MLA Yorkshire Workshop May 2008
About This Page
The one-day MLA Yorkshire workshop organised by UKOLN on "Web 2.0, Social Networking for Museums, Libraries & Archives" held in Sheffield on 12 May 2008 consisted of a series of talk in the morning. In the afternoon the 39 delegates were split into three groups. The groups then attended three sessions which lasted for 30 minutes: a discussion group on "Exploring Options", a discussion group on "Barriers and Solutions" and a hands-on session. The participants attended each of the three sessions.
A summary of the notes of the two discussion groups is given below.
Discussion Group 1: Exploring and Implementing Options
The facilitator for this discussion group was Stephanie Taylor, UKOLN.
Wikis
- Using Wikis for project planning - but we need to allow time to get used to mechanisms
- Using Wikis to link up with other organisations
- Use Wikis for recording visitor experiences
Blogs
- Use Blogs to gain a better awareness of what bigger organisations are doing
- Use blogs to link in with other organisations
- Create Blogs for projects as communication tools or archives
- Finding out about what is being said about us/our organisations
Google Maps
- Implement Google maps or our websites wherever there is an existing map
- Integrate Google Maps with Wikis for relating comments to what museums they are about
RSS Feeds
- Encourage people to link with them and more importantly use them - more training requested
- Talk more to our marketing people
- Use things like http://del.icio.us to share book marking, http://www.netvibes.com to find out how other organisations e.g. BBC news use these
Wikipedia
- Look at how our individual organisations are mentioned and correct if necessary
- Consider carefully how we describe ourselves if we make an entry - not using marketing jargon
Facebook and MySpace
- Consider using them to reach wider audiences, opportunity to have more interaction with users
- Get to know the differences for different audiences for each social network website
- Pod-casting, video casting and videoconferencing
- Explore as interactive tools
General
- Trialling all tools before use on projects, time/resource implications
- Child protection issues - know what they are. Find out if your organisation has a policy/strategy or work with older age groups
- Build a business case for access to online resources (including Facebook and MySpace)
- Explore more new technologies and keep up to date
Discussion Group 2: Barriers and Solutions
The facilitator for this discussion group was Ian Thilthorpe, Tyne and Wear Museums.
| Barriers | Solutions |
|---|---|
| Corporate IT - Security fears, loosing control, corporate identity, legal issues, IT policies not broad enough to accommodate new tools | Get buy in and support early on from the right people e.g senior management Try to get a voice into policy Provide evidence for why in the right language and remembering targets/priorities/objectives Do cost benefit analysis Out source where appropriate |
| Lack of control of content - Web 2.0 means direct access to the user | Assess risk |
| Negative media coverage, child protection | Promote good news stories/case studies Use existing agencies e.g. Becta |
| Long term sustainability | Partnership working |
| Resource implications - cost in time and people for e.g. moderation | Partnership projects to spread costs |
| Not knowing appropriate tools resulting in non participation | Don't be scared find out about things by asking |
| Skills - lack of training/few support mechanisms in place/poor IT support/ knowledge | MLA/Hub partner led sessions Mentoring |
| Lack of awareness, perception and potential of tools e.g amongst senior management, user groups, facilitators | Dispel fear by good evidence, look positive, create positive. Case studies to show impact and sustainability e.g National Archive, Wolverhampton Art Gallery Partnership projects to spread costs Create champions Evidence of good practice Support is there if you look for it |
| Censorship issues | Establish principles at early stages |
| Technical and resource capacity | Partnership, ask for help |
| Not everyone has access to Internet | Alerting and campaign for need |
| Poor perception of need sometimes viewed as age specific | Showcase good practice case studies |
| Copyright - permission/cost | Research costs, mechanisms e.g. Creative Commons and consider sustainability |
| Hacking and viruses | Assess risk, contract carefully, use back ups |
| Not being able to meet legal accessibility requirements | Do what you can, find out about small or no cost solutions |