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Practical Examples: How Blogger, Del.icio.us and other Web 2.0 Tools

Have Enhanced Management, Support and Delivery of Reference Services in a Public Library

Pingsheng Chen

pschen@cwmars.orgElectronic Reference Supervisor

Worcester Public Library

10/10/2008

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What We Will Cover

• Blogger examples

• Delicious examples

• Google sites examples

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Blogger Examples

What is a blog?

A blog (weblog) is a popular online

communication tool. A typical blog contains

brief posts with timestamp in reverse

chronological order. Other features include

comments, categories/labels/tags and archives.

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Blogger Examples: Example 1

MCBAG Book Discussion 2008-2009http://mcbag.blogspot.com/

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Blogger Examples: Example 1 MCBAG Book Discussion 2008-2009

• Background: Before blog technology was available, the webmaster had to create web pages for the book information and an online form to collect children’s comments. After the librarian received comments, she had to make necessary changes, save them on disk and give the disk to the webmaster. Many steps and many hands were involved to update each entry and kids had to wait a few days to see their comments. In 2005 I set up this blog for our children’s service; we also decided we would like some customization.

• Function: a blog for outreach, readers’ advisory or a website allowing comments

• Customization: moderate comments, remove timestamp and blogger bar – Moderate Comments– Remove Timestamp– Remove blogger bar http://mcbag.blogspot.com/

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Example 1: Customization

Moderate Comments:

Login Blogger.com: Go to Settings Comments: choose Always for Comment Moderation and type an email address at Comment Notification

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Example 1: Customization

Remove Timestamp:

Go to Layout Edit Blog Posts: uncheck Date and Time

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Example 1: Customization

Remove blogger bar: Go to LayoutEdit HTML: Insert: #navbar-iframe { height:0px; visibility:hidden; display:none; } into the Template before </head>

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Blogger Examples: Example 2

ESL, GED and Citizenship Help

http://citizenshipservices.blogspot.com/

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Blogger Examples: Example 2 ESL, GED and Citizenship Help

• Background: Worcester is the second largest city in Massachusetts, with a population over 200,000. Like in Boston, the number of immigrants has been growing in the Worcester area. Many new immigrants have limited English language skills and lack high school diplomas. The need for access to ESL classes, GED classes and citizenship assistance has increased. Every day, new immigrants come to the library and ask where they can find classes and tutors to learn English and prepare for their GED. We feel there is a strong need to create and maintain lists of all ESL and GED classes in the area which we can give to patrons when they ask, and make the lists available online so they can be accessed from home.

• Function: informational or a website or web pages or a mini content management system

• Customization: (remove timestamp, not comments), no archive, one post on one page, create table of contents and link back to each post http://citizenshipservices.blogspot.com/

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Example 2: Customization

No archive: Go to Settings Archiving Archive Frequency: select No Archive

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Example 2: Customization

One post on the main page (each post becomesone webpage): Got to Settings FormattingShow: select 1 posts

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Example 2: Customization

Create Table of Contents: Go to Layout Add Gadget: choose Link List

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Example 2: Customization

Use each post’s url to create the links in Table of Contents

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Blogger Examples: Example 3

Reference and Youth Service Calendarshttp://refcalendar.blogspot.com/

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Blogger Examples: Example 3 Reference and Youth Service Calendars

• Background: Worcester Public Library has about 30 reference and youth services staff, with seven service points or desks to cover on three floors and many activities and meetings which staff members have to offer or to attend. Weekly scheduling is quite a challenge for schedulers because it is hard to know who is going to do what on any given week. So first, both departments use Google calendar to create multiple calendars to organize all the events. Second, we use blogger to display all those calendars. This simple and easy solution has helped us tremendously.

• Function: a calendar holder — use a blog to display multiple calendars

• Customization: (no comments, no timestamp), copy javascripts from Google calendar and paste into this blog(Note: Not all blog software supports javascript).

http://refcalendar.blogspot.com/

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Example 3: Customization

Go to Posting Create: Copy javascripts from Google calendar and paste into a new post area(Note: Not all blog software supports javascript)

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Blogger Examples: Example 4

eResources.Infohttp://wplrefer.blogspot.com/

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Blogger Examples: Example 3 eResources.Info

http://wplrefer.blogspot.com/

• Background: As an e-resources librarian, news on new databases and communication with vendors on various issues arrives to my email inbox on daily basis. It is difficult to keep up with those messages, let alone share and organize them for future reference. I created the eReference.Info blog to post and organize those messages and encourage staff members use the comments feature to leave their feedback for each new database. Now whenever I receive such a message, I forward it to all reference staff members and create a new posting on the blog using Mail-to-Blogger at the same time.

• Function: an internal informational blog, an online organizer with labels and other related e-resource information

• Customization: create Labels and use Mail-to-Blogger to create new postings

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Example 4: Customization

Use Labels to create Categories: Go to PostingCreate: Type keywords at Labers for this post

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Example 4: Customization

Use Mail-to-Blogger to create new postingsGo to Settings Email:

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Blogger Examples: Example 5

Regional Reference Center Blog

http://wplrefblog.blogspot.com/

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Blogger Examples: Example 5 Regional Reference Center Blog

• Background: Worcester Public Library is the largest library in Central Massachusetts and also the regional reference center. In order to better inform and share what WPL offers and provide a platform for reference librarians to discuss new developments and issues in reference field, we created this blog in 2007. So far, it is a success.

• Function: a blog for collaboration and sharing among librarians in Central Massachusetts regional libraries

• Customization: (use all basic settings including comments, labels, archives, timestamp and other links), Add Authors and RSS, change banner and colors, configure Comments, and more…

http://wplrefblog.blogspot.com/

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Example 5: Customization

Here are instructions for the following customization

1. Add authors: Settings/Permissions/Add Authors2. Change colors: Layout/Fonts and Colors3. Change banner: create a banner, then go to Layout/Page

Elements: upload new banner4. Add RSS: click on Add Gadget, then choose Subscription

Links5. Add content from other Feeds: Layout Add Gadget6. Use Feedburner to burn a feed for your blog:

www.google.com/support/feedburner/bin/topic.py?topic=13251

7. Add Search Box: http://tips-for-new-bloggers.blogspot.com/2007/02/add-blogger-search-box.html

8. Add site counter: http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=42078

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Delicious Examples

What is delicious?

Delicious is a social bookmarking service

that allows users to tag, save, manage

and share web pages.

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Delicious Examples: Example 1

Use delicious to organize resources for

Virtual reference work or training

• Useful UK websites: help QuestionPoint librarian to find answers for UK patrons http://delicious.com/wplrefe/UK

• Delicious libraries: for traininghttp://delicious.com/wplrefe/delicious_libraries

• WPL 2.0 projects: for training and easy access

http://delicious.com/wplrefe/WPL%3A2.0

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Delicious Examples: Example 2 http://delicious.com/wplrefe/Directories

Use it to select, organize and update web resources on the

Worcester Public Library website at www.worcpublib.org/

How to do it: Select and organize web resources in delicious, as shown below

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Delicious Examples: Example 2

Go to Settings Linkrolls: copy and paste the javascript to your website or blog.

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Delicious Examples: Example 2

After pasting the javascript into the library’s website, here is the resulting page.

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Delicious Examples: Example 2

Many academic libraries use delicious to create and update

subject guides. Here is an example: Italian Studies (The College of New Jersey):

http://www.tcnj.edu/~library/moulaison/ItalianStudies.html

You can also link to reference books in your catalog, as shown below.

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Google Sites Examples

What is Google sites?

Google Sites is a wiki offered by

Google, which lets you create web

pages, postings and to-do-lists and

organize your files and more.

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Google Sites Examples: Example 1

A website: Worcester County Writers (in progress)

http://sites.google.com/site/worcwriters/Home

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Google Sites Examples: Example 2

As a Content Management System: a website WPL Reference DivisionInfo http://sites.google.com/site/wplrefe/

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Google Sites Examples: Example 3

As a Project Management System: WPL Web 2.0

Projects: sites.google.com/site/wplrefe/Home/pc/testlist

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Google Sites Examples: Example 3

As a E-Resource Management System:

WPL Electronic Resource Management Center

http://sites.google.com/site/wplrefe/Home/pc/e-resources

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Google Sites Examples: Example 3

E-Resource Management System:

WPL Database Titles:

http://sites.google.com/site/wplerm/wpl-databases

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Google Sites Examples: Example 4

A File Cabinet: WPL E-Resource Brochures

http://sites.google.com/site/wplrefe/Home/pc/e-

resources/brochures

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You can see those web 2.0 tools have become my organizer, my

file cabinet, my communication and collaboration tool, my

bulletin board and my Dreamweaver, which have helped my

library to create and organize needed contents and make

them more accessible to our patrons and have helped to resolve

Many unresolved problems.

Mike Eisenberg, Dean Emeritus and Professor, University of

Washington said in Library Journal, May 1, 2008 that

"The major lesson for librarians from all this is that 'it's an information world out there! More and more, it's not about the technology; it's about information--finding, using, creating, combining, sharing and evaluating it. "

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Useful Links

• Tips for new bloggers: http://tips-for-new-bloggers.blogspot.com

• Blogger Hacks and Tips: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/top-10-blogger-hacks-and-tips/

• WPL Web 2.0 Examples: http://delicious.com/wplrefe/WPL%3A2.0

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Questions?

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Thank You!