Library 2.0 COW

Collaborative Online Workspace - an initiative of LATN, Librarians of the Australian Technological Network of universities. Presented by Alex Byrne, University Librarian, University of Technology, Sydney

Alex started by asking “What is driving the need for change?” and the simple answer was “we can and we must”.

Web2.0 is a mindshift about the use of technology, not the technology itself. We are the facilitators.

He discussed what he called “disruptive technologies” such as Google, blogs, ebay, Wikipedia, flickr, Amazon, MP3 and podcasting, mashups and social networking. In all of these the contributors become data collectors. They harness the wisdom of crowds (eg. Wikipedia).

There are many ways librarians can take advantage of these new technologies. LATN has developed a Collaborative Online Workspace.

They use open source content management software to work towards their concept of physical spaces moving towards virtual spaces.

Alex's presentation was very interesting but the venue in the State Library of WA left much to be desired. It was located in an open space and the speakers' words were swallowed up in the void. Add to that a buzz of noise coming from the central well of the building and the audience had to strain to catch what was said.

Latin anyone?

I didn't study Latin at school because my father didn't want me to suffer the way he had when studying the subject. However, my love of words and their origins has often made me regret that omission. One of my favourite daily emails is 'A word a day' by Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org) and in AWADmail Issue 275 he points us to an article about a Latin version of Wikipedia, Veni, Vidi, Wiki: Latin Isn't Dead On 'Vicipaedia'. This is a wonderful use of modern technology to discuss items of current interest in an ancient tongue.
"Vicipaedia has 15,000 articles. Catullus, Horace and the Roman Senate all are there; so are musica rockica, Georgius Bush and cadavera animata, a k a zombies. You can read in Latin about hangman (homo suspensus), paper airplanes (aeroplanum chartaceum) and magic 8-balls (pila magica 8), as well as about famous Italians like Leonardo da Vinci and the Super Mario brothers."

Wikipedia

Last week I was fortunate to attend the Challenging How Knowledge is Created workshop at Burswood Entertainment Centre in Perth. Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, gave a stimulating talk about knowledge sharing and the opportunities available for making knowledge freely available to everyone. The panel discussion and group participation that followed were insightful and gave much food for thought.

Educators (and Librarians) are divided about the value of Wikipedia as a reference tool. Jimmy himself considers that, like any other encyclopedia) it should be only a starting point for research.

The Denver Post has an article, Grading Wikipedia, that reports on the results of a study in which five Colorado scholars were asked to review the Wikipedia entries on Islam, Bill Clinton, global warming, China and evolution. Four out of five agreed their relevant Wikipedia entries are accurate, informative, comprehensive and a great resource for students or the merely curious.