LIBRARY LOUNGE

Click here for 14 lessons from libraries all over the world. It was one of our board members who forwarded this to me and I find that in itself inspiring.

Right now we are working through locations for some of our libraries and what the role of the library is for the community. This article makes some interesting points about libraries and their role in revitalzing a community.

Being ultimately responsible for the finances of the library I find this a very difficult decision. There is no guarantee that by putting a library in a depressed area that it will be the catalyst to revitalize it. What if we make that decision and 10 years from now it is still just the library holding up the area? It would be so much easier to just stay in our tucked away corner but my heart tells me that taking the chance is the right thing to do. Libraries have the same rights to make mistakes as anyone else but we are using tax payers money and this is a lot of money…. How do we best serve the community and do it in a timely and logical manner? It would be nice to have a Director to lead us through this - soon, soon.

Click here for another GREAT library marketing idea!
Here is another great idea for marketing your library and a really good website too ;0)

Mindy

On Friday I was able to attend an Internet Safety Conference sponsored by the Boulder Valley School District and the Internet Safety Foundation. There were a lot of educators and law enforcement officials including representatives from the FBI and there were also a few public and school librarians.

Although there were plenty of participants who seemed to believe that filtering and censorship was the way to go, that was not the main focus of the conference - education and training was. The Daily Camera said, “The main message of the conference: The Internet, from educational sites for research to social networking sites such as MySpace.com, is an integral part of teen life. Instead of trying to block it or ignore it, parents and educators need strategies to keep children safe — and teach children how to keep themselves safe.”

I think this is an important role for - and a challenge - for librarians. We can and should step up to the plate here. I know that many libraries do offer training in this area.

A great starting point looks like the programs put together by a group called iCrew. iCrew was started by Monarch High School graduates Lynn Ersek and Kelsey Kreager. They created Internet safety lessons that they use to talk to Boulder Valley elementary, middle and high school students. As part of iCrew, they’re also making Internet safety podcasts for teens. Who better to talk to teens than other teens.

You can find the podcasts here. I am hoping to invite them to come to our libraries and do some programming for both staff and our community.

BookSwim.com
Netflix for Books

If I didn’t work for a library I would be all over this!
The price is reasonable and if you like a book and don’t want to return it they will sell it to you for a “deeply discounted price”. It appears that they are working on plans for libraries so that a library can borrow from BookSwim rather than purchasing and then lend to their patrons. They even have Graphic Novels and Manga for my daughter and it appears that the selection of GN’s is better than we have at the library.

It will be interesting to see if they thrive - I certainly hope so. I don’t think they will take away a lot of library users - I think they will get the people who buy what they want and don’t use the library.

Mindy

Libraries Attract Record Crowds

We all know how difficult it is to get good coverage in newspapers - this author has done her homework and has written an excellent article about libraries and what they offer. I think it is worth the time to read it.

I liked her description of what a library employee now does, “… employees are “knowledge leaders” and must be equipped to help patrons not only find an obscure book but also navigate online databases, download files, fill out online job applications, conduct Google searches or write a letter in Microsoft Word. ”

Mindy

I am a huge fan of marketing the library and the more creative the better. I just got a look at Wyoming Public Library’s marketing campaign and although I might not like all of it (mudflaps) I am greatly impressed. I know that it is difficult to find dollars for advertising the library but they must be found. What good does it do to spend thousands of dollars on programs, databases and materials that a large segment of our population knows nothing about. It is the members of our community who are not using the library that we must reach and I think the only way we are going to reach them is to advertise where they are. I particularly love the bill boards. I also think that advertising on the sides of buses and on bus stop shelters might be a good idea. To get an overview of the Wyoming marketing plan click here.

I just finished reading the Executive Summary of this report and although it is nice to be validated the information was not new or surprising to me. As someone who has been involved with the technology for a library and also the budgeting and finances the 3 significant themes that emerged are the realities that we deal with everyday. They are:

1) Technology is bringing more - not less - public library use.
2) Library infrastructure (space, bandwidth and staffing) is being pushed to capacity
3) Libraries need more technology planning and dedicated technology support.

One of the duties I really enjoy as part of my job is tracking statistics for the library. Not only is it interesting to monitor how the changes we are making really affect usage (slowly) but it also helps to keep us on track when it comes to strategic planning and budgeting. Our statistics prove out number one and a quick visit to most libraries to see the waiting list for Internet use will also confirm it.

What I find most useful about this study is that it will give me the amunition that I need to accomplish the following:

1) Defend putting a larger portion of the budget towards technology. This includes space, training, programming, bandwidth and staffing. Which leads to:

a) Increasing the staffing in the technology support area of the library so that there are staff dedicated to: training staff on use of technology, holding technology programming for patrons, research and review new technologies and trends for use in the library, use best practices in maintaining the technology structure currently in the library and preparing budgeting for technology in the library including replacement schedules, maintenance and upgrades.

b) Changing the major focus of employees away from books and towards customer service which includes the use of the technologies that the library provides. We can no longer dedicate the majority of our staff to books (choosing them, cataloging them, shelving them, and checking them out). Although these things are still important and must be done, many of them can be automated (standing orders, self-check machines, etc.), freeing up staff time to work with technology. I think staff time needs to be reallocated to match patron usage.

So in our library this will probably end up being about 50/50 when we move into our new buildings which will have the space for and have been designed for many more computers than our existing facilities. It will be interesting to see how staff adjusts and how what we do changes as we physically evolve to more technology oriented facilities.

Just as the hand, held before the eye, can hide the tallest mountain, so the routine of everyday life can keep us from seeing the vast radiance and the secret wonders that fill the world.

Chasidic, 18th Century

Both of these are from the current (9/1/07) issue of Library Journal.

“While there are many problems in the world, people using the library too much really isn’t one of them.”
Jamie LaRue, Director, Douglas County Libraries, Castle Rock, CO.

“Experience has taught me: some people, most of them in fact, shouldn’t work at a reference desk. If you aren’t dying to help, you’re killing the library.”
Michael McGrorty, on publib, 8/8/07

I would like to add to Michael’s quote that it isn’t just the reference desk it is the help or circulation desks too. It seems that there are many people working in libraries that don’t enjoy interacting with the public. With the move towards more automation, library jobs are changing, library staff are moving out from behind the circulation desk into the library itself and the goal is to go out and help the customer. Being out on the floor requires a different set of skills than remaining behind the desk and it is the responsiblity of library administration to provide training for these new skills and to hire accordingly.

Mindy

I just read that National Depression Screening Day is October 4th (www.mentalhealthscreening.org) and World Smile Day is October 5th (www.worldsmileday.com).

I hope everyone is going to celebrate World Smile Day - I know I am going to even if it kills me!

Mindy