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 […]
Categories Engaging Library Users
156 posts
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 […]
We-R-hot!, originally uploaded by rambleonsylvie. Rambleonsylvie writes: my library’s youth services crew is “oh so cool.” Check out all the stuff they will be doing. we bought and have loaded a video game creation program on the lab computers for them. all the events filled right up, they’ll do more, maybe year round. I can only echo her sentiment: HOT!
By Michael Casey & Michael Stephens When did it become an acceptable customer service response to try and push out an entire age group of users? Never, but that’s happening at too many libraries. Can we remain transparent, open, and focused on the core value of access and still tell young people to find another place to be social online? MC: I still get emails from librarians who endure meetings where administrators bemoan having to accommodate teens. One even said her director thought stats showing lower senior citizen library use reflected the increased teen presence. Banning MySpace MS: My hometown […]
Ruth at Utopian Library reports on CIL: http://www.utopianlibrary.com/?page_id=319 The common message at this year’s conference, at least from where I sat in each room, is this: The library has a story to tell. The story is about community. It’s not about the library. The community and the library can engage and support each other through creative use of social software and the library’s online presence. The library’s online presence and “virtual branch” rely on precious resources: money, staff, and time. Loads of conference blogging to click through. Thanks Ruth.
Did you know ALA was publishing the “Core Competencies of Librarianship?” Brian Kenney writes: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6545430.html Although the guidelines were presented at a public meeting, I don’t think this document is widely available, but you could try searching ala.org. The document is predictably conservative—in the sense of preserving what exists—and covers what you’d imagine: the foundation of our profession, information resources, organization, technical knowledge, reference and user services, research, continuing education, and administration. Likely the intent was to give ALA’s Committee on Accreditation, which accredits master’s programs in library and information science, a little more teeth—perhaps necessary in dealing with those […]
Will Richardson ponders the future for young people: Our kids’ futures will require them to be: Networked–They’ll need an “outboard brain.” More collaborative–They are going to need to work closely with people to co-create information. More globally aware–Those collaborators may be anywhere in the world. Less dependent on paper–Right now, we are still paper training our kids. More active–In just about every sense of the word. Physically. Socially. Politically. Fluent in creating and consuming hypertext–Basic reading and writing skills will not suffice. More connected–To their communities, to their environments, to the world. Editors of information–Something we should have been teaching […]
By Michael Casey & Michael Stephens This column is directed to front-line librarians and staff, who deliver customer service and have damn good ideas for what can be done to improve things. It’s often a hurdle to get library administrators and managers to listen to your concerns and views. But there are ways. And we believe this advice holds true for everyone on the desk, from reference librarians to support staff. Be vocal but not obnoxious. You know the story probably better than anyone as to how your users perceive the library. You know how they use (or don’t use) […]
Some say that IM is on the verge of extinction and that forging into such territory for virtual reference so late in the game is a waste of a library’s energy. You can surely count me as one of those who agrees with that statement. I predict, as do many others, that virtual reference needs to fit in users’ pockets – in their cell phone. We need to look at the trends happening now (according to PEW, 2006): -47% can’t live without their cell phones -35% use SMS and 13% would like it added to their features The preceding stats […]