Personalisation & customisation

It's been a while since I have posted, despite my best intentions.

Current area of interest is customisation. It has been sparked off from a query I had recently from a consultant regarding ways of streamlining e-resource access. Tools like igoogle mean that RSS feeds, web mail, literature search editions and general items of interest can be set up as soon as your browser loads. This save much time than individually logging into each individual account. Similar service is offered by MyYahoo with the nifty option to hid items you have already visited.

Tools like LeapTag, MyWeb, Google's custom search engine are all adding extra dimesions to our search experience.

Personalisation seems to be a buzz word at the moment, with the latest changes in the MyAthens interface and MyLibrary features on NLH, but are the users finding alternative options for more global customisation of their resources and are libraries doing enough to keep up with the organsation of information?

Another website that may be worth keeping an eye on is the new Hakia search engine. It's still earlier stages and not entirely sure I agree with the full review given by Infodoodads, as the search returns still need to be refined slightly.

Professional directory

Made a start on building a professional blog directory.
Pop across and see what you think, add yourself if you wish, or feel free to modify.
I was tempted to add a few disclaimers, but choose to leave as is.

No links have been added to the main wiki page, as the list appears to be getting quite long, but should be easy enough to find. Thought I would post here for comment prior to posting to LIS-WMnet.

Course evaluation

Apologies but the blog doesn't appear to like tables - just scroll down a bit to view objectives.

1) How well does this course meet your expectations / learning objectives?

Very well. I think the course is very relevant to my current work.

2) What are the difficulties encountered in accessing the course materials on the Internet at your workplace which have NOT been reported before?

I didn't encounter any specific problems in accessing any of the materials.

3) Did you need to seek the permission of your trust IT before you accessed certain course materials on the Internet?

No

4) Do the readings meet the learning objectives of each topic?

Yes and I have since recommended some of them to my colleagues.

5) What is the average amount of time you spent on the course each day?

This was very variable dependant on work patterns and load. The start of the course was more labour intensive, but became routine towards the end.

I tried to set aside 30mins for keeping up to date and replying and an hour of reading and trials.

6) How do you find the interaction among participants of the course?

I found everyone to be very supportive, with some good feedback. Thank you!

7) Will you continue blogging and/or reading RSS after the course?

As per my last post yes, though can't promise anyone will want to read it.

Action planning for the next 3 months:

Objectives	Targets	Deadlines
Disseminate course knowledge	Provide course summary at staff meeting, assist colleagues with queries and ideas, develop current awareness training package and guide.	End of Aug
Improve collaborative practice	Work with Clare Powell to develop resources for community based users e.g. online journal club (blog/wiki), specialised resources.	End Sept
SASHA wiki	Encourage development of the sasha website to incorporate Web 2.0 practice rather than maintaining wiki as a surrogate website e.g. Make recommended subject resources open to screened editing.	Initial proposals end of July
Personal CPD	Maintain professional blog and RSS monitoring. Hopefully help develop a local professional directory.	On going - Professional directory end of July
Improve user record functionality	Link Library elf to catalogue & market.	In process
Free training staff time	Develop e-learning packages starting with Library induction podcast as outlined in personal assignment.	Beginning Sept
Develop library blog	Encourage user interaction by weekly updates, more open content relevant to users.	Ongoing

This list isn't exhaustive of what projects I would like to develop, but represents those that I have already committed to.

There is always one you miss

Must have over-looked this assignment. Ironically enough after my last post it's the one on blogs.

On a personal level what makes a blog is the relevance of the content. I also appreciate ones that are short and to the point with appropriate linkage. To me they are something to be skimmed for interest with the option to go back and read the full text at a later date when more convenient.

Although it is not something I have used specifically on this course, the friends list (or blogroll) is a handy feature to develop links and promote discussions. For preference I look for a blog capable of syndicating feeds rather than multiple sites to visit. The ability to have comments emailed is essential to ensure a prompt reply to any issues raised.

Tags can be a mixed blessing, but for reference content it is a must, so the blog can be easily searched at a later date.

For libraries blogs are an excellent method of dissemination of information. They can be used as current awareness tools, promote professional discussions and share ideas, develop journal clubs for dispersed communities. They can be used as test-beds for ideas and allow user feedback and promote a greater sense of customer involvement in the running of the library. The potential can be considerable if the correct training and marketing is in place to support any proposal.

At the University Hospital of North Staffordshire, the blog has been integrated as part of the Health Library website to deliver current library news. It is my hope to help develop this further in promoting user feedback and discussion within the blog, by developing a current awareness training course and encouraging users to syndicate to the blog as part of the course.

Ponderous blog

I was just having a re-read and checking that I am up to date with everything. I noticed that my poor blog has been neglected for a while through other distractions. It made me wonder whether or not I will keep it up after the course.

Hopefully I will.

It think it has been beneficial in keeping up to date with other projects in the region and get some feedback from other colleagues in the field. I have found it a good source of information. Just curious to everyone else's intent?

Is there a professional blog directory for the region? Is this something worth considering? How many of the previous attendees now maintain their blogs or was the course a different format?

Intute informs update

Just received this email with regards to an earlier query.

Thanks for your enquiry. While Intute Informs is primarily intended for use in the Higher and Further education sectors, we have had interest from several NHS organisations.

As you probably know, we are currently coming to the end of our project to transfer Informs to Intute. Having contacted JISC who fund us, our current position is that we are happy to register NHS users, as public institutions, during the interim period of the project. Indeed we already have several NHS users. However, part of the project plan is to look at sustainable business models for the future of Informs, which will involve us looking at all potential user groups outside HE and FE. Therefore, this situation is subject to change when we have finalised our plans, and all NHS users have been made aware of this.

I’m sorry I can’t be more definite about future non-HE/FE use at this stage but am keen to make sure that all potential NHS are aware that there may be some changes as the project progresses. In the meantime they are welcome to request an Informs registration at:

http://www.informs.intute.ac.uk/register.html

Quick guides

Haven't checked to see how many of you subscribe to the Librarian in Black. But if you have missed it here is a link to a recent post recommendation for easy video guides to RSS Feeds, wikis and social networking.

Why are all these initiatives american????

w00t! Library2.0 is teh

This is more my own brief interpretation of the subject, as it is potentially a very expansive topic.

I found this to be an interesting blog discussing some of the hot issues in Web2.0

Defining the concept of Web2.0 seems to be an impossible task. How can you define something that is constantly changing? But what it does represent is a means to embrace the sociological ideals of open collaboration and customer driven practice. It is a system destined to move at a fast pace, where the next new paradigm is just around the corner.

The internet was once considered a playing field for the techs and the geeks, but now a wave of change has developed as a result of improved accessibility and availability of easy to use tools. Complex websites and online publishing once relied on knowledge of programming languages, where as now anyone with access to a computer can enter a virtual world of networking and sharing of ideas.

Computer use is now not restricted to the workplace, but have developed more recreational usage and online communities. This in turn is sparking interest in developing computing skills. The 24/7 environment is bringing about an expectation of improved service. The other change it brings is the concept of interactivity. Flat pages of atlases have now been transformed into interactive route planners, satellite views and tourist guides. With each new product there is expectation of added value.

Users are demanding access to information by methods suited to them, be it visual, audio, written or interactive. With improvement in technologies information can now be accessed from home pcs and on mobile devices, along with the standard library formats. There is a need for libraries to develop better accessibility options to information, and be more creative in the delivery of the service. Keeping on top of user expectations is difficult, but the new technologies allow for full user participation. This will require active promotion to encourage users into providing feedback and discussion.

All this change brings exciting new concepts for future services, but this must be tempered by the thoughts of the ever expanding digital divide. As virtual libraries develop, restrictions are being placed on users that are less technologically aware or can not access the technologies required. Libraries need to cater for a wide range of users of varying capabilities. This demands that libraries develop a teaching role; introducing people to the new technologies, offering appropriate support and advice. Before this can be achieved there is a need to educate the library staff.

Other issues that are brought to light are those related to information literacy and information overload. It is important therefore, that appraisal of information is included as part of the training sessions. The library must also retain the responsibility of acting as a gateway to quality information and advising users on appropriate search strategies and reliable sites.

Overall I still display a degree of caution with jumping on the bandwagon. Where I can envisage the many benefits Library 2.0 can bring, there are areas where I would question the overall benefit i.e. second life. Each of the ideas and technologies need to be weighed in equal measure and judged on their merit and applicability to the service in question.

Intute informs?

Currently we are having a look at designing some e-learning courses. The Keele students have access to a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and the Library is hoping to have a presence there. The software that we will be using is still on order, but will be using Camtasia to create a video induction and guide to the library and some other nifty tools for creating online tutorials and guides. Although initially for students, it may be something that we can extend to the NHS through the website (I'm keeping my fingers crossed regarding licensing issues).

In the mean time the tool I'm playing around with is Intute Informs which is a very basic tool that can operate over two screen sections. The left hand screen gives instructions to follow and explanation and the main screen is an active webpage that you can set and talk them through the actions. I find it a bit clunky and needs cookie enablement. You can not alter the aesthetics at all, but it still has it's uses. I find long sections to be tedious, but for short steps in teaching people to renew their books online etc it may have it's uses.

The mixed up world of libraries

This week I haven't had much of an opportunity to look in to the assisgnments as much as I had hoped.

But Sunday was a first for me, as my partner is a big Iron Maiden fan and decided to introduce me to the world of webcasts from the Download festival. His computer is one that he built himself about 8 years ago and occasionally goes away and tinkers with it (now had 2 hard disk replacements). I was amazed that it successfully managed to run a live transmission with no jumping or interference. I would hate to think the server power required for mounting that kind of operation. The only interfence was a small click every 5 minutes or so.

But that aside, I have been briefly looking into mashups. To me the term relates more to the wave of song mixing that Napster was famous for before it relented and became legal, or even the occasional video on YouTube that has a different song overlaid. This was the first time that I had come across the term in relation to software, and I never imagined that it may be applicable to libraries.

I was amused at some of the examples given in the text and could easily imagine the use of Google Maps being merged with the Wish website to enable me to locate libraries I need to attend meetings at. I felt that the ambitious talking librarian service is something that looked better on paper than it did in practicality, but similar mergers of software can prove useful to libraries.

Here is a nice use of mashup to help users locate books from the OPAC, just scroll down to the map.

As a promotional tool Google Desktop got together with Talis to launch a competition "Mashing up the Library," there is an idea forum which is rather interesting.

Currently this is far beyond what I am capable off, but some time soon I will probably grab a nice cup of tea one evening and downloaded grease monkey, with a javascript book in hand and tech friend on MSN to shout help at.

I don't have time at the moment for these sort of things to tweek my curiosity!

On the move

This looks as if it might be a handy little service. Phonifier converts webpages into a phone friendly format. This is taken from Phil Brady's Blog where he also claims that it is a way to get round work banned websites. I remain to be convinced!

Many of my colleagues are often complaining about how unfriendly sites can be when checking out webpages from their mobile phones. Not a problem I tend to have, condisering my track record with phones, I know never buy one over £10 from E-bay!

Developing the community

When browsing numerous wikis of varying qualities, I came across one for here are comments on their experience with the wiki).

This is a more established wiki than the one we are currently working on, with many good resources relevant to the course, including a directory of health wikis.

The one I have selected to discuss is wikisurgery.

This is a site designed to provide information for both surgeons and patients.
As a wiki it is very easy to understand, with good instructions on adding content, nice presentation with search facility as well as a subject index. The content of the wiki is of varying standards, little information has been updated since 2006 with references needing updated.

The site has many hits for the articles but it disappointing that it is not being used to a greater degree. Further promotion is required to encourage active debate on the topic and promote more users to add content and keep the entries up to date.

This has the potential to be an excellent resource for students, patients or as a platform for debate. Currently it worries me that the information is not being maintained and nothing exists to explain how the site is moderated.

Seems fitting

Don't know if any of you have discovered friedbeef, but here is some interesting tips on how to keep on top of your RSS feeds.

Gone furling

Furl it is an easy way of storing all you book marks in an organised fashion with the option of allowing others to share or comment. This application specialises in the storage of articles and online documents. This will allow you to save the document as the PDF, Word or HTML, therefore making the document accessible even if the original has been removed from online.

Many of the reviews of this site are from journalists trying to arrange large quantities of varied information, but may prove useful for collaborative research, recommended readings. Here is the view of one library I found.

There are various levels of installation to suit the user starting with from the basic product with optional functions e.g. secure posting, quick linking and pop-up options.

To get started Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) can be imported from your existing favourites list from Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox, and from the popular social book marking service Del-icio-us. As date of import is allocated to each link this allows for block deletion when maintaining files.

Exports are possible in various formats including XML, Zip file. It can save lists of links straight to your browser favourites or export in a selection of citation styles including MLA, APA and is compatible with Endnote. I can be noted that both the Vancouver & Harvard systems popular in Health are missing from the selection.

The site will also provide the code for embedding any website or blog with your recent finds. The display can be fully customised using your own cascading style sheets.

Once saved to Furl-It, items can be saved in folders allowing for a more personalised system. Item can also be rated, tagged, marked as read or unread in a similar manner to that of email managers such as Outlook. The benefits of this are that it is very easy to manipulate specific groups of information to share or email to associates.

One of the advantages of Furl-it over many social book marking products links can be stored as private, allowing for the storage of password protected files, with the ability to disable spiders from cataloguing selected items for search engines.

There are many methods of finding similar collections. Clicking on the title of your link will take you through to a list of people who have also linked to this site. A search box is also available for searching your own links, those within Furl-it and linking out to the Web.

From the furl-it homepage there is also the option to link by Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds to the top sites of the days and to a selection of recently posted links. Items advertised in this manner will have a Furl-it link for automatic addition to your own list. Each public list also holds its own RSS capability.

Spreading like wildfire?

Has anyone come across this post from the shiftedlibrarian regarding privacy aspects of Web 2.0?

These are issues close to home at the moment through a recent incident at Keele University reported here.

I know of similar incidents happening. Last year a friend of mine posted what he presumed to be an innocent collage of photos taken from university years, which later found it's way to a class of an anthropology friend in the States who studied in the UK for 4 years. It was taken with good humour at the time and subsequent moves were made to lock down further information.

Another person I know believes in the Freedom of Information and a new form of social learning within an online environment. It has taken many painful lessons to learn that such a view point is not necessarily held by all.

The rules of online etiquette is something I find fascinating, there does seem to be an evolution of standards. Should really read up on it at some point. Personally I am in both camps, this journal I am happy to promote discussing and open up to the online community, but I do maintain another that has been removed from search engines, partially locked and limiting tagging to disuade serendipitous searching.

Wiki magic

Just a note on work based wikis.

Claire I like your idea of the research wiki. Playing with wetpaint last night, demonstrated how easy it is to set up and the flexibility of the media. I like the template set up, it is also really easy to move pages once established, to adapt to the database as it grows. Think it is handy that it has a selection of RSS feeds to different aspects of the wiki. I can see it's use in providing links within North Staffs NHS & Keele faculty. Give me a shout if you fancy collaborating into moving this forward.

I know the knowledge worker's wiki is out there, but the other use I can envisage is an interactive library manual with local procedures. Updating the print manual is often something that is easily forgotten about, but online it provides the facility for continuous updating, it will alert subscribers to the RSS to changes in policy and procedures and provides direct links to online resources in question. It is something I will need to think about further.

It's a hobby

Wikis are something that I have been discussing for a while, but with a different hat.

For numerous years now I have been involved in managing a ruined kirk and it's associated graveyard. As an organisation we have a problem - there public speaker moved south (me). As a result the work on the history and genealogy relating to the kirk have been dispersed to committee members and information is not as easy to trace as it once was.

The other aspect is just before heading south of the border I started a project to collect memories, tales and other tacit knowledge connected to the site. Unfortunately this has been put on hold for a number of years.

Tonight I discovered that my planned visit north of the border this bank holiday has now been hi-jacked to work at a local history fair. This is usually a very informative event, which renews old ties with other organisations which help to promote our cause. In prepartion to this, I have set up a quick wiki. It will take a while before I can extensively populate it, but it is aimed at creating a general body of information accessible to the committee, a chance to encourage public participation, increase knowledge of the Kirk's history (many records were lost during a fire at the local castle), revitalising the work of the organisation and to prompt me into getting round to update the website.

Currently it is out to the committee for comment and will not fully be launched until the website has been updated. It will be a good opportunity for me to practise and hone some of the skills learned in the course, before attempting to apply them in a work based scenario.

If my retired mother can get to grips with this, I'm pretty sure anyone can!

Blogging

This is primarily for Group 2 but may be of interest to everyone else who hasn't already found it.

This is the blog of Phil Brady who is the author of How to use Web 2.0 in your Library.

Now where is that tardis?

A toungue and cheek view at the future of libraries..
(taken from http://www.theshiftedlibrarian.com)

Nifty tools I may never use

Meet another form 'social commenting' - post-it notes for websites.

This is a little tool for uploading a whole host of formats to blogs - why I want my word documents etc. up there I don't know, but you never know.