Frank Boateng, YAN QUAN LIU, (2014) "Web 2.0 applications’ usage and trends in top U. S. academic libraries", Library Hi Tech, Vol. 32 Iss: 1
Purpose - This paper aims to explore Web 2.0 technologies usage and trends in the top 100 U. S. academic libraries as exemplified through the academic library websites. Design/methodology/approach - The top 100 universities were selected from the U. S. News & World Report’s (USNWR) 2013 ranked list’s top 100 of the best colleges in the United States. Content analysis was used in terms of quantitative approach. A checklist was developed as the main research instrument based on other checklists and questionnaires. Each of the selected university library websites were visited within a period of two weeks to explore implementation and usage of web tools including, SNS, blog, RSS, wikis, podcast/vodcast, and social bookmarking/tagging. Findings - All 100 academic libraries had a social media presence on Facebook and Twitter, making SNS the most widely applied Web 2.0 tool. The wiki was the least applied Web 2.0 technology with 34% participation rate. Blog was the second most popular tool with 99% participation rate, followed by RSS and IM/Chat with 97% and 91% respectively. The vodcast and podcast had 47% and 46% participation rates respectively, social bookmarking/tagging were also used by 39% of the academic libraries. Research limitations/implications - This study is completely based on publicly available data regarding usage of Web 2.0 applications. Web 2.0 tools used on library intranets were not analyzed for this study. Outcomes suggest academic libraries are increasingly using Web 2.0 applications to promote themselves, enhance library services, and highlight resources to patrons. Originality/value - This is the first research that draws an overall picture of the usage and trends of Web 2.0 applications in the top 100 U. S. academic libraries. This study demonstrates some noticeable patterns regarding usage, trends, and adoption which are relevant to how Web 2.0 applications are perceived and used within academic libraries. The study provides academic libraries with helpful information to better meet their user needs by effectively applying Web 2.0. Additionally, library managers, librarians and other libraries may also find this research beneficial as they plan to deploy Web 2.0. STEPHEN B. ALAYON Data Bank Senior Information Assistant Library and Data Banking Services Section Training and Information Division Aquaculture Department (AQD) Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center (SEAFDEC) Tigbauan, Iloilo 5021 Philippines URL: http://www.seafdec.org.ph Telephone No.: 63 33 5119170 to 71 local 409 Fax No.: 63 33 5119174 Mobile Phone No.: 63 919 4506688 Email Add: [email protected], [email protected] -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Filipino Librarians" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/filipinolibrarians. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
