Wikis: Finally, A Space Where Everyone is on the Same Page!

"Collaboration Tools, 2.0 Style." Library Technology Reports 45.4 (2009): 19-27. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Feb. 2012.

Zanin-Yost, Alessia. “Library 2.0: Blogs, Wikis, and RSS to Serve the Library.” Library Philosophy and Practice 2010.

Both of the articles cited above provide a good survey of Library 2.0 and the collaborative tools that library staff may incorporate into their daily tasks.  Several classmates have brought up the internal benefits of such tools and platforms.  I wholeheartedly agree.  In fact, I think it’s incredible that we now have the potential for everyone to really be on the same page, even though they’re in different places, at different times!   

I got totally absorbed by visiting the sites (happens a lot this semester) listed in both articles, especially sites from “Collaboration Tools, 2.0 Style.”  To name just a few:

• 30 Boxes (an online calendar) http://30boxes.com/
• Ning  http://www.ning.com/
• Friend Feed  http://friendfeed.com/

The use of online calendars, wikis, bookmarking tools, and feeds are great for the workplace, especially today’s workplace where staffing levels and shifts are vulnerable and erratic due to the economy.  

Like many, I depend upon email as an effective form of communication with others at work (although not everyone reads their email, which ultimately renders this form of communication as useless in such cases).* I like email for the obvious reasons.  For example, I can not only reach many people in one message, but I can also keep folders of messages that contain useful and important information that I am sure to refer to again.  In other words, email is a more environmentally friendly concept of the paper trail--well, at least for the individual.  On the other hand, since trails of communication are essential in the workplace (in fact, such trails truly are collaborations), just think how useful it is to see this collaborative process at work, as well as the historical development of the ideas, through wikis!

Moreover, because email has indeed become cumbersome, unwieldy, and time consuming; I suspect wikis could provide a nice alternative for, say, departmental communication on specific team projects (e.g. collection development or the maintenance of procedure manuals) or even  planning, assessing, and denoting the achievement of department goals and objectives.  (I like the idea one classmate—comment and remind me of who you are!--had about using a wiki for online resources for reference work.)

Wikis, to be sure, are collective and give everyone the opportunity to contribute in their own way and according to their own work schedule.

Since I have not yet worked with it, I am eager to collaborate with my partner for the final project in Wikispaces.  While I am familiar with reading, but not writing, documents in PBwiki; I am becoming more and more proficient in Google Docs.  I really enjoyed working in the latter for a team project last semester.  I liked the ability “to chat” while we all worked on our document at once, and watching the document transform as we edited it was just plain fun, especially when more than one of us was trying rewrite the same sentence at the same time!

*I have to say that texting is currently my favorite technical mode of communication, at least in my extended personal life, because I can have conversations with busy friends that last for days and at our own individual convenience, or I can send an image—a picture is worth a thousand words--to my nephew who is at that “age of reticence!”  As of yet, however, I do not know how texting can help communication systems within the library workplace; but I do know that texting services are getting more and more popular in the Reference Department and that smart phones have the potential to change--yet again--library work, even in—of all places—cataloging! Check out this very cool library blog: http://people.oregonstate.edu/~reeset/blog/archives/1012

Public Libraries and Twitter

I. Jill Erickson on Public Libraries and Twitter

I thought it would be great to video Jill Erickson, Head of Reference and Adult Services at the Falmouth Public Library.  As you can see, she has done an amazing job at introducing and developing the use of social media at the Falmouth Public Library.  

A brief outline of Jill’s suggestions and ideas on public libraries and Twitter

Familiarize yourself with Twitter—or all social media--first!

Twitter is great for advocating your library and getting the word out about library

services.

A library’s Twitter feed can be a municipality’s information center.

Twitter has a unique conversational quality that allows a library to connect with other

organizations within the region or at large.

Twitter book clubs!!!!
"The world is watching."

Think about establishing policy (more on that below)

Jill’s excitement is indeed catchy!

Thanks, Jill.* 

2. Notes on this week’s reading

“Twitter for Librarians: The Ultimate Guide” is a great resource, but set a good amount of time aside for reading this article. Oh, the places you’ll go! (Happy belated birthday, Dr. Seuss!)

“How Tweet It Is! Library Acquires Entire Twitter Archive” by Matt Raymond (I thought this was one of our fellow GSLIS classmates at first!) is very interesting.  After reading the comments, it is evident that the LC’s acquisition of the archive raises several issues as indicated by the myriad of responses.   Naturally, I had to visit their website. 

First, it is worth it to read Raymond’s follow up statement on the topic  "The Library and Twitter: An FAQ"

It is helpful to learn the Library of Congress's mission and current priorities, as well.

In fact, here is the Library's policy on social media.

These resources may be useful in such upcoming modules as “Ethics and Information” and “Policy Issues,” so perhaps it is better to reserve discussions on privacy and social media until then.  It is such a huge topic for librarians, regardless of the kind of library they work in.  However, I suspect public libraries have more facets to consider.

As mentioned in my comments in two other blogs, I am very interested in how the Twitter archive will be organized.  And my supervisor brought up great points about selection (thanks, Fran):  Since LC does not keep every book published in the U.S., will they keep all tweets?  Which begs the question of what the selection criteria will be. 

3. In conclusion

Having had some experience with Twitter at work in a public library, I think it is an essential tool for connecting with the public, as well as with others in the field of library science. 

Social capitol and Twitter: try not to barrage your followers!



*In case you were interested in the quote in Jill's office; it is by Allen Smith, who happens to be Jill's mentor (speaking of mentors!):

“In order to be really good as a librarian, everything counts towards your work, every play you go see, every concert you hear, every trip you take, everything you read, everything you know.  I don’t know of another occupation like that.  The more you know, the better you’re going to be.” 

For more quotes by Dr. Smith, click here.