Web2.0/Library2.0 Workshop

Web2.0/Library2.0 Workshop

IRDP-Dodoma15th-17th July,2011

By Paul S. Munejapmuneja@udsm.ac.tz

Workshop Overview

• Content– Introduction– Web2.0/Library2.0 Features– Challenges/Controverses– Opportunities– What to do– Conclusion

Objectives

• To gain insight on the general overview of Web2.0

• Be able to explain important features of web2.0/Library2.0

• Identify challenges/controverses• Explain some opportunities• Identifying strategies to implement the

technology.

Introduction• Information Technology has brought us where we

are now• Advances in technology are revolutionizing the

world, including information management, business and governance.

• Information Technology (IT) has permeated virtually every aspect of human endeavour. (Matthew,2001)

• Information Technology plays a great role leading to a tremendous benefits in every walk of life.

Introduction…• The world is presently witnessing the birth of

digital data and communications networks as a major trend in the information marketplace.

• The rise of Information Technology has been described as the most important technological development of the 20th century.

• It has revolutionized almost every aspect of modern live in as diverse areas as stockholding, banking, publishing and personal communication (agradelibrary, 2003)

Introduction…

• It has transferred web communication from the first web generation to the second generation.

• The second web generation web2.0 has given birth to Library2.0 plus other changes of services.– E.g (Education2.0, government2.0,governance2.0, health2.0,

Medicine2.0 etc.)

Introduction…• IT has facilitated effective communication

through the www

The Second Web Generation

– Web application that facilitate participatory information creation (user centered design), sharing, interoperability and collaboration.

– Web 2.0 is equated to Read/Write Web (Lee, 2006)

– It contrast with web1.0 where users are regarded as consumers who are passive.

– Contrast with the web1.0 which is a one way communication (from information creator to user)

Second Web Gen…

• Learning from the social networking and social media which manifested in the Arab world leading to what is known as “Arab Uprising”

• Web2.0 tools has opened freedom of speech. Other scholars call Intellectual freedom.

• Every individual has a freedom of expressing anything and let the world hear/see his/her thoughts.

laurent@liftconference.comwww.liftconference.com

Web2.0• World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2007 - The Impact of Web

2.0 (check the video on videos.google.com)

– “Web 2.0 definitely is a buzzword, and it’s overused. But the movement is only starting. That movement is about leveraging the power of people”CHAD HURLEY

– “What we’re seeing is a return to the roots of the web.”CATARINA FAKE

– Web 2.0 “is enabling a fundamental shift in power that really is giving power to the consumer”MARK PARKER

– “It’s a way to collaborate with your customers, to allow them to co-create with you”.PETER SCHWARTZ

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Web2.0…According to O’Reilly, • “A core concept of Web 2.0 is that people are the

content of sites. That is, a site is not populated with information for users to consume. Instead, services are provided to individual users for them to build networks of friends and other groups (professional, recreational, etc.).

• The content of a site then, comprises user-provided information that attracts new members of an ever-expanding network.”

www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html

Web2.0-basic features

• User participation. • Allow collaboration and content sharing• Very Minimal or no costs of using the

technology• Require minimum technological knowledge

and skills. (No need of knowing the codes, tags etc)

• Connect people to the social world

Importance… Some reasons why ‘Web2.0’ is so important are as follows:-

Links: - It provides guidance to important pieces of information. The most wonderful thing about it is that the best pages are the most frequently linked to.

Search: - To make searching less cumbersome it offers information through keyword search which makes it very user friendly.

Authoring: - This provides the facility of creating and constantly updating the content. – In certain search sites the content is iterative in the sense that people do and

redo each other’s work. – In the case of ‘blogs’ the content comprises of all the posts and individual

comments that are accumulated over a period of time and can be accessed by the user at any point of time.

Importance of Web2.0…• Tags:-Categorizing of content by creating tags that are simple, one word

descriptions to facilitate searching and avoid rigid pre-made categories is also another reason why ‘Web2.0’ is becoming popular today.

Extensions: - This deals with the automation of some of the work and pattern matching by using algorithms. For example- amazon.com recommendations

Signals: - The use of RSS (Really Simple Syndication) technology notifies users with the changes of the content by sending e-mails to them.

One must note the fact that universities are now using Web2.0 in order to enhance their connectivity.

• http://learnonlinepublishing.com/web20/permalink.php?article=What+is+Web+and+why+is+it+important.txt

Features Web2.0 in the Library

– Makes library services to become more visible– Users can communicate with their librarian using

synchronous and asynchronous tools more effectively.

– Makes sharing content (e.g large files, photos, videos etc) very easily

– Librarians are becoming more social and user-friendly.

– The technology has is breaking the walls of libraries (library without walls)

• It has affected and shaped the present library environments. – Such changes have manifested in the forms of

“users’ needs, information resources, and communication technology” (Sangal, 1995).

Features of Web2.0 in the Library..

Technology push.

• Technological push made librarian to believe that adoption of web2.0 will make their services more appealing to new generations

(Robison, 2011) Second web generation has enabled teaching

and learning to be more flexible without depending too much on the classroom.

Web2.0 and Library2.0-Relationship

• Web2.0 and Library2.0 have a mutual relationship, the later depend on the former. i.e-there is no Library2.0 if Web2.0 does not exist.

Why 2.0?• Change of user needs and user behavior

(forced the change of information transmission)

• Open access to knowledge (spearheaded by F/OSS)

• Libraries are using Web2.0 tools to enhance their services.(how many in Tanzania?)

Challenges/Controvesies• Limited knowledge among librarians and

library managers• Lack of ICT infrastructures• Unwilling to adapt the technology• Technophobia• Privacy/Transparency• Confidentiality/ Intellectual freedom• Intellectual Property/Open Access to

Knowledge

Opportunities

• Growing number of LIS Professionals• Some libraries in Tanzania have started using

some web2.0 tools• Change of user needs and information seeking

behavior• Training opportunities on ICT.

What to do?

• Don’t implement a technology for technology’s sake• Library2.0 is more about the concepts, not just the

emerging technologies.• The concepts are what will endure over time not

necessarily a specific piece of software or online applications

• It’s the human aspect-the users that are important• Technology is just a tool for helping people interact with

one another.• Web2.0 concepts will carry on but the technology will

change

laurent@liftconference.comwww.liftconference.com

The web is out of its silo

• “It is having an impact on your market, your strategy, your people, your competitors, your processes, etc..”

– Take it out of the IT department.

www.liftconference.com

End

Any question?

Thank you for listening

References• Mathew G. O. (2001) “Designing and Managing Web Sites: basic, Conceptual and Practical

Insight” compendium of Paper presented at the 39th annual conference and AGM of NLA held in Owerri. June. P.15-21.

• Omekwu, C.O. (2001) “Research Extension-Farmer System Interface. Information Utilization Perspectives in Osun State” post-Field Doctoral Seminar. Presented at the Department of Library and Information Studies. University of Ibadan. March.

• Agradelibary. httt: www.agradelibrary.com. “Information technology” 3 (New) Add July 2003.

• Sangal, D.G. (1995) “Library Education in Nigeria: The Way Forward”. Proceeding of the 7th NALISE Conference held at Bayero University, Kano. June 29th -30th P.4.