| Chapter 4: Tools for Use | |
| Michelle Boule | |
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| Abstract |
“We have tools that make connecting and working with others easier, cheaper, and faster than ever.” — “Changing the Way We Work,” Library Technology Reports 44:1, Chapter 2 The way of work in the Information Age continues to be commuted by the Internet. The interconnected, collaborative functionality the World Wide Web provides, when implemented and utilized, can help individuals, as well as working groups, achieve greater flexibility and productivity, reports Michelle Boule, the author of the first issue of Library Technology Reports in 2008. A social sciences librarian and technology trainer, Michelle Boule (Univ. of Houston) examines how technology—which in Boule's report is defined as “any tool that can be used to communicate and collaborate over the Internet”—can and has impacted libraries in her issue “Changing the Way We Work.” The Future of Library Work Committees, task forces, and small working groups—all common ways to assign projects, divide work, and produce results in libraries—can benefit from “technology-enhanced work.” In her issue of Library Technology Reports, Boule reports on technology-enhanced work from several library or library-related projects, including:
In addition, Boule looks at the other technology-enhanced work projects/software: Material Digital Libraries Pathway (MatDL); MyHamilton; and Scriblio. This issue of Library Technology Reports also delineates technology-enhanced tools, such as Web conferencing, instant messaging, and project-management tools, and it lists specific tools and “widgets” in widespread use (AOL Instant Messager [AIM], Yahoo Messenger, Google Talk, Meebo, Trillian, etc.) In “Changing the Way We Work,” Boule also provides best practice tips for working in a virtual team environment as well as a list of selected references that provide additional research and analysis about technology-enhanced work in libraries. About the Author Michelle Boule's love of information and libraries started at a very young age. After she received a B.A. in English with minors in women's studies and anthropology from Texas A&M in 2001, her love of reading eventually led her to the library profession. Michelle completed her master's in library science at Texas Woman's University. It was in graduate school that a fascination with technology and information-seeking behaviors took hold. Michelle is a social sciences librarian at the University of Houston. During her day job, she maintains the Ethnic Studies collections, teaches classes, answers questions, does technology training, and works with students and faculty. Though technology is not a formal part of her job, she lives much of her life online. Michelle is very involved with LITA, the Library Information Technology Association; serves on BIGWIG, the IG that maintains LITA Blog (http://litablog.org); was part of the ALA Emerging Leader Program in 2007; and is always looking for ways to do new and innovative things within ALA. Michelle was a part of planning team of the very successful Five Weeks to a Social Library program (www.sociallibraries.com/course), a free, grassroots course that allows librarians to learn about social software and libraries. She writes and speaks about technology and education in libraries. Michelle can be found online in various places and maintains her own writing space at A Wandering Eyre (http://wanderingeyre.com). She has been an online gamer and all-around geek librarian for a very long time. Michelle believes that e-learning and Web 2.0 tools are the way of the future and that libraries can survive only by adapting to an online environment. |
There are many tools available to libraries to facilitate communication, project management, and work flow. All of the tools highlighted in this chapter fall into one of three categories:
- free on a small-scale or trial basis
- open-source and thus “free,” but will require some staff time
- free
Many tools that are available on a free basis with limited features can be upgraded to the pay version inexpensively. The pay version will often allow you to utilize more features; however, for many, the free versions work fine. For most of the tools, institutional accounts are available. Open-source options are, of course, free, but most do require that you have server space and someone who can install and run the software. The tools that are free and do not require server space are referred to as “hosted.” This means you will have less control, but you will not need someone to install and customize the tool for you. There are also many, many services available on the Web to organizations that can afford to pay. Some of them have very limited free trials, often 30 or 60 days. I believe that most libraries cannot afford the high-priced services of these companies, so I have left them off this list. If you prefer to go with the higher priced services, they are easily findable on the Web.
Meeting Place, a software tool from VMukti, allows you to schedule a one-time meeting, set up a recurring meeting, create a space for ongoing meetings (essentially an open room), and create instant meetings. The interface is easy to use. Meeting Place uses a combination of .NET Framework and Asterisk to eliminate the need for users to download a client onto their computer. Meetings can be open or private, and there are many modules and options from which to choose.
Meeting Place is an open-source tool and offers a range of video, audio, and Web conferencing options. To install and run Meeting Place, you need a server running an SQL database. In addition to documentation, VMukti has video tutorials on everything from setting up your server for Meeting Place to using the poll feature of the tool. VMukti provides support for all its tools, with additional installation and training support offered for $100 USD.
DimDim is a browser-based Web conferencing tool that allows audio, video, screen, and document sharing; whiteboards with annotations; multiuser chat options; polls; a Question Manager that acts like a moderated Q&A; and a recording and archiving feature. DimDim will soon be able to integrate with Moodle, an open-source course management system, and options are being explored for use with Sakai, an open-source learning system, and dotLRN, an open-source learning system built at MIT.
There are two options when using DimDim. It is a free, open-source tool licensed under a Mozilla Public License 1.1 with attribution. DimDim has been ported to Windows and Linux servers, and it supports languages other than English, though the specific languages supported were not listed on the DimDim Web site. The Web site cautions that this open-source release is meant for “technically skilled early adopters.” DimDim does have a hosted version, which runs on their server. This service costs $8 a month or $99 per year, and attendees are limited to 20 per meeting, with unlimited meetings.
Attendees using DimDim must use at least IE 6 or Firefox 1.5. There is no download required for users. Presenters must use IE6 or Firefox 1.5 on Windows XP/2000/2003.
Yugma is a hosted Web conferencing tool, so it does not require that you have server space. It does require the person calling the meeting to install a program on their computer. The free version allows you to invite up to 10 people to a meeting, with the ability to share your desktop and switch desktops between users; teleconference (compatible with many VoIP services); use whiteboards with annotating capabilities; engage in public or private chats; and customize the Yugma widget. The free version includes some paid advertisements. For a monthly fee, determined by the number of attendees allowed, you are also able to share the mouse and control with attendees; schedule sessions; and record, play back, and host a webcast. You have access to 100MB of shared file space, technical support, and no advertisements. The prices are as follows:
- for 10 attendees: $9.95 a month or $99.50 a year
- for 30 attendees: $29.95 a month or $299.50 a year
- for 100 attendees: $69.95 a month or $699.50 a year
Yugma is compatible with Windows 2000 or higher, Mac (OS X 10.4 or higher), and Linux. The Linux versions currently supported are Centos, Red Hat 4.9, Slackware, Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, and Open Suse. Yugma also requires Java 1.4.2_07 or higher, but the download will check for this upon installation.
Web Conferencing Tools
VMukti Meeting Place www.vmukti.com
DimDim http://dimdim.com
Yugma www.yugma.com
IM, or Instant Messaging, is a tool that lets you have a written conversation with another person over the Internet. In the past, libraries have used IM and chat to mean two different things, IM referring to informal communication, and chat meaning the structured question-and-answer environment of something like Question Point. As far as I know, we are the only profession to make this distinction, and the outside world uses chat and IM interchangeably. In this section, I adhere to the world's understanding of these two terms and use them to mean the same thing: plain, old-fashioned instant messaging.
There are many different kinds of IM services offered by companies such as AOL, MSN, Yahoo, and Google. Each different tool is called a client; for example, AIM from AOL is one type of IM client. To use IM, you have to have an account set up with a particular client (company), and normally you can chat only with other people on the same client. There are ways to get around this issue, however (see the Third-Party IM Clients section).
With the exception of Windows Live Messenger, which is compatible with Yahoo Messenger, all of these clients work only with other users who have the same software. For instance, if you were signed into Google Talk, you could not add a buddy or friend who had only an AIM account. If your institution wants everyone to create a new account to use internally, choosing one of these clients is not a bad option.
Except for Google Talk, all of the above clients require a download. Some of them, AIM for instance, will also install a bundle of other software that you will have to delete after installation. This is, to me, the most irritating thing about using these clients. Most of them have Web versions, which require no download, but in many organizations, businesses and libraries alike, these sites are blocked. There are many different arguments for blocking IM pages on employees' computers, ranging from productivity to concerns about file sharing, but all of these arguments are hollow. As discussed previously, many employees find IM to be beneficial to their work flow, and IM is no more counterproductive than e-mail or the telephone.
You can sign up for an account with one of these services without installing the actual client. With a username and password, you can then use a third-party client to sign into multiple accounts at the same time. The advantage of using a third-party client is that you can sign into multiple names and clients that may serve different user groups, or you may use different IM names for work and personal needs.
IM/Chat Clients
AIM www.aim.com
Yahoo Messenger http://messenger.yahoo.com
Windows Live Messenger (formerly MSN Messenger) http://im.live.com/Messenger/IM/Home
Google Talk www.google.com/talk
A third-party IM client is a company that provides a tool with which you can log into IM accounts with other clients or companies. It is like shopping at a store where you can buy groceries, clothes, and hardware all in the same place instead of visiting three separate stores. You go to one place to access all of your accounts. Third-party clients are a great tool for people who have multiple IM accounts in different places. With one click, you can sign into all of your accounts at one time and see all of your buddies (friends) displayed on one screen. A third-party client will tell you what single-party clients their tool is compatible with, which is especially useful to Mac users, who frequently use different IM clients than PC users.
Meebo, a relatively new tool, has taken the IM world by storm. It is the third-party client that I recommend most often. Meebo allows you to sign into other IM clients (AIM, Yahoo!, MSN, Google Talk, ICQ, and Jabber). You can sign into multiple accounts from the same client or from different clients at the same time. Meebo does not require a download because it is all Web-based. This means that you can sign into your IM accounts from any computer. After creating a Meebo account, you can sign into all of your IM accounts with one click of your mouse.
Meebo has two unique features that make it a truly wonderful tool. MeeboMe is a widget you can install on a Web page, blog, or wiki that allows users to IM you directly without being logged into a client. The widget is customizable in size, color, and name display. It will tell people if you are offline (not signed in) or online and available for chat. Many libraries use this widget on their Web pages for a quick and cheap way of offering virtual reference. Meebo Rooms is another interesting feature of Meebo. If you have a Meebo account, you can create a room in which you can have a group chat. This room stays open all the time, whether you are in the room or not, and users can talk to each other and you at any time of the day. Rooms can be password-protected, and users can share video and Web pages within the room. Like MeeboMe, Meebo Rooms can be imbedded onto a Web page so that any visitor to the page can participate in the conversation, regardless of whether they have a Meebo account or not.
Trillian allows you to sign into AIM, ICQ, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, and IRC. Trillian gives you all the versatility of the single-chat clients in a multi-chat environment. It offers group chat, file transfer, audio chat, chat rooms, buddy icons, customizable skins, tabbed messaging, and many different kinds of sounds and emoticons.
Trillan is not browser-based and requires that you download the tool and run it on your desktop. This is its major drawback because you will be able to access Trillian only on the computer on which it was installed and downloaded. I want my tools to travel with me, so I prefer things that are browser- or Web-based. Trillian has a Pro version which comes with one-year upgrade protection, one year of technical support, access to user forums, video chat, history and summary searching options, and a few other features. Trillian runs only on Windows 98 or higher and requires 64 MB of RAM and 30 MB of hard drive space.
Pidgin is similar to Trillian; it is a tool you download and run from your desktop. Again, the major downside is that Pidgin does not travel with you when you change computers. Pidgin supports AIM, ICQ, Jabber/XMPP, MSN Messenger, Yahoo!, Bonjour, Gadu-Gadu, IRC, Novell GroupWise Messenger, QQ, Lotus Sametime, SILC, SIMPLE, and Zephyr. Pidgin's features are similar to Trillian's, and it supports many of the features from clients as well. It also makes available something called Buddy Pounces, which are alerts (such as a message or a sound) that let you know when a specific buddy goes away, returns, comes online, or changes a message. Pidgin also has some unique plugins that allow you to create “away” icons, spell-check your chat messages, and have tabbed conversations.
Pidgin runs on all Windows and Unix systems, and binaries are available for Windows, Fedora Core, and CentOS /RHEL.
Adium is also a tool that you download to your desktop, but it is designed specifically for the Mac OS. It is compatible with AIM, Jabber, MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, Bonjour (compatible with iChat), Google Talk, ICQ, Gadu-Gadu, LiveJournal, Novell Groupwise, QQ, and Lotus Sametime. Adium is open-source, available under the GNU General Public License, and it is available in 22 different languages. Adium features include tabbed messaging, file transfers, buddy icons, and off-the-record (OTR) messaging (a safety feature).
Third-party IM Clients
Meebo http://meebo.com
Trillian www.trillian.cc
Pidgin http://pidgin.im
Adium www.adiumx.com
Campfire is a group-chat client from the 37 Signals group. 37 Signals is the company that created Basecamp, a project management tool discussed below. A Campfire account allows you to create a chat room, designated by a URL that you can give to group members. Members follow the URL and enter a password to get into the chat room. The chat happens in Campfire's own system, and there is no installation. Campfire is a straightforward tool that has a very low learning curve. Because the chat occurs within Campfire, there is no need for other IM client accounts. It may be useful for people operating behind firewalls because you access the chat room through a unique URL generated from the account of the person hosting the chat. It is difficult to filter out these URLs, and thus they can slip by undetected. In addition to chat options, Campfire also offers file sharing, image previews, and voting.
Like many of the other tools, Campfire has a tiered pricing structure depending on how many users you want in your room at one time and how much storage space you want. With the free account you receive 10MB of storage and can have 4 simultaneous users. The other pricing is as follows:
- 12 users, 250 MB for $12 per month
- 25 users, 750 MB for $24 per month
- 60 users, 2 GB for $49 per month
Campfire caps usage at 60 people per room. Campfire works with IE, Safari, and Firefox.
Group Chat Client
Campfire www.campfirenow.com
Much has already been said about the different kinds of wiki tools available, and the information is easily findable. I am going to talk about the two types of wikis and suggest a couple from each category, but I am not going to discuss their nuances. All wikis are similar and have similar structures. Their aesthetics, WYSIWIGs, and syntax vary. Wiki software is free, though many of the hosted versions will offer more features and storage for a small price.
The first type of wiki is hosted. A hosted wiki is run on someone else's server. You do not have to install any programs to use them. You simply go to a Web site, choose a wiki name, and instantly have a wiki. These are the most user-friendly, and they are, for the most part, free. The most popular hosted wiki tools are PBwiki, SeedWiki, and Wetpaint.
Hosted Wiki Tools
PBwiki http://pbwiki.com
SeedWiki www.seedwiki.com
Wetpaint www.wetpaint.com
The second type of wiki is non-hosted. You must install the software on your server. By going this route, you will gain some customizability that you do not have with a hosted service. However, it is also more likely that the WYSIWIG for non-hosted wikis will be more basic, requiring that the user have more knowledge of wiki syntax. Many of the non-hosted wikis have nice WYSIWIG plugins available for installation. The most popular non-hosted wikis are MediaWiki and PmWiki.
Non-Hosted Wiki Tools
MediaWiki www.mediawiki.org
PmWiki www.pmwiki.org
For more information about choosing the wiki that is right for you, visit WikiMatrix. On this Web site you can choose features that are important to you, and it will tell you what wiki tools meet your criteria.
WikiMatrix www.wikimatrix.org
Like wikis, blog platforms have been discussed in many different places, so I will be brief about the kinds of blogging tools out there. Both hosted and non-hosted blog software is available. Your choice will depend on the flexibility you want and your access to server space. Like hosted wikis, a hosted blog will live on a server elsewhere, and all you have to do is sign up for an account. A non-hosted blog will require that you download the software to a server and install the software. You will have more flexibility with a non-hosted tool, but you will have to do a little bit more work.
Some of the popular hosted blog platforms are Wordpress.com, Blogger, LiveJournal, Vox, and TypePad.
Hosted Blog platforms
Wordpress.com www.wordpress.com
Blogger www.blogger.com
LiveJournal www.livejournal.com
Vox www.vox.com
TypePad www.typepad.com
Non-hosted platforms include Wordpress.org and MoveableType. MoveableType is not a free service, even though it is a non-hosted tool, and the pricing depends on number of users and whether you are using it for personal, business, or educational pursuits.
Non-Hosted Blog platforms
Wordpress.org www.wordpress.org
MoveableType www.movabletype.com
Project management software comes in a large variety of flavors. A project management tool for libraries should have an emphasis on collaboration and resource sharing. Most project management tools are geared towards businesses whose main concerns are time, money, and project tracking. Tools for businesses have many added functions that help track budgets and highlight resource conflicts for teams that are mostly concerned with the bottom line. Libraries, though concerned about money, will need tools that help their teams collaborate and share information. Many of the tools created with businesses in mind cost money and quite a lot of it. Below are two examples of tools that have the maximum flexibility needed for non-business pursuits and which have free or cheap versions.
Basecamp is an easy-to-use tool that offers all of the things a working group needs to get projects done efficiently. It is from 37 Signals, the creators of Campfire, the group-chat client discussed above. Features of Basecamp include milestones, to-do items that can be assigned to specific team members, writeboards for collaborative document editing, file sharing, a message board, time tracking for billing purposes, and the ability to have e-mail alerts when a message or file has been added. Even though this is a hosted service, Basecamp allows you to use logos to customize your projects and account. Users can upload pictures and create a profile to be shared with other members of their project team. Basecamp has also made their API available to programmers for even more customization. Because Basecamp is a hosted service, there is no download required for users. There is an RSS feed available for individual projects.
Mingle is a product from ThoughtWorks Studios, and while there is a charge for businesses to use this tool, it is available free to nonprofits. Mingle works on a card system, in which items called “cards” can be sorted, tagged, and moved around. Each card represents a task, schedule, conversation, document, or other individual aspect of a project. Projects and tasks are organized through the use of these cards, and each card can be shared between many different projects or pieces of the same project. I found the card idea to be a little confusing, though it seems an unique way of organizing things. Mingle has built-in wiki pages for collaboration, e-mail notifications, searching capabilities, and project and bug tracking. Mingle is a non-hosted service, and you will have to install it on your own server. ThoughtWorks Studio does provide some support for Mingle. At the time of this writing, I was unable to locate system requirements for this product.
project Management Tools
Basecamp www.basecamphq.com
Mingle http://studios.thoughtworks.com/mingle-project-intelligence
Finally, there are tools available that will do multiple things to make your life easier and increase the ease with which you can share things with others, for work or play. All of these tools are hosted services that are accessible everywhere, as long as you have an Internet connection. These suites of services are the tools that are truly revolutionizing the way people work and share.
I will start with the behemoth. Google takes things we use every day and makes them better. Some of Google's services, such as Documents and Gmail, are so far in advance of the competitors that there really is no competition. With Google Accounts, you have access to a customized home page, a feed reader, document writing and collaboration, a calendaring tool that you can share with others, e-mail, a personal notebook, an IM service, mailing lists (called groups), social networking (orkut), Sketchup, Picasa (photo sharing), and a Web history that travels with you.
Vyew is a synchronous and asynchronous collaboration and conferencing tool that accepts a variety of file formats. You can host a live meeting in which you can share files, such as .ppt, .doc, or .swf, or you can collaborate asynchronously on projects. Other Vyew features include chat, whiteboards, drawing tools, comments, and plug-ins for added capability.
Zoho, like Google, offers a huge variety of tools for collaboration or single users. In terms of features offered, Zoho is Google's closest competitor. One Zoho account enables you access to the following features: spreadsheets, documents, Web conferencing, online presentations, notebooks, a Web applications creator, planners, chat, a wiki tool, and project management (one project free).
Backpack is a 37 Signals tool that allows you to keep to-do's, lists, notes, ideas, and your schedule online. With Backpack, you can import files so that they can travel with you easily. This will come in handy if a USB drive is too small for you to keep track of easily. You can also create documents with 37 Signals' Writeboard tool and incorporate them into your Backpack account. RSS is available for the Writeboard feature so that you will easily know when changes have been made to a document you are collaborating on with your work group. Backpack allows you to publish the URL of particular projects, lists, or notes in your Backpack account for either viewing or collaboration with others.
Tools That Do Multiple Things
Google Accounts https://www.google.com/accounts
Vyew http://vyew.com
Zoho http://zoho.com
Backpack www.backpackit.com
Writeboard www.writeboard.com
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