Hyperlinked Libraries - Char Booth is inspirational

I've just finished listening to the lectures for Week 10, and I'm feeling really inspired. Char Booth laid out very clearly so much that I've been trying to learn piecemeal (and I'm grabbing her book on Monday to reinforce what I've learnt). In MPOW I'm involved in instruction for information literacy - it is a core part of my role. And yet, possibly because I've come to this role in a roundabout way, I have felt that - although I try my best - I'm just not doing it well at all. And felt overwhelmed when I have looked to increase my knowledge and skills in this area. It just seems so huge.

This session reassured me that I do have more knowledge in this area than I had given myself credit for, that there is indeed a huge amount to learn, and that it is do-able with the right guides and resources. So, book is sorted, blog is subscribed to via RSS and Char is followed on Twitter (sounds very fan-girl I know).  I will branch out from there.

Oh, and I loved her quote from John Dewey:

Education is a social process.

Education is growth.

Education is not a preparation for life;

Education is life.

Hyperlinked Libraries - Context Book Assignment - Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformedby Social Technologies

Li, Charlene & Josh Bernoff. Groundswell, expanded and revised edition: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies

This book was first published in 2008, and both authors were analysts at Forrester Research. This gave them both the technical background, and the user stories, to bring to life the topic of businesses reacting to increasing customer involvement in social media. I like user stories!

I also particularly liked the steps that they suggest for evaluating new technologies:

• Does it enable people to connect in new ways?


• Is it effortless to sign up for?


• Does it shift power from institutions to people?


• Does the community generate enough content to sustain itself.


• Is it an open platform that invites partners?

This doesn't mean that the technology (or your involvement with it) is going to be a guaranteed success - but it definitely helps to reduce the risk of failure.

The book examines how businesses (and I would definitely include non-profits) need to connect with their customers via social media, because that's where the customers are. If organisations want to stay relevant (and profitable in the case of businesses), then they can't ignore the groundswell of involvement that is happening around us. People don't want to be passive consumers of products and services - if they are happy with something, they are willing to let others know. If they aren't happy, they REALLY WANT to let others know! Some of their examples of what not to do make this excruciatingly clear.

This book has some very useful planning tools including the POST framework. POST stands for People, Objectives, Strategy and Tools – and when considered in that order, the authors suggest they give you the most chance of a successful foray into social media. The focus should always be on people, not technologies. The authors advise tying any moves into social media into the objective/mission of the organisation as well as working out who is ultimately responsible. If the buy-in from above isn't there, try to get it or you will have constant roadblocks.  They also recommend starting small - quick, simple, staged deployments, then reviewing reaction and responses. This links in beautifully to Week four's 10 steps for Planning.

The book also looks at different types of what it calls users or fans. It divides them into the following groups:

• creators,


• critics,


• conversationalists,


• collectors,


• joiners,


• spectators, and


• in-actives.

I found this helped me to clarify why responses can be so different - and also very interesting to see where I fitted on the spectrum. These different types of members will be most comfortable with different tools, so this should be examined when looking at the range and type of connections that we make.  Also, it is worth putting in extra work to connect with the relatively small number of members in the first groupings because if they are engaged,  they will often run with the idea and create content that will truly be participatory, rather than simply one way communication.

The issue of openness and honesty with those with whom we are interacting was also a key point. This links back to the discussions on transparency from Week five. Also, the fact that really knowing your community and their needs is key (which links beautifully to Weeks two and three.)

So, what does this all mean for libraries? My takeaway would be - Be quick on your feet and willing to change/adjust. Be open and honest with those with whom you are interacting. Listen more than talk. And be willing to be involved even if it means time, effort and moving out of your comfort zone.

Hyperlinked Libraries - Weeks five to seven summation

Another quick post with some of the key things that 'hit me' whilst watching the videos.

Week five's video lecture was great in that it discussed some issues that have been of interest/concern to me for some time. At MPOW we do have transparency in some ways - photos of librarians on libguides,  people wear name labels (we get a choice of first only or full names). But in an internal site set up for discussions about some proposed changes, there is no real discussion because (and this is my impression of course) staff don't feel that they know what use will be made of their comments. The trust isn't there - there is a feeling that it has been put up simply to tick the box on a change management plan with regard to consultation. I also found the discussion about social media being a public space interesting, both because we need to encourage  our members to take this into consideration, and also that the library in this space can inadvertently be the host to some potentially destructive behaviours.

I found Aaron Schmidt's Intro to Library UX a real eye opener. I have  been following some discussions in this area, but my knowledge is pretty limited to usability testing for websites etc. I really want to lean more -the methods that he discussed such as Journey maps and Contextual inquiry really made sense to me. At MPOW my team member and I are going to start some User interviews soon in a fairly low key way as I have felt for  a while that we are drifting from where we need to be.

I've been fortunate enough to be (slowly) working through the #anz23mthings program, so Jan Holmquist's lecture didn't present new concepts, but I did love his concept of people needing to work out the appropriate diet for themselves off online and Offline life. And Michael's point about a library's unique collections needing to be online so that they are accessible  was a bit of a 'of course - why haven't I realised this before' moment...

Hyperlinked Libraries - Weeks two to four summation

Ah, I feel like so much information is going in, creating lots of ideas and thoughts, but with limited time to reflect at the moment.

These  weeks presentations have been very interesting. I'm really pleased at how  much of this material resonates with me - in part due to my life experiences, in part due to my recently completing the New Librarianship masterclass. However, I must say that I really found myself nodding my head in excitement when  listening to the guest lectures in weeks two and three. Sarah, Monica & Gretchen's practical experiences gave me a real feel for what is possible, rather than the theoretical (which is of course very important, but I don't always 'see' it as clearly as I would like). Some of the things that really stood out to me were:

Sarah Ludwig - We need to select tools where we feel comfortable enough with so that we can present an authentic voice. But that the needs of the community come first so if they are in a particular space, then you need to learn that tool rather than try to impose something new.

Monica Harris - wow, I was just inspired by the concept, how it has been carried out, and the way things are captured and assessed.

Michael Edson - I was fortunate enough to do a MOOC introducing data science that gave me a better understanding than I previously had on big data. But Michael's presentation took that to a new level on the Scope, the Scale and the Speed of changes. I was particularly struck by his point that need is not just in third world countries - there are libraries closing now that will mean that poor kids don't have access to material to help them develop to their full potential.

Michael discussing the Techno's (Technolust etc.)
I've also shared the "As much chaos as we can stand" quote from his week four presentation a couple of times at MPOW in discussions with colleagues.

Hyperlinked Libraries - Introductory post

I feel a little like such a late starter! I wasn't in the initial 400 students but received the invitation this week (and very pleased too!) and it's taken nearly a week to put aside time to really have a look at how the site is structured, and the requirements. I can see that it's going to be a different experience from my previous two MOOC's in that it's much more social and (hopefully) interactive. Which will be a challenge for me as I am more of a lurker :)

So, a bit about me. I've only completed a few parts of my profile, but I'm going to add to it in time.
As my personal blog says:"South Aussie originally, came to WA via the Top End (loved my 4 years up there). Three kids (youngest born mid 2009). My library experience includes time working in a range of different fields including Higher Education, Public, Specials, Government (incl. a State library), and School/Community. I can honestly say that I have enjoyed working in all of these different libraries and have worked with wonderful people and learnt great things in each."

I'm currently working part time in an Academic Library and I (as part of a small team) provide subject support to Academics, Professional staff and students working and studying in the areas of Management and Governance, Politics and International Affairs. I find it an area of interest, but where I have a lot to learn, and as I love to learn, that works well.

I've recently completed two other MOOC's and found them both to be great at expanding my brain, but a bit difficult to keep up with time wise. I'm hoping that I'll do better with the timing on this one, and I'm really looking forward to what I'm going to learn and take on board.

Catchup week, and some reflections

This week is catchup week - and I am soooo glad of it. It has allowed me a chance to finish and upload some of my blog posts, and to do a little more playing around with a couple of apps that I particularly like.
So, after 6 weeks of learning & playing, what do I know now that I didn't before I started the program?

• I know a lot more than I thought I did. Only a couple of the things have been completely new to me - even Vine (which I had never installed or played with before) was vaguely familiar because of the chatter when it was introduced. And that's good. 
• Most of them have been pretty easy to instal and play with without ever reading or viewing any introductory material. And that's very good!
• There are a lot more things that can be done with most of these apps than I had thought. There are many incredibly creative people out there using these apps to connect with their community - I particularly liked some of the YouTube examples that were shared. 
• It can be overwhelming when trying to use many of these apps. By this I mean that to do some of  them well, you need to put in the time to learn them and to learn the possibilities associated with them. For individuals, this can be a case of trying things and discarding them if they don't bring the benefits that we were expecting. But for organisations (in particular libraries) this input of time can be a big impost. We need to be willing to try and discard if something doesn't work, but resourcing may not be available for more than one or two social media forays. ROI needs to be considered by each library before committing too much (although the idea of starting off small and regularly reviewing seems most appropriate). 
• The take-up of apps varies with different client groups - some are likely to be more interested in specific apps (local history buffs and HistoryPin), but others will stick with something like Facebook that meets most of their current needs. And that's fine, but something to be considered when looking at what each organisation should be involved in. We need to be in touch with our community enough to know (or at least guess at) what will be of ongoing interest. 

Thing 6 - Video bits!

Well, I've seen my share of YouTube videos on my phone - mainly links that others have shared with me via Twitter or Facebook. I rarely go looking for videos and if I am wanting to do that, it's usually something specific - like a Ted Talk - and I have TED mobile installed for that :)

Making videos is something I have really only done for myself/my family using the video option on the built in camera on my iPhone. It's been an extension of my happy snaps of my family, and not for sharing with those outside. So, although I see the benefit of these apps for libraries, I'm not likely to become comfortable with them in my personal life.

That being said, I did install Vine and shot a couple of sequences. Which I won't post as once I had a look at the editor's picks for the day (and the wonderful example posted during anz23mthings discussions with a city street and 'giant' fingers playing with the cars) I see that there are some wonderfully creative things that can be done. And mine is not!

Thing 5 - Photos & Maps

This is a completely new thing for me. I downloaded the HistoryPin app, did a quick look at a couple of the guides, and then had a play. Such potential, but nothing within about a 15km radius of me - I initially thought I was doing something wrong, but realised that it was just a lack of uploads. I love the idea though, and think that local history collections and small museums have a great opportunity to get in and really enhance their reach into the community.

In the catchup week I want to photograph a couple of local sights and pin them - and hopefully other people in my community will do the same.

I didn't try any of the other apps - I sometimes feel that I wish there was 'one app to rule them all' - I know I've downloaded great apps in the past but I forget that they are there because I'm not needing/using them regularly. However, I also don't want everything to be on the one platform 'cause I think that stifles innovation. Sigh. First World Problems...

Thing 4 - Maps and checking in

I've been a regular user of Google Maps for some time, mainly for when finding out where a new location is, and about how long it will take me to get there. The bloke did install a turn by turn voice navigation system for me, but I tend to just click on the address that I will have popped in my Google Calendar and normally can't be bothered copying & pasting into the nav system. (It is a freebie so not always fantastic on the exact details but I should use it more often!)
I've also used Facebook checkins and Foursquare - but privacy concerns means that I tend to use them very selectively. For example, I never check in at the kid's school, and I have the photo location tracking turned off for the same reason. I also have the bloke reminding me that he doesn't want me telling people that I'm not at home, for obvious reasons.
My Foursquare checkin's are fairly safe - I've only connected with one person, and I use it sometimes for the special offers. A cafe near MPOW has had a 'check in five times and get a half price hot drink' deal that I have used very happily in the past. But this week I was told that they were no longer honouring it - even though it is still showing on Foursquare itself. Which got me wondering, if the person who sets up these deals from a business moves on, what is requirement that the deal is honoured? And is the first flush of some of these location specific deals wearing off - was the uptake not great enough (the staff always looked quite bemused when I handed over my phone to take advantage of my offer) or too great for some businesses.
I helped a friend set up a Facebook page for his small business, and we discussed using offers for checkins. But very few of his customers have ever checked in at his location, and it wasn't something he tried. In his case, his core client base is not that tech savvy but for others (such as Academic libraries) it would be quite different.  I'm interested in seeing how different libraries use these options to connect with their communities...

Thing Three - email on the go

Email on the go is another thing I've used quite a lot before, but some of the discussions made me consider how and why I do things. I only use it for my personal email - not work (in part because the technicalities are beyond my desire for access, and in part because I only work part time - and it's too easy to do more work than I should as it is!)

For example, I'm very much a filter into folders person. Some things I want to know about immediately - like messages from the bloke. They're more likely to be things I need to know about immediately. So they stay in my inbox, and I get a notification on my phone. However, things from other people or organisations that I regularly get emails but they aren't time critical, get pulled into one of about 20 folders. I then chose at different times of the day (normally about 4 times, depending on how long I'm waiting outside a child's classroom, or in a queue) to check the ones I find most interesting. Some are only checked weekly.

I've also been unsubscribing to email lists - I do this on a regular basis, but the messages seem to keep on increasing. Some things I still keep receiving, but only because they're too hard to unsubscribe from (seriously, why should I have to provide a password to unsubscribe from a flood of information after I had to 'register'  to purchase one item about 5 years ago. Why Fisher Price!!! You are now spam in my book!). I know now I should use a throwaway email address for that kind of thing...

I've also read with interest the discussion on how you sign off your name. And realised that with work emails, unless I have a personal relationship with the individual I don't leave a cheery greeting or anything like that. I state what I need to let them know, and then just sign my name (or for friends if it's a one liner, I just put my first Initial). Might be a bit blunt, but we're all busy and it's just one more piece of guff! This article by Matthew J.X. Malady says pretty much the same thing, in a more articulate way.

Thing Two - Photo taking and Sharing apps

I've been loving the camera on my phone since I got my phone a couple if years ago. (Mind you, I must admit to camera envy when the bloke got an updated model 6 months back which is much quicker to respond as well as better resolution - and this week is exacerbating that!)

The flexibility if having a half decent quality camera with me at all times means that my children DO have photographic records of most months of their lives and I like sharing selected ones via Facebook. 

I started to play with Instagram and enjoy the filters to give a different look, and I'm going to try out Snapseed and a couple of others this week. But I'm less about the social side - many if my photos are for family/close friend's consumption,  and I there are privacy and safety issues that I don't feel that comfortable with. I have my Facebook settings locked down quite tightly so feel a measure of security (probably quite unwarranted!) there. But the whole point of Instagram etc seems to be to connect widely. I think. 

Having said that, I had a better look around the app this week and discovered 12 follow requests - most of whom I was happy to grant. And then I had fun looking at their images - I can see this being another dangerous app for my time management skills!

Thing One - Twitter

I've signed up to do the #anz23mthings program, and I've decided to try to reinforce my learnings by blogging using my mobile. This blog was originally started during MPOW's original 23 things program, so it seems appropriate. I'm hoping that by blogging this way I will also get more regular in blogging - small posts more often.

So, thing one. I've been using twitter on my phone for a couple of years now, very much as a consumer - following interesting people in the library world and a few selected people in other areas of interest. I've only shared a little - mainly RT of article links I found very stimulating or thought provoking. 

I encouraged others in my team to do this program with me and its been great to have chats about, and be able to offer my fairly limited expertise.  And it's encouraging me to examine new areas - different apps and trying to get my head around lists are two examples. 

I'm also trying to share more - not just other people's content (although that will still be my focus) but some of mine as well. 

So far so good. Lets see what the next months bring. 

Trying out a MOOC

Like many (most I would hope) people working in academic libraries, I have been seeing lots of discussion about MOOC's. And I even dabbled in a sense with a very informal one last year - the Power Searching with Google course.

But I really wanted to know what it was like to use one that was a little more formal and run through a 'normal' University, and the opportunity arose with the Syracuse iSchool's Introduction to Data Science.
I also want to know more about data science - including 'big data' as this is an area which seems to be exploding and my knowledge has not kept pace!
So this course seemed ideal.

I am now nearly to the halfway mark - which isn't too hard as the fact that it is only 5 weeks made it appear manageable. And it has been very interesting.

There have been very few teething problems. The iSchool appears to have prepared well and resourced well with staff, and the only issues I have found so far are with powerpoint slides used in videos being often unreadable (for some they have supplied additional materials such as the original slides), and with a few technical things that are only issues because I (and to be honest a few others) are not used to how Blackboard works.

The program is basically - read the appropriate chapters of the text books (plus as many of the recommended readings/links that you would like), watch the videos (which are so far basically the key points of the text 'performed' for us), undertake two short tests, join in group discussions and be involved in a small group - which this week means be involved in uploading the results of a small group project/challenge for marking.

Initially I felt rather overwhelmed - especially when we downloaded R and starting playing with it. But I think I've been overthinking it a bit - when I stop being overawed, it doesn't seem too difficult.
And I haven't had to repeat any of my tests which is rather nice.
I did find in week 1 that I needed to find and do an additional tutorial on base conversion to stop my head from exploding. Once I did that, things became clearer in that area!

It's taking me a while to work through the steps - they suggested that 5-10 hours per week would be required to complete the material successfully, dependent of course on existing knowledge and skills. I think that is probably about right - because I haven't had that much to do with the 'basics' of data such as binary and base conversion, I've probably spent a little more time on it than that (or maybe it's just that little people interrupting on a regular basis spins the time out!)

I'm finding the group work interesting - of the 25 or so people who are meant to be in our group, only 8-10 have actually left a message of any sort in the group discussion area, and I'm now one of four who has put any input into the group challenge which is due in a couple of days. I understand that this is one area where MOOC's do have issues - the relationship building and group work can be very difficult as people collaborate from different timezones (often little or no real time discussions can happen) and with different technical skillsets.

Overall, I'm finding it a very interesting experience and I'm hoping that the knowledge that I gain from the actual process, as well as the material covered, will be useful in future discussions on MOOC's and their implications for our Universities, as well as our Libraries.