Online Library Services for Online Users

Sarah Houghton-JanDigital Futures Manager, San Jose Public LibraryAuthor of LibrarianInBlack.net

Ahh, the good old days

Your Library probably used to have money for:

- going to conferences

- databases & eBooks

- extra staff

- software and hardware

- web technologies

You probably also used to have time for:

- work off of the service desks

- going to conferences

- writing articles and presentations

- your own projects

- engaging in academic discussions

Those days are gone.

Sorry.

Now you know how public libraries have

felt for the last century.

brick and mortar library users

digital library users

POWER USERS

Library Users Today

brick and mortar library users

digital library users

POWER USERS

Library Users Tomorrow

Angry Robot courtesy of www.bohdate.com/angryrobot

Digital Library Activity

(annual per capita stats)Library 1 (150,000)

Library 2 (350,000)

Website visits 5.6 6.3

Database usage 0.7 0.4

eBooks usage 0.2 0.3

Virtual Reference usage

0.01 0.01

Necessary Library Services

(& how we do this online)

1) Book & Media Collections

2) Periodicals

3) Reference and Research Help

4) Information Literacy

5) Special Events

6) Marketing all of the above

1) Book & Media Collections

eBookseMusic, eMovies, eGamingdigital special collections

Concerns: DRM, formats, platforms, devices, ADA compliance

Book & Media Collections

eBooks – free eBook siteseMusic, eMovies, eGaming – free music & video sites

digital special collections – scanner + WordPress = special collection

Free eBooks• Project Gutenberg• AudioBooksForFree• Escholarship• Google Books• ManyBooks• Memoware• Online Books Page• Oxford Text Archive

& many more!

2) PeriodicalsdatabaseseJournals

Concerns: DRM, formats, open access, costs, sustainability of the subscription model

Periodicalsdatabases – free article sites & other resources

eJournals – open access (!)

Free Databases• ArticlesBase.com• FindArticles.com• + free language learning sites• + free practice test sites• + free sites in all disciplines

Why not add this stuff to your website, or even your catalog?

3) Reference & Research Help

IMweb-chat & widgetsVOIP & videoTwittertext messaging

Concerns: staffing models, co-ops

Reference & Research Help

IM – AIM, Yahoo, MSN, GoogleTalkweb-chat & widgets – Meebo, Plugoo

VOIP & video – Skype, AOL & other video chats

Twitter – FREEtext messaging – hacks (be careful)

4) Information Literacy

screencastspodcastsvideo class recordingsclass websiteslive office hours

Concerns: use, learning models

Information Literacyscreencasts – Wink, CamStudiopodcasts – Audacity, OurMediavideo class recordings – Avidemux, YouTube or Blip.tv

class websites – WordPress, Bloggerlive office hours – FreeConferenceCall

free & low-cost hardware on Free After Rebate

5) Special Events

podcastsvidcastslive webcastsevent websites for comments & questions before & after

Concerns: use, access

Special Events

podcasts – Audacity, OurMediavidcasts – Avidemux, YouTube or Blip.tv

live webcasts – UStream.tvevent websites for comments & questions before & after – Wordpress, Blogger, Google Sites

Audio/Video TipsEveryzing ($) Audio & Video to Text

TextAloud ($) Text to Audio

6) Marketing Services

Social networksMicroblogsEvents sites

Concerns: going where your users go, where to distribute staff time

Marketing Services

Social networks – Facebook (+ page apps, search apps, & ads), Ning, etc.

Microblogs – TwitterEvents sites – Eventful, Upcoming.org, Craigslist, Going.com

Be SocialBe present where your users are

Be realBe reliable and continuously new

$10 = 5000 Facebook Flyers to targeted audiences

Facebook Flyer image by Steve Lawson: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tuttlibrary/1546577200

CHEAP ADVERTISING!!!

8 More Tips!

1) InteractingWelcome comments on everything

Respond quickly

Respond like a human being

Tools: Google Groups, Google Wave, WordPress, PB Works

2) Use Cheap Services

3) Use Free ServicesFree web hosting, statistics, and web

gadgets

4) Use LibraryThing

5) Project Planning

6) Getting Staff Buy-In

Let staff know about the project early.

Ask staff for their input and use it.

Keep everyone informed at all stages.

Managers must consistently support the new project or service.

7) Project EvaluationSurvey users & staff 6 months after launch

- Would you recommend this service to a friend? Why or why not?

Evaluate statistics - How much staff time is being used?

- How much is the service being accessed?

Evaluate the library's follow-through

- Has adequate marketing & training been done?

Evaluation ResultsContinue service

Discontinue service

Extend pilot

Change aspects of the service

Do more promotion or trainingDiscontinuing a service is not failing.

Persisting in a failed effort is failing.

8) Push for ChangeTry new things!

Push administrators (they like 24/7 nature of web services, minimal staffing and cheap costs, highest ROI in the library)

Rejoice in failures (it means you're pushing boundaries!)

the democratization of information and

expertise

Questions?

Sarah Houghton-Janweb: LibrarianInBlack.netemail: LibrarianInBlack@gmail.comIM: LibrarianInBlackSkype: LibrairanInBlackFacebook:

facebook.com/librarianinblackTwitter: twitter.com/TheLiB