I was introduced to Netvibes at Internet Librarian (via Steven’s Trends in Blogs, RSS, Wikis, and Other Stuff presentation), and I started thinking…. my library has talked on and off for years about creating some type of personalized “my library” page. This page would allow library customers to link to whatever they want, and of course it would also link to library information, like the library catalog. But for one reason or another, we haven’t gotten to that project yet…

Thankfully, we might not ever have to do that – enter Netvibes! Netvibes is, in essense, pretty much what we were thinking about. It searches Google, Yahoo, Wikipedia, and IceRocket. It lets you add links (and tag them). It lets you access your email (well, Gmail, anyway). It lets you subscribe to feeds (the screenshot above includes some of my library’s RSS feeds, plus my del.icio.us and flickr feeds).

And, if you’re a Dynix user – you can include Library ELF – to access your library account information. OK – I also included Kansas City area weather, for kicks.

There’s a lot of If’s here – only Gmail, only Dynix, etc. – but still. I find this type of service pretty cool. Why?

1. It has library implications. A library can offer it to customers right out of the box, and it can actually be useful.
2. This, like much of the web, is in beta. But can you imagine what it or a similar service (My Yahoo, anyone) will be doing in a year or two?
3. Helping customers organize “their web.” My guess is that many of our customers don’t use much of the web – they frequent a small number of websites, and use Google when they need more information. Why not teach those users to organize their digital life with something like netvibes? And in the process, teach them how to link to, say, your library’s RSS feeds, the library catalog, the databases page, etc.

web2 netvibes web20 web2.0 library 2.0 library2.0

Jennny at The Shifted Librarian said this about libraries that don’t allow public IM:

“And guess what? Your library sounds the same way if you tell patrons (of any age) that they can’t IM from your library because that’s not a valid use of your public computers. You’re basically telling people that their choice of communication channel isn’t allowed and that they should go elsewhere because you won’t be serving them today.”

I agree with Jenny. I really do. But… and I don’t necessarily agree with the reasons I’m going to list… I can see reasons why a library would not allow IM’ing from a public PC. Here are the reasons I came up with (with some comments by me):

1. Don’t want to mess with the software. There could be a number of reasons for this: worries about malware, viruses, etc (viruses can be spread by IM applications – although they can also be prevented with virus protection software). There’s also training and support issues.

Answer: A few answers, really. Answer #1 – deal with it. Your customers most likely want to IM, and you should help them achieve this goal. Answer #2 – point customers to web-based IM solutions. Answer #3 – Install good virus protection software. Answer #4 – Bite the bullet and train your staff. Then train your customers (if they need it – most likely many of them won’t).

2. Have policies about email, IM, chat, etc. I have been to libraries that have policies against using email, chat, and even online shopping services! While I don’t agree with those policies… at least the libraries are following their own guidelines.

Answer: Change your policy. And see #3 below:

3. Don’t think of the web as communication. Traditionally, libraries haven’t had to deal with communication – they have dealt with the storage and findability of information (yeah, yeah – I know that the written word is a form of communication. Just hear me out). But with the advent of the web, that traditional role has been altered, and some librarians have yet to catch up with the change.

The web is information. Traditionally-minded librarians know how to deal with that, at least on some level. But… the web is also communication – through email, chat services, IM, discussion boards, blogs, etc. And librarians are new to this whole communication thing. We haven’t had to train customers to use the phone, turn on the radio or tv, or write letters (although we might have books that discuss this stuff). But now, we’re having to deal with it. I have taught Email Basics classes. Others I know teach about blogs, rss, chat, IM, etc.

It’s high time for libraries to figure this stuff out. Thankfully, many have. But my guess is that some libraries “out there” are still trying to figure out “what should be done about this whole web thing.” This post is really more for those libraries (although they probably aren’t reading my blog).

So, a solution… Hmm… that’s hard, because I “get it.” Here’s my attempt. For some, they’ll pick up on the “web-as-communication” idea through continued browsing of library-related articles, and through continued attendance at library conferences (and hopefully attending the right sessions). Others will pick it up over time, as more of their customers mention, complain, nag, and ask for these kinds of services.

But what about those that simply don’t want to understand? Those that don’t want to accept that the web is much more than a large, online version of a general article index, or just one of many other material types that a library “collects?” That the web is a new thing altogether, and libraries need to change policies along with the changing times?

Good question, and also hard to answer. I’d love to see other answers. Here are mine:
1. Some will quit, move on, or retire. Problem solved.
2. Some will need to be prodded by supervisors, administration, etc. Problem solved.
3. Some need extra hand holding: continued explanations, continued examples of how “new stuff” works, and more importantly how it helps customers, library staff, etc.

Am I leaving anything out?

InfoCommuner just mentioned a web project that is an absolutely amazing idea.

Definitely read the whole post, but MOST definitely read the part about Project Insect. This project could involve blogs, video, chat, and web pages to interact with and engage library customers.

Wow.

Reading Michael’s section about presence and online social networks made me think… there are lots of new, cool online social types of stuff out there. And I know how to use them as an individual. But how can libraries use them? What would that actually look like?

Here’s one idea, sorta shooting off something my library already does. We have subject blogs that focus on local and library content. But what if we took that concept a little further? What if a library developed a localized online social network?”

For example, my library has a fiction Subject Guide, and we have book clubs that do the traditional book club stuff – meetings at our library, reading books and discussing them, and socializing in the process. But how about this as a new paradigm for an online book club: posting a list of books to read on the book club’s blog. Making comments about the books on the blog, or in the comments section of the blog post. Or wiki’ing the comments, and allowing book club “members” to change/add/edit comments. Blogging about the book, with comments on those blog posts. Using a wiki to plan physical social gatherings. Communicating via IM or SMS when some cool, inspiring thing hits you that’s related to your reading. Using Flickr to post actual author events and social gatherings.

Get the idea? Don’t be scared by the idea of some high-falutin’, formalized “Social Network” … It’s about connecting with each other, even when you can’t be physically present.

Comments welcome…