Web 2.0 Resources and Tools

There are lots of cool Web 2.0 Tools that I've stumbled across in my readings, and while doing the "Web 2.0 Awards List" assignment for the NC State Government Web 2.0 Brown Bag Lunch. I wanted to share some of the neat things that I have discovered:

Library Success's List of Library Wikis: This is a fairly comprehensive list of wikis created and used by libraries.

Wikiseek: This tool is in the beta version and offers an alternative and more robust way to search Wikipedia.

Dapper: A tool that allows you to create feeds, widgets, and APIs from web content.

Ning.com: A website that allows you to create your own social networks. One such network is the Government Documents Network.

Oh the Possibilities!! Wikis in the State Library of North Carolina

I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical about the functionality of wikis in a library environment. Everything I knew about wikis, I had learned from Wikipedia and I didn't realize how flexible and customizable they could be.

I explored the Wiki Sandbox created by the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County: http://plcmclearning.pbwiki.com/ and was surprised at how different it looked from Wikipedia!

After a little exploring, I found that PBWiki offered some exciting features such as the ability to upload files and attachments, generate a zip file of the wiki for back-up purposes, create RSS alerts, search, use pre-made skins, and insert plug-ins such as a chat room, a shared calendar, or a voice-chat widget!

With this in mind, the possibilities are endless!!

I can see how a wiki would be most helpful for the State Library's Website Committee. We could upload committee notes, link to web tools, provide a link to the test website, and use the wiki as a collaborative writing space for the creation of fresh web content. The access to this wiki would be limited to the web committee as well as those currently responsible for updating/maintaining web pages.

A wiki would also be a great tool for our digital initiatives. The DIMP (Digital Information Management Program) at the State Library of North Carolina works very closely with the Government Records and Information Technology Branches of the State Archives. Creating a wiki for these joint digital efforts would allow for easier and faster communication between institutions. It would allow those of us working on digital initiatives to have the most current and up-to-date information at our fingertips any time and any place!!

Wikis are an incredibly exciting tool, and I look forward to the possibility of working with them more in the future.

2007 Best Practices Exchange: Digitization Programs

At the 2007 Best Practices Exchange, I had the pleasure of presenting in a session with Betty Jones from the Government Printing Office. Both of our presentations discussed the establishment of a Program for digitized government publications and documents. I offer brief summaries of both presentations below:

How to Support State Agency Digitization Efforts
I offered my vision for a joint digitization program between the State Library and State Archives of North Carolina. This program would involve assisting and supporting North Carolina state agencies in their efforts to digitize government documents and publications.

For a more in-depth description of my vision, I encourage you to view my presentation which is available at: http://www.bpexchange.org/2007/materials/bpe2007digitization.ppt

Digitization of a Large and Disperse Collection: Legacy Publications Held in Federal Depository Libraries
Betty Jones from the GPO described the challenges of developing a project plan for the digitization of an historical collection of Federal publications when none of those publications were maintained in-house. The GPO does not keep any of the government documents they distribute; in order to create a digitized collection, they had to solicit the aid of Federal Depository Libraries throughout the country.

1) The Joint Committee on Printing (JCP) authorized a pilot test for the GPO to experiment with the feasibility of digitization.

2) First, the GPO contacted Federal Depository Libraries and asked for original federal documents to scan and keep permanently. If the Depository Library needed back their copy of the document, they could loan it to the GPO with the understanding that there was no set time-table for its return.

3) The GPO has digitized 2,000 titles as part of the pilot test. They are awaiting approval to take this beyond the testing phase.

4) Currently, there is an agreement being drafted between the GPO, the Library of Congress, and NARA to ensure that none of these institutions are digitizing the same titles and therefore unnecessarily duplicating effort.

To view a list of digitized Federal Documents Collections, visit: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/legacy/registry/

2007 Best Practices Exchange: Digitization Hardware

I attended Emily Gore's presentation on the Purchase of Digitization Hardware at the 2007 Best Practices Exchange.

Factors Impacting Your Hardware Choice
Before you buy any hardware, Emily stressed the importance of knowing the following:

~ What formats/materials are you digitizing?

~ Is it a high-use collection? If so, how long can it be inaccessible to walk-in patrons while it's being digitized?

~ Do you have the necessary resources in-house to complete the digitization project or would it be better to outsource it?

Characteristics of a Good Flatbed Scanner
~ The scanner must be able to scan true optical dpi not interpolated

~ Good color depth

~ ICC color profiles allowing for true color scanning

~ Scanner is specifically designed for high production and not home use

~ The connection should be: firewire, usb2, scsi, or ethernet

~ The computer hooked up to the scanner should have lots of RAM and working hard drive space

~ The software packaged with the scanner should be easy to use

~ When you purchase a flatbed scanner, buy a QUALITY product

Example: Kodak IQSmart family of scanners

Overhead Scanners:
~ Used for large format or fragile materials

~ Typically capable of 600 true optical dpi, but can scan at a higher dpi with multiple CCDs

~ Some have the automatic page turning functionality

Example:
Zeutschel's overhead book scanners

Digital Cameras:
~ Often used for video tours, 360 degree tours, or 3-dimensional objects

Example:
Either a Canon or a Nikon SLR camera.

Scanback Cameras:
~ A camera with a scanner CCD attached to it allowing for scanner quality images from a camera

~ The Scanback is often used in conjunction with a vacuum table which uses a vacuum rather than glass to press the item flat to the scanning table

Example:
BetterLight Digital Scanning Cameras

Roller Scanners:
~ For flat and large format materials up to 54" wide

~ Slide document into sleeve, put it on a conveyor belt, and it rolls through the machine as it scans

~ This scanner has multiple CCDs for multiple scans which are then stitched together to generate one large image

Outsourcing:
~ Outsourcing can be expensive but still may be cheaper than the equipment and the staff time/money spent in-house on scanning

~ For institutions that can't risk sending their collections off-site, some vendors will scan in-house

~ If you're trying to build a Digitization Program, it is worthwhile to do scanning in-house so that you're building knowledge and skills among the staff

~ Depending on the project, a hybrid approach can be adopted. Some collections can be scanned in-house while others are outsourced.

And Finally...
Emily recommended reading the ANSI standards related to scanners to ensure that any scanner purchased meets ANSI requirements.

2007 Best Practices Exchange: Podcasting

Marisa Ramirez of the Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records presented on the use of Podcasts in libraries at the 2007 Best Practices Exchange. Here are some of the highlights of her presentation:

Definition of Podcasting
The method of distributing multimedia files, such as audio programs or music videos, over the Internet using RSS syndication format, for playback on mobile devices and personal computers.

Methods of Distributing Podcasts

Method 1: Host everything yourself
1) Host MP3 files on your own webspace
2) Provide link to MP3 file on your website
2) Post titles, summaries, archives on your website
3) Create your own RSS feed (written in XML) by hand or using an RSS generation tool
Pros: Allows for more customization and format flexibility.
Cons: Requires you to purchase webspace and generate the RSS manually.

Method 2: Utilize free services (Blog + RSS) + Hosting
1) Create a blog
2) Upload Podcasts to the blog
Pros: RSS is automatically generated so no expertise is needed. Online blog services are available free.
Cons: Because this is an "out of the box" solution, it is not as customizable as if you had created everything yourself.

Resources Required:
Marisa described the resources necessary to establish a podcasting program in your library.

Planning
Determine your target audience: who is most likely to use this technology?)
Clarify your mission: what is the purpose of the podcasts?
Figure out logistics: What topics will you address? How long will each Podcast be? How often will new Podcasts be created? What staff will be involved in created the Podcasts? How will patrons access them? Will copyright impact the Podcasts at all?

Technology
PC with audio input capabilities
Audio recording and editing software such as Audacity
Inexpensive condenser microphone or headset
Hosting of the audio files (requires streaming server)

Roles
Project Coordinator
Digital audio editor
Webmaster / Blogger
On-air personality / interviewer
Interviewees

Time
Set up
Gather and plan episode ideas
Record
Edit
Publish
Promote

What Can You Do With Podcasts?
Marisa listed various ways that Podcasts could be used in a library setting. I supplemented the list with examples of Podcasts from real libraries:

Library Tours
Instruction on Information Resources
News and Events
Presentations/Lectures
Library Programs/Services
Book Talks/Reviews
Audio Magazine/Newsletter
Audio Books
How to...

Other Resources
To learn more about Podcasting, Marisa suggested checking out these resources:

About Podcasting and RSS: A Beginner's Guide to Podcasting
School of Podcasting

And Finally...
For a list of libraries with Podcasts, visit: "Podcasting". Library Success: A Best Practices Wiki

For a list of federal and state agencies with Podcasts, visit:
the Free Government Information (FGI) blog

2007 Best Practices Exchange: Web 2.0

It was with great excitement that I attended The Best Practices Exchange 2007: Libraries and Archives in the Digital Era on May 2nd-4th. The conference was hosted by the Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records and offered a forum for librarians, archivists, and records managers to discuss challenges and best practices when dealing with digital government information.

During the conference, I facilitated a discussion session on Web 2.0 Technologies. Specifically, I was interested in how State Archives and Libraries were using Web 2.0 to facilitate access to digital government information.

It was a very lively and dynamic discussion, and I learned quite a bit. Here is a brief overview of the talk:

Introduction to Web 2.0:
I basically gave an overview of the North Carolina Government Libraries--Web 2.0 brown bag lunches led by Michelle Czaikowsi and Beth Crist from the State Library of North Carolina. I emphasized how these brown bag lunches were based on the blog Learning 2.0: 23 Things created by Helene Blowers of the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.

Blogs:
Not surprisingly, the very first thing we discussed during this session was blogs.

Examples:
The Colorado State Publications Library has a blog maintained by reference staff. Posts cover a current topic or news story and then links to relevant state publications that offer more information about this topic. I thought this was an exciting and unique way of marketing a government documents collection. You can view their blog here: http://cospl.blogspot.com/

The Government Publications Library at the University of Colorado--Boulder also maintains a blog about government information. It can be viewed here: http://cubgovpubs.blogspot.com/

Wikis:
Wikis were another popular topic of discussion. Some attendees were adding links to their projects/programs into Wikipedia and Library Science wikis. They felt this was another access mechanism for patrons. A few attendees expressed great concern over how quickly and easily wiki content could be changed. How do you undertake digital preservation efforts on such a dynamic document?

Examples:
The user manual for Archive-IT (a service of the Internet Archive) is a wiki.

One attendee said their library had a wiki for department goals. The department heads could update these goals as needed and list how their goals were being met.

Social Tagging:
Next we discussed the ability for users to tag and create their own folksonomies in a library setting. None of the attendees worked at institutions where this is currently done. Most agreed that social tagging would work best as a supplement to traditional cataloging practices such as Library of Congress subject headings. No one believed that social tagging was a practice that should be used by itself, although an attendee wondered if social tagging would force the Library of Congress to adopt new and more flexible terminology.

Examples:
The University of Pennsylvania created their own social tagging folksonomy that offers some level of control. These are called PennTags and you can read more about them here: http://tags.library.upenn.edu/

Second Life:
Only a handful of attendees knew what Second Life was, but many were intrigued by the concept of this virtual reality game. Others found it silly and amusing, wondering why people were hesitant to visit a library in real life yet were all-too-eager to stop by a virtual reality library.

Examples:
Attendees noted that a talk by Brewster Kahle and several ALA presentations were broadcast over Second Life. Numerous virtual people were in attendence.

Social Bookmarking Sites:
I offered a brief introduction to the social bookmarking site del.icio.us. While there were several users of del.icio.us in attendance, they were all using it for their personal bookmarks rather than using it as a means of collaboration or sharing information.

Image Sharing Software:
We briefly touched on Flickr and other image sharing software.

Examples:
Certain libraries/archives are posting photos from their collections on Flickr and soliciting users to help them identify the photographs' content.

And Finally...
If you'd like to read more about the 2007 Best Practices Exchange, visit their messageboard, and also check out the Free Government Information (FGI) blog.

Library 2.0

I'm a week late with my homework, but better late than never, right?

I've read the recommended articles on Library 2.0, and I think the best description of it as a concept comes from the article "Web 2.0 Where Will It Take Libraries?" published in the OCLC Newsletter: NextSpace.

I liked Dr. Schultz' description of Library 1.0 as a Commodity "Books are commodities, collected, inventoried, categorised and warehoused within libraries. Libraries represent a resource base, contributing to educating the labour force, to supporting innovation processes fueling growth, and to informing the present and the future--whether in the neighborhood, in academia, or in business."

Contrast this with the idea of Library 2.0 which involves disseminating information beyond the limits of the brick-and-mortar library and harnessing user intelligence by offering social services such as tagging, annotating, or commenting.

Wikipedia's article describes one of the many assets of Library 2.0 as the ability for "Library users [...] to craft and modify library provided services".

Thinking about the State Library of North Carolina, I am forced to admit that we are far more Library 1.0 than Library 2.0. This doesn't mean we can't evolve into a 2.0 Library, though. We already possess a lot of the knowledge and enthusiasm in-house necessary to do so. All we need is a little time and effort to shift our focus away from the commodities that we possess, and onto the ways we can distribute and enrich these value-added commodities for our users (both in-house and remotely).