The Anonymous Feedback -- How is it Going, one-month in?

Since we are back in the new year, I thought I'd go over some of the big issues that have been raised so far with the program. Some of these came up as comments, others from the anonymous surveys, some from blog posts I've seen around and so on.

1. I can't seem to find time to get any of the "Things" done.

Unfortunately, I knew that finding time to get the "23 things" done would be a challenge for many. Not only that, but the people who are apt to find off-desk time to do a "thing" are also likely to be the same sort of people who would find the "things" quite easy.

• I tried to give as much time as I could (6 months) to finish the things.
• I tried to make the things as simple to do (with room to learn more) without making them seem useless.
  
• I asked branch managers to do what they can to accommodate requests for off-desk time for the 23 things.
• I left the month of December and the first week of January "thing-less" so people could catch up.
• I provided a list of hints and, in some cases, step-by-step instructions on how to do the "thing" and linked to these hints from the side bar (look to your right) and on the timeline post.
• I will be offering an explicit opportunity to call or email specific "gurus" in the month of march to help anyone finish up their things.
• The last "thing" was help someone else. I still think this is the best way possible to learn any of the things.

In the end, if it is a chance for the laptop (or other prizes) that you want, please remember to use any loophole you can find just to finish the 23 things. I *want* you to qualify for the laptop!

If it's the learning experience, and not so much the laptop, how about just choosing one or two "things" and learning them well?

2. These things are a waste of time. . .

A few of you felt that the social networking sites I've introduced so far were a waste of time. In particular, the blog seemed to some of you a passing fad.

I think I might have started with something besides the blog to illustrate that the "web 2.0" fad (and it may still be a fad) is not just about offering a wide-ranged confessional to the huge internet public.

I think a good analogy for Web 2.0 is as a "buffet" versus the standard restaurant. A buffet may include things you do not like, but that does not mean the buffet as a whole is a wash. While blogging may not be your thing, I think something like RSS or online wordprocessors/spreadsheets might be. If someone at the desk was looking for up-to-date information on their favorite pet subject, I think it is good to know that blogs exist and that they can be accessed pretty efficiently via RSS. In short, I'm just asking you to give this all a try. In the meantime, I'm hoping that one or two people in every branch will take to this stuff and be able to provide tips to those who are experts on other things.

If you think something I chose really is stupid or a waste of time, let me know and better, let me know why. We need to know what out there in the "buffet" that is Web 2.0 will work for us. Conversely, if you really think something out there would be really valuable to use, I'd like to hear about that as well. Libraries are using these sorts of tools with a wide spectrum of success and failure.

3. Person X has really been helpful to us while we were completing the "things," I just wanted to let you know.

Hey! Thanks for letting me know. Now I can let a secret out of the bag. I am going to ask each branch manager to give me the name of someone who has been really helpful to others during this process. Those person(s) are going to get a Denis Cunningham original t-shirt (pictures to come soon)!

Additions to the FAQ

Just a few items that I will add to the Frequently Asked Questions portion of the blog. If you have any questions or comments, or if something is not clear, please let me know.

New Questions:

When are we going to see the rest of the 23 things?

I have created a timeline that goes through the 23 things and when they are due. I'm going to evaluate this timeline as I go through the process. The only reason I am doing it this way is so that I do not inundate you with "things" right off the bat and scare you off. Also, I have other projects I need to be working on as well.

You can help me out by giving me feedback (it's anonymous, so you can be mean if you like :) ). I may be able to speed up the release of the "things," though I think the March 31st deadline is going to have to stand.

I have concerns that regular work will get missed because people are playing with Web 2.0 technologies. What should I do?

The rules on the 23 things are fairly clear: supervisors get to determine priorities on work time.

This program is not intended to interfere with day-to-day work and clearly, if you have customers in front of you, or a deadline looming, you should be working on that instead of doing the 23 things. Another point about the program: it's about trying 23 things, not doing 1 thing for 23 hours. :) Please be respectful of your co-workers, and library customers and use common sense about the amount of time you are spending learning these new technologies on the job.

If you are not sure if you are in the right, ask your supervisor.

Are the "things" going to be mandatory to learn in the future?

The answer is "yes" and "no." "No" because the goal of the 23 things is really just to expose you to some to the themes surrounding new technologies.

That said, some of the "things" may be used in the future to support library services. So, some (and I do not know which ones) may become a "yes" in the future. That said, I would expect that the "23 things" training would not be sufficient to support a new service. If, for example, the library were to offer "blogging help" as a service (this is just an example), then I would expect that specialized training would be required beyond the 23 things.

What about new staff? Can I do the 23 things if I am on a sick/parental leave?

New staff are welcome to try the 23 things with the only caveat that the March 31st deadline stands. If you are able to complete the "things" while you are gone on a leave, then you will also qualify for a prize -- the only minus is that I will not send you poster emails. I'll have to get back to you on the status of staff who leave the system entirely. Update: Since the program is only available to library staff, anyone who leaves the system before the deadline will not be eligible for a prize.

Are we going to be expected to help customers blog?

The 23 things should not change expectations about the level of service we offer at our public use computers. If someone were to ask you about blogging at the desk, I would think that you could provide them with 1) information about blogging or blogs 2) examples of a blogging services such as Blogger, Typepad or Wordpress and 3) offer some advice about what is required to start a blog (ie. an email address). I would not expect you to help a customer create a unique design for, add flashy sidebar features to or create convincing promotions for a blog.

You may already realize now that starting a blog is not unlike trying to start an email account.

As you will discover in the future, most of these services will be similar to Google search in terms of what they offer. I *do* expect you to know how to use Google (and know you already do because you told me so). While there may be the occasional frivolity added in for fun, I think you will find most of the 23 things relevant to you professionally, personally or as a possible service in the library.

Can we share a blog together?

Going by the "if it's literally done and you feel no reason to move on" rule, if you can honestly say that you were actively playing a part in "creating a blog" then I say, sure -- go for it. Anything that makes it easier to do these things is fine by me. Maybe there's a "techie" out there you can partner up with to help you with this stuff. Great!

I only do 3 1/2 hours per week and don't have time to do the 23 things, but I really really want to get them done, what can I do?

Talk to your supervisor and we'll see what we can do. In the end, all 23 things can be done at home if you want to. Also, the program is voluntary, so if there just isn't time enough in the day I fully understand. Finally, I am of the sort that thinks there is a way to solve any problem -- talk to your supervisor and we can see if something can be worked out somehow.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

(Added October 10, 2007)

When are we going to see the rest of the 23 things?

I have created a timeline that goes through the 23 things and when they are due. I'm going to evaluate this timeline as I go through the process. The only reason I am doing it this way is so that I do not inundate you with "things" right off the bat and scare you off. Also, I have other projects I need to be working on as well.

You can help me out by giving me feedback (it's anonymous, so you can be mean if you like :) ). I may be able to speed up the release of the "things," though I think the March 31st deadline is going to have to stand.

I have concerns that regular work will get missed because people are playing with Web 2.0 technologies. What should I do?

The rules on the 23 things are fairly clear: supervisors get to determine priorities on work time.

This program is not intended to interfere with day-to-day work and clearly, if you have customers in front of you, or a deadline looming, you should be working on that instead of doing the 23 things. Another point about the program: it's about trying 23 things, not doing 1 thing for 23 hours. :) Please be respectful of your co-workers, and library customers and use common sense about the amount of time you are spending learning these new technologies on the job.

If you are not sure if you are in the right, ask your supervisor.

Are the "things" going to be mandatory to learn in the future?

The answer is "yes" and "no." "No" because the goal of the 23 things is really just to expose you to some to the themes surrounding new technologies.

That said, some of the "things" may be used in the future to support library services. So, some (and I do not know which ones) may become a "yes" in the future. That said, I would expect that the "23 things" training would not be sufficient to support a new service. If, for example, the library were to offer "blogging help" as a service (this is just an example), then I would expect that specialized training would be required beyond the 23 things.

What about new staff? Can I do the 23 things if I am on a sick/parental leave?

New staff are welcome to try the 23 things with the only caveat that the March 31st deadline stands. If you are able to complete the "things" while you are gone on a leave, then you will also qualify for a prize -- the only minus is that I will not send you poster emails. I'll have to get back to you on the status of staff who leave the system entirely.

Are we going to be expected to help customers blog?

The 23 things should not change expectations about the level of service we offer at our public use computers. If someone were to ask you about blogging at the desk, I would think that you could provide them with 1) information about blogging or blogs 2) examples of a blogging services such as Blogger, Typepad or Wordpress and 3) offer some advice about what is required to start a blog (ie. an email address). I would not expect you to help a customer create a unique design for, add flashy sidebar features to or create convincing promotions for a blog.

You may already realize now that starting a blog is not unlike trying to start an email account.

As you will discover in the future, most of these services will be similar to Google search in terms of what they offer. I *do* expect you to know how to use Google (and know you already do because you told me so). While there may be the occasional frivolity added in for fun, I think you will find most of the 23 things relevant to you professionally, personally or as a possible service in the library.

Can we share a blog together?

Going by the "if it's literally done and you feel no reason to move on" rule, if you can honestly say that you were actively playing a part in "creating a blog" then I say, sure -- go for it. Anything that makes it easier to do these things is fine by me. Maybe there's a "techie" out there you can partner up with to help you with this stuff. Great!

I only do 3 1/2 hours per week and don't have time to do the 23 things, but I really really want to get them done, what can I do?

Talk to your supervisor and we'll see what we can do. In the end, all 23 things can be done at home if you want to. Also, the program is voluntary, so if there just isn't time enough in the day I fully understand. Finally, I am of the sort that thinks there is a way to solve any problem -- talk to your supervisor and we can see if something can be worked out somehow.

(Entered October 5 /07)

Do I have to use my real name on my blog?

No. You can blog anonymously. However, the blog is the main way that I will be able to tell you have completed the 23 things, so you will need to let me see it somewhere along the line.

You said that I will have to use the blog to describe some of the other "things." How much do I have to write?

You can write as much as you like. :) A good minimal approach to this exercise is to answer four questions: 1) What is the technology? 2) What did you think of it? 3) How might this be useful [or not] to you personally? 4) How might the library use this [or not] to serve patrons better? If you want a minimum word count, let's say 50 words. But if you think I'm going to count the words on a potential 890 blog posts. . .

(Entered August 16/07)

Why are we learning about Library/Web 2.0?

There are many reasons why Library and Web 2.0 are important. Here are a few examples:

1. Web 2.0 is not only a new technology, but it is helpful for learning about new technologies too.
   
2. Many customers are already using these technologies.
3. The e-Learning team would like to use resources such as blogs to keep staff informed about new technologies (without spamming your inbox).
   
4. Some people think the web is changing from an information resource to a place where people engage with online communities. As an organization, the library needs to understand these changes to serve customers.
5. Many of the technologies are useful for getting up-to-date information about anything you can imagine.
6. We should know how a resource like Wikipedia works so we can help customers make decisions on the quality of the information they are retrieving.
7. The library will be introducing Web 2.0 elements to the website and perhaps other services.
8. Some concerns related to privacy, internet safety, and copyright have been raised about these technologies. We need more staff understanding which concerns are valid and which concerns are exaggerated, hoaxes etc.
9. As a rule, these tools are easy to use and are likely to gain popularity over time.

How are you going to introduce the 23 things?

Approximately 3 “things” are going to be introduced about every 2 weeks for a period of about 6 months, with breaks in December and March to help anyone catch up. The “things” are grouped under broader topics such as “Blogging and RSS.” While we encourage staff to “keep up” with the sessions because an even-paced strategy is better for learning, the 23 things can be finished anytime before April 1st.

How much time will it take to do all 23 things?

Each item is designed to take a small amount of time, approximately 10-20 minutes. That means the whole project will take up about 4-8 hours total to qualify for the prize.

Some items may catch your interest meaning that you will want to spend more time learning how it works in more depth. Some people may find certain activities harder to understand and it may take them longer. Other people may already be familiar with the tools and it will take no time at all. The goal is that you get to learn at your own pace and at convenient times.

Because we want as many people as possible to participate, we have provided 6 months to complete the "things."

Can I do the activities at home or on my own time?

There is nothing about the activities that cannot be done at home. Two things are important to realize, however. 1) You do not have to complete the activities at home. 2) You will not be paid extra hours if you choose to do the activities at home. If you are having a hard time finding time to do the activities on work time, speak to your supervisor before the March 30th, 2008 deadline so some arrangement can be made to accommodate your training.

What should I do if I get stuck?

The goal of this campaign is not to “stump” you, so we have offered many hints to help you along. These will be available on the campaign blog. Group work is not only encouraged but it will be rewarded -- people known to be particularly helpful to others will be publicly recognized for their efforts. Google, Wikipedia and other online resources are also quite helpful with these tasks. In December and March, the e-Learning Manager will offer some help for any item that is stumped.

Some of the “Things” are fairly open-ended, how will I know that I completed it?

In the words of Helene Blowers: this program should be “focused . . . on easy discovery and offer[] optional challenges for those who want[] to do more.” In short, the tasks are intended to expose you to the technology, how far you want to go with it is up to you. If you have literally completed the task and do not feel compelled to move further, then you can check it off your list!

How do I keep let the e-learning team know that I've finished the task?

There are going to be two methods for us to check up on you. 1) Most tasks should be journalized in your blog (one of the tasks will ask you to start a blog). 2) We'll ask you to do a quick 10 question test to qualify for the grand prize (if you've done the tasks, you will find the test to be quite easy).

I have to keep a blog? But I don't want my name out the public for people to see!

You can still participate without exposing your personal information to the World Wide Web. If you do not want people to know you have a blog, you can keep it anonymous by giving yourself a unique username and configuring it not to show any information to the public. Instructions on how to do this for the major blog sites will be provided on the campaign blog, or you can ask someone to help you.

We will ask for the blog address at the end of the term so you can qualify for your prize.

I have a great idea for a Web 2.0 service we can offer at the library. With whom should I share it?

Get permission from your Branch Manager to write a one-page document describing the idea and send it to the e-Learning Manager. Put your name on it so you can get credit. The e-Learning Manager keeps a list of the ideas in a file for possible development in the future.