IT PLAYGROUP, APRIL 14, 2008

For this IT Playgroup, Pioneer Press technology reporter Julio Ojeda-Zapata brought Apple TV and Vudu to show us (plus a giant flatscreen TV). Both are devices that stream content from the Internet to your TV (preferably an HDTV). Vudu has a larger movie and TV library, but Apple TV also offers photos, music, podcasts, YouTube and Flickr. Neither have monthly fees, you pay for each item you buy or rent. Ojeda-Zapata felt that neither product was a blockbuster, but they illustrate trends that could really blossom in the future. The XBox game console also allows you to rent movies, but it is rather noisy to have in your living room all the time.

He also brought the ultraportable notebook computers the MacBook Air and Lenovo x300. Both have solid-state storage (like a flash drive) instead of a hard drive, so they can be a lot thinner, but there is a lot less space for files and programs.

--Andrea

Handling Upset Patrons: From the Irate to the Insane

This was a session that I attended at PLA, presented by Warren Graham from Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. He is also known as the Blackbelt Librarian.

Warren discussed the 4 levels of emotion our patrons experience in the library (as well as other places). He added colorful stories of both patron behaviors and common staff behaviors in situations relating to each of the emotional states. These levels of emotion do not occur in any particular order.

A - Anxiety
B - Belligerence
C - Control — as in "out of control"
C - Calm

"Anxiety" is characterized by a patron having a complaint but remains civil. This is when staff need to stop what they are doing, look at the patron, listen to them and show genuine concern.

"Belligerence" is characterized by a patron getting loud and making a scene. Staff need to establish credibility right away ("I can help, but here's what I need from you..."), make eye contact, stay calm, and if you have a barrier (like a desk) keep it. (Staff might experience a fight or flight response, which can be a good thing.)

Why are people like this? Warren states that there are several causes including stress, biases (age, sex, race), mental instability, and some people are just plain mean.

"Out of control" is any time a patron is drunk or on drugs, commits a sexual offence, is threatening or has aggressive movement toward staff or other patrons, or when the patron is told to leave and refuses. Staff should call 911. The patron should be banned to protect the rights of the other patrons and the staff.

"Calm" is just calm. No hay problemo.

Some important institutional roles of dealing with difficult customers:

• The library should have clear rules of conduct.
• Staff should have clear guidelines on how to handle situations where the rules are not being followed.
• Staff should be trained in the rules and guidelines.
  
• Staff should be consistent.
• Staff should not be the behavior problem.

Some things to ask yourself if you work with the public:

• Am I passive or aggressive in nature?
• Am I emotional or logical?
• Am I an introvert or an extrovert?
• Do I like people?
• Do I like my job?

--Katrina

PLA PRECONFERENCE

BRIDGING THE DIVIDE: LIBRARIES TRANSFORM COMMUNITIES




Bowling Alone is a book that was often mentioned during the “Bridging the Divide” Preconference I attended at PLA. This book and the preconference address how people are feeling more and more alienated, removed from dialogue and possibilities; they don’t feel like active members of the community. People are spending less time with people who are different from them and need a public space where they can discuss ideas and reengage in the community.

The speakers, who have all been involved with civic engagement for a number of years, talked about how libraries can help bridge the divide as they are safe, neutral environments in which people from all walks of life are present. They spoke of many roles that libraries can fill in order to help bring people together:

1) The library as a civic space. Libraries can offer space to groups that want to meet and discuss issues.

2) The library as public forum. Libraries can host forums in which members of the community can meet to discuss ideas.

3) The library as a civic information center, a place where people can engage with the government. Donna Lauffer, a presenter from Johnson County Library in Kansas, developed a community series, Community Issues 101, as part of a strategic plan initiative to become more connected with the community. Other handouts from Johnson County Library can be found on PLA’s conference handout page (code #1025), and on the library’s website.

4) The library as a community wide reading club. There is a handout called “Civic Engagement and Libraries Recommended Reading” that can be found both on the PLA handout page and the Johnson County Library website.

5) The library as a partner in public service, working with others to better the community. Betsy McBride, Media and Communications Coordinator for the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia, talked about how the Virginia Beach library worked with the city to create a website and informational pieces, and host community forums on a redevelopment initiative the city was pursuing and wanted more community input on. There are handouts with samples of some of the work done in Virginia Beach on the redevelopment project.

6) The library as enabler of civic literacy, helping people learn how to work together. We discussed how libraries can be a resource for problem solving. When hosting community forums, libraries can give the message that “The library is here because it is important to bring people together.” A deliberative discussion style is recommended for forums because it encourages listening and sharing. An issues map which lists three approaches to the problem being discussed can help encourage discussion and not debate. Guidelines are given to encourage speakers to focus on the approaches, consider all the approaches, look at deliberating and examining the trade-offs among choices, and listening to each other and seeking common ground and understanding. Handouts can be found on “Debate vs. Deliberation” and “Compromise, Consensus and Common Ground (for Action)”, and a sample issues map.

7) The library as a public advocate for engagement. After hearing about the great forums that have been held and could be held by other libraries, the preconference participants asked “What happens with the information you get from the public at these forums?” The speakers said that the information could be put into reports that can be shared with relevant decision makers. They highly recommended that forum attendees who ask “What next?” be steered toward relevant advocacy groups and their legislators. The library is a neutral participant which can’t take sides, but can help people find needed resources to take the next steps. Libraries can also create bibliographies of related resources that may be of interest and encourage further civic engagement. The participants also suggested that publicity for community engagement events could be done with the help of its partners and Friend’s groups.

--Erin Z-R.

GAMING IS HOT AT LIBRARIES

Check out this article from MSN.com on the hot trend of gaming in libraries. This has been a popular topic on the library blogs for a while.

submitted by Laura F.

NoveList Plus and NoveList K-8 Plus

NoveList Plus is a readers' advisory resource for fiction and nonfiction. Read more about it ...

NoveList K-8 Plus focuses on nonfiction reading materials that support the school curriculum, as well as the recreational reading interests of children and students from preschool through middle school. Read more about it ...

Try them out and tell us what you think!

Webinar: Library Spaces; Future Needs

Earlier in March, I viewed a webinar featuring 2 architects and a public library director. Here are some highlights from the webinar, Library Spaces; Future Needs:

When planning for library space, think about "zones" — Welcome Zone , Living Room Zone, Civic Zone (courtyard)
Flexibility is foremost — reconfigurable furniture, exhibit/gallery space, etc.
Teen Zone should feature gaming space as well as homework center.
Programming suite includes cafe, meeting rooms, cultural event spaces. Each library needs to maximize programming space.
Support services zone consolidates functions and supports collegiality.
Services are constantly changing — models include bookstore, convenience store, shopping mall etc.
When merchandising the collection, use mobile display units, specialized lighting
Historic libraries should consider grand hotel ambiance (fireplace, views) enticing people to linger.
For a multi story building, concierge (Greeter) service is important. This includes escorting customers to specific place in building
Future is distributed self-check (throughout building) including mobile self check
Mobile compact shelving is a growing trend.
Reference should be transparent, approachable, friendly — no barrier desks.
Patron to patron collaboration should be supported (active collaborative space in center, quiet spaces off to side)
Express visit vs. sustained visit to library — these two are completely different. Important to make the express visit efficient.

The presenters' slides can be found here.

--Barb S.

CENTRAL GOALS 2008

CUSTOMER DRIVEN SERVICES:

• INSTALL CHANGE MACHINE IN CIRCULATION CENTER
  
  
  
  
  • This will address a communicated customer need to have readily available change for
    

    parking meters.
    

    
    
  
  
  • 2^nd quarter
    
  
  


• SHIFT REFERENCE COLLECTION TO READ FROM LEFT TO RIGHT
  
  
  
  
  
  • Customers and staff will have greatly improved access to and use of paper
    

    reference collection.

    
    
  
  
  • 1^st quarter
    
  
  


• INVESTIGATE USE OF PARKING VOUCHERS, PUBLICIZE AVAILABLE FREE PARKING (MACY’S)
  
  
  
  
  
  • Customers will be offered additional parking options when using Central Library.
    
  
  
  • 2^nd-4^th quarter
    
  
  


• EXPLORE “POPULAR LIBRARY” CONCEPT IN CIRC. CENTER USING MOBILE
  

  CART

  
  
  
  
  
  • Increase access to new collection materials; implement as part of “Central as
    

    a destination” strategic plan team.

    
    
  
  
  • 2^nd quarter
    
  
  


• INVESTIGATE, PURCHASE AND INSTALL NEW SHEET MUSIC SHELVING
  
  
  
  
  
  • Provide improved shelving options for valuable part of the collection; increase customer access to sheet music.
    
  
  
  • 2^nd-4^th quarter
    
  
  

NEW AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES:

• INVESTIGATE USE OF NEW TECHNOLOGY TO INCORPORATE MAP AND PROMOTIONAL KIOSK IN ELEVATOR LOBBY
  
  
  
  
  • Customers will navigate building and collections more easily; promotion of programs and events will be enhanced.
    
  
  
  • 2^nd-4^th quarter
    
  
  


• NEW FICHE/FILM READER
  
  
  
  
  • Implement available technology to provide improved resources for customersand staff; improve access to St. Paul Collection materials such as newspaper microfilm and city directories.
    
  
  
  • 2^nd-4^th quarter
    
  
  
  

COLLABORATION:

• WORK WITH ARTS HIGH SCHOOL/ARTS ORGANIZATION TO HAVE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS PAINT A MURAL ON THE PREMISES (IN CIRC CENTER)
  
  
  
  
  • Increase collaborative efforts with area high schools; increase opportunities for teen volunteers
    
  
  
  • 3^rd-4^th quarter
    
  
  


• PROMOTE CIVIC AWARENESS PRIOR TO REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
  
  
  
  
  • Implement programming, displays, collection and staff involvement to highlight upcoming political convention and election.
    
  
  
  • 1^st-3^rd quarter
    
  
  

COMMUNICATION:

• INCREASE USE OF CENTRAL BLOG FOR STAFF COMMUNICATION
  
  
  
  
  • Implement Web 2.0 skills; improve staff communication options
    
  
  
  • 3^rd quarter
    
  
  


• INCREASE USE OF READER’S ADVISORY TOOLS SUCH AS BOOKLISTS ON LIBRARY WEBSITE
  
  
  
  
  • Improve staff skills in passive readers advisory; promote collection through use of library web site
    
  
  
  • 3^rd quarter
    
  
  

SERVICE TO CHILDREN AND YOUTH:

• CREATE EARLY LITERACY AREA IN YOUTH SERVICES
  
  
  
  
  • Follow through on Strategic Plan initiative to promote early literacy.
    
  
  
  • 2^nd-4^th quarter
    
  
  


• PLAN AND EXECUTE FIVE PUPPET SHOWS
  
  
  
  
  • Follow through on Strategic Plan initiative to implement more staff produced programming and promote Central as a destination.
    
  
  
  • 2^nd-4^th quarter
    
  
  


• INVESTIGATE, PURCHSE AND INSTALL SYSTEM FOR STORING STEIFF PUPPETS
  
  
  
  
  • Will provide more secure environment for valuable Steiff puppets that are currently exposed to dust, light; Promote Central as a destination
    
  
  
  • 3^rd-4^th quarter
    
  
  

April 1, 2008

NEW DATABASE TRIAL: BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Powered by Gale's What Do I Read Next? series, Books & Authors combines both browseable menus and visual search technology to guide readers from every level of reading proficiency to books that match their interests.

Information Sheet (PDF)

Try it out and tell us what you think.

(No username or password required).

21st Century Library Design

One of the best sessions that I attended at PLA was called 21st Century Library Design. It was presented by Kim Bolan, Pam Vander Poeg and Cathy Hakala Ausperk.

Kim Boland is a library design consultant and author of Teen Spaces. She promised to post the images from the presentation on her blog soon after her wedding (which was Sat.-Congrats!).
Why is 21st Century Library Design important? Our population is changing. There are increasing numbers of baby-boomers using libraries, as well as increasing numbers of teens. Libraries are also the last free public space. So what is 21st Century Library Design? It is design that enables services that make the library a community space (the third place); it is built around the customer; it is comfortable, multi-functional and adaptable; and use by the community makes it successful. Specifically, the design should have a comfortable space, meeting rooms for group and quiet study, supported service (self-checkout, more interaction, portable service points, food service, drive up book-drops, etc), multi-functional children's spaces, a separate teen space, retail oriented merchandising, technology that is unobtrusive and promotes interaction, good way-finding (understandable signage!), and sustainable healthy environments.

Pam Vander Poeg is the Assistant Director of Kent District Library in Michigan. They have a system wide initiative to peer review or mystery shop at each of the branches. This initiative is grant funded and each library has a friends group that matches the grant amount. They are focusing on 4 areas of library design including Early Literacy, Teen Space, making it easy to find, and the Library Living Room. Early Literacy spaces should be playful and interactive, making the library a place of fun and learning. The Teen Space should have varied seating, snacks, computers and input from teens. The Library Living Room should be a cozy place with comfy furniture, books, reading lamps, art, plants and a view or a fireplace. Each of the branches was provided with a materials directory with suggested items, prices, and vendor information so the research didn't have to be done more than once.

Cathy Hakala Ausperk is the Deputy Director of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library in Ohio. They renovated the largest library and here are some of the innovations that I found to be exciting: They had artistic signage that was integrated into murals, moveable displays, roving reference, self service that includes pick-up lockers for holds, help phones, office supply vending, and healthy food vending.
--Katrina