http://webjunction.org//do/DisplayContent?id=13796 Fascinating article at WJ about Carvers Bay library and their gaming program — take a look for inspiration! Located next to the middle and high schools, the library is physically convenient for the Carvers Bay teens, but director Dwight McInvaill knows that it takes more than proximity to get the kids through the doors. Gaming is the key. The library has extended its hours until 7 PM most nights to accommodate the students’ schedules. However, McInvaill intends for the new library to have an impact on the low literacy and high dropout rates, so he’s applying a few rules […]
Contributors Michael Stephens
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http://blogaboutlibraries.com/2006/08/use-what-they-use-now.html why in the world doesn’t every library with an internet connection offer IM Reference? This includes my own library where I have introduced the concept to my staff on a couple occasions, but where we have still not taken steps to get it going. My sense is that some of them just are not ready to make this leap. Maybe it’s my fault for not pushing my people harder, hoping instead that one day someone will come to me with the same idea I had two years ago. However, if that doesn’t happen soon, I can’t see how we […]
Use of this Table…. caught at KCPL Originally uploaded by mstephens7. There must be a story about this poor little table….I’ll be using this in my L2 talks! Update: David King IMs to say the sign has been removed! Woohoo! Please, folks, take a walk around your buildings and see what story you are telling about your library by the language and tenor of your signage and stance toward collaboration and technology. I understand we need balance and some guidelines for conduct, but a “culture of no” does not work well in libraries! Apology: the comments on this post were […]
Take a look at this thoughtful post at a Blog About Libraries: http://blogaboutlibraries.com/2006/08/which-culture-of-is-your-workplace.html Do you work within the “Culture of No”? If you are a leader, do you foster a “Culture of Maybe?” Continuing to wonder why it was that all libraries in the country have not started IM reference led me to start looking at organizational cultures. I came across some interesting stuff that I am certain applies to many libraries. Every innovator in libraries has probably dealt with “NO”, or “Death by a thousand cuts”. There is a subtle difference between the two, the former being (obviously) an […]
So…are folks at Sony really getting the “This is where we live” Web 2.0 vibe or what? http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,71559-0.html Hoping to tap into the growth of wireless networks across college campuses, other public spaces and within homes, Sony is introducing a new pocket-sized gadget for instant messaging and other internet-based communications. The Sony mylo, slated for availability in September at a retail price of about $350, is a first-of-its-kind product that uses Wi-Fi networks, analysts say. It is not a cellular phone and thus doesn’t carry monthly service fees. And though it could handle web-based e-mail services, it doesn’t support corporate […]
Have you seen all the folks blogging via PLCMC’s learning 2.0 initiative? Wowza!
http://www.socialcustomer.com/2006/08/the_one_where_j.html Most cool post at the Social Customer Manifesto — including this bit that I couldn’t have said better myself: What does this mean? This means that now, organizations now have these social tools to put the humanity back into business to solve the trust problem. In other words, the organizations that will win are the ones that most easily enable customers to build relationships and communities with people they trust.
Tacoma & RSS Originally uploaded by davidking. I really appreciate what Tacoma is doing. Thanks to David King and Jenny Levine for posting!
In just a couple of weeks, Jenny Levine and I head to The Netherlands for the Tilburg Innovation Centre for Electronic Resources institute!Here’s some info for participants in my session: Where Our Users Are: Instant Messaging for Libraries – Michael Stephens (Module 2: Hands-on: Library 2.0 Technologies to Reach out to the Customer) This workshop explores and explains instant messaging in the library setting, including software, training and policy. Ample hands on exercises will give participants a true feel of what launching an IM Reference service at their libraries involves. We’ll discuss implementation strategies, best practices and the possible pitfalls […]
This month, Rachel and I cowrote a piece on sites where you can get help with technology, including PayITForward: Born out of Ann Arbor (Mich.) District Library’s recent Library 2.0 “Library Camp,” Pay “IT” Forward is the brainchild of Scan Robinson, IT manager at the Allen County (Ind.) Public Library. The wiki-based site, built from Web pages that any registered member can edit with just a few simple commands, lists a clearinghouse of public library IT professionals who offer their expertise in all things IT. (As of this writing, the site is still in beta, but is taking shape each […]