getting in the flow! : how libraries can adapt to changing users and environments

Central Medical Library, UMCG Digicmb.blogspot.com

Getting in the Flow!

How libraries can adapt to changing users and environments


Guus van den BrekelCoördinator Electronic Services, Central Medical LibraryUniversity Medical Center Groningen

Blog: Digicmb.blogspot.com

10:e årliga medicinska bibliotekskonferensen23-24 augusti 2007

http://digicmb.blogspot.com/





The build up …

• “Cause and Effect” • A Quick Response• The Long Term Consequenses• Flow? What Flow? • The Next Step to a Virtual Library?


“Finding Time in Library”

YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKvR0OC4nYc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKvR0OC4nYc


THE PROBLEM

LIBRARY DISCONNECTS

THE CHALLENGE


Fragmentation of information

The user has to spend a lot of effort:

• To find them• To learn to use them separately• To search them separately• To evaluate them• To keep up with all individual

changes• To repeat the above, constantly


No Shortcuts

No Intersections

No Teleports ;-)No Visibility, lack of presence

Ambient Findability

http://findability.org/

http://findability.org/


What we are up against …

We are not the only one anymore …


Web 2.0

•Everything connected with everything

•Online collaboration•Seeing and sharing•Power and control to users

Web2Logo.com

http://web2logo.com/

http://www.slideshare.net/jbrenman/shift-happens-33834


“The World is FLAT

for everybody”“People will change their habits quickly when they have a strong reason to do so, and people have an innate urge to connect with other people”

Marc Andreessen, co-founder Mosaic, Netscape


The (Collective) User Shapes The Environment

LibraryThing


http://www.librarything.com/work/17697&book=15588297


Slideshare YouTube


http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=pMcfrLYDm2U

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=pMcfrLYDm2U


But Libraries have not Shifted

…..enough

ShiftedLibrarian Blog

http://www.theshiftedlibrarian.com/



The New Users (1)• they are more fascinated by

new technologies• Multitasking is a way of life• Staying connected is

essential• Interactive, not isolation• Zero tolerance for delay

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/1595800239/sr=8-1/qid=1187356989/ref=dp_image_0/103-4673388-2195809?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books&qid=1187356989&sr=8-1


The New Users (2)• Actions are more important

than knowledge;• Learning by doing, not by

being told• Trial-and-error approach to

improvement is a viable model for learning

• Cut-and-Paste Culture


How can we turn that around?

From product-oriented to

user-oriented

Dig into user-environments !


Keep up with what they are

doing!


lab books

exhibitions

PDAs

learning management systems

campus portal

course materialtext book

personal collections

readinglists

Institutional repository

Digital collections

E-reserveCatalog Licensed

collections

Aggregations

Virtual reference

CatalogingILL

libraryuser environmentsresource environment

lab books

exhibitions

PDAs

learning management systems

campus portal

course materialtext book

personal collections

readinglists

Source: Lorcan Dempsey, Liber 2005

Lorcan Dempsey Blog


http://orweblog.oclc.org/



There is no “ONE” Frontdoor

And it certainly is not the Library website

– Put Library resources in users’ workflow– Create demand by visibility and

findability– Appear in multiple environments


libraryConsumer environmentsManagement environment

Licensed

Bought

Faculty&students

Digitized AggregationsResource sharing

…

Institutional WorkflowPortals, CMS, IR, …

PersonalWorkflowRSS, toolbars, ..

Network level workflowGoogle, …

Integratedlocal consumer environment?Library web presenceResource sharing, …

Integratedlocal consumer environment?Library web presenceResource sharing, …

Source: Lorcan Dempsey, CIC 2007


But how do we start to change?

A Quick Response & Long term Stuff


A Quick Response ..


The 4 step approach

• Explore and map all target user groups• Identify used resources and tools• Decide on short term actions : do it now!• Develop long-term strategy


Indentify and target used “resources”• Desktop application• Network distribution• Research tools • Virtual Learning or Research

Environments• Web-based (search, news, IM, etc)• Social software, ………..


User environmentBROWSER

OFFICE APSNETWORK

DESKTOP


“Quick and Easy”

Top Three “Tools”• the Desktop

(desktop search application)•The Office applications

(Research Task Pane)

•the Browser


The BrowserBrowser extensions

– GreaseMonkey– Bookmarklets– User scripts– Plugins (Gadgets & Widgets)– Toolbars!

Library Success : best practice wiki

http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Main_Page




QuickSearch Library Toolbar

www.conduit.com




Toolbar

• FREE and SAFE: No spam, spyware, pop-ups or adverts

• EASY: quick creation and maintenance; web-based

• IE and Firefox• Windows 2000 & Xp


How does it work?


To install or not to…..

• Some rights needed• Offer it via network if IT doesn’t let

you

• USB-stick with Portable Firefox!

“Your own portable library”

• Search functionality without Toolbar


• Search• Links; Sub-menu’s• Highlighting (also without search, word

count)• Virtual Reference Desk• Chat• E-Books

Included Functionality (1)


Included Functionality (2)

• RSS-feeds• Overview of Website content• Reply to Messages• Radio (Podcast)• Personal, Predefined, Useful• Additional settings


Included Functionality (3)• Top Frame in Browser• Searchboxes on webpages• Netvibes Search Modules

It Makes Search Flexible And Your Library Visible!

LibraryToolbar.blogspot.com




Top Frame on Browser Window

http://search.conduit.com/Search.aspx?ctid=CT142118&Name=PubMed&q=patellar%20tendon%20rupture

http://search.conduit.com/Search.aspx?ctid=CT142118&Name=PubMed&q=patellar%20tendon%20rupture

Central Medical Library, UMCG Digicmb.blogspot.comCMB toolbar

http://quicksearchcmbtoolbar.ourtoolbar.com/

Central Medical Library, UMCG Digicmb.blogspot.comFireFox browser

http://www.mozilla-europe.org/nl/products/firefox/


• create search options where YOU want it

•collect your own selection of search engines

• auto-add button to collect and record search engines.

• add search engines, even those without an installable search engine!

NeedleSearch

http://needlesearch.mozdev.org/

http://needlesearch.mozdev.org/


Netvibes

http://www.netvibes.com/digicmb


http://www.netvibes.com/


Netvibes UNIVERSE : publish your RESOURCES & TOOLS

Netvibes




The Long Term Stuff


• IN SYSTEMS – new central information system:

component-based software, no monolithic ILS– Open standards and protocols: inter-operability– modular web-based library services– Web 2.0 social software– use of logs stats, evaluate and re-use datasets– in more ways than one; platform independent

• but also in MIND SET

Structural changes needed


An example

“Building around the box”• From statistics to new services • From Metalib -> LiveTrix• Analysis Metalib Ligfiles: RUGSTATS

(Mail us at for a demo login)

LiveTrix

http://livetrix.ub.rug.nl/


Complex phrases

Dutch ! (obesity)

Quotes

Name handling

Name handling


Shocking Statistics (1)

50% zero or false results:

• Misspellings and typos in search terms•Picking databases at random• Unable to understand QuickSearch, MetaSearch, Find Database • Using the wrong search keys

Metalib statistics

http://rugstat.ub.rug.nl/

http://rugstat.ub.rug.nl/


Shocking Statistics (2)

• Using search keys wrong• Using Dutch search terms in English

language databases• Using non-specific terms, phrases

that are too broad• Lack of understanding of Boolean

logic or database peculiarities


LiveTrix = X-Server +Metalib

• XML• Working outside the box• Modulair, you can add/connect stuff,

flexible• Harvesting & analysing records• Statistics modules (from logfiles)

– Metalib statistics– SFX-statistics LiveTrix Blog & Wiki


Already implemented in LiveTrix (1)

• Discovery/suggestion tool (no pre-selection of database or subject!)

• Spellcheck/adviser • Translation• Query Analysis• Inline- SFX & lending info with OPAC

records• Impact factor info with Journals


Already implemented in LiveTrix (2)

• Relevant help at point of need• Related strings info

Alert service (RSS & Email)• Relation Databases• WorkBench• Bookmarks• TinyUrl creation DEMO



What are the Benefits of all this?

• increase usage collection & databases (on & off campus)

• More contact moments user vs. library• improve the awareness of library services

in general (branding)• boost unknown valuable resources• Posibilities to get better insight user search

patterns and needs


New Mindset

• Always try to improve

• Try even harder to reachout

• Get Out of The Library, Meet the User

• Keep an open mind, because

anything can happen ….


Building a Library in a Virtual “environment”

Second Life Library 2.0

www.infoisland.org

InfoIsland blog


Flickr: SL Library


Second Life =• Massive Multi-User Online Roleplaying “Game”

• More than a game, meet others

• Interact, Compete, Collaborate

• Teaching & learning; social learning

• Virtual communities

• Go anywhere, do anything

Second Life


Second Life Library Project

Libraries ScienceEducation ArtArchives TechnologyHealth HistorySimulation Teaching


Second Life : some figures

250.00 Residents in March 2006!

And now ..

Second Life News ALL-in-One


The Second Life Medical Library 2.0 at

HEALTHINFO ISLANDBlogging IN SL


Some Virtual Medical Sims in SL

• Virtual Neurological Education Center• HeartMurmer sim • GenePool• Anne Myers Medical Center• UC Davis’ Virtual Hallucinations• NLM Toxtown• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention • Play2Train• MD Kiosk : CEC Courses

Second Life Search Toolbar


• svensk grupp: 269• Second Sweden Renters:29• Made in Sweden:367• Second House of Sweden:501• Second Sweden Inhabitants:1,448• IBM Lotus Nordic:15• SLholic from Sweden:41• Stockholm:43• Biblioteksavatarer i Sverige:31• Swedish Embassy:1,001• Svensk nyborjarhjalp!:146


Thank you for your attention.

This is a mash-up of articles, presentations, blog-posts published on

these subjects, mixed with my experiences and opinions. You can find all of them

athttp://del.icio.us/digicmb/

UserEnvironment

http://del.icio.us/digicmb/UserEnvironment









Backup slides

Toolbar movie: http://www.rug.nl/Bibliotheek/locaties/bibCMB/informatie/toolbar/DemoToolbar2.html (online)

I:\prague\DemoToolbar2.html (USB)

http://www.rug.nl/Bibliotheek/locaties/bibCMB/informatie/toolbar/DemoToolbar2.html



getting in the flow! : how libraries can adapt to changing users and environments

Technology

virtual library

library resources

library website

library youtube

library success

library visible

problem library

search flexible