The Web 2.0 Challenge to Libraries
Mar 25th, 2006 by Karen
The Web 2.0 Challenge to Libraries
presented by Paul Miller
Doctorate in Archaeology! (I don’t feel quite so weird with my BA in Anthropology.)
Paul was really funny in his presentation. He has a great sense of humor in trying to get people to understand that people don’t think that the library is necessarily where they want to go.
Topics
- Libraries trusted but bypassed online
- reaching out from the library
- A Library 2.0 platform
- Shared Innovation
The reality gap (great picture)
- “How do people find stuff?”
- Google tools
- Google and other search engine appliances
Some background
- Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources
- 96% of people had been to a library (at some point in their life)
- number of borrowers plummeted
- but people still visit libraries
- people are making multiple visits to the library
- 21% of people get access to the Internet through the library
- 46% of people know that they can get access to the Internet via the library
- 5% the library is the preferred place to go online
- 3% of people prefer to go online via a mobile device
- 19% of people who don’t use the Internet would go online in the library
- Built it and they will come a myth?
Do people trust libraries?
- 89% of the UK population trust museums, library and archives
So what went wrong online?
- 27% of those questioned had visited the web site of a public library
- Very Long lists of databases (scroll some please), “pick one”
- The “Competition”
- relevant
- cool
- nimble
- innovative
- participative
- small pieces loosely coupled
- user centric
- responsive
- http://www.oreilly.com/go/web2
Library 2.0 - we can do it too (better?)
- open the library
- push the library everywhere
- engage with actual and potential user communities
- disaggregate library systems…
- building applications make sense
- don’t have to take it all
- library system should be like “Lego”
- and you should be able to build your own things, plus the thing on the box
- Library 2.0 gang
- people engaged and connected to the library
Doing it form themselves…
- WPopac
- Greasemonkey script that checks your library for a copy of a book on Amazon - http://www.daveyp.com/blog
- shouldn’t the information come together?
- allowing people to make sensible decisions about acquiring information
- bringing things together and allowing people to choose
- card catalog looking
Doing it Together…
- Share a platform
- most efficient wuse of development capabilities
- lowers barrier to entry
- offeres evolutionary path
- crosses vendor divides
- exposes libraries to a wider world, significantly increasing visibility
- Characteristics of the Platform
- consistent exposure of data
- consistent access to data
- consistent exposure of function
- conisistent access to function
- shared components experiences
- open
- collaborative
- standards and specs
- functionality and data
- hides complexity
- reduces cost and risk
Leveraging the Platform
- Amazon shows what libraries (all libraries) have a copy and linking through to the catalog!
A platform of loosely couple components
- TalisBase - core bib data
- Amazon - Jackets
- Amazon - Prices
- Talis Directory of Libraries - connect to individual library holdings
- laid out on a map
- directory handles the issue of what library system does the library have
Talis Whisper - (prototype/proof of concept) http://research.talis.com/2005/whisper
Talis Whisper Widget for Library Holdings
Much is possible
- RedLightGreen
Working together
- Shared Innovation - http://tdn.talis.com
- Creative Commons license
Conclusions
- The library deserves to reach beyond its own walls!
- Vendor- and library-initiated silos just don’t make sense…
- Current business models?
- Challenge all assumptions
- Share innovation
