Anderson. P. (2007). What is Web 2.0? Ideas, technologies and implications for education. JISC, Technology & Standards Watch, (February), 2-12. Retrieved from http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/techwatch/tsw0701b.pdf
Anderson. P. (2007). 'All That Glisters Is Not Gold' Web 2.0 And The Librarian. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 39(4), 195-198. doi: 10.1177/0961000607083210
Hartley, J. (2009). The uses of digital literacy. Queensland: University of Queensland Press.
Heath, F. (2009). Documenting the Global Conversation: Relevancy of Libraries in a Digital World. Journal of Library Administration, 49(5), 519-532. doi: 10.1080/01930820903090896
Levy, M. (2009). Web 2.0 implications on knowledge management. Journal of Knowledge Management, 13(1), 120-134. doi: 10.1108/13673270910931215
Missingham, R. (2009). Encouraging the digital economy and digital citizenship. The Australian Library Journal, 58(4), 386-399. Retrieved from http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy.csu.edu.au
Vise, D.A., (2005). The Google Story. New York, USA: Bantam Dell.
Watkins, S.C., (2009). The Young & The Digital: What the Migration to Social Network Sites, Games, and Anytime, Anywhere Media Means for Our Future. Boston, Massachusetts: Beacon Press.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Encouraging the digital economy and digital citizenship (Roxanne Missingham, 2009)
This article discusses information choices for those living in rural Australia. The article outlines achievements of libraries in supporting Australians to become more digitally adept (Missingham, 2009, pg. 387). It discusses the relevance and importance public libraries have in rural communities. It discusses the amount of Australians that have broadband access (64%) however suggests that those Australians living outside capital cities, not having rapid broadband access means that pdf files may not open, videos cannot be played, and access to quality information is limited by the extra costs of subscriptions (Missingham, 2009, pg. 388).
It is important that Australians living in rural communities have access to information resources. In 2003, an inquiry by The Senate Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts References Committee inquired into the role of libraries in the online environment. The passion of disadvantaged Australians was evident in many submissions (Missingham, 2009, pg. 389).
The article quotes one frequent user of public libraries as saying that in cities there is generally reasonable access to computers and free internet at convenient locations and opening hours. However when this user moved to regional NSW, they found that libraries were more limited. The submission suggested that country residents do not have adequate free access to the online environment due to the State Government Funding in New South Wales being over 50% less than any other State, and there is no direct Federal Funding for libraries (Missingham, 2009, pg. 389). It may be that online costs are higher in the country however if the Government was to put more funding into libraries and the information industry, this would allow more staff to teach rural Australians about the online environment and internet use.
This excerpt included in the article by Missingham highlights an important issue for regional communities. In my view it is important that rural communities not miss out on having access to information resources just because they live in a regional centre. Rural centres should not miss out on decent access to public libraries given that the information industry can contribute immensely to regional communities.
The article discusses how access to online information is scarce in rural communities however, as the frequent user that was previously mentioned suggested, libraries in these communities have limited opening hours which also reduces access to any books the libraries might hold. For example school assignments, general knowledge or just a good novel that a patron may not want to purchase but want to borrow from a library is limited due to very limited opening hours and no funding to purchase materials. Public libraries in rural communities are important and although the article discusses mainly online resources, print material is also important to have access to.
Missingham's article was very good as it discussed the importance of having online access and computer resources available in public libraries in rural communities. The article could have devoted more time to considering whether improving facilities in public libraries is preferable to focusing on improving connections and training of people in their own homes. It may be that improving library facilities is an efficient way of improving the communities knowledge and skills in using the internet, both in the library itself and in their own home.
It is important that Australians living in rural communities have access to information resources. In 2003, an inquiry by The Senate Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts References Committee inquired into the role of libraries in the online environment. The passion of disadvantaged Australians was evident in many submissions (Missingham, 2009, pg. 389).
The article quotes one frequent user of public libraries as saying that in cities there is generally reasonable access to computers and free internet at convenient locations and opening hours. However when this user moved to regional NSW, they found that libraries were more limited. The submission suggested that country residents do not have adequate free access to the online environment due to the State Government Funding in New South Wales being over 50% less than any other State, and there is no direct Federal Funding for libraries (Missingham, 2009, pg. 389). It may be that online costs are higher in the country however if the Government was to put more funding into libraries and the information industry, this would allow more staff to teach rural Australians about the online environment and internet use.
This excerpt included in the article by Missingham highlights an important issue for regional communities. In my view it is important that rural communities not miss out on having access to information resources just because they live in a regional centre. Rural centres should not miss out on decent access to public libraries given that the information industry can contribute immensely to regional communities.
The article discusses how access to online information is scarce in rural communities however, as the frequent user that was previously mentioned suggested, libraries in these communities have limited opening hours which also reduces access to any books the libraries might hold. For example school assignments, general knowledge or just a good novel that a patron may not want to purchase but want to borrow from a library is limited due to very limited opening hours and no funding to purchase materials. Public libraries in rural communities are important and although the article discusses mainly online resources, print material is also important to have access to.
Missingham's article was very good as it discussed the importance of having online access and computer resources available in public libraries in rural communities. The article could have devoted more time to considering whether improving facilities in public libraries is preferable to focusing on improving connections and training of people in their own homes. It may be that improving library facilities is an efficient way of improving the communities knowledge and skills in using the internet, both in the library itself and in their own home.
Web 2.0 implications on knowledge management (Moria Levy, 2009)
This article reviews literature on Web 2.0 and considers how Web 2.0 principles are relevant for knowledge management in organisations. The article does this by drawing out the key principles of Web 2.0 and comparing these to the main principles of knowledge management. It emphasises the use of the web as a platform for actively sharing information and notes the positive network effects of these tools, that is, they are more useful as more people use them. It mentions key Web 2.0 applications including wikis, blogs, RSS, tagging, and social networking. The article attempts to define Web 2.0 by quoting from other sources. While the article does not give a clear definition of Web 2.0 it successfully outlines the key principles. The lack of clarity could be criticised however Web 2.0 is difficult to define.
The article then considers the extent to which Web 2.0 is used in organisations (termed Enterprise 2.0). The article mentions a number of examples where organisations have already started to use Web 2.0 applications and tools. However it also notes that some organisations are sceptical about the usefulness of Web 2.0. The article suggests that Web 2.0 concepts will get picked up over time as users get used to using Web 2.0 tools.
The article then goes on to look at managing knowledge in light of Web 2.0 (termed Knowledge Management 2.0). The article discusses whether Web 2.0 is useful in a Knowledge Management environment. The author considers that the principles of Web 2.0 are actually quite similar to Knowledge Management although there are differences in that Knowledge Management has greater levels of centralisation and control. There are some limitations to using Web 2.0 in organisations' Knowledge Management environments, including a more limited pool of people in an organisation participating and users may not have emotional investment in using applications at work.
Another aspect of the article that was spoken about briefly is the level of trust that people have in information shared in Web 2.0. While there may be advantages in that Web 2.0 allows greater communication between people, it does not always lend itself to reliably holding information which is needed in Knowledge Management. For example, formal references may need to be used for some work tasks. A balance needs to be struck between Web 2.0's user friendliness and open communication on one hand, and a more reliable Knowledge Management environment on the other.
The author suggests that initially organisations adopt wikis and blogs, but suggests more slowly releasing control of Knowledge Management when organisations are ready for it.
The article does not spend a lot of time discussing how Web 2.0 has been adopted in different organisations. While technology companies, large organisations and organisations with younger workers can be expected to be more willing to use Web 2.0, the article does not talk about situations where there is greater resistance. The article also doesn't thoroughly discuss the differences between sharing information through Web 2.0 socially and at work. For example users may be less willing to share their thoughts in a more formal work environment and may wish to withhold information from other colleagues for their personal progression.
The article has an interesting viewpoint as it considers Web 2.0 as an opportunity to better spread Knowledge Management within organisations, by noting the similarities between Web 2.0 and Knowledge Management. The article highlights that this could be complimentary and valuable to organisations.
The article then considers the extent to which Web 2.0 is used in organisations (termed Enterprise 2.0). The article mentions a number of examples where organisations have already started to use Web 2.0 applications and tools. However it also notes that some organisations are sceptical about the usefulness of Web 2.0. The article suggests that Web 2.0 concepts will get picked up over time as users get used to using Web 2.0 tools.
The article then goes on to look at managing knowledge in light of Web 2.0 (termed Knowledge Management 2.0). The article discusses whether Web 2.0 is useful in a Knowledge Management environment. The author considers that the principles of Web 2.0 are actually quite similar to Knowledge Management although there are differences in that Knowledge Management has greater levels of centralisation and control. There are some limitations to using Web 2.0 in organisations' Knowledge Management environments, including a more limited pool of people in an organisation participating and users may not have emotional investment in using applications at work.
Another aspect of the article that was spoken about briefly is the level of trust that people have in information shared in Web 2.0. While there may be advantages in that Web 2.0 allows greater communication between people, it does not always lend itself to reliably holding information which is needed in Knowledge Management. For example, formal references may need to be used for some work tasks. A balance needs to be struck between Web 2.0's user friendliness and open communication on one hand, and a more reliable Knowledge Management environment on the other.
The author suggests that initially organisations adopt wikis and blogs, but suggests more slowly releasing control of Knowledge Management when organisations are ready for it.
The article does not spend a lot of time discussing how Web 2.0 has been adopted in different organisations. While technology companies, large organisations and organisations with younger workers can be expected to be more willing to use Web 2.0, the article does not talk about situations where there is greater resistance. The article also doesn't thoroughly discuss the differences between sharing information through Web 2.0 socially and at work. For example users may be less willing to share their thoughts in a more formal work environment and may wish to withhold information from other colleagues for their personal progression.
The article has an interesting viewpoint as it considers Web 2.0 as an opportunity to better spread Knowledge Management within organisations, by noting the similarities between Web 2.0 and Knowledge Management. The article highlights that this could be complimentary and valuable to organisations.
Documenting the Global Conversation: Relevancy of Libraries in a Digital World' (Fred Heath, 2009)
This article discusses libraries becoming a thing of the past, and that the future is now online. Heath discusses threats to the information sector such as newspapers being outsourced, the music industry where people are no longer purchasing compact discs and instead are downloading from the Web, book publishing where any new manuscript would be subjected to "market interest" before the decision to publish could go forward (Heath, 2009, p. 522 as cited by Rich, 2008). Heath states that the reasons for the move are evident in the marketplace. Book sales have declined but the one positive outcome for the book industry is e-books, whose sales increased almost 64% for the year (Heath, 2009, p. 522 as cited by AAP, 2009). Health makes a good point by mentioning this in the article. E-books are becoming more popular and therefore physical book publishers see a decrease in sales because of it.
Heath discusses Higher Education as topic in his paper. Heath mentions a report that James Duderstadt, former chancellor at the University of Michigan, and some of his colleagues, authored titled ' Preparing for the Revolution: Information Technology and the Future of the Research University'. In their report for the National Academies, they observed that the rapid evolution of the digital environment brought with it threats as well as opportunities: "Universities will have to function in a highly digital environment along with other organisations, as almost every academic function will be affected, and sometimes displaced, by modern technology" (Duderstadt, 2002, p. 13). With new technologies rapidly changing higher education institutions will need to adapt to the changes. Heath mentions that the University of Phoenix, will soon enrol 400,000 students across 200 campuses and a galaxy of online courses and degrees (Heath, 2009, p. 524). This shows that online courses are becoming more and more popular and necessary and people are able to achieve a degree fully online. As mentioned previously in this report having everything online can be very beneficial however as Heath mentions for students, the years at university represent an important stage in life's journey. It is a time to master the craft of discovery and the discipline of critical inquiry. It is the time in life when we learn to observe, to form theories and conclusions... Effective, sustainable learning outcomes require that we set aside face to face sessions, and develop new approaches (Heath, 2009, p. 526).
Heath makes an excellent point here where face to face learning is very important for higher education success. Learning to observe, communicate, online or face to face, and interacting with other students is important when studying. However as the world is becoming more and more digital, perhaps schooling will be online as well in the future? The World Wide Web is a necessary tool however as Heath states, university is an important life journey, and whilst the World Wide Web is crucial to use for many on a daily basis, face to face learning may also be important for success.
Important issues highlighted in the article are whether or not Librarians still serve a purpose in academic libraries. Heath states that although the reference librarians at the University of Texas (UT) are helping to build a transparent, friendly information navigation system for students, the 'reference librarian' still serves a very important purpose in libraries today (Heath, 2009, p. 527). In my view it is important to still have a "Reference Desk" as some users may not be comfortable with the Internet. Librarians will always serve a purpose as being able to assist with research where needed, point students or the public in the right direction, or even to be shown how to use a website. Public libraries are also an important part as many people want to borrow books and not be online all the time. You may be able to download electronic books however sitting down with a book to read, after spending many hours of a day at a computer, is a nice thing to do without then downloading an online novel. Books will always have a purpose, as will librarians, even if it's only a recommendation of a novel, or a textbook, that help will most of the time be valued by many students or customers.
This article was very broad, however the relevant parts for the information sector and libraries, academic and public was thorough and informative. Heath has given us a lot of points to consider, including the need to think about the online future of the information sector.
Heath's article was timely and relevant to all those who work in libraries and the information sector. It certainly discusses the positives and negatives particularly of academic libraries and whether current students need 'librarians' or if the information is all purely online. It is an interesting article and as the new technology keeps changing, it is interesting to keep reading about how this affects all sectors especially the Information management and library industry.
Heath discusses Higher Education as topic in his paper. Heath mentions a report that James Duderstadt, former chancellor at the University of Michigan, and some of his colleagues, authored titled ' Preparing for the Revolution: Information Technology and the Future of the Research University'. In their report for the National Academies, they observed that the rapid evolution of the digital environment brought with it threats as well as opportunities: "Universities will have to function in a highly digital environment along with other organisations, as almost every academic function will be affected, and sometimes displaced, by modern technology" (Duderstadt, 2002, p. 13). With new technologies rapidly changing higher education institutions will need to adapt to the changes. Heath mentions that the University of Phoenix, will soon enrol 400,000 students across 200 campuses and a galaxy of online courses and degrees (Heath, 2009, p. 524). This shows that online courses are becoming more and more popular and necessary and people are able to achieve a degree fully online. As mentioned previously in this report having everything online can be very beneficial however as Heath mentions for students, the years at university represent an important stage in life's journey. It is a time to master the craft of discovery and the discipline of critical inquiry. It is the time in life when we learn to observe, to form theories and conclusions... Effective, sustainable learning outcomes require that we set aside face to face sessions, and develop new approaches (Heath, 2009, p. 526).
Heath makes an excellent point here where face to face learning is very important for higher education success. Learning to observe, communicate, online or face to face, and interacting with other students is important when studying. However as the world is becoming more and more digital, perhaps schooling will be online as well in the future? The World Wide Web is a necessary tool however as Heath states, university is an important life journey, and whilst the World Wide Web is crucial to use for many on a daily basis, face to face learning may also be important for success.
Important issues highlighted in the article are whether or not Librarians still serve a purpose in academic libraries. Heath states that although the reference librarians at the University of Texas (UT) are helping to build a transparent, friendly information navigation system for students, the 'reference librarian' still serves a very important purpose in libraries today (Heath, 2009, p. 527). In my view it is important to still have a "Reference Desk" as some users may not be comfortable with the Internet. Librarians will always serve a purpose as being able to assist with research where needed, point students or the public in the right direction, or even to be shown how to use a website. Public libraries are also an important part as many people want to borrow books and not be online all the time. You may be able to download electronic books however sitting down with a book to read, after spending many hours of a day at a computer, is a nice thing to do without then downloading an online novel. Books will always have a purpose, as will librarians, even if it's only a recommendation of a novel, or a textbook, that help will most of the time be valued by many students or customers.
This article was very broad, however the relevant parts for the information sector and libraries, academic and public was thorough and informative. Heath has given us a lot of points to consider, including the need to think about the online future of the information sector.
Heath's article was timely and relevant to all those who work in libraries and the information sector. It certainly discusses the positives and negatives particularly of academic libraries and whether current students need 'librarians' or if the information is all purely online. It is an interesting article and as the new technology keeps changing, it is interesting to keep reading about how this affects all sectors especially the Information management and library industry.
'All that Glisters is not gold- Web 2.0 and the librarian' (Paul Anderson, 2007)
The article 'All that glisters is not gold- Web 2.0 and the Librarian' discusses the librarianship profession and what works (Anderson, 2007, p. 195). It discusses Web 2.0 and the implications and uses it has for the librarianship profession. It briefly explains the history of Web 2.0. The term Web 2.0 was officially coined in 2004 by Dale Dougherty, a vice-president of O'Reilly Media Inc. during a discussion about the future of the Web (Anderson, 2007, p. 196).
In Paul Anderson's article 'What is Web 2.0? Ideas, technologies and implications for education' he discusses whether the Web is a publishing revolution or a social revolution. Some say it could be both. With the rise of social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter or blogging we can see that the Web is an extremely popular form of communication. The Web is socially connected where everyone is able to add to and edit the information space (Anderson, 2007, p. 195). As the Internet has become such a huge part of western culture, professional groups, including librarians' need to attempt to make sense of these changes and engage with the issues and challenges raised (Anderson, 2007, p. 195).
Paul Anderson is correct in saying that the Web could be a social revolution. You only have to read a blog or connect to Facebook to know various aspects of people's lives, what they are doing each day and when. Web 2.0 has taken off in western culture and libraries now have to keep up with the rapidly changing technologies of Web 2.0. In the library industry web tools are a very important part of daily work. In public libraries for example there are many people who use the computer resources for research and even social networking. As ideas, technologies and services associated with Web 2.0 have swept through the internet there has been considerable interest in their potential impact from within the library community.
'Library 2.0' is a term believed to have been first coined by Michael Casey (Anderson, 2007, p. 196 as cited by Miller, 2006b). With Library 2.0 there is a large focus on reaching out from the physical constraints of a library to offer new and more dynamic ways of piecing together data held in individual libraries in order to re-imagine data as content through the power of Web-based services (Anderson, 2007, p. 196). For example, an experiment in the East of England plans to get teenagers from library reading groups to design a MySpace home for the library. The hope is that this will provide a 'new front door to the library' for a younger audience and will help build the reading group through virtual networking and shared reading lists (Anderson, 2007, p. 196 as cited by Baker, 2007). By mentioning this in the article Anderson has made an excellent point by suggesting that if libraries begin or even continue to reach out to the younger generation through forms of social networking such as MySpace, libraries will be seen as an interesting place to visit and teenagers will want to go to a library as a way of socialising.
'Web 2.0' will have a substantial impact on the library profession, and I believe that libraries will need to keep up with the rapidly changing technology in order to stay relevant. The article does not really discuss the range of services that can be delivered through Web 2.0, for example, receiving a university degree. It does not discuss the fact that the delivery of services on 'Web 2.0' will have both positive and negative consequences - that is, greater levels of interaction in the virtual world is not always ideal.
In relation to the Library profession Web 2.0 is an important part of the future and this article suggests that the web has come a long way from when the term 'Web 2.0' was officially coined in 2004 (Anderson, 2007, p. 195). Although that is only really a few years ago technology changes so rapidly and the library industry must be able to keep up with these changes.
In Paul Anderson's article 'What is Web 2.0? Ideas, technologies and implications for education' he discusses whether the Web is a publishing revolution or a social revolution. Some say it could be both. With the rise of social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter or blogging we can see that the Web is an extremely popular form of communication. The Web is socially connected where everyone is able to add to and edit the information space (Anderson, 2007, p. 195). As the Internet has become such a huge part of western culture, professional groups, including librarians' need to attempt to make sense of these changes and engage with the issues and challenges raised (Anderson, 2007, p. 195).
Paul Anderson is correct in saying that the Web could be a social revolution. You only have to read a blog or connect to Facebook to know various aspects of people's lives, what they are doing each day and when. Web 2.0 has taken off in western culture and libraries now have to keep up with the rapidly changing technologies of Web 2.0. In the library industry web tools are a very important part of daily work. In public libraries for example there are many people who use the computer resources for research and even social networking. As ideas, technologies and services associated with Web 2.0 have swept through the internet there has been considerable interest in their potential impact from within the library community.
'Library 2.0' is a term believed to have been first coined by Michael Casey (Anderson, 2007, p. 196 as cited by Miller, 2006b). With Library 2.0 there is a large focus on reaching out from the physical constraints of a library to offer new and more dynamic ways of piecing together data held in individual libraries in order to re-imagine data as content through the power of Web-based services (Anderson, 2007, p. 196). For example, an experiment in the East of England plans to get teenagers from library reading groups to design a MySpace home for the library. The hope is that this will provide a 'new front door to the library' for a younger audience and will help build the reading group through virtual networking and shared reading lists (Anderson, 2007, p. 196 as cited by Baker, 2007). By mentioning this in the article Anderson has made an excellent point by suggesting that if libraries begin or even continue to reach out to the younger generation through forms of social networking such as MySpace, libraries will be seen as an interesting place to visit and teenagers will want to go to a library as a way of socialising.
'Web 2.0' will have a substantial impact on the library profession, and I believe that libraries will need to keep up with the rapidly changing technology in order to stay relevant. The article does not really discuss the range of services that can be delivered through Web 2.0, for example, receiving a university degree. It does not discuss the fact that the delivery of services on 'Web 2.0' will have both positive and negative consequences - that is, greater levels of interaction in the virtual world is not always ideal.
In relation to the Library profession Web 2.0 is an important part of the future and this article suggests that the web has come a long way from when the term 'Web 2.0' was officially coined in 2004 (Anderson, 2007, p. 195). Although that is only really a few years ago technology changes so rapidly and the library industry must be able to keep up with these changes.
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