Syllabus

LIS 768: Library 2.0 & Social Networking Technologies

Fall 2009

Weekend Meetings: September 19 & 20; October 31 & November 1; December 12 & 13

Lewis 002

Dominican University, River Forest, IL

Michael Stephens, Assistant Professor

Graduate School of Library and Information Science

Dominican University

Contact Information and Web Site

Contact Information:  (708) 524-6603 / mstephens@dom.edu

AIM: mstephens7mac | Twitter: mstephens7 | Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mstephens7

Office hours:  Crown 334, during class weekends or by appointment.

Main Course Web Site: http://classes.tametheweb.com/768/

Course Overview

“The new tools provide powerful options for working with data, text, sound, and images. …. There is, predictably, an increasing departure in information handling from the simple pattern of read, think, then write. Computers are used for so much more than the traditional notion of “computing.’”

–Michael Buckland, Redesigning Library Services, 1992

Library scholars such as Michael Buckland offer plans for change and the redesign of our library services. Virtual communities have thrived since the early 1980s. Now, Web 2.0 is the next incarnation of the World Wide Web, where digital tools allow users to create, change, and publish dynamic content of all kinds. Other Web 2.0 tools syndicate and aggregate this content. We will all be publishers and creators of our own information and entertainment channels with these applications. Web 2.0 is one signifier of a broader cultural shift: toward an open, collaborative and participatory society.

Web 2.0 definitions and discussion center around such concepts as openness, connectedness, participation and ease of use. It makes sense, then, that discussions of Web 2.0 leads to applying 2.0 thinking to library services. Some libraries are even at the cutting edge: offering web 2.0 services for their users. How can we make sense of it all? How can we incorporate new technologies into our own library services? What are the benefits?

Casey & Savastinuk write: “The heart of Library 2.0 is user-centered change. It is a model for library service that encourages constant and purposeful change, inviting user participation in the creation of both the physical and the virtual services they want, supported by consistently evaluating services. It also attempts to reach new users and better serve current ones through improved customer-driven offerings. Each component by itself is a step toward better serving our users; however, it is through the combined implementation of all of these that we can reach Library 2.0.”

“While not required, technology can help libraries create a customer-driven, 2.0 environment. Web 2.0 technologies have played a significant role in our ability to keep up with the changing needs of library users. Technological advances in the past several years have enabled libraries to create new services that before were not possible, such as virtual reference, personalized OPAC interfaces, or downloadable media that library customers can use in the comfort of their own homes. This increase in available technologies gives libraries the ability to offer improved, customer-driven service opportunities.”

This course will examine various theories of library service, the social use of information, the advent of social networking tools, the creation of online collaboration and communities via those tools and their adoption by libraries as well as the rise of Library 2.0 thinking, a service philosophy born out of discussions of Web 2.0 and participatory library services. Students will experience an immersive learning environment via blogs, wikis, IM and social networking sites. We will discuss the definitions of Library 2.0, examine the tools and examine what this shift means for libraries in the 21st Century.

Course Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, students will be able to:

  • demonstrate an understanding of Web 2.0 and social software
  • demonstrate an understanding of the principles, concepts and ideas of Library 2.0 and participatory library service
  • apply a 2.0 philosophy to libraries and library service
  • utilize various online 2.0 tools to experience, discuss, and evaluate those tools as they can be related to library services
  • describe the role of social software tools and online communities in the library world
  • understand of the social and cultural backdrop from which Web 2.0 and Library 2.0 thinking emerged.

Hands-on Experience

Each student will have the use of a Windows workstation that is connected to the Internet and the World Wide Web during some class meetings. Students are required to have active logins on the network. Students will create blogs, a wiki, IM screennames, and get accounts at various social network sites.

Textbooks and Other Readings

Library 2.0 A Guide to Participatory Library Service by Michael Casey and Laura Savastinuk, InfoToday, 2007.

Buckland, Michael. Redesigning Library Services: A Manifesto at

http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Literature/Library/Redesigning/html.html

Readings for each module are posted on the course blog. Students are encouraged to share articles, blog posts and sites they find with the class via their blogs and during discussion.

Student Requirements and Assignments

Class Participation, RSS Aggregation, Discussion, Web 2.0 Tool Exploration & Blogging: Attend every class and participate in discussions. You are expected to have read the assigned material and come to class prepared to discuss and critique these readings. In addition, you will receive various readings in class for discussion and reflection. Five 200 word minimum blog posts will also serve as a reflection journal as we move through the principles and tools of Library 2.0. Five 200 word minimum blog posts will become the basis for your class research paper. Blog post due dates will be posted on the course site. 30 points

Bookmarking/Tagging Assignment: Students will create an article/site list via the social bookmarking tool del.icio.us, tagging and notating Web resources. Students will display bookmarks on their blogs via a widget. 5 points

Brand Monitoring: Students will monitor online conversations about a library or library organization and write a 300 word reflective blog post about the experience.

OR

Social Media Policy: A clearly articulated policy for the use of social media within the library setting can guide the development of enhanced 2.0 services and serve as a means to handle unintended consequences. Students will draft a sample social media policy for the library of their choice. 10 points

Context Book Reports: Students will read one book selected from a list provided in class, and write a 300 word reflection relating the topic and focus of the book to libraries, technology and participatory service. OPTIONAL: Instead of writing your report, create a media presentation such as a podcast, video, Animoto show, etc. Let your creativity flow! 10 points

Group Project: Groups will brainstorm and design a 2.0 service targeting a specific user group or type of library that solves a problem or improves service. Students will use open source software tools to create a working model that could be implemented. Small groups of three to five students each will collaborate to develop a plan to implement a new technology or social software application in a library setting. The plan should address elements that will be explored in the units on project planning and evaluation. The project should include a presentation and prototype. Groups should use social software applications to collaborate on project development and document in a brief blog post how social software contributed to (or hindered) project success. 20 points

Research Paper:  12-15 pages. You will write an in depth, well-researched paper centered on one of the theories, principles, issues, or tools of Web 2.0/Library 2.0. The paper should reflect your opinions, a thorough literature review and offer ideas for the future of libraries in a 2.0 world. 25 points

Grading

There are 100 total possible points for this course, as broken down above.  All assignments will be due at the beginning of the class period. Late assignments will receive a 1 point reduction in grade for each day late. All written work should be clear and error free. Writing style counts for this class.

  • A 94 -100 %
  • A- 90 – 93 %
  • B+ 86 – 89 %
  • B 82 – 85 %
  • B- 78 – 81 %
  • C+ 74 – 77 %
  • C 70 – 73 %
  • C- 65 – 69%
  • F 0 — 64 %

Academic Honesty and Integrity

Students of the university must conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards of academic honesty and integrity.  Failure to maintain academic integrity will not be tolerated.  The following definitions are provided for your understanding and clarity.

Definitions of Plagiarism, Cheating and Academic Dishonesty: Student plagiarism is the deliberate presentation of the writing or thinking of another as the student’s own.  In written or oral work a student may make fair use of quotations, ideas, images, etc., that appear in others’ work only if the student gives appropriate credit to the original authors, thinkers, owners, or creators of that work.  This includes material found on the Internet and in electronic databases.

Cheating entails the use of unauthorized or prohibited aids in accomplishing assigned academic tasks.  Obtaining unauthorized help on examinations, using prohibited notes on closed-note examinations, and depending on others for the writing of essays or the creation of other assigned work are all forms of cheating.

Academic dishonesty may also include other acts intended to misrepresent the authorship of academic work or to undermine the integrity of the classroom or of grades assigned for academic work.  Deliberate acts threatening the integrity of library materials or the smooth operation of laboratories are among possible acts of academic dishonesty.

Sanctions for Violations of Academic Integrity: If an instructor determines that a student has violated the academic integrity policy, the instructor may choose to impose a sanction, ranging from refusal to accept a work project to a grade of “F” for the assignment to a grade of “F” for the course.  When a sanction has been imposed, the instructor will inform the student in writing.  The instructor must also inform the student that she/he has the right to appeal this sanction, and refer the student to the Academic Appeals Process described in the GSLIS Bulletin.

Plagiarism is unacceptable and will result in project failure. It will not be tolerated.

See Purdue University’s “Avoiding Plagiarism” at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_plagiar.html, Georgetown University’s “What is Plagiarism,” at http://www.georgetown.edu/honor/plagiarism.html, or Indiana University’s “Plagiarism: What It Is and How To Recognize and Avoid It” at http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml if you feel unsure about what is and is not considered acceptable behavior when using other people’s words and ideas.

Accommodations

If you are a student with special learning needs for which you may be requesting an accommodation, please contact the instructor no later than the end of the first class period. If you have other life circumstances which arise during the semester for which you may be requesting accommodations or exception to policy, please notify the instructor as soon as possible.

See the class site for schedules and due dates.