http://www.techsource.ala.org/blog/2006/10/my-avatar-wears-tight-jeans-and-4-other-things-i-learned-from-internet-librarian-2006.html

And I was glad to see how Lawley summed up the conference. Play… games… learning… “This is going to change the way people use your tools and think about what they want in an information environment,” she said. It’s something we need to take to heart and consider as [...]]]> Now published at ALA TechSource:

http://www.techsource.ala.org/blog/2006/10/my-avatar-wears-tight-jeans-and-4-other-things-i-learned-from-internet-librarian-2006.html

And I was glad to see how Lawley summed up the conference. Play… games… learning… “This is going to change the way people use your tools and think about what they want in an information environment,” she said. It’s something we need to take to heart and consider as we build systems, Web experiences, and put ourselves out there in places like Second Life.

Darren Chase

Originally uploaded by travelinlibrarian.

Don’t miss:

http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/librarianinblack/2006/10/il_2006_wikis_f.html

So sorry I missed these presentations but glad to have such excellent conference blogging from the LiB. I am very excited that my former employer SJCPL was represented by Maire Kruppa, who spoke about the SJCPL Subject Guides. Well done all!

(Photo: Darren Chase [...]]]>

Darren Chase

Originally uploaded by travelinlibrarian.

Don’t miss:

http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/librarianinblack/2006/10/il_2006_wikis_f.html

So sorry I missed these presentations but glad to have such excellent conference blogging from the LiB. I am very excited that my former employer SJCPL was represented by Maire Kruppa, who spoke about the SJCPL Subject Guides. Well done all!

(Photo: Darren Chase wows the crowd)

I picked up a cold in the UK!

Back in Oak Park, but heading out tomorrow for the Monroe County Library System Technology Leadership Institute: Imagine. Create. Innovate, with Stephen Abram and Ed Vielmetti. Find out more at their blog: http://mcls.wordpress.com/

Then it’s on to Monterey and the Internet Librarian 2006 conference, where I’ll [...]]]> (sniffle…hack..cough…)

I picked up a cold in the UK!

Back in Oak Park, but heading out tomorrow for the Monroe County Library System Technology Leadership Institute: Imagine. Create. Innovate, with Stephen Abram and Ed Vielmetti. Find out more at their blog: http://mcls.wordpress.com/

Then it’s on to Monterey and the Internet Librarian 2006 conference, where I’ll be moderating the Public Libraries track and speaking a bit. Please say hi if you are at any of the sessions. I will be armed with Flickr cards!

Greetings Librarians! Don’t miss the ALL DAY PL track at this year’s Internet librarian conference in Monterey, California. And really, all librarians are welcome for these talks — there’ll be a lot to learn and take away. Here’s the track and list of presentations:

This track focuses on planning, people, and participation. It explores [...]]]>

Greetings Librarians! Don’t miss the ALL DAY PL track at this year’s Internet librarian conference in Monterey, California. And really, all librarians are welcome for these talks — there’ll be a lot to learn and take away. Here’s the track and list of presentations:

This track focuses on planning, people, and participation. It explores the shift toward patron involvement, librarians building resources for collaboration and communication, and how public libraries (PLs) are changing to meet the needs of the plugged-in, socially networked user.
Organized and moderated by Jenny Levine, The Shifted Librarian, & Michael Stephens, Dominican University.

Library 2.0: Emerging Technologies & Changing Roles
10:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Michael Casey, Gwinnett County Public Library
Jenny Levine, American Library Association
Michael Stephens, Dominican University

The panel examines Library 2.0 thinking, the traits of Librarian 2.0. and describes concrete examples of 2.0 libraries in action. Get lots of takeaways you can implement in your environment!

Delighting PL Users: Personas in Action
11:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Stephen Abram, VP Innovation, SirsiDynix

User-centered planning begins here! Developing a deeper understanding of users is essential, particularly in terms of their needs, preferences, and desires; their goals and aspirations; expectations and assumptions; values and beliefs; and their tolerance for risk and change. Based on a project that collected the stories of library users, this session shares the results, personas, learnings, and strategies for delighting public library users.

Session B103 — Reaching Patrons: Online Outreach for PLs
1:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Sarah Houghton, San Mateo Public Library

This session discusses practical ways for libraries to delve into online outreach: getting the library “out there,” where the patrons are online. Issues addressed include: the need for online outreach, how to determine where your users spend their time online, making your library findable on the Web in useful ways to your users, and a list of places on which to make sure your library has a presence, such as Wikipedia, Craigslist, social networking sites (i.e., MySpace or Facebook), community calendars, library directories, Open WorldCat, IM, and other local sites. The session provides tools, ideas, and a step-by-step checklist to take back to your library.

Web-Based Experience Planning: Creating User-Centered Experience
2:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
David King, Kansas City Public Library

Depending on their training, the Web design community is talking about “user experience,” “interaction design,” or “experience planning”—all phrases that focus on the overall impression that the visitor has of your site. Experience planning puts the customer first, focusing on the visitor’s experience when they visit a store, buy a product, or visit a Web site. King explores the concept of experience planning for libraries, describes what works for the Web, and provides library examples of how to transform a Web site from transaction- and information-based to experience-based.

OPAC Tips & Tricks for Improving User Experiences
3:15 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Glenn Peterson, Web Administrator, Hennepin County Library
Nanette Donohue, Technical Services Manager, Champaign Public Library

For many of us, our library’s catalog and Web site seem to exist in parallel universes. Peterson offers examples, both simple and complex, of libraries making these two play well together so their Web presence is richer and more user-friendly by enabling the following: allowing patrons to move easily between the two while staying “logged in,” linking your booklists into your catalog, linking back to your Web site for patron reviews and other community-building content. Donohue discusses a major Web site renovation, including an improved, customized user interface for their Sirsi Dynix Horizon Internet Portal (HIP) OPAC. By surveying patrons and library staff and examining other libraries’ OPACs, the library staff, in conjunction with a Web development team, developed the OPAC of their patrons’ dreams.

Synergy for Better Services: IT & Library Cultures
4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Kathryn Deiss, Metropolitan Library System
Matt Gullett, Imaginon, Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Library

IT and library cultures differ in some significant ways. This session focuses on how IT and library people think and talk together. It begins by defining organizational culture and applies this definition to the cultures of IT and libraries in order to better discuss how these two different cultures can improve how they think and communicate with each other.

The advance information for IL2006 is up! Don’t miss these useful sites:

www.infotoday.com/il2006 http://il2006.pbwiki.com/

Note that there is going to be a podcast studio as well!

And, for public librarians and others interested folks (because this stuff translates well to almost any library!), don’t miss our PL Futures track on Monday, October 23, 2006: