I have worked in public libraries for 8 years. My role for the past 7 years has been to provide training, leadership & strategic planning in the tech. area. Attending national conferences has also provided a great overview of how libraries are shifting to adopt new technologies in order to stay relevant & appeal to younger customers.
Two things prompted this post:
A reference type question from Suzy, a new friend with a very fun blog (check out that post!)! Librarians LOVE reference questions! so please ask whatever you’d like here on my blog!
Hi Connie
Am writing magazine article on Women & Social Networking with short deadline. Any stats/articles/blogs I can research you know about…?
Readers will be well educated, many professional women interested in alternative views on parenting, but not necessarily confident or informed about the value of social networking for them in their busy lives……
Ideas and research information welcomed!!!
Jeremiah’s timely post on what a librarian from Toronto is teaching jogged my memory!
She was instructing at the University of Toronto, The Social Networking Tools: Hands on Learning, a class designed for librarians and library administrators who want and need to learn how social media, social computing is impacting their world.
I’m going to put my answer to her here because my sense from previous comments on this blog is that people are sharing resources with coworkers. That’s a goal of this blog as with my other one – the open sharing of resources (see? I’ll always be a librarian at heart!).
Librarians have been involved with Web 2.0 for quite awhile & I’m going to share the best resources in case your organization is interested in exploring social media &networking tools. Maybe it’s your job to teach others about these resources?
An entry point: Learning 2.0 – 23 things List from The Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County. Their description: a discovery learning program designed to encourage staff to explore new technologies and reward them for doing 23 Things. Since the program’s launched, it has fostered Learning 2.0 programs all over the world.
If you’re a seasoned in Web 2.0 then I have two prolific bloggers to introduce you to. I have heard both of them speak in person! and they are truly inspirational. They were my introduction to Web 2.0.
- Michael Stephens Tame the Web is a prolific blogger & thought leader. He blends Flickr nicely & has great ideas on marketing with a focus on customer friendly.
- Stephen Abrams – Stephens Lighthouse has great ideas for engaging Gen X & Gen Y’ers, but overall he’s on the cutting edge & his ideas are invaluable for non-profits & education but apply to the enterprise as well because he speaks in terms of Customers.
And I can’t end this without putting in a pitch! Have you been to your public library lately? and checked out all they have to offer! I bet you’d be surprised at the offerings & the new technology. And if you pay taxes, you’ve already paid for the services, so why not use them?
Keep the questions coming! Feel free to ask them here or message me at Facebook. There’s a link to my profile under my photo.
Connie – thanks so much for your reply. I’m ready to dive in. In general, are these assumptions fair with regard to the key challenges that face libraries?
1) technology has liberated info, so libraries “reason for being” has been weakened.
2) libraries are connected primarily with the “book” format, which is relevant, but maybe less so
3) the library “experience” (quiet, earnest) is less attractive to kids/young adults.
Getting the big picture first will help get my bearings on this before I head into the woods, (to mix a metaphor).
Thanks again!
Matt
Here are some ideas (and you should definitely go over to Library 2.0 ning & get their input too).
1. the web has changed everything in how customers purchase & even how products are being created. It’s a revolution & libraries are affected too. They need to be willing to adapt. They are still necessary – the secret is to find what those new ways are?
2. libraries are sources of info – I think that libraries will always be viewed as that source. But things have changed so that all librarians need to be able to find resources quickly (not just in the books inhouse). If you look at it that way – this revolution is liberating too. It changed how I viewed library services.
3. The library experience needs to consider what do the various groups want, need & expect. And I think if they expect to attract everyone then steps need to be taken to make sure there are activities for them no matter the age.
storytime & programs for preschool
summer reading program for school kids
author events for adults
movie & game events for teens
many libraries are setting aside certain areas that are ‘quiet’ areas & the rest of the library is louder. (inverting what the norm used to be!)