Librarian by Day » digital

Library 101: More Than Just a Pretty Face

Bobbi Newman — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:10:27 +0000

The newest video from David Lee King & Michael Porter debuted at Internet Librarian to a room full of people and a live remote audience thanks to streaming by the Shanachies.

Library 101 is more than just a video, it’s a project with a website that includes essays from libraryland leaders about what Library 101 means to them. It also has a great source page that lists 101 Things to Know.

Disclosure: I’m in the video and listed in the blogs on the Things to Know page (no pressure right?)

PS The video made Boing Boing!!!!Similar Posts:

Libraries and Transliteracy – the video version

Bobbi Newman — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:46:06 +0000

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 transliteracySimilar Posts:

Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy Warns of “Second Class Citizens” in the Digital Age

Bobbi Newman — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:34:19 +0000

The Knight Foundation has released a new report Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy. A good deal of the content either is or could be applies to libraries. The entire report is 148 pages, you can also download a 2 page summary that includes recommendations like these

2: Increase support for public service media aimed at meeting community information needs. Read more …
6: Integrate digital and media literacy as critical elements of education at all levels through collaboration among federal, state, and local education officials. Read more …
7: Fund and support public libraries and other community institutions as centers of digital and media training, especially for adults. Read more …
10: Support the activities of information providers to reach local audiences with quality content through all appropriate media, such as mobile phones, radio, and public-access cable. Read more …
12: Engage young people in developing the digital information and communication capacities of local communities. Read more …
14: Emphasize community information flow in the design and enhancement of a local community’s public spaces.. Read more …
15: Ensure that every local community has at least one high-quality online hub. Read more …

The Foundation has also taken actions that affect libraries:

$3.3 million to improve free, public Internet access in libraries in 12 communities

$2.28 million in broadband access projects in underserved neighborhoods in three cities

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Libraries and Transliteracy Slideshow

Bobbi Newman — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:20:30 +0000

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.

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Building the Digital Branch for the 21st Century

Bobbi Newman — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:04:50 +0000

On September 15th over 400 people attended a WebJunction webinar on Building a Digital Branch led by David Lee King. Yes I realize this post is way over due, but the information isn’t outdated, yet.

If you missed it you have multiple options for accessing the information:

Visit the WebJunction page for all the information and links.
View it in Wimba Classroom(combined archive of audio, slides and chat)

Note:If this is your first time using Wimba, check to see if your computer has the software and hardware required by walking through the Setup Wizard. If you still have problems using Wimba Classroom, consult the Wimba Classroom Guide.

View the slides (png)

Listen to audio-only recording (mp3)

View Chat log (xls)Note: trimmed down a bit to account for chat re: tech difficulties.

Look through the Twitter hashtag for session: #dbranch

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Libraries Need to Focus on Transliteracy

Bobbi Newman — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:33:59 +0000

Libraries have focused on literacy, the ability to read, write and interact, for years. It is an important service to our patrons and our communities. People need to be literate in order to be involved in and contribute to society. Times are changing, technologies are evolving rapidly, it’s no longer enough to focus on the ability to read and write alone. If we only focus on literacy we are doing a disservice to our patrons. Just as libraries took on the task of helping to ensure all people are literate, now we need to take on the task of ensure all people are transliterate.

What is transliteracy?

Transliteracy is the ability to read, write and interact across a range of platforms, tools and media from signing and orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio and film, to digital social networks. – wikipedia

Soon people will need to be transliterate in order to be involved in and contribute to society. It is already a requirement to participate in some aspects of our society and it will only become more so. Government agencies are no longer issuing print forms, you have to access them online. Your health insurance plan was a website and you have an account, when you call they will tell you to go there to get information. Banks are sending alerts and account balance information via text messages. Facebook privacy settings are complex and change frequently. The price of computers is dropping allowing more people to own one. Free WiFi access points are increasing, allowing more people internet access.

For many people all of the above are new experiences. Experiences they can have with no training, no supervision and no support.

In order to best serve our patrons we need to move from literacy to transliteracy. Add it to your strategic plan, mission, statement and goals. Commit to it. Talk with your coworkers and colleagues about it.

Yes I am a Digital Branch Manager, No I Do Not Regularly Build Bonfires of Print Books in My Backyard & Dance Around Wearing Warpaint

Bobbi Newman — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:23:41 +0000

CC image courtesy of mikel_duke on Flickr

Not regularly, actually, not ever. I keep seeing the perception that by going digital, being aware of and, gasp! even using technology means that librarians and libraries are throwing aside traditionally services in favor of sexy new toys like Twitter. That in order for a library to have a Facebook profile first we have sacrifice 100 books to the Social Media gods.

As a Digital Branch Manager I have nothing against books, heck, I think we should have more books. At home, in my personal library, I probably have more books at home than some of my “traditional” peers. Do not get rid of the books.

I do think libraries need to develop along with the society they serve.

I don’t understand the people who want libraries to continue to be about the book; solely about the ink and paper book. The world is evolving at an amazing rate, nothing is standing still. Why shouldn’t libraries move forward? If we stand still how will we serve our patrons as they move forward?

So many people see the addition of new services as a threat to the old. I don’t think anyone is planning to throughout the baby with the bathwater. Evolution isn’t easy, sometimes its painful, some attempts will die off, but it is necessary. The world is changing, faster every day, if we can’t change with it we will be left behind. The people who need and want libraries in all their forms will go without.

Day in the Life of Me – Day 2

Bobbi Newman — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:14:17 +0000

I took these notes today as part of The Day in the Life project, if you would like to read more please see the wiki, if you’re interested in how it all got started read this post
Wake up before the alarm, whats up with that?
Coffee, email, Twitter, Facebook
Discovered email response from a comment I left on a Day in the Life blog last night asking about the recipe for roasted peach ice cream – hurray! I will SO be making this this weekend
Check calendar and weather before leaving for work, only one meeting, lets hope it stays that way, and its supposed to rain, scrap original outfit that include purple suede pumps (suede and rain are not friends)
Add a couple of things to my Alice.com shopping list, hope I get to 6 (free shipping for 6 or more items) before I run out of contact solution. I’ve used Alice.com twice and so far I love it, I compared prices on my first order to Target and Alice was cheaper on everything but canned dog food. Plus using it keeps me out of Target and away from impulse buys, that’s a money saving win right there.
Arrive at work, email, then take a look at our online resources page in preparation for Database committee meeting tomorrow, notice we don’t have a medical one, add medline plus which leads to too much time tweaking the page. The website had gone through many many hands over the last couple of years, as a result the code is a mess. I try not to get too caught up in fixing is though as we’ll completely replacing it, hopefully by the end of the year.
Sent Buffy’s post to our teen librarian to see if she thinks the kids my like something like that from the public library
head downstairs with the EEE (which desperately needs a cool nickname) to do some writing in the study carrels. I do this because it gets me away from my desk, otherwise I might never leave it, it gets me some sunshine, despite being on Management row, I have no window.
Working outside the office
Write definition of Super Friends will do and what I’m looking for in potential members )the official name of this group is FIT – Future, Innovation and Technology)
Notice that people are using #librarydayinthelife as a hash tag on twitter, wish we could have thought up something shorter to use, maybe next time
Think about how being Management limits how much of my day can really be blogged
Notice blog is down, getting a 500 error, email Blake, he emails back within 5 minutes that he’s on it and will keep me updated hurrah!
Go through my Friends, CVL (any mentions of my library on the net) and Daily folders in Google Reader, these are my priority reads. I have 12 folders total.
Think about how one obstacle to a culture of change is the Martyr Syndrome, remind myself I bought The No Complaining Rule to read and make a note to locate it tonight when I get home to see if it address this at all, also book mark some pages, have a Twitter and email conversation about it, think maybe it deserves a blog post next week
Just try to take it, I triple dog dare ya
ran errands, post office, picked up new meds for Big Dog, they’ve changed his dosage again, back in my office
Look for fun stuff to give out to staff
Talk with Head of Teen Services about the email I sent her earlier, trying to decide if we should do bags for Teens or Teachers, call ends with her saying – something just fell gotta go.
Back to my to-do list
Spend some time in Twitter, see a remind that Computers in Libraries deadline is early this year 9/15/2009, send tweet out for co-presenters, get good responses, put proposal writing on my calendar for Saturday
Work on writing our Social Media Policy part of which includes Flickr. All of this will be included in the Digital Branch Guide/Bible/Manifesto. I can find a LOT of libraries using Flickr but no one with a policy addressing it.
Small Dog prepares to leap
Meeting with a reference employee about being part of the Super Friends, take a walk down stairs with him at 5 so we can continue conversation. End up having a great convo with him and the Head of Reference about general online needs.
Back to my office, its a ghost town up here!
Head home, plans for tonight walk and play with the guyzos, read Day in the Life blogs, work on Policies, reading and listening to new Diana Krall album

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There is something to be said for brand loyalty

Bobbi Newman — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:43:43 +0000

I don’t normally blog about customer service issues (although I have been known to tweet complaints) but I feel like I should blog this, in part because I am not so angry I can’t see straight, which is usually a hint for me that blogging is not a wise decision and because its about brand loyalty which in light of returning my iPhone I am thinking about.

I’ll provide some background, but if you’d like to get to the point it’s don’t buy a camera from Casio and think hard about Customer Service.

My first digital camera was a Sony, but my second was a Canon Powershot and two subsequent cameras have been Powershots. I love taking photos and I know I am working my way towards an SLR. Last October I traded in my Canon PowerShot SD870 IS (great point & shot by the way) for the Canon SX10 IS, love it! But found I missed having a small point & shoot in my purse handy in case I wanted to take a photo of something. Having sold the SD870 (I so regret this) I looked at my options, I didn’t want to spend a lot as I already have a nice camera, but I did want image stabilization and a wide angle lens. Canon had an option but of course it was more expensive than the one Casio offered. So I put aside my brand loyalty and bought the Casio. I’m not completely thrilled with the functionality of it and wouldn’t want it for my “good” camera but it worked. Until 2 weeks ago when I dropped it and the screen broke.

I’d had it for less than a month and it was under warranty so I sent it into Casio to be repaired. Today I got the estimate for repair, now keep in mind I indicated the screen was broken when I filled out the forms & they did not indicate it what it would cost and I paid about $10 to ship it.

Flat Amount: $69.00

Labor: $0.00

Parts: $0.00

Shipping & Handling: $10.00

Sales Tax: $4.74

Service Total: $83.74

Remarks: review screen broken

I only paid $124.95 for the camera! Seriously? Worse there is no view finder so it is useless without the screen, but there is no freaking way I’m paying them $83.74 In truth I’m more frustrated with myself than Casio, I know that sometimes cheaper is cheaper for a reason and you end up paying for it in the long run.

update 6:30 pm EST – just realize I have to pay them $10 to send it back to me or allow them to keep it. Now actually mad.

Now I wish I’d bought the Canon. Why? Because several years ago, when I had my very first Canon, I broke the screen. I foolishly left it laying on the stairs and someone (I can’t remember if it was me or a roommate) stepped on it and broke it after it was almost a year old. I sent it to Canon, they repaired it and mailed it back to me a no cost. I’d almost forgotten this was part of my foundation for loyalty to Canon (I get flack for it sometimes you know) until this little incident. In truth it probably cost them very little to fix it for free and it earned them a life long customer, I’ve since purchased 2 more Canons, each increasingly higher end, therefore more expensive models. I’ll be replaced the Casio with a Canon thank you very much, and I’ll also be advising other people not to buy a Casio. I am the techie friend that so many friends and family come to for advice when they are thinking about a new gadget. Sometimes it is the little or not so little things that matter.

Ok so how does this relate to libraries? Customer service matters, and not just in the front line smile and be nice kind of way, but in the don’t offer excuses and just fix my problem sort of way. I’m sure Casio has very good reasons for these fees, and I’m certain its their policy. I can’t argue with that.

But sometimes by sticking with our very good reasons and policies we’re digging a hole. You may gain a small amount in fees or fines, but what did you loose in the form of customer relations, good feelings and PR? How much do you spend on marketing and PR? What if by providing exceptional customer service your patrons could be doing positive PR for you instead of negative?

I know times are tight and we’re all looking to save a buck, but what you gain today in $10 or $20 (or $83.74) of fees you could pay back many times over in the money you could have saved on marketing and PR.

photo by debairdSimilar Posts:

New ebook reader to watch – the Cooler

Bobbi Newman — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:17:09 +0000

I love the idea of an ebook reader, but I have problems with Amazon’s Kindle, foremost being price and inability to load my own content on without sending it through Amazon. I’ve been playing with the Sony Reader the last week or so but I don’t love it either. Since I want to love ebook readers I’m on the look out for anything that might improve them. The Cooler is an interesting venture in the market. It’s sleeker and well, prettier, it comes in 8 colours including ruby red, vivid violet and hot pink, you can view jpg, pdf, txt, and mp3 files right to it yourself. Its not without its problems, only one navigation buttons and books in the cooler store are more expensive than Amazon Kindle Books, although the selection seemed good. Overall its compares to Sony’s version than Amazon’s.

More Reviews:

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