Date post: | 13-May-2015 |
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If You Can’t Change The Patron, Change The Library
Brian Herzog, Chelmsford (MA) Public Library
What I’m Not…
……A Good Public SpeakerA Good Public Speaker
What I’m Not…
……A A CheerleaderCheerleader
Ways to Rethink ReferenceVirtual Chat Reference
Roving Reference (inside and outside the library)
Technology Help Desk
Other ideas?
What We’re Doing1. Revamp Collection &
Repurpose Use of Floor Space
2. Mobilize the Library Website
3. Improve Remote Access to Traditional Tools
Revamp Collection & Repurpose Use of Floor Space
Rethinking Reference – Part 1
Before Photos
Before Photos
Before Photos
Problem #1:
Underutilization of Reference Collection
Have to check both Ref and Non-Fiction collections for a single topic (and Oversize!)
No one wants to use books they can’t take home
Revamp & Repurpose
Problem #2:
Drawbacks of Dewey for Non-Fiction Collection
Linear Shelving = Crowded Stacks
Dewey is great for organization, not great for access – examples: “Career” books could be in 331.702 or
650.1 “Home Improvement” could be in 620's,
640's, 680-690's, 720’s or 740's
Revamp & Repurpose
Problem #3:
Not Enough Study Rooms
Never enough quiet study spaces or places for groups to work
We had tutors fighting over who reserved our one study room
Revamp & Repurpose
Our Goals:
1.Interfile & Circulate Reference and Non-Fiction Collections
2.Highlight Popular Non-Fiction Subjects
3.Build More Study Rooms
Revamp & Repurpose
1. Process for Interfiling & Circulating Reference Collection
Weed ~50% of the Ref Collection (and some non-fiction too)
Identify those items that need to stay in the building, make them Ready Ref
Circ for 3 weeks anything possible Circ for 1 week everything else (they
are also non-requestable and non-renewable)
Revamp & Repurpose
2. Highlight Popular Non-Fiction Subjects
To make room in the Non-Fiction stacks, pull out popular subjects that can be stand-alone collections
Use subject stickers and signs on tables to identify collection
Revamp & Repurpose
2. Highlight Popular Non-Fiction Subjects
Purchase three “index tables” to make popular collections more accessible These went where Ref Stacks used to
be Each table has shelves, table space,
and one chair Provides extra seating even if those books
aren’t being used
Revamp & Repurpose
3. Build More Study Rooms
Town employees and hired contractor build three new small study rooms Big enough for two people (8’x8’) Work counter instead of table saved space All have AC plugs, ethernet jack, and clock All have floor-to-ceiling window
Get rid of entire magazine archive Underused, most available in databases Kept archive of Consumer Reports and
Nat. Geo.
Revamp & Repurpose
After Photos
After Photos
After Photos
After Photos
Before & After Photos
Before
After
Revamp & Repurpose
New Study Rooms Built
What We Learned Later
Staff was reluctant to weed Reference, but no one missed what we deleted
Not one person has asked about magazines
Patrons understand the 7-Day Loan stickers
You will have construction delays But be there when the building happens
Revamp & Repurpose
What We Learned Later
Study rooms needed more sound insulation
Clocks tick too loudly Subject tables need better signage
Compromise between aesthetics and function
Dividing the collection isn’t always intuitive Struggle with Education and Career books Atlases don’t fit on shelves, but did in OS
Revamp & Repurpose
Project Costs: $23,515
Construction (walls/windows): $16,580
Study tables (3): $4,295 Chairs (10): $2,061 ($200/chair!) Data computer lines: $309 Signage: $270 Town employees did
electrical/lighting
Revamp & Repurpose
Mobile the Library Website
Rethinking Reference – Part 2
Mobilize the Library WebsiteWho needs a mobile website?It’s not up to us
(I don’t even have a cell phone)Ask your patronsReview your website logs
Mobilize the Library WebsiteMobile Options: App vs. Mobile Web
Mobile App: a self-contained application downloaded and installed on a mobile phone
Mobile Web: a website specifically designed for the small screen of a mobile phone’s web browser
Mobilize the Library WebsiteMobile AppPros? Cons?
Looks and sounds cool! Are you cool enough to support it?
Easy-access icon on main screen
Patrons must find and install it – and it must work with their (meaning every!) phone
You can build it yourself Takes “advanced programming skills”(C, C#, C++, Objective-C, Java, etc.)
You can buy one/hire someone to create it
Takes money
Mobilize the Library Website• Boopsie• Complete catalog plus static info (hours, contact info…)• Works on any phone• Expensive(ish)• Customers: Seattle, San Jose, Notre Dame, WorldCat
• LibraryAnywhere (from LibraryThing)• Complete catalog plus static info (hours, contact info…)• Works on some phones, more on the way• Less expensive than Boopsie• Customers: LoC, Concord (NH), Boston University
Mobilize the Library WebsiteMobile Web
Pros? Cons?
Gets library into the mobile world quickly
Can’t say, “we have an app!”
Works on any phone with a browser
Patrons must remember to look for you
Easy to update content Your catalog still might suck
You can build it yourself Might look like you built it yourself
You can buy one/hire someone to create it
Takes money
Mobilize the Library Website• Design to Accommodate• Canton (MI) Public Library (http://www.cantonpl.org)
• One-Pager (influx.us/onepager/)• Developed by Aaron Schmidt and Amanda Etches-
Johnson• Specifically developed to be easy for mobile patrons• Totally free to libraries - they’ll even help get it
working
• Find a Mobile Theme• For you WordPress/Drupal/Joomla/etc. people
• Build Your Own• Here’s what I did…
Mobilize the Library Website• ChelmsfordLibrary.org/mobile
• What you can’t see• Catalog search box• Link to full website
Mobilize the Library Website• It’s just a little website!
Mobilize the Library Website• Remember: Design for Use
Big buttons
Big fonts
Clear text
Mobilize the Library WebsiteDesign for Use Scenarios…getting out of work, need to know how late the library is open
…coming to a program and wants to know when it starts and how to get there
…in a bookstore and sees a book they want to read
Mobilize the Library Website
• Include for all branches
• Link to Google Maps
• Click-to-call phone numbers• <a href="tel:9782565521">+1 978-256-5521</a>• <a href="wtai://wp/mc;9782565521">+1 978-256-5521</a>• +1 978-256-5521
• Click to email• <a href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]</a>
• Hours – as clearly as possible
Mobilize the Library Website
• Events are pulled from our main calendar via RSS feed• Using Feed2JS.org to format and provide embeddable code• Showing only events for next seven days
Mobilize the Library Website
Form to ask questionOr suggest new feature for mobile site
Sends message as email to Reference Desk, just like web forms on full website
Mobilize the Library Website
• Form to suggest a purchase• Subtle reminder to search catalog first• Ask them to provide Library Card Number, Title/Author/ISBN, and where they found it
Mobilize the Library Website
It might work, it might not
Biggest drawback of mobile website/biggest benefit of an app
When you’re shopping for a new ILS, ask about this
Mobilize the Library Website• Auto-Detect & Redirect
• CSS (like Canton Public Library)• Best method, but most takes the most work to
implement
• Javascript• Runs in patron’s browser, so not totally reliable
• PHP• Runs on the server, so better than javascript• http://detectmobilebrowsers.mobi/
Mobilize the Library Website• But just in case…
Failsafe Link
Mobilize the Library Website• Try your new mobile site on as many
different devices as you can find
• Online phone emulators• http://www.testiphone.com• http://mobiready.com• http://validator.w3.org/mobile/
• Firefox User Agent Switcher• https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/
addon/59/
Mobilize the Library Website• http://www.statcounter.com
• http://www.google.com/analytics/
• What to look for• Overall usage• Visitor location• Devices used• …all the usual stats
Mobilize the Library Website
Mobilize the Library Website
Rethinking Reference – Part 3
Improve Remote Access to Traditional Tools
Rethinking Reference – Part 3Create a microfilm obituary indexOnline and searchable – save patron & staff time
Lots of volunteer hours, Microsoft Excel, and Yahoo Pipes
Two weekly papersChelmsford Newsweekly 1940-93Chelmsford Independent 1986-
Microfilm Obituary Index
Microfilm Obituary Index
Microfilm Obituary Index
Microfilm Obituary Index
Microfilm Obituary Index
Microfilm Obituary Index
Microfilm Obituary Index
Microfilm Obituary Index
Microfilm Obituary Index
THANK YOU
SwissArmyLibrarian.net/talks/nhla11
Brian Herzog, Chelmsford (MA) Public Library