Magic of Libraries; Elves and the Shoemaker flannelboard

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

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

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"

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

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

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

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

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

News & Views, April 2009

News & Views,April 2009 (mp3 file; 3.3 MB; 3:23 min.)
Serving patrons in difficult times; "Tops and Bottoms" storytime kit



At subcenter meetings the past few days I talked with librarians about ideas for helping you to cope with increased usage and need for your services during these difficult times. I heard some great ideas, and am continuing to seek your suggestions for how we might help you.

Here are some ideas; perhaps they'll spark some more ideas from you. Any sort of aids to help people looking for jobs or wanting to start a new business would be helpful--from tips sheets about applying online to tutorials on resumes to a laptop in each library that is devoted to those looking for work or applying for jobs or interviewing online. We might help libraries to find reliable websites and sources for jobs, or resumes, or finance; or help libraries to put "job centers" on their websites, and act as a local "bulletin board" for jobs. It would be helpful to identify potential partners, such as Iowa Workforce Development, and resources that are already developed or in place.

And help for library staff in how to deal with higher stress levels, in themselves and in the people with whom they interact every day. There are many people "hurting" out there, and it affects how we do our jobs, and how we serve our patrons.

Those are just a few ideas; please continue to send us or tell us about other ways we might help. Call us, e-mail, IM, use the "SWILSA Do" blog comments, flag me down when I'm out on the road. You want to help your patrons, and we want to help you.

News & Views, March 2009

News & Views,March 2009 (mp3 file;4.8 MB; 5:06 min.)
Participating in conversations; Be Creative! " Enormous Egg" Flannelboard


When people talk about Web and Library 2.0 you hear the words "connection," "community" and especially "conversation" often. That's because people are connecting online, and forming communities--and they're doing that through conversation. Sometimes we, in libraries, think mostly about the conversations that we are starting ourselves and that's a good thing to do, through a variety of means--blogs that allow comments, wikis, photo sharing, and whatever else we can think of to start conversation.

We should also be paying attention to those conversations that the library doesn't initiate. There is a great deal of conversation going on out there on the web--I mean A GREAT DEAL of conversation. We need to listen, especially when it is about us. They may be saying good things about libraries, and our library in particular, or they may take issue with the library services or policy. Either way, don't we want to be part of that conversation? We certainly don't want them to have those conversations without us. In the "old days" we used to say that if someone was happy with service they'd tell 3 of their friends; if they weren't happy they'd tell 10 of their friends. Now, think about the web and all those blogs and Facebook accounts and wikis and Twitter tweats....it isn't just 3 or 10 anymore, it's thousands. Or more.

It would be a good thing to participate in the conversation; when someone says something good about the library we can say, 'Thanks! We're happy to help. Did you know we could do this for you, too?" When someone says something not so good about the library it's also a chance for us to tell the library story--maybe it's a misconception that we can straighten out, or maybe we need to say, 'Oops! We're sorry. Here's what we're going to do to make this better." In either case, the library is better off for having been in the conversation, if for no other reason than it says that we're paying attention, and we care.

So, think about starting conversations, or new conversations in new ways. And listen; you may learn a great deal about your patrons (I'm beginning to like the idea of calling them "members," actually) and what they expect from the library. Use BlogPulse occasionally to search for your library--or your city; maybe someone has a question that the library can help with. You can do a Google alert on a search on your library's name and receive an e-mail whenever a new "hit" comes up in that search that Google will run regularly for you. Sign up for Twitter and search occasionally for conversations about your library or city. A vital part of conversation is listening. They're talking about you--wouldn't you like to participate in the conversation?

Links from today's podcast:
BlogPulse
Twitter
Google Alerts
SWILSA Youth Services page
CE Catalog

SWILSA News & Views, February 13, 2009

News & Views,February 2009 (mp3 file;4.1 MB; 4:22 min.)
Marketing with social media; early childhood learning centers; Three Wishes flannelboard set


As I was browsing in the bookstore the other day looking for a book on another topic I ran across "Social media marketing an hour a day," by Dave Evans. I've just started looking at it but I was drawn to it for a couple of reasons: first, because although we have been talking for a long about social media--instant messaging, blogs, Facebook, etc.--and how libraries can use them, this takes a business approach to utilizing them to market, which adds in some dimensions we don't always think about in libraries; and, secondly, it has concrete steps to take to familiarize yourself with the various media channels and how to use them to market. So, stay tuned for more in the future on touchpoints, social feedback (a little scary but necessary), and measurement when developing a social media marketing campaign.

Links from today's podcast:
SWILSA Youth Services webpage

SWILSA News & Views, January 2009

News & Views, January 2009 (mp3 file; 6.72 MB;7:09 min.)
Coming Up; Family Literacy; Story Kits for Winter Days



At the top of the 'cast today: Coming Up--in two ways.

First, the generation coming up--or that is here, really. I picked up a book entitled 'Grown Up Digital" at the airport last month, and had most of it read by the time I finally found my way home. The author is reporting on changes and his observations of them since his previous book, "Growing Up Digital," that he wrote 10 years ago. His kids are not 10 years older, the world is 10 years older, and things continue to change. His observations about how this generation--the first that was born into a digital world--works, plays, and interacts in this world have a great deal to say to us in libraries. Many of us are boomers, and the way we do things and look at the world is quite different from the digital generations. That is not to say that one is good and the other isn't, but we're living on the same planet and it would behoove us to have a better understanding--and appreciation--of each other. I particularly like this book's approach, looking at and talking with the teens and twenty-somethings of these digital natives, and dispelling some of the myths and assumptions we too often make about them. And one of my favorite observations is that something is only thought of as "technology" if it didn't exist when you were born. So, we don't think of refrigerators as "technology," though they certainly were when they first began to be introduced into people's lives. By the same token, computers and the Internet and Web aren't technology to this generation--it's like, well, AIR to them--it's just there, a part of their lives and how they live.
(And, if you'd like to see an interesting piece about students today and how they learn, and how the way we learned just doesn't work for them, take a look at a video called 'A Vision of Students Today " on YouTube.

Secondly--another thing coming up: The Iowa Small Libraries Online Conference on January 28. This conference, held entirely online--including the exhibit hall--features Meredith Farkas and Pat Wagner as keynote speakers, and nine concurrent sessions on everything from free and inexpensive databases that libraries should have. to teens producing videos for the library, to early childhood literacy in story times. (Saroj Ghoting says she's going to drop in on that one...) You can find more information on the conference website, and you can register in the CE catalog.

Links from today's podcast:

• Grown Up Digital: how the net generation is changing your world
• A Vision of Students Today video
• Iowa Small Libraries Online Conference
• CE Catalog
• Family Literacy Resources
• SWILSA's Storytime Resources
• Early Childhood Literacy Storytime Kits