SWILSA--News and Views

Strenghts; Change; "How Does Your Garden Grow" storytime kit

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Fri, 13 May 2011 12:03:00 -0500

News &; Views,May 2011 (mp3 file;   6.6 MB; 7:04 min.)
Strengths; Change; "How Does Your Garden Grow" storytime kit

Earlier this week, at subcenter meetings (and those of you going to Clarinda, here’s a spoiler) we asked librarians to share with colleagues what they believed to be the greatest strength that they brought to the library table. Knowing all of you as I do it was interesting to hear what you think is your greatest strength; sometimes I had something to add, and sometimes colleagues had something to add. (We don’t see ourselves quite as others do, do we?)   Some spoke first about weaknesses, then spoke of strengths--working with people, finding creative solutions to problems, patience, flexibility, organizational skills, getting things done. They pretty much sum of characteristics that librarians need to work effectively.

This was an exercise as a part of talking about collaboration, and what makes successful collaborations.   As you think about collaborations and collaborative projects, it’s essential to think about what you are bringing to the table, what you can best contribute to its success. If you are building a collaborative team, look for colleagues whose strengths would balance areas in which you are not as strong and make sure everyone’s strengths are utilized and appreciated.

The collaborative projects that have been discussed so far in the meetings have great potential and I hope that the teams will follow up with them.

And remember, sometimes we focus too much on weaknesses; remind yourself of your strengths, and give yourself credit for everything you are doing to bring quality library services to your community!

Links from today's podcast:
Switch, by Chip and Dan Heath

Perceptions of Libraries; National Poetry Month; "Funny Bunnies" Storytime Kit

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Fri, 8 Apr 2011 09:11:00 -0500

News & Views,April 2011 (mp3 file;   6.25 MB; 6:40 min.)
Perceptions of Libraries; National Poetry Month; "Funny Bunnies" Storytime Kit

OCLC’s “Perceptions of Libraries 2010” is a follow-up to their 2005 “Perceptions of Libraries and Information Services”   and it has some things to tell us about our users, and the world in which they live, work, and play.   You’ll want to read the entire report, which you can download for free; the link is on the blog post.

Sometimes I hear librarians talk about young people as the technology and social networking consumers, but they aren’t alone. You’ve heard often enough that my 90 year old father is a huge technology (if not social networking) consumer but OCLC reports that 90% of boomers use e-mail and search engines, and more than 50% use social networking sites. Now, while I don’t consider us boomers to be old, neither do I think we can call ourselves teens and twenty-somethings.   The teens and twenty-somethings don’t use e-mail, they use text, and that’s even becoming passe.

Here are some statistics to give us pause--we sort of know that the numbers using technology and social networking are high, but they’re higher than we might realize:

Facebook enjoyed a 1300% increase in monthly unique visits between 2005 and 2010
Mobile access to the Internet doubled to 11% (And I’d be willing to bet that that is climbing at a pretty fast rate.)
93% of Americans own cell phones, and 23% own smartphones (Again, I’m betting that that is climbing ever higher, even as we speak.)
According to the report, Morgan Stanley research predicts that shipment of smart phones will exceed shipments of PCs in 2012.
In March 2010, Facebook surpassed Google as the most visited site in the U.S.

You all have been rising to the challenge of Internet access--in many of your communities, the library is the only source of public Internet access, and most of you offer free wi fi access. You keep computers as updated as your budget allows, most offer help with the computers when you can, and some of you offer classes. It’s hard to keep up with the changes, yet they’re coming at us faster all the time. How to know what to do, or even what to ask about?

You have limited time to keep up with what you should be thinking about for services for your patrons, but I’m going to suggest that you choose just one or two blogs that you check regularly--once or twice a week. Find one that has the information you want. If I could choose just one for technology and libraries, I think it might be ALA Tech Source. (If you are on Twitter you can follow them there, too.) You’ll read what other libraries are doing, what’s on the horizon, and some ideas for how you can meet the new trends and services that we’ll all be seeing in the near future.

For now, I’m thinking a lot about mobile services, for all those people who have smartphones and iPads and iPhones and iPod Touches. How can we begin to serve them where they’re at, when they need our services. Be watching for some workshops this spring, on mobile websites, QR codes, and using social media sites to tell the library story and get the word out.

Hang in there--you’re doing great work!

Links from today's podcast:
OCLC's Perceptions of Libraries, 2010

ALA TechSource blog
Academy of American Poets (sponsors of "Poem in your pocket day")
SWILSA's Events page: National Poetry Month (incl Poem in Your Pocket mini-poster)

Out and About,

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 10:24:00 -0600

News & Views, March 2011 (mp3 file; 4.3 MB; 4.34 min.)
Out and About; "Pockets" storytime kit

On my twitter feed earlier this week I saw a post about a village in Cornwall that has used an old phone booth--you know, those wonderful red, British phone booths--for a library. A mobile library visits the village every couple of weeks, but that just couldn’t keep up with some readers. It’s very tiny, but it shows some ingenuity in meeting a need.

And that started me thinking about library outreach, in general. How do libraries in SW Iowa do outreach? How do you put the library out there in the community, in addition to having people come to visit in the library building? I know many of you take programs to preschools, and books to care and retirement centers, and to the homebound. Some partner in doing after-school programming. Those are all terrific outreach activities--”good on ya” and keep up the good work.

It’s good to sometimes revisit what we’re doing for outreach. Is what we’re doing still working as we want it to, doing what we want it to do? Does any of it need revising, or tweaking? Times change, people change...do any of our current outreach services need changing?

And, just for fun, think about a new outreach program or two--even if you don’t have the staff or money to implement it all as you’d like, you might find seeds of ideas you CAN do, or partner with someone to do. Open up the outreach services, air it out, see what might drop by.

A good place to start is looking at the unserved, or underserved. Who ISN’T using your library, and why aren’t they? Are they commuters or people working a different shift, and the library building isn’t open when they can use it? What are some ways--however wacky they may seem--that you could find to serve those current non-users? Technology offers some good options for 24/7 service, for some people and it’s a good time to explore those, if you aren’t offering them already. But think about some non-tech options, too. If you have a manufacturing plant in town, and some workers can’t use the library because of their shift hours, could you put a collection of books in the plant somewhere? What about the grocery store? I know a librarian in Wisconsin who would take a cartload of books to the local grain elevator, when farmers were waiting to unload their crops. Think about YOUR community, its people--those who using your library but also those who aren’t and their needs.

What kinds of outreach are you providing now? Share on the blog, and we can learn from each other!

Share the Success!

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 09:08:00 -0600

News & Views, February 2011 (mp3 file; 4.7 MB; 5 min.)
Share the Success!; Marketing; "Baby, It's Cold Outside!" kit

It’s been a little while since I’ve suggested stepping back, taking a breath, and remembering all the great things you’ve accomplished recently. January always seems like a good month, but with the holidays wrap up and the weather, who has had the time? Take a few minutes now to think about new services you’ve started--or “old” services that you’ve added to or enhanced or marketed better. What programs--for adults, children, teens, multiple generations--have you sponsored that you’re proud of, or that were successful? What ideas do you have running around in your head, if only you had time to put it into being?

And, then, immediately pat yourself on the back and say, “Well done!” It IS, after all, well done!

Then think about taking another step: call or e-mail or text a librarian in a neighboring town (or across the state or the country or the world) and ask her (or him) what she has done in the past year about which she’s especially proud, or felt was especially successful. Tell her “Well done!” and then ask if you can use her idea, or adapt her idea. Then tell her about one of your successes, and let her know that she should fee free to use it.

And one of those ideas floating around your head? Ask if she’s interested, too and, if so, suggest you talk about collaborating on it.

Spread the wealth of successes! And, really: Well done!!!

Links from today's podcast:
"The Role of Marketing in Revitalizing Library Services in Rural Communities", by Patricia D. Taylor. Rural Libraries Journal, Volume 27 No. 2, 2007; (On WebJunction website)

Early Childhood Literacy website

Upcoming events; Library Lover's Month; Fuzzy Wuzzy story kit

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 10:30:00 -0600

News &; Views, January 2011 (mp3 file; 4.55 MB; 4:51 min.)
Upcoming events; Library Lover's Month; Fuzzy Wuzzy story kit

Upcoming Events:

Iowa Small Libraries Online Conference January 20, 2011
Register in CE catalog (one registration, whether you attend one session, or all!)
WILBOR Audiobook/eBook Consortium information session
late February or early March (watch your e-mail)
Online Classroom for Public Programming information session
January 24, 2011
10:00 a.m.
(watch e-mail for link to classroom)

Links from today's podcast:
Library Lover's Month bulletin board idea
Printable bookmarks for Library Lovers Month
Library Lovers Month

eReaders; SLP School Visits; Snow Day storytime kit

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:43:00 -0600

News &; Views, December 2010 (mp3 file; 5.2 MB; 5:32 min.)
eReaders; SLP School Visits; Snowy Day storytime Kit

‘Tis the season for giving eReaders, it would seem.   I’ve been getting lots of questions about ereaders, both in relation to WILBOR, and outside that context.   More eReader devices are popping up in the market every day, and we know you’re getting questions from your patrons. You don’t necessarily want to be recommending any particular device, because it is very much a personal choice, but you will want to be prepared to provide them with information to help them choose--or even to just know the questions they need to be asking as they’re looking at devices.

One of my favorite sources for helping people to choose is a post on the Dear Reader blog, which asks the question, “What eReader should I buy?”   While the post pre-dates some of the eReaders that are now on the market, I think its approach to looking at eReaders is a good one: what do you want to do with it, what things are going to be most important to you. If you want to do be able to do this, take a look at these eReaders....It helps people to think about what they need to asking about, and looking for in various eReaders.

I also have a wiki on which I’ve posted some information about the ereaders that I own; for each I’ve included some specs about the device, such as weight, size, special features.   I’ve also included some purely subjective observations about what I like and what I don’t like. They’re often personal things--something I find important may not matter to another person, and what I find annoying may not bother the next person.

So, providing information about eReader devices is just like providing any other consumer information--we can help them form the questions and find information so they can make choices.

And, don’t forget that I’ll bring the Gadget Zoo to your library (or county meeting) to give you some hands-on experience with various devices. Just give me a call or drop me an e-mail and we’ll set up a date in the New Year!

Links from today's podcast:

eReaders, eTc wiki
Dear Jane:: Which Reader Should I Buy? (Dear Author blog post)
Katie's Delicious bookmarks about eReaders
E-reader Reviews.com For a list of some of the ereaders on the market
Books to help plan SLP school visits for "One World, Many Stories:"
   Shake-it-up tales, by Margaret Read mcDonald
   Len Cabral's storytelling book
    More ready-to-read tales from around the world
Early Childhood Literacy storytime kits page

E-services; Superior Performance; Thanksgiving ECL kit

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 09:31:00 -0600

News & Views, November 2010 (mp3 file; 4.5 MB; 4:47 min.)
E-services; Superior Performance; Thanksgiving ECL Kit

We’ve been hearing a lot of talk lately about the demise of libraries, in light of increasing availability and use of ebooks, online databases and other electronic resources. Now, we all know that libraries are about much more than the resources inside our walls and most of our patrons who use the library know that, too. but, as we add more and more “e” to our resources we want to think about how we might also add “e” to our services--the services we’ve always provided, but now have the opportunity to provide for electronic resources and in electronic delivery methods.

Promotion of the e-resources is key. Most of you provide EBSCOhost for your patrons, but how many of them know about it? When people ask for information, you can suggest EBSCOhost and perhaps even show them as you do a search on their topic. If you do a newspaper column or newsletter, you could do an article on it, including some examples of relevant topics--consumer reports on snow blowers, or holiday recipes, or financial planning, or whatever.

You do reader’s advisory all the time, when people ask you for a suggestion for a good book--or, you just know that Mary will like a new title that just arrived. You can do that for audiobooks and ebooks, too. If you write reviews in a newspaper column or newsletter or blog, try throwing in a review of an audiobook or ebook, too. If you have a list of new books, include a list of the new audiobooks (and soon, ebooks) on WILBOR. And if you’re helping someone find a good book, consider not just read-alikes for him, but also listen-alikes and view-alikes--and readalikes in electronic format.

So, don’t forget the “e” when you’re delivering services--you’ve worked hard to get those services for your patrons, let’s help them to use them!

References in today's podcast:

Greenberg, Gary. "The war on unhappiness: goodbye, Freud, hello positive thinking," Harper's Magazine, September 2010, p. 27-32.

K. Anders Ericsson is the author of The Cambridge handbook of expertise and expert performance and other works.

Serving Families, Dialogic Reading, "Mmm Good Food" ECL Kit

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Fri, 8 Oct 2010 10:21:00 -0500

News & Views, October 2010 (mp3 file; 4.5 MB; 4:47 min.)
Serving Families; Dialogic Reading; "Mmm Good Food" ECL Kit

One of the things you noted in our discussions at ‘The Future and Your Library” is that families are changing and that, especially, they are becoming busier. In the continued discussion online last week we talked about some things you might do in order to better serve those families, and the individuals in them. Here are a few ideas:

For those students who come to the library after school because their parents aren’t home, consider providing programming for them: start a mentoring program with other community agencies, talk with the school and teachers about providing homework help (or subscribe to a homework help service), think about changing your program hours so they coincide with when you have kids already at the library.

Take programs out to where the kids and families already are. If parents and siblings are sitting at ball practice, take some books and programs out to the ball field, or to the swimming pool.

Review your hours. Are you open, and offering programs, at times that are convenient for the families in your community? Are you offering family programs, in a family-friendly environment?

Families have many activities to attend; instead of trying to “compete” with them, join them--collaborate with other agencies to provide joint programming. “Sit at the table” when events are being planned and make sure the library is included.

If you have programs for kids and teens, do you also have programs for parents and grandparents? What support do you have for self-directed and lifelong learners?

Those are some ideas to think about, but you know what will work in your community--talk to families, think outside the norm, and try something new to serve families, of all kinds.

Links from today's podcast:
Dialogic Reading: Hear and Say Reading flyers

The Future; 2011Summer Library Program preview; "The Big Turnip"

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 09:43:00 -0500

News & Views, September 2010 (mp3 file; 4.79 MB; 5:06 min.)
The Future; 2011 Summer Library Program Preview; "The Big Turnip"

At subcenter meetings last month our discussion focused on the the future and how libraries can continue to provide good service to patrons during the changes we’re seeing now and into the future. We noted that people are increasingly mobile--in more ways than one; that information and resources are more digital, that the concept of “community” is changing, that families are changing (and they’re busier than ever!) We discussed the impact on libraries, and ways that we can begin to meet the challenges of these changes.

The changes and the future will require us to continue being good stewards of the money appropriated and granted for providing services, and finding ways to make that money stretch even further. Staff will need to be ready, informed and skilled to make good use of the technologies that will be available, and that means time to keep up and to learn new things and skills. It will require us to keep listening to, and learning about, our communities--in the many ways that “community” is now being defined--so we can develop our services around their needs. It will require us to communicate in new, as well as traditional ways, and to balance our services between traditional and new.

We’re going to continue the conversation, especially about things we can do, large and small, to meet the challenges of the present and future, in an online session on September 30 at 9:00 in the SWILSA classroom Please plan to join us, and add your voice to the discussion and ideas.

eBooks, eTc.; Dinosaurs Storytime Kit

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 09:45:00 -0500

News & Views, August 2010 (mp3 file; 4 MB; 4:17 min.)
eBooks, eTc.; Dinosaurs Storytime Kit

The library and publishing worlds are all abuzz about eBooks. I’m hearing questions from librarians who have questions themselves, or are getting questions from patrons. What eReader should I buy? Where can I get eBooks? Should libraries loan eReaders?

We discussed all of that in an online class last month and librarians from all sizes and types of libraries attended. With many small libraries in Iowa, naturally the question of resources comes up. How can a small library with a limited budget hope to provide this new service to its patrons? (For that matter, how can a large library with limited resources offer this service?)

I think there are at least two ways that a library of any size can help its patrons.

First, be familiar with resources that can help them make decisions about which eReader they might want to buy. Even among the most popular 3 or 4 there are enough differences that what is perfect for one person won’t work for another person as well. Check the blog for some links to resources. And become familiar yourself with the factors that they will want to look at--you don’t even have to be absolutely current with the features of all the readers, just be able to suggest that they might want to consider font sizes available, or the quality of the display, or if they want 3G or wi fi access to download books. If they want to download books from NEIBORS or WILBOR or netLibrary then some eReaders will work and some will not.

Secondly, if patrons are looking for freely available books to download and the library can’t afford a subscription to an ebook service such as Overdrive or netLibrary, consider joining WILBOR consortium, which will soon be offering eBooks as well as audiobooks. If that is still beyond your library’s resources at the moment, there are many sites that offer free ebooks to download. Many of them are classics that are in the public domain, but publishers and authors are now beginning to offer new titles in digital format, and for free. (Yes, often they are doing it to get you hooked on a new series, but a free eBook is a free eBook!) You could keep a list of those sites and providers for your patrons who have eReaders or want to read books on their computers.

There are currently debates about many things about eBooks and ePublshing and libraries and I’ll leave those debates to a different venues. Ebooks are in libraries, and patrons are reading them in increasing numbers. They are yet another format and service that we can offer them. If you’d like to join the mail list of Iowa librarians learning about and discussing eBooks in libraries, join the ebooks mail list!

Links from Today's Podcast:

Archive/Recording of eBooks class
Resources on eBooks, ePublshing, eReaders (on the LSA U class resources page)

Customer Service; "Slow Reading"

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Fri, 9 Jul 2010 11:55:00 -0500

News & Views, July 2010 (mp3 file; 6.8 MB; 7:15 min.)
Return to Customer Service; "Slow Reading"

You probably have noticed, as have I, that there are some weeks when you have many experiences of both very good and very bad customer service. I--and the rest of my family--had just such a week when we traveled from various places around to the country to celebrate Dad’s 90th birthday. I won’t go into all the details of all the experiences--there were some humdingers--but I found that I learned a lot from both kinds of experiences.    Because I’m very interested in customer service (and recognize that I always need work on myself to improve it) I pay close attention to it, both good and bad.   I observe 3 things: what service situation or occasion caused the experience (either good or bad), how did the service provider respond to the customer’s experience and reaction, and how did the customer--and “innocent bystanders”-- react to that response (because customer service seldom occurs in a vacuum!)

it’s usually pretty easy to find an analogous situation or cause in a library. If the experience was not good, what might the provider have done to prevent the bad experience in the first place? Are there similar kinds of things in my library that are unclear, or unfair, or annoying, or stupid--and what might I do to change that before any bad experiences arise?     If the experience was good, again, what are some of those same kinds of things that I might apply in my library to create good experiences from the beginning.

How the provider responds to a customer’s experience is key, of course, and is the focus of much of the customer service training we see. There’s no need to try to recreate all of that here, but I have learned so much from just watching responses and thinking about how I would have responded, how the provider might have responded better (unless it was really good--and I have plenty of instances of amazingly good responses), and learning from the experience, tucking away phrases or approaches or attitude that made the situation better. (Conversely, if it’s a bad response you can tuck away notes to self to NOT do that.)   How did you *feel” when the provider responded. Everyone wants to feel important and heard; I try to listen and watch for what brings that to people in those situations.   For example, during our trip we heard everything from “Sorry. Good luck with that” sort of response from a car rental company to a perfectly splended 3 hour display of courtesy, calm and caring during a 3 hour, well, siege is about the only way I can describe it, by an airline agent trying to manage a mess of flight delays and cancellations.

During that week I was particularly attuned to how the people around the customer service activities responded to what was happening to someone else. We are pretty good at recognizing the importance of the customer service with the person directly involved but, particularly in a public place such as a library, much of customer service is done with an audience.   And that audience is paying attention, so what we do is every bit as telling to the bystanders as it is to the person directly involved. I watched people trying to get flights changed calm down as the agent dealt with each calmly, kept everyone informed, and worked with a smile. I heard the auto club service responder become incensed along with me when I explained why we were calling them instead of the car rental agency--and you can bet that that person won’t be renting from that agency in her lifetime.   I intervened on behalf of a stranger when I was standing in line in a store, when the response to an issue was not at all acceptable (and I knew not in keeping with that company’s customer service policy).

Now this is not to say, by any stretch of the imagination, that I’m the greatest customer service person around--quite the opposite, in fact. All of these experiences that I observe, or am a part of, are constant reminders to me of the importance of customer service, and learning experiences as I watch masters of customer service, and tuck away those things I learn to help me get better. Real life experiences and observations are good teachers--I have little mini-workshops around me all the time!

I know you all are much better at customer service than I, and observe it around you all day. What can you share about providing excellent customer service? What really excellent customer service experience have you observed recently?

References in Today's Podcast:

"The case for slow reading," by Thomas Newkirk. Education Leadership, March 2010.
"Reading in a whole new way" by Kevin Kelly. Smithsonian, August 2010.
Online: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/specialsections/40th-anniversary/Reading-in-a-Whole-New-Way.html

Technology; "Just Ducky"

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 11:31:00 -0500

News & Views, May 2010 (mp3 file; 3.4 MB; 3:37 min.)
Technology Projects; "Just Ducky"

We continue to have questions about technology from all of you, and in response to a couple of questions, especially, that have come up frequently we have begun a couple of projects.

First, as I was out and about visiting libraries this week several librarians asked me about technology they could be considering for their libraries. You and your boards are thinking about how to keep the library in the technology game in order to be able to anticipate and meet your patron's technology questions and needs--good for you! Katie from Southeastern Library Services and I have been putting together a list of things that you might consider for your wish list. You likely won't want all of them at this point, but it's a starting point for your consideration and your prioritizing. You can find it at www.swilsa.lib.ia.us/techwishlist.htm

Secondly, several of you have talked with me about self-paced learning for yourselves and for your staff, and particularly in the area of technology. While many of you attend workshops and webinars we know that sometimes you need to be able to time and pace your learning to your own schedule. The question began to come in just as WebJunction was finalizing their "Competencies Index," which included technology competencies. Starting with those competencies, and adding a few suggested by Andrew in Clarinda, we are building a wiki with links to resources to help learn about, and acquire competency, in 6 general technology areas: e-mail, application software, hardware, operating systems, Internet and social media.

Each section will include a pre-evaluation to help you assess the specific competencies on which you might want to focus, and a post-evaluation to help you "test" what you've learned. The e-mail section is nearing completion, though I don't expect any of them will ever be complete as we find more resources and update the links. We invite you take a look at the wiki, try out some of the links, and give us your suggestions. You can find the wiki at:
librarytechcomps.pbworks.com

Links from Today's Podcast:
Library Technology Wish List
Library Technology Competencies
Early Childhood Literacy website

The Usable Library;

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Thu, 13 May 2010 12:09:00 -0500

News & Views, May 2010 (mp3 file; 5.1 MB; 5:23 min.)
The Usable Library; Storytimes for SLP; Rainy Days Storytime Kit

When I was doing a quick scan of blogs and twitter feeds a couple of weeks ago--one of my primary means of keeping up with what's going on in libraries--I found reference to a site called 'Usable Libraries." It's a very simple site, but not simplistic--it just cuts to the heart of the matter. The site includes an 8-1/2" x 11" poster to download and print, and the poster is right next to my computer where I see it all day, every day. Its message isn't a new concept, it isn't one that we need to be convinced is good and right. It's just a frequent reminder to me: "Every decision we make affects how people experience the library. Let's make sure we're creating improvements."

It's not that I haven't always tried to create improvements, it's not that I don't know that what we do here at SWILSA affects how you all experience the LSA, it's just that it's good to have that continuous reminder, always in the periphery of my vision--EVERY decision we make affects it. And it's the same for you--I know that you try to create improvements (I see that they're happening!) and you know that what you do affects your users. Somehow, thinking of it in terms of every decision helps to bring me always back to baseline, bottom line. A decision might be something fairly large, such as planning a new program or service, or as basic as whether to take a few seconds to shift focus from what I was doing to smiling as I pick up the phone.

"Experience" is an essential part of this simple, powerful reminder--people don't just come to the library, or just use the library, they experience it. We have a great deal of influence over HOW they experience, and that can seem overwhelming if you always see it through the lens of everything that goes into that experience. There is a time for that macro view but there is also a time; rather, there are LOTS of times for the micro view: every decision. If we make all those decisions, even the smallest ones, with improvements and a good user experience in mind, they will add up to the best experience the library can offer to people.

If you would like a copy of the poster for your library you can find it at usablelibrary.com I would love to see at least one poster in every library. Use it as a reminder that we're here to create improvements, but also as a reminder to yourself at the end of the day that you HAVE created improvements--and give yourself (and any staff you might be fortunate enought to have) a "well done!"

Links from today's podcast:
The Usable Library
SWILSA Youth Services Page

Learning Communities: SLP Ideas; Mother Nature ECL Kit

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Thu, 8 Apr 2010 15:22:00 -0500

News & Views, April 2010 (mp3 file; 5.1 MB; 5:27 min.)
Learning Communities;SLP Ideas; Mother Nature ECL Kit

I was privileged to be part of a presentation on webconferencing at the Public LIbrary Association conference a couple of weeks ago, and to hear what my co-presenters had to say about what they're doing in their states and organizations. Cindi Hickey, from the Kansas State Library, told us about several "cohort" groups of librarians getting together to attend virtual classes (or view the archives) and then discuss, both in person and online. And that started me thinking....a few years ago we tried a pilot program in which we helped librarians develop ILPs, or individualized learning plans. It wasn't a huge success but the idea still seemed viable. Now, with much more technology and many more tools available, an amalgam of several forms of learning and collaboration is an idea with some potential, I think, especially in bringing together librarians who are geographically isolated from colleagues, or even those who are next door. They would be "communities of learning," or perhaps "communities of practice," or both.

You, the librarians, would come together based on common interest or need--we want to raise money for a building project, or we want to work on marketing, or we want to explore social media and the library. SWILSA would facilitate in any way we could, or you needed us to--identifying librarians with a particular interest, bringing them together in a classroom or in person, helping you to find resources, setting up ways to share information and ideas--whatever you need, in whatever creative ways we can imagine.

I hope many of you will find this an intriguing possibility for sharing with your colleagues, helping each to learn what you need to learn, and getting whatever support and assistance SWILSA can give you. You'll be hearing from us soon as we begin to build these learning communities.

Links from today's podcast:
SWILSA's SLP 2010 Ideas
SLP 2010 Bulletin Board

Connecting with Facebook; new early literacy materials; Napping House apron kit

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:52:00 -0600

News & Views, March 2010 (mp3 file; 5.1 MB; 5:27 min.)
Connecting with Facebook; new early literacy materials; Napping House apron kit

As I've been working with libraries to set up connections with their community through Facebook pages I've been watching the posts that libraries make, and how patron fans respond to various posts.   I wanted to share some of those observations with you, and invite you to participate in the conversation about that: what sort of posts seem more useful, or seem to best engage your fans?

Posts seem to fall into 3 general types:
first, pushing out information, such as upcoming programs or new books;
second, inviting input about library operations or policy; and
third, inviting fans to share their own likes, interests, or opinions.

None of these is any better than the other; they each serve a purpose. Which you use, and how often, will depend on the purpose of your Facebook page. Facebook's 'Insights" will give you some measures that they think will help you to determine post quality but those numbers are based on interactions on the page, notably comments made on posts.   Those numbers can be useful if you're aware of how they are derived, and keep that in mind when evaluating the success of your Facebook presence.

Most libraries push information, which I think fans find useful, but they also create posts that invite fans to participate in conversation--connecting with the library and with each other in the virtual world, and in a way that is more informal and conversational than a website. It's another face for the library, showing that the library is a friendly place, and that it cares about what its users are thinking and doing, and wanting to "meet them where they're at," and all three types of posts contribute to that.

Each week I send to our libraries on Facebook a reminder to post to their page, and give them an idea for a post. It's interesting to follow many Iowa libraries to see what they post, and I'm particularly interested in those that generate the most comments. Recently I've seen libraries post questions about potential library building sites (and the board chair made sure she responded to each comment), library hours and which would be most useful to the community, what type of book do you like to read on a snowy day, and trivia questions and quizzes around events such as the Olympics or the Oscars or a movie release.    It may take some trial and error to find out what most engages your community, but it's fun to see the comments, and which posts most engage the fans.

Facebook posts are a great way to push information, but Facebook is social so think about all the ways in which you might take advantage of that--and use them! A quarter of the libraries in SW Iowa now have Facebook pages; if you are interested but haven't yet created a page, join us for a Facebook Fanpage FUNdamentals class, online, on March 30, from 9-11 a.m. You can register in the CE catalog.   We hope to see you on Facebook!

Links from today's podcast:
Cooperative Summer Library Program website
SWILSA's Youth Services webpage
CE Catalog

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 13:49:00 -0600

News & Views, February 20010 (mp3 file; 4.2 MB; 4:31 min.)
The User Experience, Re-energize for Summer Library Program!; Annancy Tale flannelboard

The concept of an experience economy and focusing on the user "experience" is not a new one, but one that bears revisiting from time to time, especially as so many changes take place around us--and through us! We all try to provide a good user experience, even if we don't call it that, or deliberately think of it in that way. But maybe it would be a good thing TO think of it in a deliberate way, to consciously choose what we want the user's experience of the library to be and how we can go about making that happen. And remind ourselves of it regularly, to check back in with it. We all have too much to do, and day-to-day workflow doesn't always allow us time to reflect and consider. So, sorry, yes, I guess I am about to suggest taking a few minutes--from time to time--to take a look at what you're doing to enhance the user's experience, pat yourself on the back for what you're doing well, and do any tweaking that needs to be done.

The first step is to think about what you want your library user experience to be; you probably already know, you just haven't articulated it in that way. You want them to feel welcome, or you want the library to be the community living room, whatever it might be. Then jot down some ways to ensure that that is the experience your users have. A greeting for EVERYONE when he comes in the door; a reply to a question within x amount of time, or say yes whenever possible. (You may have been reading or hearing about the Colorado library that keeps a file of all the times they've had to say no to a patron, not as a punitive thing, but as a way to look at how they can turn that into a "yes" for the next patron who has that question or circumstance.)

It doesn't need to be an elaborate list, perhaps just two or three things that you and the entire staff do consistently well. It can make a huge difference.

A New Year

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 11:43:00 -0600

News & Views,January 20010 (mp3 file; 5.4 MB; 5:44 min.)
A New Year; "Civility Solution;" Sleepy Bears apron kit

It's a new year--a new decade, actually, and that is when people traditionally make New Year's resolutions. I've never been very good at those, I admit. A customer at the quilt shop said that resolutions should be one word, and the vote of everyone there seemed to be "finish," for all us quilters who have a huge stack of UFOs--UnFinished Objects. I'm not sure what a librarian's one-word resolution might be...knowing all of you I'd be inclined to say "Service" but you all do that, anyway, so it's not much a resolution, except as an affirmation.

Because I'm not much for New Year's resolutions, here's a different thought for this new year: let's look back at 2009 and think about those things of which we're proud, or maybe the one thing of which we're most proud. Is the library even friendlier? Have you offered more programs, introduced a popular new service? Tell each other stories about what worked really well, or really touched your patrons, or made a difference.
Congratulate yourself and the staff and the board--well done! Then think about HOW you accomplished that great and good thing. What did it take in time, or staff learning, or advocacy, or planning, or creative thinking? Give each other kudos for those things, too.
(I think we spend too much time fretting over what we DON'T accomplish, when we should be energizing ourselves with reminders of our accomplishments, so we can move forward positively.)

Now, there's probably at least one thing on your mind that you'd like to do in the coming year. You've already identified some things you're good at, because you used them to accomplish good things last year. How can you apply those things to your next project or idea? They're proven winners--put them to work for you again.

And that's appreciative inquiry--reflect on what you've done well, how you've done that well, and build on it. You've all got the right stuff--I've seen it. So, have a great year!

Magic of Libraries; Elves and the Shoemaker flannelboard

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:55:00 -0600

News & Views, December 2009 (mp3 file; 3.4 MB; 3:40 min.)
Magic of libraries; Elves & the Shoemaker flannelboard

The "official" Thanksgiving for this year is now past, but as we head into the holiday season I'm thinking of all the reasons I'm thankful for the work I do. With all the stresses we're all facing these days, it's a good time to "remember the magic."

I'm thankful for all of you, who are the ones who are really doing your magic for your patrons, every day. Whether or not they all acknowledge it or even realize it, they are lucky to have you to help them explore new worlds, grow their skills, find answers, or disappear into a good story for awhile.

We all came into our library roles for different reasons and in different ways, but I think we have all been captivated, during moments that on some days may seem rare, by the look of dawning understanding on a child's face when she realizes that she can read, or the wonder in children's eyes when they're listening to a good story, or the light in an older patron's eyes when you take the time to visit with him, or the "Hey!" greeting of recognition you get from a teenager when you see her on the street or in the store.

For many of us there's a comfortable sort of magic, mixed with anticipation, when we open a new book, or an old favorite. One of the things I have missed since I left the sphere of the public library is opening a box of new books--it's like holiday magic all over again...and again. And the joy of sharing those books and stories just adds to the magic.

Santa may be able to cover the world in a single night, but with what you do you can help people travel to the other side of the globe in an instant, too, through books or the web or videos.

Holidays are for sharing, and goodness knows that the world could use all the sharing and helping each other that we can muster. We, and our friends and neighbors all over, deserve to find some joy and peace, especially in these difficult times. The services you provide at the library--from computers and information to find a new job, to a smile on a really hard day, you are magic for the people who come through your doors--real or virtual. Thank you for all that you do.

We at SWILSA hope that you find joy and peace during the holiday season, and throughout the new year.

Helping jobseekers; the power of simplicity; holiday storytime kits

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:24:00 -0600

News & Views, November 2009 (mp3 file; 4.5 MB; 4:45 min.)
Helping jobseekers; the power of simplicity; holiday storytime kits

Earlier this week I met with folks from Workforce Development for areas 13 and 14, to talk about how Workforce and libraries in the area might collaborate to help those who are looking for work. They are aware of what libraries are already doing, and are interested in helping with that, through a variety of means. I will be sending an e-mail to all of you with some specific questions and ideas, and some materials to review. The State Library and Workforce Development in Des Moines are planning a session on navigating the Workforce website, and in this area we're talking about an online meeting that will give you all a chance to talk with workforce staff in Council Bluffs and Creston, to find out what they might offer to you, and how libraries might further help job seekers, whether it be space for meetings or classes, or providing materials or referrals, or advertising for area classes and programs, or whatever else we all can think of together.

I know you are already doing a great deal for your patrons who are looking for work--helping them with computer literacy skills as they apply online, or getting e-mail addresses, or finding resources to help them with resumes and interviews, or starting a small business. Thank you for what you are doing for Iowans--you truly are a vital and essential part of your communities, in good times and in more difficult times. Keep up the good work, and let us know your ideas for how we might help you to do that good work.

Links from today's podcast:
Iowa Workforce Development website

In the works; :The Power of Small," Halloween Story Kits

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Fri, 9 Oct 2009 11:25:00 -0500

News & Views, October 2009 (mp3 file; 5.7 MB; 6:07 min.)
In the Works; "The Power of Small;" Halloween Story Kits

We're working on a couple of projects that we hope might be useful to you, to use or to duplicate at your library.
First, I was involved in a 'Tech Bytes" day at the Bayard library a couple of weeks ago, demonstrating WILBOR. The library had an open house that day, and demonstrated various technology services available to patrons: WILBOR, EBSCOhost, the local newspaper online, their DVD cleaning service, and their Wii. Various staff, trustees and volunteers demonstrated the services, and they served snacks related to them: sports drink for the Wii sports, round crackers with spread and an olive slice for the disc cleaner, etc. This is one way to let people know some of those services the library offers that they might not have known about, or had forgotten about.

Secondly, I was asked by a library to teach Twitter and Facebook classes to patrons in the library and, while I'm not in the business of doing that, it did give me some "push" to work on something I've been wanting to do for awhile: classes in a box, which I'm calling "Out of the Box." These kits would include materials to help librarians teach classes on various computer and Internet topics to the public. I have completed Twitter and will be giving the concept a trial run at a library next week, to make sure that it is all in sync with the likely space, computer, and logistical challenges that libraries might face when teaching classes to the public. The kits will contain "To do" lists for class preparation, outline for the class, a script (though librarians may certainly do their own thing!), handouts, a news release, and a flyer. I'll let you know how it goes, and when the Twitter "Out of the Box" is ready to go. Let me know other topics you'll be interested.

Oh, and by the way, Dreama has updated.two of the computer helpsheets--creating a resume in Word, and creating mailing labels--and those will be available soon.

Links from today's podcast:
Register for Career Reading Roundtable in the CE catalog
Story Kits

Kudos! WebJunction Classes; "Six Foolish Fishermen"

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 09:06:00 -0500

News & Views, September 2009 (mp3 file; 5.5 MB; 5:54 min.)
Kudos!; WebJunction classes; "Six Foolish Fishermen"

You're all seeing a huge increase in the use of your libraries--more people using computers, more people checking out books and videos, more people looking for information about how to deal with the tough economic times, just more people through the door. I know that you're happy to help those who are trying to cope, but I'd also like you to be sure that you're considering ways to help YOU to cope with increased workload and the stress that accompanies that. I'm not a psychologist or self-help expert, but here are some things I've noticed about my job as a librarian, and one way in which I help end each day on a "up" note, so the next day I can start new.

Our jobs are similar enough in nature that I suspect you'll also find that, no matter what you have planned to do on any given day, the day takes on a life of its own and you come to the end of a day in which you've been really busy, but haven't checked off anything on your "to do" list for the day. To be sure, you've helped your customers, which is the priority of your job, but what about all those other, behind the scenes things that you needed to get done? It feels like the day has somehow slipped away.

Here's something I've been trying over the past few days; see if you think it might be something you might try. I'm a list person, I admit, and this is rather "list-y" but hopefully not obsessively so. For the very last activity of the day, as I'm closing up shop or driving home, I think of one thing during the day of which I'm most proud, or most happy to have accomplished. It might be something to do with customer service, or something to do with getting a report done, or the computers updated....it doesn't have to be monumental, and the rest of the world doesn't need to know what you've chosen. Some days my thing would seem pretty insignificant to anyone else. End the day with remembering an accomplishment, and a pat on the back. Clear everything else off your mind. The day is finished, you did all that you were able in that time and, darn it, you did a good job. Note to self: Congratulations! Good work! Then you can start the next day remembering that you ended the day with a positive, so you can start the next day on a up note, knowing that you'll be finding another positive at the end of the day.

It's a small thing, but I'm finding that "clearing the decks" and not fretting over all that I DIDN'T get done, but rather something that did get done, helps me start the new day fresh and more energized.

Let me know how YOU stay upbeat--I know you're all customer focused and doing a great job out there; what keeps the smile on your face throughout the day?

Remember: Note to self: Well done!

Links from today's podcast:
WebJunction Iowa

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 09:37:00 -0500

News & Views, August 2009 (mp3 file; 4.5 MB; 4:40 min.)
The times they've been a-changin'; New event and activity ideas; The Wheels on the Bus Go 'Round and 'Round

Today is my 25th anniversary here at the regional library/library service area. Where does the time go? I've been doing a little reminiscing over the past couple of weeks, remembering how we used to do things. The fundamental job is the same, but how we do it has changed in ways we couldn't have imagined then. I remember the first Internet workshop we did, with AEA13. Everyone had to bring their own computers--and this was LONG before laptops or even before the big suitcases that passed for portables at the time. There was no http, no graphical interface...does anyone remember Gopher? Archie? Veronica?

We did interlibrary loan using a union card file in the office--everyone sent us an extra shelf list card and when a request was phoned in we would check the file, and call the libraries who owned it. If none of our libraries owned it, it was put on the I-LITE "wheel," a teleype system among the resource libraries around the state. When SWIRLS started doing a microfiche catalog, and each library could have a copy--well, we'd gone to heaven. We're pretty spoiled today, but what a great improvement in service the Iowa Locator and the statewide interlibrary loan system are!

And the fax network! I remember running to the fax when the first ones came in, three of us standing over it, almost giggling.

Well, I won't carry on with memories any longer but think about your own time in libraries, and how much has changed--even if you've been at the library only a short time, look at how much you have absorbed, how much more you are doing for your patrons. I look at what all of you are doing, and I am amazed and humbled. Keep up the good work with carrying libraries into the exciting future!
--Karen

Links from today's podcast:
Hispanic Heritage Month resources on SWILSA
Activities for building early childhood literacy skills

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:56:00 -0500

News & Views, July 2009 (mp3 file; 4.29 MB; 4:34 min.)
Wayfinding in the Library; Volunteerism and Libaries

As I was looking for examples of Pecha Kucha presentations for an upcoming class I ran across a video pecha kucha about emotionally intelligent signs. (The video is less than 5 minutes long, and I encourage you to take a few minutes to watch it--the link is on the blog.) I like what it has to say about creating signs that demonstrate an understanding of people and how they think and act. Think about reactions to the wording on signs. What would YOU like to see on a sign?

And that led me to think, again, about signage in libraries. I think we often craft signs that are OUR response to an issue or situation, as a sort of emotional reaction--OUR emotions about it all. That doesn't necessarily make for a sign that is emotionally intelligent from the user's point of view. Think about the signs in your front window, or on your front door. Take a little poll. How many times does "no" appear on the signs? Is there a welcome-we're-glad-you're-here sign? (It is THEIR library, after all!) Take a tour of the library and look at all your signs. Imagine a library in which 'No" doesn't appear on any signs. Maybe that's not possible, but can you eliminate as many "nos" in the signs as possible? Sure, you need to have some guidelines for acceptable behaviors, but can you phrase them in something other than a sign that is a list of "no"?

Every library I talk to tells me that usage is much higher these days. That means your regular patrons are coming in more often but it also means that you're seeing some people that you haven't seen very often, or at all. It might be useful to have someone who doesn't regularly use the library to take a tour, and try to accomplish some common tasks: find a book in the catalog, locate it on the shelf, know where to return a book, where should she ask a reference question, where's the bathroom?

Are the signs attractive? They're easy to create and print on computer, so there's no need for hand-lettered signs.

Friendly, helpful signage goes a long way toward making the library a place that feels welcoming and comfortable. You have just a few seconds to make a good first impression. What impression does your front door make on your users, old and new?

Links from Today's Podcast:
Emotionally Intelligent Signs, Daniel Pink
SWILSA Holidays and Events webpage
Serve.gov
United We Serve (ALA)

Making Your Website Their Own; Pajama Party Kits; Chicken Little Flannelboard

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:23:00 -0500

News & Views, June 2009 (mp3 file; 4.9 MB; 5:11 min.)
Making Your Website Their Own; Pajama Party Kits;

Every library needs a website, and these days people expect more from a website--they don't want just the library's address and hours. How do you make the library's website your own--or, rather their own? Address and hours are important to include, of course, but there are a few more things to think about when you're working on your website:

1) Give them a good reason--or lots of good reasons--to keep coming back to the website. This means something new and interesting on the home page--often. The photo and your address and your hours just aren't going to change all that often, so why would they feel a need to come back to the site?

How about a list of new books and videos? And I mean books and videos that have arrived within the last week or two. Library Thing makes that very easy--and makes for a very nice online display, too.

Do you have information about upcoming programs and events? RSSCalendar or a Twitter feed widget make it easy to keep those current.

2) Do you have something uniquely local, that makes it YOUR community's library? Perhaps a community history project, using the web to share photos or stories. Flickr or WikiTree are tools that can help you with that. (And I'm guessing you have some people in the community who would love to dig in and help!)

3) Next, do you have timely information, up front? You could have links to tax forms during tax season, or right now, information on job seeking or starting a small business. The "Help in Tough Times" website can help you with that.

4) Finally (though by no means should you limit yourself to just these suggestions!), do you provide an easy way for your patrons to connect and converse with you? E-mail is good, but live chat is almost expected these days. Meebo, with its "MeeboMe widget" makes it easy to do, for both you and your patrons. (A library in SW Iowa did it a few weeks ago, and they love it!)

Keeping the website alive and current tkes time, but it's a solid investment. Look for a series of online workshops starting later this summer that will show you how to use the tools I've mentioned, and more. Invest in that website--it can yeld high returns!

Links from today's podcast:
Library Things
RSS Calendar
Twitter
Flickr
WikiTree
Help in Tough Times
Meebo
Storytime Kits on the Early Childhood Literacy Website

News & Views, May 8, 2009

kburns@swilsa.lib.ia.us (Southwest Iowa Library Service Area) — Fri, 8 May 2009 09:10:00 -0500

News & Views, May 2009 (mp3 file; 6 MB; 6:25 min.)
Collaboration; Reading to Reduce Stress; Old MacDonald Storytelling Resources

We're all hearing more and more about collaboration these days, in these tough times. Collaboration won't solve all the problems of the world or of libraries, but it certainly can be part of the solution. Collaboration with other libraries, partnerships with other community agencies and organizations, conversations with colleagues--we can use them all to look for ways to provide better, and perhaps more efficient, services.

The Library Service Areas are looking at more ways to collaborate, for example. One new project is developing a series of resources to help libraries help their patrons in tough times. "Help in Tough Times" includes a website with links to a host of resources and ideas of how libraries can and are providing help in these tough times; a blog for sharing ideas, and Twitter, where we can quickly update you when we find a new resource or hear about a new idea. You'll be getting more information very soon about this project, and we'll keep you updated as we continue to develop it.

All libraries have been quite good at sharing and collaboration with each other for some time, but we're enterprising folk so we're always on the lookout for new ideas, new ways of doing things. Tools such as instant messaging and wikis and Google Docs and Wimba allow us to work together without investing so much in time and travel, and we're getting better about using them to good purpose. We partner with some organizations and agencies, sometimes, but during these tough times it doesn't hurt to take a few minutes to brainstorm about other, new possibilities: And don't forget the strengths you bring to the table, that you can offer to others!

I was privileged to be asked to help develop some of the questions for discussion at the recent Iowa Small Library Association's spring meeting, and maybe some of the quesitons will spark a new idea for you; here are three of them:

1) In what ways can you collaborate/share with your fellow librarians to provide enhanced service with limited resources? With other community organizations and agencies?

2) What do you consider your greatest strength/interest in the library field that you could "trade" with a colleague for her/his strength/interest, to improve or add to service in both (or more!) libraries?

3) In an ideal world (money and time no object), what one service would you add to your library's services?
Then: what is one seed or kernel of that idea, however small, (or one step) that you could begin to implement today, perhaps in collaboration with another library or agency?

In tough times with tight budgets and more work than we find time for it's difficult to carve out time to just think, but a few minutes of brainstorming and sharing ideas with others can reap the benefit of more or better services, with workload decreased in the collaboration and sharing.

Link from today's podcast:
Reading can help reduce stress