Useful Web 2.0 applications and Libraries

Each library must find the right web 2.0 applications that helps them to meet their users needs. Not every libraries demographic is the same, therefore they need different tools. There is not much point putting time and effort into something that library users would not access. It would be much better to find out what your current users want first, before launching into some thing new.

Once libraries have found out what their current users would like, the library then needs to consider if they have some one with the skills and time to commit to the 2.0 project. There may be a need to recruit new staff or train current staff. New training opportunities for current staff may be hard to come by, so this may be a way of increasing their professional development.

Libraries do have to keep up with the times and having a presence online using relevant Web 2.0 tools shows that the library is modern and aware of what people are doing in their spare time. This should lead to a promotion of the library in places it may not have been seen before. Meeting our customers in other places shows that we can adapt. Hopefully attracting some new users as a result!

I think it puts libraries at a disadvantage if it seems that they are trying too hard or not doing something very well. For example people may not be interested in the libraries attempts to "be cool" by using Facebook and twitter. If the Web 2.0 tools that libraries are or want to use do not add value, then their use should be reconsidered. All Web 2.0 tools take time to set up and maintain so each choice must be considered carefully. If, after a trial period, no added value is found or the project has not met its objectives, the decision to stop and move on should be made. Libraries should not continue down a path just because they should be doing something, if its not working for them.

The technologies that libraries use should promote their services, share information and engage with users. I think that Blogs are a great way to do all these things. They can engage users and get interaction happening within the community. The library could make announcements, preview what's new, promote events happening in the library (or the community as a whole if its a small town) and have book reviews to get people interested. Making a comment on a blog is such an easy way to give feedback. Library staff just need to ensure that posts are made regularly to maintain users interest.

On the whole I think that the hardest part will be chosing which Web 2.0 tools to use in your library to gain the most benefit not only for current users, but for staff and future users of your service.

Open source software and Libraries

Open source software's biggest advantage would be that because the underlying programming code to the software is available to any one with the knowledge to read it, changes can be made to suit your library and newer versions built without having to purchase new software. It would enable the library to have greater control over their software. It is flexible enough that it could be modified to suit any unusual situations they may have. They could then share these upgrades to the program with other libraries thus enhancing their systems as well.

Currently libraries outlive any software producer or vendor. The support for obsolete versions of software is withdrawn after a length of time, thus they have no alternative but to upgrade their software. Since libraries have such large volumes of data, even small changes require a huge effort in conversion and disruption to services. Thus if they could share and update software between themselves, they could support each other and not have to continually purchase new software. The open source software could be used for an extended length of time with improvements that have been tried and tested elsewhere first.

The open source software can be free, but even if it has to be purchased, would still be at a lower cost than the software packages brought off the shelf. There would also not be the ongoing cost of having to purchase new software every five or so years when the system you are using loses technical support.

The first hurdle to overcome is that there would be a need for a person or persons within the organisation who can understand the source code of the software enough to know what the software can do and be able to make changes that advantage your library. There is a need for technical knowledge and expertise that the library may not have access to. They would also have to install the software and make sure that it is working the way that it is supposed to. The saving in not buying the proprietary software could more than cover the costs of these technical positions (I would imagine.) But does every library need such expertise?

The lack of warranty and technical support may worry some Library Boards when they are considering what their library needs. There may be limited but no formal support for the software from the maker. Especial if it has experienced a lot of changes since being released.

The technical person or team would also have to be able to write the manual to go with the software so that it could be used by the library. Even though the software is available, it would come with limited user documentation. Any changes that the library made and shared would have to be documented.

There may also be open source software available that cannot be used on the libraries current hardware, which also must be taken into consideration by those with the technical knowledge.

On the whole there is much open source software available for general use, two that are familiar to me are Moodle and Google Docs. Open source software can be very reliable and outperform the comparable off the shelf software, so it is well worth the time to find out what other libraries have made work for them and follow suit. This would over come the problem of having your own staff available to support or modify the open source software. Also the more users the software has the more useful and error free it will be.

Cloud computing and Libraries

To begin with the advantages of cloud computing:

• Maintaining servers is not our core business, so being able to access all the software and programs that libraries use, without having the server on site, would be a big saving in hardware cost and the technical people to maintain them.



• The ongoing cost of upgrading the technology would be borne by all the participants using the cloud.



• Freeing up of space in the library. There would no longer need to be a room solely dedicated to the server.



• There should be better networks and higher data speeds as a spin off from these clouds.



• The library should have access to more applications than they could have afforded to buy previously.



• Libraries should not end up with hardware or software that is not suitable because it could be tried from the cloud first and if it does not do the job it is required to do, another solution could be found. Thus there is no costly mistake, one that has to be worked with for years because they cannot afford to change.
  

There are disadvantages that need to be considered when looking at investing in the use of an off site server:

• Local broadband may not be faster or cheap enough to move big chunks of data to and from the web. (This may change though if more people are using such a service which could reduce the cost.)



• Service providers may calculate fees on what you are sending to and receiving from the server. (Once again with enough users the cost may come down so as to make this option of cloud computing a viable one for smaller and medium size businesses such as libraries).



• There could also be a problem with the portability of your data if you want to shift it to another cloud because there currently is no defined standard on how this would work.



• There will always be security concerns. (Libraries need to be able to ensure that they can assure themselves and their users that they have asked the right questions in regards to these security fears from the point of view of the server. They also need to ensure that the security settings on all the computers that they use at the Library are correct, then I think that they have done all that they can possibly be expected to do.)



• There will also be privacy concerns especially if the cloud is not in the same country as the users. For example America has different privacy laws to Australia and the information stored in the cloud if it was in America would be subject to American privacy laws which could cause concerns for Australian users.



• If the Internet is off line there will be no access to the server. (If the Internet is down for any length of time people would need increased access books for their information, making libraries more popular, but the loans system would probably be down too meaning we could not lend in the usual way!)

On balance I think that cloud computing could be very beneficial to all libraries, it just requires some research to find the best cloud for their circumstances.