Libraries and Transliteracy – the video version

October 7, 2009 · Posted in Digital Divide, Digital Services, Information Access, Librarianship, Libraries, Technology, Training, Transliteracy · View Comments

I took my slideshow on transliteracy and turned it into a video. I was curious about how easy it was to turn a slideshow into a video (its super easy!) so I thought I’d try it. Most of my presentations aren’t meant to stand alone and so don’t really translate well to video. When I was putting the transliteracy one together I wanted it to be able to stand alone, so I thought I’d give it a try. A little self indulgent I know But anyway here it is.

Learn more about transliteracy

Tags: <books, computer, customers, digital, form, future, government, instruction, internet, Librarians, Libraries, library, literacy, patrons, reading, services, teaching, Technology, Training, Transliteracy, virtual, web>

Libraries and Transliteracy Slideshow

October 1, 2009 · Posted in Digital Divide, Digital Services, Librarianship, Patron Services, Technology, Training, Transliteracy · View Comments

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about transliteracy and how important the concept is for libraries and librarians. I’ve created a slideshow I hope conveys the message and is easy to share.

I have also added page with information on transliteracy.

Libraries and Transliteracy

View more presentations from Bobbi Newman.

How social media can hurt your library

August 26, 2009 · Posted in Best Practices, Facebook, Libraries, Social Media, Social Networking Sites, Twitter, Worst Practices · View Comments

photo by DCvision2006 on Flicrk

We’ve all seen warnings and stories about people getting fired from their jobs because of status updates or photos on social medial sites like Twitter, Facebook and blogs.

CNN is has a new one with some social networking don’ts

1. Don’t announce interviews, raises or new jobs

2. Don’t badmouth your current or previous employer

3. Don’t mention your job search if you’re still employed

First I think number 2 should include – “or coworkers”, really nothing good can come of that either. But the point I want to add for librarians (library workers) everywhere is

4. Don’t badmouth your customers.

We all get frustrated, we all have bad days, I understand that, but venting on social media sites isn’t the solution and it could cause real problems for your library. Your customers may read what you wrote, they are more tech savvy than you give them credit for. In addition to some old fashioned hurt feelings this can lead to some real problems for your library. They could complain to someone at the library, which means staff will need to spend time dealing with this issue. They could email it all their friends or maybe the newspaper, this is bad PR no library needs. Or they could just never come back, which is contradictory to the mission of libraries, and loosing patrons is never good for libraries. Libraries don’t need bad PR, especially not now when so many are facing funding cuts.

If you don’t care about how it will affect your library keep in mind your boss may read what you wrote, there are endless ways this could happen. I can’t imagine a library manager anywhere being happy that an employee is publicly badmouthing patrons. There are a wide range of outcomes depending on what was said, how the library handles custom service issues, but being fired is a possibility.

Think being anonymous will protect you? think again. Think having a private account will protect you? It might, unless there is a glitch & its made public, even briefly, or until you *friend* the wrong person.

Your best plan is not to put anything online you aren’t prepared for the whole world to see. Just don’t do it. Think twice before you post that next Facebook or Twitter update or write that next blog post.

Additional Reading

Tags: <blog posts, Blogging, Customer Service, customers, Facebook, Libraries, patrons, Social Media, social networks, Twitter>

The Hazards of Leading Culture Change

August 17, 2009 · Posted in Change, Innovation · View Comments

Photo by David Reece on Flickr

I’m thinking about change and culture and innovation a great deal these days so I’m reading everything I can get my hands on. I came across this paper, or manifesto – The Hazards of Leading Culture Change. Its concise but packed with good stuff!

Some of my favorite points:

When you are up to your backside in alligators, it is hard to remember you were there to drain the swamp.
…the illusion of advancement is far worse than none at all.
Three turtles sat on a log in the edge of the swamp. One decided to jump in. How many are now on the log? Nope, there are still three. Deciding and doing are not the same thing.
Leaders sometime achieve their positions through competencies in other than superior leadership of people.
Without hands-on trial and error and confrontation of outdated behaviors – all done with a helpful but unswerving facilitator – employees will not likely give up obsolete tasks
Old ways can die hard – for employees and for customers. Even if the old way has been a negative to customers, they have learned to deal with it. They also can harbor some of the same cynicism as employees, and may actually work to sabotage new efforts.
When leaders have even the slightest doubt about the worth of the vision or the correctness of the strategies, they can acquiesce and soften their resolve before the culture change effort has had a chance to gain a solid footing
Culture change takes a long time because its complex and disruptive.
What separates the culture change winners from those that drop out of the race? It starts with a clear vision that is clear, compelling and constantly used both as the anchor for judgement and a lens for alignment.

These are just a few nuggets of wisdom, go read the whole paper.

Tags: <Change, culture, customers, employees, Innovation, leaders, leading>