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

Part II Web 2.0 and Beyond How to incorporate computer based resources and new technology in library services. How to incorporate computer based resources and new technology in library services. –This section will include a discussion of libraries can take advantage of some of the Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs, wikis and other social software to enhance the services they deliver to their user.

Evolution and advancement Technology Technology Society Society Generational shifts Generational shifts –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