Joanna's Conference Reports

Photographic MLA

2011-10-20T08:54:00.006-04:00

Excellent signage...

Epic conference tshirt

Electronic Resources "Dinner with Colleagues" where I met another hockey-playing librarian!

Geocaching

2011-10-14T10:18:00.002-04:00

Andy McCracken and Terese Sonnak
Andy is a geocaching specialist, Terese is a public librarian
use a gsp to find stashes of stuff
geocaching.com
basically: someone hides something, marks it with a gps, then registers the cache on a Web site...people can look up caches close to where they live / where they will be, and go find it
gpses are not always super accurate, so challenge to find caches
geocaching peeps call non-geocacheres muggles!
traditional caches are stored in a container, with a log book
containers can be micro, small, regular or large
multi caches: in stages, like a treasure hunt...first cache is a clue to the next one
puzzle caches: go to the cache's web page to solve a puzzle
event caches: special events
virtual caches: can't hide something, no container, but need to bring back some evidence (eg name of sculptor of a statue), and email that back
earth caches: eg Goosebery Falls...usually related to geology
what you can find in a cache: log book, pencil, swag, coins, travel bugs
swag = Stuff We All Get!!! (who knew?!)
kids like to trade swag in and out (evenly)
interesting way to explore an area
"dnf" = did not find
qr codes are starting to show up in geocahes
after you find a cache, log it on the cache's web site (also if you did not find it)
there's an app from geocaching.com for smartphones
caches in libraries: generally multi-stage or puzzles
need to put a container outside with a hint in it
the cache could be a book "hidden" in the stacks...they used a weeded book and disguised it as "Encyclopedia of Geocaching" ...created a Dewey lesson to help people find it...nifty idea
lots of different examples...could have clues inside the library and the cache outside
The British Library is even doing it!
why hide a cache in a library?: point out a new location / teach new users how to use the library / bring back users who haven't been in recently / because it's fun
people of all ages geocache...very family-friendly...non-disruptive (cachers like to be stealthy)
can look at geocaching.com to see logs of library caches

Things in a flash: Latest 2.0 Tools

2011-10-13T16:25:00.003-04:00

presentation is available online here (just QR codes)
also here (full presentation...all speakers' stuff)
six people talking for 10 mins each...(including questions)...hence the "flash"

QR codes:

Jenny Sippel
todo: see if I can find stats on smart phone use in TBay/NWO/Ont/Canada
todo: see if I can get stats on how many times our qr code was scanned (and/or look at stats for that (app) page on our site)
qr codes in opac records to get call number...nifty! See if any III libs are doing that...is it possible? Ask/search listserv
use url shorteners (to both get a cleaner code and to get data (todo: look at bit.ly and goo.gl)
in bit.ly can add "+" at end of url to collect data (and "qr") to generate a qr code
include url with qr codes for equitable access

Katie Polley: Apps (GetGlue and Instagram)

Get Glue: check in to anything (books, movies etc) and links to twitter (and other sites) Gamified: gives you virtual (plus irl) stickers if you check in to a lot of things. nice! Check it out.
also lets you rate things...and then you get suggestions of similar (readers advisory tool - ish)
you can follow people and they can follow you...social interaction
Instagram: only for iPhone (for now) photosharing service...some editing available

Megan Kocher, Uni of Mn: Evernote and Wunderlist

staying organized across platforms (and devices)
compulsive list maker: yeah!
both live in the cloud + have desktop clients + apps (all synced)
check them out...what would be the advantage over google docs?
in Wunderlist can make lists and add tasks, then tick them off!
you can share lists with others (do they also need an account?)
Evernote works similarly...is searchable (nifty)...you can also collect things which are not text (eg audio notes, web site clips)...can tag notebooks

John Daniels (Minneapolis Community and Technical College): Google APIs

application programming interfaces
allow programs to talk to each other
visualisation api: takes data and makes it look pretty
need html code, and a data source (can use google spreadsheets)
there is a lot of documentation available
resulting charts are accessible by screen-readers
there is an api playground (part of documentation)
cons: time and complexity
use for: simple erm (electronic resource management)...makes info from a spreadsheet look nice
Featured books: scan isbns of new books in to spread sheet, and uses google (world cat, google books) to make a nice new book display (with covers, links etc)

Collaborating in the Cloud: Google Apps and PBworks
Amanda Mills

use google apps for collaboration
can create a google group (look in to google groups for FB coach sched...easier than "sharing" a doc?)
need all peeps to have gmail to make a group...but JRo and LL do...do some research and consider/discuss
google sites: free Web site creation, also integration with google docs
look up Minnesota Library Futurists
PBWorks: wiki...free version + costs for enhanced version...used on a campus w a Library 101 class (group work)
(aside: check out polleverywhere (lots of tweets about it!...can we use during our FB EI session?)

Jen Strauman: geolocation tools

foursquare, gowalla, fb places
google places, yelp, urbanspoon (more about finding a place)
gamification again!
earn ponits, get badges, "Mayor"
todo: look at foursquare and claim our lib locations

eBooks: What's all the excitement about

2011-10-13T14:31:00.005-04:00

panel of 5 from public, academic, consortium
Hennepin County has had OverDrive for only about a year (wow!)...we are ahead of that curve!
interesting how one of the panelist is not a fan of ebooks! What about "it's the content not the container?"!!!
recent Pew report 12 percent of adults in the US have eBook readers so still big digital divide
"paper will be a luxury niche"...nice thought!
good point: we also have to look at our own communities (not just big Pew-like studies)...quandry: how DO we do that in TBay?...demand for "how to download" classes still big + ebook circ going up
question about how publishers decided to publish an ebook or not...they are in transition too...not carved in stone
St. Paul pub lib has made physical changes to their libs in view of becoming more digital -- lib of the future (todo: email conveyner of this panel re what those changes look like)

Engagement through games: Reaching library users through playful ways

2011-10-13T14:24:00.002-04:00

Scott Nicholson (super peppy presenter) (from MIT)...read his book!
de-briefing is important (applying what you did to irl)
libs are about SERVICES not stuff...the stuff supports the service
gamING = service (games = stuff)
the oldest chess club in the USA (still going) is in a library (in San Fran)
"gamification" is big (eg 4Square)
gaming=fab for storytime grads...what comes next? shared experience for kids and parents
the "magic circle" is a nifty idea: ie when you sit down w peeps to play a game, different rules (than in usual life) apply (eg maybe it's ok to lie and not be nice)
gaming literacy: levels, badges etc
http://becauseplaymatters.com (Scott's Web site)
will post notes about the RPG (role playing game) we tried
*debrief* so important to learn from each other after a shared experience

Everyone is a Library Advocate

2011-10-13T08:58:00.002-04:00

Margie Schuster, Hennepin County Library
Ginny Heinrich, Macalester College
notes are online here (will be updated)
something to ponder: recent Toast magazine article re everyone needs an "elevator pitch"...and talk about what you DO, not your job title (which is usually meaningless to peeps outside your org. So think about a 20 second description...focus on what problems you solve.
need to empower all lib staff to feel like library advocates
advocacy = building relationships and sharing stories
stories about what the power of information can be
get back to basics: people have to know about you (ie what the lib is all about) before you can connect w them
pub lib = the place to help the peeps become INFORMED...informed citizens and informed consumers
show people that the lib is the place to ask questions
Civics 101: all lib staff need to know how the lib fits in with local politics (re board / how it fits with City admin etc) + provincial...so when you meet a politician (or whoever...) out there in the real world, you can chat intelligently...I wonder if this is part of TBPL orientation, at any level (chat with YW about this)...all staff should know the lib's priorities
use your "advocacy moments"...eg when someone asks where you work
fab idea to invite politicians to Library programs...to see our fab work in action
interesting approach to tell stories about what would happen if there were NO libraries
another phrase / description for "advocacy" is "speak out"
(*love* how Minnesotians say "hockey"!)

Professional Social Media: Beyond the Buzz

2011-10-12T16:44:00.003-04:00

Brian Huffman (Law librarian) and Megan Kocher (works at academic science library)
slides are here
handout is here
goals of social networking: connect, share, expand networks
check out slide w links to evaluate/monitor your online presence
to do: spend more time on LinkedIN...look for resume creation link...(pdf)...also add some more content (slideshare link for eg)
to do: spend some more time on Google+...flush out my profile, connect with more people
to do: look at Hootsuite closely...use for monitoring twitter for eg.
also tweetdeck and ping.fm
interactions and conversations are key
check out "Doing social media so it matters" book
to do: claim our lib locations on FourSquare...would add to info from app use to get an idea of how many of our peeps are using smartphones / are interested in mobile services...and add a link to our airpac, app page ...consider "specials" for Mayor / frequent visitors etc (eg. tbpl swag)...can also leave tips

Social Media @ the Library

2011-10-12T14:50:00.002-04:00

Virginia "Ginny" Erbe, Communications, Rochester Public Library
ppt is online here
twitter: #mnlib11 @ginerbe
question to ask in case she doesn't cover it: do you report the use of your social web presences? We recently started to, as it's significant interaction / use (Facebook monthly active users, twitter followers, blog visits, flickr pic views etc...) answer: does send to supervisor, not sure beyond that!
todo: follow Rochester Public Library on twitter
todo: compare our monthly page views with RPL's (in presi page 7)
todo: start to track click throughs re how many people click on links posted on fb (see how many page views we get for links posted on fb)
todo: look at tweetfeed : works with rss feeds (eg from e*vents calendar)
todo: look at foursquare and at least claim our locations
tip for QR codes: shorten url first (using bitly or ht.ly) which results in a cleaner code

Minnesota Library Association Conference

2011-10-11T09:03:00.002-04:00

ALA Virtual Conference: July 13/14, 2011

2011-07-18T15:41:00.002-04:00

Privacy in an era of social media with Danah Boyd

very energetic speaker, great start to the day
was tuned in to "chat" trends and spoke to them
Danah is an ethnographer who studies privacy and young people
has found that teens use a variety of personal strategies to "hack" FB to make it work for them (do this far more than use the built-in privacy settings)
"FB as a scrapbook of your social life"
"networked privacy"
discussion evolved around the Library's role in social media education and I mentioned how we offer FB Coach and the Road Show (which generated some interest)
check out www.danah.org and follow @zephoria

Download this! How one library embraced its downloadable future (Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County)

problem: lack of awareness / knowledge (in patrons and staff) about ebooks
set up a committee to review / fix / market
(I think we are doing a good job of this at TBPL)
do we have a holds/copy ratio for eBooks? (*ask RHD / SR!)
"Virtual Information Centre" established
what % of our book budget is allocated to eBooks?...find out and compare to % of circs

Seriously social: Leveraging social media

Web branch manager from Grand Rapids P.L.
how libs can use FB, Twitter etc. (mostly a review pour moi)
used Prezi which did not work well for the VC
David Lee King from Topeka and Shawnee PL posts questions on its FB page: What are you reading this weekend? and gets good feedback...check out their page and try some
they are not using FB ads...lots of interest in the fact that we are

Reinventing librarianship with David Lankes

by far the best part of the VC
we need to go back to our roots: fundamentally we do the same thing as we have been doing for 100s of years which is facilitating knowledge (it's not about technology)
talked about "The Great Influenza" by John Barry book (614.51809041 BAR) about medical history, and how in spite of the huge advances in medical technology, it's bed side manner that still counts the most...the human touch...personal contact...service...ditto for libs
people helping people, regardless of the tools
"users" needs to be replaced with "members" (drug dealers and computer programs have "users")
the mission of librarians (not "libraries) is to improve society by facilitating knowledge creation in their communities
we need to shift our focus from collection management to connection management (similar to the notion that libraries need to shift from being the LIVING ROOMS of the community to being the KITCHENS)
"the great challenge of librarianship is improving communities"
replace WHAT you do with WHY you do it
ask what the community needs...what problems are they trying to solve...and respond
also "Librarians must be ruthless in seeking out things we don't know if we can do and then doing them."

One person can make a difference: Tips and techniques for the long change agent with Stephanie Chase

"transformational leaders work on the edges" which is not always comfy
be the person who sees the need, the hole
then build the bridge (as you cross it!)
you'll never be excellent if you keep doing only what you're doing
be strong like water, flowing around obstacles, re-shaping them
broaden your scope of advisers, your network...beyond your library, your profession, your city
having a building-wide "stand up" meeting a good idea...eg at the beginning of a new season, after a busy time...to quickly share info / generate ideas
staff meeting tip: divide up quick info sharing time and deeper thinking / discussion time (we don't do that enough)
read "Death by meeting" by Patrick Lencioni (658.456 LEN)

General "Virtual Conference" notes:

I had Twitter open in another window and was tweeting / following the #ala11 tag as well as participating in the VC chat...worked ok but would have been nifty to have them mashed up
"Discussion" area was completely separate (asynchronous) from the session chat and I did not go there
I logged in 10 mins prior to start time and a presenter and facilitator were chatting, which was not very welcoming! Should have been kept private, with a general "welcome" message posted
chat was moderated (very short delay)...one comment I made about something the moderator said in an intro was replied to privately (she said something about not using your "library voice" to which I objected!)
about 1,500 participants
there were some annoying "watch my presentation later" tweets...self-promotion
some presis had too many stats
some presenters were obviously reading from notes, which was not very inspiring to listen to
the best presenters took time to review the chat and twitter conversations and participate
facilitators posted a quick poll in between sessions for involvement (but same question each time: how many people are participating at your location?)...could have varied
there were a few delays including the 30 min Pecha Kucha session being 15 mins late
day 1 was archived by day 2

eResources Training

2011-02-05T21:54:00.000-05:00

E-resource training: uncovering a collection of hidden gems

Amanda Larsen, Burlington PL

Amanda is the training librarian at bpl (recently promoted to something else...vp of something)
did the Betty Blogger program (I went to her talk two years ago)
was also manager of electronic resources
will cover why / research / layout / numbers / lessons learned

History of the initiative:

BPL has 6 branches; 54 Info services staff, 2 training staff (1 Librarian and 1 LA...do both staff and patron training), 80+ e-Resources
use was less than stellar when she took over their management
majority of staff not comfortable promoting eresources
start plan touched on skill development (as ours does...)
HR dept had done a skills-assessment survey (what a good idea)...wanted to know what staff wanted to know, what they wanted to get from training, and surveyed what other libs did (todo: ask Amanada for her report / references)
part of Amanda's strategy to increase usage...
Amanda proposed eresources learning program...after researching the program (6 steps in research: survey staff / identify internal use / survey other libs / analyze feedback / consult with services delivery managers / make recomendation
used surveymonkey to survey staff
sounds like our staff are way more smart than theirs were!...or more willing to use / share our databases with patrons
“each one teach one” new name for “train the trainer”
Amanda decided customers are unclear about purposes of the databases, and staff feel they're not equipped with strategies to use an eresource to answer a ref question quicklly...I don't think that's the case in our shop.
...too much background, not enough nitty gritty!...she is reading notes, but still a dynamic speaker
project layout: will be in 2010...shared responsibility in training...staff like the model...self-directed...had used that model before for web 2.huh!
Http://eresourcetraining.blogspot.com
had used blogger before, so staff familiar...easy to work with
lots of links to vendor web sites / their training resources (good idea)
blog included projects for staff to work on
included articles on databases (why are they important / how funded / google vs databases etc...major important for conext...great idea...)
tip sheets about the training
trainers choose four databases which needed immediate help
we don't eed to know about all the databases, just the training part!!!
beginning May 1 training began...weekly email (w database of the week), re blog update with special features and contextual reference questions (that staff had to answer and hand in)...a short paragraphy talking about a fictional patron who comes in at 10 mins to closing etc...based on read patrons in most cases
focus not on HOW to search the database (assumed info service staff would already know how to do that)...rather WHY they should use a database
staff had all month to complete all four questions...could move at own pace, designed to be completed on desk in a minimal amount of time; collaboration with peers encoruaged
very self-directed
I could enhance database of the month with a blog like this, and a scenario quesion to answer...maybe for 2012 work plan?...chat with Jesse re how it would go over...work with ref staff to come up with scenarios...do it!!!
there were no “right” answers to the questions...praise/praise/praise! (great work / don't forget about this...)...many ways to get to the “answer”...prompt staff to actually use the tool...not a test, an exercise
“bonus question” on federated seach system...incentive prize
creating context: later in year...choosing which eresource to use at the ref dest...developed a template for staff to describe each eresource...templates were potsed to the blog also (Amanda is happy to email teamplate to peeps)...info found on vendor sites
staff presented 5-10 minute talks at staff meetings about eresources...follwed the template, used contextual ref questions...focus on WHY, not HOW...posted completed templates to a shared online space...great idea, esp for new staff
def meet with Jess about this...prob good for ALL staff, esp supply/sunday/pages...also need to talk to YW re how to pay for supply/sunday...but can do online...that is the key, so no issue....make it part of orientation
Calgary public does this well also...look at their e-resources page on their Web site***
had 54 participants, 50 completed, 30 did bonus...15-45 minutes per question...100% feel more confidnet...85% now completely comfrotabele with eresources as a reference tool
outcome = 20% increase in eresource stats...I had way more with dbase of the month!!!...but this could majorly enhance, esp for non-ref staff + sunday/supply/pages
now easy to re-do this training...would just need to update the blog...nifty
lessons learned: timing is everything...spring works well for bpl...have a post-training plan...you can never give or get enough feedback (use surveymonkey)...do your homework...beg, borrow or steal for an incentive prize...set up a seperate email account for training (or a filter)
do your homework re the question you set, to ensure there are adequate resoruces there to get an answer
larsena@bpl.con.ca

Top Tech Trends

2011-02-05T21:48:00.002-05:00

Top Tech Trends

Dorethea Salo, Univ. Of Wisconsin-Madison

dorothea.salo@gmail.com

Roger Nevin, Kwartha Pine Ridge District School Board

roger@oslacouncil.org

Aaron Schmidt, Principal, Influx Library User Experience, and District of Columbia Public Library

librarian@gmail.com

Nicole Engard, ByWater Solutions

nengard@gmail.com

check out Aaron's Walkingpaper site...has a new partnership with Amanda E-J (about library ux)...interesting...keep an eye on them
look up Nicole's blog: what i learned today
make sure I have a plan, and stick to it, to back up all our social web stuff (delicious (prof + personal)...even do a print out every few months...+ HC's book club in a bag list ...does she back up / print at all?)...also flickr and youTube
check out boysread.com (Roger's passion...clearning house for teacher resources)
cloud and mobile big...check on the cloud (we're using google docs a bit...)...need more work on mobile (in my action plan...check!)
Aaron: The Big Tech Trend is the ubiquity and ease of use of digital content...ebook readers are getting more affordable...as are ipods / iphones / netflix etc. ...the ebook revoluation has come, and libs are not as big a part of it as we need to be....libs are about commercial content...people come to us for stuff: books...+ for funding we report circ stats (which is unsustainable ...AMEN!)...in the digital realm content is leaseed, not owned...so issues...and implications...library resources are difficult to use...easy trumps free...we need to make them easier to use...AND lobby vendors to help with all that...How do we respond to this? We can't compete with Amazon and Google...and that is a shallow view...studies show that when we buy stuff it doesn't make us happy...for long term satisfaction we need experiences, not stuff...libraries need to move from a consumer-based transaction model to one that is about experiences...we need to adapt what we do to respond to this...focusing on offering e-content is letting our competition define what we do...(I think FB coach is a fab example of a quality experience)
we need to design places for learning / community / problem solving rather than being book mausoleums

Questions/discussion:

we spend a lot of time in our individual libs thinking about marketing our great stuff...can we work together better to do that?...call for the universality of library interfaces...Aaron went further re universal library signage
what does aaron mean by “experience”...diff for each institution...we need to learn about our library communities / users and what they want, and make meaningful experiences for them...people coming together and gathering around content
...and creating content
foster the enthusiasts in your community...co-working space...and a place to gather locally created content...what a concept!...catalogue it...share it...capture experiences at the local level...the community's ambassador to the world...I like it!!!
discovery layer experience issue...what libraries are creating vs public / commercial tools (question from stephen abram)...part of our job is info literacy...use new tech to explain new concepts (eg using a video to explain how to use e-resources...note to self: check for viewlet update wrt youtube tool)...
we have an unexpected opportunity when google gets choked with spam: an opportunity to communicate that our databases are better than google (that is what I need to do for Shaw cable interview...+ ask for permission to post to our YouTube / FB etc)
net-neutrality / wiki-leaks etc...Aaron: “it's a good thing”!... huge issue...multiple threats...governments are waking up to the net as a tool for revolution etc...lots of unknowns...place for Libraries?...also related issue privileging of traffic...cost of wifi / lack of access to wifi..
what role should libraries take around freedom to info / access to info...new tech that restricts our freedom
Aaron: big opportunity for libraries...don't trade digital rights for convenience
generally libs are all about being rule-free...but lots of examples of people using that to their advantage...can we really teach everyone to be savvy / cautious when online (Stephen A told story of TO mayoral candidate who made up false twitter accounts to forward his campaign, and then boasted about it afterwards!...yikes)....slimey
online tools and social media are changing the ways we express ourselves...we are subject to the whims / rules / structure of the companies whoes stuff we are using (eg Mark Zukerberg's fave colour is blue...hence fb is blue!)
Libraries and the mobile space...design for mobile first, big screens second...
mobile and QR codes are big...I need to learn more about QR codes
educational game development is big at Univ of Wisconsin-Madison (follow Dorotea @RepoRat)
how can we make library interaction fun...4Square...check it out...used in Tbay?
Dist of Columbia...mobile branch manager ap for iPad and mobile patron registration...for iPad (apple-focussed)...
Android is fastest growing....works with google aps / cloud computing
mobiles today = web about 5 years ago...very propriatry (apple vs open-source)...
question about libs lending ipads / ebook readers...as we lend books and internet access...new digital divide (“device-divide”)....mobile devices are becoming cheaper...the public good is more about wifi access...we need to advocate for city-wide free wifi (maybe talk to tBaytel?...hmmm...interesting)
another digital divide...among library staff!...interesting...THAT is why TBPL needs an iPad / iPodTouch etc....we need to facilitate our staff becoming familiar with this stuff... as head of Virt. Serv I need to do the basics...next 23 things (we never really did the first 23 things...but people pretty familiar with that stuff...) ..we need to focus on this stuff, and get it done in order to be relevant / remain relevant
sols is working on a library 2.0 tool kit, as well as core competencies
Web 3.0? ...it's here...cloud computing / aps etc...
are the gadgets defining our roles (as libraries)?....hmmm...speaks to how libraries have conceived of innovation...it's a reactive way to innovate / define our goals...but...we do need to look at the motivation behind people using gadgets...and...figure out what OUR peeps want...could consider a book a “gadget”...WE choose how to define ourselves ...it's complex
similar to other new technologies...reaction to them (including scribes / paper!!! / radio etc...)
ASK your patrons how they use technology....how they want us to communicate with them...can we txt hold notices?...can Encore?...can Evergreen?
Tech needs to work for you, not the other way around...interesting...
but...you need to be prepared to fail...learn from it...dip in a toe...don't take it personally...don't feel guilty when you fail...move on...that is normal / how you learn...but also plan
“deep thinking” is more important than the container
need to ensure the content can morph in to the next container
personal digital arching...what's the back door out of the cloud?!...see my notes above re printing...also proprietary file formats (pdf for eg)
we need to help people be aware of this stuff / restrictions....don't store your pics only on FB
recommendations for libraries to keep up with LAWS around econtent....copyright...need to educate...part of info literacy
tricky issue...very complex...univ of Minnesota librarian is a “JD” and copyright expert...surveyed libs and faculty, and libs knew more about copyright than faculty
follow Michael Geist (in Canada)...is he in my bloglines?....I think so...if not, add him
in spite of doom-y stuff...so many opportunities for libraries
adopting individual tech tools is not going to save any lib...need to think bigger
the possibilities are unfolding b/c the way we are sharing and re-using data / info

Selling What Can't Be Seen

2011-02-04T23:23:00.000-05:00

Selling What Can't Be Seen: Marketing Virtual Lib Services

Cecile Farnum, Ryerson, Christy, Kitchener PL and Liz Dobson, Centennial College

Cecile talking about 3 virtual services at Ryerson: AskON, an audio tour of the main floor that's downloadable (neat idea), and “discovery layer” (federated search engine – soon to be implemented)
AskON: Ryerson had a deeper history with chat ref (since 2001ish)...talking a lot about the service itself...what about marketing?!!
marketing AskON: logo on web site; inclusion in ref services; mention in univ. Publications; marketing in library space; in-class demos (nothing really revolustionary there!)
idea...(chat with LL and Jro...) should we put askON widget (or maybe logo and link) on our Database pages / My Giant Search page / Just Ask Us / other places people look for help...but then it is on the home page...hmmm
is askON prominent in new member guide / info ?...
audio tour: 8 minute tour of the main floor to orientate new students; developed a script and recorded it ina studio; edited using GarageBand (comes with a mac...like windows media player?...check it out)...interesting idea...see if any public libraries do this
audio tour marketd with the lib's suite of mobile apps...niiiice...check out their other ones!
Experimented with QR codes...linked to audio tour
also have QR codes in all their opac records...WOW!
Discover layer: Summon...University of Calgary has this...check it out
This will be a radical change...so agressive marketing plan required...to explain how this new thing works...will change the research process...planning to: mandatory staff training for everyone; workshops for lib users; booth in Library lobby; demos during orientation week; social medial push; testimonials

Christy from Kitchener (Teen services)

Go! “Get Online” presentation developed for showing to students outside the library
WOTS: barrier free advertising
GO! Get your Info Online at KPL...wanted to SHOW students on tours of the physical library how they can use databases / so added show and tell to tours...consulted with school boards...agreed that presentations to grade 8 students useful...used Cantasia to edit video...filmed selves doing tour (+ demo?) resuled in major increase in use of databases
KPL has Freegal
Go! evolved to demos of downloading ebooks, eaudio etc. Show them how to do it
focus shifting away from research databases to leisure stuff / Tumblebooks etc.
Also use Captivate software
marketing at the street level...Word on the Street festival...kpl has a booth...test driving new media (OverDrive eAudiobooks)...needed to educate peeps (public and staff)...had a laptop with earphones at the fesival...let people download books on to their portable devices on the street...barrier-free library cards (lax on i.d. On the street to encourage use of overdrive...)
christy.giesler@kpl.org if any questions

Liz from Centennial College

AskON and Citizen Researcher (an interactive graphic novel that teaches info literacy...neat!...check it out)
marketing is necessary
good practice to read about marketing in general...and adapt ideas for library use...
how Cent. College marketed AskON: several places on web site, black board software and other college web sites; twitter and FB; tent cards and flyers (canned, from KO); not exactly revolutionary stuff here
plan to make a video about askON and to add QR codes
Markam PL has a YouTube video w line dancing staff! Check it out

This is not really what I thought it would be.

Ended with an overview of contemporary marketing trends...not exactly relevant.

Augmented Realities

2011-02-04T23:21:00.000-05:00

Augmented Realities! Mobile augemnted reality and libraries

Fiacre O'Duinn, Cataloguing Librarian, Hamilton PL

fiacre@librarybazaar.com

subscribe to his blog librarybazaar
artile in latest access magazine by Fiacre
what does it mean to augment reality?!...
as libs we need to use technology in a meaningful way
def'n and history...
definition: allows info to overlay the physical world...combines real and virtual worls...interactive in real time...registered in 3d
works with mobile phones using camera / gps / internet connection
1968 first augmented reality system! Helmet attached to the ceiling!
1992 goggles to overlay images over the real world view
1997 backpack / gps / digital radio...major gear!
2000 AR Quake ...game for outdoor use
2005 AR tennis game
2008 wikitude...gps + compas data + wikipedia info
over the last two years definition broadened...emphasis more on real-time info....eg an app called “do not eat” (donteat.at) ...shares health dept info re restaurants which were rated low
groundgrew...used by non-profits to build squads via gps and txt msgs...nifty...used by community gardens in London...like farmville for real!...walking by a garden, get a txt to please water
GeoLoqi....Amber Kays super AR researchers...look her up!...says we have all become cyborgs due to attachment to mobile devices
can send yourself a note to get in the future / when you're in a certain location...via sms
tying info to location
wow this guy is a GREAT speaker...
ambient info / non-visual augmented reality v interesting
layar and StreetMuseum (available for iPhone and android)
Layar...augments reality by showing real time digital info about the real world you see through your phone camera...uses gps...pre-loaded on samsung phones
interesting ops for Libraries...Layar platform is open...have any libs done anything with it? Layar Player allows you to use their player to create an app
Hoppala! Augmentation is an easy way to create a Layar app / info
easy way to experiment / low barrier to entry...make a little video and go watch it...do you have to have an iPhone/android?
Layar has a Tim Horton's locator
StreetMuseum...example of how to do AR well....Museum of London...places old/historic photos of London around the city...an app...overlays historic pics on what you see through your phone...wowser
challenges: physical space...architecture....helps people understand what a space is for...physical cues...archtecture defines activity...challeng for libs = focus on dependency btw physical space and activity...need to think architecturally about AR
social/cultural aspects...space (it's abstract)....”location” is longititude and latitude...”place” is the organizing of experience / networks of support / might be “place” for one person, but not another...ar much enhance preception of “place”...focus needs to be on place, not self...(Tommy Texters)
technilogical infrastrucutre: becomes interwoven with the physical space
best example...unofficial art exhibit in museum ofmodern art...all in AR...funny...might lead to “geo-fencing” ...places locked to AR
someone hacked a BP (British Petroleum) logo joke, so it was spilling oil...lol!
Solutions: how to deal with the complexity?....examine the metaphors and concepts we use...
helps make new media environments become familiar
information decoration...originally mentioned in an article by an artist...seeking a balance between tech and art...using info to achieve something
be aware of different levels of awareness (human bandwith...wow!)...we tend to drift in and out of info world (phone buzzing etc...)
good principle to see what artists are doing with new technology (interesting)...(also the military)...hmmmm...
context IS content
Information Flaneur (check out article from Univ of Calgary guys)....Flaneur was a character who roamed the City of Paris when it was exploding...walked the city in order to experience it...compares urban world of 1840s to modern works of info overload
move to a more positive info-seeking experience
a more optimistic outlook
the city is explorable...and so is info
info ethnography: WHY people are using info
allow people to become active participants in the process...
where is the “field” you're doing research in?...ethnography is trying to make sense of this
look up some of this guy's references to do some more reading on this stuff
Aaron Schmidt just wrote a small article re user research...should have more focus (AMEN!)
predictions: don't make predicionts, but create the future we want t see!
Libs should demonstrate the way AR should be used
not “I have seen the future” but “I am making the future”
www.bit.ly/arola2001
San Jose lib has delved in to this....when Sarah H-J was there...check out her blog
www.librarybazaar.com
follow Fiacre's blog!

This guy was the BEST speaker so far!!!

Atom Egoyan Plenary Session

2011-02-04T23:19:00.000-05:00

Atom Egoyan Plenary....

requisit story of going to the lib as a kid...
talked about ego...thinks people should be interested in him
early feeling about getting others involved in / excited about your personal plan / work (as a son of immigrant parents...learning English...getting your point across)
reading speech from notes...not doing the Toast page slide!
Need to communicate a vision of what's possible
“dream collaborators”...get some!!! Well, I do have some...need to cultivate / recognize / nurture
everyone “performs” ...all the world's a stage...hence we like to watch drama (and read...) ...tell us about life by showing us how we might act
we like drama when it shows us something about ourselves!
We need to find a way to present ourselves by performing oursleves...hmmm
you need to find others to be in your performance
key to collaboration: defining roles of “leadership” and “followers” (who are confident in the leader)...divions of labour: strategic, operational and tactical (similar to the three ideas George and Joan talked about: vision/technique/outcome...) interesting...
people need to understand their role and those of others
movies started as moving theatre...then developed their own intrinsic artistry
movies were easy to share / ship (compared to a play going on tour) -- “industiralization”
movie studios dominated / movies became vanilla...no independent spirit
1960s indpendnet...1970s National Film Board...more individual style and motifs
recognized need for collaboration when he started to make his first films...wanted to create his own style / look and needed help
got early grants from Canada Council / Arts Council etc
had to write screenplays to inspire people to work with him (for little or no money)
wants his films to explore the complexity of the human condition
“I am human...nothing human is strange to me” (look up refernce!)
a movie all begins with the script
best screenplays collect random characters, and bring them together in a satisfying dramatic whole...purpose = to learn something about ourselves...b/c humans are curious / connected etc.

Size Doesn't Matter

2011-02-04T23:17:00.001-05:00

Size doesn't matter: Technology and innovation for libraries of every size and any budget

Sarah McCormack, Community Liaison Librarian, Medicine Hat PL (she plays hockey!)

Prezi problems!

Where do we begin?

Social media
...YouTube video with all the facts and funky music
free does not always mean free...some times free basic, but cost for more + staff time to learn

Twitter

pulled twitter feed onto their home page, under “news and events”
co-tweet: twitter management (like hootsuite)...check them out...allows scheduled tweets (good for program info...do whole newsletter in advance)

FaceBook

(feeling like I know all this...good for TBPL!)
MHPL has 150 likers

YouTube

did a funky video for the Summer Reading Game last year
shortgrass lib system does videos about their Database of the Month...good idea! Consider for 2012! ...or even the rest of 2011

Wikipedia

edited own entry...did not mention anything re flack about shameless self-promotion like we got...hmmm...interesting

Digital advertising

use Tvs as we do
began with ppt via a network
then discovered ScreenScape...free for non-profilts...super easy to use...check it out and tell TT!...might make that job easier
they take their Tvs to trade shows with a slide show...cool idea

MHPL gets grants to fund public internet / technology classes...wow...wonder if that's an Alberta thing. Grant called L.E.A.R.N. (check it out)

Evaluating Your Digital Core

2011-02-03T16:32:00.003-05:00

Peter Atkinson, St. Thomas PL (very intersting history...20 yrs in hotel IT...)

Heather Cunningham, U of T

Marian Doucette, Huron County PL (link to her ppt)

Peter is working on a Library 2.0 Toolkit...look it up!...due 2Q 2011

look up FAQ for librarians about wikipedia
it enriches your community when you help your community use the web (check!...FB coach...and ineternt classes)
libraries become bullet proof at budget time when the lib is the one that is embracing web 2.0 and sharing the knowledge...puts the lib at the centre of everything
multitude of options: web site, facebook, blogs and more
patron engagement: Youtube, Podcasts, QR codes, Flickr, Four Square, Google Places, Twitter
idea for a QR code...add them to local historic places...to deliver info from spcieal collections / Gateway where you are...enhanced reality...access to info...hmmm....find out how to create a QR code...free tools?....add to posters?...do a pilot project?...

how do you decide what to do?...DATA!...make a plan...and do it

data = facts, not opinions...getting data helps you understand what's really going on
making decisions based on data is safe...it's non-judgemental...not emotional...also makes it safe to fail – which leads to creativity / new ideas
you need to use the data you have: “Stats are like a drunk with a lamppost: used more for supoport than illimunation.” Churchill
if stats aren't working for you, move on to another set!

Heather: web coordinator at Gerstein Science Info Centre at U of T

Web site needed to serve wide group of users spread out geographically
so needed a well designe site
the Web page itself is not the destination...it's a portal / gateway
used crazyegg – generates heat maps and other visual analytics...interesting...see how much it costs...can googleanalytics do the same thing?
Crazyegg gives day of week usage as well (interesting, but do we care?)
compared online patron behaviour to in-house usage...again, interesting...could have implications to our kiosks....to what to create quick-links
also get time of day data in 30 minute increments...can we get that from ga?
Used other stats (like # of im and email questions) in concert with web stats, to get a full picture of use

Marian:

evaluating social media use
mobile device will be the world's primary connection to the internet in 2013 (fuel for my request for an iPod touch!)
go where your users are...check!
Basic metrics: unique users, page views, bounce rate, time spent
facebook “insights” interesting...yup, check!

I thought this session would be more about database stats. Not really anything new to me.

Look at facebook.com/insights ...same info as page admin can see.

Todo: research on adding an opac seach box to our FB page...I think there was some chat on the iug list about it...search for it in the clearinghouse and get 'er done!

Kind of interesting that this woman did not talk at all about FB ads...I wonder if she's using them at all?...asked, and mentioned how we have used them with a fab results (ie 400 new like-ers), and she talked about ensuring your target audience is not too narrow
might be useful to propose a SC talk about FB ads for next year?....with Jro...could also do FB coach / our community outreach etc...and how it's relevant to the Library
check out twitalyzer, tweeteffect ...
also interesting that this woman did not mention that you can hook up your FB status with twitter
look for unexplained trends...analyze, text and fix
pull data regularly...focus on your objectives

New Technology Benchmarks for Ontario Public Libraries

2011-02-03T16:27:00.003-05:00

with Frances Stocker, Kestrel Information Services and Elise Cole, Oakville PL

(slides will be on SC2011 Web site...add a link!)

An entirely new section on the use of technology has been developed for the latest edition of the Ontario Public Library Guidelines. This session introduces the technology guidelines, and answers questions about implementation.

What I am curious to know about...

benchmarks for # of opacs/kiosks
is it just about “hard” technology (ie equipment), or also “soft” in terms of training and access to certain types of technology

Elise is vice chair of the Ontario Public Library Giudelines Council

History of the Guidelines:

evolved from 1990 “One Place to Look” Ontario Public Libs strat plan...Strategic Directions Council (SDC) created
“A Call to Action” 1996
5^th edition of Terms of Ref / comprehensive IT guidelines released in Nov 2010
(find the guildelines online and link to them!)
Accreditation: allows libs to match themselves against standard guidelines
6^th edition planned for SC2012

Benefits of accreditation: demonstrates effective use of public funds; positive impact on library's profile in the community; Library meets provincial norms

over 30 Ontario publicl ibs are accredited

Goals of the Project...for lib systems:

provide measurable benchmarks
focus on tools not content
reflect current lib tech trends and the general technology environment
addresses known technoloy-related concerns
provide a process for achieving/maintaining vialbe and sustainable service

The committee did a lot of research in order to determine the benchmarks / guidelines...to establish what was appropriate....questions:

current levels of tech. Use in Ontario pub libs
current and future developments in library tech
reasonable level of use for libs to attain
other changes affecting lib development in general
major concerns of library systems

Looked at tech. Standards in other juisdictions (all around the English speaking world).

Resaerch findings:

https://acrobat.com/#d=rvrZf63qTFxjgabw2yGbIw
(if that link does not work, will be on conf Web site)
survey results...gives a good overview

Issues:

Ils development
connectivity/boradband
WiFi
Website development and remote access to services
equipment maintenance and troubleshooting
provision in branches
social media
digitization
use of eLearning tools (for both staff training and user education)

Some of the findings...

Connectivity:

broadband patchy outside urban areas
expectations are high
ILSes: leading systems/trailing systems/consortia and partnerships

Support for technology and skilled staff:

major area of concern
case-making for library technology needs

Social media:

low priority for many libs
positive approach where need perceived and/or staff interest
core service? (I say YES!!!!)

Tech trends:

Web 3.0 / symantic web
open source software
dynamic content
rfid
consumer techology and expectations
mobile technology
ebooks
eLearning and blended learning
technology use in the work place (cloud etc.)
pace of change and its impact on setting guidelines

Form and format of the guidelines:

maintain format of exisiting guidelines
mandatory guidelines
measurable/visible
achievable understandable by libraries and trustees
meet the goals of OPLG
reviewed by library community

essential elements include:

web site
ils
opac
email
public internet computers/access
stable networks
user eduacation
workplace software + training
tech support
collaborations and partnerships

Fifth edition:

new Section 7: Use of Technology
major revisions to Section 2: Accessibility
check it out!!!

Examples of guidelines:

internet connectivity: mandatory
integrated library system: has one, with at least a cataloguing and circ module (could be consoritum)...and...(not mandatory, but recommended): ILS has a range of modules and add-ons to make lib more efficient and add convenience for patrons (eg: automatic notification of holds)
workstations and peripherals: the lib has defined the adequate number of networked workstations and peripherals for public use (so what is that number?!...local variation...)

(and by “workstation” do you mean public access to internet, or “kiosk”?...sounds like public internet station...ask: up to the library to decide what their patrons need, so both)
additional computer requirements: lib has established its approach to assessing its need for new or specialized compuer devices, and has protocols in its tech plan for including such needs...so...how will we decide to buy ebook readers, and ipads!...should we have a broad policy about “staff needs to play with stuff that the public is going to have?”....have been sort of doing it on the fly / professional judgement...intersting...think about this
WiFi: a good thing if you can get it
Web site: mandatory (check!)...designed according to a clear plan / adheres to standards; criteria for updating established (check!)
tech support: needs to meet your needs
tech-related cooperation: provincial issue...around encouraging partnerships / building on the strength of provincial network of publiclibraries...to deliver tech services / training / increase lib efficiency

In conclusion:

back to the goals...
focus on tools not content

My thoughts: I need to take a look at the guidelines (even though we decided not to do accreditation this year), and see if we need to do any work...good assessment tool.

5^th Edition of guidlines is available on the FOPL Web site (FOPL is the parent body of this bunch / the standards)... www.fopl.ca

OLA SuperConference 2011: Post 1...Mid-management Pre-Conference

2011-02-02T16:45:00.002-05:00

George Needham and Joan Frye Williams and un-conference

started with brain-storming about the elements (attributes, ingredients) of an excellent library

70+ combined years of experience...variety of perspectives

libs can't go where they want to go without middle management

challenges of mid-management...btwn a rock and a hard place...need to lead/follow, ask/tell etc.

need to design and implement the work

don't ignore challenges

it's not your job to make everyone happy!

there are ways to disagree and move forward

make people PRODUCTIVE
management does not equal control...it's about making people effective
we are given influence, not control
what makes group work successful...brainstorming...collaboration/communication/leadership/budget/snacks/
soooo....someone has to be responsible for these elements of successful projects: voila le mid manager...don't leave things to fate
mid-managers need to own the responisbility to make stuff happen...empower people to do it
clear expectations: WHY is your dept/lib/project here...WHAT does your dept do?...be clear...HotShots / Dave the coach are good at this...play your hardest / fun, fitness, friendship
TBPL as a whole needs more clarity...so everyone has a clear vision re why we're here...is it to get more circs than last year?!...if not, then what?
“here's what we know right now”...good phrase for mid-managers...b/c things change / expectations change... “...so therefore the expectation is...”
don't loose track of why we're there...what the point is
expectations need to be communicated
understand what you have, not just what you don't have...”appreciative inquiry” (AI) (a phsychology concept)...how you can leverage your strengths (see salmon coloured handout for more on AI)...FAB!
focus on your strenghts...be a player / what can you bring to the table
in SWOT focus is on WO ...but need to focus on STRENGTHs...
beware of professional eyeors! (naysayers) who focus on what you don't have
there is more than one path to success / more than one way to do things right...and that is not chaos, that is empowerment!...provide a variety of tools / options...and focus on the end results, not the process
lead by example...treat peeps with respect, and make it clear that's what you expect
empathy...try and see things from other peeps' perspectives...Aristotle: it is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it
know what your goal is, and focus on it
use the “parking lot” to park ideas which aren't part of the focus for now...and then have a “parking lot day”...good idea...I should make a “parking lot” folder / file / box
actions have consequences...and also in-action is an action, and it has consequences too
when someone isn't doing something, say to the person: “I see this isn't happening...what can I do to help?” (sort of like saying to a cranky waitress... “are you having a bad day...?”...and also like Madam Lavoie's strategy: first talk...)
innovation is about making things happen: finding the best ideas
“fresh practices” vs “best practices”
steal from people with R&D money!!! (ie not other libraries!)
put on my wall: “A desk is a dangerous place from which to view the world.” John Le Carre...you have to get other perspectives...esp with the community...
meetings are not the same as conversations...if you have the choice, have a conversation
what do we do about the chorous from management re “what are other libraries doing?”
manage communications does not equal “control” conversations
default to tarnsparacney on the facts (good point!!!)
deal with the eyeroll... “tell me more about how you feel about that”
“here's what in it for you”...make it real for the person / how it affects them
communicating bad news:
1. be empathetic
2. don't delay
3. stick to the facts
4. no sugar coating
5. no “sandwiching”
6. link to principles
speaking truth to power: management needs to kow what's going on...be 100% sure of your facts...be clear about the facts...find the facts first...lead with facts...”here is what I know...”...and offer a solution (don't just present a problem) ...if not a fully formed solution, then an offer to work on the solution
handling rumours:....library workers tend to catastrophise!...tie in to the grape vine
good communication requires that facts get showered on rumours...it's your job to confirm or deny rumours as soon as possible
don't quote or assess blame, just get the facts out
if the rumour is about an individiual, you need to talk to them, get the facts, and find out how they want to handle it...let them know you have their back / will support them
if rumour affects your work you need to deal with it...acknowledge that productivitiy is affected, so you have to deal with it
good site for feedback: www.insidebridge.com/tipsfeedback
“the classic objections” slide...make it into a poster and bring it to every meeting!...acknowledge... “quit being so negative” is not productive...instead say, “You're right, HOW CAN WE make it different this time?”
move from an obejction to a design criteria
translate objections in to “how can we'....?” make people work with you to find a solution
don't resist the negative force, go with it
blue sheet: about communicating new ideas effectively...study it! Scripts for presenting new ideas / phrases etc.
Managing Decision Making:
1. important to let people know the CONTEXT for decisions making...so people don't think your decisions are arbritrary...where you're coming from...can help others improve their work / how your professional principles inform your decisions
2. acknowledge real-world constraints
3. tie thinks back to your mission
4. don't justify your decision after the fact
“second bananaas” group...network with your fellow mid-managers
assume responsibility for solutions...don't say someone else will do it (eg. We need more marketing...classic TBPL whine...take on the responsibility)
avoid binary thinking...it's not all black and white...soutions ususally a mix of things
keep things as simple as possible, but no simpler!!!
treat exceptions as exceptions....ie don't cater to the squeaky wheel!!! (we are guilty of that I think)
diff btwn principles, outcomes and techniques...
principles / outcomes / technique: know the difference...
principles = big picture / values
outcome = what happens to the peeps (patrons / community) as a result of their interaction with the Library
technique = tools to delivr the outcome
G&Jdid a podcast on this...will share link
“This I Believe” piece on G&J website (check it out) defines overriding lib principles
when you need to change a techniques, acknowledge the related otucomte and principles (which prob won't change)
important to make these distinctions when talking about change
consensus is about the preperation for moving forward...make the process fair; make sure people understand the decision criteria; that people have the chance to be heard...important:
“Even if the decision isn't exactly what I would have chosen, I will support it fairly in my communications and actions.”....makre sure people agree to this....
run your shop like this...follow the three consensus points + ask people to agree to the fourth
try to spot patterns of dissent and anticipate needs
“suck it up, take the money and do the work”! Library staff have a tendancy to feel entitled to have things done their way. Decisions get made, and people have to follow through. Here's the task that has been set – let's get together and figure out how to get there.
If you're an employee you will be “employed” (ie. “used”!) many peeps forget this!!!
manage relationships / network / help your colleagues / work with partners
work with mentors: good to have someone outside of your organization...it's an honour to be a mentor...I should find one!!!...find someone who makes sense to you...cultivate the relationship...someone to tell you you're not crazy!
More than one mentor is good...one inside, one outside...or more
like other relationsips, mentors may change over time ... needs to be mutually beneficial
don't let it be lonely at the top!
Hang out with people you don't work with (HOCKEY!!!!)
good to cultivate a non-library peer group
overcome the urge to hide!!!
stop and breathe
get out of your office...have some fresh air fun!
Go back to appreciattive inquiry (AI)...look at the assets....express gratititude to perk yourself up!
“at least I didn't break both legs!”
How do you eat an elephant?...one bite at a time!
Extra credit: infiltrate non-library groups! (HOCKEY!!! and TOASTMASTERS!!!)
manage results: think about continues results...cultivate continuous improvement
praise people for progress
think of little bits of improvement as normal
prepare for success! (eg OverDrive...+ adding Advantage program...+ adding classes...good for us)
good question to ask: What are we going to do if this works?
What keeps people motivated: #1 thing = a feeling of connection
therefore staff appreciation is so important
opportunities for growth are important
leave room for people to be creative...to create some work
connect to the otucomes...people need to know they're making a difference
people need to know management has their interests at heart
overcoming resistance...people who have “retired in place”, unmotivated etc and GET AWAY WITH IT...make other people qustion why they are bothering...#1 thing to do is NOT IGNORE resistance
“when staff dig in”: link to outcomes, listen to concerns, encourage participation, cultiveate champtions, reward desirable behvaiour, be prepared to change yoruself, repeat as nesc.
Sometimes resistance really is someone who doesn't want you to step in the poo
neutralize the pit dwellers!...how? Give them two choices: whine privately, or don't come with us. Tell them, “This is the direction we're going...I would love it if you would join us...if not...stay behind, or be quiet.” Don't reward the negaitivity. The naysayer might be your boss.
Leveage mistakes: sometimes you wll step in the poo...so, learn from it. Debrief...so the traps become less random. Ask questions: what can you do?...what could you have done differently? Don't appologize, but rather investigate / learn from it / what did work? (appreciative inquiry)...your job is not to guarantee perfection...don't loose track of what is resonable
“if you're in control you're not going fast enough!” Mario Andretti
middle manager is like the concert master...in charge of your section, under the umbrella of the conductor
when in doubt choose:
1. simplicity! (good rule for life in general!)...don't cater to all the exceptions
2. generosity (you don't have to be perfect...cultivagte inter-staff generosity...we're better together)
3. flexibilty (tools not rules)
4. urgency (we have to move quickly...can't wait for perfection)
5. trust (it's ok to ask for back up...help me get ready for this)
6. fun (YEAH!....staff appreciation...YES!) (identify the most mickey-mouse rule, for eg!) people learn more when they're having fun
7. show the passion (but you don't have to get the “bald kid with the book” tattooed on your body!)...let your colleagues see your passion
signs you're on the right track (post this slide in my office!.(pg 25 in handout)...and ask self @ end of day “What did I learn today?”....if nothing, take a step back and re-focus
don't try to make everyone happy!

MB Lib Conf 2010: Reaching Out to Newcomers

2010-05-19T09:57:00.067-04:00

...with Winnipeg Public Lib staff...

ESL is now called EAL (English as an ADDITIONAL language)...I wonder if that is a MB thing or if we should change our signage / brochures etc.
(btw found out today there are 200 peeps at this conference)
Riccardo, a newcomer to Wpg (from Argentina), spoke about the magical role of EAL teachers...the key to the transformation in to a new life in a new country is the public library...a safe place for independent work and freedom...a place that teaches people how to *learn*
the public lib is a revolutionary place that supports freedom to learn and freedom of thought...where you can perform the alchemy of transforming info in to knowledge...wow, very well spoken
newcomers might be: immigrant (planned move) or refugee (from conflict zones, experienced interrupted schooling...Canada might not have been their first choice
MB expecting 20,000 immigrants a year by 2016...double the number of 2006 (I wonder what the #s for ON / TBay are)
make the Labour and Immigration Web site your friend...lots of info re languages, number of refugees etc.
immigrants are a remarkably diverse community
Why reach out to newcomers?...if they don't know you exist, you risk being redundant and out of touch with a community that is clearly changing
the immediate needs are housing, employment, education
Labour and Imm. web site outlines the settlement strategy...there is some library information included
WPL does regular presentations for the local EAL teachers
WPL did a needs assessment...a large demographic...but what do they know of libraries?...did they use them before?...are our procedures a barrier?...are we meeting their needs?....WPL wanted to know what newcomers thought of them...what's working, what's not....what do they need from the Lib?
four staff went out and talked to newcomers and people who work with them...settlement workers, EAL teachers...newcomers...
not everyone knows about libraries ... how they work etc.
wide variety of libraries out there in the world!
don't assume what s/one might know about libraries and how they work
Received fab feedback..."tell me why I want to go to the lib"..."libraries can be overwhealming"..."rules aren't always understood -- fines are a barrier"..."I want to feel welcome"...fear of the security gates...what happens when they beep...bad experience in the past with police..."I want to feel welcome"...not staff rolling their eyes b/c I'm going to take longer b/c you have to explain things to me
not understanding the date due receipt...confusion re 05/04/10 date due...so format was adjusted to 05 April 2010
developed a strategy...photo novels for EAL classrooms / web site for resources / multilingual info / collection improvements / stronger outreach / staff newcomer awareness and orientation w. EAL rsources
photo novels: needed to explain what the lib is all about in pictures...nifty! I wonder if we can get a copy?
why photo novels?...diversity of newcomers required diverse strategies for meaningful in
brochures etc.
(btw found out today there are 200 peeps at this conference)
Riccardo, a newcomer to Wpg, spoke about the magical role of EAL teachers...the key to the transformation in to a new life in a new country is the public library...a safe place for independent work and freedom...a place that teaches people how to *learn*
the public lib is a revolutionary place that supports freedom to learn and freedom of thought...where you can perform the alchemy of transforming info in to knowledge...wow, very well spoken
newcomers might be: immigrant (planned move) or refugee (from conflict zones, experienced interrupted schooling...Canada might not
o
English is critical
benefits: tareting groups who may not be familiar with libs...uses existing network to get the msg out (ie EAL teachers)...wanted to involve the EAL teachers, so ensure to meet their needs, and sense of ownership...not only informs learners, but also teachers...easy to update as is web-based (woot!!!)
modules of lib info: collections / services / programs...and WHY and HOW to use the Library...also lib space/place...programs...virtual stuff
photo novels tell a story about common library experiences...EAL teachers can use in the classroom, and build activities around...so full understanding...follow up with visit to EAL class from the library
Canadian Language Benchmarks (www.language.ca)...fab to be familiar with in order to provide appropriate level of communication ...check them out
the new Word has a feature to tell you what grade level you're writing at...under "spelling"...plush kinkaide reading level (check the name of that!)...we tend to write at a grade 10-12 level, should write at grade 7 level for broader understanding...***consider including that in new web site guidelines*** double check how that works and teach others to check their writing for the Web site there (then wash out the coding in note pad)
to do: email kathleen (email adr in handout) re photo novels...are they online?...will they share?
benchmarks...Rex Murphy is level 12!!!
photo book of getting a lib card
WPL newcomer Web page
photo books are pdf, so easy to update...same pics, but change the blurbs when your info changes...project for next year???...talk it up with BP...probably AS + virtual + major partnership with Multi...but first ascertain if we need...
Century Gothic is a font that is most readable to EAL level 1 and 2 (look at the "a"s...interesting...) ***take that in to account for the Web site look and feel***
photo stories for different levels...lower level has word "balloons", higher the students make up their own story / dialogue...wowser this is fab
the answers are provided for the EAL teachers
matching exercise for library lingo fab (in level 5/6 book)
Tumblebooks would be superfab for newcomers...for both children and adults (WPL mentioned other "read along" databases)
they also have a dual language collection (books in English + another language)
puzzlemaker.com is a fab resource for making word searches, anagrams, crossword puzzles etc...check it out...it is free
how did they connect with EAL teachers?...word of mouth / connections btn the teachers, and Riccardo who had approached Katie
leverage your community connections
applied for a small grant ($5,000) to fund the project (paid for Riccardo's time...taking pics / formatting the photo books) and also for EAL teacchers consulting for the photo books exercises etc?
overview...look at YOUR demographics...ask Labour and Immigration...talk to your local settlement works + schools...make connections with the service agencies (who want to provide good info)...connect with your EAL teachers...build relationships....open the communication for both positive and negative feedback
"Welcome to the Lib" flyer produced by WPL and Man. Lib. Services...I think I got one...will be a pdf / translated to 10 languges...for use by MB languages...Katie happy to share the text...email her

MB Lib Conf: Ebsco new features

2010-05-18T14:12:00.049-04:00

MB Lib consortium working on province-wide access/license

Anna from Ebsco
EBSCOhost mobile...need a separate url to get to it...soon it will be an autodirect (good!)...yet another reason why I need to get a lib smartphone to play / test with...focussed on the core functions
EBSCOhost mobile also takes less bandwith...so good for peeps with dial up (could add the url as a "dial up" option...nice...)
ask our ebsco rep for the mobile url (and/or check support sites / email updates)
mid2010 there will be an iStore app for EbscoHost...NoveList app coming soon
posters and flyers for EbscoMobile are available from support site
WPL has ebscohost mobile interface
ARRC....new look and feel is coming...drill down will still be there, but they are adding a search box (wow wee...put on WebFeat/360 radar for a translator...will be federated-searchable now...)
lots of widgets for chat within ebsco databases (includig AskON?...should ask them about it, b/c Ebsco is big in KO to...)
geolocation:...we know where you are and can use that info...library still has user launch from the lib's web site to ensure proper usage credit...hmmm...still have to log in?...yes, once, then cookie saved...don't have to log in again
ebsco host connection...a site designed to get anon. users from google (or another search engine) in to EBSCOhost via their library...initial version released in 2006
Text-to-speech...make sure everyone knows about this...coming soon

NoveList

facelift coming
link now to beta version (todo: ensure everyone is aware of that, and takes a few mins to check it out***)
one addition, "reason" why something was recommended
search box on every page
genres and sub-genres quick links
"subject appeals"...big lexigography of appeal terms...like "cozy winter stories"...more than a genre...the feeling...why people like certain books

EbscoHost

making the most..
federated-ish search within Ebsco dbases
promote email alerts to patrons from ebsco...eg when new issue of McLeans arrives in the database...could package with My Lib Card email alerts...
also can do rss feeds...
you need an EbscoHost acct to have an alert / feed
your EbscoHost account works at any library (that is s/th else to promote with patrons and staff...exp for snowbirds / students...)
(too much "......does everyone remember how to...?)...no evaluation forms at this conference...hmm...maybe will have one biggie after the fact...
I should set up an Ebsco alert for library stuff I'm interested in...also in other databases...to test + for my personal interest
todo: find out where our "ask a librarian" link goes
new seach box in "help"

Ebsco support site is fab

check FAQs for common problems
can brand ebsco with our logo / colours...hmmm...do we want to do that?...chat with JR first, and then follow up with TT if interested
"promotion": bookmarks / posters etc.
consider promoting database of the month webinars (from ebsco support site...(and also from gale etc...)) for extra oomph
tutorials for patrons can be linked to...copy url from support site...they are in ppt so we can customize...wow wee that is nice so we can add our unique log in info*****

MB Lib Conf 2010: The Power of Lib Partnerships: Collaboration Thoughts...with Stephen Abram

2010-05-18T11:41:00.084-04:00

(the URGENCY for partnerships in a google age
we need to scale ourselves to leverage what we do well
we are good at the deeper questions (why, when, how...etc...) and also we're not influenced by google adwords etc...they make *huge* money...their real customer is advertisers, not searches...so NO we do not want our services to work like google!
change is a constant...and only getting faster...
also baby boomers are big whiners!!!...are we ready to deal with even bigger change?
in June google will launch huge mega (30 million books) ebook collection / store (will be launched at ALA...stay tuned!)...how will we handle that
what is our competitive advantage over google?...OUR PEEPS!!!...so we need to put them front and centre...put pics of PEOPLE on the web site, with deets re what they do (people all know we have books!!!)
and that is a very good reason to be on FaceBook (as an individual and a lib)
libs need to scale ourselves up to the level of being there to help peeps with the massage change.."the internet has now progressed to is infancy" (seach, social networks, learning, commerce)...
...that is the BIG challenge...and WE (libs) can influence it if we want...or...we can let the internet happen to us
so what is our plan?...
what's on our minds?....usually a sense that something is not quite right...questions where a job starts and stops (yeah I can relate!!!)...questions of where work starts and stops...of skills required for jobs...
we need to get libs to break inertia...in order for libs to remain what they are, they must change...
the magic sauce is in collaboration
are you being heard???...
are you talking???!!!...you have to get out there and do it...
eg. give library cards to new city councillors...and follow up...be sure they know what you do...get on their radar...
small communities can serve their peeps in a big way, by finding out what they want / need and meeting their needs
communicate on many levels (eg not just paper annual report)
will we find our voice?...bing, google, FB, twitter, social media, libraries
slide with lots of text (link to it on Stephen's Lighthouse) re diffs btwn private sector and public sector
libs competitve advantage is having GOOD information and a place where peeps can come to learn
shift to knowledge based economy...therefore peeps need to know how manage info...we're at a fork in the road...
are we going to become a nostalgic place, or a dynamic place where you can get prepared for the future...
who do they think built this stuff?....librarians were KEY in the development of google, yahoo, boole, intranets etc...
85 librarians hired at the early development of yahoo
Boole (as in Boolian logic) self-taught at a lib...wow!...ended up being a prof @ Cambridge and oxford)
look to the future to see what will make us successful...just b/c legal info is online does not mean we don't need lawyers...just b/c you have a calculator doesn't mean we don't need accountants
where is the leadership?...
one eg is Knowledge Ontario...good eg b/c academic / public / school etc
drivers of change...our future slide...newspapers are dead but news isn't (John Stewart, for eg is the #1 news source for many peeps)
publishing models are in a huge transformation...what do text books look like in the age of Kindle / iPhone / iPad
libs won't go away but they will be differnet
why should there be more than one lib in your city / province?...need to be able to answer that
question should not be what the future of the book is, it should be what are the behavoiuors and ecology of reading in the future
human understanding...info + learning = knowledge...your learning style is in your genes
you want your surgeon to learn like your mechanic...hands on / visual
libs need to learn to relate to peeps who learn in diff ways...not just by reading
YouTube is only five years old...wow...and it is the number two search engine!
what will it look like when all the books are online?
partnerships...integrated collection development...community / learning / e-learning
productivity push...the cloud...what is stopping you from using it?
Canada is the smartest country on earth...WOOT!...why do we want to sleep with the elephant south of us?...will only take us south
libs need to focus on how we can support all the smarties
libs critical competitive advantage is the peeps!...we need to be out there...why do libs want to be anonymous?....
librarians must take personal responsibility for their professional development (YEAH!!!!)
we must be our own advocates, not victims...no one is going to do it for us
coll dev must be patron-centric
re-think ownership
community eclogy management...lib as social glue...commuicate THAT aspect of libraires...not the *stuff*...goes back to Gerry Meek's SMILE-o-meter...
the ne
wow...and it is the number two search engine!

what will it look like when all the books are online?

partnerships...integrated collection development...community / learning / e-learning

productivity push...the cloud...what is stopping you from using it?

Canada is the smartest country on earth...WOOT!...why do we want to sleep with the elephant south of us?...will only take us south

libs need to focus on how we can support all the smarties

libs critical competitive advantage

the new normal: fully integrated virtual and physical strategies...

single core community service portal with branch customization

what do your virtual patrons look like (diff from in-lib users)...in-lib users are the needy ones!!!...I need to learn more about our virtual peeps

oops I think I cut and pasted...read over and reorganize!!!

are you ready for real collaboration, beyond cooperation?

some change agent examples...: knowledgeOntario, the Alberta Library, WYLD in Wyoming, infOhio, LYRASIS

innovative audit questions...

(btw 85% of autobiographies have a positive story of librarians in them!!!)

Be important (remember you are...!)...don't be the Star Trek guy in the red shirt!!!

questions for orgs: how should we be organized to best interact with and delight our clients or patrons?...how should we be organized to make the best decisions int he least amout of time? (don't study things to death!!!!...death is not the goal!!!)...learn to be ok with good enough...

small, agile groups move faster than large bureaucracies

***culture kills everything***...wow...is there something about the culture of the lib that squishes innovation...um, yeah...wow...

what IS the lib's main focus?

Galbraith's star model

it's impartive that we use the devices, and not vice-versa
I REALLY need to go around and do staff training on downloading ebooks and eAudio...don't set them up for failure
focus on the issues: uniquness, services, and PEOPLE!!!!
the tools: wow, social graph platform wars...major slide!!!!
use tools that support sharing: wiki, tagging, the cloud, blogs, photos, slide share, smart phones
***start playing with smart phones...the lib needs to get one*** put in a small cap request (also new chair!!!)
next up...GeoIPs...FourSquare and Gowalla...TODO: take a look and play around!
how to get there?...play...build a techno sandbox...get a kindle / smart phone / ipod / mp3....develop a culture of experimentation at TBPL...that should be my new GOAL!!!...YEAH!!!!
also work to collaborate with OPLA???...chat it up...to change the way the dreaded stats are reported / collected...already we know the virtual stats collection system is screwey....how can we measure the satisfaction / smiles?...not the number of steps, but the length of the steps...****...I already feel passionate about this, so work on it...follow it up...poster pres to generate interest?...chat with OPLA peeps / TT / GLF / OLS-n...DO IT...YEAH!!!!
Stephen A said "we" are working on this...follow up with him...does that mean Gale?
Gale just bought "encyclopedia.com"...has local access...creating access to the lib so peeps can find it...a way to achieve scale...iPhone ap to find local libs / provides you automatic access to gale databases
how to build scale
Gale's goal is to double database use every few months
be the cute goldfish with a shark fin attached!!! (not the dead fish)
wow, exciting to focus on satisfaction and not USE...yeah!!!... :)
love the content, not the container
see our peeps as human beings
don't just put a mouse on it
fab 50 reasons not to change (really excuses)
the problem is inertia, not money
good idea for summer reading game: make lib training cards for ALL lib staff...get SRG kids to collect (from all branches / depts...so fun...!) DOIT!!!

MB Lib Conf 2010 Transforming Partnerships: Gerry Meek

2010-05-18T10:00:00.068-04:00

why we have to go out there, and how we can be smart about doing that
trying to go it alone is not smart, esp in an increasingly connected world
it's not how smart you are, it's how you are smart
it's not just about relationships: it's ALL about relationships
our culture loves things and uses people...but libs love peeps and use things
business as unusual: libs have to communicate our relevance...what is valued gets funded
libs are often overlooked / assumed / undervalued...so WE have to advocate for ourselves
we need to reposition at the core of our communities (where the action is)...good eg is new MJLB in the "hub" of Westfort!
renewed / reimagined / deeply involved...providing service WITH the community...a shift
move from ME to WE
pub lib as a community hub...of leisure / culture / learning / community development
critical need to brand our industry...why/how are libs relevant?
"an easy instrument of mass instruction"
"a new community commons"
language matters...eg: community connector, versatile social utility, community deficit fighter
new messaging: the power "offering the gift of tongues and vast potencies" Northrop Frye
what libs bring to partnerships:...broad community perspective, respect for diversity, powerful voice for inclusion, skill at finding meaning in the noise
we are a profession of beautiful thinkers...we are link makers / collaborators / connectors
public orgs can become isolated b/c they build walls instead of bridges
benefits of partnerships: tap in to community assets / provide a critical mass for new initiatives / solve issues that cross boundaries / opportunity to redefine the possible
we need to be at the RIGHT table...an not on the menu!!
not enough to sit at the table...need to bring visible acts of community leadership
partnerships @ Calgary PL....work in progess...intent to forge connections / position lib at the heart of community life
started by looking at own image...the PERSONA of the lib: pleasantly mad place...sense of fun and a little weirdness (YEAH!)...
Calgary Stampeede parade = huge networking event!...all the big community peeps are there!
"cheap and easy" marketing poster!...says it like it is!
wrapped bus..."rediscover"
door hangers "another great thing to do in bed....read!"....
"neatest people" campaign...very cool...neat peeps...others wanted to be "neat" so set up web site and peeps could write about why they're "neat" and what they do at the lib
lib was green before it was cool
knowledge increases with use (totally a renewable resource)
re-branding: stage one... "everything you're into"...turning the breadth of the pub lib in to a strength....super fun poster series...engaging, different, not stuffy...illustraing "everything"...even in fruit displays at the superstore!
second phase coming next "everywhere you are"...
so everything you're into and everywhere you are...that is what the public library is all about
how we drive partnerships at cpl...guided by purpose of the lib, passion of the sta sign in the fruit displays at the super store...staff and gifts of the lib and staff...sweet spot = conjunction of passion of the staff, gifts of the lib and staff...sweet spot = conjunctio of the three
drive partnerships by: making them a part of everyone's job...encourage experimentation...ABC = always be connecting....leverage the power of personal connections of ALL staff.....***give peeps training re how to do this***...super duper...eg when going to a trade show: go around and introduce youself to the other exhibitors...people are afraid of failures...
in libs things seem to want to be poop or perfect...don't set limits...listen with intention to our community...leverage every opportunity...cultivate the mavericks (the bees who don't follow instructions are the ones that find new sources of honey...so essential to the hive)
everyone has something to offer...you need to find it
partnerships are everywhere
"noticing is the art of all arts" (Henry David Thoreau)
look at points of interaction / fusion ...that is where ideas / innovation happens
how do we position the lib as the place where new ideas are born?
how can we turn these new ideas in to a competitive advantage?
look for partnerships where gaps exist...+ where the lib has something to offer + where there is a need
egs at Calgary: transition hours programming for kids (ie transition btn after school and when parents get home)...preparing for the aging Boomers (making the lib a place for them...three types: gogos, slowgos and nogos!!! ...lib needs to be relevant and useful to all
look in likely and unlikely places...eg tattooed / bikers...have a biker partnerhip...what lib has to offer: info about mythology / for their tattoos...also helping bikers change their image
think of lib suppliers as partners...how you can work together to mutual advantage?..eg staff @ warehouse, expediting distributi0on
"it's a crime not to read" program...idea sparked by a staff person at a cocktail party (so go to more cocktail parties!!! ROFL!!!)...approached police services, got police officers to do storytimesl...connetion = reading as crime prevention...high rate of illiteracy in incarcerated peeps...also police officers wanted to get out in to the community...funded by Rotary...kids love it and police offices love it...addressing crime before it begins, via literacy
"get caught reading"...for commuters on public transit...partnership with Calgary Transit Authority...lib staff go on public transit, and reward people for reading!...suggested transit measure the experience (ie "smiles per hour" vs. number of passengers)...wow what a concept for lib satisfaction too!!!....count smiles of staff + patrons
Living Librar program BIG at CPL (biggest outside of Scandinavia, where it started)...growth of "neatest peeps use the lib" campaign...used those peeps...super popular...people in unique fields, alternative lifestyles, people with cancer etc...totally unlimited!
"be part of a great story" book used to recruit partners and new staff
Ecopalooza: enviro fair at the lib...first time the wide variety of groups got together...the lib became a place of convention...lib as a matchmaker...also lib was super clean after!!!
link to emerging agendas: sustainability, creative cities, social innovation, knowledge economy, vital issues
lib looks to how it can inform the community, and engage in vital conversations with them
"vital signs"...what matters in your community...leads to vital conversations
spcial areas of focus: 21st century literacies, early childhood learning, leadership development, ability to leverage, critical mass opportunities
monthly leadership breakfast...invite community leaders to lib...mutual benefit is they learn about the community
CPL has a manager of partnerships / splonsorships
partnership partners
each branch has a list of 25 key stakeholders + have to engage with them
partnerships are the new norm
need to be addressed in a strategic fashion
shift from what the lib can do for others to what can we achieve by working together
need new metrics for partnerships***
we need to quit counting THINGS
impact on our communities is more important that where we put stuff on shelves...
need "feeling indicies"...the smile index / sense of belonging...so HOW are they doing that?
hidden costs in partnerships: take time and attention...need to be committed to them...is like a romance! (in terms of the stages...glance / courting / engagement / marriage / (prenup?!...get it in ink!!!) / honeymoon / etc...rough patches / ongoing
"Those who loose their dreaming are lost." (Australian Aboriginal Proverb)...as libs we need new dreams...
how do libs achieve success?...by acts of relevance situated in meaningful action...wow that is a good one...
where does magic come from?...
from a tomb in westminster Abbey:....when I was young I dreamed...when I got old got cynical...finally realized would have to had changed self first"
so magic comes from ONE / with YOU / ME...a decision to act / have a conversation...ask framing questions...WHY / WHAT IF...
is our process worthy of the outcomes we desire to attain?
possibility is everywhere
take some risks...purposeful bold action
when you take a risk and reach out, you transform yourslef

Winnipeg Public Library's Millennium Library...WOW!

2010-05-17T17:18:00.007-04:00

Fab quote outside...they're working on the garden.

(see also their Flickr pics for more views.)

"New and Noted" stuff in a nook located near the entrance...was very busy. Included recent returns.

Looking up.

Main staircase with open/airy table/carrels on the side (with lots of plugs on tables) for laptop users / group study / sunny perches etc.

Huge collage @ main entrance.

And an aside...

...why does MB have such funky mail boxes?! Will endeavour to find out.

MB Lib Conf 2010: Creativity with Stephen Abram

2010-05-17T13:11:00.009-04:00

Official description on the Conference Web site:

This is a half‐day workshop that involves several creative exercises and hands‐on play. It has been presented at several international library conferences with different and interesting results and learning ever time. Participants will learn more about the role of play and creativity in their workplace and how it relates to innovation, change, adaptation and life. Come prepared to participate and create (there’s no other choice!).

why play? because we are built for play
opposite of "play" is not "work"
check out the book "Play"
information + learning = knowledge
human genome mapping...we are all hard-wired to a certain learning style
learning is a combination of different learning styles -- a matrix
when you're having fun, you're more open to new ideas
teen space @ Darien Public Library...glassed-in to keep noise in + visibility (also RHD's vision for teen space @ Brodie)...provided markers for teens to express themselves (aka graffiti) on the glass...super popular...clean off a few times a year...increased teen traffic
when putting a team together give permission for peeps to bring their personalities / sense of play / don't be a wet blanket!
creativity in the workplace needs to be released
@ Gale they did "crucial conversations" training...b/c librarians don't like conflict (gee, I can relate!!!) so they would not speak when when something was wrong...and this was creating problems / stalling development etc.
met a woman from here: www.allardlibrary.com who was raving about their new building...check it out...did say web site not up to snuff, but there are pics
idea: do a construction blog for new MJLB...take a pic a day, to engage patrons in the process (does MJLB have a digicam?)...chat with TT
we participated in a three step process...looked at self/how we interact with our library...how our ROLES are secondary to our STUFF (ie materials)
similar to the "five whys" process (start with a question, and keep asking WHY to the answer, five times)
the STAFF are the centre of the lib / most imp part
Can we describe this crucial aspect of the lib in a creative way?
I think our new tag line: new stories daily does that v well
IDEA: bring some TOYS to a meeting so people can PLAY...new framework / new ideas / release creativity b/c it changes the dynamics of a meeting/discussion...lego/playdough/pipecleaners

p.s. we got SHUSHED 3 times by the peeps next door at a RDA session...and there were only seven about 10 people in our session!!! Sad.

Group project: What "library" is all about...connecting peeps with info + providing the resources and space for creativity

How I want people to feel in the Library: energized / open to new ideas / happy / raising the roof!!!

CIL2010: Other Fab Blogs

2010-04-22T14:51:00.001-04:00

Check out all these other fab biblioblogs, and read what they have to say about CIL2010.

CIL: Google Gambol

2010-04-15T22:31:00.001-04:00

Slides are here

Check out all these nifty google tools / tricks / tips.

OK so a lot of the slides are blank b/c Greg went live on to google to demo, but there are enough hints to get you through!

CIL: Productivity Tools

2010-04-14T14:26:00.000-04:00

CIL2010 Productivity tools

link to: http://productivitytoolscil2010.pbworks.com/
wiki for the session!...so fab...check out “poll everywhere” ...could vote with a computer or a cell phone (check it out and maybe use for my Man session?...or consider s/t with voting by postits?)...hmmm..
look up “getting things done” book by David Allen (TBPL has, hold placed!...to done!)

Remember the Milk...notes added to Wiki
Jiffle...fab for setting up appointments with students, for eg...you can send them your available times, they pick, and get back to you
notes on Wiki...check it out
most of the tools connect to GoogleCalendar and other similar tools

CIL: 24th Thing: What's Next

2010-04-14T14:25:00.000-04:00

CIL2010 The 24^th Thing: What's Next (H. Blowers not here, so four others!!!)

Sean Robinson, Allen Country Public Library (blog www.tscrobinson.com )

Lori Reed (Charlotte Meck)

Crista Burns and Michael Sauers, nebraska Lib commission)

Sean...

Vision...what are you trying to do?

Engage (at warp speed!)
enrich (msg to resonate)
empower (fight for what you love(

What is your startegy?

Your mission?

3 quesions:

how are people finding us? (Google Analytics v useful for insight...want peeps to find you from outside your library)
1. piggy backing...be efficient...connect with others...eg timtables in conjunction with mass marketing with Twilight, for eg...and other big book releases...
where can you answer questions?...be useful to people in new and interesting ways
1. eg “City Share” on FB...check it out

Engagement is not an idea, it's a practice.

Grow some bigger ears...see Sean's blog for good reasource to LISTEN to peeps social web activity in your area...eg. Tweeting “I'm going down to the library”...you can reply “see you here!”

Christa and Michael from Nebraska Lib Commission

Learning 2.0 at the nebraska library commission blog
did 23 things in 2008
voluntary participation...25 started, and 9 completed...not bad for these programs...
noved it to larger “Nebraska Learns 2.0”
peeps loved it so much they didn't want it to end
April 2009 start...once a month...ongoing 23 things program...a thing a month...were new things, but considering going back to some of the original 23 things b/c some peeps didn't do
had 47 peeps start new blogs / wanted to do it
peeps don't have to do every “thing”...do the ones you want to ....drop in and out...
offer CE credits (statewide program)
banner on their blog + “car henge”...ok...a scale model of stonehenge made out of cars, in Nebrasks
what not to do:
- don't just put it out there – you need to promote it...don't drop the ball...peeps will want to do it, just keep informing peeps...and participate / comment on peoples' blogs
how many peeps work for the Neb Lib Commission?...about 50, but they oversee ALL libraries in Nebraska...school/public/academic...so thousands of peeps...wow...

Innovating Durig a Time of Change...or OMG WTF!!!!

Lori Reed, Charlotte Meck. Lib

23 things was originally going to be 43 things!
Worked with Helen on the original plan
is mind boggled over the adoption of of 23 things
challenge of how to continue to innovate during a time of change...budget cuts etc...
a super fly fab great lib, but major budget cuts...very sad
laid of 120 people two weeks ago...WOW...sad + more coming there and other places
“in calm weather all ships have good captains”...Swedish proverb...
how can you be innovative in times like this?
- Recommends book “Death by meeting”...check it out
- be willing to do what's right for the org and profession
- Lori in HR...need to look beyond what's best for you personally
- have to be there for a reason / have a purpose
- be what your users need and want
- can't fight for services peeps don't want
- accept the fact that libs are giong to look v diff in the future
- opportunity to learn/grow/adapt/improve/let go of what is not working
- wow what a great attitude!!!

lori@lorireed.com (email her a hug!!!)

savelibraries.org

CIL: Making it happen: Getting things done

2010-04-14T14:24:00.000-04:00

CIL: Making it happen: Getting things done...Ken Haycock, Director, SLIS, San Jose State Univ.

Next year cil will be in March, and back at the Hilton (DuPont Circle)...nice
Ken H was once a school lib...wow, did not know that
SJSU SLIS is largest online lib school...has surmounted lots of challenges...lots of political / influencing skills
if you don't promote yourself you're doomed to defend yourself...wow...put that on my wall!!!
the influence pyramid: (top to bottom):
- practice
- tools and equipment
- conceptual models
- awareness (feedback and reflection)
- empowerment (choosing to be powerful) ***I need to do that better!***
public libs suffer from the curse of high satisfaction and low expectations...wow
- no one complains about libs (well, yeah, they do actually!...)...but lots of library love
- results in compliance + potitcians think we don't need more $
you would think that “evidence based librarianship” is a redundent term!!!
“death by opportunity”
- b/c libs are so flexible / adaptable etc, can do so many things...pulled in so many directions
- if you have two libs in a room they'll create an association...one more and they'll give an award!
Opportunity costs...
- what is the payoff you're going to get from the choices you make?
- Can not be all things to all people...that is where low expectations come in
- need LEADERSHIP to give direction / focus...THIS is what we're going to excel at...
we are all leaders...
- leadership is a process of social influence therough which oneperson is able to enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task...AMEN!...LTB philosophy
power or influence...
- power: possession of control / authority / influence
- influence: act of producing an effecgt without apparent exertion of force or direct exercise of comman...hmmm....
successful poeple are influential:
- turst is critical
- a good reputation is priceless
- (have to manage the person you report to!!!...good point)
- most peeps are filled with self-doubt
- informal mentoring is vip
- listening is more important than talking
- ***choose 8 people to be your personal “board of directors”...FAB idea! Do it!!1...be the CEO of your own life / destiny....***
- choose peeps with your best interest at heart
trust:
- character
- competence
- confidence
- credibility
- congruence
advocacy defined
- as the level of water in the jungle goes down, the animals start to look at each other in different ways
- public relations is not advocacy...public relations and publicity is all about US...needs to be moe ADVOCACY...marketing is getting closer...finding out who your clients are, and how you adjust to meet their needs...more about THEM...advocacy is how you get your message out...how the lib makes a difference in the community...move to being a PLAYER at the table when the problem is defined (good eg = Tbay's culture planning...)
advocacy: a planned, deliberate, sustained effort (hard work) to develop understanding and support (can be for an issue as well as resources) incrementally over time (it's a long haul)
the meek my inherit the earth, but the news of it will never get out!!!
univesal principles
- reciprocation (feel obliged to return favours)
- authority (look to experts)
- commitment/consistency (with commitments and values)
- scarcity (less available more we want it)
- liking (more we like, more we want to say yes)
- social proof (what others are doing)
a fun book about influence: “yes! 50 scientifically proven ways to be effective!”...check it out
a small gift or favour will make you more persuasive...people will want to pay you back...also a personal note
individuals want to be liked, so practice seeing the good in them *** do it!!!
pillars of influence:
- the relationsihp (even if you can't stand the person you work with/for, you need a relationship)
- the intended approach
- the desired results
- the context – for the issue, indivudal and organization...is it the right time for this issue?
Fine line between standing on the shore fising, and just standing there
ROTI = return on time investment ... think about it
leveraging SW/OTs...your stengths and weaknesses...and what are the opporutnities to apply them...use your strenghts to grasp the ops...easy win...pay more attention to this to move things forward...be strategic about it!
Focus and plan
- on the relationship
- on the approach
- on the context
- on the issues
One Page Presentation: subject / objective / present situation / proposal / advantages / disadvantages / action you want taken ***use this model for next pres to CC*** be honest and succinct
you either DO lunch, or you are lunch!!! (words to live by!!!)
beware of the culture of niceness....conflict avoidence...moi, je suis guilty!!!...don't be afraid to deal with issues...don't let them fester...first step in recovery is self-awareness, so I'm getting there!!!
make your pitch and make your ASK...be clear about what you want
lessons learned:
- about relationships
- about approcahes
- about context
- about issues – framing, info, expertise
bringing it all together
- building influence
- using evidence
- connecting agendas
- assessing time
- assessing costs
- leveraging resources
- measuing results
skate to where the puck is going to be!!! AMEN!!!

CIL: Dead and Innovative Tech aka Comedy Night

2010-04-13T23:31:00.004-04:00

A few nuggets of info from among the laughs (heavy on iPad bashing and Smurf-a-hontis jokes)...

check out Amanda EJ's site http://usablelibrary.org print and post the poster there
iPads are all about consuming information, not collaboration
Librarians are subversive!
iPads are sexy as in hookers...beware of extra charges / side effects etc...also all about consumption, not creation (Sarah HJ)
Stephen A had fab graphics...book love for eg...check to see if his slides are online
Marshal B had great pics from a 2.0 library with lots of interactive group spaces and other stuff...look for his ppt

Good summary + some pics here.

CIL: Virtual Learning and Training

2010-04-13T15:36:00.001-04:00

CIL: Virtual Learning and Training: Teaching and Learning with Drupal

Meredith Farkas, Norwich University, Head of Instructional Initiatives

written lecture notes
discussion forums
assignements
quizzes...
- can't just use irl stuff for online courses...”pretty frickin' boring!”...MF got her MLIS online about six years ago
web 2.0 ideas for the classroom
- it's the age of participation
- wisdom of crowds...love it!
- Social constructivism ...teacher is a facilitator, not a “sage on the stage” (use that for my Manib Lib Conf talk!!!!)...and get peeps talking...will there be enough people/twitters for a session hash tag?...hmmm....could suvey and do if so...
- about the experience
MF now teaches @ SanJose State Univ...online...
- didn't want to use their course management system...focussed on instructor, not student interaction...was allowed to do her own thing
- used drupal (drupal.org)...OS content management system...used for a huge variety of things
why use blogs?
- Familiar medium for two-way com
- faculty communication with students
- one place to look...eg “housekeeping” tag...keeps stuff together
- builds sense of ownership over the medium for students
- community building
- reflective learning...thinking about what you're learning
- writing in public
- everyone is a teacher and learner
blogs can:
- promote critical and reflective thinking
- enable collaboration and knowledge-sharing
- create an informal environment for student discussion and communtiy building
- encourage dialogue and debate
- encourage students to teach as well as learn and co-costruct their learning experience

Joan Peti...(substitute...) Using “prezi”...blogging at the american university in Cairo..wow...

instruction and ref librarian
accredited US univesrity
mostly Egyptian students
required info lit class
moved course from Blackboard to a simple wiki
http://lalt.wetpaint.com – check it out
shifted emphasis from passing to learning the skills
- strict attendance + in class assignments
implemented blogging
- issue with lack of freedome of speech in Egypt...bloggers are regularly jailed...repressive
- wanted students to appreciate and understand the tools, even in this environement
- used word-press...but was overwhealming for tech-newbies
- for last blog...asked students how they liked blogging – and they loved it!!!
- shocked lib staff!...students had historically hated the class...but deal was sealed with the blogging experience
lessons learned:
- take advantage of key moments
- own your disasters
- define success
- sometimes crisis = opportunity
- ill-considered ideas hastily implemented can be a great success!!!
I thought this session, from description in flyer, would be more about creating tutorials etc...oh well, still some fab points

you have to find the right tech for your students

CIL: Usability and Libraries

2010-04-13T15:35:00.000-04:00

CIL: Usability and Libs

User expectatios of online lib services...

users' notion of “broken”
libs know our online services are imperfect...constant improvement / tweaking
in surveys etc users talk about frustration / inconvenicne / confusion
- sometimes words like “maddening”, horrendus, sucks etc.
It either works for them, or not
most common complaint....too many choices...or “there must be something wrong with me b/c I can't figure it out”...spend lots of time explaining that we're help to help...
peeps don't get stuff=problem...bigger prob than usability...might just not have it...
breaks in chain of access not always where you think...response is just to go to google
why isn't everything in google anyway...well, we have a good answer for that...but, maybe we should talk to vendors to fix that...maybe that is our job...hmmm....
chain of info access from need to retrieval is only as strong as its weakist link
- remote access, printing services, link resolving are all parts of the chain
- new interfaces (eg. Handheld devices...smartphone / netbook etc...) become part of the chain of access
beyond userfriendly software and reliable hardware...problems go beyond that...
- users expect easy, direct, immediate access to what they need
- the have alternatives and low tolerance
limited and inconvenient collections are also part of unsability...eg. Microfiche...is it different in TBAy b/c our genealogists are very happy to use microfilm???...or different for genealogists?
Siloed e-content is also a usability issue...so our My Giant Search is one solution...I think
seamless, simple, fast and reliable systems and servcies are the goal
common interfaces, seamless and integrated discovery
comprehensive info access...one stop shopping is what the peeps want
we need to think about what isn't indexed...why is not digitized

next presenter...Yu-Hui Chen and Carol Ann Germain, Univ at Albany

usability...how to ensure a function is used well
did a study at their lib...results are local, but hopefully with wide applicability...
surveyed 84 ARL libraries...for policies, usability testing and resoruces...env scan
hardly anyone has web usability standards, policies and guidelines...wowser, do we need them?!...look to Neilson and co for guidance...also “Research Based Usability Guidelines” book (look it up)...psg=policy, standard, guideline
libs all thought usability testing is important, but only about half did regularly...however most have done it
what were people testing?...most: Web site; least: opac
usability methods:
- observation
- thinking aloud
- card sorting
- walk-throughs
- task analysis
- paper prototype
libs with dedicated usability testing staff: 25%...wow
are people learning usability in lib schools?
Usually done as an “extra” to other jobs
issues, challenges and recommendations:
- reasons why people have difficulty implementig psgs:
  - enforcement/agreement
  - lack of skills/training
  - resoruces
  - getting informed
  - resistance to change
- not a lot of support from admin ...due to limited knowledge/experience/political agendas
- lack of resrouces (time, staff, organizational knowledge)
published article...with actual survey included

CIL: Critical Thinking...getting to the right decision

2010-04-13T13:00:00.002-04:00

CIL Critical Thinking: Rebecca Jones and Deb Wallace (managing Director, Baker Lib Servcies Knowledge and Lib Services, Harvard Bus School... dwallace@hbs.edu

rebecca@dysartjones.com

aotus is modelling / living critical thinking
is not about being critical!!! or being smart
about thinking productively etc
pres is on slideshare...beckyjojojones...also on www.dysartjones.com (slides and worksheets)
not just for academics...practical applications...challenge assumptions
what are the traps / landmines?
(Deb has climed Mt. Kilamanjaro!!!)
tend to suffer from “deer in the headlights”...need to focus on the right thing at the right time
critical thinking is really about:
- decision making and problem solving
- openmindedness
- productive dialogue...with colleagues / mgnt...to get to the best decision
three simple underlying facts:
- implicit that we can't make decisions alone or in a vacuum
- the decisions and problems we face are increasingly complex
- it's hard and it's worth it
Good critical thinking
- raises the right questions clearly and precisely
- focuses on the real problem or decision to be taken
- gather and assesses relevant info
  - uses abstract ideas to interpret info effectively
“critical, not criticize!”
why?
- For customers...designing meaningful servcies
- for organizations...planning, netiation, managing, relationsip building
- for ourselves and professional cred:
  - aware and factor in our:
    - tendancies and assumptions
    - perceptions and selecitons based on conditioning / beliefs etc
    - reconstructive memory affected by time, what we want to remember, how we want to view a situtation
  - confidnt in our:
    - knowledge
    - ability to reason
wake up call...
naming the process at first makes it legit:
- challenge usual practices
- rethink what has been thought
- expand the emphasis from shot-term fixes to long-term fusion
shake off the feeling that you'll have all the answers
common decision traps:
- framing
  - put the frame up first...clarify status quo, anchor and sunk-costs...brainstorm “what is your view / perpsecitve of this problem?” We don't all see the status quo through the same frame...put up a frame!...and notes inside...put it on its side...”how will we reframe?”...what would the new frame look like?
  - Status quo:
    - tendency is to prepetuate what we already know
    - when we take action we take responsibility
    - psychologically risky....to avoid this:
      - focus ont he real goals and ask how status quo helps move towards them
      - evaluate vs all others alternatives in terms of the future
  - anchoring / chains around our ankles!!!
    - what we hear or see first influences our subsequent thinking...
    - to avoid:
      - be aware
      - purposefully use different starting points
      - as you gather other peeps to discuss the issue, try and limit the info you give them
        
        clarify base assumptions
        
        keep coming back to them
  - sunk cost
    - investment already made...justify past decisinos...
    - to avoid:
      - consciously set aside past investments
      - stop sinking costs into sunk costs
      - reward turn-arounds and “trys”
  - reaching clarity means wading through confucion...know your own conflict handling style...good chart on slide...very personal...

Deb...Harvard Bis School (lovely grey hair!!!)...iconic building...birth of MBA (what would give a degree more cred than a “big honking library!”...keeps mission out front

now called “knowlege and library services”...to illustrate so much more going there than “library”
building, and organization, was gutted from the inside
critical thinking...it's important to THINK...
we don't change goals like we change our underwear!!!
to build and enrich an info and knowledge ecosystem (one of their goals)...also...
to be the trusted advisor for HBS in knowledge, info and learning practices
identified startegic shifts
an embarassment of riches of thought...wow...top world leaders in planning / cirtical thinking available to them @ Harvard
sense of urgency not super fab...sort of like turning the Queen Mary...have to work within the culutre and with the resoruces available
exercising good judgement
- capability development
- modelling best practice
- road maps
- performance management
- project management
  - team norms
  - opportunity management
  - after action reviews
the status quo is not what we alwyas have to go back to
critical that we think
need organizational frameworks to allow people to think cirtically
all day, every day
- customer service standards
- service delivery agreement
- customer relationship management
- exceptions management
- strategic alighnment
- employee engagement
- balanced score cards
- job descriptions / work designs
sign: “Service Management Alighnment Engagement”
every aspect of the lib has to constantly be engaged...all day, every day
300 type A entrepreneus on faculty!!!
lib @ Harvard Bis School ranked very low by employees...working from botton / middle up to address peeps' concerns...can't think critically if you're not happy / engaged at work...good point...
balanced score card session later on...way more than just stats
also did work on concrete job desciptions / work designs...need to know what you're susposed to be doing
manage carefully...it's new
- disagreement must be incited and managed...leave the convo open for disagreement
- organizational culture must encourage questioning, especially of decision-makers' assumptions and propositions
if peeps are not allowed to think, they will not be engaged
critical characteristics
- harnessing all the types of thinking in your org
- communication skills...esp listening
- self-awareness and self-acceptance
- curiuos, interested and questioning
- admits lack of valid information or understanding
- assesses and evaluates info info and propositions for their value on the issue at hand
What's critical:
- awareness
- just try it
- discipline your decision-making to uncover thinking erorrs and prevent judgement errors
slide with bibliography

CIL: Crafting Online Personas

2010-04-13T12:58:00.001-04:00

CIL Crafting an Online Persona: Defining who you are, in an anonymous, online world

JP (Virtual Service Librarian...wow same title as me!!! @ New Jesey Public Library) and Craig

introduced by Stephen A:

Craig Anderson (in the hat)

trying to get libs @ his lib to engage in fb etc...big quesiton “so anyone can see this?”...fear!!!
afraid of embarssing FB photo / video!!!
slightly diff person/faces depending on audience

(Billy Joel quote...on slide...)
diff filters depending who you are with
diff on fb/twitter/blog...you can be the same person, but filtered
eg “Librarian JP” (his FB handle)...self-branded, not secret identify...another eg = The Annoyed Librarian (that is a secret identify)...
www.allfacebook.com/2009/02/facebook-privacy/ 10 privacy settings all FB users should know (use for my FB101 class!!!...check it out first)...you can control how you show to diff peeps...
another good article Meredith F “your vitual brand”...find it and read / link

http://blog.8bitlibrary.com
check it

out: the gaming in schools and libraries blog
need a clear vision of what you want your brand to say
eg use of logo on all soc media presences (make sure our new logo gets on all places!!!)
as you build your virtual persona, think about how what you post fits with your “brand”
building a personal brand

Craig

http://failbooking.com “too funny to unfriend”
egs of where peeps didn't use privacy settings!!!! Hilarious!!!

JP...role models...eg. Tiger...make sure your behaviour fits your brand...

responsibile citizenship...
“librarians do it by the book” mug

part of responsible citizenship is showing up...being where the peeps are...you NEED to be out there...um, yeah...amen!
“technical subversion”...just do it! Ask for forgiveness, not permission idea...
build your institution values in to how you present yourself personally and professionally online
eg. email sig: with your FB etc...fab...me too!!!
resistence to new...was objection to having telephone at the ref desk...

Beyond privacy settings...

always think about your behaviour / what you're doing online
your online presence shouldn't be taken lightly
digital citizenship v2
you need to show up, and have conversations about how to be responsible

Craig Anderson

Kean University

cjanders@kean.edu

libraryguy on twitter

pres will be on slideshare (Libraryguy)...link to it

think about how you can be on the social web professionally...
institutinoal personal vs personal persona
article re “should you add your boss on FB?”...
you can block your photos from groups of peeps...good idea
interesting balancing act...esp with potential employers googling you
can use diff signatures for diff email msgs...
you are also who you know / not just yourself...people will also check out your connections...need also to consider your connections...

jp@porcaro.info

facebook.com/librarianjp

twitter.com/librarianjp

www.8bitlibrary.com

very 1984...big brother...your online stuff is going to haunt you for a loooong time
good idea to set up an “ego feed” on yourself!!!! (google feed on your institution / yourself...TODO: do it on myself)
“mutually ensured embarassment!!!”
everything jp has done (job-wise) in the past year has been as a result of social media...

CIL Conversations with the Archivist of the US (AOTUS)

2010-04-13T12:57:00.000-04:00

Cil2010 keynote with archivsit of the USA

...interviewd by Director of Public Programs at NYPL (cool accent and v funny!)

new blog aotus (archivist of the us)...aka “collector in chief” (potus = pres of the US)
what does the aotus do?...responisible for the records of the gov't...records management advice / oversight to all the gov't agencies...about 2 – 3% of thos records become archives
44 facilities for record storage around the usa
seperate from LofCongress
also presidential libraires are under the AOTUS
significance of 10^th arcivist of USA to be a Librarian!!! (formerly @ NYPL)...why signif?...others were scholars / historians etc...
- process...got a call out of the blue!
- Visit from potus transition team member...pres looking for people who think outside the box / innovative etc...went to meet with bigger committee – got a better picture...realized he could make a difference (was impetus for other career transitions -- that feeling)
potus charged aotus with two missions:
- national declassification centre...4 million pages need to be declassified...wow!...over the next four years...how will this happen?!
- Open government initiative
Open Govt Iniative
- transparency / collaboration / participation
- philosophy / practice around these three...built it from the bottom up...each agency work on their own plan
- process unleashed previously untapped talents / leadership etc...created a new energy
- use of social media fab...
- eg. aotus's blog (link to it)...attempt to get the citizens invoved in the work of the archives...creating citizen archivists...to help think through how to process collections etc...
- controversy re “librarian” appointed as “archivisit”...had experience with both
National Declassification Centre
- archives had been in “classification” business since 1978
- intent of order is to open the records, to declassifiy as many as possible...only reason to remain classified = national security
- need to be reviewed by those agencies which initially classified them
- looking at ways to bulk-declassify
- 2400 different classification guides...susposed to be reviewed every five years...50% have not...a flawed classification system
- goal is to streamline the process...How?
  - Looking at ways to use technology to do this
chosen by POTUS...what kind of influence do you think POTUS and admin has over the archives?...what direction can they give it?...what did previous admins do/not
- can't have open govt if you don't have open records
- need to consider that from the time the records are created
- records need to be not an afterthought...considered at the start of new system implemenations
- big meeting btw cio (Chief Info Officers) and Chief Records Managers from each agency coming up...big disconnect btwn CIOs and CRMs...in most agencies...need to come together
- going to meet with White House CIO, and co-host the meeting to bring these peeps together
ambition / mission
- when he was @ nypl (for five years)...half of new yorkers used internet @ libs...powerful lesson re importance of libraries...wants to take that to the archives...open them up...access
- web site being re-designed
- big emphasis on education
- blockbuster exhibit on Civil War coming up + online version...focus on K-12
- lots of tours of school kids: AOTUS listens to the kids...encourages to write letters to the Pres...are kept in Presidential Libraires!!!
has not met POTUS!...yet...
- nice having a boss down the street, not in your face!!!
lots of the archives jobs are mundane...pulling records etc...but there are ways of making such jobs enriched...hoping for better job satisifaction
meeting with staff, LISTENING... “Employee Viewpoint Survey” done at all govt agencies... Archives got v bad reviews
was bad mojo on FB (from staff), so AOTUS joined the convo and addressed the issues
during the big DC snowstorm, AOTUS had a chance to chat up the security peeps -- had never had a tour of the VIP stuff...didn't know what they were guarding, so arranging that now
in the digital environment...not too much saved/preserved...with e-records,....email recognized as a “record” in some cases but not others...lots of erocords getting lost
concerns re digitizing records...eg ancestry.com...large commercial digitization projects...language that locks up content for a specific time (5 years for Ancestry) ...concern that these are public records, in a lot of cases...big value to having them available electronically...concern re locking them up for a period of time...
divide btwn physical and digital world...where do you see the tension?
- AOTUS does not own a Kindle!!!
- is a big reader...has a thing for physical books (got lots of applause!)
- “wikipedia is my favourite tool”!
- Needs the print to read
- Nicholson Baker = fave writer...wrote about what happened when card catalogues were discarded...look him up!!!
  - had written controversial stuff...in to preserving print (eg last print copies of newspapers saved from British Library)
  - set self up as newspaper librarian
  - gave collection to Duke...proper preservation
what is he reading now?
- A book about Abe Lincoln...Vampire Hunter!!!
- presiously read a book about Walt Witman and his siblings...author used Nat archives / NYPL / Duke Univ to write the book...esp letters from Mrs. Witman
what is your greatest burden?...what keeps you up at night?
- The electronic records...largest / messiest / most expensive thing to get right
greatest joy
- balance btwn getting to know staff and the collection itself
what do you think the libs here today need to pay attention to most?
- Push your supervisors!
- Look for ops to get involved / get your ideas out there
- fokls at the top need to be pushed!!!...that's the only way we're going to get better
- one of his best hires = Josh Greenberg...taught him a lot re thinking differently re how we package / organize info / where we should be...vs expecting people to find us
future for you?
- Has said only next job = The Vatican!!! (was in a NY Times Article!!!)...”and I'n not talking about the Library!!!!” super ending!!!!

Misc pics

2010-04-12T15:13:00.007-04:00

There are long tables set up at the front of every room, with power bars, for the bloggers. Very convenient to take notes on SweetPea!!! Today had a nice compliment that my netbook matched my sweater!!!

Tweeting on SweetPea. One session had its very own hashtag. For the conference it's #CIL2010...for the session was #cilninjas ...brave presenters had twitter flowing on the screen, and used some of the tweets for talking points...excellent presenting on the fly.

Chatted up Stephen A who remembered visiting TBPL four years ago!

CIL2010: Website Redesign: Two Case Studies

2010-04-12T14:59:00.002-04:00

pic of Sarah HJ, aka The Librarian in Black...in black, of course (but with a blue streak in her hair)

Web Site Redesign: Two Case Studies

Sarah HJ

Kirstine Bobe

Stephen Fernie

Shian-Chih Chang

William Wheeler

Sarah HJ: a public library website redesign: aka the trip to Hades & back!!!

San Jose Public Library.org (add a link from my blog)

merged with San Jose State University library – unique situation – so merged web site

Problems we're solving:

1 site for 2 libs
public lib users felt ripped off
7 year old design
wemaster as gatekeeper = disconnected staff
ADA requirements cumbersome in exisintg environment

Problems encountered while solving the above:

unrealistic expectations from admin
1 year long rfp and contract process
incompetent designers (lost six months)
lost momentum
merged web team working on 3 websites

redesign planning:

stakholders (ie the peeps) identify org goals
techies, designers, and info architects identify how to meet them (the goals)
identify your givens (what you already know...from demographics / surveys)
use planning software (eg BaseCamp...check it out)...also dotproject (add a link)
double the estimated time line

staff and customer involvement:

initial satisf surveys for both – what do they like now? What do they hate?
Card-sorting for testing early on
staff focus groups
mock-up task testing for customers
- ask people to perform common tasks and observe success rate
transparency to staff and customers
- keep people informed about how the project is moving along

usability testing

identify who you are serving
focus on the few things you do well
tell stories of what your users want
look for friciton points
who is the site for again? (for eg kidszone...for kids or parents?)
can simply grab some peeps from the lib / ask questions
focus on common functions
...our usability study did a good job on this, je pense

accessibility

start simple
basic tools
- JAWS, WAVE, browser emulators, OS emulators...can tell you a lot about how your Web site will be usable
- Firefox tools: firesizer, firefox accessibility extension, HTML validator

communication

blogs for staff and customers...keep peeps in the loop + respond to comments and suggestions
also use that for staff and customer feedback on an ongoing basis
recruit usability testing participants from among “the angry folk”!!!

project management

set deadlines for everything
hold people accountable
one person should be in charge of tracking
give periodic updates to staff/mngt
spend the most time on IA (information architechture) and design
keep things moving no matter what
celebrate small victories

launch techniques

phased-in launch (notices, pre-testing)
beta + feedback = 1.0...
more feedback....1.1 etc...
perpetual beta...keep listening and improving
TODO: prvoide brief oline and printable orientation (if it takes more than one page, start over, from the beginning!!!)

five things to avoid:

try to be fancy when your brain says NO
allow consultants to push you around
have more than one project manager
stifle creativity
reinvent some wheels
- see how other lib handle things you're puzzling over

five things you must do:

show your ego to the door
take risks
document everything
reserach everything
talk to your users continuously

Georgetown Univ Library Web site

Kristina Bode

goal = user centered

task analysis:

know your users...what are they doing at your site (we did this... :) )
used lots of data...google analytics...faqs etc...

master task list:

cut and pasted (literally) big list in to categories
what could people do on the current site...what worked and did not
master list emerged with fab nav
went back to staff who filled in bits with their unique perspective

Steve...

Usability

you need to do it
looked a lot at other similar libs' sites
picked three with distinct approaces to home page org
tested those pages (their bare categories / labels) and tested them on patrons (guerilla style!...walked up to people and asked them)
“if you clicked on this, what would you expect to get?”
insights gained re how to name things...test / prototype / test...perpetual beta (like wash, rinse, repeat!)

Content Management System

needed to be easy (used to use DreamWeaver, moved to Drupal)
Drupal has a steep learning curve...made up with modules

Subject Guides (Shian)

used program develped by Digital Library Development Lab at Univ of Mn : LibData
A to Z list and Subject Guides linked together
seamless integration with Web site

Will Wheeler...Communication...Wiki

used for documentation and communication, both on and off campus
was a new thing for everyone
enabled small group work
adoption challenges...many users requried constant reminders
“tool fatique”
accessibility does not equal use
refine beyond anectdotal data
think about what data you WANT then figure out how to get it
drupal was a big decision...a complex change...slowly-emerging understanding

CIL2010: Achieving Org 2.0

2010-04-12T14:58:00.001-04:00

Meredith Farkas...Organization 2.0

or, you can't get there from here
has heard lots of complaints re web 2.0 projects failing
(link to slides online)...great pics
pressure to be doing what everyone else is...whether or not it's useful to your lib
also techno lust / kid in a candy store
go where your users are, but be useful too!!!
libs will never be cool!...get over it! Accept your nerdiness
free as in kittens NOT free as in beer...needs ongoing mtc / staff time
be wary of being a “lone ranger”....I'll take care of that, don't worry...one person often takes on WAY too much...I need to be aware of that...need to consider grooming a back up person...chat with GLF / JR...maybe a ref tech?
Can't keep putting stuff on the plate without taking anything off
new tech projects get un-sexy after a while
So what's the problem?
- Why is there a library 2.0 graveyard on the Web? (note to self...take down the old YAC blog!)
- also plan for our 2.0 presence to continue...that's why we need guidelines etc.
Why does it fail?
- Not seen as furthering the lib's mission
- treated as a pet project
- not planned for startegically
- once the newness wares off, peeps are less motivated to contribute
- staff not given time to work on
Lib 2.0 is a state of mind
- keeping up with users
- constantly assessing
- trusting users (radical trust)
- aware of emerging tech and opportunities
- looking outside the lib world for apps, opportunities, inspiration
  - eg Nuts about southwest blog (link to it...sw airlines)
tips:
- know your users
  - eg anthropologist study of college students' research methods
  - ACRL published Char Booth survey...look it up and link to it (online)...Meredith will put on her presentation wiki...great ideas of how to survey your users
- encourage staff to learn and play
  - eg read blogs...should be in ALL job descriptions...15 mins a day...for ALL library staff
- question everything
  - so you don't get in a rut (prob at TBPL I think...)
  - ask new staff “What do you see that seems off to you?” (FAB idea!...do it!!!)
  - new eyes are v. Valuable
- integrate 2.0 technology in planning / start planning
- treat tech as tools
  - what do you patrons / staff need?...then find a tool to do it...
  - need should come before the tool
- improve communication with our users
  - eg Ohio univ libraries business blog (link to it)
- highlight our collections
  - eg with RSS feeds by subjest (univ of Alberta is doing this...link to them)
- put links to your collections in wikipedia...to special collections for eg. / and Gateway pics
- make services more visible
  - check out Manchster Lib and Info Services for a good eg (link to it)
- improve internal knowledge sharing
  - eg refchicks blog...could be used more je pense
- develop a risk-tolerant culture
  - and learn from your failures
  - what's the worse that can happen?
- Beware the culture perfect!
  - Embrace perpetual beta
  - test everything and continually improve
- be agile, don't get attached
  - you can't keep adding to the plate without taking anything off the plate
- great ideas can come from anyone and anywhere (not just CC!!!!!)
- nurture talent!
  - Don't step on anyone's passion
  - people need recognition
- give staff time for creative endeavours
  - need to stop / think / get ideas
  - Google gives staff 20% of time for this...wow!...50% of best ideas come from this
- encourage network building
  - FB = eRolladex...superfab place to mine expertise
  - query the hive! (twitter also...)
- create partnerships
  - eg Georga pines project...link to it
  - make something that works for you if you don't like what you have
  - work with other libs (eg Evergreen)
- first year experience @Maclibraries
  - could expand to the whole campus
  - wiki
  - but wouldn't they use FB for that?
- Be transparent with patrons
  - don't just have a comment box, good idea to post them to a blog – positive and negative + replies...like LU librayr posting all comments on a bulletin board, with replies...consider doing this on our new Web site chat with TT
- time must be devoted to all of this...
  - might need to create new jobs, or just shuffle
  - capitalize on your movers and shakers
- assess, assess, assess!!!
  - social media metrics (look it up...looks like a blog....)

http://meredithfarkas.wetpaint.com slides etc...link to it

CIL2010 Tips for Fast Tech Project Implementation (aka Ninja Ops)

2010-04-12T14:54:00.003-04:00

Pic of Ninjas, aka Librarian Rock Stars...from the left Sarah HJ (aka Librarian in Black), Amanda EJ (from McMaster) and John Blyberg.

Black ops ninja-style tech projects...

Amanda EJ

John Blyberg

Sarah HJ

Ninja secrets revealed...

excitement over projects – often barriers...remember “no” is not always going to be the answer!
Be a bully / subversive / sneaky! Read the policy manual and find loopholes / suuport
black ops / I wasn't here!
Many guilty of “we've always done it this way”
grab #CILninjas feed for my blog
“skunk works”...from Amanada EJ...small team, lots of autonomy...
know your start plan...make sure all projects fit – helps with the sell
be sneaky...just do it, and then you can say, “well it's been working fine for three months...!”
do pre-op work...eg send out info about what you want to do...so peeps have heard of it / are aware of it...so it's familiar...plant seeds which you can then reap...
John...SoPac god...the idea scared peeps initially...huge learning curve as well...told partial truths so as not to bog down project...just do it!
Need to provide a vision for people to latch on to...a vision you know is gonig to be successful, and that others will be passionate about, so they are supportive...
ask for forgiveness, not permission
EBL: evidence based librarianship...start with a lit search...then turn to your social network...if no evidence to support, do it anyway...but collect and share the evidence you create...via social network / article / whatever (for eg me and Kiosk project!!!)
how to avoid collateral damage...try not to step on any toes (power-wise, support-wise etc...) then you'll have more success...get stakeholders to be your cheerleaders...be aware of unintended impacts...you need to build trust...for current + future projects
get people engaged / excited / on board
don't screw over the IT dept!!! you will need them!!!
respect peeps experience / knowledge etc...
what if the new thing is NOT a success?...
- when you deploy, depoly like a fire jumper...jump and hold an area...stay there as long as you can...give what you're doing the resources it needs to be a success...if you don't, might as well not start...if you do that and fail, that's ok (like hockey....give 100% and you win)
- if you are wrong...own up, apologize, and analyze...
- somtimes an idea is too soon...try again six months later...timing is everything
Committees = BAD....project teams = GOOD!
Project teams need power / focus
we do project teams good with servcie audits
specific goals, set of “ToDos”
what's the worst that can happen if you just do it?
Trust yourself / your instincts...go with your gut + have confidence to convince others to follow
follow your inner ninja
winning over hearts and minds of users and staff...
- shore up your infrastructer...need stable environment to do innovative things / have trust
- fix your stuff before we do new stuff
- need to move from a culture of reaction to a culture of innovation...fix probs at the root so they don't plague you...work with IT to identify / help solve problems ...be high profile about it (one of the things I need to work on....)...to gain trust...
try not to say NO to new ideas proposed to you...send ideas back to the proposal group to do more digging / research...make sure also the proposers are invested in the project...demonstrates investment in the idea
good tip...don't show all your cards / be too polished...leave room for engagement / involvement
10 things your mngt needs to know about tech (Roy Tennant article....look it up)

CIL2010 Lee Raine "Info Fluency and Imagining the Internet"

2010-04-12T14:44:00.005-04:00

General intro stuff:

there are about 2000 peeps here, altogether

challenge / contest throuoht the conference...think of egs of how tech gives you great gifts AND stabs you in the back (enter on eval form and could win!)...will be written up in CIL magazine
libconf.com = conference blog

Now on to Lee Raine, Director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project:

Pew is like an "internet archiologist", b/c it studies but does not judge
25% of Americans still do not use the internet
"tweckling" = heckling a presenter by twitter
GenX is the dominate population on Twitter
Manuel Castel's book "The Internet Galaxy":
creators of online culture include:

techno-elites: scientific method / openess / peer reviewed
hackers: freedom to create / appropriate / redistribute
virtual coomunitarians: early usenet groups
entrepreneurs
networked creators: democratized the voices in media...challenged tradit media gatekeepers

macfound.org ...media literacy studies

just-in-time-just-like-me communities / support eg. for people with cancer...bridges of hope

Implications for libraries:

you can be a NODE in peoples' networks (peeps need friends like us!)
we can teach new literacies...like:
screen literacy
navigation literacy
connections and context
skepticism
value of contemplative time (libs have space/place for this...)
how to create content (eg FB101 class...:) )
ethical behaviour in new world

Libs need to revision our role in a world where much has changed...multiple audiences / multiple platforms

...the currency of INFORMATION is greater than the currency of COLLECTIONS...

CIL10: Teaching Adults: Getting and Keeping Attention

2010-04-11T13:24:00.081-04:00

with Rebecca Jones

80/20 rule...will never reach 20% of peeps! Acccept it
learn how adults learn
if you want to learn s/t, teach a course on it
how do you make training fun / interactive
need to stimulate people...make them have fun
problem with most courses is too much information!!!
do "book ends"...prep / content / follow up
7 peeps in workshop -- wide variety of backgrounds

The trainer's role is...

facilitation
communication (two way street -- talk and listen)
guide (to what their level of understanding needs to be)
development
teach people to fish

get people to talk / interact...so they feel more comfortable / relaxed...when you hear yourself speak within first 15 mins, you're more likely to be engaged throughout the session
also get people physically moving around (eg. post-it on the wall)...helps engage physical learners

How do adults engage in anything?...(we will get deeper in to these points)

foundation
preparation
selection
application

Guidelines for today: (always set ground rules...helps to deal with conflict)...good idea to do tent card name tags with guidelines on the back (facing people)

SOT (start on time, stop on time, stay on topic)
respect the 5 minute "T" zone (time out / tangent)
be here
be willing to try
respect differing opinions and styles
actively listen (no side convos etc...)
enjoy mutually funny humour
use the parking lot...and visit it at the end of the course / session

So what IS the trainer's role?

not to "tell"
you're the tour guide
tour peeps through a way of doing things...can apply in their own way
not to persuade...give them a taste

Try to start with a common point...
"What are your objectives?...ask people what they want to learn / know.

Acknowledge peeps' starting point...basic set of knowledge. Very important to acknowledge what people already know. Good slide with circles..."acknowledge their starting points" ...can use that as pre-work...gives you a good starting point

remember there are a wide variety of learning styles...could be a disconnect btw how you like to learn and how you like to teach!!!
"what's in it for me?"...sometimes people want to be acknowledged...could say, "I haven't heard from you for a while and I wanted to check in with you...is everything ok?"

Training vs. presenting

training more interactive
very different (but a fine line)
training = engaging / interacting...cover it, engage, cover it, engage...clarify what's important in what.s being covered
training = clarifying...cleaning the windshield (nice analogy)

Foundation:

training is not about us, it's about the peeps you are training
training is about the participants, and they're adults

Adults:

decide for themselves what is important to learn
need to validate the info based on their beliefs and values
expect what they're learning will be immediately useful
have substantial experience upon which to draw
may have fixed viewpoints
have the ability to serve as a knowledgeable resource to the trainer and fellow learners

Adult learning depends on:

readiness
participation
linked/relevant/self direction
safe, mistake-welcome environment
clear connections to existing knowledge
appeal to learning styles
clarity and succinctness

Learning styles:

visual...graphics/drawings/colours/taking notes
auditory...lectures/group discussions/stories/sound or word clues
kinesthetic...movement/hands-on/role playing/just do it/lots of breaks

10 mins = max attention span
do 10 min chunks of content/content/activity
icebreakers:
engage people
relieves tension
introduces people
gets you thinking about the topic
eg. from RJ (did at an innovation type workshop): hand out hula hoops...brain storm ways to use at the library...more ideas the more people you talk to ...lesson = talk to people, and get new ideas!!!

eg. from Melissa McIntyre...for BI classes...hands out little M&M packages, picks a colour...how ever many of that colour you have, say that many nifty things about yourself

Resistance...
identify it and deal with it...if someone is pushing, don't push back...say, "You're really quiet, is there a reason?"...or "You seem to know a lot abou this topic, would you like to share'''"

Check-ins...
fab idea for the end of a workshop...what did you learn? what surprised you from today's session?...can you summarize what we covered today?

Personal action plan:
do an ice breaker at FB101 classes
add a worksheet component to FB101 handouts...eg. a place for peeps to note their un and pw...(record, but keep private)...or maybe brainstorm ideas how they could see using FB...

CIL 2010

2010-04-08T13:43:00.004-04:00

Getting organized to head out to CIL2010!

Looking forward to a pre-conference about teaching adults, the Gaming and Gadgets Petting Zoo, Dead Tech comedy night, making connections and so much more.

Conference Web site is here.

Accessible Website Design

2009-10-02T14:07:00.003-04:00

part of RecreationAble accessible recreation forum
with Tom Pugliese of Publiese Media, and also newly appointed Executive Director of the Independent Living Resource Centre (Tom worked on our Web site Accessibility Audit, in late 2007)
focused on the *why* more than the *how*, and offered some practical "how" tips as well
see the "HowTo" section of the WebAim site

My notes:

remember that your "content" (ie the WORDS) are part of the accessibility so ensure everyone is using plain language...we still need to figure out how to say "Virtual Collection" in plain language
think about the AMOUNT of info on our web site...do we really need EVERYTHING?
plan to launch/implement/keep current a Web Site Style Guide when new site is ready...to ensure all staff (old and new) are on the same page wrt formatting / alt tags for images etc. ...an example (good tips re links and uniform use of common terms)
consider adding an "Accessibility" page on new site (as per Ind. Living Res Centre...their site has one)...which describes the accessibility features

Using Social Media to Save Your Marketing Dollars with Amber MacArthur

2009-09-18T16:23:00.005-04:00

The Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre hosted this amazing event on Wed. September 16th, 2009 at the Valhalla Inn.

I used to watch Amber on TechTV with Leo Leporte, and listen to her podcasts regularly. She is a font of social media info...a ROCK STAR!!!

Amber's ABCs of social media:

A: Authenticity...admit your mistakes (eg. PizzaPizza CEO's apology video)
B: Bravery...try new things...invent and innovate
C: Consistency...practice power friending...internally and externally...it's a long term plan and consistency yields results

BLOGS:

tell a story
use multimedia (eg. YouTube videos)
encourage comments (including your own!)...no one wants to be the first to comment
power-friend

PODCASTING:

free content in iTunes podcast store...eg. CommandN TV...share your passion
ask your community to help you create content / local experts / keeners re photog/video
idea TODO: for 2010 DBase of the Month promotion...do a short podcast intro (or even a video using SweetPea!!!) to a tutorial (play with new screencapture software)...get Ref staff / patrons to podcast/talk/video them re how a database helped them answer a question / solve a problem (eg HA!!!)

TODO: some sites to check out:...MAKE TIME!!!...5 mins a day...

photojojo.com
technorati.com
squarespace.com
friendfeed.com
box.net
libsyn.com (about $20 a month, hosts podcastss and gets them on iTunes)
hootsuite.com (professional twitter client)...can *schedule* tweets!!! would be fab for Xmas hours/notices/program promos etc!!! (and dbase of the month)
readwriteweb.com
techcrunch.com
mashable.com
namechk.com (reserve your handle on a bunch of sites -- eg. TBayPL / TBPL / ThunderBayPublicLibrary + personal) TODO: this!!!
ambermac.com

SOCIAL NETWORKING:

more popular than email!!!
TODO: email Amber re FB url/page with tips for fan page admins...esp re tool to pull in flickr pics and more...use FriendFeed too (also page / utility to download and save (ie backup) FB info
Best practices:

grow from the inside out (ie get staff hooked / 23 things etc...)
seed the community (be the first to comment and others will follow)
integrate all your feeds
promote your presence

MOBILE:

this is the FUTURE!
Twitter growing at an amazing pace
Zappos Shoes is hot on Twitter -- TODO: follow them! also look up Tony Zappos -- fab CEO who encourages staff to use social medial (google him re "case studies)
use hash tags
post pics on Twitter (can you link to flickr?) TODO: find out!

VIDEO:

recommends "Flip" video camera (one button!...TODO: consider)
leverage LOCAL social media celebrities and use them!!!
don't be AFRAID!!!!
new accessibility guidelines = close captioning *** (or at least provide transcript...good best-practice for all tutorials) (TODO: find out what AODA says)
Best Practices:

keep it short (1 - 3 minutes)
use easy technology
share them everywhere
brand your videos (ie with your logo)

WHAT'S NEXT?

build your own (eg. ning...DIY soical network)
mobile: friending on the go
podcasting: mini web-i-sodes
power friend bloggers
video: shoot yourself!

General Tips / Ideas

no one likes to be the first to leave a comment so start the conversation yourself
moderate comments, but do so loosely
add your FB/Twitter etc urls to your email signatures TODO: this!...+ "follow us" / "be a fan"...+ do a fab Your Library Does Not End Here and put it here (and/or a simple "follow us on..." "be a fan"...poster...)
amber@mgimedia.ca
TODO: consider flickr photo contest (or video)?...re share your memories of MJLB (ie old building)...or even a blog or twitter or use FB ...and #mjlb??? or #tbpl for broader use? (chat it up with consultant / TT wrt communication plan)
get buy-in from the top (+ involvement)...this is VIP
TODO

fave Amber quote: "I'm kind of an internet hippie"

ECIUG 09

2009-04-06T11:39:00.018-04:00

Summary

hosted by Ryerson
overall impression: FAB!
wiki is here (presenations to be added)
TBPL should definitely make it a priority to participate annually

Innovative Staff Presentations...

Mary...

III just finished a big project in Sasketchewan -- 295 locations
now offering SMS text messaging -- for patron alerts (TODO: look in to wrt teen services -- if it's a one-time cost, possible candidate for new funding?)
Encore...recent growth..."did you mean?...reveal your metadata...can integrate electronic resources, program registration, federated search, digital content
(TODO: ask Barb H / look in to compare Content Cafe vs. Syndetics...Mary mentioned Content Cafe wrt Encore)
Did you mean?...more than a spellcheck...contexual to database...can handle multiple errors
look at Scottsdale AZ's opac and WebSite...rock stars! (like Westerville)
WebBridge now = Exlore...part of Encore integration..."Explore" your staff selected internet links...are pulled up based on search...pulling all resources in to context
Encore Reporter...very slick stats "dashboard", reminiscent of GoogleAnalytics...hopefully iii will develop something similar for Millennium/WebPacPro

Barbara...

R09 update...two phases...smaller bundles...Millie is built on *old* architecture and is being moved to a more modern one
web services for "My Library Card" / portal on Web site -- TODO: learn more about this
SMS text messaging for notifications...TODO explore this wrt MofC funding aimed at teens...good fit?
R09 phase 1 will include AirPac enhancements -- ie. an iPhone interface (TODO: ask Barbara if we can use the "Air PAC" graphic on our Web site for promo...is it on CSDirect?)

Paul Hamilton (UWO ILS Adminstrator): Encore @ UWO

(todo: ask for his ppt...check wiki)
talked about the stuff iii didn't tell them...like, how to implement encore in conjucntion with the "classic cataloge"...at the moment in a transition zone
UWO has "Research Pro Select" product which links to their WebFeat installation
built an internal system for staff to record any issues / problems...including a help page, with a video demo...very slick
Encore is currently available as an option on the UWO library opac (button "try our beta catalogue search) here (direct link to encore)

Tim from Brock re ERM (link to ppt)

a ton of work to get their thousands of ejournal titles in to the database...very academic-centric
TODO: look at the Directory of Open Access Journals and see if it would be useful for our patrons to have a link to it

Mike C. from Cambridge re adding an auto-complete feature (SO fab!)...presentation here

blogged about it on his blog here
check it out in Cambridge's staging opac here
to quote Mike: "This implementation is not ready for primetime yet but certainly looks promising!"...
TODO: keep an eye on it...add it to our Staging port and test...
"MinChars" in code = minimum # of characters you need to type before the list pops up
lists generated from associated index in your database

Anna from LPL

added subject headings (to 690 field) starting with "We recommend..."...to kick up a notch old skewl lists (on paper and web sites) of "If you like.... Try...."
also adding links of pdfs of the actual lists to the bib records ...for eg. check out Jodi Piccout, "Change of Heart" ...that is the only one they have done, so far!
look up subject search "We recommend..." in their opac to see how fab / extensive...here's a link
would also show up in a keyword search for the author or genre

Graham from Ryerson

pecha kucha on single sign on...very academic oriented...allows students to sign on to My Library Card with another un/pw (eg. student number)
objective = happy patrons
also mentioned could link to other signins for eg. FaceBook...wow...contemplate...

Sally from Ryerson

pecha kucha on mobile cats -- Ryerson has air pac (with their logo...todo: see if we can get ours added -- look at WebOptions...maybe wait for new logo?...make a new logo idea/reminder file)

Tour of Ryerson's Learning Commons...

wow, so fab...pics on FaceBook her

Top Tech Trends

2009-02-04T10:08:00.001-05:00

slides

Betty Blogger: A Recipe for Online Instruction

2009-02-04T10:07:00.000-05:00

slides

Building Bridges to Business in Barrie

2009-01-31T00:14:00.003-05:00

slides are here
have a dedicated biz lib position (created in 2002)
librarians as info brokers
read papers to become familiar with local biz issues
economic downturn = library upturn
outreach for inreach...go out so they'll come in
talk about BENEFITS of your library, not features
have a tag line/elevator talk..."this is YOUR tax dollars at work" "best deal in town"...might as well come and use it
connect with other biz libs
subscribe to the "Dear Reader" biz book club (good idea to promo on our biz page!!)
net orking and netWEAVING

Creative Librarian/Creative Library

2009-01-31T00:09:00.003-05:00

anything worth doing is worth doing badly
"Institutions" are not creative, people are
libs need to reinvent themselves continuously to be creative
keep things fresh for the peeps
"dare to dream creatively and dare to live your dreams"...start from dreams
"in dreams begin responsibility" Yeates
dreams define you...self-actualization
committee meetings are enemy #1 to creativity!!!
...try a creative exercise / short concert / something different to spark creativity
energy to motivate comes from anger...that status quo isn't working...a call to action
hope and change = Obama-esque
strive to have an annual dream...what is my dream for 09 PP?
look for upcoming article by Stan using our dreams
give people the ingredients to create with...space / place etc.
need to nurture your creativity...use it or lose it idea...but never loose it entirely...need to use it though

Michael Enright Keynote

2009-01-31T00:08:00.001-05:00

always interesting to SEE radio peronsality irl
"infomania"...info is everywhere
impossible to process all the info...we're digitizing ourselves to distraction

Successful Projects 101 with Sam Kalb

2009-01-31T00:05:00.002-05:00

slides are online here (yeah, finally!!!)
good basic practices
projects are about change...and empowering staff (by their involvement / outside "regular" work)
poor planning is often the cause of unsuccessful projects
communication is key throughout the process
"The Art of Project Management" by S.Berkun recommended...check it out...also "Project Management Journal"...and allPM.com

Friday morning Planary with Michael Bloom

2009-01-30T23:55:00.004-05:00

Michael Bloom of the Conference Board of Canada
basically a statistical version of Richard Florida's message!
"Valuing Canada's Creative Economy"
a new look at culture...the value of art/culture...economic/social/aesthetic
creativity leads to innovation
creative chain: creation/production/manufacturing/distribution/support
economic footprint of the creative economy
3 elements: direct impact/indirect impact/induced impact....totals about 7.4% of GDP
"prosumerism" = consumer as producer...desire to participate / interactive experiences...user-led content
issues of intellectual property and copyright...
talent/creation/innovation/technology/collaboration
need links between: tech/content/creativity/business acumen/production/consumption

Richard Florida Keynote

2009-01-30T23:49:00.003-05:00

new economy = creativity
economic development = human development
we need to nurture creativity
stoke the creative furnace withing ALL staff
"squelchers" = people who squash creativity..."we already tried that" "we've always done it this way"...etc.
his web site

Distrupting the Library Transporter Beam with Mark Leggott

2009-01-30T23:30:00.002-05:00

Mark's blog
University Librarian at UPEI
"if science can transport matter why do we still need the MARC record?"
we need to *really* change
a la Calvin and Hobbes' transmogrifer -- freedom to explore...build one and keep it in my office as a reminder
upei has totally gone open source...evergreen
check out Marshall Breeding's 2008 ils survey...negative comments outweigh positive by a LOT...ils-es are not effective...
black box vs. open box
the main reason upei went open source was to encourage a new culture that is open / new / transmogrified!!!
Innisville Public Library (small, Ontario...wow!) went OS ILS
switch to osils forces you to change your workflow, even if you don't need to
check out DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals
open mind + open world = open access
traditional approach is not good enough
@ upei used reserach funding / funded positions to help with univ.-wide open source project...open and collaborative frameworks...expanding to steward all kinds of resarch data...expanding the role of the library on campus
lib involved to share their expertise with meta data / data stewardship etc. PLUS get in on big research funding...think about how pub lib can do this in the community....
VRE = Virtual Research Environment...supports local research collaboration
"Island Lives"...digitized local papers / history...community involved in editing and tagging...building community around digital collecitons
the goal is the common good
WorldCat is becoming a black box,not an open box
embrace innovation
build a true library commons
walk the walk
be more radical and protecting of the public good
get in touch with your inner Potato Head!

What they tell us: Listening to your residents with Pat Cavill and Wendy Newman

2009-01-29T23:21:00.002-05:00

slides are online here
the input of your community is critical to a library's survival
tools:
surveys
interviews
preferred futuring
focus groups
"finding out what people need, then changing, if necessary, to meet those needs"
helps libs remain relevant and responsive
never assume! it's arrogant and dangerous
Rule #1: don't ask if you're not prepared to act (or at least re-think)
use surveys when:
stats and measures are required
find out what people need; their beliefs, preferences, satisfaction rates
surveys must be well designed and tested
disadvantages of surveys:
random sample difficult
poor design or analysis = misleading results
"preferred futuring:
vision for 10 years hence...about saying what you want, not fortune-telling
Focus Groups:
powerful research tool
explore peeps feelings about issues
6 - 12 people ideal
not statistically valid, but has "face validity"
participants should be "opinion leaders" whenever possible
participants should be homogeneous
kinds of questions:...determine your objectives...what do you need to know?...who is most likely to give you the info?
more hours and better parking are *always* on top of wish lists!!!
report back to participants on a regular basis...
identify usable quotes for your advocacy work
link to online presentation (not online yet...)

A few neat things...

2009-01-28T22:17:00.005-05:00

pedometers were given out in the confefrence bags -- goal is for all attendees to collectively walk across Canada...have mine ready to go for tomorrow
One Book Once Conference...I finished The Book of Negroes on the flight here (thankfully it was delayed an hour, so I could finish it!) and am looking forward to getting my "I read the book" sticker and chatting with people about it
First Nations Public Libraries...debuted a series of PSAs for TV re supporting FNPLs...does FWFN have a public library?
bumped in to Corinne Simons who used to work for TBPL back in the 80s! I remember her training me on circ...says HI to everyone who remembers her!!!
almost 4,500 attendees...wow wee!
"The Book of Negroes" title was changed to "Someone Knows my Name" for the US market
chatted with a publishers rep and the new tall skinny pbk format is being printed because of demand from the discount retail market...ie. WalMart etc. like them like that...I guess they can squeeze more on to the shelves...so, although they don't fit on our pbk spinners, they do stand out and will likely be "hot"

Opening Plenary: Cynthia Nikitin on the Place of Libraries in Changing Times

2009-01-28T22:03:00.003-05:00

libraries are good at change / doing more with less
need to become public spaces / destinations
have a big role in community building
are about serving needs, not *just* eye-catching buildings
PPS (check out www.pps.org) Cynthia's non-profit organization
William Whyte = mentor of pps...has written a few books...check them out
a not-so-nice physical building will disappear if the stuff going on inside is fab
start with your community and place and work on solutions together...don't start with the solution...use a storied/organic approach as opposed to a structured / bureaucratic approach
ensure your buildings have "active edges"...if people hang around outside, give them somewhere to sit
cooperate with local transit so bus stops right at front door (Wave and MJ good...CPark and Brodie need improvement)
co-program with other outdoor activities close by
"library square" idea
access + linkages
if you focus on creating a PLACE then you do everything else differently
contemplation: I wonder if you can apply the same principles to the Virtual Library?...hmmm...

OLA SuperConference 2009...The Day Before

2009-01-27T14:18:00.002-05:00

tying up loose ends in preparation for early morning departure tomorrow
links to session handouts may be found here (I'll link to specific ones I attend as I go along)
looking forward to reconnecting with people, and meeting new colleagues, as well as my first official duty as OPLA Councilor -- attending the OPLA AGM
stay tuned for daily updates!

What makes some customers tick (and others talk)?

2008-11-14T16:02:00.002-05:00

Ottawa House Workshop / Lloyd Smith Solutions
Friday November 14th, 2008

The presenter Aaron Dus is a very smart, very young (under 30), very well traveled dude. He has a masters degree in Anthroplogy, and has studied ethno-stuff, and all sorts of other interesting things, like getting design ideas from nature.

He talked about interpersonal relationships / building context / discovering stories...and translating those things in to information and then in to insight...so you need to understand a community of people, learn from them, then design for them -- design something they need, but that they don't even know they need.

He emphasized that you need to be curious / always questioning...never be comfortable...obsess about everything...in order spot the next big thing.

So...sort of reinforced the feeling I have that I'm always searching for "the answer" re what the peeps want...good that I don't feel like I know, maybe, although that can be frustrating too!

Lots of food for thought.

Paro Workshop: Partnersips and Technology

2008-07-24T14:22:00.006-04:00

http://www.actew.org/
http://techtipsandtools.blogspot.com/

Constellaton

can post events -- posted some library upcoming events
not much for N. Ontario now, but they're hoping for more
keep an eye on it and where they're are lots, add a RSS feed to library web site -- easy and instant updating of business / training type events
very slick
post computer classes and general interest programs
funded by Trilllium for now
formal partners can customize feeds

Google Aps

http://www.slideshare.net/ACTEW/actew-workshop-on-e-marketing-and-web-20-too ls/

googledocs useful for collaboration...consider using for next Big Project
googlecalendars good for family bday calendars

web 2.0 emarketing boot camp

fab name (consider adopting for my Small Biz Week pres!)
"google-fu"...todo: google-fu library web site!
consider adding FaceBook/Del.icio.us etc widgets to tbpl site
tools are free, but costs you in time

Todo: ...in conjunction with web 2.0 updating / policy project...include backing up...back stuff up off-line...don't have stuff only in one place

http://www.netsquared.org/ ...ideas for how to use blogs

...become a member of technocrati and register our blogs

...I added a video bar too YacAttack (let RHD know)

Featured Lists for the Non-Programmer with Bob Duncan, Systems Librarian, Lafayette College

2008-05-02T15:09:00.002-04:00

slides are here

duncanr@lafayette.edu

very happy to help out

code and instructions in slides

see results of what he's talking about here

the RSS feed builder from III is NOT req'd for this

Making Noise in the Library: Dinah Sanders (Rock Star -- Senior Product Manager) and Sarah Hickman (Product Manager) III

2008-05-02T14:48:00.002-04:00

My Mill Patron Empowerment

forgot your PIN? (to do: check this out!!!...make it happen) ...in R2007
update patron info (done!)
place holds etc.

My Mill features

no need to start from scratch
iterate and improve: you don't have to do it all at once
constant improvements
new: patron alias (coming in R2007)...can use for self-pickup of hold slips)...talk to BP re this...we can add this option to Change Your Info in My Mill

Express Lane

new and improved Graphical Self Check
can also renew and manage holds
looks cool
pay fines (with credit card swiper)
touch-screen option / or keyboard / monitor / card swip

Online Patron Registration (Product)...which we didn't get when we got e*vents due to timing (it wasn't ready in time)

combined with instant online patron reg / linked to patron dbase and events show up in search results (happy accidents)
can create lists on data -- ie. attendance reports
London PL is getting ready to launch this week
(idea: put links to scoped programs in e*vents on FaceBook -- eg. teen ones on YAC page, adult / films / etc. on main page...or even separate them out...puppet shows / crafts / book clubs etc.)

Reaching more users:

portable devices etc...WiFi everywhere
get people aware of the lib -- put your search box out where the peeps are (*put it on our FaceBook!)...see discussion in the list + code for how to
put the search box on every library web page
make the lib more part of peoples' web lives
FAQ re persistent search urls on CSDirect (check that this is what I use wrt Adv Searches)
what do you need to show in BriefCit?...what do people need?...too much clutter/noise?
change labels for subject headings and call # fields in records to say something like:

"find similar"
or "more like this"
or "next on shelf"

R2006 example set has nifty touches to package info for users CHECK IT OUT!
Feed Builder

get the info out there

stay relevant and connected in a time of great change...good Marshall Breeding quote on slide
My Mill knowledge management...

know what we can do NOW!
good ALA Midwinter 2006 Presentation on making the most of what you have...check it out on CSDirect "presentations"

eg: preferred search alerts
reading history
my lists
my databases
discovery services

I asked if there is an easy way to get stats on #s of preferred search emails that go out -- no :( submit as an enha. request (check first to see if it's there) + star ratings...we want to know how much this 2.0 stuff is being used
MyLists: new feature...can name lots of lists nice...look for it
leverage library knowhow and new technology...bring the intelligence of the reference interview in to the online environments -- ENCORE!
WebPacPRO example set

went up on Friday last week
"refresher service" available...can save a lot of staff time

Encore Services: new model for support (see slides for Dinah's next session)

MilStats 102: Corey Seeman

2008-05-02T14:43:00.002-04:00

ppt is here

ppt will be updated as Corey gets new examples / ideas, so take a peek periodically
The Universe of Stats in Millennium

transaction-based (circ / WebPac / WAM / financial
requires action to appen
counting things that are there

don't forget stats have to be good for the lib / serve a need...don't let the stats control you!
user manual = the road map
this presentation = the travel guide!
General hints:

fixed fields and call numbers
use system as central repository (not mish mash of misc things on different PCs and formats)
every record has a "created" and "updated" date (updated changes with each circ) *maybe use this for my report on use of the business collection...consider / contemplate / and play with it
can "view query" of all pre-done searches and see all the criteria / dates / initials...can re-run periodically -- "extract query"
"millennium scheduler" is a "product"

What should we do...Part 2

2008-05-02T14:27:00.003-04:00

What can we do about it?

outsource redesign (webPAC refresher service -- $$ from III)
hide the WebPAC (behind a "discovery layer" -- like Encore / BiblioComm / WorldCat Local (first two libs to try were III libs)
enhance the WebPAC
Scriblio:

open source wrapper
Plymouth State University (Casey Bisson)
uses a word press blog
no separation btw lib web site and opac...interesting...hidden (or *seamless* opac -- open source)

Solrpac: Miami Univ

Solar (indexing) + Drupl (cms)
exports bibs from iii to new interface
facets

King County Library System

Aquabrowser (from Bowker)
hip skin for WebPac
facets

Encore

WebPac as Cyrano de Bergerac!!!
takes your records and displays them in a different way
more intimate relationsihp with OPAC than 3rd party options (no sync / uploads needed)

Enhancements overview

iii enhancements

InnReach (like WorldCat local)
WebBridge
Pathfinder Pro (like WebBridge for the opac)...links out to web based onyour bibs (eg. set certain call numbers to highlight literary databases / subject guides)
ERM as a database pathfinder in the webPac...good idea -- how much?
eg: Bowling Green State University (BGSU)...

Virtual Coll inegrated in to the cat...also can add the A-Z journal title list

MetaData builder and media management (iii product to store digital images...think about using this for NWO History stuff????)
spellcheck (one of Karen Schneider's OPAC suck-isms)
patron reviews
reading history / preferred searches (DONE!!! :) )
RSS Cat feeds ("product" but easy to do on your own...see notes for Bob Duncan presentation) (feeds for eg. for new books and patron info)

3rd party enhancements

Library Thing for Libraries (San Fransisco State Univ Lib did)

tapping in to tags / recommendations / read-a-likes of LThing users

tag browser -- adding collective wisdom to webPAC (similar philosophy to google search results -- popularity contest!)

Syndetics (Got it!)
LibX

adding WebPAC to the browser...patrons would have to install (Virginia Tech did it)...also adds your cat to amazon

home made enhancements

What should we do with our WebPAC? Can we make it relevant in a 2.0 World?

2008-04-30T21:36:00.004-04:00

John Wenzler, Electronic Resources Coordinator, San Fransisco State University

link to presentation in program...on IUG site...will be updated next week (TODO add link)
jwenzler@sfsu.edu
previously worked at III, working on the opac
lots of change recently in opac philosophy / ideas...wanted to keep tabs on
why John thinks things are changing...history:
card catalogue...digitized card cat...same info / indexes / purpose
responsibilities for webpac / card cat similar: help people use it easily
anxiety of freedom!
tons of design choices with webpacPRO..."paradox of choice" book (check it out)...more choices = less satisfaction with your choice...you wonder about the other options you didn't choose
libs also social environment -- group process to decide how it's going to look...personal opinions...conflict w/in library
"opac sucks" meme...(to do, check out opac sucks YouTube video!)
look at annoyedlibrarian's take on opac sucks
David Walker's "OPAC sucks" demo (link in handout)
specific complaints:

it's not as good as the old card cat!
digital immigrant
lack of context (esp if searching from home)
less access to experts (ie libs)
interface manages expectations...if it looks hard, probably will be and you'll need help
"deceptively non-intimidating user interface"
it's not as good as amazoogle!
relevancy ranking ineffective
too many complex search options
poor integration with online virtual collection
no suggestions / recommendations
lacks user-generated content

Enhancements Forum

2008-04-30T21:28:00.002-04:00

reuse, recycle, roll-over
all are reconsidered / periodically re-evaluated
new for '09 cycle...Inn-reach will be incorporated...also schedule in-line with IUG conference
"mantis" software used to manage the enhancement requests.....check it out
always check to see if your idea is already there -- can add notes...really helps the FEs (aka Functional Experts)
FEs meet with product developers at IUG
Betsy from III:

their cycle of upgrades is not regular -- but still will always look at enhancement requests...might be brand new or a bit old
release cycle will be quicker / smaller chunks
also input from sales reps / trainers etc.

CSDirect is being re-designed...hope to have a new place to submit enhancements (similar to calls)
in mantis, new "instruction" button
can filter / search by kwd (@ bottom)
to do: check to see if demerits in to good merits are there...if not, add!

Editing the WebPacPRO Example Set

2008-04-29T23:06:00.003-04:00

Sue Boggs, Cataloguing and Library Technician
University of Puget Sounds

slides are here (need IUG un and pw)

you don't have to use the example set when you go pro
took about 9 months for their whole redesign process
the "example set" is a SET of files which work together
DOCUMENT all the changes / tweaks you make
check out the FireFox FireBug tool -- free download ...lets you see hidden code
WebPAC tutorial on CSDirect is good
mailing list archives fab too on this subject
steal from others!...use http://catalogueurl/screens/

webpub.def
styles.css...etc (on slide)

remember FireFox and IE display differently...advice = design for FireFox and tweak for IE
stylesheets:

backbone of new look
3 style sheets:

prostyles: can't edit, but can view w. firebug tool
styles.css: can edit
iestyles.css: for IE differences

look at googleanalytics (for our opac) and see what browsers people are using -- also screen res vip when designing / screen size too
fab link to tab presentation from European IUG
tokens: short-hand for larger chunks of code
when you look at page source you see code, not tokens...have to use iii urls to see tokens
Index vs. Record browse: vip to understand the diff

index = list of headings, and controlled by wwwoptions
record browse = list of records, contorlled by brief_cit.html

lost of aspirin and chocolate required!
editing wwwoptions:

add new, make existing in-active (in case you need to revert back)

can in-activate icon_bookcart and get tick boxes instead of the "bookcart" icon...this eliminates the behaviour that some of our patrons have complained about re when you mark something for the book cart it jumps you to the top of the list...especially annoying with webpacPRO 50 items in the list: TODO...make this change in Staging and run it by the OPAC Task Force group...see if they like it...will the tick boxes be clear enough to folks that this means you're marking the records for email / holds / etc?
check our AVS adjacency search setting...see presentation re what it *should* bet set to for WebPacPRO!
webpub.def

defines which marc fields are displayed for which field tabs, which order and what field label

good hints in manual at page 106019 and 106853 and Webpac tutorial
new example set came out last week...new release coming out next week...good to know!
feed reader free with r2006...change weather to your city (is set to Emeryville, CA, by default!)...look in to it and see if/how it could work for us

A View From The Top: Thoughts from Senior Innvative Staff on the State of Things in General

2008-04-29T22:58:00.003-04:00

slides are here (IUG un and pw needed)

Betsy Grahm, Vice President Product Management

what we want
right time to release
successful digital experience diagram good (have seen on Stephen's Lighthouse, I think)
useful / usable etc...
doing stuff that's worth doing

Martha McEvoy, Senior Vice President, Software Engineering

product development / code
management philosophy of "agile development" -- short list of features worked on at a time / test/review/test/review etc.

Doug Randall, Vice President, Product Technology

"Gartner Hype Cycle"...nifty slide

Tell us what you want, what you really really want: Using Community Feedback to Spice Up your Catalogue

2008-04-29T22:33:00.005-04:00

Kirsta Graham, Web Services Team Leader and
Lauren Campbell, Senior Honours Student
from Central Michigan University

slides will be posted on IUG site
Lauren did usability study for her Honour Project (is going to Lib school in the fall, and worked in the lib)
step 1: talk to users (including, for them: students / faculty / staff)
showed focus group other III opacs, to demo features / styles / the possibilities out there they were considering
projected these, and their then-current opac on a screen, for discussion
had 8 students in focus group, lured by extra credit, pizza and brownies
"I just wanna search"
choose advanced keyword search as first screen -- were surprised students wanted the anti-googlesque paradigm -- however, they have had the advanced search screen as default on all their databases for a number of years, and worked hard to train students to use them
students wanted clear directions for other search options (eg. type author's name with last name first...)
every search screen has a "My Centra" (ie: My Library Card) log-in box (which would address OUR common comments re too many clicks to get to My lib Card)
combined 'wants' of students with prof judgment / balanced with comments / opinions of faculty..."make them eat their veg" idea
neat list of features (good slide) similar to what we're looking at eg spell check seen as a no-brainer vs. nah, we're not going to write reviews
Usability study:

tasks based on new design features / elements
used situations rather than just questions

they have an OPAC group/committee that meets regularly...nice!...but also have lots of staff!
spent a year...took time for user feedback
planning to do it again before 10 years go by...will continue to solicit user feedback

Using Google Analytics in the OPAC with Rebekah Kilzer (Ohio State Univ Lib)

2008-04-28T21:12:00.003-04:00

overview of how it works
slides will be on IUG site
idea: check our GA and see if we can hook patron rating stats (unique url when s/one rates?)
check GA privacy policy...Rebekah mentioned a requirement to post / maybe covered by existing privacy policy?
todo: email Rebeka re our security warning issues that arose wrt mixing http and https...changed url for GA to https and seems to have fixed...(just in EI)
site overlay does drop-down boxes
urls with searcha seracht etc for type of search...can filter by these
can set up monthly email reports (do this!)
compare milstats on opac to GA stats...Rebekah has this on her 'todo' list too!...email her in a while and compare notes

random notes

2008-04-28T21:11:00.001-04:00

asked Maruta about changing date format on date due slips (at self-check demo)...suggested we call Help Desk...they'll know if and how
Barbara is going to mail me some IUG t-shirts...had wrong date of ECIUG printed on them...can use for shelf reading prizes

MilStats 101 with Corey Seeman

2008-04-28T21:06:00.002-04:00

slides are on his blog here

Milstats job = counting what's there
name it, grab it, filter it, view it
wild card for record number is "a"
*good idea to try milstats for my work on profile of biz collection ...

can "grab it" with an index search...which can be larger than a review file

best way to learn is to go in and play

Opening Session: Larry Irving

2008-04-28T21:02:00.002-04:00

coined term "digital divide"
7 years as "Assistant Secrtary of Commerce for Communications and Information"
work with the Pew Internet Project
lawyer / technologist
community access points: public libs
digital divide is shifting to mobile devices...from land lines / desk tops etc...*wifi vip
wikipedia good eg. of democratizing of info
people need libraries: intellectual / digital / media literacy
industrial revolution etc...now INFO revolution....libs needed
public media / TV / arts...public media "space" pulling it all together...including libraries...public + academic
"don't get too attached" to the current state of things...they will change soon!

Opening Session: Be Innovative Awards

2008-04-28T17:42:00.001-04:00

Presented by Betsy Graham, VP Product Development

to people for creative use and promotion of III products
list of winners in program...notables:

Ryerson University: for FaceBook app -- re exporting OPAC seardch results...check it out...
West Palm Beach PL: use of WiKi for staff competencies program (wrt software as well as Millie modules
LasVegas Clark County: use of concierge for staff to trouble-shoot...check it out
Mid-Hudson Library system: KidsCat (new one...check it out!)

Opening Session: Jerry Kline (the big cheese)

2008-04-28T17:39:00.002-04:00

Jerry Kline, CEO of III spoke about how III has been focusing on R&D rather than mergers and corporate takeovers, as a lot of the other ILS vendors seem to have been doing. Also mentioned Encore V. 2 is coming out in the next few weeks...constant R&D, and not waiting until things are *perfect* to release them...two steps forward, one step back mentality. Also noted a high percentage of III staff / management have MLIS.

Innovative Users Group (IUG*16): Washington DC

2008-04-27T22:34:00.002-04:00

Just back from dinner with Barbara H. our III sales rep, and a lively group of her Canadian customers. LPL asked about e-comm -- they're thinking about using it for donations...let them know how many online donations we get (not via ecomm on our end, but CanadaHelps.org

Met Kathy Duchack who worked at TBPL with Bev and co. back in the 70s and 80s! She's now at the BC Institute of Technology.

Met Rebeccca B from Greater Sud PL..."Virtual Librarian" position has been at GSPL for six years, Bex has been in the job for two. Similar challenges...FAB to meet irl!

Looking forward to volunteering on Reg. desk tomorrow morning, and what the rest of the day will bring.

OLA08 Session #1805: Learning 2.0

2008-02-07T12:18:00.000-05:00

Stephen Abram and Jane Dysart

slides are online here

Stephen:

cant' ignore change (at any level in an organization
TODO: print off SA's nifty world view map of the online world
information becomes knowledge through learning

Jane:

traditional learning:

reading / browsing, especially outside of your field (TODO, Check out these books:)

Wikinomics
Work-Based Learning
Everything is Miscellaneous
Harvard Business Review (can sign upfor Quote of the Day)
ALA Lib Tech reprot

making conference choices:

annual conference plan...team
international / sharing / diverstiy
start with a needs-assessment tied to strategic goals...identify what I need to learn, and how to get it
diff types of conferences -- single issues vs broad

www.infotodayblog.com follow link during CIL and IL...all conf bvlogers and writers here* TODO
SLA Keynotes are webcast
...lots of opportunities to participate online for FREE!
library school videos of guest speakers on YouTube + lectures

Free/Low Cost Learning

use to build in-house program
SirsiDynix Institute (free + archived)
Education Institute (what we're using for Learning 2.0)
vendor training events
Podscope and PodZinger = search engines for pod casts...kewl!...get an mp3 player and play + w. eAudiobooks TODO
Invite speakers in -- have your own conference
SLA's CLICK University: Continuous Learning Improves Career Knowledge
wow! Free to SLA members
U of T, FIS, PLC
distance / web learning
Executive Learning: SLA, U of T, Queens

Other learning experiences:

blogs
elearning tip of the day
Internet Can Change Your Life
Master of 500 Hats
TechBytes
15 mins a day

susposed to be fun!
not every day needed
don't get all AR/OC about it!

led to 23 Things movement

need a sense of fun / change / play to change culture

know your learning style and recognize there are differences + work styles (individual / group)
43things.com

track your learning / goals / don't forget about your goals

Learning 2.0 Best Practices:

LEARNING > training

you LEARN yourself
life-long vs. event

design program for late bloomers...peer pressure works
let participants blog anonymously...reflection is essential
use 1.0 methods to communicate
discover/challenges...make it a game
encourage staff to work together...break down barriers
failure is an option
practice transparency and enable radical trust...model the behaviour...be the change you want to see
continually encourage staff to play
consider rewards

eg: Library Genius t-shirt with buttons (for completing each task)...also had Board and Patrons learn too!...Allen County PL

remember your culture and how you want it to change
watch for positive change
TODO: involve top management...CEO learning too
TODO: consider involving / inviting board and patrons
TODO: consider /check out Librarian Trading Cards...can add stats with number of question answered / # of puppet shows done / books checked out etc!
TODO: use Wikis to replace "frickin' paper manuals"...start with VLS! SH has been doing this...chat with GLF re this idea
customize 23 Things

to use tools / stuff your lib is doing
you can pay your fines in L$ for SirsiDynix systems!

list of Learning 2.0 libs on slide...now moving to Learning 2.1 (on Ning and Wiki...TODO check it out)
build a technology petting zoo incl. gaming systems and play!
go2web20.net

for the newest thing
15 mins a day inspiration

TheInternetCanChangeYourLife...nifty blog
it's all about playing in the sandbox

don't be anal
don't "blamestorm"
be open
know yourself

Make "PLAY" your new years resolution!

OLA08 Session #1700: Top Tech Trends

2008-02-07T12:17:00.000-05:00

Meredith Farkas, Distance Learning Librarian, Norwich University
Casey Bisson, Information Architect, Plymouth State University
David Fiander, Digital Services Librarian, University of Western Ontario

Meredith's slides are on her blog here

the library is everywhere
recasting the lib as a creative technology lab
tech and education to do cool stuff like:

podcasts
video trailers for books
letting patrons connect online through the web

David:

open source ILSs like:

Evergreen (David is working on this)
Scriblio
Koha (most popular)

Dublin, Ireland, has a nifty portal with lots of moduals which peeps can use (eg like iGoogle) TODO: check it out
ProQuest has a widget builder
***mentioned TBPL's AirPac!

Casey:

slides are online here
sophistication (of devices)

look at Flickr's colour picker (can find pics with a certain colour in them)

contextualization

googlemaps + more
booklists: connect with bookstores

disintermedication

more peeps creating
shorter distance between creator and consumer

identity and reputation

deep integration /mass distribution

comments and contribution

David: from UWO...ProQuest support research that found students thought of FaceBook as a study break, not a study room...but...it is working as a study room at other libraries...you need to KNOW WHO YOUR USERS are, and WHAT THEY WANT, and WHERE they are

Casey: users don't give a damn about you...they have a question and want an answer, or for you to solve their problem

...recurring theme here at OLA08...echoed in BiblioCommons...ME/MY/MINE

OLA08 Session #1329: OPAC 2.0: What Works Already?

2008-02-07T12:16:00.001-05:00

Casey Bisson, Information Architect, Plymouth State University
Slides are here.
Casey's blog: maisonbisson

OPAC 2.0...challenges:

usability
findability
remixability

Scriblio:

a social library system
faceted search and browsing system
extensible platform
built on WordPress (free, experienced labour)
open source and free

ToDo: subscribe to Casey's Blog, and check our Scriblio
OPAC: our one chance to prove we're not stupid
search boxes are for questions...we need to integrate the cat with other things that can give answers (eg. resources that we have...databases / lists etc.)
we need to deliver better answers
raised an issue that's a problem with III: you can't use the url from an item in the opac...however, you can create a list and export it...but why do we force peeps to learn how to do stuff differently in our opacs?...YouTube etc. make sharing very easy...why don't libs?
valid, clean, semantic markup
clean markup is better for all: search engines, accessibility, users
sites that allow comments value their users
Cook Memorial Library, Tamworth, NH

Squiblio library
small community, tons of comments

Lamson Library (Casey's)...

Squiblio = thin opac + web site...nifty to combine

Scriblio = plug-in inside wordpress

OLA08 Session #1228: Social Netowrking: Innovation and Research

2008-02-07T12:14:00.002-05:00

Susan Barnes, Lab for Social Computing, Rochester Institute for Technology (ppt is here)

online learning research
link to ppt on this page (look for session #1228, at 2:10 pm)
Jounral of Computer-Mediated Communication...recent issue on social networks...TODO look it up
"First Monday"...another journal to check out TODO
Susan has done lots of research around learning in SecondLife, especially with a focus on marketing
onlinemag.net has an article on libraries in SL TODO: check it out
SNADS: Social Network Advertising
individuals become brands...in soc networking...choose your look/image/clothes etc.
opportunities in SL for students...work simulations, prepare for work
STEM education: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math
Research methods:

programmed computers to capture data
examined discussion logs
surveys

Questions for librarians to study:

how can the new tch extend the classroom?

will students seek out experts and outside help using the new tools?

how can libs be more involved in the social classroom?

how do these new technologies change the roel of libraries?

very academically-focussed, but interesting

OLA08 CBC Digital Archives Lunch

2008-02-07T10:23:00.000-05:00

cbc.ca/archives wow! FAB FREE resources...TODO: check to see if it's in our internet links
Shireen (Communications Officer...happy to answer emails)
site launched in '02
part of Canadian Culture Online program
audio/video + text (to provide context for clips)
direct streaming video (not downloadable -- yet)
>300 topics, >12,000 clips
from 70 years of CBC programming
bilingual, FREE!
reliable source of info...fab for projects...news + context / background/history
also "on this day" feature (FAB for Library Det. ideas!)
"For Teachers"...lesson plans, projects and more
personal bookmarks
nifty search tools
quiz / RSS / virtual tour (TODO check it out)/ newlstter
accessible option
phase 2 of site coming soon (redesign)...will be more interactive
TODO...LINK to this fab site, and promo with staff

OLA08 Session#1020: Moving your Library to 2.0 and Beyond

2008-02-07T09:55:00.001-05:00

Amanda Etches-Johnson (McMaster)
Gail Richardson, Oakville (Manager, On-line Services)
Beckie MacDonald, Oakville (seconded to lead staff 2.0 training program)

(ppt is here)

Charlotte-Mecklenburg PL = model of staff development
Oakville followed their lead
12 things to keep in mind:

know your culture (at YOUR lib)
get buy-in from admin
determine budget
buy-in from management team
start the buzz, pay attention to timing
poll staff (if appropriate)
determine scope
which tools / competencies for your learning 2.0 sessions
volunteer or mandatory?
training delivery...5Ws....
incentives / acknowledgement / certificate (to emphasize the importance of the education)
feed back and post-communication...use 2.0 tools to teach them...blogs/Facebook group etc...share feedback

Notes to self re our Learning 2.0 sessions:

extended invitation to supply staff...email notices of upcoming session to them...talk to JC re supply/training budget for this
keep attendance lists for our 2.0 sessions

Beckie: CSI Oakville (Computer Savvy Instruction)

used the yellow tape and everything!
looked at 23 Things, and 5 Weeks to a Social Library...chose to present like this:

Session 1 (3 hours)

blogs
rss (recognizing buttons and what to do)
bloglines (feed reader)
social bookmarks (SiteJot...like del.icio.us)

Session 2 (3 hours)

Wikis (including Wikipedia...used CommonCraft Show video)
IM
Social Networking (FaceBook, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr)

mandatory for all Information Desk Staff
included audio / video / hands-on training
included exercises (eg. Leave a comment on a blog)
set up "Beckie's Tech Talk Blog" for participants
"play time" very important...freedom to play / learn your way / ask for help
used SurveyMonkey for evaluation
now doing CSI refresher...combo of 1&2, review + new exercises...expanding to other Depts and Areas

Amanda Etches-Johnson (McMaster)..5 w3eeks to a social library

voluntary (peer pressure kicked in!)
incentives (MP3 player for all staff who completed)
self-directed via blog
online LEARNING > training...freedom to learn and play
idea from Charlotte-Mecklenburg: set context with podcasts / articles on life-long learning
put staff in teams with team leader (aka Cheerleader)
"Emerging Technologies Group" at mac...members = the team leaders
TODO: check out macetg.wordpress.com
mac has a gaming librarian!
topics covered (different from Oakville)

browsing tools
gaming and virtual worlds

lessons learned:

it takes a village...(committee)...for troubleshooting / hand-holding
build in TIME to explore / catch up (ie. 2 week "break" in middle of 5 weeks)
had Michael Stephens for big rally / kick-off
don't reinvent the wheel...use what's available out there

TODO: check out learning2.0libraries tag in del.icio.us
idea: have a contest: best idea for how we can use 2.0 tools
TODO: consider setting up a wiki for the 2008 service audit

1st meeting in Training Lab...do a demo
how to use / why it's fab

keep everyone up to date / minutes / comments / revisions etc.

think about ongoing training for NEW staff...if online like McMaster, could point to content...core competencies...chat with JC re adding this piece to new staff orientation

OLA08 Breakfast with Overdrive

2008-02-07T09:51:00.000-05:00

Claudia Weisman
Canadian customers include London, Toronto, Manitoba (provincial initiative), and more
suggestion to put "Download Free AudioBooks" on home page...TODO: consider
a new Adobe e-book reader was releasted in Nov 07...getting more interactive...dev'p in partnership with OverDrive
ContentWire Canada...OverDrive newsletter...can sign up for it
OverDrive media console...comes with OverDrive...vs. Windows Media Player (for NetLib)

OLA08 Session #614: Second Life: Pick-Up Team or Major League?

2008-02-07T09:43:00.001-05:00

(ppt is here)

Krista (SL name Danu Dahlstrom) spear-headed McMaster's 2nd Life presence (her blog)
Donna Bourne-Tyson co-presenter
Georgia State Univ. is setting up a Best Practices Island...todo: check it out
Librarian 2.0 manifesto was revised last week...TODO: check it out...be USEFUL to your users where they are
MSVU used for small group discussions / meetings...paid $100 for a "storefront" for one year
important to give people "play" time during work hours
avoid SL on Wednesdays...Linden does maintenance work then! (good to know!)
consider volunteering in SL TODO

My Poster Presentation

2008-02-07T09:41:00.000-05:00

The OLA Web Site Poll Wants YOU!
Joanna Aegard, Thunder Bay Public Library; Donna Bourne-Tyson, Mount St. Vincent University; Deborah Wills, Wilfrid Laurier University; Lisa Weaver, Toronto District School Board.

The OLA Web Site Ad Hoc Poll Committee (aka "The Poll Peeps") is made up of Librarians from across the country. They take turns posting questions on the OLA Web site, to take the pulse of members on a wide variety of library-related issues. The OLA Web site Poll takes the pulse of the organization. The Poll Peeps want YOUR input! Visit their poster presentation to see the results of past polls, submit your ideas for questions and learn how easy it is to get involved.

OLA08 Session #411: How to Jumpstart your 2.0 Strategy

2008-02-07T09:33:00.001-05:00

Peter Rowley, Director of Information Systems, York University; Kathy Scardellato, Executive Director, Ontario Council of University Libraries.

(ppt is here)

old school participation = radio "talk back" lines, letters to the Editor, town hall meetings...with 2.0 technology and tools we have equity of participation
ensure there is a rationalle for your 2.0 work...GOALS:

what do you need on your blog?...time / comments (moderated? visual?) / identity or anonymity

"joy of use"...time / identity / "fun-ness"...sens of play
O'Reilly (2004) cited...def'n of 2.0
"zygotic social networking"

articles cited
social networks built around genetics: "GeneTree"...you pay to join, then send in a DNA sample, and get connected with others who have the same / similar DNA...gross!...also "dnaAncestry" (related to Ancestry.com)

Peter and Kathy had a set of "clickers" from York U., which the audience got to try out...fun to use, anonymous responses to questions...immediate results...fun-factor