Tag Archives: library

“New Librarianship”

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I just started a conversation with David Lankes and the rest of the nationwide iLead USA team, on the “New Librarianship.”  What? Couldn’t we have said that 2,000 years ago or at least last century, when we started talking about 21st Century Librarianship, now over 13 years old?? Of course we could have. But did we?

What is New Librarianship? David may say, read the book. But I would say, it is about figuring out what it is that makes us a librarian and using that in meaningful ways to connect with communities, to connect with conversations, to connect the dots and help make knowledge accessible to all. The whole point is to raise consciousness, human awareness, that there is something else out there that’s bigger than oneself. There are ideas, there are concepts, there are ideologies that unless explored remain in a box.

For libraries, it’s not about the box or the book any more. Sure we need a box, a building, to hold it all together. Sure we need books, but they can be digital, print, or even self-published. Especially self-published.

It’s about knowledge. Knowledge creation, knowledge discovery, knowledge implementation, knowledge awareness, knowledge dissemination, knowledge destruction even. It’s about taking our brains out and using them to become more useable to society in general and to ourselves in specific.

In a literate society, we need champions of knowledge and defenders of the freedom to use it. We need librarians that can think, that can feel, that can create, that can innovate. In an information economy I contend that librarians are more useful than ever before.

What is this New Librarianship? It’s something I am excited to be a part of.

Top 3 trends in public libraries today

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There’s always so much to think about in public libraries today, but if I could consider the top three trends, I would say:

1. Collaboration is huge. We are busy meeting the public’s information needs in different, more dynamic, more effective ways now, and it’s all about collaboration. Ask yourself, what does the fire department and the library have in common? Then decide: both are involved in public awareness of fire prevention. Then decide together on a booth, a display, a night where the fire chief comes and speaks at the library, on safety in the home, or whatever else may come into play. People can have fun with this one, it can be sort of like solving a riddle. Better yet, use your long range plan to decide with whom to collaborate (first choice, actually).

2. We are retooling our library spaces to be much more customer oriented. We enjoy style, adequate space for people to meet or work or just relax, ample lighting, views of the outdoors, maybe even something to nibble on while we’re there. Though I only have a couple of grievances with Melvil Dewey, he is now old school in favor of bisac (bookstore model) cataloging.

3. Online is where the action is. We need to have online resources, know how to use them, and be huge advocates of getting our customers there. We need banners outdoors and on buses and table tents in the library. We need to include in our stats the checkout or uses of our online resources, and report these locally, statewide, and nationally.  As hard as some of the issues are in dealing with online vendors, we need to stay in the game and triumph. Our websites need to be much more dynamic and lure readers into using our online resources. A first start is having the marc records for resources such as OverDrive and OneClick Digital in our library catalogs.

My favorite things about ARSL Conference

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Danielle Rasmussen, Director of the Garland Public Library in Utah, shares her thoughts about the ARSL conference she attended in Raleigh NC in Sept. 2012. She received a grant from the Utah State Library to attend.

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I went to “A Model for a New World” with Molly Rogers and Lyn Hopper and they talked about re-inventing libraries, how to provide great service to our patrons, shrinking budgets with greater demands for services, and how to do more with less.

One of the things that made an impact on me was the way they had an open discussion among all the libraries. We learned more about what we are all going through and how each of us deals with different budget issues and morale.

We learned how to decipher the core values at our library and what our timeless purpose is. The workbook they provided gave me a lot of insight into things that need to be changed in our library. All in all it was a great class.

I loved all the programming ideas I received. I learned how to do Google Docs for the library. There were in-depth ideas for story time that I never would have thought of and very useful websites that I can go to for additional ideas.

The Teen programming offered a lot of insights on how we can better our teen program with lock ins, remembering what they like to read, encouraging their talents, feeding them, collaborations, care for them, and tons of forms of media that I can use in the future to promote programs at the library.

The keynote speakers were all amazing, such as: Julie Hildebrand, Susan Hildreth, Margaret Maron, and Dr. Ron Carlee. Just from listening to them talk we are now inspired to look into applying for the Best Small Library in America Grant.

The vendors were great. I met a lot of representatives from companies that I would have never met on my own. I signed up for the Geek the Library Campaign which I love and have already received a bag from them to get started.

My favorite thing about the conference was meeting all of the other librarians from all over the United States. I really enjoyed getting to know them, talking to them about our favorite books, shopping with them, eating with them, seeing what does and does not work at their libraries, sharing book lists to better our circulation, and emailing ideas back and forth.

Thank you so much to the Utah State Library for making this once in a lifetime experience possible. I will never forget what I learned and the new friends that I have made. I hope to bring the great things I learned back to the Garland Public Library.

Sincerely,
Danielle Rasmussen
Director: Garland Public Library

 

Reference and Services Trends in Public Libraries, 2012

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Here are some thoughts I have gathered, some from professional literature, some from blogs, some straight from my own heart.

We are talking about reference and how it is changing in UPLIFT this week: August 15 at the Utah State Library & August 17 2012 in Ephraim, at the Karen A. Hunstman Library on the Snow College campus.

Thanks, Jon Ostler, for being so accommodating to the public library directors and others who are coming on campus.

Reference and Services Trends in Public Libraries, 2012

  • Traditional reference work is less relevant to the needs of users
  • Rather than worrying about reference’s demise, many librarians have been energized by their newly expanded roles
  • Reconfigured or eliminated reference desks
  • Consolidated desks and services
  • Librarian and support staff work together on the one main desk
  • Librarian can handle more complicated questions
  • Increased training for support staff to handle basic reference questions
  • The reference interview is as pertinent as ever
  • Roving reference is more important—getting out to where people are
  • Expansion of self-service options (self-checkout, online group study room reservations, self-service holds, and touch screen frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) on your website/ library catalog
  • Reconfiguring online reference resources for smartphones and other mobile devices
  • Librarians are exploring new roles in reaching out to meet information needs
  • Reference through the stacks and other indirect means
  • Reduction/elimination of print reference collections
  • Greater marketing and promotion of online resources and services
  • Librarians will spend less time staffing desks and more time outside of library walls
  • Online reference: email, chat, Instant Messaging, and SMS (short messaging services) reaches users who may not visit the library
  • Online reference requires continual marketing to be successful
  • Collaborating with other organizations will do as much to keep libraries alive as any project or program
  • Embedded librarianship: becoming an integral part. Getting close to users by getting out into the community; being actively present with the user at the point of need.
  • The big shift: we’re not doing things “for” the community, but we’re being a part “of” the community
  • Libraries are shifting from the physical to the virtual facilities and media; from an individual to a community focus; from being a collection library to being a creation library; from being an archive to being a portal