Conferences

Speaker: Joseph Janes

Title: What Does it Take to be Good at Reference in the Age of Google?

Aside - Sorta humorous - moderator asked us to turn off our cell phones… in THIS session about emerging trends in the age of google! Hee. Probably should have said “put cell phones on mute.”

“we can find things they can’t find” - this is a revelation to many people.

we shouldn’t emphasize ready reference anymore - Google is the rough equivalent of ready reference, and we can’t compete with it.

We can do better than that - we don’t have to answer the dumb questions anymore!

Google does great at orientation

Google is free, quick, easy, and good enough - we can’t beat that!

What Google cannot do:
- not good at gathering - Google does great at finding, but not gathering…
- google doesn’t evaluate, decide, understand, help
- google doesn’t do print (yet)
- doesn’t do fee-based stuff
- google doesn’t have highly sophisticated search (lexis-nexis, etc)
- not part of the community

How to be a good reference librarian in the age of google?
- be a reference librarian
- just not the same one you would have been 10 years ago
- do a good interview - regardless of mode (in person, phone, email, chat, IM, text message, etc)

Know the tricks:
- be more effective searchers
- know all the tricks, advanced features, etc
- know alternatives, when to use it and not to use it

articulate our strengths - we don’t do a good job of that!

(aside - Joe works a couple hours at the desk at the library - that’s cool! My library profs hadn’t worked in libraries for years)

Build tools that help people without direct intervention
- research guides (Cornell vodcasting Research Minutes on YouTube - how to use the library in 90 seconds or less - I need to check these out!)
- use easily understood names for services, tools, etc…
- citation = traffic ticket
- catalog = comes from LandsEnd

Position ourselves and our services as time-savers
- google’s fast, but we can save you time! average time spent searching in Google is 11 minutes! Wow! We are obviously faster than that!
- why search when we can help you find?

Be where they are
- we must be available, positioned, and ready to support, assist, and participate - on their terms

good point - when people ask us questions, it’s because they already tried and failed…

people ask shelvers questions - why? Because they’re there…

what to do:
we can’t beat them on quick, fast, easy, and cheap - we can fight them on quality, depth, education, instruction, literacy, etc
- play on our strengths
- and how they fit in the emerging world

What about print?
- in the short run, it’s a secret weapon - not everyone has access to print!
- they are unique
- in the longer run, they will be slowly decreasing in importance

wikipedia - if you don’t like it, get over it!
- instead of whining about it… do something about it!
- if you don’t vote, don’t complain
- create and edit entries, cite sources, fight for quality, be a positive force (a la learning 2.0)

YouTube
- search for libraries - even funnier - search for “libary”
- make a video!

blogosphere
- have your own, yes, but also participate in community/others

Read blogs of people in your community - and participate by commenting!

Second Life
- it’s a new way to create
- it’s a way to get into the ground floor of a whole new way of creating

Most important - Work Together.

the idea of library has escaped the building
it’s now an extended notion of library - anywhere, anytime, any way in which people interact with information organized, provided, supported by their own community via their library staff.

“We have to be even better online than in person”

Technorati Tags: pla08, pla2008, pla

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Something cool happened in my library a couple days ago. Take a peek at this picture, and let me explain the scene:

This elderly couple (you can’t see him, but there’s a man sitting down in the pic with the woman) came to the library with a specific task in mind - to look at some old slides from the 50’s and 60’s that had been turned into digital photos on a CD. The couple doesn’t own a PC, so they naturally thought “I’ll go to the library.”

Walking into our main doors, they met Gina, our library director, who was taking her turn at our Greeter Desk (we have a “grand rotunda” that looks amazing. It’s also a directional challenge, so we’ve been placing staff in the rotunda and calling it our Greeter Desk). They explained the problem, she said “sure, we can help,” then looked at me (I was chatting with her). I had the unfortunate task of reminding her that we don’t have CD drives in our public PCs (it’s an inherited problem - hopefully changing it soon!).

Gina gave it some thought for like 5 seconds, then asked me to take this fine couple up to her office to view their pictures. Yes, you heard that right - on a staff PC, in the Director’s office.

When they were done, I walked back to Gina. She looked at me, pointed a finger at me, and said “that’s 2.0, David.”

And I’d agree. No, it’s not really about technology. It’s not about using RSS feeds. But it DOES display the type of above-and-beyond customer focus that my library is developing. For us, that’s a 2.0 change for the better.

And… if you like that story and want to hear more from Gina, well… you’re in luck (that is, if you’re headed to Computers in Libraries). She and I will be giving the last presentation of the day in the Innovation and Change track on April 8. Here’s more about our session:

Title: Leading Technology in Libraries: Making Time for Web 2.0

Description: Millsap explores the digital divide between administration and staff and looks at how leadership is the key and technology the tool. She shares strategies for leading with technology, not in spite of it. King focuses on why libraries need to make time for Web 2.0; why they need to learn about and experiment with new tools; allowing staff the time needed to play with these tools; making time for Web 2.0; and facing change.

Stop by and say hi!

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We came back together at the end of the day to share… here’s what I heard:

hearing each other’s idea talk

sharing between public and academics

felt like they had to choose…

Had a wonderful experience hearing what academics are doing… “they are so way out there… compared to a little public library”

More timely topics at this unconference because of the spontanaity of topics/discussions

This was the conversation you usually have outside of conference sessions

Liked the idea of going to lunch, talking about a topic - don’t usually have this at a conference

Networking and continuing the dialog is important

What next?
We have the wiki - add the notes to those sessions, add to those discussions
have a contact page up of people who attended (we have that already)

It would be nice to go a little more in depth in a topic and come away with some take-home points to try out at your library

Maybe have someone do a 5 minute intro on a topic

Michael Sauers mentioned Nebraska is planning a similar unconference thing

Technorati Tags: libcampks08

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what is 2.0?

1.0 - one way street, static page
2.0 - back and forth, interaction

this conference is a good example - it’s all about us, vs 1.0 conference that’s focused elsewhere

how does 2.0 work in an academic library?

ex - comment cards from users, blog posts are the comments and the library’s response to the comment - then others can comment off that

blogs - talks about stuff of interest to grad students, has a larger community reach

public library

some ks public libraries are all blog-based via a state library service

emporia state - email about gaming night at the library

Mentioned Duke’s ipods and Michael Stephens blogs for students

Commercial aspect -

how do you measure success? page rank? SEO? Numbers/metrics?

we don’t do a good job with numbers for traditional stuff that’s been around for over 100 years… how can we be expected to know about something that’s not been around for that long?

takes time for people to discover it

how do you advertise your blog?

- don’t call it a blog
- put up good content
- what we do - going out and share
- we create our site and want people to use the stuff we created… instead, they go to google (the simplest thing possible)
- so make sure your stuff is findable

having current content on site

a second on getting out of your library to talk about what you’re doing

patron-created content - anyone doing that?

how about students creating search the catalog guides for other students?
book wiki that was student-run (for the middle school)

Faculty - why would they contribute content? There’s nothing in it for them…
faculty are willing to be interviewed…

Facebook:

Facebook page, a few people are fans - links to events.
public library version - 32 fans (pretty good). They are reusing content, pointing to events, pointing to links to stuff on their site, etc.

Email newsletters, listservs, blogs - how are libraries managing multiple postings without doubling work?

wiki use internally:
- one person mentioned mediawiki being hacked
- someone mentioned using it internally
- keeping track of problem patrons!
- meeting minutes, internal staff “how to” guides
- problem giving permission… (ie., you CAN do this, worried about editing other’s work)
- using wiki’s for temporary pages (ie., used for a class)
- what is a wiki? Website anyone can edit

Technorati Tags: libcampks08

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tag - libcampks08

Potential Questions to Discuss:

- what do you want to talk about? Find out about? Discuss?
- what are the biggest challenges facing your team/institution?
- staff buy-in - getting folks to market “in the trenches” with patrons/users
- what are your biggest assets?
- what do you wish you had time/money/energy resources to do?
- range of different marketing strategies, media (online, print, face to face, web 2.0)
- “Branding” - getting our brand established with Them
- Get people to your website, and market with your website (once they’re there)

Introductions…

Stuff we talked about:
- they send out new materials list via email to faculty
- verbal too
- teachers think they know what the library is all about (but they don’t really)
- getting materials to match assignments is a challenge
- Dewey is a problem
- how do you get to the student if they don’t enter the library?
- people are using Topeka and JoCo’s websites to find stuff for their students
- person to person helps - new student orientations as one idea
- buddy name sticker to stick on folders
- instead of Ask a Librarian, personalize it - ie., Ask Alan.
- hard to get from old logo/branding to the new one
- how do you get staff to… realize that branding the library is important
- making stuff look good:
- do it for them, make it easy
- show them the parts they DO need to worry about (ie., content, not design)
- tell them they must do it!
- talked about Topeka’s Travel Neighborhood concept
- services are hidden… internal signage, ILL confusion
- one on one teaching is best - can turn the student into an evangelist
- there will be a link to other notes and links…

Technorati Tags: libcampks08

{ 0 comments }

what is 2.0?

1.0 - one way street, static page
2.0 - back and forth, interaction

this conference is a good example - it’s all about us, vs 1.0 conference that’s focused elsewhere

how does 2.0 work in an academic library?

ex - comment cards from users, blog posts are the comments and the library’s response to the comment - then others can comment off that

blogs - talks about stuff of interest to grad students, has a larger community reach

public library

some ks public libraries are all blog-based via a state library service

emporia state - email about gaming night at the library

Mentioned Duke’s ipods and Michael Stephens blogs for students

Commercial aspect -

how do you measure success? page rank? SEO? Numbers/metrics?

we don’t do a good job with numbers for traditional stuff that’s been around for over 100 years… how can we be expected to know about something that’s not been around for that long?

takes time for people to discover it

how do you advertise your blog?

- don’t call it a blog
- put up good content
- what we do - going out and share
- we create our site and want people to use the stuff we created… instead, they go to google (the simplest thing possible)
- so make sure your stuff is findable

having current content on site

a second on getting out of your library to talk about what you’re doing

patron-created content - anyone doing that?

how about students creating search the catalog guides for other students?
book wiki that was student-run (for the middle school)

Faculty - why would they contribute content? There’s nothing in it for them…
faculty are willing to be interviewed…

Facebook:

Facebook page, a few people are fans - links to events.
public library version - 32 fans (pretty good). They are reusing content, pointing to events, pointing to links to stuff on their site, etc.

Email newsletters, listservs, blogs - how are libraries managing multiple postings without doubling work?

wiki use internally:
- one person mentioned mediawiki being hacked
- someone mentioned using it internally
- keeping track of problem patrons!
- meeting minutes, internal staff “how to” guides
- problem giving permission… (ie., you CAN do this, worried about editing other’s work)
- using wiki’s for temporary pages (ie., used for a class)
- what is a wiki? Website anyone can edit

{ 0 comments }

tag - libcampks08

Potential Questions to Discuss:

- what do you want to talk about? Find out about? Discuss?
- what are the biggest challenges facing your team/institution?
- staff buy-in - getting folks to market “in the trenches” with patrons/users
- what are your biggest assets?
- what do you wish you had time/money/energy resources to do?
- range of different marketing strategies, media (online, print, face to face, web 2.0)
- “Branding” - getting our brand established with Them
- Get people to your website, and market with your website (once they’re there)

Introductions…

Stuff we talked about:
- they send out new materials list via email to faculty
- verbal too
- teachers think they know what the library is all about (but they don’t really)
- getting materials to match assignments is a challenge
- Dewey is a problem
- how do you get to the student if they don’t enter the library?
- people are using Topeka and JoCo’s websites to find stuff for their students
- person to person helps - new student orientations as one idea
- buddy name sticker to stick on folders
- instead of Ask a Librarian, personalize it - ie., Ask Alan.
- hard to get from old logo/branding to the new one
- how do you get staff to… realize that branding the library is important
- making stuff look good:
- do it for them, make it easy
- show them the parts they DO need to worry about (ie., content, not design)
- tell them they must do it!
- talked about Topeka’s Travel Neighborhood concept
- services are hidden… internal signage, ILL confusion
- one on one teaching is best - can turn the student into an evangelist
- there will be a link to other notes and links…

{ 0 comments }

The Computers in Libraries conference (an awesome conference, by the way) is experimenting with Swift, an “online community platform for conferences.” That’s great! It’s always fun to see a cool conference experiment with fun tools.

However, I’m opting out. Why? Read the Terms of Service document (found via Jessamyn’s post). There’s some language there that I don’t agree with. Let me demonstrate:

• “By posting User Content to any part of the Site, you automatically grant, and you represent and warrant that you have the right to grant, to the Company an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license to use, copy, publicly perform, publicly display, reformat, translate, excerpt (in whole or in part), transmit, and distribute such User Content for any purpose on or in connection with the Site or the promotion thereof, to prepare derivative works of, or incorporate into other works, such User Content, and to grant and authorize sublicenses of the foregoing.”
• Me - I’m not giving my photos, tweets, and blog posts to a company that wants an “irrivocable, perpetual… license to use, copy, publicly perform, publicly display, reformat, translate… for any purpose…” Nope. IT’S MY CONTENT.
• It continues: “You further agree that you will not use the Site to … promote or generate revenue for any business or commercial purposes unless authorized by Company”
• Me - Ummm… I have this speaking and writing business. And my free content promotes ME, which DOES end up generating revenue. So nope. Can’t do it. For example, I’m writing a book for InfoToday. I’m also promoting my library…
  
• A little more: “Except for your own User Content, you may not and will not upload or republish Site Content on any Internet, Intranet or Extranet site or incorporate the information in any other database or compilation, and any other use of the Site Content is strictly prohibited.”
• Me - if I had signed up for the service, I couldn’t have republished parts of this ToS to complain. Nope, sorry.

Furthermore - does anyone remember this post from awhile back (and the comments attached)? Here’s what I said about it then… and I still feel that way.

But even without all that, I simply don’t see the need for it. Anyone who wants to can subscribe to my Facebook account, my twitter, flickr, and blog feeds, and my videoblog. They can find anything related to the conference via tags in each of these services plus Technorati. And aggregate it (except for Facebook) in one place (their feed reader of choice). So what does this service give me that I’m lacking? Anyone?

Finally, the ToS says: “If You do not agree with these Terms of Use, please do not use the Otter Group Site.” I don’t, and I won’t.

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I had a great time attending my first SXSWi conference! As you can tell from the notes I’ve been posting the past few days, there was a lot to do at this conference. Here are my final thoughts about the conference, the sessions, and why I think everyone reading my blog should attend SXSWi 2009! If you’re interested, here is a video of one day at SXSWi from my videoblog.

First off, for the sessions. The sessions I attended (save two) were really good: on-topic, good speakers, and made me think. Two favorites:

1. Quit Your Day Job and Vlog - I’m very interested in the topic, so it was cool to see some of the “highly watched” vloggers explain how they started and what they do. And the room was full of “Internet Famous” types, so it was slightly surreal, too. Cool session.
2. Kathy Sierra’s session - I don’t think Kathy has spoken much this past year (could be wrong about that), so it was great to see and hear one of my personal favorite blog hero types speak - if you’ve ever read her blog posts, that was how she spoke. Very useful stuff, too.

Other sessions I attended covered a wide range of geek-related topics, including blogging, making money on the web, connecting with people, web design, usability and wireframing, community management and gaming.

The keynotes were interesting. Three that stood out for me:

1. Mark Zuckerberg (the Facebook guy) was just fun to listen to - a 23 year old coder geek with a great idea. Also interesting was watching the audience revolt develop, and then reading about it on twitter the rest of the evening.
2. Jane McGonigal - evangelist on gaming and how it relates to experience (she called it happiness). Amazing stuff.
3. Frank Warren, the Post Secret guy - he received a standing ovation. He seemed very into helping people share their stories. He sees his sight as a form of art and as a type of public, yet anonymous, confessional. Amazing session.

Other takeaways before I bug you to attend next year’s conference.

SXSWi attracts a different crowd. Instead of librarians in khakis, SXSWi attracts creatives of all types. Noisy creatives that will let the speaker know if he/she is stinking to high heaven. During the session. Then they’ll already have blogged, twittered, flickr’d, and youtube’d it by the end of the session.

There were at least three major reasons people attended this conference:

1. To learn stuff in the sessions (that’d be me)
2. To network - when you met someone, you exchanged cards and told people what you do - in your “real job” and in your “day job.”
3. To write and video other attendees! http://sxswvideos.com/ The place was literally crawling with video teams, looking for “Internet Famous” people to chat with.

Remember that if you DO attend, you will most likely be flickr’d or video’d somewhere along the way.

The evening parties are fun! It provides a chance to mingle with other attendees in a less hurried, “I have to get to the next session” way. Many of these events have free food (ok, and free booze, too).

Everyone seemed friendly, and everyone I talked to seemed to think it was cool that a library sent people to the conference.

And… pretty much everyone had an iPhone. Seriously.

Now - for us Librarians. You need to attend!

This year, there were somewhere between 10-40 librarians attending (not scientific by any means - just my best guestimate). I think more of you should attend! Why? Let me illustrate what I mean:

• you can go to computers in libraries and hear a librarian talk about Facebook
• or, you can attend SXSWi and hear the creator of Facebook talk about Facebook

Both are valuable. It’s great to hear what other libraries are doing with these new tools, and obviously we need to network with each other. But sometimes, it’s also good to hear what the non-library organization is doing… and it’s good to meet the people creating the tools we’re using!

Who should attend? You. If you read my blog, you’re a great candidate for going to this conference. I guarantee you’ll learn something new. Other emerging tech librarian speakers - you know who you are. All the “webish types.” All the “digital strategy/2.0″ types. Give it some thought!

Even better - submit a panel idea!

OK - attending is one thing - speaking is another! Why should you submit a panel idea? We already know a lot of the stuff I heard. Here’s just one example: Jane McGonigal gave a great keynote presentation focused on gaming and how it’s changing real life. But I’ve already heard most of what she said… from librarians!

My point? We already have a good grasp on technology, online community, and content from an information professional point of view. I think SXSWi could really benefit from our knowledge of content, search, and knowledge management. The speakers I saw, for the most part, know a lot about web design and online community. They don’t have a clue about metadata, standards, working with non-digital types in a digital world, and in many cases, even using a service for an organization rather than a personal blog

And hey - we’re considered sexy and cool at the moment, so it’s maybe a good time…

Tagged as: Conferences, sxsw, sxsw2008, sxswi, sxswi2008

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