DigitaleEtalageTest, originally uploaded by DOK Delft. Hey DOK friends – is that a touch screen? Is that person swiping through choices??
Categories Engaging Library Users
183 posts
By Michael Casey & Michael Stephens Now, more than ever we need to deliver our best customer service. No library users should walk away feeling that their questions or needs were not fully addressed. No teen should come to the reference desk only to be met by a sarcastic answer and a hand gesturing them to some distant region of the stacks. No senior should be expected to use our newest technology without being offered a training session. Is this hard in today’s tighter economic times? Absolutely. Time is at a premium, as is money, but right now you need […]
Download the Virginia Beach Version of the Slides here. The good folks at Virginia Beach Public Libraries asked me back this year to talk about building community with social tools. This was perfect timing because I had just read Peter Block’s Community: The Structure of Belonging and I’ve been working on an article and interview about/with Seth Godin for Digital Bibliotek magazine. His book Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us has figured prominently into my thinking and teaching so far this year. I always appreciate this type of synchronicity. Jenny Levine introduced me to Peter Block’s book – a fascinating […]
By Michael Casey & Michael Stephens We’ve written about ideas for improving customer service, boosting staff morale, fostering change, and building a management and communication style that is win-win for both staff and administration. Almost everything we’ve discussed has, as its only cost, time–necessary to plan, implement, and review. There are no expensive technologies to purchase, no cutting-edge software to struggle with, and no $500-an-hour consultants. Our suggestions involve listening, dialog, and transparent actions. Trust is the underlying concept. Communication is its foundation. Economics hit morale On April 1, 2007, when we began writing The Transparent Library column, the nation’s […]
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6617658.html Once it began, everything seemed to be going smoothly. That is, until I saw a security guard shoot a look at a group of loud teens, telling them to keep it down. He then shut the door in their faces as they stood in the doorway trying to get into the event. The teens were initially shocked and looked to each other for some kind of explanation. Then they burst out laughing at the absurdity of the situation. There were more than 150 teens attending this YA author visit, buying books, CDs and T-shirts. It was a librarian’s dream: […]
Out in the Cold, originally uploaded by Fox River Grove Memorial Library. Liz Delzell, Youth Services Assistant, Fox River Grove Memorial Library in Fox River Grove, IL, writes: I just wanted to share this picture of some of the members of our BRAND NEW teen advisory board. We have a lovely little library serving about 4500 residents in a small northern suburb of Chicago, and while we see lots and lots of kids, adults, and seniors, we don’t seem to draw in area teens. We hope the members of this board will be able to give us some insight into […]
By Michael Casey & Michael Stephens Properly handled and managed, adaptation to change ensures our survival Last month, we presented six mile markers for your transparent library. Here are six more. Have an open-door policy. You have to listen to be heard. And you have to be out there to be noticed. Whether you’re a director, leader, or manager, listening to your community and working with other leaders and managers is the only way you will remain relevant and grow stronger as a leader and help build a stronger organization. Seth Godin reminds us in his book Tribes (Portfolio, 2008) […]
By Michael Casey & Michael Stephens We recently presented a workshop in London at Internet Librarian International, based on our writings here, and realized that throughout the columns we’ve identified a set of mile markers for the journey toward transparency. Give everyone an avenue to talk. Offer online and real-world mechanisms for all of the library’s stakeholders, staff and users, to talk, react, and suggest solutions. A good start is a suggestion box and a way to share the answers with everyone. Add an online forum or blog and “town hall meetings,” and the stage is set. Your goal is […]
Teen Team 2008, originally uploaded by mclib dot net.
Give a listen here: http://www.libraryjournal.com/webcasts/48747/Webcasts.html Your Teen Area as Their Third Space: Creating a Place Cool Enough to Call Their Own Michele Gorman, Teen Services Coordinator for the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County (NC)? Teen 2.0: Using New Technologies to Tap Into Teens Jen Maney, Manager of Virtual Library, Pima County Public Library, Tucson (AZ)? An Online Oasis for Teens at Maricopa County Library District Christine Pearson, Web Designer/Developer, Fountain Hills Library Branch Manager, Maricopa County Library District (AZ)? The Intersection of Gaming and Libraries: Where Are We, Where Are We Going? Scott Nicholson, Associate Professor, School of Information Studies at Syracuse University Moderator: Bill Schickling, Polaris Library Systems […]