This document provides an introduction to Web 2.0 technologies and how they are used in public libraries. It defines Web 2.0 as a way to connect, collaborate, and share content online through social networking, user-generated content, blogs, wikis, and other services. Examples are given of how public libraries use social media platforms, blogs, maps and other Web 2.0 tools to communicate with users, share resources and information, and promote their services. The document also compares Web 2.0 use across different library sectors and discusses areas for further development, as well as security, legal and other concerns regarding the use of these technologies in libraries.

1. Introduction to Web 2.0
Gary Green
Technical Librarian
Surrey County Council

2. Covering…
• What’s Web 2.0?
• How/why is it used in
public libraries?
• How do we compare to
other library sectors?
• Areas for development.
• ICT, legal & other
concerns.

3. What’s Web 2.0?
 A way to connect, collaborate
& build resources for sharing
online.
 A read/write web, rather than
a read only web.
 Social networking.
 User generated content.
 Close ties to social media.

4. Examples of Web2.0 services
 RSS / News feed aggregators
 Blogging
 Microblogging
 Social networks
 Image sharing
 Video sharing
 Audio & podcasts
 Focused Search
 Cloud computing
 Maps
 Wikis
 Social Bookmarking & tagging
 Question & Answers
 Start pages
 Mashups

5. RSS / News feed aggregators
 RSS = ‘Really Simple Syndication’.
 Collect frequently updated news and
postings from websites & read them in
one place, without having to spend a lot
of time visiting each site individually.
 Examples: Google Reader, Bloglines.

6. Blogging
 A blog is a website that most commonly
takes the form of a diary.
 It is intended to be updated regularly
with new entries.
 It can contain commentary, opinion,
descriptions of events and topics.
 Older entries are archived, but can still
be read.
 Examples: Wordpress, Blogger.

7. Microblogging
 Microblogging is a form of blogging,
but its content is smaller/shorter.
 An update can be sent within seconds of
something happening and that update
can be seen by millions of other
microbloggers straight away.
 Good for discussion & up-to-date news.
 Examples: Twitter, Yammer.

8. Social networks
 Online communities where people
connect to share information about
common interests and themselves. e.g.
friends, family, colleagues, hobbies, crafts.
 General or more focused communities.
 Examples: Facebook, Librarything,
LinkedIn, Ravelry.

9. Image/Photo sharing
 Upload images to a web site for all to see.
 Share your experiences, places you’ve
been, your creativity.
 Uploaded images are also a great
resource when looking for pictures for
displays, posters, presentations.
 Examples: Flickr, Photobucket.

10. Video sharing
 Videos uploaded and stored on a video
hosting site, not on your computer.
 Allow users to search for, watch,
comment on videos, without the need for
a television.
 Examples: Youtube, Vimeo.

11. Audio & podcasts
 Places to share and find audio/music
(similar to video sharing).
 Podcast refers to audio files (mostly
speech, rather than music) distributed
over the internet and available for people
to download and listen to whenever they
want.
 Examples: British Library podcasts,
Soundcloud, last.fm.

12. Focused Search
 Google isn’t always best place to search.
◦ eg Content of Library of Congress
Archives not available via Google
 May need more detailed searches around
specific subject.
 Creative commons – used for finding
resources that you can use in your own
work.
 Examples: Healia, Whichbook.net,
iconmonsters.

13. Cloud computing
 Software & files hosted/stored on the
internet, rather than using software on
personal computer.
 Can access anywhere with internet
connection.
 When you create your blog later you’ll be
saving information "in the cloud“.
 Examples: Evernote, Google docs, most
of the services listed in this presentation.

14. Maps
 Search for locations and directions.
 Create specialised maps – focus on
specific area with extra detail.
◦ Hotels in an area
◦ Routeplanner
◦ Literary maps
◦ Sightseeing
 Examples: Google Maps, Surrey Fiction
Book Map, AA routeplanner, Google
sightseeing.

15. Social bookmarking & tagging
 Save & organise web links to the cloud.
 View links other users on same site have
bookmarked.
 Tagging allows users to add useful
descriptive keywords to links / items.
 Subject headings on the library catalogue
or a descriptor in a database are tags.
 Many Web 2.0 applications use tagging.
 Examples: Delicious, Pearltrees,
Pinterest.

16. Question & Answers
 Enables people to ask questions about a
subject outside their area of expertise.
 Harness collective intelligence of millions
of internet users and receive a useful
answer.
 Examples: – Enquire; Yahoo answers.

17. Start Pages
 Bring together variety of online services
& resources on one page… Want to see
what emails people have sent you
overnight? What have people been saying
on Twitter? Do you want your bookmarks
listed? Do you want to know what the
latest BBC news is? Do you want to be
able to search Wikipedia? … in one place.
Put them all on your start page.
 Examples: – Netvibes, iGoogle.

18. Mashups
 Websites or web pages that bring related
information together from different sites
and presents it in a new way that wasn't
originally intended.
 By combining the information from
different resources a new value added
service is created.
 Examples: New York Times/Worldcat
bestsellers, Biodiversity Heritage Library.

19. How is it used in public libraries?
 2 way communication.
◦ With library users
◦ With colleagues
 Information & resources.
◦ Find
◦ Share
 Collaboration.
◦ Projects
 Promote services & resources.
◦ Advertise events
◦ Send event invitations
◦ Report news from your library
◦ Highlight what’s in stock
 To assess if library services are what
users want .

20. Why is it used in public libraries?
 Find out what library users want.
 Being online is no longer optional.
 Be good at providing online
services users want to use.
 Use tools and services customers
are using.
 Go where users are, rather than
expecting them to come to you.
 Open up conversation between
service and users.
 Reach new customers .
 See what’s going on outside your
own world / library.
 Remove the distance barrier.

21. Library 2.0
 Library 2.0 = Web 2.0 applied to
libraries.
 Catalogue add-ons.
◦ Link to more detail about books
outside system
◦ Recommend books to friends
◦ Review / rate books
◦ RSS alerts of books you might be
interested in
 Libraries working with the public
around the catalogue, books &
reading.
 Join in polls / discussions.
 Create mini-collections of
catalogue records in places like
LibraryThing.

22. Examples of use in public libraries
 East Sussex Library & Information
Service Facebook.
 Orkney libraries Twitter – award winning.
 Enquire reference service.
 Surrey Fiction book Map.
 Edinburgh literary map .
 Kirklees Libraries start pages – job
searches.
 East Sussex local history and new library
photos on Flickr.
 Manchester libraries blog.
 Queen Elizabeth II in Surrey historical
timeline
 Many more examples on “23 Things” &
“Libraries & Web2” wikis.

23. How do we compare to other
library sectors?
◦ Academic.
◦ Business.
◦ Specialist.
◦ Health.
◦ Charity.

24. Other library sectors
 The Tavistock & Portman NHS
Foundation Trust Library.
◦ Pinterest: New books, journals
/ Books on order
 Royal College of Nursing.
◦ Virtual enquiry
 University of Iowa Special
Collections & University
Archives.
◦ Pinterest: Interesting items in
special collection
 King’s Fund Charity.
◦ Live chat

25. Other library sectors
 British Medical Association.
◦ Skype / Training videos
 British Library For Development Studies.
◦ Start page for climate change articles
 University of Cambridge, Judge Business
School.
◦ Twitter / Live chat / Pinterest
 Shrewsbury and Telford Health Libraries.
◦ Start page
 University of Worcester Library services.
◦ Start page highlighting library services
& support for education students / Blog

26. Are we trailing behind other
library sectors ?
◦ No.
 Public libraries are using many
Web2.0 services.
 Might be using them
differently to other sectors –
different focus
◦ Yes.
 Not every public library
authority is using all of the
Web2.0 tools, but then again
not everyone in other sectors
is using them either!

27. Areas for development
 Do more of the same.
 Build on your existing
services.
 Look at other library
services for inspiration.
 You need to experiment.
 Take a look at these links
for ideas.
◦ http://www.delicious.com/stacks/view/EWw

28. Security, legal & other concerns
 IT concerns.
◦ Security
◦ Abuse of access
 The law.
◦ Sharing
◦ Copyright of other peoples
work / Creative commons
◦ TV licences
 Web 2.0 policy from local
authority perspective.
◦ Social media policies
◦ “IT won’t let us access it”
◦ Seen as time wasting
 Access seems to be opening up.

29. Useful Resources
 23 Things wiki (training to give library staff
greater understanding of online services).
◦ http://23things.wetpaint.com/
 Libraries & Web2 wiki (examples of how
libraries are using Web 2.0).
◦ http://librariesandweb2.wetpaint.com/
 Delicious.com links for this presentation.
◦ http://www.delicious.com/stacks/view/EWwHic
 Phil Bradley’s blogs.
◦ http://www.philbradley.typepad.com/
◦ http://philbradley.typepad.com/i_want_to/

30. Introduction to Web 2.0
Gary Green
Technical Librarian
Surrey County Council

31. Image/icon credits
 Jigsaws – Daddy Design
 LCDs – Arrioch
 Trucks – Cute Little Factory
 Super Heroes – Icon Shock
Sourced from

www.iconmonsters.com