This document discusses how academic libraries are using social software tools like wikis, social bookmarking, media sharing, social networks, blogs, IM, microblogging, and subject guides. It provides examples of how libraries have used these tools for tasks like creating intranets, training materials, reference services, outreach, and more. The document concludes that social software can enhance library services, outreach, instruction, and help libraries stay current and foster communication and collaboration.

1. Social Software in Academic Libraries Ellyssa Kroski New York Public Library March 28, 2008

2. What is Social Software? New Web 2.0 tools which are: Social Participatory Collaborative Easy to Use Community Environments

3. What is Social Software? Social Software Tools enable people to: Create Contribute Connect Converse Vote Share

4. Why Social Software? Exploding Growth MySpace has over 200 million users Facebook has over 67 million users half of which sign in daily Over 75 million blogs Wikipedia has over 5 million articles written in over 200 languages People view over 100 million videos daily on YouTube Flicrk has over 2 billion photos

5. Why Social Software? Mainstream Adoption 85% of college students have a Facebook account Americans spend an average of 14 hours per week on the Web 85% of young broadband users have watched online video 51% of American teens have uploaded photos to the Web 55% of American teens have a social networking profile Over half of all visitors to MySpace and over 40% to Facebook are over 35 years old

7. The Social Tools of Web 2.0 Social Networking Subject Guides Answers Second Life Micro blogging IM Blogs Social Bookmarking Media Sharing Wikis Social Software

8. Wikis Easy Web publishing No HTML required Collaborative online spaces Great tools for: Team projects Knowledge bases Remote collaboration FAQs Course instruction Encyclopedias Intranets

9. How are Academic Libraries Using Wikis?

10. Wikis as Intranets

11. “ The wiki allows us to keep staff content centrally located, consistently organized, and — most importantly — easily editable by anyone willing to learn a few basics.” Erin George Associate to the University Librarian University of Minnesota Libraries

12. Wikis as Training Tools

13. Wikis as Library Web Sites

14. “ It has enabled all the librarians at USCA to share the responsibility of updating pages. I really believe that it has created a sense of ownership and a commitment to the website among those who contribute.” Jane H. Tuten Library Director USC Aiken Library

15. Wikis as Subject Guides

16. “ The Biz Wiki allows me to create and manage dynamic content at anytime and anywhere, allowing me to address popular questions quickly, while promoting the use of business resources.” Chad F. Boeninger Reference & Instruction Technology Coordinator Ohio University Libraries

17. Wikis as Resource Reviews Collections

18. Wikis for Event Planning

19. Wikis for Best Practices

20. Social Bookmarking Tools An online space to save “favorites” or bookmarks Discovery tools Categorization by tags Portable & searchable Great tools for: Resource collections Subject guides Reading lists

21. How are Academic Libraries Using Social Bookmarking?

22. Social Bookmarks in Subject Guides

23. Social Bookmarks in Subject Guides

24. Social Bookmarks in Subject Guides

25. “ Using a del.icio.us account along with FeedDigest has made it much easier for our librarians to automatically keep a web site up to date.” Nicole Hennig Web Manager MIT Libraries

26. Social Bookmarking Communities

27. Social Bookmarking Communities

28. Social Bookmarking for Class Reading Lists

29. Social Bookmarking for Class Reading Lists

30. Social Bookmarking for Staff Resources

31. “ It is a catch-all space for stuff I find interesting and want to share in a no-hassle way. Much better than emailing everyone every time I find something nifty.” Lisa Sepa Technical Services Librarian Maui Community College Library

32. Social Bookmarks as Recommended Resources

33. Social Bookmarking for Keeping Current

34. Social Bookmarking for Event Tracking

35. Social Bookmarking for Event Tracking

36. Media Sharing Organize and share photo & video collections online Easy Upload Great tools for: Training Marketing & Promotion Teaching Digital collections management Online exhibits Tours

37. How are Academic Libraries Using Media Sharing?

38. Media Sharing for Historical Collections

39. Media Sharing for Spotlighting Library Staff

40. Media Sharing for Library Tours

41. “ YouTube has really helped us market ourselves to the campus community. Some people say, "YouTube, really?" but the undergrads get it.” Nick Baker Reference and Web Services Librarian Williams College Libraries

42. Media Sharing for Research Recommendations

43. Media Sharing for Instruction

44. Media Sharing for Instruction

45. Media Sharing for Promotion

46. Media Sharing for Promotion

47. Social Networks Online social hubs “ Third Places” Environments to find like-minded people Great tools for: Portals Networking Marketing Outreach Branding

48. How are Academic Libraries Using Social Networking?

49. Social Networks as Library Portals

50. “ MySpace has been an a great avenue for connecting with other libraries around the country and world and for sharing marketing ideas.” Meg Burger Learning Commons Coordinator University Library University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

51. Social Networks for Promotion

52. Social Networks as Extensions of the Library Website

53. Social Networks for Outreach

54. Social Networks for Catalog Search

55. Social Networks for Database Search

56. Social Networks for Professional Networking

57. Social Networks for Keeping Up

58. Blogs Online journals or websites Articles posted in chronological order No HTML necessary Great tools for: Breaking news Staff communication Subject resources Course materials Media reviews Publishing

59. How are Academic Libraries Using Blogs?

60. Blogs as Library News Vehicles

61. “ The KSL News Blog generates comments with surprising swiftness–from our campus, and beyond, we are reaching people in different ways.” Karen Oye, M.L.S. Head of Customer Services Kelvin Smith Library Case Western Reserve University

62. Blogs as Subject Resources

63. Blogs to Support Library Instruction

64. Blogs for Staff Communication

65. Blogs for Accessibility

66. "My blog and my Facebook profile allow me to communicate in new ways with our students and faculty and in ways that they themselves communicate" Jeff Trzeciak University Librarian McMaster University

67. IM Real-time online text chat No technical skills required Great tools for: Virtual reference Staff communication Remote meetings Collaboration

68. How are Academic Libraries Using IM?

69. IM for Virtual Reference

70. IM + Voice for Virtual Reference

71. “ In providing services via Skype we're continuing to expand the range of access options available to our users, many of whom already rely on the web calling client for much of their communication.” Char Booth Reference & Instruction Librarian Ohio University Libraries

72. IM + Text for Virtual Reference

73. "Since expanding the AskAULibrary service from AIM to all major IM providers through Meebo, our statistics have doubled." Melissa Becher Coordinator of AskAULibrary American University Library

74. Microblogging Online text communication tool Short messages of up to 140 characters Great tools for: Event announcements News updates Making Web resource recommendations Promotion

75. How are Academic Libraries Using Microblogging?

76. Microblogging and Promotion

77. Microblogging and Promotion

78. Microblogging as a Library Portal

79. Second Life Virtual World 3-D MMORPG Created by inhabitants Great tool for: Remote education Training Virtual events Conferencing Marketing & Promotion

80. How are Academic Libraries Using Second Life?

81. Second Life for Subject Guides

82. Second Life for Virtual Reference

83. Second Life for Education

84. “ We noticed that students find the most pleasure – and thus motivation to learn - by being challenged with constructionist activities in Second Life. They have a blast building our campus and running events on it.” Jeremy Kemp Assistant Director for Second Life Campus San Jose State University SLIS

85. Second Life for Database Searching

86. Second Life for Exhibits

87. Second Life for Conferences

88. Answers Communities Social Q&A Wisdom of Crowds Great tools for: Virtual Reference Outreach Promotion

89. How are Academic Libraries Using Answers Communities?

90. Answers as Promotion

91. Subject Guides Tools Social Tools to create interactive subject guides Multimedia & Multiformat Great tools for: Subject guides Pathfinders How-to guides

92. How are Academic Libraries Using Subject Guides?

93. Subject Guides as Research Guides

94. Subject Guides as Research Guides

95. "The best thing about LibGuides @ BC may be how liberating it's been for librarians, carrying many into the world of Library 2.0 not kicking and screaming but excited and energized by the opportunity at last to shape and manage their online presence and interaction with students." Ken Liss Librarian Boston College University Libraries

96. Subject Guides as Reading Lists

97. Social Software in Academic Libraries Enhance library services Outreach Marketing & Promotion Training Instruction Asset management Staying Current Communication Collaboration Networking Community Building “ Going where the users are”

98. Social Software DIY Tips Jump right in Start to learn what's possible with these tools Learning for personal use will lead to ideas for professional applications. Set up some social software accounts, most of them are free!

99. Additional Resources Library Emerging Tech Labs Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) — MIT Libraries’ Betas University of Michigan — MLibrary Labs University of Minnesota — Digital Library Development Lab University of Pennsylvania — PennLabs University of Virginia — Library Lab Vanderbilt University — Test Pilot

100. Ellyssa Kroski [email_address] Blogs: iLibrarian http://oedb.org/blogs/ilibrarian InfoTangle http://infotangle.blogsome.com http://www.slideshare.net/ellyssa