I got an interesting question from a reader that I really wanted to open up to the community on my blog rather than pretending that I’m knowledgeable enough to answer this question by myself:
I have been reading your blog and since you have expertise with wikis I am seeking your advice. I am applying for a study tour grant, the aim being to visit US public library services that are doing Web 2.0 stuff well in service to their patrons. I hope to coincide my visit with the Computers in Libraries conference in 2007.
I am looking for suggestions as to which libraries would be worth visiting. I have Ann Arbor down on my list for blogs, but would appreciate any others you could suggest for wikis or any other specialty which you think would be of use to Australian public libraries.
So what public libraries are doing the most innovative things with “2.0 technologies”? The ones I could immediately think of were the Ann Arbor District Library, the Hennepin County Public Library, the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenberg County, St. Joseph County Public Library (primarily for their wiki subject guide — is any other public library using wikis on the public side?), the Kansas City Public Library, and the Seattle Public Library. However, I know there are a lot of libraries that are doing really exciting things with social software and other technologies and deserve a lot more notice. So which public libraries in the United States do you think are doing the best things with Web 2.0 technologies and why?
If you’d like to include non-U.S. public libraries, please do so, but please note that they are outside of the U.S., because this reader’s grant is specifically for visiting U.S. libraries.
…is any other public library using wikis on the public side?
My Place of Work is developing a public wiki (very much like the SJCPL one), but it almost certainly won’t debut until the end of this year.
We’ll also have four public blogs on our site starting October 1st (unless I can nag them to start sooner).
http://www.bullrunlibrary.pbwiki.com is a patron driven wiki worth a mention.
I’m just curious about the purpose of visiting the public libraries using Web 2.0 is. To discuss how a Web 2.0 tool came to be used?
I don’t know for sure, but I assume it would be to learn how to replicate their successes in Australian public libraries. Gosh! I wish I could get a grant to travel around and visit some of the really inspiring libraries out there! 🙂
When I was in library school, I had this dream that the degree would lead me to travelling the world, visiting other libraries.
Maybe someday…
I’m not sure if this really gets up to the level of “Web 2.0” or not, but the Lexington Public Library (www.lexpublib.org) has done some interesting things with their OPAC. The “ThoroBrowser” sits on top of their OPAC and offers alternate spellings, related searches, and lets you refine your search by format, subject, and other topics at a single click.
Denver PL has had RSS for quite a long time, a DPL toolbar, is in the process of launching storytime podcasts, offers customers the opportunity to review books, movies, music, etc.
Princeton Public Library debuted their boooklovers wiki this summer. I am about to write an update on Library Garden once I get a chance, but we have come a long way with our wiki since we began in early June. We have worked out the procedures to have patrons submit their own reviews live to the wiki, distributed the wiki password widely and now have close to 150 reviews. We have used the wiki to communicate all programs associated with the summer reading club and are thrilled with its growth. Many libraries that maintain wikis as institutions have yet to go beyond the content being added by staff and we have managed to cross that barrier successfully. I know you earlier challenged if our wiki was 2.0 since we chose to start with limited contributers (4 staff and 2 teen volunteers), but we have now given the password to 100+ people and have seen others contribute. It feels like an accomplishment.
Now I just need to figure out how to get discussion going on the wiki…
That’s great Janie! I thought it was a great start when I saw it last and I’m so happy to hear that you’re using the wiki to get direct patron contributions. I think you’re one of the first library wikis to be able to successfully do that! Nice work!!! 🙂
Janie, as we get ready to start working on my library’s wiki, one of my coworkers who is our Readers’ Advisory specialist, found the Princeton booklovers wiki and asked, “Can the RA section of our wiki be like this?”
That’s really cool that you’ve got patrons contributing, too. We’re starting our wiki with staff only. But maybe we’ll eventually follow your lead and start bringing patrons on board.
our webpage sucks
+ our opac sucks
+our itnranet sucks
= change with 2.0 tools
OpacOnline is a new open-source OPAC solution aimed at creating a superb unobtrusive user experience. Through smart high-performance search technology the user finds relevant results effortless. In addition OpacOnline offers “did you mean”, fuzzy search, and other goodies. We welcome very much your comments on OpacOnline, a demo of which you can see at http://www.niza.nl/library.php. Please give us your feedback (mail to heikki@opaconline.com). Thank you very much.