Removing barriers: developing national guidelines for library

use of Web2.0

Gillian Hanlon

Scottish Library & Information Council

SLAINTE 2.0

Web2.0 in action

Function Service Objective

Blog Wordpress To create an informal space for news and discussion

Micro-blog Twitter To provide frequent short updates and contribute to virtual professional networks

Photo sharing Flickr To promote libraries and library related activities and to host archival images

Presentation sharing

SlideShare To share ideas and best practice and to make our CPD output more widely available

Video sharing YouTube To promote libraries and library related activities and to share existing content from SLAINTE with a wider audience

Social bookmarking Delicious To collate and share a wide range of trusted resources related to the library and information profession

Why use Web 2.0?• Keep pace with technology and respond to user demand• Promote library services and initiatives• Facilitate interactive services and enables user

engagement • Provide current awareness services and frequently

updated content - instant web publishing functionality• Complement existing web content• Low or no cost associated with most services• No requirement for technical or computer programming

expertise

Web2.0 and CPD

• Widens professional networks

• Promotes sharing of good practice and advice

• Presents informal space for professional discussion

• Fuels creative thinking & innovation

Web2.0 and Conferences

Web2.0 Barriers

• User protection – some Web2.0 services may be used to host inappropriate or offensive material

• Employee management –staff may spend time social networking when they should be working

• Staff training –concerns about limited technical expertise and the time required to maintain Web2.0 services

• Traditional professional approaches – resistance to new in favour of traditional approaches to information delivery and community engagement

Creating guidelines: aims

• Advocacy - to promote the benefits of Web2.0 in libraries and dispel some common myths

• Overcoming barriers -to support libraries in adopting Web2.0

• Support – to offer practical tips

Creating guidelines: scope

Printed guidelines• To support Web2.0

advocacy

-Creative Commons license to allow sharing and repurposing (e.g. within a business case)

• To promote Web2.0 and convince the non-believers – at service or institutional level

Web content• To offer practical “how to”

guidance and support• To collate and promote

examples of use and best practice, including case studies

• To provide access to useful resources and highlight new developments

Printed guidelines: content

• Definitions

• Benefits (reaching your audience; developing services; raising awareness/promotion; professional development)

• Tips for implementation (practical start-up pointers as well as instruction on dealing with the wider issues – such as staffing concerns)

• Myths dispelled

Printed guidelines: myths dispelled

Myth: Myth:

Liz McGettigan,

Edinburgh City Council

Richard Aird

West Dunbartonshire Council

“Web2.0 is just a fad.”

“My IT dept just won’t block

Web2.0 sites!”

“For me, Web2.0 is much more than a passing phase; it’s a whole new mindset, a total culture rethink and it presents new ways of working.”

“After an initial request to unblock was declined, I wrote & presented a full business case; within 2 days, I was given full unfiltered access to the social networking category. “

Web content: case studies

• City of Edinburgh Council – using a range of Web2.0 services within a public library service

• West Dunbartonshire Council – building a successful business case

• Queen Margaret University library – using a range of Web2.0 services integrated within the library website

Web content: resources

• Tips and advice – from SLIC/CILIPS and the wider library community

• Multimedia content – instructional videos and web tutorials

• Sample supporting documents – AUPs, writing guides etc

Next steps

• Guidelines published Aug/Sep 2009• Slainte2.0 web content available Sep/Oct• Maintaining web content - ongoing development,

addition of new resources etc• Encouraging contributions – sharing good

practice, adding case studies• Monitoring – the adoption and integration of

Web2.0 services within libraries

Contact

Gillian HanlonInformation Officer, SLIC

W: http://www.slainte.org.uke: slic1@slainte.org.uk

Twitter: @gillianhanlon