USTLG Spring Meeting Redux (Afternoon)

Following on from my post USTLG Spring Meeting Redux (Morning), here’s few notes on the afternoon.

Theme for afternoon: social networking.

Advocating professional social networking to academics. Paula Anne Beasley and Linda Norbury, University of Birmingham.

• The subject librarians are well placed to advocate Web2.0 tech for gathering information via social networks.
• Found a knowledge gap for those not using Web2.0 or not of the generation to ‘just have a go’ at things & prefer some training.
• Surveyed staff in College of Physical Sciences & Engineering about their use/knowledge of Web2.0 using a free text survey.
• Responses variable, but enough interest to offer training session.
• Major issues from survey were whether Web2.0 tools were secure/stable, whether there was a University policy on using them and a lack of knowledge.
• Anne & Linda managed to get the College Academic Enhancement Group interested in the session, and all invites went out from that group rather than from the Library.
• The training session that was offered was originally going to cover blogging and twitter. However, as Linda got stuck abroad due to the ash cloud it became focused only on blogging on the day.
• 31 attendees for session: academics, admin staff, researchers & Emeritus Professors.
• Got very good feedback and the attendees were enthusiastic about blogging on the day.
• They hope to follow-up with seminars on social networking and social bookmarking, plus a support course in Blackboard.
• No-one else in their University is currently offering training in this area.

‘Do Librarians Dream of Electric Tweets?”, Gareth Johnson, University of Leicester.

The next presentation was from our very own Gareth, who gave a very enthusiastic talk on using Web2.0 technology for networking, and in library services.  Main points were:

• Why use things like twitter & Blogs?
• For professional networking, self-reflection, sharing experiences, staff development, answering enquiries, motivating staff etc.
• Can be very powerful tools.
• Like Gareth, I pick up lots of useful information and links to new reports via twitter now rather than by other routes.
• When using these technologies it is important to be human: respond to people, don’t just broadcast, share things.
• The best use of web2.0 csome when you allow it to overlap your personal, workplace and professional lives, but if you’re not comfortable with this level of engagement it can still be useful when used only in work hours.
• Important to “find the right tools for you”.

Gareth’s full presentation:

Do Librarians Dream of Electric Tweets? Making the most of blogs & microblogging

View more presentations from Gaz Johnson.

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