My Mountain Plains Library Association Talk

Posted on May 3, 2008
Filed Under Future of Libraries, Presentations | 2 Comments

The Future is Not Out of ReachJust got back from Salt Lake City yesterday - I gave a breakfast talk titled The Future is Not Out of Reach: Trends & Transformations for MPLA’s annual conference. Some of you might enjoy the pdf of the slides, too - feel free to click and peek!

James Rettig, of all people, attended my presentation (hey - a free breakfast is a free breakfast)! I was able to meet him briefly - he seemed pretty cool. I shook hands and said “hi…” I SHOULD have said “thank you for all those amazing books and articles that got me through library school!”

Anyway… enjoy the slides, and thanks, MPLA for inviting me to speak!

Working Your Community’s Blogosphere

Posted on May 3, 2008
Filed Under Blogging, Future of Libraries, Library 2.0, Web 2.0, community management | 4 Comments

Recently, Darren Rowse at ProBlogger posted Five Reasons Why Mom Blogs Are the Blogs to Watch. Darren says “Mom blogs are poised to become the next big “It” when it comes to the internet–they’re gathering power like no other blogging niche and will only get bigger and better.” Then he lists some reasons why - go read the article to get that list.

And now, a thought (that I’m swiping from more than one presenter at PLA) that continues to swirl through my head weeks after PLA is over: what local community blogs are you reading? Sure - you read 800 library technology blogs, and another 500 non-library tech blogs (no, I don’t read that many blogs). But how about some local blogs?

The gist of what I heard at PLA goes something like this: subscribe to some blogs in your local community and start participating on them via commenting. What does that look like? Here are some initial thoughts:

So yes - this is a bit more “active” than what librarians tend to be used to… but if you want to make an impact in your local [digital] community, you need to be participating. Because if you aren’t participating, you don’t exist.

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Looking for a Web Developer

Posted on April 25, 2008
Filed Under Job Ad, Web Design, Web Management | 4 Comments

Wanna move to Kansas? We’re looking for a Web Developer:

“The Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library is seeking a creative, energetic Web Developer to help move our Digital Branch to the next level of sophistication. The successful candidate will help maintain and build-out tscpl.org, help develop specialty sites, build searchable databases, and work on web design.

Required qualifications:

Desired qualifications:

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Admin Level Rights on Staff PCs?

Posted on April 18, 2008
Filed Under Future of Libraries, Open Access | 24 Comments

I am looking for examples of libraries that DON’T lock down their staff PCs… libraries that provide power/super-user/admin level rights for staff. We will be re-doing our staff PC profiles later on this year, and I want to give our staff as much freedom as possible.

So - who’s doing it or has done it, has it been successful, etc… Any takers?

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Super Screenshot Tool

Posted on April 18, 2008
Filed Under Cool tools, Graphics | 1 Comment

Heads up on a fun tool - Super Screenshot! It does just what it says - enter a URL, hit the Go button… and you get a screenshot of that website. Pretty cool!

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Technology Job at Washburn University

Posted on April 16, 2008
Filed Under Future of Libraries, Job Ad | 2 Comments

Just a head’s up for those looking for a tech job in a library. Last week at Computers in Libraries, I met another Topeka librarian - Alan Bearman, the Interim Dean of Libraries at Washburn University in Topeka, KS. After we got over meeting in DC instead of Topeka, he mentioned a job opening his library has. The job is titled Technology Librarian - in reading the job description (one of many on this page), it sounds like this person will be VERY busy!

What struck me about this position was what Alan told me about it - he is “looking to hire someone to help push the envelope” … and to help “develop a vision for a 21st Century Library for Washburn University.” Sound fun to you? Then go for it!

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CIL2008, Day 2: Making Time for Web 2.0

Posted on April 15, 2008
Filed Under Computers in Libraries, Future of Libraries, Library 2.0, Web 2.0 | 3 Comments

Here’s a link to the presentation I gave at Computers in Libraries, titled Making Time for Web 2.0

Enjoy!

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Testing Flickr Video

Posted on April 9, 2008
Filed Under flickr, video | Leave a Comment

Hey - just me, testing out the embed part of the new flickr video option. The what??? If you haven’t heard - flickr now allows video uploads for pro members (translation - those who have paid $30 a year for a flickr pro account).

The limitations? Not overly produced (I think the idea is to upload those videos people take with their phones); 90 seconds max in length (you can do a lot in that time frame); and only certain video formats are allowed - if you’re interested, you can read more about the specifics here.

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CIL2008, Day 2: Transparency, Planning & Change: See-Through Libraries

Posted on April 8, 2008
Filed Under Computers in Libraries, Conferences, Future of Libraries | Leave a Comment

Speakers:
Michael Casey & Michael Stephens

This session is a standing-room only session!

Organizations are starting to let their staff blog - huge change from not long ago

Not always easy to implement new things

Quote: “Every time people really like something, we get rid of it.” real quote from librarian at PLA. Ouch.

Showing signs from libraries - bad signs from libraries! People are talking about us. What stuff are you giving them to talk about?

Asking - What are your roadblocks?
inability to use open source software
we’ve always done it this way
control-freak IT support
No admin priviledges
only making cosmetic changes
budget
no time
The excessive love of process
Luddite trustees

Road map to transparency
open conversation (aside - nice slide!)
visit the front lines
cross train, provide learning for all staff
consider the role of anonymity
what would you add?

Don’t ask staff for input if you are not going to use it

Going to the field:
bring them out (managers)
visit the front lines
examine different staffing models
develop big picture understanding
administrators should understand everyone’s roles
get out of the office!
decisions are not made in a vacuum
crucial if administrators are not librarians

Circ staff at Darien Library:
they are blogging
they are buying books for the collection
they are going to BookExpo (a conference)
They are trusted and encouraged

Face to face is important!
Casey - taking an academic approach with office hours - once a week for 3 hours, anyone can come in and meet with him, off the record if need be, but face-to-face.

Say “Yes!

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CIL2008, Day 2: Innovation Starts with “I”

Posted on April 8, 2008
Filed Under Computers in Libraries, Conferences, change | 3 Comments

Speakers: Helene Blowers, Tony Tallent

How do we get the innovation and change to occur? This track is about that - how to move our organizations forward.

Talking about the ingredients of innovation

What’s innovation NOT?
process improvement
strategic planning
best practice
benchmarking
etc…

What is it?
it’s an intersection
a pivotal point

Creativity is thinking up new things.
Innovation is doing new things. It’s action.

Book to read - the seeds of innovation by elaine dundon.

Innovation is Fresh Practice! (rather than best practice)

4 components of I:
creativity
strategy
implementation
profitability

Creative is I

I am an innovator:
i have ideas
i have done my homework
I’ll do the initial legwork
i am capable of more than my job description
i am a leader, too
i take risks with you

More:
I offer you a framework
i put \resources behind my expectations
i create growth opportunities
i SUPPORT your work
i celebrate your success
i take risks with you

Create alliances - get others on board with your ideas - sell them

prototype your idea

Don’t ask for permission - ask for support!

Sell your vision personally - don’t do it on paper. Actually, I’d say it differently - sell it multiple ways. On paper (BRIEF), person to person, via presentation, etc.

People need to SEE something, so prototype it

What’s wild success look like?
IT will not feel like business as usual.

It’s also about failure - if you’re not failing once in awhile, you’re not being innovative enough.

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