Part II Web 2.0 and Beyond Marshall Breeding Director for Innovative Technologies and Research Vanderbilt University Redefining Libraries: Web 2.0 and other Challenges May 2007 Xiamen, China

Evolution and advancement We live in a time of much change: We live in a time of much change: –Technology –Society –Generational shifts Boomer > gen X > Millennials Boomer > gen X > Millennials

Heightened User Expectations Library users come with expectations set by their experiences of the Web Library users come with expectations set by their experiences of the Web Conventions for navigating and exploring Web- based resources well established Conventions for navigating and exploring Web- based resources well established Dealing with large and complex bodies of information nothing new to incoming library users. Dealing with large and complex bodies of information nothing new to incoming library users. Sophisticated Web skills Sophisticated Web skills Low tolerance for clunky and ineffective Web sites Low tolerance for clunky and ineffective Web sites Confident in their ability – reluctant to ask for help Confident in their ability – reluctant to ask for help

Problems with the Status Quo A look and feel that may not meet the expectations of the current generation of Web-savvy users. A look and feel that may not meet the expectations of the current generation of Web-savvy users. The conventional library environment requires users to interact with many different interfaces, and search many different resources. The conventional library environment requires users to interact with many different interfaces, and search many different resources. Overly complex Overly complex Not always intuitive Not always intuitive Users have to go to different places to find different kinds of information on a given topic: Library OPAC for books, Article and E-journal locators for articles. Users have to go to different places to find different kinds of information on a given topic: Library OPAC for books, Article and E-journal locators for articles.

An urgent need Baby boomers and Gen X ’ rs are happier with traditional forms of content and existing modes of service Baby boomers and Gen X ’ rs are happier with traditional forms of content and existing modes of service Millennials will move on to non-library provided information sources and services if not readily satisfied Millennials will move on to non-library provided information sources and services if not readily satisfied There is a lot at stake for the future of libraries in adapting to generational transitions. There is a lot at stake for the future of libraries in adapting to generational transitions. Web 2.0 provides a metaphor and model for adapting library services to today ’ s Web-savvy users. Web 2.0 provides a metaphor and model for adapting library services to today ’ s Web-savvy users.

Web 1.0 Static Web Static Web Information silos Information silos One-way communication One-way communication

Web 2.0 Coined by O ’ Rielly Media in 2004 Coined by O ’ Rielly Media in 2004 Web + Social Computing Web + Social Computing Dynamic Content Dynamic Content Highly interactive Highly interactive Collaborative Collaborative Focus on the user Focus on the user Focus on communities Focus on communities

Web 2.0 examples RSS delivery of content RSS delivery of content Blogs – Web logs + comments Blogs – Web logs + comments Wikis – content created in community Wikis – content created in community Instant Messaging, SMS, Instant Messaging, SMS, Voice over IP – Skype Voice over IP – Skype Podcasting Podcasting vlogs vlogs

Web 2.0 supporting technologies Web services Web services XML APIs XML APIs AJAX (asynchronous JavaScript and XML) AJAX (asynchronous JavaScript and XML) Microformats Microformats OpenSearch vs SRU/SRW OpenSearch vs SRU/SRW

Web 2.0 media Rich media – beyond text Rich media – beyond text Music and audio Music and audio –Well experienced: File swapping, p2p, iPod, MP3 Video Video –Recreational and academic: youtube.com, myspace.com/video, yahoo! Video, bittorrent Opportunities to remix. Usually recreational, but explore ways to tap this interest with an academic slant. Opportunities to remix. Usually recreational, but explore ways to tap this interest with an academic slant.

The sprit of Web 2.0 YouTube YouTube Facebook Facebook MySpace MySpace Flickr Flickr

Web 3.0 Web artificial intelligence Web artificial intelligence Semantic Web Semantic Web Web enterprise computing Web enterprise computing

Library 2.0 First mentioned by Michael Casey First mentioned by Michael Casey Web Library = Library 2.0 Web Library = Library 2.0 Apply Web 2.0 concepts to library applications Apply Web 2.0 concepts to library applications

Examples Library Blogs Library Blogs New book lists through RSS New book lists through RSS Wikis Wikis –Intranets for staff documentation –Collaborative resources for library users Enriched library catalogs Enriched library catalogs User participation in library resources User participation in library resources –User tagging in catalog –Reviews –Ratings

Evolution The Web has been evolving since its very beginning The Web has been evolving since its very beginning Web 2.0 didn ’ t happen all at once Web 2.0 didn ’ t happen all at once Many of the concepts behind Web 2.0 trace back to its inception Many of the concepts behind Web 2.0 trace back to its inception Eg: Amazon embraced user participation, open API ’ s, etc long before Web 2.0 brand. Eg: Amazon embraced user participation, open API ’ s, etc long before Web 2.0 brand. Evolution and maturation of Web technologies continues Evolution and maturation of Web technologies continues

Caveats Apply when appropriate Apply when appropriate Not a plateau Not a plateau Evolution continues Evolution continues Web 2.0 can create isolated silos of information Web 2.0 can create isolated silos of information Must evolve into an organized fabric of interrelated Web services. Must evolve into an organized fabric of interrelated Web services. Too many dead blogs and wikis already Too many dead blogs and wikis already

Web 2.0 a good start A more social and collaborative approach A more social and collaborative approach Web Tools and technology that foster collaboration Web Tools and technology that foster collaboration Blogs, wiki, blogs, tagging, social bookmarking, user rating, user reviews Blogs, wiki, blogs, tagging, social bookmarking, user rating, user reviews

Interface expectations Increasingly library users are well acclimated to current Web technologies and like it. Increasingly library users are well acclimated to current Web technologies and like it. Used to relevancy ranking Used to relevancy ranking –The “ good stuff ” should be listed first –Users tend not to delve deep into a result list –Good relevancy requires a sophisticated approach, including objective matching criteria supplemented by popularity and relatedness factors.

Interface expectations (cont … ) Very rapid response. Users have a low tolerance for slow systems Very rapid response. Users have a low tolerance for slow systems Rich visual information: book jacket images, rating scores, etc. Rich visual information: book jacket images, rating scores, etc. Let users drill down through the result set incrementally narrowing the field Let users drill down through the result set incrementally narrowing the field Faceted Browsing Faceted Browsing –Drill-down vs up-front Boolean or “ Advanced Search ” –gives the users clues about the number of hits in each sub topic. Navigational Bread crumbs Navigational Bread crumbs Ratings and rankings Ratings and rankings

Library OPAC 1.0 Feature rich, but complex Feature rich, but complex Advanced Boolean Search Advanced Boolean Search Textual displays Textual displays Results in alphabetical or catalog key order Results in alphabetical or catalog key order Slow, cumbersome Slow, cumbersome Focused on the physical inventory Focused on the physical inventory

The best Library OPAC?

Change underway Widespread dissatisfaction with most of the current OPACs. Many efforts toward next- generation catalogs and interfaces. Widespread dissatisfaction with most of the current OPACs. Many efforts toward next- generation catalogs and interfaces. Movement among libraries to break out of the current mold of library catalogs and offer new interfaces better suited to the expectations of library users. Movement among libraries to break out of the current mold of library catalogs and offer new interfaces better suited to the expectations of library users. Decoupling of the front-end interface from the back-end library automation system. Decoupling of the front-end interface from the back-end library automation system.

Working toward next generation library interfaces Redefinition of the library catalog Redefinition of the library catalog More comprehensive information discovery environments More comprehensive information discovery environments Better information delivery tools Better information delivery tools More powerful search capabilities More powerful search capabilities More elegant presentation More elegant presentation

Redefinition of library catalogs Traditional notions of the library catalog are being questioned Traditional notions of the library catalog are being questioned It ’ s no longer enough to provide a catalog limited to print resources It ’ s no longer enough to provide a catalog limited to print resources Digital resources cannot be an afterthought Digital resources cannot be an afterthought Forcing users to use different interfaces depending on type of content becoming less tenable Forcing users to use different interfaces depending on type of content becoming less tenable Libraries working toward consolidated search environments that give equal footing to digital and print resources Libraries working toward consolidated search environments that give equal footing to digital and print resources

Library OPAC 2.0 Satisfying to the Web-savvy user Satisfying to the Web-savvy user Faceted browsing – drill-down model of search Faceted browsing – drill-down model of search Graphical displays – cover art images Graphical displays – cover art images Enriched content – TOC, summaries Enriched content – TOC, summaries User tagging, folksonomies, ratings, reviews User tagging, folksonomies, ratings, reviews Federated search as a separate service Federated search as a separate service

Library OPAC 3.0 Comprehensive search environment: Comprehensive search environment: –Digital on equal footing with print –Federated search as an integrated service: access to full- text of subscribed content Beyond MARC metadata: Dublin Core XML, Onix, etc: full-text searching Beyond MARC metadata: Dublin Core XML, Onix, etc: full-text searching Searching “ inside the book ” Searching “ inside the book ” Fully integrated with other community and campus resources Fully integrated with other community and campus resources ILS fully integrated with other information and business systems ILS fully integrated with other information and business systems

Collections evolving E-journals, e-books (we ’ re doing that already) E-journals, e-books (we ’ re doing that already) Podcasts of lectures Podcasts of lectures video libraries of stock footage video libraries of stock footage News archives News archives Data sets: census, GIS Data sets: census, GIS

Moving beyond … Web 2.0 is already a 3-year-old model Web 2.0 is already a 3-year-old model Keep focus on strategic use of technology Keep focus on strategic use of technology

Challenges and Opportunities abound An exciting time for libraries An exciting time for libraries Web 2.0 fuels new excitement for modernizing library services and supporting technologies Web 2.0 fuels new excitement for modernizing library services and supporting technologies Opportunities presented by explosive growth of digital content. Opportunities presented by explosive growth of digital content. Hard work is required to draw the new generation to library content and services without breaking what works well for those from previous generations. Hard work is required to draw the new generation to library content and services without breaking what works well for those from previous generations.