“library 2.0: balancing the risks and benefits to maximise the dividends”

A centre of expertise in digital information management

www.ukoln.ac.uk

Library 2.0: Balancing the Risks and Benefits to Maximise the Dividends

Brian Kelly, UKOLNUniversity of BathBath, BA2 7AY

UKOLN is supported by:

http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/conferences/bridging-worlds-2008/http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/web-focus/events/conferences/bridging-worlds-2008/

This work is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 licence (but note caveat)

Resources bookmarked using 'bridging-worlds-kelly-2008' tag Resources bookmarked using 'bridging-worlds-kelly-2008' tag

Acceptable Use PolicyRecording of this talk, taking photos, discussing the content using email, instant messaging, blogs, SMS, etc. is permitted providing distractions to others is minimised.

Acceptable Use PolicyRecording of this talk, taking photos, discussing the content using email, instant messaging, blogs, SMS, etc. is permitted providing distractions to others is minimised.

[email protected] sitehttp://ukwebfocus.wordpress.com/


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About Me

Brian Kelly:• National Web adviser to UK Universities and

cultural heritage organisations• Based at UKOLN, a national centre of expertise

in digital information management and located at the University of Bath

• Involved in Web since January 1993• Current Information World Review’s

Information Professional of the Year• Over 300 presentations given since 1997• Current area of interest include Web 2.0, Web

standards and Web accessibility

Introduction


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Using Tools I Talk About Work activities use Web 2.0 technologies & approaches:

• RSS feeds for structured information

• Geo-location data• Exploitation of 3rd

party services• Openness of

resources• Risk assessment /

management approaches

Introduction

Talks given Jan-Sept 2008

Note also use of blogs, video blogs, YouTube Twitter, …Note also use of blogs, video blogs, YouTube Twitter, …


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About This Talk

This talk:• Provides a brief summary of Web 2.0 and Library

2.0, with some examples of its use• Describes barriers to the successful deployment of

Library 2.0• Looks at ways of overcoming such barriers

Acknowledging the barriers Risk assessment and risk management Staff development, new media literacy, … Embracing diversity Cultural change …


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Web2MemeMap, Tim O’Reilly, 2005

Characteristics Of Web 2.0

• Network as platform• Always beta• Clean URIs• Remix and mash-ups

Syndication (RSS)• Architecture of participation

Blogs & Wikis Social networking Social tagging

(folksonomies)• Trust and openness

Characteristics Of Web 2.0

• Network as platform• Always beta• Clean URIs• Remix and mash-ups

Syndication (RSS)• Architecture of participation

Blogs & Wikis Social networking Social tagging

(folksonomies)• Trust and openness

Web 2.0

What Is Web 2.0?

Marketing term (derived from observing 'patterns') rather than technical standards - “an attitude not a technology”

Web

2.0


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Library 2.0

Library 2.0:• Term coined on

LibraryCrunch blog

• Definition available on Wikipedia

Also note:• Arguments

about validity of the term

• Quality issues regarding Wikipedia entry


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Academic Library Example

University of Wolverhampton provide 5 blogs to support academic departments

An Electronic Resources Newsletter is driven by blog software. The information is available via:

• RSS• Email


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A Facebook page provides:

• Brief factual information

• Links to key resources on main Web site

• Dynamic content embedded via RSS

• Calendar information embedded via Google calendar

• Ability for users to become ‘fans’


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Google calendar is used:

• For key library events

• To allow event details to be embedded in a variety of sites, including pages on institutional Web site


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National Library ExampleNational Library of Wales “Shaping the future: The Library’s strategy 2008-2009 to 2010-2011”:

“We propose taking advantage of new online technology, including …Web 2.0 services …It is expected that the Library itself will provide only some specific services on its website. Instead, the intention is to promote and facilitate the use of the collections by external users, in accordance with specific guidelines.”

Example of use of Web 2.0 services embedded within a Welsh Assembly Government funded project

Example of use of Web 2.0 services embedded within a Welsh Assembly Government funded project


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Research Library ExampleNRC-CISTI (National Research Council of Canada and Canada’s National Science Library & Publisher) is engaging with Web 2.0’s opportunities:

• Use of wikis to support collaboration by staff / researchers

• Use of SOA approaches to integrate services

• Popularity of Facebook in Canadian universities

and challenges:• Privacy laws (similar to EU)• Multi-lingual issues• Popularity of Facebook in

Canadian universities


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Benefits of Library 2.0

Delivery Mechanisms (“network as platform”):• Global outreach: maximise impact of and

engagement with ideas• Outsourced services: allowing organisations to

focus on their strengths and small institutions to engage on more equal terms

• Exploits infrastructure: the standards (e,g. RSS) & services (Google, Amazon, ..) now in place

User Benefits:• User can create content• Can comment on other’s content• Users no longer passive consumers of content


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Takeup Of New TechnologiesThe Gartner curve

Developers

Rising expectations

Trough of despair

Service plateau

Enterprise softwareLarge budgets…

ChasmFailure to go beyond developers & early adopters (cf Gopher)Need for:

• Advocacy• Listening to users• Addressing concerns• Deployment strategies• …

This talk now looks at approaches for avoiding the chasm and shaping the curve

This talk now looks at approaches for avoiding the chasm and shaping the curve

Early adopters


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Evidence of Perceived Barriers

Series of Web 2.0 workshops for UK cultural heritage organisations is providing evidence of the barriers to effective use of Web 2.0 services

Series of Web 2.0 workshops for UK cultural heritage organisations is providing evidence of the barriers to effective use of Web 2.0 services


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The Barriers

Barriers

Sustainability of services

Data lock-in

Data protection, privacy, …

Lack of expertise

Lack of interest: colleagues

Costs

Accessibility

Difficulties in selection

Inappropriate content

Does it deliver expected benefits?

Lack of interest: users


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The Barriers Are Real!

Personal example using Squirl.info:

• A record of books I’ve read (data gathered from Amazon)

• Amazon interface broke in Feb 2008

• But there is an export function …

• … which is broken• Others have complained

My data was exportable via RSS but (a) how usable is this and (b) how obvious is this solution?

My data was exportable via RSS but (a) how usable is this and (b) how obvious is this solution?

Barriers


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Sustainability of the Services

“Network as the platform”:• Great when it works

But:• Reliance on 3rd party companies with no

negotiated contracts• Uncertainties over reliability, performance and

long term sustainability• It’s not just the small companies, either:

Twitter Slideshare (Amazon dependencies) Google apps (e.g. GMail) Skype (when large MS updates released)

Barriers


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Privacy, Data Protection, …

Digital cameras, mobile photos, camcorders, … are increasing volume of photos / videos being taken and being published online.

But what about issues such as:

• Privacy• Data protection• Confidentiality• …

Barriers


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Lack of Expertise & ResourcesBarriers

Further feedback on barriers (and possible solutions) has been obtained from workshops for cultural heritage organisations:

• Lack of in-house expertise• Lack of support from

management

Further feedback on barriers (and possible solutions) has been obtained from workshops for cultural heritage organisations:

• Lack of in-house expertise• Lack of support from

management


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Inappropriate Content

Inappropriate content might include:

• Spam comments on blogs

• Pornography• Misleading

information• Illegal content• …

Barriers

Over 250,000 spam comments submitted to the UK Web focus blog from Nov 2006 – June 2008

Over 250,000 spam comments submitted to the UK Web focus blog from Nov 2006 – June 2008


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Beware The IT Fundamentalists

We need to avoid simplistic solutions to the complexities:

• Open Standards Fundamentalist: we just need XML

• Open Source Fundamentalist: we just need Linux

• Vendor Fundamentalist: we must use next version of our enterprise system (and you must fit in with this)

• Accessibility Fundamentalist: we must do WAI WCAG 1.0

• User Fundamentalist: must do whatever users want

• Legal Fundamentalist: it breaches copyright, …

• Ownership Fundamentalist: must own everything we use

• Perfectionist: It doesn't do everything, so we'll do nothing

• Simplistic Developer: I've developed a perfect solution – I don't care if it doesn't run in the real world

• Web 2.0: It’s new; its cool!

Barriers


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The Librarian FundamentalistsLibrarians:

• Think they know better than the user e.g. they don't like people using Google Scholar; they should use Web of Knowledge (who cares that users find it easier to use Google Scholar & finds references they need that way?)

• Think that users should be forced to learn Boolean searching & other formal search techniques because this is good for them (despite Sheffield's study).

• Don't want the users to search for themselves (cf folksonomies) because they won't get it right.

• They still want to classify the entire Web - despite the fact that users don't use their lists of Web links.

• Want services to be perfect before they release them to users. They are uneasy with the concept of 'forever beta' (they don't believe that users have the ability to figure things out themselves and work around the bugs).

Barriers


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Accessibility Barriers

Accessibility of public sector Web sites:• In 2002, the European Parliament set the

minimum level of accessibility for all public sector websites at Level Double-A.

• Riga eInclusion Declaration agreed to promote inclusive e-government by 'ensuring accessibility of all public Web sites by 2010, through compliance with the relevant W3C common web accessibility standards and guidelines'.

But don’t many Web 2.0 services infringe WCAG 1.0 guidelines with, e.g., dependencies on AJAX technologies.

But don’t many Web 2.0 services infringe WCAG 1.0 guidelines with, e.g., dependencies on AJAX technologies.

Barriers


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Addressing Barriers

How do we address such barriers:• Ignore them and take risks• Refuse to engage with Web 2.0

Or adopt a balanced approach: Assess and manage risks Staff development New media literacy / Transliteracy Evidence-based policy-making Clarification of purposes of services Re-interpretation Sharing solutions Clarification of responsibilities

Possible Solutions


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Interoperability Issues

What happens if Social Web services host your data and:• You can’t get the data back out?• You only get the unstructured or poor quality data

back out?• You can’t get the comments, annotations, tags out?

There’s a need to:• Ensure data export capabilities or• Upload data from an alternative managed sources• Understand limitations of data export / import and

make plans around limitations• Perhaps accept limitations

Possible Solutions


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Sustainability Concerns …

What happens if Social Web and Library 2.0 services:• Are unreliable?• Change their terms and conditions (e.g. start

charging)?• Become bankrupt

Things to remember:• Services may be unreliable e.g. Twitter• Market pressure is leading to changes to T&C – &

paid-for services may become free (e.g. Friends Reunited)

• Banks may go bankrupt too – but we still use them• Need for risk assessment and risk management

Possible Solutions


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.. In Troubled Economic TimesWhat if the worst case scenarios occur?

• Externally-hosted Web 2.0 providers: What if the services provided by Google, Yahoo, etc. prove uneconomic and the services are shut down or the terms and conditions changed, with perhaps free-to-use services becoming subscription services?

• Our information providers: What if the services provided by individuals within our institution, who use Slideshare, Flickr, del.icio.us, etc. aren’t sustainable because the individuals may face redundancy, early retirement, etc.?

• Our institutions: What if the economic downturn affects the sustainability of the IT services provided within our institutions?

• Our national services: What if the national services provided for our communities are similarly adversely affected, with users preferring the services provided by the global services?

• Our funding organisations: What if our funding bodies have less funds available, and are forced to stop or reduce the level of funding provided to national or institutional services?

• Our user communities: What if our users expectations or interests change?

Web 2.0 In Troubled Economic Times, UK Web Focus blog, 24 Sept 2008

Web 2.0 In Troubled Economic Times, UK Web Focus blog, 24 Sept 2008


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Managing Expectations

IAVE (International Association of Volunteer Effort) was “founded in 1970 by people who saw volunteering as a means to make connections across cultures”

But the IAVE Social network:

• Only has 4 members

• And no discussions

Possible Solutions


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Support Issues

I don’t have the time to:• Understand it all• Use the technologies• Embed technologies in

daily working practices• Train my colleagues

Common Craft video clipsCommon Craft video clips

You can:• View them at work• Listen to the podcast on

the Tube• Use them in training

Possible Solutions


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Maintaining Blog Enthusiasm

Had a blog for a while and lost your enthusiasm?

Worried that you won’t have anything interesting to write about?

The comments on the content of the blog were very pleasing for me:

• Invariably relevant and thought provoking. Informed opinion that is not opinionated.

• Entries and variety very interesting. • Excellent, I can’t remember reading

anything that I thought was a waste of my time.

• Informative and thought-provoking — it’s good to read a blog about ‘web 2.0′ that manages to raise interesting questions rather than being dogmatic about the ‘right’ way to do things.

• marvellous - timely, detailed, open, and invitingly humble!

The comments on the content of the blog were very pleasing for me:

• Invariably relevant and thought provoking. Informed opinion that is not opinionated.

• Entries and variety very interesting. • Excellent, I can’t remember reading

anything that I thought was a waste of my time.

• Informative and thought-provoking — it’s good to read a blog about ‘web 2.0′ that manages to raise interesting questions rather than being dogmatic about the ‘right’ way to do things.

• marvellous - timely, detailed, open, and invitingly humble!

Have an online survey to solicit feedback – the feedback may reinvigorate you

Have an online survey to solicit feedback – the feedback may reinvigorate you

You are not alone – there are many resources which provide advice on topics to blog about

You are not alone – there are many resources which provide advice on topics to blog about

But perhaps blogging isn’t for you – not everybody has to blog, as I have discussed on my Seesmic video blog

Possible Solutions


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Deployment Strategies

I want to do use the Social Web but:

• The IT Services department bans it

• The council bans it• My boss doesn’t approve

Area of interest to UKOLN:• “Just do it”• Subversive approach –

‘Friends of Foo’ if Foo can’t use it

• Encourage enthusiasts• Don’t get in the way

UKOLN briefing papers available (with CC licence). More to be released shortly.

UKOLN briefing papers available (with CC licence). More to be released shortly.

Possible Solutions


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IWMW 2006 & Risk Management Since IWMW 2006 we’ve taken a risk management approach to its evaluation of Web 2.0 technologies:

• Agreements: e.g. in the case of the Chatbot.• Use of well-established services: Google &

del.icio.us are well-established and have financial security.

• Notification: warnings that services could be lost. • Engagement: with the user community: users actively

engage in the evaluation of the services. • Provision of alternative services: multiple OMPL

tools. • Use in non-mission critical areas: not for bookings! • Long term experiences of services: usage stats• Availability of alternative sources of data: e.g.

standard Web server log files.• Data export and aggregation: RSS feeds, aggregated

in Suprglu, OPML viewers, etc.

Possible Solutions


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New Media Literacy

Information Literacy:• Can the library users assess and use the

information they find using well-established retrieval tools

New Media Literacy / Transliteracy:• Can the library users assess and use the

information they find using a diversity of tools• Are the users aware of the ethical aspects

covering creation, use and reuse of content (copyright, plagiarism, …)

• Users covers senior managers and policy makers & not just conventional library visitors, students, …

Possible Solutions

Shouldn’t libraries be taking a leading role in developing and implementing new media literacy strategies

Shouldn’t libraries be taking a leading role in developing and implementing new media literacy strategies


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Re-interpreting Accessibility

Web 2.0 services may not comply with WCAG 1.0 accessibility guidelines:

• But many Web 1.0 sites fail to comply too• The guidelines themselves are flawed

We can:• Make use of WCAG 2.0 guidelines (much better)• Seek to address the accessibility of the purposes

of the digital services, rather than the digital resources themselves: Blended accessibility for blended learning Holistic accessibility See papers of Accessibility 2.0, Holistic

Accessibility, …

Possible Solutions


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Re-interpreting Preservation

The JISC-funded PoWR project sought to engage with the preservation implications in a Web 2.0 environment

The project has used blogs and wikis to support its work

Possible Solutions


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Is Web 2.0 Different?

Implications of Web 2.0 for Web site preservation:• Use of 3rd party services (‘network as platform’)• Content collaboration and communication• Richer diversity of services (not just a file on a

filestore/CMS/database)• More complex IPR issues

Let’s look at:• Case study 1 - Wikis• Case study 2 – Blogs• Case study 3 – Reusing data• Case study 4 – Disposable data• Case study 5 – Slideshare

Web

2.0

Possible Solutions


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Case Study 1: A Public Wiki

WetPaint wiki used to support various workshopsApproaches taken:

• Open access to all prior to & during event (to minimise barriers to creating content)

• Access restricted to WetPaint users after event

• Access later restricted to event organisers

Web

2.0

Many aspects of Web site curation are to do with implementing such best practices, rather than implementing technical solutions

Many aspects of Web site curation are to do with implementing such best practices, rather than implementing technical solutions

See JISC PoWR blog post

Possible Solutions


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Case Study 2a: Blog Migration

How might you migrate the contents of a blog (e.g. you’re leaving college)?

This question was raised by Casey Leaver, shortly before leaving Warwick University

Web

2.0

Possible Solutions


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Web

2.0 Case Study 2a: Blog Migration

She migrated her blog from blogs at Warwick Univ to Wordpress

Note, though, that not all data was transferred (e.g. title, but not contents) so there’s a need to check transfer mechanisms

Possible Solutions


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Case Study 2b: The Individual’s Blog (1)

Auricle blog:• Launched Jan 2004

by head of e-learning team, Bath

• High profile & public visibility by early adopter & evangelist

Today:• It’s gone• Lost after

evangelist left, new staff arrive, new priorities, …

Possible Solutions


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Case Study 2b: The Individual’s Blog (2)

Auricle reborn:• Further Google

revealed the blog has been reborn

• New domain (www.auricle.org/)

• New engine (Wordpress) & look and feel (but old engine still available)

• New content being added

• Old content still accessible

Preservation is helped by:• Continued access• Motivated & skilled

owners

Possible Solutions


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Case Study 3: Reusing DataBlog post in Facebook. Possible concerns:

• It’s not sustainable• You’ve given ownership to

Facebook

Web

2.0

Response:• The post is managed in

WordPress; Fb displays copy (to new audience)

• Fb don’t claim ownership – they claim rights to make money

It’s not the service, it’s how you use the service

Possible Solutions


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Case Study 4: Disposable Data

Twitter – example of a micro-blogging application

Facebook status messages is another related example

Web

2.0

Issues:• Will Twitter be sustain-

able over a long period?• What will happen to the

data?• What about the IPR for

‘tweets’?• What about institutional

uses?

Possible Solutions


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Case Study 4: Disposable DataW

eb 2

.0

Many twitterers regard their tweets as disposalI tend to use Twitter as a ‘virtual water cooler’ – sharing gossip, jokes and occasional work-related information with (mainly) people I know

And I exploited Twitter’s free delivery of SMS messages when it was available in the UK

You could make use of clients which manage your tweets (e.g. treat like email)

But you should develop your policies first, prior to exploring technologies

Possible Solutions


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Web

2.0 Case Study 4: Disposable Data

Skype (or your preferred VoIP application) are growing in popularity

Issues:• Is the digital data (the call)

preserved?• What about the video and

the IM chats?

Possible responses:• Am I bovvered?• I didn’t bother with

analogue phones, why should I worry now?

Possible Solutions


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Case Study 5: Slideshare

What happens to your slides if Slideshare disappears?Recommended approach:

• Master copy held on managed environment• Info on master on title slide and metadata• CC licence & download available – many copies

Possible Solutions

benefits

management

KEY


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The Amplified Conference

Amplified conferences provide opportunities to explore risk assessment / management approaches:

• Sharing slides (in advance): will people listen?• Live broadcasting: who is listening; should I be

cautious?• Recordings of audio / video: what if I look

terrible; sound terrible; make mistakes?• The back channel: what if people ask difficult

questions; irrelevant questions; …?• Talking (and sharing) photos: what about

privacy; data protection; …?• How’s it funded? There are cost implications • Problems: What if things go wrong? Things can

go wrong!“Using Networked Technologies To Support Conferences”, Kelly, Shabajee and Tonkin, EUNIS 2005 proposed an AUP framework

“Using Networked Technologies To Support Conferences”, Kelly, Shabajee and Tonkin, EUNIS 2005 proposed an AUP framework

Possible Solutions


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Applying Risks Generally

Web 2.0• May fail (and some

have failed)• May be mission critical

Therefore:• We shouldn’t use• We should develop /

deploy services within the organisation

• Then we’ll be safe

Banks (1.0)• May fail (and some

have failed)• Are mission critical

Therefore:• We shouldn’t use• We should manage our

money ourselves • Then we’ll be safe

There are risks in just doing things in-house:Risks of lagging behind; risks in changes to in-house resources & priorities; risks imposed by external funders; risks in lack of interest by our users; risks that staff will leave; …

There are risks in just doing things in-house:Risks of lagging behind; risks in changes to in-house resources & priorities; risks imposed by external funders; risks in lack of interest by our users; risks that staff will leave; …

Possible Solutions


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But Who Takes the Risks?

We’ve done risk-taking previously e.g. assessing OPAC vendors; assessing open source software; ...

But now:• No formal contractual agreements• Services registered by individuals

Possible strategies:• Top-down approach: services must be approved• Laissez faire approach: anything goes• Flexible approaches:

• Blog author should make mangers aware (cf BBC)• Departmental risk audits of use of 3rd party services• Sharing of risks • …

Possible Solutions


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Conclusions

To conclude:• Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 can deliver tangible

benefits• But there are risks• And there are risks in doing nothing or sticking

with existing approaches• The risks need to be assessed• The risks need to be managed• Sharing the risk assessment and risk

management strategies fits in with the Web 2.0 philosophy


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Questions

Any questions

“library 2.0: balancing the risks and benefits to maximise the dividends”

Education

web standards

openness web

characteristics of web

effective use of web

benefits of library

national web adviser

example of use

institutional web site