Research Opportunities for Incoming UW-Milwaukee Freshmen

I have a summer research opportunity for an incoming UW-Milwaukee freshman interested in libraries, Web 2.0, and information ethics and policy.

The Office of Undergraduate Research is again sponsoring the UR@UWM Summer Research program. Selected students are invited to campus for four weeks during the summer (July 12-August 6) to engage in cutting edge research with leading UWM faculty. Students will spend 20-30 hours a week in their research mentors’ lab settings, as well as meet twice weekly with the other summer researchers for a semester course that introduces them to the culture of university research. There will also be social activities with other incoming students to help make valuable connections and become familiar with the UWM environment. There is no cost to participate in this program, and room and board is provided.

The list of possible research projects is here, and my offering is copied below:

Library 2.0: Where Libraries Meet Web 2.0
Dr. Michael Zimmer

Library 2.0 attempts to bring the ideology of Web 2.0 into the library by incorporating interactive, collaborative, and user-centered web-based technologies into library services and collections. Examples include providing patrons the ability to evaluate and comment on particular items in a library’s collection, creating a dynamic and personalized recommendation system (“other patrons who checked out this book also borrowed these items…”), offering patrons the ability to share their borrowing activity with other patrons (and, of course, view others’ as well), and interfacing various library collections and services available within Web 2.0 platforms, such as LibraryThing or Facebook, and to leverage these online spaces to aid patron activities.

This summer project will help map the territory of Library 2.0. Students will assist in locating literature and examples of Library 2.0 activities online, and in the use of a Web 2.0-based reference program – Zotero – to create and manage an online database of Library 2.0 resources.

If you’re an incoming UW-Milwaukee freshman, you can apply for these opportunities here. And feel free to contact me with any questions.