Ieva Bergman , Librarian, Resources and Access, Library, Curtin University of Technology [HREF1], GPO Box U1987 Perth WA 6845. i.bergman@exchange.curtin.edu.au
The Curtin University Library employs a diverse range of tools to engage students
in their learning experience. Information and services are provided for new
students in the form of virtual tours using flash and audio tours for orientation.
Students requiring something more advanced can try out iLectures, podcasts
and viewlets. Subject guides and RSS feeds provide subject based information
for students or staff. If a student needs to ask a librarian for help they
can choose to use chat to ask a question or SMS their query. The library also
provides news and other items of interest via the library blog and podcasts.
Students can access any of these services through the Curtin wireless network
using their own laptops, or increasingly, with handheld devices.
Future developments include creation of a downloadable toolbar featuring library
services.
Curtin University Library's mission to provide "innovative, excellent resources, services and spaces"[HREF2] is achieved in part through the development of new and existing technologies that continuously improve the learning experience of Curtin's students.
Methods of obtaining and arranging information are constantly evolving, and to engage the student, the library must also evolve. Thus new ways of learning about library services are being introduced and students now have a range of different ways of getting information, help and the latest library news.
Wireless coverage is provided throughout the library. Students can use their own laptops to access the internet or library services. Students can also access via compatible handheld devices, however the range of services for handhelds are currently limited. the Library also provides an area where students can use their laptops and access via ethernet.
The audio tour was designed to provide basic library orientation. It consists of an mp3 file and an accompanying pdf file of the library floor plan which can be downloaded or printed. A student can download the mp3 file to a portable mp3 player and do a self guided tour around the library following the floor plan. This also means that the student can pick their own time between attending lectures rather than having to attend at a library specified time. The mp3 file was created using Audacity, an open source sound editing program. [HREF3]
Statistics show that the audio tour has been very successful. In 2006, the number of students taking audio tours accounted for approximately 37% of the tour participants.
The virtual tour of the library has been designed as an alternative or a supplement to the audio tour. It was created with flash and presents images of the library and students in the library with colourful backgrounds, a brief explanatory text and optional music.
These additions to the library's orientation programme provide Curtin students with a variety of options to choose from, and if they wish, they can try them all.
Podcasts were introduced in 2006 and were primarily aimed at undergraduate students. They were designed for orientation, as in the podcast audio tour, as well as a variety of topics including referencing, EndNote, databases and borrowing. They were produced each week. After the second semester in 2006 the program was extended to include book reviews over the semester break. In 2007, additional material has been added and topics have been divided into introductory and advanced. The advanced series covers topics such as copyright and statistics. As in the audio tour, Audacity has been used for creating the podcasts with library staff providing the content. Background music has been added from creative commons websites such as ccMixter [HREF4].
Podcasts were accessed 13339 times in 2006 and, as new topics have been added, access to podcasts has been increasing. By May 2007 podcasts were already accessed 19054 times.
View-its
View-its are flash animations which incorporate screen shots and text bubbles and include such topics as the library catalogue, Scifinder Scholar, and ProQuest. They have been created with Qarbon Viewlet Builder, [HREF5] a commercial multimedia authoring tool for creating flash animations using screenshots and added text. The Viewlet Builder also allows for voiceovers which haven't been added to date, but may well be added in the future. View-its allow the student to click on and view tutorials on different topics and pause and replay as often as they like. The View-its on EndNote and the library catalogue have proved to be particularly popular. There has been a 70% increase in the acccess to View-its from 2006 to April 2007. I also compared the access to the Library's "Step by Step Guides" our older text based product. In 2006 View-its accounted for 40% of the accesses, In 2007 (to April) the access has gone up by 11%. A freeware version of this type of tool is also available by the name of Wink [HREF6].
iLectures have been in use in Curtin for some time, and were introduced to the library in 2007. The iLecture system known as Lectopia was developed by the University of Western Australia [HREF7]. The system allows lecturers to record their lectures including powerpoint presentations and voiceover and also film themselves giving the lecture if they require. iLectures can be viewed in a variety of different formats such as audio only, slides only, Quicktime,Windows media and Real Media, they can also be downloaded to iPods, however, every iLecture is currently not available in every format.
A student can now view a powerpoint presentation complete with voice over by library staff via Windows media player or Quicktime, both of which are available free. The first topics covered are Searching library databases and ones for specific units such as Drug Information Service 528 library workshop. Statistics for March-May 2007 show over 3,000 page requests.
Subject Guides provide a selection of resources on a specific topic such as agriculture, computing or psychology. The resources range from databases, electronic books, web sites, encyclopedias and links to professional associations. Subject Guides are created with Pirate Source software which was produced by the Joyner Library of East Carolina University and is open source. [HREF8] This is a way for students to obtain a quick list of resources in their subject area, and also means that less maintenance is required if a resource changes, for example, if we stop subscribing to a particular multidisciplinary database.
RSS feeds from the library catalogue have been created for variety of subject areas such as accounting, physics or electrical engineering, enabling staff or students to receive notification when new resources in these areas are obtained by the Library. [HREF9]
RSS feeds are also available for podcasts.
AskOnline is an "instant messenger" or chat based system which provides the opportunity for a student or staff member to communicate directly with a library staff member and get online help. The Library elected to use Miranda, an open source Instant Messenger service which is compatible with any Instant Messenger clients such as MSN Messenger and Yahoo Messenger. [HREF10] Ejabberd, also open source [HREF11] is used for running our own IM server. The service runs from 9.00am-5.00pm Monday to Friday.
Ask Online averaged 145 sessions per month in 2006/7. The average number for the first four months of 2007 increased dramatically (220 as compared to 120 for all of 2006). Ask Online now accounts for about 10.41% of all enquiries at the Robertson Library Enquiries Desk, with an increase of about 1% to date in 2007.
The SMS a Query service was first trialled in 2004. The library uses MessageNet [HREF12] as a gateway for incoming SMS messages which get sent to a specific library email address and then the reply is sent to the client's mobile phone as an SMS message. The services averages about 20 queries per month.
Electronic queries of all types (including Ask Online, SMS and the existing form based query) now account for about 26% of all the enquiries at the Enquiries desk of the Robertson Library at Curtin.
The library blog was introduced to provide a better method for communicating the latest news on library events and resources to staff and students, and also to allow for comment on the news items. The software that was chosen to create the blog was another open source product called B2Evolution. [HREF13]
RSS Feeds are available to subscribe to the blog, and a feed is also provided to OASIS, the student official email and communciations channel. Statistics show that usage at the beginning of 2007 has already increased by 76% from the previous year.
Book Reviews were created as additional material for the semester breaks. During 2006 they were added to a web page. In October 2006 the library started adding the book reviews to a blog or creating a podcast or both. Figures for the book review podcasts show access figures of 4,986 to date.
Opinion @ your library podcasts were started this year. These are podcasts by Curtin academics on a variety of interesting topics. The first two topics were on obesity and Perth music. As well as the podcast, a transcript of the podcast was added to the library blog with an invitation to the Curtin community to add comments after listening to or reading the presentation. Opinion @ Your Library podcasts have already received over 150 page requests since they started in April 2007, and comments continue to be added to the blog. These productions by the library are proving to be popular.
This year two other SMS services were implemented. Staff or students can now opt to have SMS availability notices sent about library materials which they have recalled. They can subscribe via the catalogue. The system utilises the generation of email availability notices currently produced by the catalogue, then uses the MessageNet system to convert the email to SMS. Since the service began early February nearly 20% of availability notices have been sent via SMS.
Students who have booked in to attend a library workhop can choose to have attendance reminders sent as an SMS message. An option is available for selection at the time the booking is made.
The Library is currently developing a toolbar with a variety of resources to be made available for download. This is similar to the Google toolbar and other toolbars now available for installation which work from Internet Explorer or Firefox. Software being used for building the toolbar is Toolbar Studio, [HREF14] which is not open source but is a relatively inexpensive product and free if you only want to create one toolbar.
Atkinson, J., Berk, J., Comerford, J., and Olsen, S. (2006). "Innovation in a Podshell: Bringing Information Literacy into the World of Podcasting" in ALIA ClickO6 Conference. Available online [HREF15]
Green, P.D. (2007). "Bridging the Gap: Boomer Librarians Lure Millennial Students to the Library" in Educause Australasia 2007. Available online [HREF16]
Grey-Smith, S., Padgett, L. (2007). "Using Open Source Software@ Curtin Library: Instant Messaging, Podcasts, Subject Guides, Blogs and WIkis!" in Information Online 2007 13th Exibition and Conference. Available online [HREF17].
O'Connell, J. "Engaging the Google Generation Through Web 2.0: Part 1" in Scan v.25 n.3 p.46-50
O'Connell, J. "Engaging the Google Generation Through Web 2.0: Part 2" in Scan v.25 n.4 p.41-45
Wiebrands, C. (2006). "Creating Community: the Blog as a Networking Device" in ALIA Click06 Conference. Available online [HREF18]