Collaborative Tools

2.  What technologies do you find most promising in facilitating internal collaboration and why?

After looking at through the examples for collaborative tools, I found that several of them looked promising to be used in the library setting.  The first example that I liked was Google Docs.  I find that this tool is very helpful while working on collaborative items.  For example, my boss and I use the functions of Google Docs to keep track of the participants who want to take Teaching with Primary Source workshops from Quincy University.  This helps us keep track of who we have been in contact with through our website and email addresses.  I think that Google Docs would be a great tool in the library setting to keep track of classroom visits, book club dates, and free time to use the library.  I found that the four planning tools were all similar to each other, but I did not really like the setup of Bubbl.us.  I would prefer to use any of the other three tools to help develop plans for the library or lesson plans.  I personally have used Mindmeister in a previous class and found that it was very easy to use and helpful.  The usefulness of online communication tools is very helpful when you are trying to have a meeting with a group of people that are not within a reasonable driving distance.  The three online communication tools that I have heard about or have previously used are Meebo, DimDim, and Skype.  As a way of communicating with our workshop participants we have used DimDim and found that it works best in our situation because it is able to run through our broadband connections without any major problems. 

I think with all of these collaborative tools, librarians and others will be able to work in a more productive manner than before, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t draw backs to the technology.  Ones broadband connection can be a determining factor in what will work best in the office and at home.  There is also the idea of being in an online setting that others can see at all times of the day.  For example, if the library is using an instant message tool or using an email account set up to a chat box, it could be on even when one is not at the office.  This was stated as being an issue in Will Kelly’s article “Corporate Culture, Not Technology, Dives Online Collaboration.”  I have come across this on occasion when I am on vacation but still checking my work email.  I have found that if I do not change my chat window to say that I am busy, coworkers and students will contact me with their questions.  These are just some minor issues with collaborative online tools.  In the end the librarian or administration must choose whether or not to use these tools.    

Effective Wiki

1. Which of the library wiki examples did you consider most effective (you can pick more than one) and why?

            After reviewing the wiki examples, I found that I was more drawn to the pages that were more colorful and formatted in a way that encouraged patrons to use them.  I specifically liked three pages.  The first paged that I liked was the Plymouth Regional High School Library Research Pages.  I found that this page well organized and accessible for all students.  I liked how each class/teacher had a specific page for their content that they taught.  The pages didn’t look the best, but they contained plenty of information to help the students.  The second page that I liked was the The University of South Carolina Aiken Gregg-Graniteville Library.  I found that this page not only contained all of the necessary information but was organized and formatted in a better way than the first wiki.  This libraries wiki mirrors that of an actual website making it not appear to be a wiki.  I think that students will be able to access this website without any problems.  The last wiki that I like is The Ohio University Libraries Biz Wiki.  This wiki was very colorful and filled with many different functions.  The first thing that caught my eye was a welcome video that told patrons what they would find on the wiki and some helpful hints to finding the information needed.  There was also a message box allowing the patrons to ask questions in real time.  I found both of these helpful to patrons and welcoming.  The wiki also includes information on how to contact the librarian, more videos, and specific topic pages.  Overall, I found that each of these wikis served their purpose of informing their patrons of the libraries resources.  

Marketing Critique: Quincy Public Library

        For my marketing critique, I wanted to focus on one of the libraries in Quincy, Illinois.  I found that the Quincy University Library was missing an online presence.  The library only could be accessed through its website and Facebook page.  Thus, I choose to concentrate on the Quincy Public Library.  The Quincy Public Library serves not on Quincy, Illinois but several of the surrounding towns.  I found that Quincy Public Library did have an online presence outside of their main website.  One can find the Quincy Public Library on its website: http://www.quincylibrary.org, Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/QuincyPublicLibrary, YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/QuincyPublicLibrary, the radio through a show called Book Notes: http://www.quincylibrary.org/books_music_media/NorasBookNotes.asp, and through e-newsletters/blog: http://www.supportlibrary.com/nt/landing.cfm?menu=nlcarousel&submenu=newslettersmenu&CFID=90287420&CFTOKEN=81806224.  Each of these sites provides patrons with the information that they are looking to obtain.  I will be critiquing each of these pages and how they help the library market. 

            The Quincy Public Library has an informational website that informs its patrons of several things.  This includes the titles of new books added to the collection and staff reviews on books.  The website also informs the community of library news and events.  There are also links to specific pages for kids and teens.  The one thing missing from the home page is a list or links to social media sites.  I was not able to find anything mentioned about a Facebook or YouTube presence.  The radio show and e-newsletter/blog information was found under the heading of Books, Music and More. 

            The Facebook page for the Quincy Public Library includes the basic information about when the library is open, where it is located, how to contact them, and the link for the website.  The page also includes information about the calendar of events, book news, catalog, teens, and other basic Facebook functions (photos and videos).  The wall of the page has been dedicated to important news items, such as, what is going on at the library that day or who is supporting the library.  The wall is recent as it was updated this month.  There does not appear to be a big following of this page.  There are currently 712 likes out of the possible 40,000 people that live in Quincy alone.  I feel that the library could be doing better at attracting followers to Facebook if there was a link off of the main library’s website. 

            The Quincy Public Library YouTube channel is very new to the library.  The videos that have been posted to the site are from last year’s Summer Reading program and are informative about the theme of the program along with being creatively produced.  The channel is not pretty as it appears to be the same gray and black colors of the main YouTube website.  Overall, this site is missing a creative and attractive background that would bring patrons in to view the clips.  I also feel that the library could have posted a video about the Big Read program that is hosted and sponsored by the library every fall.  There is so much more that they could have done with the site.  Lastly, the library should have a direct link off of the library’s main website and Facebook to YouTube. 

            Next, I looked at the information provided about the local radio show that discusses books.  The library along with one of the local radio stations partner up to discuss a book that is being read by the book club or is an alternative book.  This program is produced weekly, and includes a librarian and two radio hosts.  The specific website of information does inform patrons that they can learn about these book notes through the e-newsletter.  At the bottom of the page a list of past reviews was provided, and each of these did link to an audio file of the broadcast.  I found that this site was hard to find off of the home page of the library’s website, but that it provided good information about books. 

            Lastly, I explored the library’s e-newsletter/blog.  It appears that the site is more of an online newsletter, but it some areas works more like a blog but without the commenting function.  A patron is allowed to subscribe to only the area(s) that they wish to receive news on.  From the main page of this site, a patron can view some reviews of books and view news items.  This website was very colorful, but not always easy to navigate.  As I was exploring the site, several functions stopped working.  This was another site that was not easy to find off of the main library page.  It was found under a label of “What Should I Read Next?” 

            Overall, the Quincy Public Library is trying to build an online presence that will severe the Quincy, Illinois area.  However, I feel that they could improve their efforts greatly if each of these sites was listed in its own section of the website.  If they were more visible to patrons than maybe more people would be visiting them.  I also feel that specific patron groups could have their own unique social sites that would benefit them the most.  Each of these social sites could then be maintained by a representative of that group.  For example, there is a teen page where specific information for them is posted.  This page should be connected to other social sites, such as, Facebook.  One teen or a group of teens could then help the library staff maintain not only their website but their social sites.  Letting the patrons help build an online presence maybe just what the Quincy Public Library needs to expand its current patronage. 

            Next, I think that library staff should take more time to keep each of their current social sites updated.  There is no reason why the YouTube channel for the library does not include recent events that have happened at the library.  At the same time the videos posted to YouTube could also be posted to Facebook.  Each of the different sites used to market Quincy Public Library should be listed on each different page.  Seeing the repetition of sites to visit for information would build visits to each of these sites, and may attract more people visiting the library.  These are the suggestions that I have for the Quincy Public Library that will help them achieve a greater marketing strategy.  At the end of the day, the public library is here to serve the community, but it cannot do that if it is not known in that community.     

The World of Facebook and MySpace

1.  Do you think libraries should be building presence and providing services in MySpace and/or Facebook?  Why or why not?

            I do believe that libraries should be building a presence and providing a service on MySpace and/or Facebook.  I would personally suggest using Facebook over MySpace because MySpace seems to be a thing of the past.  When you listen to people talk about what is going on in the world, they tend to say they learned the information from Facebook not from MySpace.  The reason behind having a presence on Facebook is that it has become a key communication device for people.  Of course, some people don’t have accounts on either of these sites, but the library will still reach many people.  I think that every library can benefit from having Facebook or MySpace as a social media communication tool.  The one problem that I do see is for school libraries.  Since there is an age requirement for joining these sites, some libraries may not be able to use these, but they can look for some other useful media tools to communicate with the students and parents.  Even with the age issue, I feel that school libraries and academic libraries will have the biggest following on these sites versus public libraries.  I feel this way because as stated in Reaching Students with Facebook: Data and Best Practices, “…it is an environment that students are already comfortable with” (page 4).  Since these types of libraries serve the computer generation more, they will see the biggest draw as long as they have a positive presence.  Having a positive presence and an active presence will be key in retaining patrons and for attracting new ones.  This does not mean that a public library cannot also benefit from having a Facebook page.  For the public library, a Facebook page may be a great tool to use to attract new patrons into using the library, such as, teenagers. 

            As you decide on what is in your libraries best interest, remember to think about: which social media tool will serve your library the best, who is your audience, who is going to maintain the site, how often is it going to be updated, what information are you going to be providing, etc.  Facebook and MySpace are great media tools to communicate with, but they have to be up to date and provide an environment that is the most beneficial to the majority of your patrons so as to create the best results.    

RSS

1.  Why should libraries care about RSS?

            First, a RSS feed is a great way to help keep organized on information.  Last week, we discussed how to not become overwhelmed with information with all the different tools available to us, and I think that using an RSS feed is one way to maintain the vast world of information.  For libraries I believe that using RSS feeds will not only help their patrons but also help the librarians.  For the patrons, being able to have a library with RSS will help them stay informed of what is going on at the library in a different capacity than using a social networking site.  For librarians, subscribing to different RSS feeds will keep them informed of what is going on at other libraries or companies that they follow on a consisted basis.  Being able to gather up-to-date information from different sites in one location will also cut down on the time that it takes to visit each site.  Overall, I believe that libraries should care about RSS because it will help them grow in knowledge and provide their patrons with the information that they are looking to obtain. 

            I personally trust Google’s Reader to store all of the sites that I follow.  Through this site, I am able to find all of the up to date information that I am looking for.  Many of the sites that I follow have been suggested to me while I have been attending SJSU, and I find that this has provided me a nice start to learning more about the world of libraries.  By using the Reader, I am able to see full articles of information rather than short tweets about things.  This helps provide me more details about an item that I may find important.  I would strongly suggest that libraries use some type of RSS feed to help them manage information.