From

Web 2.0 to Mobile librarian:

bridging the gap of

social interaction

Pavlinka Kovatcheva, UJ Sciences Librarian

17 May 2011

4th African Conference for Digital Scholarship

and Curation, CSIR, Pretoria

“LIBRARIANS COULD BECOME INVISIBLE ON SMARTPHONES UNLESS

THEY REACH OUT TO PATRONS THROUGH EXISTING APPLICATIONS OR

PERSUADE VENDORS TO CUSTOMIZE THEIR APPLICATIONS”

Tom Boone, Information Outlook, January 2011

Ensuring the visibility of Librarians

http://www.faqs.org/periodicals/201101/2285317101.html

The recent explosion in the global Smartphone and mobile technology

market, and the near ubiquity of mobile data connections in the developed

world in 2010, have made mobile computing an “indispensable part of day-to-

day life in the workforce”

Johnson et al. 2010, The 2010 Horizon Report

http://wp.nmc.org/horizon2010/

What do I have to say today?

I will talk about how we can be a Web 2.0 and Mobile Librarians

I will share the adventure of being a Web 2.0 Sciences Librarian

I will give some practical tips on Mobile Technologies for Librarians:

- Mobile Library Catalogue @ UJ: Marketing initiative - Web 2.0 Applications for Mobile Librarians: practical

examples

A short explanation

Web 2.0 Technologies• Web 2.0 emerged as a way to stimulate people’s participation,

contributions and collaboration in the creation of a new content over the web.

• The implementation of the Web 2.0 tools into the library environment, kept the librarians current and active participants in the building of a new knowledge society generation.

Mobile Technologies• The truth is that: your Mobile phone is not anymore just to make a phone

call or send a SMS messages. It can me much more....• As the smart phone users continues to grow, so the patrons using these

phones to access information through mobile applications will grow.• To remain relevant and to become participants, the librarians need to

adapt the provision of services and access to resources

Global Mobile statistics 2011: Worldwide

• 77% of the World population is mobile (5.3 billion subscribers)• The smart phone sales shows the strongest growth in 2010• Half a billion people access mobile Internet worldwide in 2009• Over 300,000 mobile applications have been developed in

three years Source

The transitional role of the Modern Librarian

The Traditional Librarian do:

• Information Retrieval• Reference Services• User Education &

Information Literacy• Collection

Development• Marketing the Library

Services & Resources

• Liaison with Library stakeholders

And much more

The Web 2.0 Librarian make use of:

• Blogs • Social Networking • Social Bookmarking • RSS feeds• Wikis• Instant Messaging• Mind Maps• Podcasts & Videos • Widgets To ENHANCE her

TRADITIONAL role by contributing, sharing and collaborating with patron

The Mobile Librarian provides:

• Library services on the GO!

• Access to Mobile Library catalogues, websites, services & resources

• 24/7 access• Social Interactions

via Mobile Web 2.0 Applications

• Current AwarenessTo BRIDGE the GAP in

social interaction

WEB 2.0 TECHNOLOGIES IN LIBRARIES

Why should you be a Web 2.0 Librarian?

• to prove that Librarians are still on the market and will continue to play a role in the exchange of information and knowledge

• to help you build a global and local presence• to make you visible on the Internet. Google works 24/7• to help you keep current, share and communicate • to help you increase your knowledge base, while making new

contacts in areas of interest or individuals• to help you meet library users and potential users in their

social space• to promote yourself and your library

FUN!

EXCITEMENT!

INNOVATION!

UJ Sciences Librarian: Web 2.0 Strategy (adventure)

Stage 1: 2007-2008 (Individual Experiments)

Created accounts to the following tools:

- UJ Sciences Librarian Blog (Oct’07)- UJ Librarian News Blog (Oct’ 07)- Delicious: tag articles (Oct’ 07)- Flickr account (Nov’ 07)- YouTube account (Dec’ 07)- Wiki portal (Early’ 08)- Facebook profile (May’ 08) - Second Live account (May’08)- Mind Maps (Mid’ 08)- Twitter (Sep’08)- Library Thing account (Sep’ 08)- UJ Science Library News Blog (Oct’08)- Technorati; Snap Shots; Share This; Scribd,

LinkedIn, many more …..

Stage 2: 2009 (Integration + further experimentation)

Updated the Wiki Portal (Jan’ 09)- Over 45 web pages

- IM/Chat account: MeeboMe (Feb’09)- Embedded Widgets on the Portal (IM; Blogs; Twitter; Delicious; Google widgets, etc.) New initiatives:- iGoogle web profile (Apr’ 09)- Netvibes portal (May’09)- Custom Search Engine for the Portal- Library Google Maps (Aug’ 09)

Stage 3: 2010 -2011- Feedback from users & updates according to needs- Mobile Technologies

- Virtual Learning Environment

Support to the UJ Natural Sciences Community:Wiki platform for Subject & Information Literacy Content

http://ujsciencelibrarian.pbworks.com/

Web 2.0 Social tools: Embedded widgets on the

UJ Sciences Portal

The Web 2.0 + Traditional Librarians

MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES IN LIBRARIES

Mobile Library Catalogue @ UJMarketing strategy

AirPAC Mobile Library Catalogue 2011: Marketing Tips

AirPAC Mobile Catalogue: More Marketing Tips

Virtual Learning Environment (EduLink); Library website SMS messages to students; Blog posts; E-mail signature;

QR Codes; Brochures and so on.

WEB 2.0 APPLICATIONS FOR MOBILE LIBRARIANS

•Facebook•Twitter•Blogging•Bookmarking•Instant messaging (Meebo Me; Skype)•QR Codes•Foursquare•Mobile applications for research•Mobile News and e-books •And so much more ………………..

..... How it all comes together

MOBILE APPLICATIONS

Why make use of the Web 2.0 Applications on your Mobile?

• Bridging the GAP in being connected & informed• You are the Librarian on the GO! • Increase the visibility of the Library• You are connected at any time to your Social Network

community • Use Twitter to tweet or re-tweet from conferences,

workshops, while waiting in a queue or just walking• Push notifications keep you up-to-date with the latest

news an developments• Online books, Locations, Educational applications,

Entertainment, Research; Latest news, Chats, Photo sharing, Google are at the palm of your hand.

You are the MOBILE REFERENCE LIBRARIAN

Examples: Web 2.0 Applications for iPhone

Facebook Application

Twitter Application

LinkedIn

Blogging

Social Bookmarking

Instant Messaging

Embedded MeeboMe on the Sciences Portal

Connect to Mobile MeeboMe

Instant Messaging

QR Codes for Mobile Librarians

What are a QR Codes?• The QR Codes are 2 dimensional barcodes that are easily scanned

using mobile phones • Your mobile phone need to have the QR Code option to install. • For example: The QR Code application for iPhone can be installed

for FREE from the Application store. Once it is installed, you can scan any QR Codes

Steps in creating QR Code:• Find a QR Code Generator (perform a Google search)• Type the information, such as text or a URL, which will be converted

(qurified) into a barcode.• When you scan the barcode with your mobile, the code will be then

converted (dequrified) into the coded text or URL

How to create QR Code?Make use of QR Code

Generator

Why use QR Codes in the Library?

Strengths of the QR Code:• Mobile as portable = already in patron’s hand• Enable connection between digital & analogue • Crosses media boundaries

Source:

Example: To promote Library Resources & Services• Print brochures with QR codes – students can scan and

GO and the information will be on their Mobile for further investigation

QR Code from your Mobile: Example for LibrariansBusiness Card

The QR Code can represent your business information, your website or any other relevant information

QR Code from your Mobile: Example for LibrariansE-mail Signature

QR Code from your Mobile: Example for LibrariansUJ Library Catalogue

Smart phones Ordinary web enabled

phones

QR Code from your Mobile: Example for Librarians

http://ujsciencelib.glogster.com/how-to-find-print-and-online-books-uj-library-for-sciences-users/

QR Code for Library Online

Posters

The long URL can be

replaced with the QR Code

from your Mobile phone.

QR Code from your Mobile: Example for Librarians

http://0-www.crcnetbase.com.ujlink.uj.ac.za/

QR Code for Library

Print Posters

Foursquare

Mobile Applications for Research: 2 Examples

Mobile Applications: News & E-books

In Conclusion

It is obvious that the way we live and communicate has changed drastically in a recent years.

For librarians to continue to exist a new “Survival Guide” need to be written:

• Dear Librarian, you will still have face-to-face interactions with students to remind you of a thousands of years of librarianship and libraries

• Dear Librarian, Web 2.0 can be your adventure in a tropical island. Take this opportunity and enjoy it.

• Dear Librarian, grab the chance and buy your smart phone today. You can’t miss all the opportunities at the palm of your hand.

Traditional + Web 2.0 + Mobile = Modern LibrarianWe can bridge the GAP in social interaction with our users!

Pavlinka KovatchevaE-mail: pkovatcheva@uj.ac.za UJ Sciences Librarian Portal:

http://ujsciencelibrarian.pbworks.com/FrontPageSlideshare presentations:

http://www.slideshare.net/pavlinka163/presentations

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