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Building a Learning Communit y:Applying & Learning Web 2.0

Jane DysartDysart & Jones Associates

OLA, January 2009jane@dysartjones.com

How do you learn?

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Nurture Your Library & Grow Community Learning

• Technology & Web 2.0 • Learning 2.0

– Examples– Plan– Ideas

Technology is not going away!

• Pew Internet & American Life Project• http://www.pewinternet.org/

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Technology is not going away!• 75% of American adults use the internet; 78% own a

cell phone• 62% of young adult users have uploaded pictures to

Flickr; 34% of others• 58% of online teens have created their own profile on a

social network like MySpace or Facebook; and 35% of adults have a profile on a social networking site

• 39% of online teens have shared their own creations online (artwork, photos, stories, videos); 21% of adults

• 26% of young adults have worked on web pages or blogs for others, including those for groups they belong to, friends, or school assignments; 13% of adults do this

• 33% of college students keep blogs & post regularly; 54% read them; adults with blogs 12% & 35% read

Technology is not going away!• 57% of online adults have used the internet to watch or

download video. 19% do so on a typical day. 74% who have broadband access watch or download videos

• 28% of young adult internet users have uploaded videos to the web; 14% of adults

• 83% of online Americans have used the internet to pursue their hobbies; 27% have looked for housing online & according to the NAR over ¾ of home buyers in the US (77%) have used the net to help in their home search; games (1/2 adults; 4/5 young adults)

• 19% of online young adults have created an avatar that interacts with others online; adults 6%

• 60% of online teens use the internet at libraries

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Technology

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Web 2.0 Definition Tim O’Reilly – What is Web 2.0http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/

2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html

Platform of participationWeb as platform, users participation, collaboration,

interactivity, conversationsUsing content to make connections among peopleRead/write web with an architecture of participation

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“Web 2.0 generally refers to a second generation of services available on the WWW that lets people

collaborate and share information online.” Wikipedia

• Shared Pictures = • Shared Knowledge =• Shared Bookmarks =• Shared News = • Shared Videos =• Shared Everything =

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Web 1.0 vs Web 2.0

Web 1.0• Britannica Online• Personal websites• Publishing • Content management

systems• Directories,

taxonomies

Web 2.0• Wikipedia• Blogging• Participation• Wikis

• Tagging & folksomonies

Pickering Library 2.0 Manifesto• Recognize universe of info culture is changing fast and we

need to respond• Educate ourselves about today’s info culture• Recognize libraries change slowly, but will work to expedi te• Courageous abut proposing new services & new ways of

providing services• Enjoy excitement and fun of positive change• Let go of previous practices if there is a better way• Take an experimental approach to change, and be willing to

make mistakes• Won’t wait for something to be perfect before release & use

feedback to make changes• Avoid making users see things the “library way”• Go where users are, online and physical spaces

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Defining Learning 2.0Learning is a result of this program

Exploration and Discovery

Play, Work and Risk

The idea originally came form Stephen Abram (Sirsi/Dynix). He wanted a way to learn new and emerging technologies. He came up with a list of 43 things he wanted to learn about over the next year, specifically related to Web 2.0. Blog, Wiki’s RSS feeds etc…..

Helene Blowers with PLCMC came up with the formalized curriculum of Learning 2.0

Self pacedSelf study 23 things

http://stephenslighthouse.sirsi.com/

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23 Learning 2.0 Things• Week 1: Introduction

• Week 2: Blogging

• Week 3: Photos & Images

• Week 4: RSS & Newsreaders

• Week 5: Play Week

• Week 6: Tagging, Folksonomies & Technorati

• Week 7: Wikis

• Week 8: Online Applications & Tools

• Week 9: Podcasts, Video & Downloadable audio

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SirsiDynix Session -- Free

• Helene Blowers —Technology Director, Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County

• Learning 2.0 : Make "play" your New Year's resolution

• Jan 09, 2007• http://sirsidynixinstitute.com/seminar_page.php?

sid=74

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Popular Learning Tool

• 85,000 library workers worldwide• 45 countries• 18 languages

Learning 2.0 Libraries• York City Library 2.0 Exploration• 23Things Remixed for Nonprofits• 23 Things to Learn• St Michael's Learning 2• OCLS Learn 2.0• California School Library Learning

2.0 • ECU Library Learning 2.0 • NC Government Libraries -

Learning Web 2.0 • RCPL » 2.0 Project Timeline • School Library Learning 2.0 • Ultimo College Library -Learning

2-0 • KCLS Learning 2.0 - 27 Things

• 23 Ting: Vekommen• Bayside Online Learning• MSB-bloggen » Introduktion• Learning 2.0 @ Mac• GCPLS Social Networking

Contest• gcplswiki » Contest Outline• TBLC Library 2.0 Challenge• Maryland Libraries Learning

2.0• CARL Web Learning 2.0• Yarra Plenty Online Learning • PVLD Learning 2.0• SJPL & SJUL Learning 2.0• LCPL's Learning 2.0 • MRRL Learning *Library* 2.0

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Best Practices in Learning 2.0

• Don’t confuse learning with training• Design the program for late bloomers• Allow participants to blog anonymously• Use 1.0 methods to continually

communicate• Focus on “discovery” & offer challenges• Encourage staff to work together

Best Practices in Learning 2.0

• It’s not about “doing IT right”• Practice transparency & enable radical

trust• Remember your culture and how you want

it to change• Continually encourage “play”• Consider rewards – they work and focus

attention

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Best Practice

• Involve top management – team, director, trustees, …

• Demonstrate involvement, respect and valuing employee learning

• Consider involving users

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Sean Robinson, Information Technology, Allen County Public Library

These are the steps we took

Educate your decision makers about Learning 2.0

Find others within your organization that are early adopters. You might have to hunt a little but they are out there!

Get permission to move forward

Know why you are doing this

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Create a teamAllen County PL Steps

• Create a team • Stages in project development:– Write vision statement– Plan the actions– Identify the resources– Implement the acti ons– Monitor and review

and evaluate– Conclude

ACPL Vision Statement• Core Competencies & Learning 2.0 at ACPL: The most important resource to our

organization is its staff.

• Supporting and encouraging our employees to continue to explore and develop new technological skills is the only way to keep pace with changes that we are experiencing.

• Our goal is to provide a sustainable program that provides opportunities for staff to increase their skill levels in an open a sharing environment and guarantees them success.

• We are proposing a plan to build on our existing curriculum and develop it further using the successful model of the Public Library of Charlotte Mecklenburg County (PLCMC).

• This program is designed with two components “Core Competencies” and “Learning 2.0”• Core Competencies are a set of building blocks that staff can use to build and

strengthen their existing technology skills. • Core Competencies focus on ensuring that everyone has the essential skills to perform

their jobs. • Learning 2.0 is centered on exploration and discovery. It investigates new and

emerging technologies that are affecting the library world. The goal is to expose staff to new tools, encourage play, empower individuals and eliminate fear.

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ACPL TimetableWhat are the your 23 things? Do you need to have 23 things?

How are you going to present this to the staff?

What is your launch date?

How much time do you need to get your material together?

Is there a marketing need?

Do you need incentives?

Who is going to do what? Will you steal material from other programs or develop content in house?

Will you do anything special to launch the program?

Are there other groups that need to be educated about this program and do you need their buy-in?

Here are the steps we took.

We decided there were other groups that we needed to educate about the Learning 2.0 program. We needed to talk to them. The leader of the team took on this challenge.

We decided that instead of 23 things we were just going to study 21 things.

Beg, borrow, steal, invent!

We set a deadline for this project. Set milestones. Defined victories and celebrated!

We then divided up the 21 things amongst the team members.

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ACPL 21 things: 1.Read the blog about this Learning 2.0 program: 2.Read 7 habits of lifelong learners: 3.Check out ACPL blogs and make a post to each: 4.Setup your own blog to track your progress in this program: 5.Check out Flickr and view ACPL images: 6.Study ACPL Sook and Book Wall as mashup examples: 7.Setup an RSS Reader: 8.Add ACPL Blogs as well as other favorites to your RSS Reader: 9.Read about Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 and blog your thoughts: 10.Play with an online image generator: 11.Roll your own search tool with Rollyo: 12.Learn about tagging and discover Del.icio.us: 13.Explore Technocrati and learn how tags work with blogs: 14.Use LibraryThing to catalog your own collection: 15.Explore MySpace: 16.Learn about Wikis and how libraries are using them: 17.Check out the AskACPL wiki and add an entry: 18.Check out the Web 2.0 award winners and pick a tool to explore: 19.Explore YouTube and check out the ACPL videos: 20.Explore podcasts and check out NEIRRS podcast: 21.Summarize and reflect on your experiences in your blog

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What we did to market Learning 2.0

Buttons

T-Shirts

License to Play

Tools that are free

Collaborative wiki tool

Audacity Free software for creating podcasts

Wink: Free software for creating screen casts

http://www.pbwiki.com

http://download-audacity.org

http://www.debugmode.com/wink

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Why Learning 2.0?

Why Learning 2.0?

People are expensive, technology is cheap!

Another SDI Session

• Christine Mackenzie —Chief Executive Officer, Yarra Plenty Regional Library

• Hopping into Library 2.0 : Experiencing Lifelong Learning

• Feb 05, 2007 • http://www.sirsidynixinstitute.com/seminar

_page.php?sid=75

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Resources

• PLCMC Learning 2.0 Blog• http://plcmcl2-about.blogspot.com/• 43 Things I might want to do this year

Information Outlook (Feb. 2006) by Stephen Abram

• http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FWE/is_2_10/ai_n16133338

• Yarra Plenty Online Learning• http://yarraplentyonlinelearning.blogspot.com/20

06/09/learning-20-begins.html

Resources

Special Libraries Association, Innovation Lab• a place where you can play and discover uses

for the latest emerging technologies.• variety of Web 2.0 software learning tools to

help you become more business savvy and technologically adept.

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Learning 2.1• Helen Blowers latest PLCMC innovation• Learning 2.1: Explore... Discover... Play! is the

continuation of Learning 2.0

• http://explorediscoverplay.blogspot.com/• Mashing up 21st century skills with lifelong learning• Requested by staff very often. It is an ongoing list of

‘things’ with guest bloggers rotating and taking the helm each month as Learning Guides.

• There is a public Learning 2.1 Ning network as well as a Learning 2.1 Wiki; http://explorediscoverplay.ning.com/

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Communities

• Facebook– Mar 08, 67 million (MySpace 110)– Jan 09, 150 active monthly users– Top 3 countries: UK, US, Canada– 55K regional work-related, collegiate & high

school networks– Groups: SLA 1497, Librarians & Facebook

4497, Lib 2.0 5081, NextGen Librarians 2537– Obama phenomena

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Learning Opps

• K-12, colleges, universities, continuing• Half (48%) of tech users need help from

others in getting new devices and services to work, and many experience tech outages when there is a glitch with their home internet connection, computer, or cell phone. Coping with these failures is a hassle for many tech users and helps to distance them from technology use.

Learning Together: Libraries & Communities

Blogs: finding information, commenting, creating your own – community history, sports, book clubs

RSS: to manage the information flowFlickr: community highlights, historyWikis: community experts (young & old) and

resourcesSocial Networking sites; community Ning

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http://ihcpl.blogspot.com/

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A Revolution in Learning

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It’s all about . . .

• Exposing yourself & your community to new tools

• Encouraging PLAY• Empowering individuals• Expanding the knowledge toolbox• Eliminating FEAR

Try it, have funLet me know how you’re doing

Slides: www.dysartjones.comThank you

Jane DysartDysart & Jones Associates

www.dysartjones.comjane@dysartjones.com