We need to be just as dedicated to evaluating and improving those systems as we are about the systems we control. Our evaluation of databases and other online tools has to go beyond the content and functionality provided. We need to think about whether we are doing right by our patrons. Otherwise, we are not … Continue reading If Not Us, Then Who?
I have learned so many things from other librarians that have saved me time and a good amount of trial and error. While preparing to implement a chat reference service at my library in 2005, I perused blog posts, articles, presentation slides, and library websites that shared lessons learned from other institutions. I therefore avoided … Continue reading Reuse, Recycle, Share
I recently attended the Library Assessment Conference in Seattle, which is a fantastic event for anyone who wants to keep up with trends in library assessment. At this year’s conference, one thing was abundantly clear: Data is king. All three keynote speakers spoke about the use of data in libraries to improve services, better … Continue reading Drawing the Line on Data
Does this mean librarians aren’t important to most users’ library encounters? Of course not! We’re the ones making those virtual visits seamless for them. That said, I think there is great value in this high-tech world in creating high-touch services that put a human face on the library and remind patrons of the value librarians … Continue reading High Tech, High Touch
I was observing students conducting research to see how they approached it and what tools they used, but when I saw Steve use that discovery tool, it was difficult to focus on anything else. Seeing that he was so overwhelmed by the number of links and buttons on an item record that he couldn’t even … Continue reading Through Their Eyes
Five years ago, I wrote about the value of screencasting software—software that films the action on your computer’s desktop—to create instructional videos on how to use the library and its resources (“Your Desktop: The Movie,” AL, Nov. 2009). Since then, librarians have created thousands of instructional videos on information literacy concepts, library resources, and services. Through … Continue reading More than Words
Way back when, a library I worked at had a standard survey we gave to every student at the end of an instruction session. It included a bunch of Likert scale questions like “How satisfied were you with the session?” and “How useful was the session?” We dutifully collected the surveys and someone went through … Continue reading Asking the Right Questions
Everyone grows up playing games. Whether it’s hide-and-seek, checkers, or Angry Birds, gaming pervades our culture and is an indelible part of our childhoods. Online gaming has become an activity that transcends gender, culture, and age. Even nongaming online platforms contain gaming elements, such as the rewarding of check-ins at locations on Foursquare, the location-based … Continue reading Just a Game?
With the growing cost of higher education, declining library budgets, and the crisis in scholarly publishing, it can sometimes be difficult to feel optimistic. Looking at the creative efforts to address these issues through publishing gives me ample hope. Many academic libraries are working to make the scholarly and creative output of their communities widely … Continue reading Open Access Everything
In every town, there are probably community members who have written novels, poetry, and other works whose writing has never seen the light of day. There are probably others who have the creative potential to write the great American novel, but are daunted by the idea of getting it published. Those works, both written and … Continue reading Community Creativity
Most libraries currently feel stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to providing access to all the materials their patrons seek. Over the years, the prices of content have soared, often well beyond the rate of inflation. At the same time, library budgets have been slashed, which further degrades purchasing power. … Continue reading Libraries as Publishers
When librarians first began offering chat reference, most envisioned it as a medium to answer quick and simple questions. Involved research questions were best answered in person. Somehow, our patrons didn’t get the memo on this, and many chat interactions are just as involved as face-to-face reference sessions. What complicates these chat-based interactions is that … Continue reading Need Help? Join.me Online
