LIS 9763

       Our assignment this week was to create a prototype that could demonstrate the usefulness of social media. However, first we had to define exactly what is social media?  For this project we decided that decided that social media is audio and video resources that are found on the Internet.  This includes: videos, audio, and screencasting.  We thought of using YouTube to promote the library through programming and marketing opportunities like Pima County Library http://www.youtube.com/user/pimacountylibrary.  However, we decided to create a project that would be more accessible to more libraries.  As such we chose to create a prototype that would treat social media as a new type of collection which could be used to update library subject guides, or pathfinders, and make them more relevant to today's library users.  Our prototype focuses on videos and podcasts that would be suitable for the adult general public.  We would also emphasize people already familiar with basic internet use and those that are new to cooking.  We determined that videos would be most beneficial to this group as learning cooking would be best done via video.  There are many sources of these types of videos and podcasts and we wanted to create a portal for users to find these media sources.
 
The Prototype:
 
        To create this portal we had a choice: we could create a website or we could find some web software to create and host our content.  As a group we decided that it would be most beneficial to use another social software website to create and host our content.  This way the project that could be embedded or linked to library websites and the prototype would be more usable to librarians to update the content themselves (and not rely on web services staff).  We looked at two possibilities (although there are many more): Squido (http://www.squidoo.com/) and NetVibes (http://www.netvibes.com).  We chose to work with NetVibes mostly for superficial reason, we liked how it looked!  To find our prototype see below:
 
Netvibes: http://www.netvibes.com/lis-socialmedia
 
        Overall, NetVibes was fairly easy to use.  In some ways this is what made it so confusing.  It is difficult to use if you are not expecting such a simple interface.  The other thing to remember is that NetVibes creates two pages when an account is started: a private page, which only the account user can see, and a public site which is open to everyone over the Internet.  So it is very important to work on the public site if you want users to actually access it.  Some features of NetVibes that our group utilized were:
 

• adding html coding directly to NetVibes by using html "boxes"
• adding text by using notes "boxes"
• using feeds (RSS) to display our chosen information
• changing the titles of each box to allow for better organization
• adding interactive features by embedding Skype and Google talk into "boxes"

 
Issues that Arose:
 
     The issue of content control was a pivotal challenge encountered by our group while designing our site.  As evidenced by site, we rely primarily on the tagging function of Delicious to generate content for our site—staff librarians would be responsible for perusing the Internet on a weekly/bi-weekly basis, tagging appropriate cooking-related content, and ensuring that our NetVibes site is properly maintained.
 
     As a group, we were initially divided on the issue of content-delivery.  Our first version of the site subscribed to user-generated feeds (i.e., The "Show Me the Curry" channel is updated on YouTube and this feed and new videos are merely displayed on our NetVibes pages) and had little-to-no focus on the tagging aspect of Delicious. The benefit of this scheme is that the site would run independently, as the feeds are generated by various individuals and organizations across the globe, none of whom are affiliated with the library—content is updated with the speed with which it is posted online by the author.  This setup would ensure currency and self-propagation, but at the cost of having no control over the individual videos or podcasts displayed on the NetVibes page.
 
     This setup produced debate centered around two primary concerns: One the one hand, if the feeds are unregulated, this poses the risk of questionable, offensive, or sensitive material appearing on the feeds. Even if the feeds themselves are monitored by library employees, there is a risk that by following one of the links to the media, one may be exposed to unseen questionable content (for instance, a video may appear in a feed for “Making sugar cookies,” but when the user clicks on the link he may find recipes for adult-themed cookies as well).  While the inclusion of this material on the website may reflect negatively on the library, which is a publicly-funded institution and cannot be seen to be tacitly endorsing questionable content, it illustrates the debates the libraries have concerning collection development.  This situation also produces tension when considered in relation to the Statement on Intellectual Freedom by the CLA which states: 
 
"It is the responsibility of libraries to guarantee and facilitate access to all expressions of knowledge and intellectual activity, including those which some elements of society may consider to be unconventional, unpopular or unacceptable. To this end, libraries shall acquire and make available the widest variety of materials."
 
     Clearly, these two theoretical positions (the one of deregulated access to information and the other of commitment to public interests and values) are constantly at odds, particularly in the context of sharing emergent media. Since our prototype website is intended for use by a public library, it is more sensible to err on the side of caution, as we have not only a reputation but a responsibility to uphold certain standards of decency.  Consequently, we considered the viability of a screening process, and the implementation of a more regulated system of feeds.
 
     On the other hand, if the feeds are regulated through tagging software such as Delicious, then this requires an extraordinary amount of work from library employees.  Since media-sharing (particularly emergent media such as podcasts, screencasting, YouTube videos, and wikis) is a highly adaptive and fast-moving process, forcing individual employees to sift through all the relevant media every week is not only time consuming, but it also poses the risk that our site becomes outdated and obsolete in the eyes of the readers. After all, if a new video is posted to the "Show Me the Curry" YouTube channel on Friday night, but this video is not caught by our library taggers until the following Thursday, users of our site may lose confidence in our currency.  At this point, users may abandon our site altogether in favour of Google or YouTube searches which produce more current results.
 
     Despite conflicting opinions within the group, we reached a consensus which said that, in the context of a publicly-funded institution attempting to reach out to youth and local families, quality assurance was more important than the expediency and currency of our content.  As a result, we created our new site so that the majority of content is screened by library employees and posted to the site via Delicious tags.  We compromised on this point in two ways.  First, many of the media-specific tabs on the NetVibes site have a “featured feed” which highlights specific videos, podcasts, slideshows, or photo streams that librarians believe are especially relevant or significant.   Second, we added a tab to our site, "Additional Links", which provides feeds to external media (unregulated feeds).  These are generally feeds that have been vetted by librarians and are usually twinned with print media like Gourmet Cooking Magazine, or blogs run by professional chefs.  This takes some of the pressure off our taggers and provides users with some much desired currency. This tab, when clicked, produces a warning message which states that:
 
“Please Note!  The below RSS feeds have been chosen based on the general suitability of content. However, individual updates from these feeds are unmonitored, and users may encounter some content considered unsuitable. We welcome feedback at lis9763socialmedia@gmail.com.”
 
    Overall, this project highlights the challenges facing libraries as publicly-funded institutions committed to securing access to information in a digital context.  The average user places a high priority on concepts such as relevance, currency, and quality.  However, the library itself is committed to providing the best service and collections to their competing populations.  These two are increasingly at odds in the realm of emergent media sharing, where quality and currency often go hand in hand with all kinds of content.  Many average users enjoy being entertained while being educated, and this is an arena in which the publicly-funded library has difficulty entering.  While there ARE an increasing number of professionally-funded online media (such as the Bon Appetit podcasts, staffed by professional chefs and writers; or the “cooking guide” channel on YouTube where professional chefs demonstrate proper kitchen techniques), “questionable content” is difficult to avoid.
 
     In short, if we are to continue to appeal to our user-base, we must be prepared to make concessions on both sides of the fence.  That is, previous models of control and deregulation are no longer suitable for addressing the needs of modern library-users.  Instead, librarians must begin combining these two approaches until they find a mixture that works.   This dilemma of content control and delivery also demonstrates a need for concrete policies on issues of emergent media, media sharing, and appropriate content on library websites; if issues occur there will be codified procedures on which libraries can rely.  Hopefully, our NetVibes page is a step in the right direction, and a useful example of the challenges and rewards of online media sharing.
 
Additional Readings:
 
Bon Appetit podcasts: http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/podcasts/2008/04/foods
CLA Statement: http://www.cla.ca/Content/NavigationMenu/Resources/PositionStatements/Statement_on_Intell.htm
Netvibes: http://www.netvibes.com/
Netvibes- Social Media Group: http://www.netvibes.com/lis-socialmedia
Pima County Library http://www.youtube.com/user/pimacountylibrary
Show Me the Curry: http://www.youtube.com/user/ShowMeTheCurry
Squido: http://www.squidoo.com/