Week 5

What kinds of social media apps do you think you might use in your library? If you use some already, what ideas did you get for making better use of them?

We have been recommending Goodreads.com to our patrons to help them find suggestions for new books a lot lately.  Reading preferences are so personal and when people ask me what is good I am hesitant to tell them what I like.  Just because I liked it does not mean that they will.  A lot of my patrons assume that I grab all of the newly released books as soon as they come out.  On the contrary, I tend to read books that are a few years older and ones that I know have sequels that are all out and readily available.  Also, I hate to admit it, but I really enjoy YA books too and most of my adult patrons do not. 

I like to hear what the patrons have read and enjoyed recently and then I show them Goodreads.com along with some of their suggestions.  So far, there have not been many patrons who have known about Goodreads.com prior to us showing them.

Although I also use Goodreads.com for book reviews and suggestions for our purchasing, I would like to use it more to link with our website and facebook page to feature new arrivals at the library.

I would like to start using the shelfari both for the library and for myself.  I think it is a good way to track what you have read and the look is some much more like an actual book shelf than some of the others.  I think that my patrons would really enjoy it as well. 

I would also like to try using instagram.  Although I personally do not have any devices that have this capability, there are several patrons both young and old that do and I think that using the library's facebook page we can see what some of the patrons can do with instagram and the library.
 

Week 4

The Belk Library and Information Commons in Boone, NC is using Instagram as a way to promote their library by having a contest for patrons called “The Belk Library Through My Eyes”.  The instructions are easy:  1. Take an awesome Belk Library photo, 2. Upload it to Instagram, 3. Tag it #BelkLibraryContest.  The winning shot will receive a $50 University Bookstore Gift Card. 

The website lists several ideas and also has a way for patrons to vote for their favorite photo by “liking” the photo.  There are links to Instagram and quick instructions for use.  Not only are they marketing their library with this event, but they are teaching others how to use Instagram as well.  To see some of the strange, awesome, wonderful, unique, and sometimes weird photos that sometimes have nothing to do whatsoever with the library, visit http://www.library.appstate.edu/news/2013/04/enter-our-instagram-contest-and-win-50

Although you might think of instagram in a library as being a wave of the future, the Carlson Library at the University of Toledo has found a way to incorporate it with the past as well.  Visit http://mulford.utoledo.edu/carlsonblog/?p=1461 to see how they used Instagram to not only find local pictures of the past and present, but to also help bring the two together.  They call it “Local History Through the Public Eye”. 

I am especially fond on the photos that take their inspiration from the book and website by Taylor Jones called “Dear Photograph".  The pictures here come from the Toledo site, but check out the great photos also found at http://dearphotograph.com/ .

 

     

Week 3!

Prior to this assignment I often used YouTube to look for instructions for library crafts and books that had videos to go along with them.  Now I will use it when looking for more technical “how to” videos in the future. 

The beginning of the YouTube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI_UhMiXc3Y was very upbeat, fun, and colorful.  The actual instructions for checking out digital eBook and audiobooks were very informational and step by step instructions were used and slowly explained.  They used an older patron as an example of how easy it is and how anyone can check out an ebook or audiobook. 

Week 2

OK . . . so I will admit it, I am a Pinterest-aholic.  It had been 4 weeks, 2 days, 7 hours, and 13 minutes since my last Pinterest visit until I did this assignment.  I have been trying to cut back but it is sooooo hard.

I started to use Pinterest a couple of years ago as a recreational hobby.  I would spend hours just looking at all of the cool things that others pinned in random areas (of course not on work time).    Then I started using it just to look up specific ideas for work and home.   Now it seems like I have not had any more time to go on Pinterest then I have had time to work on this class L. 

One of the boards that I found at http://www.pinterest.com/momason54/library-ideas/ had a great selection of random library ideas including pins of displays, organizational ideas, and books that fit into certain search criteria that would be hard to search for using our circulation program such as “Books with Diverse Characters”  and “Funny Books for Kids”.  I definitely will be using some of these! 

Another pinners board at http://www.pinterest.com/queenjennlynn/library-ideas/ I will have to admit I clicked on originally just because she had over 1300 pins and over 500 followers.  Now I see why.  She has accumulated everything from cartoons and displays to program ideas and crafts.  I love this one.  I am not a big fan of following pinners (clogs up my email) but I might have to make an exception for this one.

Week 1

Question of the week:
What are four kinds of things libraries are doing with Facebook?

I found several examples of how libraries are using Facebook.  Libraries are using Facebook to communicate with their patrons.  They are informing them of upcoming events, new books, thier hours and a change in hours, their location, new policies, new services,  introducing new staff, trainings, and more.

They are also looking for input from the patrons so that they are better understanding thier patrons as a whole and as individuals.  They want to know their patrons' interests, needs, activities, and comments on the library and it's services. 

Libraries are also using Facebook to respond to any negative comments from patrons.  While some disagreements are better handled in private, some issues can be addressed on Facebook so that others that have concerns may understand what the policies and procedures are for their library.

Libraries us Facebook as the cheapest and easiest way of marketing and advertising.  Facebook reaches more people quicker than any other advertising and it is at no cost to the library.

The Top Ten Things That You Can Learn About Me From This Picture

10.  I usually do not get the recommended 8 hours of sleep (note the bags under my eyes)

 

9.  I spend way too much time on the phone (and on the computer)

 

8.  My office is constantly a mess (note the drawer hanging open and the cluttered shelf in the background)

 

7.  I like to decorate for the holidays - lots of fall foliage around the library lately

 

6.  Using a magnifying glass you can see the little gray hairs starting to peak through since I just turned 40 :(

 

5.  I work in a giant fish bowl.  My entire office has windows either to the outside, the inside of the library or the back office/break room

 

4.  If you could look down at my desk you would see at least one piece of chocolate and a mello yello :)

 

3.  I have to wear a button on my shirt that says librarian  because I often get confused when I feel more like a magician, a social worker, a tax consultant, a teacher, a mechanic, an accountant, a computer technician , a a taxi driver, a  . . .  

 

2.  Oops, wrong finger.   But on the left hand there is a ring from my wonderful husband that would tell you that I am happily married with 2 wonderful kids, 4 annoying dogs and 3 slimy turtles

 

1.  I love the library and I love my job!

 

Websites I Can't Do Without!

Asking an internet thief (I steal all of my good ideas from the internet) to choose one or two good sites is like asking a monkey to eat just one banana!

http://pinterest.com/    I love it when a site us useful for both my work and personal life at the same time.  This site has wonderful ideas for library displays, crafts, songs, games, artwork etc. as well as ideas for my family and home life.  I don’t pin on my own boards a lot yet (just browsing), but I hope to start soon!

Because in a previous life I was a Head Start teacher, I enjoy using some of the same sites from my preschool days for inspiration at the library. http://drjean.org/ is a great literacy based site with lots of fun ideas, free pintable’s, and music, music, music to go along with them.  Her CD’s are wonderful!

Some of the other great kid sites include:

 http://childmade.com/

http://makinglearningfun.com/

http://atozteacherstuff.com/

http://www.hummingbirded.com/