Connecting Librarian

Here’s the notes from the afternoon session of Michael Stephen’s visit to Melbourne. Over 70 librarian, mostly not all from public libraries were presented with an interesting and informative session, with plenty of inspiration to take back to their libraries.

World is changing, especially in the last few years.  Its getting smaller, collaboration is happening on a scale that would not have been possible before.  It has changed the way we comunicate.

Web 2.0 is open, decentralised and participatory. Commonalities are open, participatrory, tags, comments, RSS, APIs.

Library job descriptions are also changing as a result. Just look at recent job advertisements - these positions did not exist a few years ago, because the technologies didn’t exist.  This is one way our profession is responding to these changes.

Open Source software is growing fast - it levels the playing field a bit, but requires staff and other resources to use and manage.  eg. Open Office, Inkscape, Trillian and Pidgin.  Open Office duplicates the functions of Microsoft Office (offer to ours users as an alternative?).

Surveying best practices:

Blogs - how many libraries have blogs?  Worth thinking about adopting if you don’t already have one.  Its a software tool, a content management system which is organised and archived chronologically by date.  With a blog, its all automatic without having to go through bureaucracy.  Newest news is at the top of the page, where your users eyes are going to land first. All you need is software, server space (can be hosted) and some HTML, time to blog and something to say.  What to say? - what’s new, programs and materials, new resources, conference reports - some librarians put their conference notes on their library’s public blog.  Blogging can be used to promote your content, ie databases, its fast easy and cheap and you can promote conversation.  Lamson Library uses Scriblio to get their Web Opac out in a blog.

Best practices - look around at other library blog and check out what features of them that you like. Find your voice/mission - what is your goal, how do you want to say it, listen to your users responses. Focus on content - configure it then let it work for you, focus on interesting content, reach out by covering users interests. Design - make it seamless between your library website and blog, make sure its always usable, keep your software current.  Share authorship - spread out the blogging, agree on voice and mission.  Post often and be succinct - keep it simple, make it printable. Have a style guide and train your staff to blog - give them help sheets on tagging etc.  Make sure they have time to do it!  Incorporate the blog into your site as well as possible and link to the catalogue as often as you can - link it to your homepage. Be transparent - blog your projects and plans, listen and respond to your users comments.  Use the blog as a platform for videos, images, RSS feeds,news, customize widgets.

For Librarian Bloggers - cite your sources and links, post often but have something to say, invest time, post your passions, blog nice, learn about your blog application - spam filters are necessary, information feeds in, flickr images fed in, polls etc.

Blogs can create the voice of the library, administrators should be involved, enable comments, participate!

Podcasting - easy to create with some simple open source tools ie. Audacity (OSS), iTunes, Garageband. Podcasts are syndicated via RSS - search iTunes for libraries. Kankakee Public Library podcasts their author visits.  All you need is a computer, Audacity and a microphone.

Best practices - use free tools like Audacity, involve staff who are interested and capable, monitor time and use (be sure you are getting ROI), podcast news, speakers, stories and more, current awareness, offer a place for others to try it!  Give users a place to record their own podcast!  or some other form of studio (ie video etc).

RSS - take content from one place and have it available in another place. Some ILMS offer RSS feeds on new additions to the catalogue - ie. books, videos/DVDs, audio etc.  RSS feeds can be the most time consuming thing you can learn about - saves you having to visit different blogs, you can use an RSS aggregator to have the content delivered to you.  With RSS you can keep up to date and put your library content in other locations.  Hennepin hacked their catalogue to provide RSS feeds for user generated searches - click through and place holds.  RSS has taken the place of SDI. eg. RSS feed of animal books on RSPCA website.

Best practices - decide if you want to build a portal or provide RSS feeds - train staff and users, ask vendors for feeds, develop a policy of displaying RSS on your website. Have a what is this for RSS on your website and embed the Common Craft videos from YouTube.

Wikis - an easy web page.  Mostly WYSIWYG, but some need basic coding (related to HTML). SJCPL found that most people were using local content more, so when they revised and created their subject wikis, those are the heading they retained. Don’t even have to use the word wiki in its use.

Best practices - play with a wiki (ie. PBWiki), monitor changes to the wiki, use it in classes and instruction.  Policy manuals, group edits on a report are common library uses.  SJCPL had a no wiki, where they recorded when they said no to users.  Each month they were reviewed and analysed to see where policy changes might be of use.

Instant messaging - usually text, but can be voice or video. All IM systems have a presence awareness system. “Faster IM” Computer in Libraries 2006 Stephens, M. “It can be cost effective means for any library to have a virtual reference presence in virtual spaces where our users already live!”  FASTER - Flow, ask questions, software, training, ease of use, return on investment (is high).  Meebo allows you to access multiple IM accounts via an online interface, or insert a widget into your webpage and allow users to IM you without an IM address (library has to have one).  Meebo benefits - no viruses, multiple services at once, voicemail for the web.

Best practices - promote the service, add you IM to your publicity, use a consistent naming scheme for all clients, use away messages effectively, use all your resources to answer questions.

Make IM part of your policy - fold it in to the reference desk duties.   People are usually happy to wait when the library is busy.

Flickr - a way of putting a human face on the library (photos). Another example of a social network, enabling tags, comments and being fed into other sites via links, widgets etc. Can use a flickr set for a library tour - including behind the scenes.

Best practices - allow flickr to be accessed on your public computers, tag-note-comment, create a useful profile page for your library, tell stories, make the library human,capture events-buildings, speakers, be mindful of little people etc.  Use it to be out there - experiment with Flickr toys too!

The Big Picture - best practices for social software
Meet the mission - convey the mission.  Ground your use of social software in the mission and vision of your library.  Use it to further the library mission and to meet your long range plan. (Maraine Valley College podcast page)

Prototype - great for roadblock builders, use it for education and planning, it demonstrates a need. Create a sandbox and get staff to play with it.  Use Ning to create a social network. (do it at State level for our library sector?).

Comments - enable it, moderate if needed, participate and ask vendors to give us this functionality.

Invite participation - allow comments, offer RSS feeds, aks surveys to do something - surveys, polls etc.

Give physical services a virtual space - ie. give the book club a blog, do an audio tour of the library.

Create social spaces for real time access to the tools - ImaginOn - Studio I for animation, make stations available for podcasting, video creation, blogging.

Be human tell stories - we have great stories to tell in libraries.  ie. Storypalooza - Gail Borden Library  YouTube contest - Denver Public Library.

Replace or remove outdated methods - NetFlix, Book Swim (mail delivery of items).  Topeka and Shawnee County Library mails holds to users - have a budget line for this.

Admin buy-in and use is PRICELESS.  Josie Parker at AADL and Louise Berry at Darien both blog.  But Staff buy in makes it HAPPEN!  Getting staff buy in can be helped by a Learning 2.0 program.  Also LISTEN to your staff and get their buyin.
Extra info coming from questions:

Sample policies may be available through Web Junction or the Library Success Wiki.

Seed your social sight with entries or comments to set the tone.

Michael says the future of our catalogues will incorporate both formal library subject headings as well as users tags.

Need to seriously consider how we want our presence to be available on the converged device ie. mobile phone.  iPhone is allowing normal web page browsing, next generation of phones should be the same.

Cross promotion between neighbouring facilities - Dutch example of library having recipe of the month and food market across the road displaying the ingredients for that recipe.

I was very happy to be able to attend a day of presentations by Michael Stephens of Tame the Web today. I met Michael for breakfast one morning towards the end of my study tour last year, so it was wonderful to renew our acquaintance. Although the time was all too short, it was great to catch up.

Anyway, here’s the notes I took - Michael will post the slides to his blog - Tame the Web.

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Suffering is optional in this session.

Jesse Hauk Shera quote - “that society will determine what the library of the future will be.”

World has shifted in the last few years, beginning with the dot.com bust.  Web rebooted itself, more interactive and social.

Recommended “Cluetrain Manifesto” which is available online for free.

Continous computing - Roush “Social machines” - Web as platform, wifi is ubiquitous, devices are converging and connecting.i

Time Magazine - “You control the information age” - not libraries.

Recommended “Everthing is miscellaneous”.

Many descriptions of Web 2.0 - 2 Michael focusses on - harvesting collective intelligence and rich user experiences.

Web 2.0? - Live Web or as Michael says “Find others like you”.  Friending etc.  No 1 social site that Michael uses is Flickr - he is an image based person, so he loves it.  Can track his travels from his Flickr account.  Can also find him at Last FM - tracks what he is listening to on his Mac.  Michael has also has a Facebook profile.

Can make anything you want with image generators.

This is where we live - people are spending a lot of their social lives online - not just for the internet addict.  Lots of these sites, more and more being created every day.
All these sites are open, participatory and are about access.

Shared the Library 2.0 definition by Casey & Savistinuk - most important “physical and virtual services” and “consistently evaluating”.

Check out the Perceptions of Libraries and Information Sources and Sharing, privacy and trust in the networked world reports from OCLC.
96% of people had walked into a public library at least onece, 51% used IM and 30% had never heard of databases.  Users want seamless service and self-service options - think Google. They want seamless - not silos. Our websites are little versions of the library - they shouldn’t be.  “Books” are the library brand.  Only 1% surveyed used the library as their search starting point.   Why not visiting the library website - didn’t know it existed, other sites have better info, can’t find the site.Brian Mathews - social network will be ubiquitous - will expect it everywhere they go online - be able to tag, leave comments or reviews, wherever they go.

Pew Internet found that 36% of adults used Wikipedia. 8% were on it on any one day.  Make sure your library is on Wikipedia, including in the geographic area entries (ie. Council, suburbs, town etc). Add content, links - give it more value.

ACRL - put out a report (check slides) - need to do 3 things:
Evolve - reference signs have gone - welcome, ask here (Allen County), round tables for collaboration, transparent reference desk, with comfy chairs and flat screens and also IM service (NC library state uni), (MSN most popular in Australia). Dublin Library used PageFlakes to create a portal with feeds to the information you give it.  Georgia Tech Library did a welcome celebration free pizza, speed dating, music, poker, games, DDR, drama and more. (again Brian Mathews)  Didn’t talk about library resources, want them to find the library on their own.  YPRL using tablets for reference.  LC launched The Commons - a project with Flickr - hosting photos and inviting comments and tags.

Let go of control - (used the warning sign generator). If we don’t, we could lose both users and staff.  What stories are these libraries telling?   Showed signs banning phones - we should be banning the more concerning bad behaviour, not the technology.  Things we do can now go around the world - with a phone and a quick picture, then to Flickr and a blog and its publicised wider than your local library. PLCMC - Rules for the Loft - Respect yourself, respect others, respect the space.  Casey and Stephens - understand the people who are breaking the rules (Transparency column).  Walk through the library with users eyes - a teen even.

Be visible - Wyoming mud flap girl - caused controversy but was aimed at getting truckers in to borrow their audio books. Laptop Librarian - offers assistance in the dining hall. Librarian visits Panera cafe and offers library service, signs up members etc, answers questions.

“Cluetrain Manifesto” published in 1999, but foretold the advent of social networking. We can rally together online, make changes together online, share and discuss content online.  Cluetrain says Markets are conversations, Hyperlinks subvert hierarchy - and can go around the chain of command, get information out to people - ie. hacks to DRM.  Libraries can now communicate directly with teir users. Web is a little bit broken - hyperlinked organisation can be the same thing. Learn who to go around to get things done.

Organisational Chart - the hyperlinked library is more team based (although still need leadership), but it is focussed around the user, not a pyramid.

Technology is just a tool it is not going to save your library.  We need to understand technolust and should not be putting resources into things are users don’t want or will not use.

Transparency: technology storm - ie. locked down library website, technology plans without staff buy-in, siege mentality due to concerns about privacy, security etc - NO LONGER FLIES!

People want to talk to each other - open and honest conversations, open and honest decisions, speaking in a human voice.  Conversations among human beings sound human- we recognise PR speak. Make the library as flat as possible - Darien Library circ staff are blogging and buying for the collection - they know what the users are borrowing and requesting - even sending them to the Book Expo.  Going to the field - visit the front lines, examine different staffing models, develop big picture understanding (management). SJCPL has 30 bloggers contributing content to their blog, AADL website is blog based, State Librarian of Kansas is blogging her travels around her state.  Outside eg. Chief of Police in Nebraska is blogging - talking about crime, but in a human way and responding to comments, having a conversation.

Most important - Say Yes!

The Library tell stories:
Look for stories about the library and also give your users the chance to tell their stories. Gwinnett Library “Rock the Shelves 2005″ on Flickr. National Library photos on Flickr. Storypalooza - make a video about the library and reading, put the video on the library website. (Gail Borden Library).
“Participatory Culutre” - Jenkin quote “consumers are transformed into participants”. Ohio Uni library tour podcasts, done by librarian and another by a student. Hennenpin County Book Space.

The Library is user driven:
Get out of the users way - don’t create problems.   Karen Schneider - The user is not broken. Our systems are a little bit broken when it comes to engaging the user. They want the information in the easiest way possible.  User driven service is user-centred, can involve the users, ask them what they want (link on website - prizes offered.  Listen to your users and to your front-line staff - they know the story of the library.  5 Factors to Consider - does it place a barrier between the user and the service, is it born from complaints from librarians or users, does it add more rules, does it make more work for the user or the librarian, does it involve damage control begin you even begin? eg. SJCPL Subject wiki - public can’t edit but can sugest. Biz Wiki - Ohio U.

Engage your users: Facebook search box - UIUC and Hennepin. Comments on the catalogue (Hennepin) and also Book Space.

Let them drive, let them participate, let them create.  Amazon now has user generated video reviews. Competitions on your social networking space.  Pew Internet study showed that 57% of US teens that created content online. Rest don’t have the technology at home to be able to do this. Might be well serving our users to come and create content to put online.  ie. podcasting station, place to blog etc.  AADL Tag Cloud shows the most popular searches on their catalogue. Hennepin County - images of reading Harry Potter.  Privacy concerns allayed by agreeing to terms of use and having it as opt-in.

Library uses trends as opportunities: social network federation - networks will be converging, be able to talk between networks - may come from one of the social networks or from a third party. Choosing among trends: good signs are that everyone is doing it, its being asked for, most importantly its fun!
Trendspotting - hand out current magazines and ask staff to look for trends that we may be able to tap into.  Our jobs are changing - both in content and in title.  Trend: citizen journalism - mobile phones and blogs can spread news which in turn can change everything.  Challenge of how these tools are challenging privacy, reputation and more. There are legal implications which are still being explored.  We can be educators in how to deal with our online presence - if its out there.  Google your library or chedck Technorati to find conversations about your library that you may not know is happening. Open source software is a trend, but its free as in kittens,not free as in beer - need resources to adapt it and keep it going.  Emerging Tech Group - group of staff who regularly meet to discuss new tech and how it may be used in the library (use a blog for the group).  Check out the books he recommends on the slides.  Are we failing to innovate because of fear. (Kathy Sierra)

The Library has presence: library is out in spaces where we might not expect it to be. Buckland quote “There is much greater opportunity to bring service to potential users wherever they may be”.  YouTube video puts the library out where people may see it.  Use profiles on social networking sites to give more background - make it a miniature website which then links back to your library website.  Google SMS service - text a message to Google.  Libraries using twitter to do current awareness on book titles, events etc, then has RSS feed which you can add to your website.

Library learns, plays and innovates.  Learning should be part of staff development, throughout the staff structure. Everyone should be experimenting with new technology. Well trained staff are a great marketing tool for your users.  Get sandboxes for staff, both virtual spaces and physical - where you bring the gadgets in for staff to play with. Best thing to do for staff is getting them set up with an RSS reader.

Discover and experience the new tools: Learning 2.0 program - can be scaled and adapted for users. (offer it for users?). Check out Hey Jude’s blog on learning 2.0 and schools.  Second Life - shopping, events and a library presence - what does it mean for libraries?  We are still finding out.  Ning - do it yourself social networking site - users get blogs, forums etc. Golden rule of innovation - say YES - encourage people to play.

Encourage the heart - we get into libraries because we care.

The Library knows me - personalisation is the big trend coming - other sites have been doing it for years and users will come to expect it from libraries.
The Library is human - use Flickr to show this.  “Bring your heart with you to work”. (David Warlick)
Throw out the culture of perfect - trial and error is OK, it might not work but that’s OK too, there are still thing learned.
Open Libraries - control fades, communication is up and down.
Create a culture of trust - trust your users, trust each other.

Everything we have talked about today is about a cultural shift, not just shiny new toys.  To move forward, ground them in the mission of your library and your long term plans.  Be selective, choose the tools that work best for your library and your user, use evidence to decide which ones.  Be sure to balance innovation with ROI.  The next big step is how we evaluate these Web 2.0 tools in our libraries.

Five things you can do now:
Be a trendspotter - Form an Emerging Tech Group - Try Learning 2.0 - Create a What’s New blog - Explore presence (ways in which you can put your library out in social networks).

IMPORTANT:
Learn to learn.
Adapt to change.
Scan the horizon.

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I’ve been thinking about this for quite a couple of months, probably since I started getting queries from other librarians about virtual services after doing my study tour. Its been further churning away in the back of my mind since not long before the VALA conference, as besides the showcase session I did there, I have another 3 presentations coming up on Libraries and Web 2.0 - one of them a day long workshop!

So how did I come to get these ‘gigs’ - what makes me the expert?

In my case its a combination of things. First off, I know a bit about Web 2.0 and libraries. After all, I have been reading about, immersing myself in it and blogging about it for over 2 years. Which is more than most people in libraries. So my expert status comes from having a degree more knowledge than my audience.

But there are many librarians who know more than me on this subject, so what else is there? Another important consideration is geography. Two of the upcoming presentations are in Melbourne, the city I live in. Always easier to get a local - cheaper too.

However, the workshop I am doing is in Sydney - so that limits geography a little. I say a little, because there are some great Library 2.0 experts in the US - I read their blogs regularly - but again there are limits to what people and organisations will spend, especially if expertise can be found more locally. (and Sydney is only an hour’s flight away).

So, I know a little more than my potential audience, I have geography on my side - the more local the better. Then there is another issue altogether. Availability. The Sydney thing again - I was not the first person asked. From what I can gather, I was at least the fifth person asked (if not further down the list than that). So even considering all that’s come before, you have to be willing and available to be that expert.

Now that’s a personal decision. I don’t know why the others asked before me didn’t take up the invitation - could be many reasons: time, priorities, not interested, etc, etc - it doesn’t matter really. The opportunity came to me and I decided to take it - which makes me the expert in this particular situation, regardless of how far down the list I was.

And how did my name come up to be asked (even down the list) - somebody was kind enough to recommend me. I don’t know who, but I thank them for this opportunity.

Its been an interesting journey already this year for me, as I have never considered myself to be a public speaker - in fact the only other presentation I did before all this was at a conference in 1999 and I was so nervous - got through it by will alone I’m sure. But I have done 2 presentations since my study tour, (and 1 before) with 3 still to go and I am getting more confident each time. Maybe its because I am older, know my stuff a bit better, know myself a lot better and have a real passion for the subject. Maybe I’m just a late bloomer.

Whatever it is, I think it finds its roots in something that Kathryn at Librarians Matter blogged on not long ago in “My raucous week of putting my meat in the game” - its about putting yourself out there. I have been blogging about these things for going on 3 years, have been initiating them in my library and have been encouraging others to look at them for their libraries. I haven’t been worried about putting my name to any of this, but neither have I been seeking anything, except the chance to share my experience.

So what makes an expert? Someone who has learnt more than most about a subject dear to them (its easier when you have a passion for it), in a good location, who’s available, recommended and putting themselves out there.

But an expert is not what I planned to be - all I planned to be was a librarian loving what she is doing - which happens to be Web 2.0 and Libraries. If people want to hear what I have to say - then I am happy to go and share that with them - not for my benefit, but for theirs. I have learnt a lot from other people’s experiences, so its only fair that others may be able to learn from mine.

Next Space (OCLC) magazine includes a social networking article featuring Stuart Weibel.

Where is the Library as a brand?
Perceptions of libraries and information resources - OCLC report (available online)
3300 respondents to questions on library use, awareness and use of library electronic resources, internet search engine the library and the librarian, free vs for-fee information, the brand itself.
Libraries are trusted sources of information, search engines are trusted about the same, people care about quality and quantity of info they find, but speed is less important (not believable). However, convenience is very important.
Do not view paid infomration as more accurate than free info.
The overwhelming brand image of libraries is BOOKS!

Library Brand Equity - we need a strong visible brand on the web.  Libraries currently are a black and white presence in a colorful, flashy web world.
How do we build the brand?  Build on the trust of our patrons. Build on our business model - making info look free to our end-users.  Build on the scale that libraries represent - presence in every community, global scope and reach.  Improve awareness of library resources.  Make libraires a part of the new electronic environments that dominate social, educational and work environments.  We need to be there!

Social netowrking software!  Its not new, just the technical manifestation is. Deliver library services into the emerging social networks. Motivate people to participate: tagging, book reviews, emergent relationships that are evident from data about what people borrow, like and dislike, link to the people as well.  Need to build our own systems into the social structures that are so quickly developing.

Numbers of content creators and contributors are changing - increasing.  More people are wanting to get their content out on the web.  Their are great innovative approaches to attract that content to the library community.

Social Networking is not just for games: Facebook, MySpace, Second Life and Twitter.  All are flawed as service delivery models - business models are closed or obscure, features are rudimentary or overbearing. But they foretell a digital future in both their virtues and faults. Stuart Weibel has both Twitter and Facebook accounts and will be your friend.  They teach us about what people are doing out there - think of it as a professional investment.  They are all goofy because they are all new.  They will develop and some of that development will be interesting.

Libraries must compare favourably with experiences that our patrons expect: discovery and recommender services, web 2.0 social network capabilities, experiences of comparable commerical services, last-mile delivery capability, bookstore social experiences.  We are offering an experience as well as a service.  Save the user time.

Can Libraries compete in this space?  Should they?
Social software movement is fueled by (dollar denominated) entrepreneurial fervor.  Rate of innovation (and failure) is rapid. Distinguish between trends and the trendy and don’t get wrapped on the latter, especially when they fail.

Future of library catalogues?
Evolving towards network level. Collections linked to people, organisations, global location, concepts, context, metadata and social networking benefits.  Fit into the workflow and social lives of patrons. Help create a scaffolding for past knowledge and future productivity.

Web or Scaffolding?  We want more conherence and context, durable environments that help us preserve and fix resources in the context of culture, librarianship embedded in the emerging technologies of a social web.

Our catalogues need to be wholistic, treating not only works, but also people, concepts, works and objects (FRBR).  In addition we need book reviews, lists, services, commentary, other?  Book reviews are part of social bibliography, user created content.  All these things should be First Class Objects which have to ahve a persistent identity on the web, accessible by anyone or any applicaation, stand alone (attribution, clear IP rights), curated (not left alone). Allow the user to enter and tranverse the catalogue from any point.

WorldCat Identities - Beta product from OCLC - Another piece of the puzzle?
Tag cloud shows the top 100 identities.  Uses bibliographic data and mining it from other sources at OCLC.

Complicated puzzle - where ya gonna turn?
People, information, resources, places, terminologies, user generated content, FRBR (explain it to your patrons).  We need to better mine and utilise the data that we have.  Hook everything together with the right sort of identifiers.  A coherent identifier infrastructure is essential. Broad dissemination of identifiers serves the library collaborative and is the single most compelling means of making library assets persistent and visible on the web.

Persistence: not technological but rather a function of the commitment of organisations.  Libraries and other cultural memory organisations do this well.  Harder to do in the digital era, but the community is up to the task.
Universal access and global scoping: open to all, public identifiers in a public Web. Should work everywhere. WorldCat is the first globally-scoped identifier architecture for library assets in which the global surrogate is mapped to locality.  But we’re not quite done yet.
SEO and canonical identifiers - visibility of assets in the global library is diluted by the multiplicity of identifiers, agreement is needed on a canonical identifier.  Lack of it is a dilution of our brand and a lack of visibility on the web.
Branding is an important component of URIs - every URI is a micro-billboard branding library content in a crowded and largely commercial Web landscape. URIs need to be designed for people as well as machines, should be speakable, should be as short can be as managed, should have a predictable pattern that makes them hackable and truncatable.

FRBR is an important ocintrubtion to resource organisation on the web, but it is a challenge to explain to users.

World Cat - Mid 2006. Globally unique, freely available, citable and resolvable, independent of location, but not quite canonical.  Falls short because of duplicates, either mistaken or functional, not always resolvable to content and only sort of canonical.

NEWS!!!   Pilot project by OCLC - GLIMIR - Global Library Manifestation Identifier which is global in scope, canonical, business neutral, provides the URL equity necessary to support the library brand, fits comfortably with the FRBR model.  If its going to work, it can’t be an OCLC product, but it will be managed by them. It will require participation, buy in and support, all of which will be very tricky to achieve.  Can a global community agree and adopt this when there are already so many identifiers - eg. ISBN.  OCLC is launching this pilot to identify functional requirements and practicalities solicited review from technical specialists,moving forward will require a careful balance of use cases, business issue and more.

Identifiers are key to fulfilling the mission of libraries in a digital future, to compete ont he open web for recognition of our brand, to integrate our traditional bibliographic values with social networking content, to provides services and access to the digital tribe - our future constituency.

weibel-lines.typepad.com.
twitter - stuartweibel
flickr - weibel-lines

Kim Tairi - Swinburne University of Technology, Rob McCormack - Peodair Leihy and Peter Ring - Victoria University
“Fairy tales and Elggs: social networking with student rovers in learning commons”

Rovers were used in the Learning commons - student peer mentors who worked in pairs.  Created RoverSpace - an online community for Rovers to share knowledge and problems, initially used Elgg (open source social networking space), now use Google Groups and Mediawiki.

Student rovers need to be peers (complementary service to librarians), seed a culture of learning (exemplars of good learning practice, paid work as a positive (good addition to or complement of their coursework), where the community meets (some rovers see working for the library as an honour).
Having rovers who reflect the university’s student population, in terms of background, courses etc.

RoverSpace - contains shift reports, statistics, administrative communication, reflective tasks, organic information sharing space.

Duties: - basic advice, assistance, operational support to students in the Learning Commons regarding IT and Library queries
- assist students to clarify their learning issues and develop strategiese to tackle them
- refer students to online/library resources, formal student learning advice and other forms of assistance

Rovers handled 4500 queries in the first 2 semesters of 2007  83% dealt with in a few minutes. 7.2% referred to library staff. 70.5% of queries were for printing, photocopying, catalogue, borrowing and returning, finding items on shelf and the swipe card technology.

Happily Ever After?
better publicity and more visibility
more training and better knowledge management
different roles (lead rover and webmaster)
more efficient support (only one in off peak times)
capitalising on online support potential
other platforms - Cosmopolis
PDAs

Bruce Heterick - JSTOR
“Shift happens: how the network effect, two-sided markets and the wisdom of crowds are impacting libraries and scholarly communication”

Check out the YouTube video “Shift happens” - series of factoids on how the world is changing.

“Technology is everything that is invented after you were born.”  “Technology does not add or subtract something. It changes everything.”
eg. Printing press (Gutenberg -1440) led to the Protestant Reformation and the Renaissance
Linotype machine (Merganthaler - 1886) led to increased newspaper circulation (cheaper production costs)
Integrated circuit (Kilby/Noyce - 1961) led to digital computing
World Wide Web (BernersLee - 1989) led to search engines, e-commerce, information transition
iPod (Apple - 2001) - led to portable media

Library in use is using audio avatars - surfer dude on using Google, southern lady on archives from JSTOR - podcast how to use the resources.  Students downloading and listening to them when they want.

Four exponentials ….. working together
- Moore’s Law - power of computing is doubling every 18 months ( hold true for last 25 years and probably for next 10 to 15)
- Law of Fiber - capacity of the bandwith is doubling every 9 months - allowing us to deliver much more than we could have imagined a few years ago
- Law of Storage - digital storage doubles for the same cost every 12 months (its not a concern anymore because it is so cheap)
- Law of Community (Metcalf’s Law) - the power of the network goes up with the square of the networked people interacting with it
Each law is an exponential change agent, but with all of them working together, feeding off one another, it has caused such great change that it has become unsettling for people.

“If things are under control, you are moving too slow”.

They are facilitating the transition from the Information Age to the Age of Participation:
- actively engaging with what they are receiving - blogs and wikis are descendents of that need
- multilateral, not unilateral - not just working person to person - more apparent but also can be more confusing
- communities, not silos - around the information, how will they be facilitated through the platforms being used
- contribution as well as consumption

They are contributing to an environment with new dynamics:
- The Network effect - service becomes available as more people use it, growth can be extraordinarily fast (often virally) and can occur with little or no centralized control, glider - the power of the network must move down.
- Two-sided markets - WEb 2.0 where people contribute and consumer, economic network having two distinct user groups

Wisdom of crowds - groups are smarter than the smartest individual in the right circumstances
- decisions by crowds work when the crowd is diverse, decentralized & work independently ie. Wikipedia

Libraries will have to engage more at the place where their users are - proactive engagement.
Publishers have to be building self-sustaining communities or be consolidated.
Faculty - have to become more conversant with the technologies, adopt these advances, focus on networks, not institutions.

Law of change - libraries will have to change as the larger system of which we are a part changes, or risk being ejected from it.
Gorbachev Syndrome - leaders swept away by the tide they have created.

Do we move forward to what is inevitable or do we hold on to the continuity that we have, however profoundly it is flawed?

Kate Davis - Gold Coast City Council
“Be my buddy: IM and the future of virtual reference”

IM trial was run in tandem with the Ask Now chat service. Trial has now concluded.

2 types of IM - client based (ie. MSN Messenger, Google Talk) and website integrated (embedded - Meebo).  Embeds a flash based box in your webpage - used by many bloggers - eg. Topeka Shawnee County.

Impetus: technical issues with proprietary chat reference products - software issues, login requirements etc
desire to meet users in their own space - on their turf, reach audience with their communication model of choice

How did it work - listed IM names on the Asknow homepage - noting that the users should add the appropriate name to their buddy list.  (couldn’t use embedded, too much demand).  Once listed in their buddy list, users know when the service is available. When it is - click on to start a session.

Quick stats - to inform practice going into the future.  Surveyed staff before and after the trial, in a focus groups and a wiki was used for field notes.  Once staff realised how simple it was, they were overwhelmingly supportive of it.  Almost 1200 enquiries in 6 months, 45% of surveyed users aged 15 to 24, 73% of enquiries completed in session, 100% of users would use it again. (all users surveyed at the end of the session)

Lessons:
1. There is a demand for an IM service.  Hours offered did not affect the growth of enquiries and word of mouth was an important promotion tool.
2. Concept of IM reference is viable.  Librarian said they thought it better than chat ref or email - more immediate and synchronous
3. True synchronicity has some meaningful impacts. Librarian said that it met the expectations of users in terms of speed, efficiency and ease of use and enabled the reference interview to be more complete and quicker.
4. Inhabiting the users’ space brings some new challenges (and a pleasant surprise). Informal language - txt speak. Up to each individual librarian as to how they communicate.  Some users just wanted to come and chat (they were bored). However, there was no increase in inappropriate behaviour from the Asknow service. IM resulted in a significant increase in repeat users.
5. IM is not just for kids….. but the kids certainly do like it. Kids were a big audience, but so were 15-24, particularly in the morning and early afternoon.
6. A simple aggregator IM client is insufficient. (can only have one person logged in at a time to offer service) Having more than one operator is crucial - too many clients is scary, exhausting and demanding.

Embedded IM: an opportunity to innovate - three lines of code plugged in to your website gives you an onsite contact point. Place the widget in the places where they most need help (no results page, wrong address etc).

Towards an IM system architecture:
Necessary - multiple librarians to be logged in and monitoring simultaneously (Pidgin client based software now offers this functionality)
- queueing and/or automatic routing of users - preferably both
- automated statistics logging functionality
Desirable - automated workflow for referring enquiries infor follow-up and better transcript archiving functionality (in trial it was far too labour intensive)
- built in scripted message

They developed specifications for IM system architecture with a Jabber IM server (self hosted), Java based routing component (to be written, Web based dashboard for shift management (where they can identify themselves as primary or secondary operator and pick up clients, Browser based anonymous entry point for users which could be embedded in the web page and an admin module (for stats and scripts etc).

What now - Routing component being built by NLA developer - likely to be open source. Looking at opportunities for cooperative arrangements.

Through the crystal ball: the future of virtual reference: centred around website, synchronous chat, will embrace pluggable system models - that can scale and will embrace open source.  Using a triage model, incorporate multiple delivery models (FAQs, subject guides, email, VOIP and IM), will see the nature of enquiries change as we get into their space, be device agnostic - particularly important with the expansion of the mobile web.

Wilma Kurvink - Wesley College
“A new paradigm for reference librarians in the online world: developing relationships around research and learning with library users”

About learning, not about schooling. Their collections have conflicting ideas and perspectives to expose students to a range of ideas and use their morals, critical thinking to make sense of them.

When laptops introduced, they found that student work was not significantly improving in key research assignments, students appeared to want to work independently and were reluctant to seek help.

Research into search behaviour by Rita Bilal: students experienced high rates of failure (1 in 2 searches failed for younger students), students experienced breakdowns.  Better results by older students who use keywords better.  10 year study of UK tertiary students: search engines dominated their information seeking strategy, half began their search in Google, only 10% used the OPAC first and 9% went to Yahoo.

Students prefer search engines, use of academic resources is low, find locating information difficult, may trade quality of results for effort and time spent searching, students use of search engines now influences their perspective of online resources.

Jean McKay and Helen Bronleigh - Murdoch University, Annmaree Brown and Margaret Wright - Macquarie University
“Shibbolising Online Librarian: how two university libraries enhanced their collaborative chat reference service by using a MAMS Mini grant to add authentication and develop an interoperable chat client”

In 2006, the IM service that had been introduced 2 years earlier, was now causing too many headaches.  With only one librarian able to login at any one time, it made management problematic at best.  Service was offer for a limited time of 34 hours per week.  Had started with Net Meeting and VOIP, but users preferred chat, so moved to MSN Messenger and the service took off.

Started project with MAMs in 2006 - to develop and improve a text chat information service, building on the existing online librarian services.
MAMS - Meta Access Management System project - based at Macquarie Uni with DEST funding from the “Backing Australia’s Ability” program.

Allows multiple operator logins and where possible, students will be routed to a librarian from their home institution.  If all operators are busy, they will be redirected to the email service. Client has to go to the webpage, identify their home institution, authenticate and then the chat starts.  Have a link to a feedback form at the end of the session.

Not a lot of feedback, but all received is overwhelmingly positive, easy to use, will use again.  Only 5% reported access problems.  The stats module gives them client affiliation, operator institution, start/end time of call, no of transactions in each session, transfer history, notes regarding who ended or timeouts and gives turnaways by user campus and try time.  If a call is not answered in minute, it is routed to another operator - 1/3 of sessions did this.  50% ended by operator. If it is, the feedback form is offered as is the option to have the transcript emailed to them.

Resulted in the service being offered 87 hours per week, where the physical desks are offering 77 and 65 hours service per week. Librarians are not rostered, but are expected to respond to chat in the same way that they do with email and the telephone.

Both libraries will continue with the service - looking to appear in the portals being developed at both Unis and hope to be able to incorporate a widget.

Michael Geist - Canada Research Chair of Internet and E-Commerce Law, University of Ottawa
“Unlocking access: in support of a hands-on Internet policy”

Early days of the web (90s) were seen as a hands-off time for government, leaving it to the practitioners and users.  However, government and policy have always been a part of the internet.

Internet 2008: World of blogs, podcasts, social networking which is enabling people to create, speak out, making their voices heard.  They can share experiences and find that they are not alone. Creation, using desktop software and distribution of video is also growing exponentially - eg. Star Wreck, Elephant’s Dream.  Public broadcasters are allowing their users (and funders) to do the same. (eg BBC)  Flickr with billions of photos now has over 100 million photos available under Creative Commons licences - enabling others to create with this content as well as millions of other online works.

Growth of the collaborative media - ie. Wikipedia - 2 million articles in english. Encyclopedia of Life aiming to catalogue all life on earth in 10 years - started last year.  OhMyNews - citizen journalism contributed by the person on the street, to a handful of editors.  Project Gutenberg, LibriVox (audio of it), MIT Open Courseware (7 years old) - online syllabi, course materials, powerpoint demos, podcasts and videocasts. Public Library of Science - open access peer reviewed scientific journal. Internet archive is good for more than the Way Back machine, it will host any content that the individual has the copyright to. Digitisation projects worldwide making previously unknown titles or those thought to be lost, now available to all.  Underlying a lot of this is open source software.

Internet 2018: Four pillars: connectivity, enhance participation,copyright, content
Price of admission for participation, lifelong learning, self expression is access. Connectivity - Broadband for all.
Muni wifi - market can’t do it all, there is a place for public utlities
net neutrality (not the Internet 2 model - pay for better service) - will help develop innovation - much would not be around today if it had not been in place ie. Google, eBay and Amazon.  Need legislation to ensure equity for all.

Enhance participation - intermediary liability issues - being blamed for the content of others and sometimes having legal action taken.
domain names
privacy - protections are often dictated by the policies of the sites they inhabit
trust
transparency

Copyright - anti-circumvention - trying to keep it away, but if not, then retain fair dealing rights
fair use - ensure robust enough to deal with the shifting landscape
term extension -
orphan works
WIPO -

All communities need to speak out so that our governments are truly representing the view of the people in international negotiations.

Content: Open access, digitisation, crown copyright sometimes used as a legal form of censorship, public broadcasting.

Alan Butters - Sybis
“New RFID technologies & standards: what does it all mean for your library”
handouts available from Alan’s website

Two ISO standards in common use - ISO 15693, ISO 18000-3 (newest).
Tag Data model and privacy and data security mechanisms are not prescribed in these standards.
Implications: no interoperability between systems, have to reprogram tags when changing vendors, difficult to mix and match equipment.
Standards work on the communication between the tag and the reader.  ISO working group is working on an international standard of data models on the tag - some debate over the format, been going on for over a year.  Compromise position adopted at a third meeting.

ISO 28560 to be structured in three parts: (standard aimed at libraries, but could be adapted to other organisation types)
1. General requirements and data elements ie. item identifier, call no, instituitional ID, title etc - approximately 25 items thus far.
2. Encoding based on ISO/IEC 15962 (as proposed by Standards Australia) - only item ID is mandatory, the rest is optional
3. Fixed length encoding - variation on fixed models already in place

Ultra High Frequency (UHF) RFID in libraries:
RFID operates at multiple frequencies, usually use Band 19 - high end of the frequency.
Frequency selected to match the application - read speed, distance and other performance criteria

Why differ? advantages for libraries - faster read rates, greater read distance, cheaper tags and readers, greater immunity to tag masking, compatability with supply chain initiatives. ie. Walmart.

UHF FAQ: HF is more mature and capable and can deliver to libraries.  UHF is still very new in libraries, limited suppliers.
Why not UHF? More info is needed on UHF libraries - works on mobile phones range of the spectrum.  Mostly used in warehouses, what are the implications for office type environments with people not just objects.  How long will they last?   Mainly used for short term use in warehousing.  Lose anything going to UHF? Less control, narrower product range, not interoperable with HF systems, suppliers are not library experienced.  Can’t mix HF and UHF.  Future is unknown, don’t know which will come out on top - might coexist or something new may come out.  RFID systems on the market now can deliver the benefits that libraries are seeking.

www.sybis.com.au - “RFID for Libraries: a comparison of HF and UHF options” - white paper

Kathryn Greenhill - Murdoch Uni, Constance Wiebrands - Curtin Uni
“Libraries Interact: collaboration and community in the Australian library blogosphere”

LINT is one of only two group library blogs in Australia.  Encourages contributions from anyone, as long as they are on-topic. Not aligned with any formal body.

200 hits per day and have 550 subscribers.  22680 hits in December 2007 - includes a lot of spam.  Visitors - 1/6 from Australian, most from US, also readers from Egypt, Netherlands, Canada, UK and Europe.

THALI - this helps all libraries interact - Indian dish with many different tastes.  Spread across the country and across the world.

Platform - self hosted Wordpress - $100 per year.  Plugins to control Spam, for editing, statistics, to apply metadata, backup.  Feedburner is used for RSS feeds and gives an email subscription option.  Tools for collaboration - 90% done using Google groups, PB Wiki for documentation. Social bookmarking using Connotea and CiteULike.

Tools for Australian libraries, based on the blog: Australian Library blogs list, Australian Library blogs search using Google custom search. Surveys. VLINT - Virtual libraries interact.  Frappr map of LINT’s readers.  Thali tags - hot issues in the Australian blogosphere - takes thali blog posts, sends them through a Yahoo pipe and generates a tag cloud. Professional reading room - a page on the blog, where we can put out a list of articles which we think Australian librarians should read - with an RSS feed.

Went live on 8th July 2006 - discussed for a month or so.  Established over the course of a weekend.  Jan 26 2008 - 313 posts, 557 comments.  Very informal group, not written principles.  LINT is a growing, evolving project.  An idea will work only if someone has time to do it, but everyone is available to bounce around ideas - fantastic professional support network.  No single person is in charge - can be a slight disadvantage, but all have a sense of responsibility for LINT.  No formal decision making process, done by informal negotiation and discussion - consensus is accepted by the group.  Assess situations and deal with them as they arise and we don’t create pre-emptive rules.  Highest return for lowest effort.

Community of practice - learning is not a separate activity, it comes from participation in daily life. (citation in paper - Lave and Venga).  Engagement in shared activity facilitates shared learning.  About: LINT is an ongoing process - its about a shared activity, continually negotiated by its members.  All tools we have used have improved our coding, writing and communication skills.  Function: social nature of LINT keeps us focussed, but adds an element of interest and fun to the process, no real difficulty in keeping motivated.  Capability: tangible aspect is the blog, plus the tools that have been created, but the intangibles are almost more important - development of the community, not just the technical community but a support network, which is extremely valuable.  Physical meeting of group members just confirmed the relationships that had been established online.

Survey Monkey was used in September 2007 to survey other group library blogs. 63 responses: uses - professional and was part of their job and was required - learning skills including writing, community - contributing to the profession, and other personal reasons.

Get involved - librariesinteract.info - read, subscribe, comment and write a post to contribute to the blog.

Future: we have a new look but the rest is in planning.

Ellen Forsyth - State Library of NSW
“Fancy walkie talkies: Star Trek communicators or roving reference? (2006 Travel Scholar)”

Travel Scholarship investigated roving reference using walkie talkies, wireless bluetooth, shelf end OPACs and more.  Roving reference in these instances also have a desk, although desks are changing also. Taking the services away from the desk involves changes to the service. Consideration needs to be taken of technology to help the librarian to help the user.

Low tech - OPACs at the extremities of the library, so its on hand when you are in shelves.

Vocera voice command system on a badge hung around the neck, used by some public libraries to assist with staff communication as well as reference.  Needs a good wireless network and was used mainly in very big libraries.  Most libraries have 50 devices, keyed into individuals and all had licences for more, mainly reference staff.  Staff are encouraged to stay logged in all day, but can put them on hold when you don’t want to be disturbed.  Very easy to use, library staff commented on ease of implementation and training.  System was trained in 5 minutes to understand your accent in relation to commands.  Incoming phone calls can be transferred to someone with a badge. Can call individuals, a group or all staff, for emergencies, or help required etc. Telephone reference is being redirected straight to the Vocera badges, instead of ringing a phone, it goes to the rostered reference librarian.  Reference desks are being rebuilt as smaller and less daunting.

Walkie talkies and headsets with earpieces are also being used at some libraries. Radio means you hear every single message, but it worked well at those libraries.

Schubert Foo - Vice Dean SCI Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
“Going virtual for enhanced library experience: a case study of the National Library of Singapore

His website - www.ntu.edu.sg/home/assfoo/

Was impressed with the developments in Librarianship in Australia, as evidenced by the papers and showcases at VALA. Encouraged the audience to share internationally and not think that the innovation can only come from the US or Europe.

National Library Board oversees the National Library and all public libraries in Singapore.

Singapore is a very IT savvy country. As young as 3 year olds are given mobile devices to play and learn with. Everywhere in Singapore, heads are down, using their handheld devices. Government initiative promoting Singapore as an IT island. Social and affluent society, cosmopolitan - coffee drinking is an experience in itself.

Singapore Libraries - brick vs click, collect-organise-store-access, mediator (source to user), authoritative, trusted content

Library users are in the minority and are scholars, researchers, library savvy.  Others find info needs met by search engines, see web info as legitimate and the only source, they think Google, Yahoo, MSN not library, expect instant gratification, find info until is downloadable, expect exception user experience (memorable, unique, exquisitely simple).  How do we find solutions to reach the majority and bring them back to our physical and virtual libraries.

What do hey do to close the gap? Delve into the information space of the users . Make resources more discoverable for them, thus bringing them back to the library.

Mobile phone penetration in Singapore 2007 - 109.1% of the population. SMS Nation - 3rd place afer Malaysia (210) and the Phillipines (846) - with a monthly average of 209 text messages per month.  Relatively cheap to send SMS and is often used to close business deals (no signature required).

Role of library - to connect users to resources that users need, for whatever purposes, in any format, from anywhere, using any device at the time (instantaneous for some) they want it.  Library as an info-concierge - individual info object is a self sustaining, self contained node unit, can be content or service, in any format.  Need to be inter-connected with multiple access points. Upon discovery, an information object becomes an info-concierge with ability to connect to other content (in library or outside) or other information seekers.  Connectivity can be achieved by hyperlinks, different platforms, pusing information - connectivity not necessarily one way.  Evolving a mesh (web) of information.

What’s Next? Browse by subjects, browse by format, recommended relational search, up and coming events, photos and stories to share. This content is harvested rom internal and external resources. Content can be released to spaces tousdie the library to promote discovery.(ie social networking spaces)  Residency in other spaces allows users to use them as best suited for their needs. If they don’t want the content, they can ignore it, but its there if they are interested or a need arises. Example: BookJetty.com.(like Library Thing) but will show if its in a local library or link to an online bookseller for purchase.

Library as a network of inter-connected info-concierges. Requires harvesting of other resources, selecting and authenticating contents, meta-tagging, creating, maintaining and growing taxonomies, information content organisation. Internal - NLS web content and subscribed databases. External - GYM, MICA, IDA, NAS.

Library as a network of true collaborators. Connectivity: content to content, people to content, people to people. Libraries are best placed to provide this. Dialogue/information sharing tools: wikis, blogs, social spaces.  Both library owned and other owned content.  We don’t have to own everything, we need to harvest content that is useful to our users, regardless of source.

In house exhibitions are rendered as far as possible to virtual exhibitions, once the physical one has ended.  National Library of Singapore is a smart building, approximately $300 million. ie. maximised airflow, use of sun and reflecting panels, trees on the 7th floor were chosen from thriving ones in the surrounding area. (book to be published on it soon).

NLS repositioned its reference service to meet users’ changing expectations and consumer lifestyles. Service within reach - SMS reference. Ask a librarian service by phone, one public library has a video conferencing service (no librarian in the branch), email and now SMS. 60 characters in Chinese, up to 160 in English.  Librarian resolves enquiry and enters answers via a standard template.  Reply with a direct answer or a URL. The URL gives more info, including more search terms to use, highlighted resources including notes on where to look in them, links to their availability.  At the end they include feedback questions which the user completes and submits. The answers are kept in a database as a future searchable resource.

Observations: overall positive feedback.  Various types of questions answered. Some users expect instant replies. Usgae rates averages 10-15 enquiries per day. Accessing NLS through Google, Yahoo and MSN. Created Infopedia - articles authored by NLS reference librarians about personalities, places and historical events in Singapore.  Use SEO to make sure it appears high on search engine results.  (infopedia.nlb.gov.sg)  Using Google based content (ie. maps) helps get links to your content. Content usage has increased exponentially with better exposure on the web - from 400 views to 63,000 views per month.  Other micro-sites are being explored.

Collaborative reference network. Making use of community expertise - librarians, researchers, community members. If questions can not be answered, referred to the network of specialists - who will then respond to the query which the librarian will then return to the user.  Uses forum for the discussions occuring over a query, can follow a thread.  Observations: still goes through the library, reference communities can included librairans, experts or others.

Challenges: requires support, experimentation, budget, time and innovation. Future promises excitement for librarians, managers, developers and vendors. Librarians will continue to grapple with constant flux of technological changes, users’ behaviour, users’ expectations and the need to reinvent themselves and continue instilling information literacy knowledge to users.  Need to continually learn about our users.  Referred to the JISC/British Library report on the Google Generation - Information behaviour of the researcher of the future.

Peter Lor - Secretary General International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
“International Librarianship 2.0: some international dimensions of Web 2.0 and Library 2.0″

Libraries have entered a period of disruptive innovation. Everything is changing too quickly.

Information, once in digital form, can travel by itself.  It doesn’t need someone to direct it.

Implications: Google search instead of LISA - curiousity, serendipity, fun
Long tail (Anderson 2006) - obscure, esoteric, trivial, non-commercial content, which would never have been distributed if not for being digital.
Staggering amount of information - problematic cornucopia
Web is an interactive space - multidirectional, consumer as creators
Collaboration - wikipedia, comments, advice
Personal/private space - blogs, photo albums, social networking: My Space, Facebook - privacy, exposure risk

Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 as manifestations of Information Society/Knowledge Society/Information Economy
Modern ICTs effecting a profound transformation - some trends and countertrends:

Dematerialisation - information unbundled from physical carriers - can travel by itself, physical constraints limited, flow no longer linear, weightless - dematerilaised economy
Example - sub-prime mortgage debt crisis
Virtual documents replace diaries, photo albums. They are ephemeral, a conservation challenge - what how much how, international - place of publication is obsolete
Digital libraries - virtual content - it has to reside somewhere - physical server space.  But we are still building big physical libraries.  Counter trend - everything else is getting smaller, but libraries are also a social space.  Easy to pull the plug on content, censorship, withdrawal of articles from e-journals: plagiarism, scientific fraud, errors - however there is a need for a complete scientific record. IFLA and International Publishers statement recommending retraction rather than removal.

Globalisation - World Bank defined as he “growing integration of economies and societies around the world” (2001)
Involves the flow of goods and services, people, capital, technology, culture, information.
Globalisation brings benefits: faster economic growth, living standards, poverty reduction, peaceful resolution of conflicts, For countries that “engage well with the international economy”.  Contested terrain - lots of protests.  Disadvantages for those that don’t engage well - heavy social costs, growing gap between rich and poor, environmental damage, protectionism, erosion of national cultures and languages.  McDonalds - best known food brand in the world, symbol of globalisation and Americanism.
Symbolises a one-way information and power flow.

Information flows between developed and developing countries - needs to be two way.  Exploitative information flows - export of unique documentary heritage, use of local resources and informants, exploitation of indigenous knowledge, brain drain.
Desirable flow - scholarly contributions by scientists and scholars from developing countries Obstance - under-represented in scholarly databases.  Internet has potential to level the playing field. eg. African Journals Online - almost 300 titles, affording article delivery, not for profit, similar projects in S and SE Asia, capacity building projects.
Open Archiving - big potential for access and exposure. Fundamental change of attitude needed - respect, sharing.  Synthesis - knowledge from both.

Counter trends - regionalism, nationalism, fundamentalism. Reactions to globalisation, increased security and privacy post 9/11, glocalisation - net exposure for small languages.

Commodification - knowledge as a strategic resource, intellectual property, ICTs enable exploitation of the long tail, aggressive enclosure of intellectual property.  Mickey Mouse is why copyright is now 70 years after the authors death.  No difference between journal article authors and Walt Disney, this has unhelpful implications.
Enclosure of intellectual property - extension of term of copyright, European database directive, DRM systems, denial of copyright exceptions (digital is different).  Locking up things that shouldn’t be locked and making it illegal to unlock them - even if copyright exceptions should apply.
Orphan works - calculating the safe period, may infringe copyright if not published earlier than 1870, which has implications for digitisation projects.  IFLA/IPA have issued a joint statement - if libraries have done a diligent search and can’t find the copyright owner and then digitise, they will not subsequently be penalised if the the copyright owner surfaces.  International measures to protect owners of IP taken by developed countries, rather than developing countries, as this is where most IP owners are. Trying to apply standards to developing countries which were not applied to them when they were developing.  International measures used includes TRIPS Plus, Free trade agreements, and reproduction rights organisations.

Counter trends - altriusm, culture of sharing, open source, open access movement, IFLA Statement on Open Access to Scholarly Research.

IFLA - 3 main themes: freedom, equity, inclusion. Global voice of librarians and libraries.  Freedom of access to information and expression - FAIFE; networking, monitoring and intervention, research, publication and education. Equity - fair and sustainable legal and economic relationships between creators, intermediaries and users of informatin.  Inclusion: library as agency of social inclusion, inclusion of the library in the information society, “Libraries on the agenda” - IFLA Presidential them.  Responding to the profession’s concerns - established an advocacy unit, to raise awareness, preparing ammunition, empowering professionals, coordinating.   However, its an important role of all IFLA members.

World is more interconnected that ever before.  Distant decisions can no have implications ie. affordability of school books in developing countries, protecting Mickey Mouse and the extension of copyright.