Drat! My Vlogging ability was no match for hers. Unfortunately, I was defeated by her mad interviewing skills. Although, to be fair, my video was up first 🙂
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@pcsweeney
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Twitter Summary of Internet Librarian 2009 #il2009 #library
*note* This is an updated post. I got to some more reliable internet access and added the links and formatting I wanted. Its a little better now. Thanks to everyone who RTed the original!! *note*
I was going to try to write a Blog summarizing my thoughts on the first day of Internet Librarian but realized this was already done for me on twitter. So instead of re-writing everything that people are already saying… I’m posting SOME of my favorite tweets from #il2009 on Monday, October 26. On some of them I have added my own commentary and I removed the #il2009 hashtag, but I left the twitter name of the person who tweeted it. Don’t be shy about following these folks. They’re good people and have my patented seal of approval!
@mamccallister Word. RT @rphulser: “If u don’t like change, ur going to like irrelevance even less.” Gen. Eric Shinseki as cited by @rtennant
I couldn’t agree more with this statement and I’ve been politely yelling about this since library school.
@LibTechSucks All this silly dithering about twitter. The only way to converse is in leather chairs with some Oban 14yr.
Ok this character’s tweets are getting funnier but only because I kind of agree with this one. I’m a big fan of a big leather chair, a good stiff drink (on the rocks) and some good folks to talk to.
@infogdss29 Put chat windows in the locations (online) where people get frustrated
Also, can I add? Put all kinds of windows in the locations online where the patrons are, or (use my catalog search widget video) and let the patrons put the library where they are.
@walkingpaper great quote- @davidleeking: “i’m a librarian. people stop to ask me questions in the grocery store. Why not let that happen online?”
Why not let it happen everywhere? It makes me think we’re kind of like doctors in this sense. “oh! You’re a doctor? Hey, listen… I got this rash…”
@kristenyt Wii has changed the way people interact w/ computers. What’s the future in physical computing?
This is a great question… I’m going to think about this one for a while.
@ahniwa Use events networks like Eventful, Upcoming.org, Going.com, and Craigslist to create awareness of library events.
@kristenyt Users know library has the best content, but want a more convenient access point – single search box.
This is very true… Why do libraries have the worst search boxes? I think we need to be doing a little more market research.
@varnum John Law: Users know that libraries have the best research content & resources The library is NOT the easiest place to start.
@john_fereira A picture is worth a 1000 words. Take as much time as you would to read 1000 words to look at a visualization.
@varnum K. Godfrey: Nielsen Report says YouTube’s largest user group is 18-24 yr-olds. This is our demographic. Why aren’t we there?
@infogdss29 dear librarians, pls stop being snobs about freeware kthxbai – link 2 open access open source zero cost resources… FREE ?= inferior
This is absolutely spectacular! Can we please STOP PAYING for databases already? I think we’re beyond that point.
@gretchenhams RT @pollyalida: “Rejoice in failures – it means you’re pushing the boundaries” sarah houghton jan – live that.
Sooo true. The only time I really learn something is when I fail at it the first time.
@Rudibrarian when working with nextgen, you have to know where your students are, work with them in the formats they use.
….And go to where their formats are.
@buffyjhamilton Website design principles: simple/clean; tighter integration of website and catalogue; expose/repackage library services
@AspenWalker Cloud collaboration: thebigpic.org is user-friendly and fun project management option. it also syncs with google calendar.
I’m going to have to go figure out this new “Cloud” buzzword. Apparently it’s derived from the concept of cloud computing in which multiple systems work on a common project? Sounds like the new management “thing”
@AmbivaTwit cloud computing: not replacement for actual assembling of humans in lib but will impact how we think about lib spaces.
And of course… My favorite Tweet
@Tombrarian : @librarianbyday has a box of monkeys
Internet Librarian 2009, My Motorcycle, Vlogging, and Blogging for PLA!!!
Internet Librarian is a conference I have been wanting to go to for a couple of years now but I’ve always been committed to other conferences throughout the year that took up large amounts of my conference going budget. This year though, I have a new job as a branch manager that pays well enough and offers some financial assistance to attend various conferences thus allowing me to attend the ones I typically go to AND Internet Librarian! Needless to say, I’m pretty much a librarian geek and conferences really get me all excited. So what am I doing to prepare?
Well, one of the first things I’m doing is twitter stalking other folks that are going to the conference. Hopefully, they’ll stalk me back and we can get a kind of secondary cyber conference going. So every couple of hours or so I’ve been checking in to twitter to follow other folks who are going. I’m hoping that I can find out about some of the other sessions even though I didn’t attend those and maybe go to some tweetups around Monterey and geek out with other librarians. So if you’re a twittering librarian feel free to let me know you’re attending so I know to follow you!
FYI- The hashtag for Internet Librarian is #il2009 and I only recently figured out that it WASN’T #ili2009. That hashtag was for the international version of this conference in London.
Lastly, of course, I’m trying to figure out what I’m going to attend. Unfortunately, it looks like I am going to have to miss Saturday’s Library Camp and Sunday’s Gaming and Gadget Petting Zoo (Boo!) but so far I am going to be following these tracks.
Monday:
Track B: “Social Media, Leveraging Web 2.0”
B101: iGoogling With the Library: Customized Omnipresent Homepages
B102: Creating Connections & Social Reference in Libraries
B103: Micro Interactions, Conversations, & Customers: Sweet Tweet Strategies
Julie Strange
B104: 2.0 Too: Web Services for Underfunded Libraries
B105: Evaluating, Recommending, & Justifying 2.0 Tools
Marydee Ojala
B106: Sneaking the Social Web Into Your Library & Going Beyond 23 Things
Tuesday:
Breakfast at the Marriot for “Meeting the End-User’s Expectations”
Track C: Mobile Trends & Practices
C201/C202: Dreaming, Designing, & Using Mobile Library Platforms
Matt Benzing
R. Toby Greenwalt
C203: Putting Your Library on a Mobile Phone
C204: Mobile Marketing
C205: When Students Go Mobile
Kristine Ferry
Wednesday
Track C: Cultivating Innovation & Change
C301: Every Library Should Have a Sandbox to Play In
C302: Persuasion, Influence & Innovative Ideas
Nicole Hennig
C303: Pecha Kucha: Innovative Practices
Nicole Hennig
Steven Harris
Steven Harris
Amy Affelt
C304: Retooling Technical Services for the Digital Environment
Doris Small Helfer
Brad Eden
Overall I think I think I’m going to have a great time! There are so many other tracks that would be fantastic to see but I think I just need to stick to what I have and go with it. If you’re a dork (like me) and are interested I will be blogging for PLA on their site, twittering, and I will be posting videos here from my youtube channel. If anyone has any other suggestions for good times at Internet Librarian, I’m always game to change my plans, meet some good folks, and have a good time! And, of course… Don’t forget to check out Compagno’s for the biggest and best sandwiches of ALL TIME!!
7 reasons NOT to create a Blue-Ray collection in your #library
Blue-Ray formatted discs are cool and many of the patrons in our libraries are asking for them. But it’s my opinion that there are quite a few problems with creating a blue ray collection in your Library. To explain why, I came up with seven reasons not to purchase Blue-Ray format discs in libraries.
Compatibility
1) Blue-ray players are backwards compatible with DVDs, but DVD players will not play blue-rays.
Patron Investment
2) If you invest in blue-ray discs, the investment for the patron is that they need to have a blue-ray player to access your collection. Also, to really gain a value in quality for a blue-ray player, a person must also purchase a Hi-Definition television. I don’t think there is yet a critical mass of patrons with both a Blue-Ray player and a Hi-Def television to necessitate a Blue-Ray collection. However, as DVDs, players, and televisions have become fairly ubiquitous there typically is no new investment needed for the patron by only providing a DVD format.
Added Value
3) Blue-ray DVDs don’t really add anything to the value of the information contained in the item. For example, a documentary on Sharks is still the same documentary in Blue-Ray as it is in the original DVD format. In other words the quality of the information doesn’t improve with the increased number of pixels.
Exclusivity
4) There is yet to be a significant number of films that are only provided in the Blue-ray format. Typically, if it’s available in Blue-ray, it’s also available in DVD and the DVDs can be played on a patron’s Blue-ray player.
Longevity
5) What is the Blue-Ray format longevity? I’m not sure, but it seems to me that we are going to pass over Blue-Ray fairly quickly and we are fast moving towards movies on demand via computer downloads and cable networks. (I can’t remember the last time I purchased a physical copy of a movie in any format) In these cases, an even higher quality film can be provided digitally as the amount of information is not limited to the space available on a Disc nor would a person have to worry about scratches or other damages to the disc.
Cost
6) The cost of a Blue-Ray disc is still much higher than the cost of a DVD.
Durability
7) Blue-Ray discs don’t solve the fundamental problem with discs and that is that discs scratch, warp, crack, get dirty and otherwise become unreadable with the severe treatment of them from our patrons. This means that replacement and maintenance costs will be dramatically increased with the new format.
So, if it were my decision (luckily, it’s not my decision in my current position) I would hold off on purchasing Blue-Ray DVDs unless you are in an area with a patron demographic that has the investment capital to purchase the resources necessitating blue-ray format movies (player and television), or the Blue-ray format price comes down and a critical mass of people starting using the format exclusively as happened with the switch from VHS to DVD, or movies become available only in the Blue-Ray format. Except for the “cool” factor I don’t see much added value for the library with the inclusion of such a costly collection. Of course, I could be wrong. What do you think?
Branding Libraries: Step 8 – Advertise the image #library
The projecting of the image of the library brand must be carried out among all contact points with the consumer. As previously mentioned this means that the logo, the brand, the ideal about the library that you are trying to communicate should be promoted at every possible customer touch point within the library itself and at meaningful contact points throughout the community such as outreach programs and services. The library floor space should be studied to find pause points where the customer stops to find direction, to make decisions, or to turn around. At these points the marketing that contains the brand image, the advertising, the message, and the logo should be put in such a place that the customers eyes are drawn to them. The marketing should not be obscured, hidden, or cluttered with other materials that could draw attention away from the customer’s connection with the brand image at the touch point. (Underhill, 1999)
It is also important that the name, logo, advertising, and all marketing communications materials consistently communicate the brand’s same homogeneous message outside the library as much as it does inside. To do so, the library must utilize the same types of marketing techniques that the other companies are using as well. The library needs to understand that the customers are continuously bombarded with marketing from every other organization. In order to maintain the library at a consistent position within the customer’s minds without being lost in the soup of other organization’s marketing, they must use some of the same avenues that the competition does. Some of these include; websites, mailings, sponsorships, partnerships, billboards, posters, business cards, commercials (radio and television if possible), and face-to-face interactions with customers whenever and wherever they are present. At these places the libraries brand and distinction from other organizations should be continuously presented.
All Library Branding Posts
Branding Libraries: Step 1 – Defining Branding
Branding Libraries: Step 2 – A Brand Audit
Branding Libraries: Step 3 – Quality Products/Services
Branding Libraries: Step 4 – Library’s Brand Distinction
Branding Libraries: Step 5 – Owning a PhraseÂ
Branding Libraries: Step 6 – Tapping into EmotionÂ
Branding Libraries: Step 7 – Building the Libraries Brand Image
Branding Libraries: Step 8 – Advertise the image
Branding Libraries: Final Steps- Live the Message! – Measurements – Conclusion
Branding Libraries: Step 6 – Tapping into Emotion
As pointed out earlier, perhaps one of the greatest areas of improvement would be the inclusion of emotional content in the creation of a library brand. To do this we must develop emotionally accessible attributes for the brand. This means that the brand should readily tap into the target market’s psyche and evoke an emotional response.
To look at the business model literature we can see a very large discussion of the importance of emotional branding. In fact, “over the last decade, emotional branding has emerged as a highly influential brand management paradigm” (Gobe, 2001). This is in large part because connecting the products to the emotions of the consumers creates a more experiential experience of the product. By doing so the consumers connect to the product and the product itself becomes a part of the consumer’s identity. Therefore, for a consumer to leave to brand would now mean that the consumer loses a sense of identity. In this way “emotional branding is a consumer-centric, relational, and story-driven approach to forging deep and enduring affective bonds between consumers and brands” (Roberts 2004).
The idea of the library as a community driven organization can actually work to benefit the creation of the brand identity. This is because “proponents of emotional branding proclaim that this high degree of consumer passion is seldom, if ever, cultivated through rational arguments about tangible benefits or even appeals to symbolic benefits, such as heightened self-esteem or status” (Gobe 2001). Instead we see that “these potent consumer–brand linkages typically emerge when branding strategies use narratives and tactics that demonstrate an empathetic understanding of customers’ inspirations, aspirations, and life circumstances and that generate warm feelings of community among brand users (Muniz and Schau 2005).
Where better to generate warm feelings of belonging and community than within an organization that has this as its main goal. The library should be presenting in a continuous narrative to the consumers that the library is not only a community-centered organization but also that when they use the library the users are a part of the community. They belong to the community, and the library is their key to that sense of belonging. So how can this story be told?
I would argue that perhaps we can convey this message through partnerships with the community, or through partnerships with other community organizations. These partnerships would have to be with organizations with similar goals of the library such as education, community building, literacy, etc. If the library partners with organizations that do not have the same goals then it is possible that the story gets confusing or diluted and the brand identity of an organization as a place in jeopardy since the consumers will no longer understand the story being told to them through the brand story.
All Library Branding Posts
Branding Libraries: Step 1 – Defining Branding
Branding Libraries: Step 2 – A Brand Audit
Branding Libraries: Step 3 – Quality Products/Services
Branding Libraries: Step 4 – Library’s Brand Distinction
Branding Libraries: Step 5 – Owning a PhraseÂ
Branding Libraries: Step 6 – Tapping into EmotionÂ
Branding Libraries: Step 7 – Building the Libraries Brand Image
Branding Libraries: Step 8 – Advertise the image
Branding Libraries: Final Steps- Live the Message! – Measurements – Conclusion
Amazing video! Range and Scope of Change in Technology. #library
Whenever I see one of these videos I always wonder how I can possibly keep up without taking on learning technology as a full time job. I also wonder how libraries or other organizations are supposed to keep up without having a full time position dedicated to learning and implementing new technologies. This is not to say that every technology needs to be used or even that every technology should be used. But this video confirms my belief that organizations need to be quicker to respond to changes in technology, and a full-time staff person would be a great way to ensure that this happens.
Info about the video
“This is another official update to the original “Shift Happens” video. This completely new Fall 2009 version includes facts and stats focusing on the changing media landscape, including convergence and technology, and was developed in partnership with The Economist. For more information, or to join the conversation, please visit http://mediaconvergence.economist.com and http://shifthappens.wikispaces.com.
Content by XPLANE, The Economist, Karl Fisch, Scott McLeod and Laura Bestler. Design and development by XPLANE, http://www.xplane.com. You can follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/xplane”
The Sacramento Public Library 300
After the Retirement of Ann Marie Gold (who I met and really liked) Sacramento public Library has a new library director, Phil Batchelor. See the whole story here –
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article…
Batchelor has outlined a plan that includes over 300 improvements to the Sacramento Public Library System. I took some time and read through this outline and found a lot of things that I think we need to start thinking about in our own library system. It’s exceptional in its details and comprehensiveness. If you’re a librarian and interested in this kind of thing you can find the full PDF document here –
http://www.saclibrary.org/about_lib/a…
It looks like everything was thought of and no stone was left unturned. If you can find some details missing, I’d love to hear them. Feel free to leave a comment or send a message on your thoughts about the plan, the new director, or on Sacramento Public Library in general. I’d love to hear them. Thanks team.
As always, if you have a couple bucks lying around, feel free to support literacy and education in coastal communities and donate to the Coastal Education Project at http://www.coastaleducationproject.org
Death to the Dewey Decimal System… Maybe?
Hey team, despite my inflammatory title here I want to say that I haven’t made up my mind about the use of the Dewey Decimal System. In any case, I absolutely applaud Maricopa County Library for taking a risk and trying to see what happens without the Dewey Decimal System. I spoke with a couple of folks from this library at a conference in 2008 and they said it was a fantastic decision. So… they’re two years into this and I have family living in Maricopa County and I’m hoping I can take a trip down there and see how the patrons are liking it. After all, that’s who its all for.  But if you are the last librarian on the planet to hear about this, here is a great interview from NPR to fill you in – It’s audio of course since text is dead as a medium on the internet anyway. – http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11131877
PC Sweeney 