Library 2.0?

Adam K. Fantom and Richard W. SmithInstructional Resource Technicians

Harford Community College

What is Web 2.0?

Term originally used by Tim O’Reilly of O’Reilly Press.

It is a loose term for the second generation of web platforms and tools that facilitate interactivity between users.

What is Web 2.0?

Technology. Web 2.0 sites tend to use emerging technology such as AJAX or Ruby On Rails to design web tools that promote interactivity.

Social Interaction. Web 2.0 sites promote interactivity between sites, user and browser.

Examples of Web 2.0

MySpace and Facebook Digg.com iGoogle.com Blogs Podcasts Wikis

What we are doing at the HCC Library

http://www.harford.edu/library/extras/

Not a full time project. Use it to market the library to users who

would not normally use the Library services. Fluid, never ending project.

Where we got our idea

University of Michigan MLibrary Labs

http://www.lib.umich.edu/labs/

“MLibrary Labs is where the University of Michigan Library shows off some tools that are not quite ready for prime time. These are all experiments and may behave unexpectedly.”

Now to our Web 2.0 Tools……………

HCC Library Blog

http://hcclibrary.blogspot.com/

The oldest of our Web 2.0 tools Maintained by 1 staff member. Uses Blogger.com, a free tool from Google. Has a published RSS feed.

HCC Library Podcast http://www.harford.edu/library/podcast/

feed.xml

Has been in operation for over 1 year, but currently only contains PDF files of Citation Manuals.

Has a published RSS feed. Has a presence on iTunes.

HCC RSS Feeds

Both the Blog and the Podcast have RSS Feeds which can be imported and used by whatever RSS Reader Software that you already use.

Examples of RSS Reader Software are: Bloglines.com Google Reader iTunes (for Podcasts)

iGoogle http://www.iGoogle.com

Personalized Start Page provided by Google. We built a iGoogle “Gadget” that uses the same

Library Catalog search box that is already found on the Library website.

Performs a keyword search of the HCC Library Catalog.

We can easily add more information/text to this “gadget” as needed.

XML script of this “gadget” can be used by other Web 2.0 tools.

My Yahoo!

Personalized Start Page provided by Yahoo.

We provide the information needed on how to add our Library and Podcast RSS Feeds onto the user’s My Yahoo page.

Firefox Search

Firefox has a built-in search box built into the browser. Normally, Google is the default search technology.

On the Library website, a user of Firefox 2.0 can automatically add the HCC Library Catalog as a search possibility. They can switch between other search technologies and a keyword search of our Library Catalog

This promotes interactivity between the user, their browser and the web.

MySpace Widget

A flash based tool that users can add to their MySpace Page Provides links to up to the moment posts from our RSS

feeds. Created by SpringWidgets.com, a News Corp. owned

website.

Also works on Friendster, Hi5 and Xanga.

What are our future plans to implement Web 2.0

Stay fluid. Pay attention to what the students are using

while in the Library. Keep up with new technologies. Start adding audio and/or video podcasts. Facebook. Add more to MySpace. Built in search box

and/or a HCC Library MySpace page. Manpower???

What are our future plans to implement Web 2.0

Add a dedicated HCC Library page on various social networking sites. Manpower???

Half Life. Manpower??? Delicious.com Wikis.

New Library website

We are developing a new Library website. We hope to implement more Web 2.0

functionality and technology. We will provide Usability testing of our current

site as to best plan for the new site. We will try to make the page as accessible for

all users.