites which are easy to create and update. It
doesn‟t need any knowledge of HTML or Java to create such websites.
Shelfari to promote library service
 Promote library services: Web 2.0 allows to promote different library services such
as Visual representations of new arrivals of the library can be provided through
Shelfari or through new blog post headed as new arrivals and the images of newly
arrived books. Each book accessioned in the library is simultaneously updated with all
the relevant metadata details over the Shelfari account. A link for the Shelfari virtual
bookshelf is provided on the library blog(see http://asmitacollegelibrary.blogspot.in/)
under “new arrival section”, from where users can directly navigate to the Shelfari
website.
 Share information: Web 2.0 allows sharing of PPT presentations, videos, text,
images, hyperlinks, A/V files etc.
 Knowing user’s expectations: It is possible to receive feedback from users through
RSS or through comments on blog or through institutional facebook page.
 Use statistics: Total hits or statistics for the use of blog or website can be made
visible on the blog or website home page.

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Conclusion:
The introduction of ICT to the libraries has helped greatly to overcome routine and repetitive
tasks, and has offered new and innovative modes of learning, multiple modes of interaction,
(a)synchronous, differentiated content, interactive learning materials, flexibility (time, place,
pace), and has offered teachers opportunities to spend more time on the creation of lessons in
a new and challenging way. The advent of Web 2.0 tools as a transformational technology
has further extended the reach and has paved a new path for the next generation of library
users, through which they can be more interactive and time-savvy in the learning
environment. A number of new applications have added a new dimension to information
dissemination and have made searching for and retrieving of information much simpler and
easier. Unlike the olden days, information is disseminated in a single channel; a number of
novel and innovative ways of information dissemination are made possible through the next
generation of web tools. But the balance between using these tools and effectively utilising
their advancement stands solely with the awareness that users have regarding these services.
Periodic updating of users‟ awareness of these services is essential to invest further time and
energy on such services.
References:
Alton Y.K. Chua, Dion H. Goh and Rebecca P. A.(2012), “Web 2.0 applications in
government web sites Prevalence, use and correlations with perceived web site quality”,
Online Information Review Vol. 36 No. 2, pp. 175-195.
Brown, M. (2007), “Library toolbars for use and development”, Library Hi-Tech News, Vol.
24 No. 8, pp. 33-5.
Ram, S., Rao, N.L. and Kataria, S. (2009), “Taking well to thirsty: library toolbar-changing
of the user’s environment into new environment application”, in Chandra, H., Hariharan, A.,
Srinath, M. and Panneerselvam, P. (Eds), Knowledge Networking in ICT Era: Proceedings of
International Conference, Chennai, pp. 738-42.
Ram, S., and others(2011), “Responding to user’s expectation in the library: innovative Web
2.0 applications at JUIT Library A case study”, Program: Electronic Library and
Information System, Vol.45 No.4, pp. 452-469.