Yearly Archives: 2009

294 posts

DCPL iPhone Application

Run don’t walk to checkout the new DCPL IPhone App for the catalog: http://www.walkingpaper.org/1100 Aaron writes:      Hurrah for alternative OPAC interfaces! I’m very pleased to let you know that the DCPL iPhone app went live last night. You can download it from the iTunes app store here. Functionality in this version includes: searching for library materials seeing an item’s cover and reading a summary placing a hold for pickup at the location of your choice finding the hours, locations and phone numbers of DC public libraries If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, please download it try it […]

The Cluetrain is leaving the station – who’s on board? – A TTW Guest Post by Kay Jacobson

Kay wrote a paper for LIS768 on the Cluetrain ten years later. She graciously allowed me to post an edit here. Thanks Kay! Michael Today’s economic situation would seemingly make libraries indispensible.  Yet with budget cuts, many libraries are threatened with cut backs and closings.  The natural reaction, based on fear, would be to go into preservation mode.  Instead, libraries need to be moving into innovation mode, viewing this time as a chance to move ahead and connect with the public that hasn’t been using them.  The disenfranchised public wants to know how the library will be relevant to them […]

An Open Letter to (Libraries) on Twitter

Jenny points to a wonderful post at Museum 2.0: http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2009/01/05/an-open-letter-to-libraries-on-twitter.html http://museumtwo.blogspot.com/2008/12/open-letter-to-museums-on-twitter.html 1. Don’t use Twitter to spam me about visiting.  2. It’s okay if you start by just following.  3. Once you decide to tweet, make it interesting.  4. Tell me something I can’t find on your homepage.  5. Tell me who you are. 6. Respond to people.  7. Give me content worthy of your institution. Great suggestions for sure, especially the bit about using to Twitter to share the museum’s humanity.

The New Darien Library: It’s For ME!

After getting a special press-only sneak preview of Darien’s new $24 million dollar, soon-to-be-certified “Green,” state-of-the-art library yesterday, all I can say is: Oh. My. GAWD. http://allaboutdarien.com/2009/01/the-new-darien-library-its-for-me/ A Darien, CT blogger and mom visits the new library for press opening day, and notes its user-centered, innovative approaches: (emphasis mine in bold) ….beyond the fact that there are no more “desks” behind which Librarians sit, but rather “consultation tables” and Librarians who float around with tablet laptops dedicated to helping you find what you’re looking for; beyond the fact that practically everything from building materials to geo-thermal heating and cooling and air […]

Choosing Who To Follow on Twitter

Phil Bradley writes: The method that I use is fairly simple –  a) Do I know this person myself? If so, it’s almost a certainty that I’ll add them.  b) Do I know of them? Again, if the answer is yes, they’ll get added.  c) If I don’t know them, what does their profile say? Everyone can add a small profile piece about themselves. If the profile is blank or not informative, they tend not to get added.  d) How many tweets on the first page of their profile are useful to me? If I start looking, reading and clicking […]