Local Library Website Improvement Project: Getting to Web 2.0

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(An Infopeople Online Learning Course)

February 20, 2007 - March 20, 2007

Note: This online course is part of the Local Library Website Improvement Project, and is free to all participants.

The Local Library Website Improvement Project (LLWIP) is designed to help libraries establish a presence on the web and to maximize their use of the great new tools that make it easier to take the library out to the user. Getting to Web 2.0 is the online course that will introduce project participants to many of these tools and help participants start imagining their library's Web 2.0 presence.

  • Are you responsible for maintaining your library's website?
  • Are you embarrassed to admin you don't know what Web 2.0 is?
  • Are you looking for ways to expand the reach of your library using popular sites like MySpace and Flickr?
  • Would you like to explore all the cool new ways other libraries are utilizing social networking software?

This online course will introduce the participant to the concept of Web 2.0 and explain why it matters to libraries. Participants will be introduced to the tools associated with Web 2.0 (e.g. blogs, wikis, and tags) and have an opportunity to try them out and think about how they might use them for their own library website.

Workshop Description: This four-week online learning course will provide an introduction to Web 2.0 terminology and tools and explore how they are being used in libraries and why. The instructor will provide written original written material and will provide links to suggested reading from a variety of sources. Individual exercises will lead the participants through introduction and exploration of online tools for blogging, wiki-ing and tagging. Each week participants will participate in higher level discussions about Web 2.0 and the ramifications of what they are learning.

During the course, you will be reading material from many different authors and exploring new and interesting websites. In most cases, you will need to register to use the new tools. Come to this class with enthusiasm, willingness and a sense of adventure!

Preliminary Course Outline

  • Module One: Why Do We Care?
    • High expectations of today's library users
    • Understanding the Millenials
    • The new digital divide
  • Module Two: Getting into the Sandbox
    • Introduction to blogs, tagging, wikis and social networking
    • Using MySpace
    • Field trip to Second Life
  • Module Three: Learning from Other Library Websites
    • Reviewing library websites
    • Planning for your library website
  • Module Four: Planning Your Website
    • Defining the basic components
    • Usability and accessibility issues
    • Keeping it dynamic

Online Learning Details: This four-week course will be taught online using the web. When you register, you will receive a registration confirmation which will include the URL to get to the course, as well as a username and password.

Every student proceeds through the online learning modules at his or her own pace. Students should expect to commit to spending a minimum of 2 to 2 1/2 hours per week on this course in order to be successful. You can work on each module at your own pace, at any hour of the day or night. However, you will be expected to log in to the course each week to do that week's assignment. We ask that you log in sometime during the first week of the course to begin the course work.

Your instructor will be available for limited consultation support for two weeks after the official end date of a course, and the course material will stay up for an additional two weeks after that, to give those who have fallen behind time to work independently on the course. However, you will be expected to accomplish the majority of the course in synchronization with your peers during the first four weeks.

Who Should Attend: Anyone from the library community with an interest in library websites, 2.0 anything, or the future of libraries.

Prerequisites: This course is taught over the web. You must:

  • Have an Internet connection.
  • Be able to save Microsoft Word .docs or Adobe .pdf files to your computer and print them out. (For .doc files, a free Word Viewer is available at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/search.aspx?displaylang=en. Search for "Word Viewer." For .pdf files, a free Adobe Acrobat Reader is available at http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/main.html).
  • Be comfortable navigating on the web and navigating back and forward on a website that uses frames.
  • Be willing to register your name and an email address with several different online websites.

System Requirements: The online learning product that Infopeople uses is called Angel. The following are minimum system requirements for using Angel. You will need access to a computer that has at least these specifications to participate in an online course:

  • Windows:
    • Internet Explorer 6.0 and above, Netscape 7.1 and above, or Firefox 1.5 and above
  • Macintosh:
    • o Mozilla 1.4 and above (which is the same engine as Netscape 7.1), Safari 2.0 and above, or Firefox 1.5 and above
    • o OS X and above (OS 9 will NOT work with our online learning product)

To be successful in this course, you should also be comfortable browsing the web and exploring the unknown.

If you are not comfortable with any of the above, please consider taking this course with a colleague who does meet these requirements.

Course Start: This 4-week-long online learning course starts on February 20, 2007.

Available for contracting: 
No