Evaluating, Recommending and Justifying 2.0 tools

Presenter: Marydee Ojala, Editor, ONLINE magazine

New technologies include all things 2.0, social networking/software/media.

Each social tool has a use, but not all need to be used by your organization, necessarily. Use common sense. Not everyone has to follow the cool kid on the block, but, social and 2.0 are real. They are the future and they are evolving.

Does your management appreciate the power of social?
Does your staff?
Do you?

Social media are becoming more traditional methods of communication; meanwhile, traditional media becoming more social themselves.

Current Challenge: our professional and personal lives are blending because of the use of these tools.

Benefits of Social in a Business Setting
Evaluating products, services, technologies
Recommending them for internal use
Justifying your recommendation

Why add Social Tools?
Customer expectation
Marketing yourself, your department
Product promotion
Transmitting information, sharing knowledge
Learning others' expertise
Reputation management
Back channel at conferences, meetings

These tools get us outside our comfort zone.
This isn't just a library decision.
Opportunity to join a larger organization.
They position the library- and information professionals-as tech experts.
Put info pros at the center of decision making for entire organization.

New technology should solve a problem, not provide a solution to a problem your organization does not have.

Questions
Does the tech work as advertised?
Will it survive?
Who provides tech support?
Who owns the data?

These aren't trivial concerns. You need to know the difference and be able to explain the difference. Don't brand people Luddites. Anticipate objections and be prepared to reply. Do background research for their discipline, their world view. Ground your case in the realities of your situation, your organization. Timing is important.

One common objection--This social stuff just wastes time--however, if a deadline is missed, it doesn't matter if it was missed due to Twitter or to plain incompetence. A missed deadline is a management/personnel issue.

Getting management buy-in
Don't surprise them.
Don't complicate their lives.
Prove management skills, vision of organization as an organic whole.
Communication is key.
Stress value of research function