1. How can the Library use
Mendeley to support its users?
2. This presentation will
cover:
• How the Library can use
Mendeley to support its users
• Some of the features of
Mendeley
• How Library support can be
provided to staff/students
interested in Mendeley
• The benefits to the Library
3. So what is Mendeley?
• Reference manager
• PDF organizer
• Social network
• A ‘crowdsource library’
5. Reasons to use
reference managers
• Store and organise the
references for your research
• Automatically format citations,
reference lists and bibliographies
• The Library already provides
support for EndNote Web
6. Advantages of Mendeley
• Not just a reference manager
• It is free to download and use
• Works with Windows, Mac and
Linux
• Can be used in conjunction with
other systems
• Can sync between multiple
computers
• Can be used on smartphones and
tablets
11. Training
• Important to train library staff first
• Trouble shooting guides
• Video and written tutorials (.pdfs)
• Webinars
• ASLs asked to advise on tailoring
support for departments
12. Video Tutorials
• Mendeley already provides a
wide selection
• Target Library produced content
• Case studies and tutorials for
specific disciplines
• Help increase engagement with
Mendeley and the Library
14. Mendeley and Web 2.0
• Social networking
• Mobile apps available for iPad,
iPhone and Android.
• Emphasis on collaboration
• Free software
• Progressive technology
15. This presentation is available on
Slideshare
Mendeley website
http://www.mendeley.com/
Mendeley video tutorials
http://www.mendeley.com/vide
os-tutorials/
Presentation will look at:How the Library can use Mendeley to support its usersExplain a little about Mendeley and its featuresHow Library support can be provided to staff and students interested in using MendeleyAnd the benefits of using Mendeley to the Library
So what is Mendeley? It’s a reference manager, PDF organizer, and you can search, download and annotate material.In addition it describes itself as a social network, listing articles and topics that are trending with users, and suggesting possible material for you to use based on your history as a Mendeley user. You can create groups with which you can share information – also a news feed feature similar to Facebook on members of your group. You can also join public discussion groups in Mendeley too.It also describes itself as a crowdsource library – the more users sharing their material with Mendeley, the larger the pool of material is as it is not just based on databases but users own references and links.
So I suppose the first question to ask would be - Why use a reference manager? After all, we managed for years with stacks of notes! And how are they relevant to the library?
List reasons to use reference managers? Number of reasonsIt will help you to easily store and organise references for your researchYou can automatically format citations reference lists and bibliographies and amend them whenever you wish – removes the time consuming work of reference notes and formatting everything by hand – and helps the problems when citing in a difference format. This would be particularly useful for staff needing to submit a publication in a particular format.Explain Mendeley is one of several – refer to Zotero and EndNote Web– the library is currently providing support on EndNote.and there is a comprehensive support package provided by the library for this software. Also refer to Zotero use in 23 things
Advantages of using Mendeley – it’s not just a Reference Manager, it’s a social network, a collaboration tool, users can make a professional research profile public to raise their profile.Another plus is that it is free to download and works on most Windows, Mac and Linux.Also remember that this software can be used in conjunction with other services like EndNote Web and Zotero, but most crucial is the fact that it has been designed to be used both on multiple computers and available as an app on smartphones and tablets. This mobile capability I’ll return to later.
So how can the library promote Mendeley ? Important to promote it as an additional tool which increasing choice for users not to replace software already supported.
There should be a comprehensive level of support available on the library webpages. Including a dedicated webpage and email address. The webpages should have links out to the Mendeley page, a link to getting started and to download Mendeley. I’d also recommend a dedicated Twitter account, as Mendeley is very much a Web 2.0 tool, social networking makes sense for quick advice and help. Printed material could also be produced to send out to departments, with the Library. A QR code on the material could encourage users to access it in another way – the QR code could link to the Library Mendeley page.It might also be worth targeting pilot departments for whom Mendeley might be most suited to, gaining feedback on our support and training before it is expanded to the whole university.
Another important feature could be a blog maintained regularly with hints and tips, as well as news on upgrades. It would be important to encourage interaction with the social network side of Mendeley, so the blog could also welcome comments (obviously moderated), and ensure clear links to the Twitter feed. (and conversely tweet blog links when added)Also workshop sessions should be set up tailored for individual groups – perhaps general intro presentations in Research Exchange, or the Postgraduate Hub and during Get Started. Workshops could also be led by library staff in individual departments, and also drop in sessions at key points in the year (e.g. beginning of the academic year and before summer term). After initial introductory session, further workshops could look at more specific issues with using the software, and could be developed from feedback from early users in the institution.
The mention of workshops leads me to another key areato delivering excellent support, which is training. This is both for the staff disseminating information about Mendeley as well as providing training to users
important to remember that library staff will need training (probably during a vacation period) first to help cascade the information and present it albeit informally to their contacts. This could be done through presentations or a short online course (similar to 23 things) to give people a space to play with the software knowing help is at hand if needed. Also it would be useful to have a dedicated person or team who can be referred for specialist advice on Mendeley.For users, the training should be provided in as varied ways as possible – to accommodate the numerous ways people retain information. Written tutorials should be made available for download in pdf format, and on the webpage there should clearly defined getting started, trouble shooting, and FAQ sections. Video tutorials and webinars would be relevant tools to use to train too. I think another key thing regarding training would be working with the Academic Support Librarians to tailor training to the individual needs of departments.
We’ll focus now specifically on video tutorials:Mendeley already provides a wide selection of clear and freely available video tutorials for general users and supportHowever the library can enhance this by producing our own video and written content aimed at specific types of users from different disciplines, e.g. scientific, social sciences, humanities, law etc. as they often use different citation styles – use my example from art history to library studies (different format).These would benefit from input from ASLs regarding specific disciplines needs. If users can see specific tutorials for them it will help to increase engagement with both Mendeley and the library as a whole, as we will be seen to provide relevant and reliable support. Including case studies of individuals in different departments, focusing on how they use Mendeley and features of the software they find useful will also help to encourage this idea – that the library has relevant subject specific support away from traditional library resources. People engage more if they feel its relevant to them.
So why should the Library support Mendeley? Because as well as a reference manager it is also a Web 2.0 tool.
Mendeley interesting because as well as a reference manager, it has similar social networking capability to Twitter and Facebook, and is growing as a piece of mobile software – there is a Mendeley app free to download on your iPhone or iPad (SHOW PHONE) with a clean and easy search interface. Mendeley also has an open API (like Twitter), so apps are appearing to make Mendeley compatible with Android. This means that most smartphones could use Mendeley. The software also emphasises the increased importance on social networking and collaboration. This is relevant at a time when students and staff are often working at greater distance from their departments, and collaborating more widely. I can see a need for this as I see increased collaboration between universities internationally from publications I see coming in to the WRAP team.Also this software is free, so appealing to students who are already conscious of rising university costs. In many ways this could be the future of reference software – more emphasis on hand held devices, students (and often staff) can be rarely parted from their mobile phones (look at the students outside!). In a world constantly seeking greater connectivity, Warwick has always sought to be forward-thinking so it’s natural to anticipate how technology develops in this way. By doing this Libraries remain relevant to how information is gathered and disseminated and can take a leading role in supporting the changing requirements of students and staff, and introducing new ideas in research methods and practice.
Link to SlideshareLink to Mendeley homepage and Mendeley tutorials.
