Yearly Archives: 2008

749 posts

SJCPL Blog Patron Posts

http://www.libraryforlife.org/blogs/lifeline/?p=5181 An inspired way to invite participation in the library blog! The folks at SJCPL are featuring library patron John D. Smith sharing how he uses the library. I heard that this will be the first of an ongoing series. Think about it: John tells family and friends he’s posted on the library blog and they take a look, etc. This could lead to more participation and maybe even folks asking to do guest posts! Well done SJCPL!

Britannica Goes Wiki

Via Gerry McKiernan: http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/article/3064/ Josh Fischman writes: Long a standard reference source for scholarship, largely because of its tightly controlled editing, theEncyclopaedia Britannica announced this week it was throwing open its elegantly-bound covers to the masses. It will allow the “user community” (in the words of the encyclopedia’s blog) to contribute their own articles, which will be clearly marked and run alongside the edited reference pieces. This seems to be a response to the runaway success of the user-edited online reference tool Wikipedia. (See for yourself. Do a Web search on a topic and note whether Wikipedia or Britannica shows […]

Ready, Set…

Ready, Set…, originally uploaded by St. Joseph County Public Library. Congrats to the folks at SJCPL as they break ground for the updated Roger B. Francis Branch. Find out more here and here! Nice use of Flickr and the library blog. Maybe it’s time for a construction blog for to gather all of the cool things the library is doing with its buildings!

Smells Like Teen Spirit (Sorry! Had to be done!)

Another great opportunity for “at your desk” learning:   Learn more about creating and maintaining great teen physical and online spaces, and receive guidance in creating programs and events that keep teens coming back to the library again and again.   Tuesday, June 10th, 2 PM EDT. www.libraryjournal.com/teenservices Polaris Library Systems President and CEO Bill Schickling will lead a one hour webcast which will include a stellar panel of educators, researchers and librarians who are at the forefront of promoting teen services in public libraries. Topics will include: Your Teen Area as Their Third Space: Creating a Place Cool Enough to […]

Skokie PL: Virtual Services Coordinator

Under the direction of the Director, and in cooperation with the Website Coordinator and Manager of Public Information, the Virtual Services Coordinator develops strategies for implementing and delivery of virtual services to the public. The Virtual Services Coordinator works to integrate the Library’s web offerings and to guide the Library’s virtual services efforts toward user-centered services, incorporating new creative approaches that optimize the customer experience, manage content, and provide customer support. Duties and responsibilities: Ensures that all our web services and virtual resources are integrated and designed for ease of use and convenience of patrons Provides leadership to engage the […]

Flinders University Graduate Trainee Librarian Program – Adelaide, South

I met Chris O’Malley in Australia. I was very interested to hear about the trainee program he’s in. I asked him to write a little bit about it for TTW: Librarianship is a competitive profession to break into.  Getting that first professional role was a proud moment for me, which felt like the culmination of a lot of study, a lot of thought about where I wanted to be and what I wanted to do, and even dealing with a little rejection along the way.  This seems to be a reasonably common experience.  Of course, now I have broken through that barrier, there are many more […]

Starbucks asks for Feedback

http://mystarbucksidea.force.com/home/home.jsp Kyle sent this a few weeks ago and said “Please tell me you’ve seen this.” 🙂 I actually had but had filed it away in an overflowing brain as the semester was ending. Take a look if you haven’t seen this: customer commentary meets DIGG meets blog meets “favoriting” meets Starbucks. Some ideas are chosen as “Under Review:”: We’re very happy to point out that two of your most popular ideas have been put “Under Review” this week. Here they are: DARK ROAST, ALL DAY, EVERY DAY! Bold coffee lovers, we hear you. In just three short weeks, your idea […]

UK Study on Social Networks

Via Michael Casey: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7325019.stm The Ofcom report looks into the impact of social networks on people’s lives in the UK as part of a wider media literacy campaign and surveyed 5,000 adults and more than 3,000 children. Its statistics suggest that around 19% of all UK youngsters have a presence on a social networking site. “Social networks are clearly a very important part of people’s lives and are having an impact on how people live their lives,” said James Thickett, director of market research at Ofcom.

Blended Librarian Webcast: Opening New Windows of Opportunity: Creating Breakthrough Instructional Experiences

“Opening New Windows of Opportunity: Creating Breakthrough Instructional Experiences” On Thursday, June 5, 2008 at 3 pm. EST. Brian Mathews will speak on “breakthrough opportunities” as he shares his latest ideas on creating interactive library experiences for students. This session will feature tactics for engaging students in both the classroom as well as in digital environments. Brian will also discuss possibilities for the library and librarians to become a more integrated part of campus and will highlight his ubiquitous “push-out” philosophy. Guest Speaker Bio: Brian Mathewsis the User Experience Librarian at Georgia Tech. He frequency writes and speaks on the […]