LIS 768: Library 2.0 & Social Networking Technologies
Section 01, Fall 2007
Wednesdays, 6:00pm to 9:00pm
Main Campus Crown 330
Michael Stephens, Assistant Professor
Graduate School of Library and Information Science
Dominican University
Contact Information: (708) 524-6603 / mstephens@dom.edu / AIM: mstephens7mac
Office hours: Wednesdays 4:00pm-5:30pm or by appointment
Main Course Web Site: http://L2course.wordpress.com
“The new tools provide powerful options for working with data, text, sound, and images. …. There is, predictably, an increasing departure in information handling from the simple pattern of read, think, then write. Computers are used for so much more than the traditional notion of “computing.’”
--Michael Buckland, Redesigning Library Services, 1992
Library scholars such as Michael Buckland offer plans for change and the redesign of our library services. Virtual communities have thrived since the early 1980s. Now, Web 2.0 is the next incarnation of the World Wide Web, where digital tools allow users to create, change, and publish dynamic content of all kinds. Other Web 2.0 tools syndicate and aggregate this content. We will all be publishers and creators of our own information and entertainment channels with these applications. Web 2.0 is one signifier of a broader cultural shift: toward an open, collaborative and participatory society.
Web 2.0 definitions and discussion center around such concepts as openness, connectedness, participation and ease of use. It makes sense, then, that discussions of Web 2.0 leads to applying 2.0 thinking to library services. Some libraries are even at the cutting edge: offering web 2.0 services for their users. How can we make sense of it all? How can we incorporate new technologies into our own library services? What are the benefits?
Casey & Savastinuk write: “The heart of Library 2.0 is user-centered change. It is a model for library service that encourages constant and purposeful change, inviting user participation in the creation of both the physical and the virtual services they want, supported by consistently evaluating services. It also attempts to reach new users and better serve current ones through improved customer-driven offerings. Each component by itself is a step toward better serving our users; however, it is through the combined implementation of all of these that we can reach Library 2.0.”
“While not required, technology can help libraries create a customer-driven, 2.0 environment. Web 2.0 technologies have played a significant role in our ability to keep up with the changing needs of library users. Technological advances in the past several years have enabled libraries to create new services that before were not possible, such as virtual reference, personalized OPAC interfaces, or downloadable media that library customers can use in the comfort of their own homes. This increase in available technologies gives libraries the ability to offer improved, customer-driven service opportunities.”
This course will examine various theories of library service, the social use of information, the advent of social networking tools, the creation of online collaboration and communities via those tools and their adoption by libraries as well as the rise of Library 2.0 thinking, a service philosophy born out of discussions of Web 2.0 and participatory library services. Students will experience an immersive learning environment via blogs, wikis, IM and social networking sites. We will discuss the definitions of Library 2.0, examine the tools and examine what this shift means for libraries in the 21st Century.
At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:
· demonstrate an understanding of Web 2.0 and social software
· demonstrate an understanding of the principles, concepts and ideas of Library 2.0 and participatory library service
· apply a 2.0 philosophy to libraries and library service
· utilize various online 2.0 tools to experience, discuss, and evaluate those tools as they can be related to library services
· describe the role of social software tools and online communities in the library world
· understand of the social and cultural backdrop from which Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 thinking emerged.
Each student will have the use of a Windows workstation that is connected to the Internet and the World Wide Web during some class meetings. Students are required to have active Dominican logins on the network. Students will create blogs, a wiki, IM screennames, and get accounts at various social network sites.
Students will need active Dominican University student email and Web accounts. Forms are available in the Technology Lab, Lewis Hall ground floor.
Library 2.0 A Guide to Participatory Library Service by Michael Casey and Laura Savastinuk, InfoToday, 2007.
Readings for each week are posted on the course blog. In addition, the blog contains a downloadable “Living Bibliography” that compiles all these books, articles, and other readings in one document.
Class Participation, Discussion & Blogging: Attend every class and participate in discussions. You are expected to have read the assigned material and come to class prepared to discuss and critique these readings. In addition, you will receive various readings in class for discussion and reflection. You are always encouraged to bring additional literature to the attention of the class. Weekly 200 word blog posts will also serve as a reflection journal as we move through the principles and tools of Library 2.0. 20 points
Web 2.0 Tool Exploration: Brief, weekly in class or online assignments will allow you to explore and experience tools such as Flickr, YouTube and MySpace. 10 points
RSS Assignment: Create an RSS portal via Bloglines or NetVibes to keep informed about current developments and innovations in libraries. You will use the portal throughout the assignment to gather content for blog posts, class discussion and your projects. A short reflection piece posted to student blogs will detail your thinking about the usefulness of RSS. 10 points
Bookmarking/Tagging Assignment: Students will collaboratively create an article/site list via the social bookmarking tool del.icio.us, tagging and notating Web resources. The result will be an open, shared Web resource that reflects the wisdom and critical thinking of the class as a whole. 10 points
Group Project: Groups will brainstorm and design an L 2.0 service targeting a specific user group or type of library. Use open source software tools to create a working model that could be implemented. Small groups of three to five students each will collaborate to develop a plan to implement a new technology or social software application in a library setting. The plan should address elements that will be explored in the units on project planning and evaluation. The project should include a presentation and prototype. Groups should use social software applications to collaborate on project development and document in a brief paper how social software contributed to (or hindered) project success. Students will receive two grades, an individual grade and a group grade. Further details on the project will be described when the unit on project planning begins. 25 points
Research Paper: 12-15 pages. You will write an in depth, well-researched paper centered on one of the theories, principles, issues, or tools of Web 2.0/Library 2.0. The paper should reflect your opinions, a thorough literature review and offer ideas for the future of libraries in a 2.0 world. 25 points
There are 100 total possible points for this course, as broken down above. All assignments will be due at the beginning of the class period. Late assignments will receive a 1 point reduction in grade for each day late. All written work should be clear and error free. Writing style counts for this class.
Students of the university must conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards of academic honesty and integrity. Failure to maintain academic integrity will not be tolerated. The following definitions are provided for your understanding and clarity.
Definitions of Plagiarism, Cheating and Academic Dishonesty: Student plagiarism is the deliberate presentation of the writing or thinking of another as the student’s own. In written or oral work a student may make fair use of quotations, ideas, images, etc., that appear in others’ work only if the student gives appropriate credit to the original authors, thinkers, owners, or creators of that work. This includes material found on the Internet and in electronic databases.
Cheating entails the use of unauthorized or prohibited aids in accomplishing assigned academic tasks. Obtaining unauthorized help on examinations, using prohibited notes on closed-note examinations, and depending on others for the writing of essays or the creation of other assigned work are all forms of cheating.
Academic dishonesty may also include other acts intended to misrepresent the authorship of academic work or to undermine the integrity of the classroom or of grades assigned for academic work. Deliberate acts threatening the integrity of library materials or the smooth operation of laboratories are among possible acts of academic dishonesty.
Plagiarism is unacceptable and will result in not be tolerated.
See Purdue University's "Avoiding Plagiarism" at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html, Georgetown University's "What is Plagiarism," at http://www.georgetown.edu/honor/plagiarism.html, or Indiana University's "Plagiarism: What It Is and How To Recognize and Avoid It" at http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml if you feel unsure about what is and is not considered acceptable behavior when using other people's words and ideas.
If you are a student with special learning needs for which you may be requesting an accommodation, please contact the instructor no later than the end of the first class period. If you have other life circumstances which arise during the semester for which you may be requesting accommodations or exception to policy, please notify the instructor as soon as possible.
(subject to modification)
|
Date |
Topic |
Readings Due |
Assignments Due |
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Week 1: Sept 5
|
Course Intro, Web 2.0 Intro, Library 2.0, Social Life of Information |
See course blog. (There is a page for each week.)
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Week 2: Sept 12
|
Hands On Class – Blogs & RSS |
See course blog. |
Blog post, RSS feeds |
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Week 3: Sept 19
|
Redesigning Library Services, Social Information & Virtual Communities |
See course blog.
|
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Week 4: Sept 26
|
Participatory Service & The Long Tail, Maricopa |
See course blog. |
Research paper Topic Due |
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Week 5: Oct 3
|
Flickr, Tagging, Wikis & Podcasting |
See course blog. |
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Week 6: Oct 10
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IM (Online Class?) |
See course blog. |
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Week 7: Oct 17
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Social Networking Sites Library Thing |
See course blog. |
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Week 8: Oct 24
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Planning for New Technologies User Generated Content & YouTube
|
See course blog. |
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Week 9: Oct 31
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RSS (Online Class?) |
See course blog. |
RSS Reflection |
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Week 10: Nov 7
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Gaming & Games in Libraries |
See course blog. |
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Week 11: Nov 14
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Planning & Individual Consultations / Lab Time / Tool Exploration |
See course blog. |
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Week 12: Nov 28
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Group Presentations |
See course blog. |
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Week 13: Dec 5
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Group Presentations |
See course blog. |
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Week 14: Dec 12
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The Library 2.0 Library |
See course blog. |
Research Paper Due
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Week 15: Dec 19 |
Course Wrap Up |
See course blog. |
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