Information/Document Sharing

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Contents 1 About Information/Document Sharing 2 How does Information/Document Sharing work? 3 Best Practices 4 IPL examples 5 Hands on Activity 6 Articles about Information/Document Sharing 7 Feedback and Prize Drawing

About Information/Document Sharing

Effective collaboration and document sharing is one of the originating reasons behind the development of the network technologies that eventually led to the internet as we know it today. In the 1970's, ARPANET connected several universities, allowing researchers and scientists to actively share information resources over great distances. The first and most important method birthed by these networks was the protocols allowing electronic mail.

These fundamental tasks that drove the early development and innovation of the larger internet itself have been streamlined and focused by years of technological advance. Large scale information sharing and editing capabilities are available to anyone with internet access, and for no extra cost in many cases.

The latest innovative approaches to fulfilling these information sharing needs include concepts like cloud computing and peer-to-peer file sharing. Cloud computing refers to the use of online applications which allow dynamic storage, use of, and editing of media without any need for the user to host, maintain, or store it themselves locally.

Peer-to-peer file-sharing allows large networks of users to share information autonomously as if they were hosted in a traditional server-client environment. Peer-to-peer filesharing and it's offspring Bit torrent sharing are controversial due to the widespread use of these methods in information piracy.

How does Information/Document Sharing work?

Information/Document Sharing works in a variety of ways, depending on the types of information you wish to share and the manner in which you want to share it. Below, we've provided several examples of the different types of information/document sharing available on the web.

Online Document Collaboration

Google Documents (originally Writely): Google Docs mirrors many of the functions of traditional desktop applications like Excel, Word, and PowerPoint and combines them with the flexibility, sharing power, and portability of Gmail. To find out more about how Google Docs works, check out this informative video.

Zoho : Zoho is suite of powerful online office applications. In addition to offering traditional office applications like Zoho Writer (documents), Zoho Sheet (spreadsheets), Zoho Show (presentations), Zoho also provides tools for note taking, project management, online databases, and customizable wikis.

Writeboard : Writeboard is a standalone tool which allows you to create, share and collaborate on text-based documents. All you need is a valid e-mail address and an idea, and you're ready to use Writeboard.

EtherPad : EtherPad focuses on real-time document collaboration, making it perfect for taking meeting notes or brainstorming ideas for your next project. Note: EtherPad's parent company, AppJet, was recently acquired by Google and the service is being transitioned to the Google Wave project.

Online Document Sharing

Scribd : Scribd is a social publishing application, which allows you to publish your own documents to the web and search the submissions of others.

DocStoc : DocStoc, like Scribd, is an online social publishing application. DocStoc features include a large supply of document templates, and the ability to transfer large files free of charge.

edocr : Yet another document storage solution, edocr boasts excellent web2.0 compatibility, Google indexing, and contextual archiving.

Slideshare : As its name implies, Slideshare allows you to share your presentations with anyone in the world. With Slideshare you can add audio to your slides, embed your slideshows on your own personal blog or website, and join groups of other Slideshare members with similar interests.

OnStage : OnStage is a online application that provides document collaboration and project management tools. It features integration with other cloud computing tools like Scribd, and a healthy amount of security features.

Directory Sharing & Synchronizing

Box.net (BETA) : While this application is still in development, it mirrors much of the FTP-style sharing that makes Windows LiveSync so interesting without the any required hotmail/Windows Live account.

Windows LiveSync : A free application from Microsoft which allows users to sync and share files and directories between computers and users. Requires a Windows Live/Hotmail account.

Dropbox : Dropbox is a downloadable application which not only provides secure file backup, but also a simple way for synchronizing and sharing files across multiple computers. A free Dropbox account provides 2GB of space; additional storage requires a monthly fee.

Best Practices

The Monterey Public Library offers instructions on using Google Docs on library computers.

The Princeton Public Library and Casa Grande Public Library use Slideshare host a number of presentations created by library staff to provide information to patrons, including "Fab Freebies for Productivity", which provides information on free productivity software.

The Lake County Public Library uses their Slideshare account to provide information to their staff for professional development.

Elyssa Kroski, a librarian blogger, has written an in-depth blog post describing her use of Zoho Creator to create an online database for tracking reference data.

In their efforts to create a shared integrated library system, the North Texas Regional Library System used Zoho Sheet to share cost-sharing information about five vendors they were considering.

The Washington-Centerville Public Library uses Scribd to upload and share a number of documents of interest to their patrons, such as a research pathfinder on Mars and a list of the Best Novel Nebula Award winners.

IPL examples

IPL on Slideshare http://www.slideshare.net/iplcommunity

Hands on Activity

Activity 1: Create & Share Your Work

First, visit Scribd, DocStoc, or Slideshare - whichever you like best - and sign up for a free user account.

Then, upload a document that you have created (please don't upload someone else's work!). It can be a presentation you gave, a paper you wrote, a short story you've been working on - anything you want to share with the world.

Once your work has been uploaded, you'll see that your document has its own unique URL which you can give to anyone who you think might be interested in seeing what you've created. You can then go back and add your own custom tags to it, or you can explore the site to rate and/or comment on documents created by other people.

Activity 2: Collaborate with Friends or Colleagues

Visit Google Docs or Zoho and create a free account, if you don't have one already. Note: You can also sign in to Zoho using your Google or Yahoo account.

Create a new document by either typing in some text, or importing/uploading a document you've already created (any format will work). Share your document with a friend, family member or colleague and ask them to edit or revise it for you. Don't worry if you don't agree with their suggestions - you can always revert your document back to a previous version, and you never have to worry about saving it.

Articles about Information/Document Sharing

Buck, S. (2009). Library in the cloud: Making a case for google and amazon. Computers in Libraries, 29(8), 6-10.

Bell, M. A. (2009). Cloud crowd: You belong whether you know it or not! MultiMedia & Internet@Schools, 16(4), 31-33.

Cunningham, P., & Wilkins, J. (2009). A Walk in the Cloud. Information Management, 43(1), 22-30.

Hargadon, S. (2008). There's Life beyond PowerPoint. School Library Journal, 54(2), 21.

Harland, P. (2007). Becoming a 21st Century Librarian through Long Distance Collaboration. One-Person Library, 24(7), 4-5.

Mattison, D. (2008). Hit Me With Your Best Doc. Searcher, 16(6), 18-56.

McPherson, V. (2009). Practical Applications of Web 2.0: Bring your Community Together. Knowledge Quest, 37(4), 62-63.

Murray, A. (2008). Electronic resource management 2.0: Using web 2.0 technologies as cost-effective alternatives to an electronic resource management system. Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship, 20(3), 156-168.

Trexler, S. (2008). Increase Your Productivity and Collaboration!. Information Searcher, 17(4), 28-32. Retrieved from Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts database.

Feedback and Prize Drawing

To give feedback to the IPL about the 15 Things and to register for the prize drawing, please visit: http://vll.ipl.org/15things/index.html

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