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Please note the following script is as written, not as broadcast

Slide 1: 23 Things launch

Hello, I am Suzanne Enright, Director of Information Systems and Library Services here at the University of Westminster and I’m delighted to welcome you to the launch of 23 Things, our version of the programme originally developed in the US to learn more about Web 2.0 technology (or social media if you prefer) and how we can use it in our work and home life.

I’m not going to talk for long but I would like to give you a little context as to why ISLS is investing in this programme, why we think it relevant as a staff development opportunity then outline what is involved in taking part and encourage you to take the plunge and join in.

Slide 2: Generation Y

I think we all recognise in this definition of Gen Y (people born between the mid 1970s and early 2000s) many of our own students, who, regardless of their course of study, are keen users of digital communications hardware – a glance round our library and IT spaces show that MP3 players and mobile phones abound and increasingly laptops come as standard issue.

This definition will also apply to our newer researchers and academics too.

According to Mintel (Social networking UK April 2010):

“Young males are more likely to access social networks on mobile phones, a reflection of the higher penetration of smartphones amongst this group. “

Perhaps there is scope in the light of this market intelligence for us to pilot some activity with this group of early adopters?

In Spring 2011 we will be launching a new service specifically for mobile devices and I hope that the 23 Things programme will prepare us for that too.

Already analysis of the University logs indicates that the web is a popular point of call for information about courses and our services and hints that the brochureware of the past (i.e. static web pages) might not always provide the level of detail nor the interactivity that people have come to expect.

The advent of Web 2.0 technology seen in initially in services such as MySpace and Facebook have encouraged web users to become creators as well as consumers online and provides them with the tools to do this easily.

So how do we respond to these developments and what does Web 2.0 have to offer us?

Slide 3: Web 2.0, social media

One characteristic of Web 2.0 implied by its very name is that the dynamics of our interaction with staff and students can move from a one to many broadcast model and shift to a networked many to many relationship where we work alongside an individual or group and allow the power of the network to take our “wisdom” further.

This in turn can lead to us becoming producers ourselves working with staff and students to create new and relevant content for the teaching and learning taking place in the university. This might be something as straightforward as a video demonstrating how to use our self service machines on Youtube to something more complex such as a teaching resource co-produced with academics and contextualised for a particular subject discipline, which sits within Blackboard. Whatever it is it will require us to get out and about more physically and virtually to build the relationships with our users in order to understand and keep up with their needs and expectations of our service

So that’s a little background about the broader landscape and potential of social media – now to how it fits with University of Westminster plans.

Slide 4: Academic Liaison event October 2009

Last October the Academic Liaison team met together for the first time to consider their role, what are the important things that contribute to its success and to assess how good we are at these things. Out of this came the recognition that the Academic Liaison team in particular needs to raise its profile and to do this by getting out more…. as I said before – we need to inhabit the physical and virtual spaces of our users and not expect that they will continue (if they ever did – according to our data about a quarter have never borrowed an item via Aleph) to come to us.

Thus three of the four task and finish groups resulting from the October event focussed on:

– Advocacy with academics

– Integrating with Blackboard

– Promoting to students

Over the summer new work continues and we are creating a range of promotional, induction and teaching materials. In addition new web pages will focus on subject disciplines and highlight the services of the Academic Liaison and Training teams in particular. Added to that September will see the launch of Library Search (Primo version 3) so the ways in which people discover the content we hold will be integrated in a single interface. It’s our intention that the Search box itself will be embedded across the University intra and extranets so that people will use our service in their own online spaces as well as coming to library and IT pages to do so – again an example of Library and IT services reaching out, not always expecting people to come to us.

Slide 5: Blogs

This does not mean that our traditional role in gathering and organising resources to support teaching and learning goes away, but the means to do it can develop in new ways.

In addition to the Task and Finish work, the Academic Liaison team has launched nine subject blogs in order to offer a more personalised way to “push” content to their schools, providing an updated current awareness service whilst inviting audience participation through comment. This in turn means that we can develop relationships online with our users and potentially reach many more than we can easily sustain in person – in the longer term we wish to provide the hub around which communities of interest within and beyond the university can congregate.

So … bold ambitions but ones we think fit with the habits and expectations of today’s Gen Y staff and students. It means that we may have some catching up to do to feel as comfortable in their world and this is what the 23 Things programme is all about…

Slide 6: What is 23 Things?

The programme consists of a weekly task, posted to a central blog, on which participants have registered and invites you to try a new Web 2.0 technology. The programme will run over 23 weeks; ours launches today and so will run to the new year

You can progress at your own pace and the idea is that you have the chance to play with the technology whilst thinking about how you might use it in a work setting

One of the first tasks is to create your own blog, where you can share your impressions and ideas around each task and we hope that locally people will support each other and exchange top tips too

Slide 7: 23 Things programme

As mentioned earlier, this programme was created in the US by the Charlotte and Mecklenburg County public library service but has since been adopted by many more library services in academia too in the US and the UK so we are in good company.

You can read the blogs of some of these other participants and details are on the handouts for you to take away and explore later

Slide 8: How do I take part in the 23 Things programme?

The programme is open to all ISLS staff and I hope my overview today has enthused you to take part. Instructions for registering your interest are also on the handouts, please also let other colleagues know who haven’t made it here today or who are on leave.

I am also delighted to say that Ex Libris, our technology suppliers, are sponsoring the programme and everyone who completes will receive a book token plus there will be a prize draw for an iPAD, so I hope this too will act as an incentive to join in. Our thanks to Ex Libris for their generosity in supporting 23 Things at the University of Westminster.

Other thanks go to Kevin and the Training team who have developed the resources you’ll be working with and who will be happy to have your feedback on any further devlopment you think is useful once you’ve got going with 23 Things.

It only remains for me to wish you luck with 23 Things and I look forward to reading about its success through your own blogs in due course.

Slide 8: Thank you

Presentation ends