What's Still Wrong wtih Reference

Interesting opinion piece in Library Journal

"Reference Desk 2.0 - ...the 1984 reference model endures in too many libraries today: librarians passively waiting at a desk for people to approach.
We must experiment more with having reference librarians roam among users, actively asking if they can help them. Some libraries already have embraced this strategy with positive results. But we can do more, both at the library and online. I don't mean to suggest we stalk patrons, just that we more actively solicit and then win their attention and respect as teachers."
http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6497259.html

The 2010 Librarian

What skill sets does the 2010 Librarian need?

http://www.multcolib.org/products/presentations/onlinenw07_skillset.html

Librarians and Stress

"Librarians are the most unhappy with their workplace, often finding their job repetitive and unchallenging, according to psychologist Saqib Saddiq....Librarians complained about their physical environment, saying they were sick of being stuck between book shelves all day, as well as claiming their skills were not used and how little control they felt they had over their career."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4605476.stm

Project Charter

A "beta" Project Charter has been developed and is to be used for all Projects - for example, the Collections, the Early Years Programming Project, etc. The Charter template is saved at

I:\COMMON\INFORMATION SERVICES\ISR\ISpressotogo Team\Project Mgmt

Test-Driving Ispresso - Fall 2007 Programs & the Early Years Programming Project

For the fall program planning cycle, MPL is going to “test-drive” the ispressotogo approach to program planning.

Children’s Librarian Hilary Huffman will plan Early Years programs (baby to preschool) system-wide for fall 2007.

Hilary will develop the project through the ispressotogo project charter and project management processes. Her “test-drive” experiences and lessons learned will provide a basis for subsequent full implementation of ispressotogo.

Here is an outline summary of the Project:

Early Years Programming Project

Scope: Plan Early Years programs (baby to preschool) system wide for fall 2007

Timeline: As soon as possible to end of July at the latest (output from project needs to be finished by the publicity deadline

• Coordinate with Diane Macklin, Marketing and Programming Strategist
• Consult with branch staff who deliver current programs
• Explore options for new programs
• Define roles for those involved at different levels of the project
• Define expectations and measurable goals for attendance & revenue generation
• Set schedule system wide
• Book rooms and liaise with external presenters as needed
• Make recommendations for training or coaching for staff as needed (coordinate with Judi McCallum)
• Make recommendations for the improvement/development of the project charter based on your experience
• Blog the experience for other staff who will undertake similar projects in the future
  
  Participating in the Project – Calling All Staff!
  The Early Years Programming Project will build upon the expertise, experience and passion of staff previously involved in early years programming or interested in becoming involved. If you would like to participate in planning Early Years Programming for Fall 2007 – please discuss with your Supervisor and contact Hilary to join the Project Team.
  
  ALL OTHER PROGRAMS –
  Procedures for other program segments (children’s, teens, adult programming) remains the same. Staff should be in process of developing Fall programs as per established procedures and deadlines I:\COMMON\Programs\Programming Roles and Responsibilities.doc
  

On the blogging train...

I'm on 3 blogs now, and it has taken me a while to figure a few things out: I have to sign in to post, I have to ignore or at least sift through a lot of "noise" like Google trying to get me to use Google Blogger instead of the older version, what the Dashboard is, how to post, how to save a draft and edit it, etc.

I think it's always hard for anyone who is familiar with a technology to go back to a time when they knew nothing. We need to remember that if we are going to bring people in to Web 2.0, we have to find ways to make it happen and to be there for them when they meet that first roadblock, maybe pair them up with someone a bit more savvy, find ways to smooth the path and bring them in. There must be some creative solutions. Let's find them!

Online/chat opportunities

Andrea and I have discussed online teen book clubs. I have done online courses and can see that with a program like WEB CT/IM this could be done.

Eventually, I would like to see IM reference. A couple of ladies from courses I have taken have participated in this service. They were mostly from the states. They do say that the kids truly take the instant messaging for instant messaging and want automatic replies.

I think this would be a great way to give the customers what they want. "Ask a teacher" run by TVo is a good example but still needs refining. They are meeting the needs of students.

I see a virtual branch, in the future.

Catherine G

Baby steps with blogs

It is great to see the blog idea being continued. I like Debbie's blog for heritage week.

The Canada reads theme is also a great foray to see if this will attract different customers.

One thing with blogging is that I find we need to keep it fresh and innovative.

The Teen summer blog was highly successful. The kids were disappointed when that one ended because it was a chance for them to blog about books but also participate in mini-contests, share trivia information and on the long weekend before school, share going back to school fears. One student was very homebound, last year and said the blog was a great way for her to have connections with kids as well as an interesting summer.

TRAP blog is not as interesting because it does not have the same group of kids. I am looking forward to this one ending at the end of the school year and the reinvention of something for summer.

Catherine G.

Sam's Club - Globe and Mail Bestsellers

Walking down the aisle's at Sam's club, I noticed that they have the Globe and Mail bestsellers lists taped on the new books display.

I was impressed because I would not expect such service at Sam's.

Catherine G.

Reorganizing Reference

Very relevant article in Public Libraries November / December 2005, p. 340.

http://www.ala.org/ala/pla/plapubs/publiclibraries/novdec2005.pdf

Web 2.0 on Youtube

Might be interesting to watch at the next Roundtable. The Web is using us.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOE&eurl=

Canada Reads 2.0

Motivated by CafeLatte's Heritage blog and by OLA Conference I've created a Canada Read blogs for our customers to comment on this years titles: MPL Reads Canada Reads

Thinking about our jobs and our future

This week, a daily message that I receive has been all about our jobs. Everyday, it focused on a different aspect of work and its' importance, in our lives.
Coincidentally, I have been following the ispresso blog, a little more closely, this week.

i still have the same questions unanswered that I did months ago. What will our jobs look like in a year's time? Will Ispresso have made an impact?

George from Circ took the ball and ran with her ideas. She and two committee members are putting into place 91 recommendations that will make circ processes better. By June, George will have completed her task and continued to improve.

I am still waiting for some direction and some support.

Someone said get started and go. Last summer, that is what happened with blog. Andrea, patrick and Diane supported me in that venture. I wonder how much more successful it could have been had we had everyone's (I mean everyone from every branch and admin) support and their efforts?

Catherine G.

Overheard at Angus

Thursday morning, I was on the second floor working at Angus. A customer came in and was on his cell phone. He was very loud. I was just about to ask him to be quieter when I heard what he was saying.

He was talking to a relative and telling this relative that they must come to Angus Glen Community Centre. The gentleman went on to describe the facility but then he went in depth about the library. I served the man a few minutes later and we discussed Angus.

It was interesting to hear the enthusiasm and excitement in his voice that we all had when we first came to AG>

Overheard at Chapters

I was in Chapters yesterday, browsing the shelves, when a 20ish couple went by talking. As soon as I heard the word "library", I started eavesdropping. Didn't catch all, but I think he was comparing Chapters to libraries favourably as a place to go for info, and she said "...and it's so much easier to find here, too."

Blogging my Passion

I have a passion (so to speak) for local history, and for ages I've been been concerned that the great content on our Lunauweb database is difficult for our customers to access because (for various reasons which I won't go into - long story) it is not Internet-accessible. Now that I am discovering the power of blogging (better late than never), I think local history blogs could be a good way to expose the content of Lunauweb to our community, and improve public access to heritage information (a strat plan objective). As a starting point, and to tie into upcoming Heritage Week, I have created a Markham Village blog using the postcard images from Lunauweb -
http://markhamvillage-postcardviews.blogspot.com/
much easier and quicker than developing digital exhibit webpages. In the posts, I have provided some info/background about the images, but I have also invited the community to post comments. Easy 2.0.

I am also providing links to this blog and to other local history content on our website (The Markham Story, etc.) on Wikipedia.

A Whole New Library

Hi All,

After reading Daniel Pink's book, I had some thoughts about how his main points could be applied to libraries.

I would be interested in our responses. Thanks.

A Whole New Library
Daniel Pink, In A Whole New Mind, has set forth his views of where our brains are headed (pun intended). Due to outsourcing of new technologies, our near limit of reaching technological advancements and those advancements themselves, our brains are in a state of transformation. For the first few million years of human existence, we humans lived by stories, participated in sports, games, music, finding meaning in life via spirituality and empathy with our communities. For the past 200 years we have engaged our left, technical/analytic brains to satisfy our quest for human happiness. Now the right side of our brains are taking center stage.

We are now moving from the Information Age into the Conceptual Age. In the Conceptual Age, some of Pink’s concepts could be applied to libraries as well…

1. Design becomes more important than function
Design could mean actual bricks & mortar OR of virtual design (Web sites)

2. Story becomes more important than argument
-Facts become less important than context 7 & emotion
-Blogs, Wikis, other digital storytelling as well as traditional storytelling

3. Symphony (synthesis) becomes more important than focus
- Libraries help understand connections between diverse and separate disciplines, linking apparently unconnected elements to create something new, ("multi___ )

4. Empathy becomes more important than logic
- Libraries can help create resources for healing, wellness and empathy
- Quiet spaces & places

5. Play becomes more important than seriousness
- On the job, use more games, play for employees
- For resources, investigate more games

6. Meaning becomes more important than accumulation
- Libraries can help make spirituality & achievement of happiness via resources, spaces (mental & physical)
- Help customers learn what they are good at (= Happiness)
- Labyrinths can be analytic puzzles for "moving meditation"
- Could a library be labyrinth?

More challenges:
1. Can someone overseas do it cheaper?
2. Can a computer do it faster?
3. Can (libraries) offer something that satisfies the non-material, transcendent desires of the age of abundance?

What could upset this scheme?
---A dramatic shift in economy, climate change or major catastrophes

How do these factors become important for libraries and information services?

Flickr Toys

In the spirit of discovery and play, here is a Warhol version of the ispressotogo coffee cup image. I am now planning to Warhol-ize my world. Way too much fun at http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/warholizer.php

Becoming a Wiki Warrior

Great article from the world of law librarianship on how wikis can be used for managing collaborative projects.

http://www.llrx.com/columns/tao10.htm

"Wikis are best used by a group of people working toward a consensus, whether it be creating an ultimate list of things or ideas, or coming to jointly agreed-upon wording in a document....Wikis are best used for convergent ideas, whereas blogs work better for divergent ideas..."

Some potential workload-reducing wiki uses: editing presentations, booking training sessions, developing reading lists, collaborating on creative content (e.g. for a book), organizing conferences, and generally reducing the need for face-to-face meetings.

Would you recommend us to a friend?

The Ultimate Question - can one simple question determine the future of MPL? Or the future of IS? What would our customers say?

Interesting Article from Nextspace the OCLC Newsletter http://www.oclc.org/nextspace/005/1.htm

"...the world has changed, says Steve Hiller, Director of Assessment and Planning, University of Washington Libraries. Libraries are in a very competitive environment in the digital age.
“We are no longer the only information game in town, if we ever were,” he says. “Our communities have access to a vast array of information that we couldn’t even dream of ten years ago. The structured and controlled access to the world of information that libraries established during much of the 20th century has literally been blown away.”

Cincinnati Library Staff Blog

Interesting example of a 2.0 initiative that supports a reader's advisory project.
http://www2.cincinnatilibrary.org/blog/about

ispresso and programming

Thinking about how program planning and delivery fits into the ispresso recommendations....Here's one approach:

The leader of the Big 3 Customer Segment Projects (Kids, Teen, Adult) can focus on programs for their customer segment as part of overall planning for their project. They can coordinate their program planning work with Diane, MPL's Programming & Marketing Coordinator, to ensure overall consistency and effective marketing of programs across the MPL system. Specific program initiatives, e.g. a book club project, can be led as a subproject of the Adult Project by any staff member who has a "passion" for this kind of work and wants to lead the subproject.

This approach would encourage ownership of programs by appropriate staff, and possibly inspire more creative and innovative programming ideas.

Your thoughts?

ispresso projects and subprojects

This drawing shows how the ispresso projects can intersect and be coordinated by the various project teams.

The Semantics of Passion

Thinking about queasiness re using the word "passion", what about using instead the term "project". So we could have the Kids Project, the Early Years Project, the Teen Project, the Newcomers Project, etc.

The big customer-segment-based Projects - Kids, Teens, Adult - could be led by the Coordinator/Advocate position as outlined in our Draft Recommendation.

The other Projects or sub-Projects could have a Project Leader and Project Team, organized around a passion-based commitment to lead initiatives in their chosen Project area, e.g. a Newcomer Project, a Customer Service Project.

Thinking of our services in terms of projects implies:

• Our services are ever-evolving - each project leads to the next phase, based on whatever the trends , strategic goals and customer needs may become over time.
• Project leadership and responsibility can also evolve and rotate among staff.

Your thoughts?

Meebo - my ID

Hi All:

I also tried meebo today! Very good indeed.
I added you Wendy!

My msn name is meeg10@hotmail.com
I think if you just add meeg10 then I'll be added to your account.

I recommend you all try it!

bye for now
Meg