The objective and scope of this paper is to assess and highlight the potential of web 2.0 in the context of libraries. The authors have tried to shed some light on the concept of web 2.0 such as Blogs, Wikis, RSS feeds, Streaming media, Tags, Social networks, Podcasts, Mashups etc. and its possible applications in various library functions and activities. In addition, the authors have also pointed out the difference between the web 1.0 and web 2.0 and how during the past several years, new advances in web technologies have enabled libraries to create new interactive services, such as virtual reference services, personalized interfaces of online catalogues, and Audio-visual media that can be downloaded by the user community irrespective of their physical locations. Thus, these emerging web-based features (web 2.0) give libraries the ability to offer the improved, customer-driven services to the user community.
Although similar papers have been written earlier, this concept paper is unique because the authors have suggested some practical applications of web 2.0 features in day to day library functions and services.
The web 2.0 refers to the interactive, user centered design of the World Wide Web where users not only access the web content but at the same time generate the web content. The term "Web 2.0" was coined in 1999 by Darcy DiNucci. Its rise and popularity began in 2004, when O'Reilly Media and MediaLive organized the first Web 2.0 conference. In the opening remarks, John Battelle and Tim O'Reilly outlined their definition of the "Web as Platform", where software applications are built upon the Web as opposed to upon the desktop. They further argued, that "customers are building your business for you". Users generating the content (in the form of ideas, text, videos, or pictures) could be "harnessed" to create value, they argued. O'Reilly et al. compared Web 2.0 with what they called "Web 1.0". They associated Web 1.0 with the business models of Netscape and the Encyclopedia Britannica Online (Wikipedia, 2010).
At the moment there is a hot debate, questioning the existence of web 2.0. Many argue that the web 2.0 is not a new phenomenon but that the features on the design were already available on amazon.com when that site came into existence. Through the following figure, we have tried to highlight the difference between web 1.0 and web 2.0:
Graph 1.0 & 2.0.png
LIBRARY 2.0
The idea of Library 2.0 was first generated by Michael Casey and published on his blog, Library Crunch in 2006. The idea is a transformation of the library services- the way they are delivered to the user community, basically allowing the library services to operate in an interactive, collaborative atmosphere driven by community needs (Casey, 2006). In other words, Library 2.0 encourages two-way social interactions between library staff and library users. It is evident from the characteristics of library services that much of what libraries adopted in the first web revolution are static. The earlier version of the web based library instruction and services were text based and non-interactive where library users have very limited freedom in terms of their interaction with the library staff and user community. Moreover, various aspects and utilities of web 2.0 are growing by leaps and bounds with each passing day and something new is emerging and being added to the ever expanding universe of knowledge. Web world is, therefore, a great source and channel of information to share ideas and experiences. It is recommended that librarians should welcome and adapt this new concept i.e. web 2.0 in order to survive in the changing technological world. Some of the important aspects of web 2.0 vis-à-vis libraries and information centers are discussed here as follows:
Blogs / Weblogs: A blog is a website, which is updated very frequently, post dated and arranged in reverse chronological order. A blogger maintains his / her blog with varied and unlimited information depending upon the purpose and nature of the blog where everybody can read and write their views and ideas without changing the original content.
The most important application of blogs in libraries is that, they can be used as a platform for in-house publication. For example, a library may set up a blog as a part of its permanent collection development tool where the user community can suggest titles of their choice and interest. Moreover, book reviews published on the library blog may also help the user community to choose and suggest an appropriate title for library collection. Libraries can also provide reference services through the blog where users can post their comments and queries and receive responses in real time from reference departments where these questions and answers can be tagged and automatically archived for future users. In addition, blogs could be useful to update the user community about the new arrivals and new titles added in the library collection, list of the books recently published in a particular area of subjects as a part of current awareness services. Other possible implications of a blog in a library culture could be, posting the overdue notification, items returned or reserved by a user in circulation section, library discussion forums, a library newsletter where monthly progress and events of the library can be published; it can also be used as a marketing tool for propagating the various facilities and library services among the user community and so on. Receiving comments and feedback about the various library services and library staff is another possible way to implement the blog culture in libraries. For example, University of British Columbia (UBC) library Vancouver provides up-to-date information to its user community on various library services such as, events, resources, and news etc. (http://blogs.ubc.ca/lawlib/).
Wikis / Wikipedia:
Wikis have mushroomed in number and importance since they emerged in 1995. Wikis are founded on a piece of software which allows users to create and edit web content freely. Compared to blogs, wikis are not as reliable and authentic as traditional sources of information, but this does not undermine the value and importance of wikis. Although the lack of peer review and editorship is a challenge to librarians, it does not mean that users should avoid wikis. Instead, users should use the critical approach when depending on them. Wikis as an information sources are certainly going to play an essential role in future libraries. In addition, a library wiki as a library service can enable social interaction among librarians and the user community, online. As users share information on wiki through a question-answer mode, and librarians do the same within a wiki, a record of these discussions is archived for future reference. Owing to its authenticity and reliability, libraries may initially start this service with some restrictions where users might be restricted from direct addition and deletion in the wiki. Users can give their suggestions to the responsible authority for further improvement in the content of the wiki.
For example, Jean and Alexander Heard Library wiki at the Vanderbilt University is available for the general public. But the direct addition, deletion and any kind of editing is restricted. If a user wants to add some information into the wiki he / she can directly contact the Library.
(http://wiki.library.vanderbilt.edu/lits/pmwiki.php/Main/HomePage).
Live Streaming Media
Streaming media is the multimedia stuff (Audio & Video) that is constantly received by, and normally presented to an end-user while it is being delivered by a streaming provider. Although streaming videos were widely employed before many of the so-called web 2.0 technologies had not even been invented, the synchronous attributes put the streaming videos into web 2.0 phenomenon. This concept of streaming video and audio media is another application that libraries might adopt to deliver various information services to end users. The modern libraries might implement this concept to improve the delivery of interactive multimedia library services right at the door of library patrons such as the online tutorials coupled with multimedia features and interactive video sessions. Likewise, live user training sessions, library orientation, and demonstration on how to use various library services, such as online catalogues, to search the online databases, discussions, library events and exhibitions etc. can be delivered directly to library patrons through the live streaming videos.
Tags / Tagging:
A tag or meta-tag is a non-hierarchical keyword which is assigned to a particular piece of information. Metadata represents the subject of an item and helps in the retrieval process. The idea of tags is not new to libraries as the concept of keyword indexing, subject headings are almost the same 'tags' in the web 2.0 environment. In contrast to subject headings and keywords, tags are chosen informally and personally by the content creator or by its viewer, depending upon the system. On a website in which many users tag many items, this collection of tags becomes a folksonomy. In the web 2.0 environment, users could tag the library's collection and thereby participate in the cataloging process. But tagging creates the problem of standardized classification or standardized subject heading which is a big issue as far as libraries are concerned. Although the meta-tags and standardized subject headings are not replacements of each other, by adopting the web 2.0 utilities, perhaps the future libraries would be able to implement both the user generated tags and standardized subject heading simultaneously in their cataloguing system. Therefore, the user community will have more options and shall be able to use an integrated cataloging system based on the librarian's view point as well as users' approach.
Social Networking Websites:
Social networks are based upon the softwares that facilitate people to connect, collaborate and form virtual communities via Internet. Normally social network sites are full of features, which allow the user community to send emails, post comments, share Audio & Video files, take part in live chats etc.
MySpace, FaceBook, Orkut, Youtube and Flickr, Picasa etc. are networks that are very popular nowadays. While MySpace, FaceBook, and orkut enable users to share the information at various levels among the network community; flickr and picasa enable the sharing of pictures; and Youtube allows users to share their audio-visual files. Recently Library of Congress Prints and Photographs division joined hands with the popular photo sharing site Flickr to provide a new avenue to the Library's photos and build new levels of interaction with the public (http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/flickr_pilot.html). Similarly 'Kete' open source software developed by the mother organization of 'Koha' Katipo Communications and the Horowhenua Library Trust enables communities to collaboratively build their own digital libraries, archives and repositories. Here the user community builds the repository by writing topics, uploading images, audio, video and documents and then linking and discussing them. Therefore, Kete can be deemed open source social networking software for the library community. http://kete.net.nz/. Other social networks like Goodreads, which is a privately run "social cataloging" website started in December 2006 by Otis Chandler, a software engineer and entrepreneur permits individuals to sign up and register books to create their library catalogs and reading lists. It also allows users to create their own groups of book suggestions and discussions. By January 2010, Goodreads had reached 2,900,000 members and added 78,000,000 books. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodreads.
Librarians can do many things with social networks such as to create various subjects oriented groups according to the interest of the specialized user community. Librarians can also setup the professional groups where library professionals may discuss and share their ideas on various issues related to cataloguing, classification, collection development, reference services, etc. There are many other things library professionals can do with social networks depending upon the specific requirements and changing needs of the library patrons and staff.
RSS Feeds:
RSS stands for Rich Site Summary or Real Simple Syndication. Weblogs and other sites can provide a "feed" in XML language which enables anyone to subscribe the content and receive it on their chosen page, thereby eliminating the need to visit the site repeatedly. It is a Web utility which is used to publish frequently updated works-such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video-in a standardized format. It is a channel for a subscriber to automatically receive updates from blogs, newspapers, and Podcasts. Libraries may apply this concept to provide the current awareness services to its user community, upcoming new items, services, and new content which have been added in the library collection and databases. Updates on library services, events, exhibition etc. can also be accessed by subscribing to the RSS feeds from the library website. Cranfield University, UK is a good example of the many libraries which are already beginning to guide its users through the web pages toward RSS feeds.
Instant Messaging (IM):
Instant messaging (IM), also known as synchronous messaging allows real-time text communication between individuals and groups. This utility has already been adopted by many libraries especially in the western world. Libraries can provide the reference services such as 'chat reference' via IM applications where users can communicate with reference librarians much as they would in a face-to-face communication.
There are plenty of free software available such as skype, gtalk AIM, which can provide the real-time face to face virtual reference services, where users can start the interactive video session with a reference librarian. Though this concept is becoming very popular in developed countries, it's still not so popular in the third world countries. Librarians of the third world countries must pay their attention towards this as it is one of the efficient tools to handle real-time reference queries.
A simple example of Chat services at Van Pelt / Opie Library of Michigan Technological University is illustrated here. It is evident how the library has expanded its real time reference services to include both embedded web chat and instant messaging (IM). Both services are available during library reference desk hours and work best for getting quick answers to brief, factual questions.
(http://www.lib.mtu.edu/reference/ask/byIM.aspx?pid=2).
Web Podcasting / Podcasts:
The term "podcasting" was first mentioned by Ben Hammersley in The Guardian newspaper in a February 2004 article, along with other proposed names for the new medium and formally came into existence in the year 2005, when "podcast" was named word of the year by the New Oxford American Dictionary (Farkas, 2007). A podcast or non-streamed webcast is a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and often downloaded through RSS feed.
The way information is delivered via podcasting makes it significant and different from other methods of accessing media files over the Internet such as direct download, or streamed webcasting. Usually a list of all media files launched earlier & recently on a particular aspect or series is maintained on the network of the service provider. The users receive the new items automatically or manually by checking the new updates.
Librarians can do a lot of things with podcasts. For example, children with learning or reading disabilities could play the podcasts over and over again to learn the words. Podcasts could be a good tool for kids as they normally like to read loudly. It is also a beneficial and excellent learning tool for the partially deaf, blind and low vision community. Librarians can create podcasts of the books in public domain for wider accessibility. Also librarians can record the stories from the books in public domain which even adults enjoy to listen. Moreover, libraries might propagate their important audio/video collections, speeches of dignitaries and important personalities, classroom lectures, multimedia presentations to its user community via podcasting. The Johnhopkins University propagates its Library services through the Podcasting about collection, services its offers, User groups, and how to use library services efficiently etc. Library of congress is also offering podcasting services such as Oral histories and interviews with African Americans who endured the hardships of slavery, books festivals, etc.
(http://www.loc.gov/podcasts/).
Mashups:
Mashup is a web-based application which combines two or more services or data, using technologies including RSS and AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) in order to create a new service. Nowa- days so many organizations are moving to this way providing various featured services, for example, google map and flickr have started new mashup service named earth album, which allows to search most stunning photos available in flickr database by simply clicking on a particular geographical location in a google map. (http://www.earthalbum.com). Another good example of mashup service by http://www.housingmaps.com, is where a user can search the housing information such as buying, selling, renting of apartments in various cities of United States within the preferred range of price. There could be many possibilities with regard to the use of mashup features in libraries, such as libraries can highlight the circulation section, reference section, shelf areas, specific collection and books on shelves, various library branches in a university etc. in an online map by combining the similar technologies, which might be useful for the user community. Moreover, libraries can collaborate with various commercial database vendors to linkup their catalogues with them. For example, Huddersfield University, UK has used Greasemonkey to display their local catalogue information in Amazon so that users can be linked back into the Library OPAC to view the full record. To adopt and trial these features, the libraries really need technically sound IT staff. Therefore, libraries which do not have sufficient IT staff may face problems in adopting and trialing these services.
Conclusion:
In conclusion we can say that web 2.0 is making library services more interactive; it will surely improve the quality of library services in terms of the requirement of the user community. It will also be able to transform the various library functions and services, the way they look and the delivery to the library patrons in the web 1.0 world. Moreover, it will increase the user's participation in various library functions such as cataloguing, classification, reference services, current awareness services, collection development process, information delivery, information retrieval, user orientation programs, library events and news etc. The metamorphosis of library functions and services into web 2.0 phenomenon is going to be very interesting and indistinguishable in its appearance which resembles the early stage of web world or web 1.0 era. The librarians' authority and domain will be open to a larger section of the user community which can actively participate in the various library functions and services. Therefore, there will be less responsibility on the librarian. Finally, it is also necessary to consider that the web will continue to change and Web 2.0 is just the beginning of one of many changes occurring in the web world, so librarians and information managers must welcome and adapt this new concept in libraries as they did with the Web originally.
