Date post: | 30-Jun-2015 |
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The Main Event! Blogging Librarian vs. Blogging Library
Who Makes The Best Use of Emerging Technology?
Jason HammondOrganization Development Specialist
Regina Public Library Emerging Technologies Interest Group
CLA Pre-ConferenceMay 29, 2009
And Who Are You Again?
• BA – English (1996)• First “Real” Job = SPG “Virtual Book Festival”
Coordinator (1997)• First Librarian Job = Branch Supervisor,
Southeast Regional Library (2007)• “And if it weren’t for that blasted Julie Jones, I could’ve got away with it too!”
(It’s hard to see but yes, that is a cake in the shape of a computer that my mother made me for my 21st birthday. Not a hockey stick. Not a sports car. Not even one of those joke cakes of boobies. A cake… In the shape of… A computer.)
Southeast Regional Library
• Hired as “Branch Supervisor”
• Responsible for oversight of 46 branches in towns from 200 to 2000 people across SE Saskatchewan
Southeast Regional Library
• Main use of technology = e-mail, web site…and cell phone!
• Dynix Classic as ILS
• No wireless in non-city branches
How I Was Introduced At My First Coffee Break…
“This is Jason Hammond. He’s from Indian Head. He did his MLIS at Western. And he has a blog.” (cue ominous music)
To Be Fair (aka “What’s a G-U-R-U?”)
• One of the first systems to automate online catalogue in North America (early 1990’s)
• Assigned E-Branch Research Project
• Did 2 ½ months of staff and general public training at all branches. (“ Ask The Guru” works better as “Ask the Expert”)
•Used Writeboard, Survey Monkey, LibraryElf and other 2.0 services
whenever I got the chance.
Emerging Tech in Public Libraries
• Ambivalence, lack of trust, understanding
• Often seen as time-consuming rather than time-saving
• Many libraries think they’re ahead of the curve when they’re actually behind it.
That’s the Warm-up…Now For the MAIN EVENT!!!
Who’s Better At Using Emerging Technologies?
• A chip-head blogging librarian who gets asked to present at an Emerging Technology Pre-Conference and whose mom makes him computer-shaped birthday cakes.
• The public library system of a mid-sized Canadian city that is one of the best-funded libraries, per capita, in the country and which has a long history of innovation in a number of different areas.
In the Red Corner…
• Born 1973
• Weighing in at…more than he should.
• Reach: Worldwide via his blog and Facebook friends (but mostly librarians and library-types.)
In the Blue Corner…
• Born 1908
• Weighing in at225 staff members.
• Reach: Worldwide via web site, blogs and Facebook (but mostly the citizens of Regina.)
LET’S GET READY TO RUUUUMMMMBBBBBLLEE!!!
“Expected” LibraryServices
Web Site
• No longer has one, the one he had was crappy anyhow.
• Static HTML for the most part – labour-intensive but also most flexibility.
• “At the Library” as PDF • New “Virtual Services
Manager” position coming• Move to CMS?
0 1
Intranet
• Uses LogMeIn.com • Uses Sphider open-source PHP search engine
• Oodles of useful info• But no remote log-in so
no point for you!
1 1
Message Board
• None. • Staff regularly use free Boards2Go.com message board to buy & sell, provide recommendations
1 2
Traffic Analysis
• Internal Blog Stats & Flag Counter & Google Analytics
• Nextstat.com for web site stats and blogs have stats as well.
2 2
Additional Technology Related Services
Blogging
• One main blog since 2006 plus occasional contributions to others that are online and private (work, volunteer)
• Multiple blogs, both internal and external
• Frequently cited as “how to do it” by other libraries and observers
• Many staff have role in maintaining blogs.
2 3
Wikis
• Use Wikis as needed but not integrated into my blog
• Internal and external Wikis plus use of PBWiki on occasion
2 4
RSS
• On every post. • Only on content generated by blogs or wikis
3 4
Instant Messaging
• Have accounts on every service. Use none of them regularly
• Reference Services uses Meebo
3 5
Podcasts
• Have uploaded one audio clip of myself from an appearance on community radio, mainly because it was Freedom to Read Week and I kept saying “nutsack”
• Dunlop Art Gallery site (also maintained by RPL web coordinator) has podcasts as MP3`s and also on iTunes.
3 6
Specific External Services
• Mostly pics of my two-year old.
• Hosted local history “scanning party”
• Have albums for every branch as well as some other events and services.
3 7
• Mostly clips of my two-year old.
• Have account but only has two “test” videos on it, both from over a year ago.
4 7
• Dumping ground for pretty much everything I find online that I’ll only want to visit once.
• Prairie History Room has Delicious account for staff and patrons doing research.
4 8
• Updating just once a month or so gets me a point here?
• Yes, because RPL has no Twitter account (though our Deputy Director is a regular user though not about RPL-related issues.)
5 8
• 638 friends• Published first-ever
article in Feliciter about Facebook.
• 676 fans of our nine branches in total. (885 if you count Dunlop Art Gallery)
5 9
• “Does anybody use MySpace anymore?”
• “I don’t know, do they?”
5 9
• I have four presentations up (soon to be five?) which have thousands of views
• I set-up RPL’s Slideshare account but got questioned by a manager as to why I would use it instead of the Intranet
6 9
• I use for my online resume and to upload promotional posters for events.
• No account.
7 9
Mash-Ups
• I got a takedown notice from Universal Music for using a Loretta Lynn song in a video photo montage I made.
• Prairie History Room has Google Maps mash-up to show service provider locations and local historical sites
8 9
Other Emerging Technologies
Gaming
• If you’d asked me this ten years ago, I’d have won…now, my son is my home entertainment system.
• Have Wii for use in branches but with very few games
• No video games for loan in any format
8 10
Mobile Services
• My wife and I only have a cell phone in case our car breaks down.
• We have a mobile version of our web site with links to core services (OPAC, Hours, Film Theatre)
• Our managers love their Blackberries! 8 11
Downloadable Books
• I don’t own an iPod and my Sony MP3 player won’t work with my new MacBook
• Launching Overdrive at the start of July.
8 12
Wireless
• I have it at home and it’s secured – though I sometimes debate whether I should open it up completely.
• We have wireless in all our branches with no log-in required, users just need to agree to a TOS page
8 13
Participating In the Conversation
• I use Google News Alerts, blog comments and trackbacks, NetVibes, referrer stats to monitor what’s being said about me/my blog/my areas of interest.
• At least one librarian at RPL uses Google News Alerts and Google Blog Search among other methods to monitor what’s being said about RPL.
9 13
New PAC’s
• I just bought my first MacBook Pro a few months ago so, computer cake be damned, I’m finally cool!
• Change in focus to roll out latest, newest computers to patrons then staff instead of reverse.
• New PAC’s have graphics software, Chrome, various games AND a Bit Torrent client (not Azeureus but that`s what I prefer so I`ll like to it!)
• Talk of loaner laptops in newest branch.
9 14
Innovation
• Not at the library but I just helped a political candidate launch Canada’s first “money bomb” fundraiser.
• RPL has a history of innovation and continues to be cited for our use of technology on blogs, by students, and in books.
10 14
Some Other Tech Related Stuff At RPL
• SILS (Single Integrated Library System) for entire province. Innovative Interfaces instead of Evergreen.
• Have LibX and custom RPL Search Bar available for download
• One embedded video
• Job postings as a blog
Final Thoughts…• “Emerging Technology” runs the whole gambit in public
libraries. For some, having a web site with a guestbook is still cutting edge.
• Bureaucracy is the enemy. For example, a library that`s similar to RPL in size and funding might battle just to get a single blog approved (with all kinds of restrictions requested – moderated comments, formal policies approved and posted, language restrictions.)
• Often times, the innovation is based on a “better to ask forgiveness than permission” model coming from tech-savvy staff.
• With that said, having sympathetic managers makes a huge difference.
Final Thoughts…
• “Meet your patrons where they are” is a popular maxim in libraries which is why emerging technologies are so important. If we don`t do this, we`re increasingly missing a huge swath of people.
• Much emerging technology is antithetical to traditional organizational practice so it’s a major adjustment. (Openness, empower staff, generational shift)
• What Would Google Do? by Jeff Jarvis
Any Questions?