Web 2.0 Tools and Strategies for Archives and Local History Collections

by American Library Association

Overview

Theimer reviews the fundamental principles of important Web 2.0 tools. She includes plentiful examples of how archives around the world have been successfully using each one, and provides step-by-step tips on what you need to do to implement it in your own institution. There is guidance to help readers assess their current Web presence and evaluate how Web 2.0 tools can fit into an overall outreach plan. Advice for integration and implementation spans the gamut of Web 2.0 tools, including:• Blogs • Podcasting • Wikis • Twitter • Facebook • Flickr • YouTube • Mashups • Widgets
Theimer also includes screenshots and checklists to further clarify each topic, as well as Sidebar Q&A's with organizations that have successfully utilized Web 2.0 tools, including the Library of Congress, Florida State Archives, Seattle Municipal Archives and many more. There are also suggestions for developing metrics to evaluate the success of your implementation, as well as appendices that list additional Web resources. If your goals include connecting unique archival material with people interested today, this book is for you.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781555706791
Publisher:	American Library Association
Publication date:	06/05/2012
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	266
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.56(d)

Table of Contents

List of Figures ix

Preface xi

Acknowledgments xvii

Introduction. Archives and the Web: Changes and Opportunities 1

Chapter 1 Web 2.0 Basics 9

What Is "Web 2.0" All About? 9

Web 2.0 Building Blocks 11

RSS (or "Really Simple Syndication") 11

Tagging 12

Social Bookmarking 12

Myths and Misconceptions about Web 2.0 15

"Those Sites Are Scary and Dangerous" 15

"Only Kids Use That Stuff" 16

"It's Just a Fad" 16

"If I Give My Content Away, People Will Misuse It" 17

"If I Give My Content Away, I'll Lose Money" 17

Chapter 2 Evaluating Your Current Web Presence and Setting Goals for Web 2.0 21

Assessing Your Current Web Site 21

Does Your Web Site Answer the Key Questions- Who, What, When, Where, and How? 22

Does Your Site Look Professional and Current? 23

Is Your Web Site Usable? 24

Assessing Your Existing Digital Resources 25

Online Catalogs and Finding Aids 25

Digitized Collections and Online Exhibitions 26

Assessing Your Technical Resources 27

Professional Technical Support 27

Staff and Volunteers with Skills 28

Hardware and Software 28

Understanding Your Strategic Priorities 29

Identifying Your Audiences 30

Existing Audiences versus New Audiences 31

Local Audiences versus Distant Audiences 31

Chapter 3 Using Blogs 33

What Is a Blog? 33

Parts of a Blog 34

Sidebar Content 35

Blog Comments 35

How Can Your Institution Use a Blog? 36

Institutional Blogs 36

Processing Blogs 40

Archival Content Blogs 45

Blogs Supporting Traditional Archival Systems 51

What Does It Take to Start a Blog and Keep It Going? 52

Chapter 4 Using Podcasts 57

What Is a Podcast? 57

Key Attributes 57

Accessing a Podcast58

Podcast Structure 58

Information to Support a Podcast 59

How Can Your Institution Use a Podcast? 59

Podcasting Public Programs 59

Podcasting Digitized Archival Material 64

Creating Unique Podcast Programs 68

What Does It Take to Start a Podcast and Keep It Going? 71

Chapter 5 Using Flickr and Other Image-Sharing Sites 79

What Are Image-Sharing Sites? 79

Setting Up a Flickr Account 80

Uploading, Organizing, and Creating Metadata for Images 80

Interacting with Other Flickr Users 81

Letting People Interact with Your Images 82

The Flickr Commons 83

How Can Your Institution Use Flickr? 83

Sharing Digitized Archival Material 83

Sharing Current Photographs of Your Organization 89

What Does It Take to Be Active on Flickr? 93

Chapter 6 Using YouTube and Other Video-Sharing Sites 101

What Are Video-Sharing Sites? 101

Setting Up Accounts and Channels 102

Finding Videos 103

Interacting with and Organizing Videos 103

Interacting with Other Users 104

Uploading and Creating Metadata for Your Videos 104

How Can Your Institution Use Video-Sharing Sites? 106

Sharing Digitized Historical Content 108

Sharing Videos You Created 113

What Does It Take to Be Successful with Video Sharing? 117

Chapter 7 Using Twitter (Microblogging) 121

What Is Microblogging and What Is Twitter? 121

Setting Up a Twitter Account 121

Creating "Tweets," Following and Being Followed on Twitter 122

Some Twitter Conventions 123

Accessing Twitter 123

How Can Your Institution Use Twitter? 124

Providing News about Your Institution 124

Innovative Uses for Twitter 127

What Does It Take to Be Active on Twitter? 133

Chapter 8 Using Wikis 137

What Is a Wiki? 137

What Wiki Web Sites Look Like to Users 138

Contributing to a Wiki 140

How Can Your Institution Use a Wiki? 141

Wikis Created Primarily by Internal Contributors 141

Wikis Targeted at Public Contributors 146

What Does It Take to Start a Wiki and Keep It Going? 153

Chapter 9 Using Facebook and Other Social Networking Services 159

What Are Social Networking Services? 159

Types of Facebook Accounts 160

Establishing Your Facebook Presence 160

Public and Private Information on Facebook 161

Facebook Groups 161

Facebook Pages 163

Common Capabilities of Groups and Pages 165

How Can Your Institution Use Facebook? 167

Providing General Information 167

Sharing Content and News 167

Communicating with Supporters 169

Sharing Information from Other Web 2.0 Sites 171

Creating an Application 173

Collecting Documentation of Your Community 174

What Does It Take to Be Active on Facebook? 175

Chapter 10 More 2.0 Tools to Consider 179

Mashups 179

What Is a Mashup? 179

Archives and Historical Organizations Creating Mashups 180

Widgets 186

What Is a Widget? 186

Archives and Historical Organizations and Widgets 187

Online Chat 189

How Does Online Chat Work? 190

Online Chat in Archives and Historical Organizations 191

Second Life 191

How Does Second Life Work? 193

Archives and Historical Organizations in Second Life 194

Chapter 11 Measuring Your Success 199

Plan How You're Going to Measure Before You Implement 200

Measuring Outputs 200

Measuring Outcomes 202

Establishing Baseline Measurements 204

Ensuring You Can Measure "Before" and "After" 204

Creating Effective Measures of Web 2.0 "Outputs" 205

Documenting Evidence of Your Success 206

Capture Compelling Stories 207

Sometimes the Medium Is the Message 207

Chapter 12 Management and Other Considerations 209

Planning for Success 209

Getting Institutional Buy-In 209

Considering Legal Issues 210

Defining Tasks and Assigning Workload 212

Creating Policies 213

Preserving What You Create 214

Learning about Your Users 216

Publicizing Your Efforts 217

Keeping Yourself in a "2.0" Frame of Mind 219

Conclusion. Archives and the Web: Finding the Right Balance 221

Appendix. Additional Resources 227

Resources on Web 2.0, Social Media, the Evolution of the Web, and Related Topics 227

Information on Specific Web 2.0 Tools 234

Publications by Librarians and Archivists 235

Index 241

About the Author 246