SPLAT 101: Web 2.0 in Idaho's Libraries

by Memo Cordova, Ruth Funabiki, and Amy Vecchione (on behalf of the SPLAT team)

 

I.  What is SPLAT?

 

What do a couch and a crow's nest have in common?  Ask SPLAT!

 

The humble beginning of SPLAT sprouted as an idea from the minds of Idaho library staff during the 2020 Vision conference in August 2005. The 2020 Vision concept was thusly conceived:

 

Beginning in late 2004, a Long Range Planning Steering Committee of sixteen representatives of Idaho libraries and the State Library [soon to be known as the Idaho Commission for Libraries] worked to design a creative and inclusive process for establishing a long range future vision for Idaho libraries. Reviewing the process and results from a similar project in 1998, the task force proposed setting a vision for 2020, and expressed a desire to push the boundaries of thought regarding library futures as far as possible.

 

In August of 2005, the Idaho Library community gathered in a unique Think Tank to consider the future of Idaho libraries. Representatives of Idaho libraries met over three days to propose a future vision. Working with several science fiction writers, experts on future trends and libraries, and facilitated by planning expert and futurist Glen Hiemstra, the Think Tank participants explored long-range trends, discussed alternate future scenarios for Idaho libraries, and proposed ideas for a long-range vision.[1]

 

The 2020 Vision conference think tank sessions provided various preferred futures touching on familiar aspects of libraries that serve as third place entities, borderless library cards, branded and important hubs of communal pride. One such vision asserted itself as an important element of how libraries and their communities can benefit by having a special group of library staff to comprise a Special Projects Library Action Team to act in the crow's nest' capacity, searching for innovation, proposing and leading experiments and pilot projects, discovering new opportunities.[2]

 

At its core, SPLAT is well represented by library staff from various types of libraries (school, academic, public, and special libraries) working together to to build their own expertise in innovative practices; share their expertise and experiences with their colleagues in the Idaho library community; use their expertise with library customers in their community on a regular basis; and work to make the 2020 Vision a reality in Idaho.[3]

 

After the Vision 2020 gathering, the Commission took steps to implement the vision statements.  In late 2005, the SPLAT Design Team was formed to implement SPLAT.  ICFL solicited applications in the late spring of 2006, and the first edition of SPLAT convened in Eagle, Idaho in July of 2006 in conjunction with the digital natives conference that featured an assortment of Library 2.0 leaders and participants. 

 

SPLAT members serve three-year terms in which they participate in quarterly meetings, post and respond to blogs, and read materials and keep up with future trends in order to act in the crow's nest' capacity.  As described on the SPLAT blog home page, SPLAT members have pledged to build their own expertise in innovative practices; share their expertise and experiences with their colleagues in the Idaho library community; use their expertise with library customers in their community on a regular basis; and work to make the 2020 Vision a reality in Idaho.

 

While SPLAT members held ongoing discussions of their mission statement, they quickly implemented a couple of projectsa blog and a Ning wiki.  In the fall of 2006, the SPLAT presence at ILA in Moscow resulted in a lively, informal geek pit where conference attendees could receive personalized instruction in everything from instant messaging to RSS.  The geek pit in Moscow featured a couch, and the conference couch where folks can relax and learn, has become a part of the SPLAT organizational culture. 

 

II. SPLAT 101

 

Several approaches were incorporated to make SPLAT an important tool to disseminate, educate, and explore innovative ideas and web-based technologies. Making use of the numerous and free social networks and online services available to all, SPLAT members have an online presence in most of the popular social networks available. The more constant and established method has been the SPLAT blog: http://splat.lili.org/. A blog (a portmanteau of web and log) is the perfect vehicle for publishing the collective experiences of SPLAT members as they experiment with the constant evolution of web tools and services.

 

Using a blog is the perfect vehicle as it is both illustrative of the technological adoption of most SPLAT members--easily the earliest adoption of web 2.0--and because blogging offers updated content (text, pictures, videos--or all of them at once) there is always something new to read. All, of course, related to how libraries and library staff can make use of these online tools in their everyday life.

 

SPLAT 101, one of the more successful ventures by the SPLAT team, sought to encourage this kind of participation by library staff to experiment, play, and get to know of different sets of online, or web-based, tools. In order to easily manage and digest what we perceive as the most basic though no less-important online tools--and we might add, free--divided into an online, six-week course:

 

Week 1 - Blogs

Week 2 - RSS

Week 3 - IM

Week 4 - Online Applications

Week 5 - Wikis

Week 6 - Tagging

 

Each week, library staff who registered for the course spent that particular week experimenting and using each tool. Registered users were encouraged to submit comments, likes and dislikes, and overall feelings about using these tools on the SPLAT blog.

 

These six tools comprise a set of applications that are useful and easy to use. A SPLAT member takes responsibility for creating the course for each tool, and for responding to any questions or issues anyone may have about it. The straightforward course page encourages experimentation through video clips, helpful hints, and further study links.

 

This model is not new, as there are similar venues where library staff can learn and experiment with online tools. One of the most widely known is the Learning 2.0 site, by the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County: http://plcmcl2-about.blogspot.com/. The aim is the same though: to encourage exploration of and play with online tools.

 

These models are indicative of the wider world view of what the web represents:  an enabling medium to encourage you to become editor, publisher, and creative talent of your own artistic creations. Based on the amount of comments, feedback, and number of registered users (244 Idaho library staff!), we think SPLAT 101 was a resounding success. We're following this venture with another SPLAT 101, version 2, that we hope is as engaging as the first.

 

III.  Review of Helpful Literature

 

As stated above, the idea for our SPLAT 101 arose from existing and similar programs around the web. In much of the literature that has been published regarding web 2.0 and libraries, the bulk of it is about the tools available that can assist in making libraries relevant, training staff on these tools, and using tools to further libraries' missions.

 

The point is made repeatedly throughout the literature that we, as library staff, need to know what our users are using online, and where they are going. In turn, library staff needs to be well-versed on these tools so they can adequately assist their users.

 

The web 2.0 movement, and by extension the "Library 2.0" one, has led to a restructuring within organizations. A lack in the literature review of this movement the past few years is emerging now: how to create a virtual community and an extension of services using these tools.

 

This summary of literature is only a selected list of what the SPLAT team has used in discussions and design of the SPLAT 101 course. These resources will be useful to you in support of a web 2.0 movement in your library. Note some of these are blogs which present an ongoing discussion of current tools and evaluation of said tools as they pertain to the field of library and information science.

 

Blogs

 

These blogs highlight the current issues in technology and web 2.0 as it applies to all kinds of libraries.

 

http://www.davidleeking.com  - David Lee King focuses on the emerging trends with social networking and libraries. In addition to focusing on new technologies, like using PDAs on the reference desk, King also provides valuable information on how to get buy in from your community, how to create digital community, and how to evaluate tools to decide whether or not they should be used for your library program. In a recent post he summarized the different kinds of barriers in libraries to using these tools and suggested some ways to overcome those barriers, "counter arguments: need to be constructed with the understanding that some of the objections are valid. Understand the tech ramifications of introducing new tech. Management responsibilities include setting policies." (King, 31, Mar. 2009)

 

http://tametheweb.com/  - The primary author of this blog, Michael Stephens, focuses on blogging and how important this is for the profession of libraries and information science. Stephens' blog explores the many dynamics of web 2.0 and how they have transformed libraries, our users and the world. In a recent post, Stephens adeptly summarized the origins of web 2.0 and libraries:

The genesis of Learning 2.0 began with an article by library futurist Stephen Abram. 'Helene Blowers of PLCMC took the article Things You (or I) Might Want To Do This Year by SirsiDynix's Stephen Abram and distilled it down to 23 things that she wanted her staff to understand through hands-on experience,' Blowers recognized 'that librarians need to know how to participate in the new media mix if libraries are to remain relevant.' 

 

http://stephenslighthouse.sirsidynix.com/  - Stephen Abram's blog has a crow's nest feel and focus. He highlights recent trends, and new ideas. Sometimes he also shares current projects. This blog is inspirational and thought provoking. In a recent blog post by Abram he writes that the experience with web 2.0 has been transformational for libraries, I believe that this has been one of the most transformational and viral activities to happen globally to libraries in decades.   (Stephen's Lighthouse, February 5, 2008)

http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/ - Sarah Houghton-Jan's blog emerged with the idea that she was "weeding the web" finding sites useful for other librarians. She writes, "Years ago, this site was born out of my displeasure at having to wade through dozens of websites, blogs, & RSS feeds related to librarianship, technology, webmastery, and current issues to find those few posts that applied to me as a Tech Librarian." Consider her blog to be a real filter for the best new technology available on the web.

http://plcmcl2-things.blogspot.com/  - The Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County blog about their first web 2.0 course, 23 Things.

Articles

Abram, Stephen. "43 Things I might want to do this year." Information Outlook. Feb. 2006. Web. 2 Apr. 2009. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FWE/is_2_10/ai_n16133338/

This article really set off the whole web 2.0 movement for training library staff to learn these new tools. The web site 43 Things (http://www.43things.com) inspired Abram to write this article summarizing his future goals. Anyone can log on and create their own list of goals and share them. Abram's list included lots of web 2.0 tools he wanted to learn and try. Staff at the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County read this and distilled the list into 23 Things which the director wanted library staff to learn. 

 

Miller, Paul. "Web 2.0: Building the New Library." Ariadne. October 2005. Web. 2 Apr. 2009. http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue45/miller/

 

This article by Paul Miller explains how the concepts behind web 2.0 make up the actual meaning of web 2.0 including the concept of freeing up information. The switch to 2.0 positioned the web as our foundation for our work, rather than our hard drive. Miller concludes this change will bring greater access to information.

 

Reports

 

Pew Report on Instant Messaging: http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/133/report_display.asp

All of the reports published by the Pew Research Group have fantastic and incredible views to share with libraries. From this report we learn, "2004 Pew Internet & American Life surveys reveal that more than four in ten online Americans instant message (IM)." Five years later, and I can imagine that number has increased. Clearly learning about IM is an important part of the librarian's job to remain relevant when working with users simply based on the uses and how it is used, as outlined by Pew.

 

Corona Research. Perceptions of Idaho's Digital Natives on Public Libraries: Statewide Focus Group Findings. http://libraries.idaho.gov/files/2007-digital-native-rpt.pdf

 

This report summarizes a variety of digital native focus groups conducted around the state of Idaho. Enlightening and detailed, this report outlines just how much libraries and library staff need to work towards reaching younger generations.

  

IV.  Next Steps

 

Members of SPLAT are a creative bunch.  SPLAT's emphasis is to experiment and share our experiences of current and future services, issues, and concepts that may impact how Idaho libraries can enhance their services to the communities they serve. We have many tricks up our sleeves so a great way to keep yourself informed of future opportunities is to visit the SPLAT blog; leave us your thoughts and comments and let us know what you are experiencing at the forefront of this new technological age. 

 

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SPLAT (Special Projects Library Action Team) serves in crow's nest capacity to search for innovation, propose experiments, lead pilot projects, and discover new opportunities for Idaho libraries. Ruth Funabiki, Memo Cordova and Amy Vecchione are a part of SPLAT and took part in the statewide SPLAT 101 initiative. Memo works at Boise State University Albertsons Library as a reference and instruction librarian. He spends his nights dreaming of how Web 2.0 and libraries can work together to make a positive impact in the lives of their users and communities they serve.  Ruth is head of technical services at the UI Law Library and typist for Facebook's Jolie Vandal. Amy wrangles data at the Idaho Commission for Libraries.