talk given by Tom Peters and Lori Bell of OPAL
OPAL stands for Online Programming for All Libraries. Lori used to be the head of the Illinois Talking Book Center. Hard to get people with limited mobility together for a book discussion, so they were looking for a way to do this online. Tom Peters was using software with VOIP, co-browsing and and chat to do book talks. Got 30 libraries of all types using OPAL to do programming online for free.
Some examples of what they’ve done:
- Talks for librarians/professional development
- Virtual tours of special collections (Library of Congress, Lincoln Presidential Library)
- Book discussions
- Information literacy programs
- health information programs
- One-day virtual conferences
The programs are recorded and then are offered online for anyone to download and listen to at a later date. They recently started podcasting the audio, but they also make the text chat and the slides available as well.
OPAL’s chat rooms can be as cheap as $500/year for any library to use. And the programs are usually free for anyone to attend.
Tom Peters took us through a screencast tour of OPAL. All one has to do to participate in OPAL is to download a little plugin. People can use text chat or if they have a microphone or headset, they can use Voice over IP (VoIP). Tom uses a ridiculously cheap microphone and it works really well.
This is the only group that is doing online public programming for libraries that is free.
This is a tremendous resource for professional development. It is used primarily for that and it gets the largest audience.
Their Web conferencing appeals to a wide range of users with the audio and visual elements. VoIP is great because people on dial-up can use it.
The software – Talking Communities
the CEO of the company was blind and the software was developed for accessibility. It was important that the software works for a variety of browsers, O/S’s and connection speeds. They were able to get the software for a low price.
They also use Illuminate, but it’s expensive and they only have a 10 seat license.
They use iVocalize as a backup software.
They hope in the future to have streaming video, whiteboard, desktop sharing.
Web conferencing is usually really expensive so it is often out of the reach of libraries.
OPAL as an organization.
- OPAL is a loose collaborative that involves libraries of all types and sizes (Library of Congress, small public, state libraries, etc.).
- They are not an actual organization so they work through the Alliance Library System..
- Funding is provided primarily through membership dues and support from the groups that founded OPAL.
- Members must provide at least two public programs.
Programming on the Internet allows anyone to attend.
There is a certain energy and unpredictability to a live event. But the great thing about OPAL is that the programs are recorded and made available to anyone in the world at any time. They had almost 20 times as many listeners to a recording of a book talk about My Antonia than
Alliance Library System is HUGE and has a lot of rural member libraries. This is a great way to provide continuing education programming that all members can attend.
Other groups doing this sort of stuff: ACRL, SirsiDynix, Learning Times, Library Journal.
What have they learned?
- There is no ideal time to start a global online live event.
- It doesn’t require much tech know-how to make this happen
- Online events can be much like in-person events. Why not have in-person conferences with online elements?
Tom thinks we haven’t really scratched the surface of what we can do with online programming.
OPAL groups can have private rooms where people can login with a specific password.
Afterwards I asked Tom Peters why he thinks organizations (like ALA and whatnot) are not offering free programming online? And he was pretty much as perplexed as I am. The cost of their software is very low, certainly something a large organization could handle.
[tags]cil2006[/tags]
I appreciate your effort and time in doing all this live reportage. But, speaking as only one user (and a lowly middle school librarian at that), I humbly offer that I would be more interested to see less unedited gonzo feed and more considered perspective. I would gladly sacrifice something in timeliness in exchange for some local flavor. I was at that presentation and missing from the report, for example, is the fact that the second presenter, who was to talk about “rebranding” a public library for community buy-in (which is what I actually came to the session for), was a no-show, leaving the other two to expand their part to fill the time. Obviously that’s my own observation, but I’d be interested to hear more of yours. I laughed at the bit in the previous post about the wireless connection. This being my first CIL, I’d brought my laptop, thinking I could get some work done during the breaks (“It’s computers in libraries, right?”), only to find I not only couldn’t get online, I couldn’t even get a signal for my cell phone inside the event rooms or almost anywhere on the convention level.
I’m not really griping, but, had I not been there and wanted to know what was going on, I certainly could have waited until afternoon or even the next day for a more considered report, complete with perspective, links to resources, etc. Why not cut out some of the kerfuffle and post one or two interesting or provocative things that were said, along with some comments or questions? I think it’s worth asking, is this a value-added use of blog time?
Afterwards I asked Tom Peters why he thinks organizations (like ALA and whatnot) are not offering free programming online? And he was pretty much as perplexed as I am. The cost of their software is very low, certainly something a large organization could handle.
As usual, follow the money.
Meatspace conferences are HUGE money-makers for organizations that can run a show efficiently. When the cost of a booth starts at $2k and goes up from there, AND registration can easily cost several hundred bucks, AND corporate sponsors kick in, conferences can be a license to print money.
The rise of internet meetings has already taken its toll on many tech conferences (look at the gigantic crater that is COMDEX), but perhaps hasn’t hit the library field as hard yet.
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Value-added for whom, Mr. Hassett? If liveblogging a session adds value to it *for Meredith*, that’s enough.
Don’t change a thing, Meredith.
I guess what I’m confused about, Bob, is why you couldn’t just come and talk to me if you were at the conference with me?
You’re right, Meredith. I apologize for not just talking to you about it. I thought this would be a good forum for expressing a perspective and seeing what others thought. And I was right. People disagree with me, which is fine. I don’t think I was overly critical. It’s just not what I look to blogs for. Perhaps I’m a minority of one. I’m comfortable with that. I love your blog generally and I’m glad others do, too. Next time I promise I’ll say ‘hi.’
Bob,
Clearly, Meredith’s value is what matters. But as someone who was unable to attend CiL, I’m really enjoying reading the conference blogs, hearing differing (partial) accounts, and what caught the attention of the folks doing the writing. Some of it is strict narrative, but what Meredith has blogged is different that what other folks blogged from the same sessions.
I do like the “value added” additional editorial comemnts, but I get great value from hearing what happened, and what tugged on the brain.
(Thanks Meredith!)
Hi Bob , if you went to Rialto Jr. High. I have been looking for you for years. Get in touch if not have a great day.
Jerry Holdren jholdren@dslextreme.com