RSS Feeds - Advantages for Libraries

Sometimes misunderstood, the backbone behind blogs, podcasts and vodcasts (video podcasts) is Really Simple Syndication (RSS). RSS provides a way users can subscribe to be updated continuously when new postings are made or uploaded and/or web sites are updated. This is a crucial component of this kind of communication, because it pushes information out to subscribers without repetitive solicitation on the part of the users.

Users access these materials through a device called a "feed reader" or "aggregator," often contained in another program. Most web browsers now include an aggregator in the program, further simplifying availability for users. iTunes also includes a built-in feed reader to retrieve podcasts. The drawback to using one embedded in a web browser or program is that the feeds are only accessible on the local computer. In order to get around that, many savvy users are members of an online aggregator service, because these services make feeds available from any internet connection.

Some of the advantages of RSS feeds for use in libraries include:

• Simple to set up
• It is a recognizable and widely used tool of net-savvy patrons
• Easy to update
• Easy use for patrons, one request sets up information flow until the feed is discontinued

Key problems to avoid:

• Posting content unrelated to the RSS feed's purpose
  
• "Spamming" content by repeatedly posting duplicate or identical information
• Seeing RSS as a limited asset- be creative and involve as many departments or divisions in training and use as possible! (Create a different feed for each group, however, to keep focus.)

In short, RSS syndication has the possibility to link libraries and information specialists with patrons ubiquitously and effortlessly. Keeping it simple will help professionals to make maximum impact with the amount and types of information sent that will be effective in the long run.

This blog post inspired by:
Helling, B. (2008). RSS Feeds. Indiana Libraries, 27(1). Retrieved June 18, 2008 from HWWilson database.

Wikis as outreach tools

Today I read a fascinating article chronicling the implementation of open source wiki software at Florida State University Libraries to provide an "out of the box" platform for patron outreach and increased integration of library resources into the curriculum of professors across campus. A solid research base has outlined some of the advantages of employing wikis, as well as other networking software, into communication and outreach programs for libraries and library initiatives.

Some of the specific positive uses of wikis discussed included the following:

• instruction available ubiquitously
• forms a natural platform for virtual reference
  
• information desk management
• supplementing library digital content and electronic resources
• built in user feedback mechanisms can increase patron communication
• collaboration allows students, professors, and information specialists to integrate their own suggestions and perspectives in one place
• links and other resources can be suggested and added by a variety of sources
• editing history can be monitored for recency and reliability purposes

Above and beyond the educational impact of employing wikis, there was a significant impact on the professional relationships of librarians and library staff as they utilized wiki pages to increase communication and collaboration within the library itself. Departments or professionals which had rarely communicated previously due to scheduling, lack of proximity, or other barriers found that the asynchronous nature of the wiki allowed them to contribute and converse without needing to be in the same place or coordinate a meeting. In addition, the ability of "writers" in the wiki to create their own pages to push information increased interest in the libraries' web presence in the form of official web pages, etc.

I have also seen this principle in one of the professional committees I am serving on currently. The Florida Association for Media in Education (FAME) has an award committee named the Teens Read Committee, whose yearly task involves choosing 10-15 books to be selected for consideration for the Florida Teens Read award. This year we have implemented a wiki to record books read and recommended, as well as how many of us have read each, in order to comply with the standards that must be followed for selection. The amount of increased communication, participation, and interest is clearly visible, even in the ten weeks since we started it.

As amazing as wikis can be, there are also some issues to be faced. The first is adequate user knowledge, or the need to promote the location and familiarity of the wiki with the intended users. The best wikis are the ones that are constantly changing because of interaction, correction, updates, and commenting. This stream of adjustment is the reason wikis are so fantastic as collaborating tools.

A second is the need for contributor training. Like many other professionals, most librarians do not have the time to experiment in order to implement new practices like this kind of wiki. In order to provide additional support after initial training, FSU developed some best practices that could be resources to librarians learning how to manipulate the wikis to their best advantage. These included:

• Using "super pages" as ideas and springboards for their individual or subject oriented pages. This provided librarians with code to copy and inspiration for both professional and personal expression.
  
• The administrators of the project developed a prototype for academic guides. These migrated to the wikis after both paper and electronic formats, for easier updating and anytime, anywhere access.

In the final analysis, the authors state that the most evident positive change through wiki implementation is the way it has enabled librarians to more effectively communicate with each other and the end-users of the institution, the students. Other benefits included getting a wider variety of information out beyond the "brick and mortar," quick and easy implementation, and broader access to library resources and instruction.

Jackson, M., Blackburn, J. D., & McDonald, R. H. (2007). MediaWiki Open-Source Software As Infrastructure for Electronic Resources Outreach. The Reference Librarian, 48(1). Retrieved June 12, 2008, from the WilsonWeb database.

Google Book Search

This week, I read a fascinating article by Robert Darnton titled The Library in the New Age from the New York Review of Books. He covered a variety of topics, including the nature of information, a broad history of informational technology (from cuneiform to the internet), and why Google Book Search will increase the importance of libraries rather than diminishing them. Among the points he addressed, I thought a few were key to the topic of dissemination.

1. A brief examination of technology, access to information, and their implications
When one examines the shifts in informational technology, the changeover gap seems to be shrinking:

• From the invention of writing to the codex: 4,300 years
• From the inception of the codex to the invention of moveable type: 1,150 years
• From moveable type to the Internet: 524 years
• From the Internet to search engines: 19 years
• From search engines to Google's groundbreaking search algorithm: 7 years
  

Not only is the time between breakthroughs shrinking, the information is expanding exponentially in an inverse relationship to that development time. This flood of information brings its own access issues, such as information overload, user saturation, and problems with digitization of physical and fragile objects or manuscripts.

2. The illusion of stable information
One of the current hot topic issues in the digital community is digital rot, or the process by which digital information becomes either unstable or unusable. The author posits that information has never been stable at any point in history. Even once writing had been invented, many items that would be considered artifacts by archaeologists today were not preserved by people of that time, because they were commonplace and considered unimportant. Like cheap drugstore paperbacks, much written information over the course of history has been lost, ruined, burned, thrown away, buried, tossed into the sea, or been victim to some other end. One of the most respected and revered authors by English teachers the world over, William Shakespeare, has works that are questionable in the present day because of the lack of historical record of their accuracy. And his works are only centuries old! What shall we say of Homer, Ovid, or other of the classical authors?

3. Why libraries will be more critical than ever for users of information in the digital age
Darnton discusses eight reasons that Google Book Search will not make research libraries obsolete. I would like to discuss the three that I think are most applicable.

• The impossibility of digitizing everything
• Even if Google had unlimited resources, it would be close to impossible to digitize everything. Even among the "big 5" research libraries they have recruited, 60% of those books are unique to the individual library! Even what they do digitize is still bound to copyright restrictions, meaning that full text is not a possibility. I think that GBS will increase the possibility of researchers finding specific information, but that libraries will still be a vital, integral part of the process of conducting research and finding relevant information.
• Digital rot and longevity issues
  
• As more and more information is digitized, the advancement of storage and retrieval devices and software will introduce new challenges for some of the older digital material. GBS will have to work hard to be sure that all their information is either converted or maintained to be accessible as technology advances in the future. Beyond that, there is always the possibility that Google's leadership status can be revolutionized by another company, and that could lead to loss of information as well.
  
• The unique information not contained on the screen
  
• Digital natives may scoff at the assertion, but there are things that can be divined from the physical book that are undetectable through a computer screen. Size, paper construction and type, cover construction and binding, and other physical attributes can give a researcher or historian important information about the object beside the text on the page. Even the smell associated with the book can carry significance to a knowledgeable examiner. Unless technology comes up with a way to replicate some of these details, digitization will not completely replace the "brick and mortar" libraries that we are all accustomed to visit.

Darnton, R. (2008). The library in the new age. The New York Review of Books, 55(10). Retrieved June 12, 2008 from http://www.nybooks.com/articles/21514

Outreach in the digital age

Perhaps the greatest issue in dissemination is connecting with patrons (users, readers, information consumers, if you will). Traditionally, libraries have done that with community involvement by offering a wide variety of programming for all ages, book sales, promotions, presence at large community events, and other people-based initiatives. However, Terence Huwe wrote an article in 2006 discussing the possibilities of some Web 2.0 programs and applications which can be effectively used in the information age to increase the dissemination of information by both library professionals to other professionals, as well as to the public.

Huwe addresses several forms of electronic outreach available to librarians interested in pursuing patrons into the virtual realms. Among these, he discussed blogs, Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds, and automated alerts. Here are a few of the advantages and disadvantages of the form, and my assessment of whether it is a viable option in a high school media center.

Blogs
Advantages: simple, free, easy to "brand" or gain recognition, allow for user feedback with comments
Disadvantages: require time commitment, can be forgotten by readers, may not receive feedback, can feel like one-way communication
Viability: For a high school media center, the best application would be with staff as an information tool. Most students would respond more easily to something more interactive, like a wiki or instant message reference service.

RSS Feeds
Advantages: subscribers automatically receive content, does not require intentional user searching, easy to initiate
Disadvantages: can be ignored by users, does not offer feedback opportunities
Viability: Viable for high school students (if teachers insisted they sign up), but would be a greater opportunity for teacher or parent outreach.

Automatic alerts
Advantages: after initial set up users get automatic information, easy to continue
Disadvantages: if the information is not relevant, users can unsubscribe or ignore subsequent emails
Viability: Not very viable for students, because they do not have school-related email at the high school level. However, it would work fabulously with teachers. At one school in my personal experience, each department has a collaboration folder with these properties for their specific use.

A final thought: Huwe emphasizes the fact that none of these methods for disseminating information will be effective if the originator does not understand the patrons targeted and the needs they possess. As librarians assembled bibliographies (and still do) for patrons on specific informational topics, these electronic methods of communication must be focused and useful in order to bring patrons back again to use library resources.

Huwe, T. K. (2006). Some best practices for outreach. Computers in Libraries, 26 (2), Retrieved May 27, 2008 from Academic Search Premier database.

Access is the core

At the core of the dissemination of information is access to that information. Realistically, it would be impossible to spread something that was not portable in some sense. Although information is not tied down in one place, there are restrictions to access in some countries due to governmental policies, in some places dues to community standards or other social limiters, and for children as a result of both age and parental permission. This is not to say that all restriction is harmful or destructive, but simply to illustrate some reasons information is limited.

However, there are some abuses of information restriction. As a result of this, several library professional organizations have published documents that declare their support for the free access to information. The American Library Association's (ALA) Library Bill of Rights declares ALA's commitment to promoting universal access to information, through all points of view, without discriminating against materials, users, or groups based on their origin, background, or affiliation. In addition, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institution's (IFLA) Core Values discuss the importance of not only freedom to access information but equitable access without regard to who they are, where they live, or the circumstances of their life. Implicit in these documents is the understanding that library professionals not only provide this access to patrons but also purposefully assist in the dissemination of these materials.

Without these core beliefs and purposes, librarians would have little information to disseminate. Even in the age of information ubiquitousness, we must work toward closing the gap for patrons who are limited in access- whether because they lack technical expertise, have not developed the skill of reading, or who simply lack the access to information devices such as books, computers, magazines, or movies.

American Library Association. (1996). Library Bill of Rights. Retrieved May 20, 2008 from http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/statementspols/statementsif/librarybillrights.cfm

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. (1999). IFLA statement on libraries and intellectual freedom. Retrieved May 20, 2008 from http://www.ifla.org/faife/policy/iflastat/iflastat.htm

This blog is the result of a project I have in my Summer 2008 Information Science in Librarianship class at the University of South Florida. I decided to name it "Information Sprinkler" because my topic is dissemination, and one of the analogies I thought of was that of a water sprinkler, which has the purpose of spraying water over an area of ground in order to nourish it.

Throughout the semester, I will be focusing on ways that librarians and other information professionals can "sprinkle" their patrons, organizations and communities with reliable, accessible and equitable information.