RA* On Web 2.0

LIS 5313 – Fall 2009

Elaine W

*Readers’ Advisory Service

RA (Readers’ Advisory) is a line

of communicationbetween a reader

and the readers’ advisor.

Before the Internet, RA had limited hours…

…and limited points of contact.

Then came the Internet …and Web 2.0.

Now, you can provide

customers access to

what they want,

when they want it,

and how they want it

by using Library 2.0 Tools.

This is the face of

RA on Web 2.0

Here’s some easy steps to getting “high” on Web

2.0…

Blogs

A blog is a personal diary.

A daily pulpit.

A collaborative space.

A political soapbox.

A breaking-news outlet.

A collection of links.

Your own private thoughts.

Memos to the world.

Blogs have three basic components:

chronology

frequency

focus

You can use blogs from other bloggers…

You can create your own blog…

…using

..or

…or

…or

…or

RSS

RSS =

Really Simple Syndication

or

Rich Site Summary

This is the icon for RSS

RSS is

…a format for notifying your readers of new content at a website.

Add RSS syndication so your readers will know when you’ve made updates to your page.

You don’t want them to miss out on important postings!

Comments

Invite your readers to make comments.

Comments enable the conversation that is so important to RA services…

Social Tags

Tags are single-word descriptors --

Tags are a simple way to categorize books according to how you think of them, not how some official librarian does.

Tags make it easier for your readers to find what they want.

Social Sites

A Social Site is…

…a Web site that provides a virtual community for people

interested in a particular subject.

Members create their own online “profile”…

&

…they communicate with each other.

There are many social sites for book lovers…

…such as…

…and…

…and…

…and…

…and…

Use “Social Sites” to hold online conversations between your readers and your readers’ advisors!

New Hours

One of the best benefits to online RA Services are the hours…

That’s right…

Now you can offer access…… anytime, anywhere for

everyone.

Put it all together and

you get…

RA On Web 2.0

No one does it better Hennepin County Library…

Winner of the 2006-2007 Technology Solutions

Award

BookSpace is building a community of readers…

Become part of the community by visiting:

http://www.hclib.org/pub/bookspace/

So go online…

and start “talking”

Image credits:Readers' Advisory area

by flickr user Lucius Beebe Memorial Library

Me, rocking at the reference desk

by flickr user revjim5000

chapter 8 - community building through social networking by flickr user davidking

Lester Public Library Hours

by flickr user lester public library

open 24/7 by flickr user mag3737

MusicEuroDance Evolution –

Zeroes to Heroesby Jamendo user Lion Dance

Edited by Elaine W

2009