Out of the Stacks and into TheirSpace John Wenzler, Jeff Rosen, Mira Foster, Laura Moody

LibX: Out of our Web Site into Their Browsers

LibX … into the Jungle

LibX … into the Hive Mind A

LibX … into the World(cat)

LibX … Into Enemy Territory

Early Taste of the Semantic Web? “We would like to make it straightforward for a human to interact with a wide variety of disparate sources of knowledge without becoming mired in the details.” Christopher Walton – Agency and the Semantic Web LibX gives us a sense of what “intelligent agents” of the semantic web can do for libraries (Zotero another example) Takes metadata embedded in pages throughout the Internet to bring users back to our resources

LibraryThing: Out of the LCSH into their Hearts and Minds

Tag-Browser: Google-like Relevancy Ranking

Taking Reference to the User in TheirSpace CARL Conference 2008 Jeff Rosen J. Paul Leonard Library San Francisco State University

Why should we care about using some sort of virtual reference? Reference Desk activity is decreasing. Less students come to academic libraries (physically) every year and less questions are asked at Reference Desks, while more students visit libraries online each year. * SF State Library Statistics ** Gate Count (typical week) Reference Transactions (typical week) 2006/0744, /06 44, /05 46, /04 52, /03 43, /02 43, /01 46, / , /99 54, * Academic Libraries in the U.S. – Statistical Trends ** CSU Library Statistics

San Francisco State began using QuestionPoint in Fall 2006 Not popular with Librarians or students Very few questions from our own students Clumsy and slow interface Co-browsing frequently did not work well Could not easily be done at the Reference Desk Designed with the Librarian in mind, not the student QuestionPoint was our first experiment with virtual reference.

We felt that QuestionPoint was not cost effective 2007 Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept # chat sessions accepted by SF State Librarians # of Librarian hours staffed (We noticed that there were often more librarians than users logged into QuestionPoint)

Why use Instant Messaging instead of QuestionPoint, tutor.com or other vendor-based products? 62% of those aged use instant messaging (our current users) 57% of this group use instant messaging more than 75% of those aged use instant messaging ( our users in a few years) 48% of this group who use instant messaging say they exchange instant messages at least once every day Pew Internet & American Life Project. How Americans use instant messaging. ( )

Students like it and use it. - Instant messaging is increasingly the preferred method of communication for college and university students. * Cheap and easy to use. - Unlike virtual reference products such as QuestionPoint, IM is free and requires very little training to use. It is perceived by students as friendly and informal. Meet students where they are. - IM Chat is something students like to use and are enthusiastic about. Why shouldn’t we meet them where they already are? (online) Provides support for distance learners and those not on campus. - We can provide Reference service to other locations like our Downtown Campus and to distance learners. Users prefer IM Chat over systems like QuestionPoint - Patron surveys in academic libraries have found high levels of user satisfaction with IM reference percent of students surveyed said they would use IM reference service if it were offered. ** IM Chat is used more often – when both vendor services and IM chat have been offered, IM chat quickly became the highest remote-use service. * Shiu, E., and A. Lenhart. How Americans Use Instant Messaging. Pew Internet & American Life Project ** “Combining IM and Vendor-based Chat: A Report from the Frontlines of an Integrated Service” Libraries and the Academy 6.4 (2006) ) Why use Instant Messaging instead of QuestionPoint, tutor.com or other vendor-based products?

At SF State we began using the Meebo widget for instant messaging in summer 2007 No client software to download User simply types their question Students are familiar with IM Meebo chat box in multiple library website locations Service from the Ref Desk or anywhere Shift change is easy Popular service and steadily increasing use Modified code allows pop-up IM box IM recently added to OPAC and databases

Using Skype to Extend Reference Services at SF State Library Expansion and Renovation Project Limited service for 3+ years Increased use of IM Reference service Plans to experiment with a “Skype Kiosk” at various points on campus

Skype is the most common of the VOIP (voice over internet protocol) tools. Free Skype to Skype Fee for Skype to phone Skype also allows video! Image: Wikimedia Commons

Skype can be used in an “on call/doorbell” fashion for reference service in a model similar to instant messaging. Pro: Skype provides face-to-face (video and sound) in a model that most closely resembles traditional reference interactions. Con: Not as many people currently use Skype as those that use IM services.

Ohio University is using Skype sucessfully.

Library Expansion and Renovation Project Temporary Library Old Library (collections remain here) Library Distribution Services

Students will be able to sit at a “kiosk” and get research assistance from a librarian … … who will be sitting across campus in the temporary library building.

Whatever the future brings, we hope to be ready.

Libguides: Library 2.0 Research Guides Mira Foster SF State University

About Libguides Outsourced web site management Online publishing system Content management system Subscription includes customized web site, widgets, social networks + support Launched in May current subscribers, 95% of which are academic libraries

Why Libguides at SF State? Web site redesign revealed that –Our old guides were… old –Updating guide content was inefficient –Too much duplication of content and work –Our guides were rarely used

Evolution of SF State Guides

Libguides = Possibilities Currency Efficiency Portability Accessibility Publicity Interoperability Relevance Accountability

Subject Guides

Class Guides

RSS Integration

Evidence Based Practice

Social Networking = 2.0 WITH LIBRARIANS Libguides Demo Site Other libguides as templates Libguides user community WITH STUDENTS Instant Messenger Facebook integration User comments User polls

Community Creation

Facebook Integration

But Whose Space Is It? Who uses guides? Whose social network? Whose Facebook space? Who will sustain 2.0 features?

BLOG YOUR WAY INTO THEIR SPACE Laura L. Moody California Academic & Research Libraries April 5, 2008

DIRECT COMMUNICATION WITH USER GROUPS ADVANTAGES TO BLOGGING

ADVANTAGES TO BLOGGING THEY LOOK NICE AND ARE EASY TO CREATE GREAT WAY TO PROMOTE LIBRARY AND LIBRARIANS

ADVANTAGES TO BLOGGING EFFECTIVE WAY TO PROMOTE RELATED CAMPUS DEPARTMENTS Even on other campuses

ENHANCES AND EXPANDS UPON RESEARCH GUIDE ADVANTAGES TO BLOGGING

BLOG STATS ADVANTAGES TO BLOGGING

BLOG COMMENTS Nice to get feedback directly from users

ADVANTAGES TO BLOGGING SEE WHERE VISITORS HAVE BEEN I have a link to my blog on my libguide, and vice versa.

ADVANTAGES TO BLOGGING THE BLOG ROLL

ADVANTAGES TO BLOGGING ALERT USER GROUPS TO NEW AND/OR RELATED RESOURCES QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY

ADVANTAGES TO BLOGGING LINKED CONNECTIONS BACK TO LIBRARY CATALOG

ADVANTAGES TO BLOGGING LINKS TO USEFUL FREE WEB RESOURCES YOUTUBE FLICKR LIVE MUSIC ARCHIVES Aborigine playing the Didgeridoo

ADVANTAGES TO BLOGGING THE RSS FEED

Music at the J. Paul Leonard Library Blog Music Libguide Further information THANK YOU FOR LISTENING