Libraries and social software: the adventures of LASSIE

Dr Jane SeckerCentre for Learning Technology

Library Lunchtime Seminar17th January 2008

The LASSIE Project Web 2.0 is happening Library 2.0 is also

happening Social software surely offers

potential to enhance the experience of distance learners using the library?

Lassie filming on location in Florida. Photo courtesy State Archive of Florida

Project partners

Project Overview

Literature review of libraries and social software and distance learners (draft completed)

Review of web 2.0 tools Review of what libraries are currently doing Can this enhance the experience of the distance

(and full time) learner? Five case studies using social software to enhance

library services with students on UoL External Programme and other DL courses where possible

Trying to provide real evidence about what works and what is useful

The Literature review

What is social software, Library 2.0: definitions

How do you carry out a literature review on social software and using it?

What are the current issues in supporting distance learners and how might social software help?

Are libraries a social space and can virtual libraries replicate this?

Draft available online from Project website

What is Library 2.0?

From Michael Habib’s Flickr site (Licensed under Creative Commons): http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=222296001&size=o

Some examples from LSE

London School of Economics and Political Science Using RSS feeds for bringing

together training events across the school

Use of RSS for news on CLT website

Using wikis and blogs for staff development

Added ‘rich content’ to catalogue for an Amazon appearance

LSE’s training portal

Some examples from elsewhere!

Social bookmarking Penn Tags Subject guides in del.icio.us

Libraries using blogs: Madison-Jefferson County Public library Ohio University Library Business Blog Kansas State University library blogs

Librarians also love to write blogs!

Madison-Jefferson County Public library blog

Queensland University of Technology

Other examples

User comments & reviews in the catalogue Hennepin County Library University of Huddersfield

Libraries using social networking sites MySpace and Facebook library accounts Groups for libraries and librarians Useful for professional networking for

example Ning and LinkedIn Library Success Wiki

Hennepin County Library

Other examples of Library 2.0…

RSS feeds for searches in databases such as Ebsco, Web of Science, and now in COPAC

Journal table of contents delivered as RSS feeds – also useful ways for researchers to keep up to date

Social bookmarking tool quick links added to BBC website and other sites

Library applications in Facebook such as catalogue searches, book sharing etc.

Distance learners and libraries

University of London External Programme traditionally provided little library support

Access to library resources still varies depending on course

A concern students don’t exploit online resources available through ULRLS

The literature review suggests information literacy programmes and access to electronic resources are services that could be enhanced through social software

Aren’t all libraries supporting distance learners?

Even if no ‘real’ distance learners, e-learning and e-resources has meant many librarians support users remotely

Students increasingly part-time, mature, not living on the campus

Students don’t visit the library as frequently and this trend is likely to increase

Social software might offer solutions for all libraries

LASSIE findings should be of wider relevance

Libraries as a social space

What sort of interactions take place here? Group working Resource sharing Networking with

colleagues, classmates Using electronic resources Getting help / advice/

training from Library staff

Library as ‘place’ and libraries as ‘third places’

Do students want librarians in social spaces?

The Project provided an opportunity

Set up a blog for updates, reflection and external feedback

Using Moodle for internal communication

Using social bookmarking site: del.icio.us

Joined Facebook, Ning, LinkedIn for contacts

Experimented with other tools e.g. Google Reader for collecting RSS feeds

Five case studies

To gather evidence in 5 areas: Presenting reading lists to students Resource sharing with students Podcasting for teaching information

literacy skills Blogging and libraries Facebook and libraries

Reading lists and social software

Investigating using social software to present reading lists to students as an alternative to paper based or commercial online reading list systems

A reading list for LSE external programme students was selected for inclusion

Using reference management tool CiteULike Also tested other tools including H20

Playlists, Bibsonomy and LibraryThing These systems have been piloted with

distance learners and feedback gathered.

CiteULike

Social bookmarking / resource sharing

Exploring social bookmarking as a way of creating a subject guide of internet resources for students

Created a list of resources for distance learners on the TRIUM course at LSE

Used the social bookmarking site del.icio.us

Challenge to add library resources to this type of list

Evaluated value of social bookmarking from perspective of list creator as well as student

Using del.icio.us

Information literacy and social software

Literature review revealed information literacy is a key challenge for distance learning librarians.

Podcasting offers a new way of developing training materials

Created an online ‘screencast’ including powerpoint and audio on citing and referencing

Feedback from students gathered through a survey

Attracted considerable interest from other libraries

The screencast

Blogging and libraries

Maintained LASSIE Blog since March 2007 and now addicted to writing a blog!

Highly valuable for publicity, documenting progress, reflecting and getting (some) feedback

More readers than the departmental blog! Informal posts get more responses Still difficult to gauge who is reading it Features such as using RSS to push content

onto a website most valuable

Facebook and Libraries

Final case study coming soon Based on experiences of the team using

this social networking site for past 10 months

Lots of library related groups and applications

Largely a social networking site, but difficult to predict how valuable it might become in the future

Certainly the communication tool of choice for the Google Generation

LASSIE: where next?

Recognise there are staff development issues with web 2.0

OU are interested in developing a course for librarians

CLT currently running sessions which library staff are welcome to attend

CLT will continue to explore and build on the various initiatives: del.icio.us, podcasting etc.

LASSIE blog will continue for time being

Key lessons learnt

Social software has the potential to reach out to users in new ways

Libraries need to continue to experiment

The wiki way and beta is good! Way ahead not clear but social

software is important and not just a passing fad

Further research and project schedule

Case studies scheduled to be completed in January 2008: report will be published on website

Literature review will be updated in January 2008

Project due to finish: December 2007 ! Check out the resources for today’s talk

on del.icio.us: http://del.icio.us/LSE_LASSIE/UKSG

Thank you and any questions?LASSIE Blog:

http://elearning.lse.ac.uk/blogs/socialsoftware/

LASSIE website: http://clt.lse.ac.uk/Projects/LASSIE.php

Jane Secker j.secker@lse.ac.uk