Common sense tech ideas

Yesterday I spent six hours at Bryant University in Smithfield, RI for NELA’s program on IT in the library. It was billed as a training session for IT trainers. Gary McCone and Grace Sines from the National Agricultural Library were the presenters. The session was loaded with information, too much to recap in one blogging session so I’ll stick to my two favorite ideas. First, have a list of core competencies for the entire staff. Second, have a staff IT wiki. Actually their idea is to have a Tech Talk page on their intranet, but my library does not have an intranet, so I thought a wiki would work just as well, maybe even better because of the collaboration possible with wikis.

Having core competencies just makes good sense. Each department could come up with a list of what computer skills are necessary to perform the job well and to be able to troubleshoot minor computer issues. Things like changing the printer and scanner ink cartridges, knowing that re-booting is frequently the answer to a problem, and resetting the wireless modem could be taught to the employees in the departments that have to deal with these issues. Gary and Grace suggested some kind of incentive to get staff to get excited about learning these skills. Rewards for completing the training could include small prizes or a staff party. Obviously some libraries will have a more difficult time than others getting staff to want to learn these skills. I’m lucky to work in a library without much technophobia. For the most part, the staff is, if not proficient, at least willing to learn.

The second idea is very exciting to me and I wonder why it isn’t more widely used. Setting up a staff wiki for tech tips would be easy to do and would be an excellent resource. When a computer issue comes up the problem and solution could be recorded on the wiki. Tech tips could also be periodically posted, or the wiki could even be used as a manual of sorts. Employees could add comments or questions to the wiki. Through the use of tagging, it could be searchable. It seems like it would be a good first resource for computer problems, especially for those times when the IT contact people are unavailable.

Library 2.0 - are we there yet?

An interesting question was posted on the discussion board for my class this week….where does your library stand between 1.0 and 2.0? It is a worthy question for everyone.

Here is what the DFL currently offers in terms of technology: wireless internet for public access, a docking station for laptops, online databases and catalog that are remotely accessible, a wiki for the reference department, on-line readers advisory service with a link to the catalog, external drive for floppy discs, semi-regular classes for email training, Book A Librarian program for one on one computer instruction, e-mail reference service, and possibly a few other things I’m forgetting.

This is what is in the planning stages: Flickr accounts for the adult, YA & children’s departments, IM reference, and revamping the webpage to make it more dynamic.

And then my wish list: digitizing the vertical file and archives and linking them to our webpage, a library Facebook account, text reference, and adding a scanner for public use (we get a lot of requests).

I’ve always thought our library was on the progressive side. We are fortunate to have a director that is forward thinking and willing to take chances. But even though we are offering quite a bit of the newer technology to our patrons I still feel like we could be doing more. At the MLA conference last month I sat in on Marshall Keys’ talk. He ended with an example of a library that is as 2.0 as any library can get. What struck me as odd and sad was that the audience laughed. I think there is still a general view that this “stuff” is trendy and will go away. This is the wall we have to get past. We can play catch up and answer our patrons’ requests, or we can be a step ahead of them and put ourselves in the position of teaching the latest and greatest innovations. Isn’t that where we should be?

BookLetters and Library 2.0

Life is playing its evil little tricks on me…my body somehow knows my brain is back in school and it woke me up at the ungodly hour of 4:30 (on a Saturday morning!) to force me to be productive. So here I am, after a half hour long search for an open Dunkin’ Donuts, making the best of this quiet time.
Thinking back over the past few weeks at work and wondering what I could write about, two things have me really excited, and they kind of go hand in hand. Every year we run a program called “Hot Summer Reads”. I’m sure you are all familiar with this type of series. Every year the staff picks about fifteen new titles to add to the previous year’s selections. This is always very popular; being a seaside community our patrons have plenty of opportunities for beach reading. But they’re not all fluff books, in fact, some are a little on the avant garde side. I look at it as a personal challenge and try to stretch my boundaries a little each year. The display went up yesterday and I noticed quite a few patrons pulling the books off the shelves. I’m clearly not the only one who looks forward to this.
So what does this have to do with technology? A few weeks ago the director bought an online subscription to BookLetters. If you’re not familiar with this service and you work in a library that emphasizes readers advisory you should check it out. I’ll try not to sound like an advertisement here, but this is a loaded application. One of the best features is the availability of newsletters. Basically, you enter the ISBN numbers of the books you want to highlight and canned reviews are then displayed in newsletter form. You can also add your own reviews and link the selections to your catalog. Each newsletter can be set up as either an RSS feed or an email push.
The definition of Web 2.0 is hard for some people to grasp. I think it is best described as interactive and reciprocal. When you turn on your computer personalized information comes to you. Every morning when I load my Morning Coffee (which I don’t have to drive around for no matter what time of day or night it is!), I get everything I want – weather at my favorite camping locations, news feeds, my Facebook updates, new book alerts, new postings on my favorite blogs, etc. All of this information is pushed out to me now. And how does this relate to Library 2.0? We can now push our news and services out to our patrons.
Yesterday the Hot Summer Reads were set up on a display and a BookLetters newsletter was posted with descriptions of each new book added to this summer’s list. It is now possible for our patrons to open their email, see the newsletter, read the reviews, and choose their books, place holds - suspending some to ensure a continuous stream of books for the whole summer, all from their computers. What’s easier than that?

Timing, as they say, is everything…

A strange confluence of events has found me in a graduate class at SCSU called Web 2.0, (as opposed to the class I initially registered for - a kind of long and very boring story). It's all about blogs, wikis, RSS, etc., and how they can be used in library settings. It really is perfect timing for me…I'm so immersed right now in getting my library "2.0'ed" and I'll be able to swap information back and forth between my job and my class, and hopefully be of some benefit to both institutions. The final assignment for the class will mesh perfectly with some real-life ideas the director of my library and I are trying to get up and running before next school year.

So, if you are one of my classmates, please read through the previous posts for my background and why I have a blog already. I also look forward to reading yours, and for all of us to share information. I think this is the kind of experience I was hoping for (see last post) and I am anxious to see it in action.

If you are one of my few loyal followers please bear with the school postings for the next five weeks. Who knows, some of the information may be helpful to you too; after all, we’re all learning new things all the time, and sharing what little knowledge I have is the point of this blog. And please feel free to add your comments as well, maybe you can teach all of us something!

Back to the assignment: I've been following library blogs for a while now.
Stephen’s Lighthouse was the first one I got turned on to. I haven’t paid much attention to that in a while, but I have RSS feeds set up for my current favorites, which include LibrarianInBlack and Librarian.net.

I find Librarian.net to be the most compelling and informative. Jessamyn West is the author of the blog. She is a library consultant based in Vermont and she frequently poses interesting ethical questions along with silly, goofy observations and current library news. In January I attended a workshop she presented in Massachusetts and became totally intrigued with the whole web 2.0/library 2.0/social networking craze that I immediately went home and set up a Flickr account. Since then I’ve added more social networking elements to my life, most of which I think we’ll be discussing in the weeks to come. Jessamyn travels frequently to give workshops and talks and freely posts about her experiences. I find her voice very casual and refreshing. She is also open to questions from people like you and me, and encourages everyone to be her “friend”. I highly recommend visiting her blog to learn more about web 2.0 and to see how well all of the tools of social networking can enhance our lives personally and as librarians.

Now what?

Something has been bothering me for a while now....

I've got a Flickr account, a Facebook page, a Meebo account, a Del.icio.us account...I text with my cell-phone, still use my email, am writing a blog, take graduate classes on-line...I am clearly socially networked. So, now what?

There have definitely been advantages to all of this. I don't have to send pictures out to my family and friends anymore; they have all been given the Flickr address and instructions to hook it up to an RSS feed. By now they know to look on the site for photo updates.

Facebook was fun to set up, but after a few games of Scrabulous (I am starting to suspect this is the high point of Facebook) and looking up some interesting librarian groups to join, what do I do with it? Seems to me it's just one more thing I have to check on every day - I don't want to miss saying thank you to a new piece of flair or a gift from a friend! Maybe I've joined the wrong groups, but I was hoping for rousing, thought-provoking conversation, networking across the world, a consortium of ideas. And, even though I'm now a little more involved in the lives of some people I only knew casually, I'm not feeling like it's worth all the hype.

Social networking is leaving me feeling a little anti-social and creepy if you want to know the truth. Am I not being friendly enough? Do I have to introduce myself to people? How do I do that without feeling desperate or like a stalker?

I was hoping by putting so much of myself out there people would find me, or we would find ourselves in the same place, and networking relationships would happen. I feel a little like I've spent a lot of time getting dressed but there's no one at the party. I was expecting more interaction and more sharing to come slightly more effortlessly. (Maybe I should start a new group on Facebook for people who feel like Wallflowers 2.0!)

Thought-provoking MLA Conference

The MLA conference was held last week at Sea Crest in Falmouth, MA. I had the pleasure of sitting in on two exceptionally thought-provoking talks - Aaron Schmidt sharing his knowledge about IM reference and Marshall Keys' talk on keeping the library competitive. As usual after attending any kind of workshop or seminar, I walked away with many, many ideas and a feeling that getting and staying competitive is not all that difficult or expensive.

Here are a few things that keep running through my mind:

When most people think of IM they think of teens. But, isn't it probable that in 10 years, when these teens are adults, they will still be using the types of communication they are using now? So, if we miss the boat on getting IM in our libraries now, and we miss opportunities to connect with teens now, we are running the chance of losing the future adults they will become.

IM reference is not frivolous. In a few years not having IM reference will be like not having a telephone at the reference desk. Can you imagine not being able to call the library with a question?

Marshall Keys talked about "radical trust" and the sharing of information. Think about where people are fulfilling their information needs - Wikipedia, Google searches, etc. We need to be part of this circle of trust. Therefore we need to get our library in the face of everyone seeking information.

It's not enough anymore to have a dynamic webpage. We need to have interactive, participatory websites where our patrons have access to more than information - they need to have access to us.

Google Docs - a great tool for patrons

If you're not familiar with Google Docs now would be a good time to check it out. In terms of patron use, it can be invaluable.

Essentially, with a Google account, which is free and can be set up in seconds, anyone can get access to word processing, presentation, and spreadsheet software. All documents can be saved on the internet through Google's file hosting service and can be re-accessed from any computer with an internet connection. As with all things Google, the website is very user friendly.

We sometimes get patrons who want to save their work, but for one reason or another have nothing to save it to (yes, we have CDs, floppys and thumb drives for sale, but...some people don't want to buy anything, or don't like having to remember to bring disks with them - or to take them home!). In these situations Google Docs is extemely helpful. A patron can come in on a Monday, create and save a document, upload it to the internet, leave the library without having to remember a disk of any kind, then come back on Tuesday and access the document again for editing, printing, etc. Great for students working on papers - they can work on a document while doing research at the library, then access it again from home later in the day. The one caveat is file size; there are limitations but I haven't found this to be problematic.

There are other websites that offer these services, but I have found that most people are very comfortable with anything "Google". Even though I've had nightmares about Google taking over all aspects of my life, I have to admit this is one of my favorite go-to tools. Try it out, share your knowledge with your patrons, and they will think you are brilliant!