Using Web 2.0 in the Library

Interesting things are going on in the world of information technology and education. 

 St. James Healthcare needed a new website due to changes in the requirements from the Education Department.  The school had certain criteria for their website.  It needed to be free and easy to access and edit.  A good look and layout was imperative.  They chose to go with Weebly.  This was chosen due to ease of use.  No knowledge of HTML code is necessary.  The librarian was in charge of choosing this site, designing it and organizing it.  Creation of the website was very simple, with uploads happening relatively quickly, with the whole page on a drag and drop method of design.  The whole site took about 20 hours to create and could be updated in 1-3 hours per week.  News of the new site spread quickly, mostly through word of mouth.  This website was a very simple way for St. James to accomplish their goal of an easy to use and access site.  Once the librarian and professors because used to this website and its ease of use, it was plain to see its possible uses in other aspects of the college.  One of the drawbacks of this particular site is that it is probably too simple.  St. James was using it as an in between site while they were waiting for another system to be incorporated.  Depending on your business or school, a more intensive web design may be necessary.  

Pinterest is a site that has grown by leaps and bounds in the past couple of years.  Central Methodist University in Missouri is using it as a way to reach nontraditional students, which make up a majority of their population.  The library pinboard is viewable to the public and is updated frequently.  The library staff maintains the pinboard, which is a quick and easy task.  One use is informing students and faculty about new acquisitions to the library.  As each item is processed, a picture is taken and uploaded to the site, many times with an IPod app.  Using Pinterest in this way has been well received by students.  A positive side to this is that it makes the library a little more interesting.  As Pinterest is very popular now, it just gives students something else to “pin” while there.  A drawback would be the need to constantly update the pinboard with new items like books and DVDs.  The educational aspect is very open.  Like those from CMU, students can create a virtual poster board for projects, or find new ways of “writing” a report.  It can also be used as a way to establish a distance learning program.  The Educational Technology class, which teaches educators which tools to use in their classroom, is using Pinterest to create virtual poster board.  These pinboards can then be shared with similar classes across the country. There is a lot of opportunity for collaboration and feedback from all over the place when you place something online.

One librarian modified the Teen Learning 2.0 tutorial from the California School Library Associations 2.0 program.  She saw that even though students were frequently using some form of technology, they were unfamiliar with those forms outside their comfort zone.  In the modified tutorial, students had to complete certain tasks, like investigating a particular 2.0 tool, researching it and blog about your findings. Sounds familiar.   One drawback to this type of education is that, even though it was mandatory, many of the assignments were not completed or the work that was turned in was not up to par.  Of course, a positive side is that the students were exposed to these technologies and had to actually learn how to use them and write their thoughts about it.  

These uses of 2.0 are just a few of the many out there.  My familiarity with creating a website is very low, and I have no idea how to work Pinterest.  The last method, of giving the students an opportunity to learn the tools on their own with real study and then write a post about it is my favorite. A lot can be learned that way, especially through trial and error.

References:

Dudenhoffer, C.(2012). Pin It!. College & Research Libraries News, 73(6), 328-332

Egan, L. (2012): The Librarian as a Member of the Education Department Team: Using Web 2.0 Technologies to Improve Access to Education Materials and Information, Medical

Reference Services Quarterly, 31(3), 330-335

Weisburg, H.K. (20120. Blended is Splendid. School Librarian’s Workshop, 33(1), 16-17