Categories Engaging Library Users

183 posts

Posts about strategies to get users involved in the library or thoughts related to serving library user’s needs

NYT Library Article

Via LISNews: And Internet-connected computers are clearly bringing more people into libraries. Don’t miss today’s NYT article “Libraries Wired, and Reborn” By Steve Lohr. Lohr explores how libraries, the gates Foundation, and access have helped turn around public libraries. It renewed interest. It gave people a chance to learn and unserstand the online world. How cool! I love this line, which could be about anywhere public library: For the library, supplying patrons with access to the Internet and the Web has become central to its mission, an updating of its long tradition of providing information free to the public. A […]

“Silver Tsunami”

CJ at Technobiblio writes about our older users and a study from The Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project. “While we often talk about the younger generation and how their expectations will/are changing how libraries provide services, remember that there is also a large base of users who, once they get online, are just as enthusiastic about technology as the younger generation.” Well said and I wholeheartedly agree! We teach a “Senior Seminar” Internet series at SJCPL and it is POPULAR!

IM the Librarian

http://www.lib.unc.edu/house/im_a_librarian.html I love this! (And I was quoted at CIL giving my opinion on Virtual Reference software so this just supports my idea that IM ref could work!) Why not get on a standard system that is deeply ingrained in our techno-culture instead of making our users wade through java-enabled Web pages and chat environements that sometimes do not work the way they should? Give em something they already know. How do we best serve our users? (the PEOPLE part)