Rondo's Small Business Resource Center

Small Business Resource Center at Rondo
Presented by Mary Ann Berglund
June 2011

Rondo’s Small Business Resource Center is geared towards the small business owner or micro-entrepreneur, defined by the Small Business Administration (SBA) as:

• Independently owned and operated


• For profit


• Not dominant in its field


• 5 or fewer employees

Funding a small business - Are there grants?
According to Mary Ann, grants for businesses are very hard to come by, and may be very specifically targeted. Loans are much more common.

The SBA has a section on their website devoted to Loans & Grants. This includes a section on government grants and a Search for Business Loans, Grants and Financing tool where you enter your information and they tell you what you’re eligible for. They also present loan seminars, but you need to go to a SBA district office. Ours is in Minneapolis.

The Neighborhood Development Center (NDC) and WomenVenture are also sources of loans, up to $35,000.

Classes and other expert help
The Resource Center hosts a lot of classes and presentations at Rondo. Many are through the Neighborhood Development Center (NDC), with whom they partner. This includes a 16 week entrepreneur class. To get into the class you need to interview, and there is a fee based on a sliding scale; at least $75.00. It consists of 8 classes and 8 one-on-one sessions. The NDC is also available for consulting, for instance on finances and marketing. They have interns at Rondo, and possibly other locations that entrepreneurs can come in and see for help.

SCORE offers one-on-one help free, even if their help would otherwise cost a lot of money. They do insist on a business plan.

Suggestions for small business materials for your collection

• A Guide to Starting a Business in Minnesota New ed. every year from the Minnesota Dept. of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). Available electronically or in print through SPPL's catalog


• Legal forms for small business


• Materials on how to start a business in general, how to start a specific type of business, and home-based businesses


• Materials on financing a business


• Materials on business plans, basic accounting, marketing, and social networking for businesses

Referrals and Resources

• SPPL Event Calendar listing of entrepreneurial workshops and classes


• Neighborhood Development Center (NDC)


• SCORE – Bills itself as “Counselors to America’s Small Business”


• NDC intern at Rondo


• NDC intern at Lutheran Social Services, Eastside Financial Services, 965 Payne Ave, St. Paul (tentative Fall 2011)


• WomenVenture - Provides “one-on-one consulting, access to capital, and a variety of classes and workshops to help you build and grow your own business.”


• Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)


• James J. Hill Business Reference Library


• District Councils – The districts are basically St. Paul neighborhoods and the councils are their planning and administrative bodies


• Local community development organizations




• Aurora St. Anthony Development Corporation (ASANDC)


• East Side Neighborhood Development Company (ESNDC)


• Greater Frogtown Community Development Corporation


• North East Neighborhoods Development Corporation


• Riverview Economic Development Association (REDA)


• Selby Area Community Development Corporation


• Sparc (serves Hamline Midway, North End, South Como)


• Databases and Websites – These are resources linked to from the SPPL website


• North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) (good for use with ReferenceUSA)

Rondo Resources

• Circulating books, periodicals & DVDs


• Reference books including the Financial Ratio Benchmarks – how should the money be distributed in your business?


• Two dedicated business computers – One hour limit (Envisionware won’t let them extend the time)


• Business PlanPro (Rondo only) Takes you step-by-step through the process of building a business plan, and has sample business plans. You can’t save a business plan in progress on Rondo’s computers, but you can save it to a flash drive and open it up again w/Business PlanPro. Also at the J. J. Hill library.


• DemographicsNow (Rondo) Good for answering demographic question such as population, ethnic make-up of a neighborhood, etc.


• SRDS Media Solutions (Rondo only) – Marketing software

Melissa.

Library Journal Fall Announcements webinar, August 23, 2011

Today I watched the Library Journal Fall Announcements webinar. (The webinar will be archived in about a week and I will add the link to this post for those who want to view it.) In the meantime, the titles I think we will be getting requests for at the information desk include nonfiction titles Susan Orlean's Rin Tin Tin and Running the Rift by Naomi Benaron. The fiction titles that sounded the most readable to me were Lost Memory of Skin by Russell Banks, The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman, and The Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margo Livesey.


--Barb P.@HI

Lino Lakes Transitions Fair Tuesday August 16, 2011

I (along with Lora B., AR) participated in the Lino Lakes Transitions Fair on August 16^th. The purpose of the fair is to provide a wealth of resources to incarcerated individuals who are near their release date. The organizations represented at the fair ranged from housing and medical assistance to addiction support and library services. Lora and I informed participants on how to obtain library cards and the library services they can take advantage of at their neighborhood library. Our most popular inquiries included computer class needs and employment help. We also shared early literacy information with inmates who have children. Nearly 300 inmates attended the fair and approximately 270 of them visited our table. I truly enjoyed this outreach opportunity and found it to be a rewarding experience.

--Regina

Morningstar

Hello!

I attended a Morninstar Webinar on Thursday 8/4/11, and here's what I learned.

Morningstar is an investment database. They offer information on Companies (Stocks), Funds (Mutual Funds), ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds), and Markets. Information includes (where relevant): price – current and historic, analysis, comparison, ranking, bond ratings, etc. I love that you can check out executive compensation under the Insiders tab on Companies, and you can get SEC filings. All the information you’d expect to see on an investment site, plus the value added feature of Morningstar analysis and opinion.

To find historic stock prices, after the upgrade on 8/9/11, go to the Performance tab, and then click on “Price History.” Fill in the requested information, and away you go.

The “Screen for” option under Companies, Funds, and ETFs leads to screening tools to help you narrow down your options from thousands of possibilities. First “Select Data to Screen on” (you can select “General” and then click the Morningstar Screens button to the right. Answer the resulting questions and Morningstar will help you find options that meet your criteria.

This database will also help you with your portfolio. There’s a Portfolio X-Ray that, when you enter all your portfolio information and what your goal is, will analyze your portfolio and tell you where you might want to make amendments. There are also calculators for college and retirement to help you figure out a figure to use as a goal.

One of the real strengths of this database is all of the educational opportunities. Under the Portfolio section, you can learn about asset allocation and there are a series of Goal Primers to teach you the “ins and outs of goal-based investing.” There’s also an Investing 101 video here that the instructor highly recommended.

The “Help and Education” tab offers many more learning opportunities, including guides for using the database, a second set of Goal Primers, a glossary of investment terms, and information on “Morningstar’s proprietary ratings and measures.” They’ll soon be launching a Tutorial Center with 3-5 minute videos. There’s also an Investment Classroom which includes Stocks, Funds, and Portfolio curriculums, each including a number of 10 minute lessons at different levels, each of which ends with a quiz. So Morningstar is a great alternative to books for patrons who want to learn about investing.

Under the Newsletters tab, Morningstar offers “PDFs of the most-popular newsletters from our mutual fund, stock, and ETF strategists.” This includes the basic Mutual Fund paper that we get in print.

You need to have the pop-up blocker disabled on your browser.

Current news is not part of the database. The Market Overviews in the Market tab will include financial news of the past quarter or year – whichever time period you pick. That would include things like the Debt Ceiling issue. Morningstar.com offers the current financial news, and you can get a market news feed. You do have to register for Morningstar.com to get the good stuff, but you can do it for free.

Melissa.

DEVELOPING ONLINE PATRON TUTORIALS

E-book tutorial from the Carmel Clay library.

Online patron tutorials are a way to teach patrons about our resources in a way that they can access from home at any time. They are also used by patrons who are reluctant to ask for help. Usually they are created using a video camera or screencasting software ware such as Captivate or Camtasia.

Online tutorials should be available in several places on the library web site: on a banner with rotating "tutorials of the day", on a dedicated page, next to the resources it discusses (databases, e-books, etc.). They should be promoted on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Libraries can partner with other agencies. Dallas Public Library offers a tutorial on applying for a job with the city of Dallas. Screencasts can be done in multiple languages, and the software usually has closed captioning.

Requirements for screencasting:

• Time to do it


• Training-can learn screencasting in an hour


• A good microphone


• Screencasting software (there are free options)


• Subject expertise--staff should have this, they train patrons every day!
  


• Hosting--some libraries pay to have tutorials hosted on their own web site, however there are free sites like YouTube that will do it for you.

Screencasts shouldn't be more than 3 minutes, and they should be light and informal. They don't have to be perfect or have fancy production values.


Should your library use online tutorials?

• Do you have commonly asked questions?


• Do you have resources accessed remotely?


• Do you have excellent resources that aren't getting enough attention?

Then the answer is yes!




Handouts and an archived version of the webinar are available here.


--Andrea @Central

HANDHELD LIBRARY V: Summing Up

Here is a summary of what I learned in the rest of the Handheld Librarian sessions.


The popularity of smart phones & tablets has changed patrons' expectations of the library. Mobile information seeking is quick --"info-snacking". Many patrons text on their phones, so some libraries have instituted SMS reference--it's easier than email, but more private for embarrassing questions or if the patron is afraid of feeling stupid for asking. Patrons expect web sites to be mobile-friendly. They like to search using what's in their pocket rather than walking to their computer even if it's harder to search on the mobile device.


Top trends:

• Location-based services: They can promote the library as a fun thing to do. The problem is what to give as incentives to check-in--an extra hour of internet? Take off fines? Patron gets to choose a book display theme?
• QR Codes--Can be used for library tours--to publicized databases and online resources that relate to a call number area--can put on a flyer and it links to your web site--can have one next to the bibliographic record in the catalog so it sends the call number to the patron's phone.
• Augmented reality--Can be used for a historical tour of a neighborhood--can translate signs into other languages--in the future, we might us it to show how to do something or use something when you point your device at it (the technology's not quite there yet).

Recommended apps for librarians:

• Evernote
• Dropbox
• Google Docs
• Jotnot-it can scan documents onto your mobile device.
  
• Goodreads

Issues:

The patron has to inform the applications where they are located in order to use them, so privacy is an issue. Use of mobile services could widen the digital divide when patrons without smart phones are unable to access information. QR codes and augmented reality require an always-on Internet connection. Libraries may have policies that discourage phone use.


All the individual webinars are archived here (requires latest version of Flash).

--Andrea @C

HANDHELD LIBRARIAN IV: Books on the Web

Presented by Peter Brantley

"No one is in charge of the preservation of our growing cultural heritage in digital books." -P. Brantley

Good, reliable archives are increasingly important and libraries need to be involved in preserving digital books in the future. We need to convince publishers to help us by reminding them that the loss of their assets would affect them negatively. There needs to be a national policy on digital preservation. Current US law privileges print as the best format for preservation--what if something only exists in digital form?


Challenges of digital preservation:

• Many ebook formats: ePub is becoming a major player, but Amazon has its own format for the Kindle. Also, each company adds its own digital rights management software.
• A book is complex: contains text, maps, illustrations, a forward, even video.
• Items can be lost: misplaced, staff member retires and no one knows how to access it.
• Digital databases require complex systems which increase danger of loss (cascading errors): e.g. Tumblr's recent big database failure, Flickr deleting the wrong account and having no way to get it back. What if that happened to your ebook?
• Format obsolescence: The British Library saved a digital census on an obsolete laserdisc format and it was almost lost.
  

Advantages of library involvement in digital preservation:

• Practice: Libraries have preserved things for 1,000s of years using redundancy- lots of copies keep stuff safe.
• Low storage costs: We can preserve in redundant formats more easily now.
• Standing: Libraries are answerable to the public, not stockholders as in the case of Google and its Book Search. Also, Google Book Search is not preservation-quality.

Players to look at in digital preservation:

• Internet Archive
• Smashwords
• Europeana Library
• Portico

Copyright needs to move forward in a digital age. We need to record copyright information for the whole world and make it an easy database query. The Copyright Office says electronic transmission is making an illegal copy, even for preservation purposes. Instead, we should require a digital copy for copyright--if you want full copyright assertions, you have to deposit a copy in a national repository.



Slides are available here and the archived webinar is here (requires latest version of Flash)

--Andrea @Central

HANDHELD LIBRARIAN III: The State of Mobile Connectivity

Lee Rainie is the Director of the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project, a non-profit, non–partisan “fact tank” that studies the social impact of the internet. Since December 1999, the Washington D.C. research center has examined how people’s internet use affects their families, communities, health care, education, civic and political life, and work places. Pew is not about "fixing", "promoting" or "thwarting" the Internet, it just looks at its impact.

Due to the Internet, access to information has changed in four main ways:

1. Volume: information is much easier to find than in the past, but sometimes it's more than you want.
2. Velocity: information comes faster than when waiting for the evening news or the daily newspaper. Also, you can find out stories that are important to you, not just the big news.
3. Vibrancy: information is multimedia and interactive.
4. Relevance: information seeking can be tailored to your interests.

In addition to changing information-seeking behavior, the Internet encourages people to become content creators. 2/3 of adults have created content to share online (3/4 of teenagers):

• 62% belong to social networking sites
• 50% share photos
• 33% create tags
• 32% rank & rate things
• 30% share personal creations
• 14% are bloggers
• 12% use Twitter--mostly young people
• 4% use location-sharing services

85% of Americans have cellphones. It is the fastest-growing technology in history of the world. 57% connect to the internet wirelessly, either by laptop or cellphone or both. Interestingly, African-Americans and Latinos are more likely to access Internet wirelessly and use more functions of the cell phone. 1/3 of Americans don't have broadband Internet-- usually people who are poor, speak English as a second language, rural, or less educated--so the digital divide is still a big issue.


Use of mobile devices:

• 35% have apps, 24% use apps
• 76% take pictures
• 74% text (more text than talk in 2009--frequency)
• 42% browse Internet
• 38% email
• 35% IM

Ownership of devices:

• 55% laptops
• 50% DVR
• 45% Mp3 players
• 42% game consoles
• 7% ebook readers
• 6% tablets

People are stressed by volume of info in their lives--social networks are "sentries" that tell them what is important in the world, evaluate information for them, and give them forums for action. Librarians can be "nodes" in social networks and provide help & information.


What libraries can offer:

• Navigation literacy--as the volume grows
• Connections & context literacy--finding sources and making connections
• Skepticism
• Showing value of contemplative time--multitasking isn't as effective as some people think
• Instruction in how to create content
• Instruction in how to be a good online citizen
• Content for patrons' devices
• Curating information online, not just their own collections

In short, librarians can be digital life/citizenship coaches.


Slides are here and an archived version of the webinar is here (requires latest version of Flash).

--Andrea @Central

HANDHELD LIBRARIAN II: Augmented Reality 101 for Libraries

Presented by Sarah Houghton-Jan and Nate Hill

Augmented reality is like the robot's vision in the Terminator movies or like the future of Minority Report. You point an AR-enabled device at something in reality, and obtain digital information about it. AR requires GPS, a camera and an accelerometer (which tells if you are pointing up or down). iPads and tablets can use Augmented Reality applications, but smart phones are the most common devices.

Some Augmented Reality apps:

• Layar
• Wikitude
• Google Goggles
• Monocle (part of Yelp)

Layar is currently the most popular app. Libraries can make their own apps within Layar. It includes such things as a Beatles tour of Liverpool.

Wikitude connects real world locations to Wikipedia--it gives you historical facts about an area and points to potential areas of interest in the background.

Google Goggles lets you scan books, CD covers, artwork etc. --you can look at an object online or even buy it.

Monocle lets you find local bars and restaurants when you shake your phone 3 times.


Houghton-Jan and Hill decided to create a local history walking tour of San Jose with Layar. They created it as a web app because they couldn't find an iOS or Android developer to help them. The tour itinerary was created by special collections librarians. I especially like the links to old photographs of the locations.

Their tips for Augmented Reality apps:

• Make sure there's documentation so someone else can come in --they used regular html/css code for more sustainability.
• Use low-resolution photos so they load fast.
• You can do almost all the same things in a browser than an app, and it's also cross-platform.
• It helps to have a couple of devices with different OS so you can see what they look like on different operating systems and test them.
• You can do down to a couple of meters, but GPS can't do smaller than that yet--you can't do each floor of a building.
  

Possibilities for the future of Augmented Reality:

• Recognize any object--e.g. point it at an apple and it tells you it's nutritional qualities.
• See who lives in the houses in a neighborhood.
• Hold it up to a person to find their social networks.

Augmented reality assumes being always connected to the Internet. A lot of people still aren't, so it could be a digital divide issue. As you can imagine, their could be privacy issues, so librarians need to provide patrons with information so they can decide what information to share.



Slides are available here and the archived webinar is here (requires latest version of Flash).



--Andrea @Central

HANDHELD LIBRARIAN I: Next Trends in Mobile Technology

Next Mobile trends HHLIB

Click above to view slides. Archived version of webinar is here (requires latest version of Flash).

The presenter, Joe Murphy, says keeping current with mobile trends helps libraries stay relevant. According to this article, smart phones are now outselling PCs. There were 10 billion downloads in Apple's app store, and the iPad is now the most successful mobile device of all time.

He discussed four major trends:

1. Mobile Photos (Instagram, Hipstamatic, Photoshop Express)
2. Location Services (Foursquare, Gowalla, SCVNGR, Mytown, Loopt)
3. Entertainment Check-in (Miso, Getglue, Philo)
4. Social Recommendation Services (Google Hotpot, Bizzy, Foodspotting)
   

Mobile photos involve taking pictures on your mobile devices, editing them on the same device, then sharing them with others. Libraries could use these services to publicize themselves by showing photos of events. Instagram has 2 millions users, but has only been around for 2 months. These services also make it really easy to share to other social media such as Facebook, Flickr or Twitter.

Location services are a form of mobile social gaming--users check in and gain in-world & real-world benefits such as a free coffee. At root, they are a marketing tool--the more users follow, the more they gain rewards. They can also be used to meet friends or even find a lost wallet. Foursquare is the largest, at 7 million users.

Check-in services are similar, except they are about what you are doing rather than where you are going, combining digital and real-world engagement. Getglue lets you "check in" to movies, video games, thinking about a topic, chatting, and reading a book. You can share easily to Facebook and Twitter. The thinking about a topic could apply to the library. Getglue is definitely one to keep our eye on, according to Murphy. Miso and Philo are similar, but only cover television.

Social recommendation services such as Google Hotpot and Bizzy have you rate local business and they will recommend others to you based on your preferences. Foodspotting is specific to restaurants and you can post photos of meals.

Murphy also mentioned an attachment to the iPhone that lets you swipe credit cards and make payments. While not a trend yet, it could become one in the future.

These trends change patrons' expectations, so flexibility is key. For example, don't be too strict with patrons taking photos if it becomes an important discovery tool that can promote the library.



--Andrea @Central

Grantspace

Grantspace is a new website from the Foundation Center. It does not replace the http://www.foundationcenter.org/ web site, but acts as a supplement to it. The latter is a site for everyone (grant-seekers, grant-makers, media, politicians, etc.) while the former is especially geared to grant-seekers and teaching them how best to use the Foundation Center’s resources. So a lot of the links are familiar, but now they are all in one place.

The four main parts of Grantspace are Subjects, Skills, Classroom and Tools. Subjects are divided into the five main areas of grant-making: Arts, Education, Environment, Health Care and Human Services. Grant-seekers can find jobs, RFPs, news, Funder tweets, reports, and podcasts in their area of interest.

The Skills area has information on planning, proposal writing, management, legal issues, and using Foundation Directory Online. It includes sample cover letters and proposals that can be downloaded as pdfs .

The Classroom area has a training calendar with free and paid in-person classes and webinars. A search of the calendar can be limited by location or skill area.

The Tools area has a knowledge base of questions and answers, sample documents, the Catalog of Nonprofit Literature (a catalog of all the Foundation Center library’s books and articles, some of which are available online), a collaboration database, and the TRASI database for evaluating the social impact of a program.

Registration at Grantspace is not required, but it allows the patron to make comments, share items, create a profile, and subscribe to free e-newsletters.

If a patron is interested in a Foundation Center class at the library but is unable to make it in that day, or they want to learn more about grant-seeking before they come in to search Foundation Directory Online, please introduce them to Grantspace.

--Andrea @Central

Serving 21st Century Patrons 2010 Online Conference Part Three: TechSoup for Libraries

Techsoup was formed to help libraries and nonprofits and to be a one-stop shop for technology needs. It offers free content, events, resources, and donated products, plus discounts on software and technology from companies like Microsoft, Adobe and Symantec. All public libraries and 501 (c ) (3) nonprofits are eligible for the discounts. Refurbished computers are also available.

Techsoup is based on the idea that libraries shouldn’t have to “reinvent the wheel”--someone else may have done it already. Librarians can learn from articles, webinars (all archived later on the web site), and a blog with guest librarians. Recent webinar topics include cloud computing, open source software, and security basics.

Librarians shared some cool technology ideas in the chat for the webinar, including the following:

1. A technology petting zoo where patrons can “play” and learn about ereaders such as the Kindle, Nook, and Ipad and decide which device if any is best for them (and learn which ones work with the library’s ebooks)
2. A Docsend station that connects to the copier and lets patron scan and edit their resumes and then save them to a flash drive.
3. A flash drive bracelet.

1. QR Codes on the library’s Directions & Hours web page that links to turn-by-turn directions for patrons with mobile phones.
2. Using Libguide software to create pathfinders on different topics.

--Andrea @Central

Serving the 21st Century Patron 2010 Online Conference, Part 2: 21 Ideas for 21st-Century Libraries

Kim Bolan-Cullin and Rob Cullin had some exciting ideas about making libraries “shoppable” without a lot of expense. They call their approach “refreshovation”--more than buying one new couch, but much less expensive than a full renovation.

First, they suggest getting input from patrons in as many ways as possible. A Powerpoint presentation with lots of pictures helps people know what their options are. Patrons may not be aware of new things like downloadables, so they only ask for what they know about already.

A “shoppable” library should be very welcoming, with lots of seating amidst the shelving and materials shelved faced out. Small-group collaboration is of increasing importance, so there should be places set aside for it. Other possibilities include: a coffee shop, a business center, and a library within a shared space.

Spaces can be updated cheaply with paint, signs, and furniture. New ideas like self-service holds, roving reference, and re-organizing desks to make them more user-friendly (think of Apple “Genius bars” and how they turn the computers towards customers) can be implemented without much expense.

Youth services is sometimes overly focused on zero to 5-year-olds. What about 5-8 or 8-12? Each age group should have areas with interactive items that stimulate their developments. Teens should have a separate area and be given input.

Furniture should be modular so your library can be flexible. Instead of a dedicated training area, how about laptops and furniture on casters so training can be done in different places? In a meeting room, maybe some comfy chairs with little laptop tables instead of hard chairs and big tables. For small-group collaboration, use screens for semi-private areas that don’t need to be monitored.

Signage should be very clear in a shoppable library. Avoid using jargon like circulation, reference, and youth services. Stacks should have words on signs in addition to call numbers. Digital picture frames can be used to create digital signs. Patrons want to be able to navigate on their own.

Another way to give patrons more self-service options is with vending machines. Some libraries use Redbox for popular movies and save their budget for independent, foreign, or educational DVDs. A few libraries have added vending machines with library materials at transit stations or other locations as a sort of “stationary Bookmobile”. There are also vending machines with office supplies for a study area or business center.

Don’t spend your money on things the patrons aren’t asking for. Remember to weed, weed, weed, Think about new, unconventional collections like cake pans, fishing poles, and electric meters.

Patrons want to learn and use new technology in the library. Don’t forbid them. Instead, use QR codes on signs which give patrons information via cell phones. Teach lots of classes and have lots of programs. Staff don’t have to be super-techno-wizards to teach, they can learn about things via web sites such as Instructables or How Stuff Works and teach them to patrons. Hire for attitude, train for skill. Cross-train staff to break down barriers.

With these tips and flexibility to their community’s needs in the future, any library can “change no to yes” and be something to all people.

An archived version of the webinar, links, and slides are available here. Lots of interesting pictures of libraries.

--Andrea @Central

Followup to the Previous Post: Rice Street Comes Through for Their Neighborhood in a Time of Chaos

So......at 2:15p.m. on Friday, the fire alarm went off at Wellstone Elementary (for real) and 600 children, plus their teachers, marched out into the 12 degree cold....... most without coats. We didn't know this was going on until a school staff member came in and told us about the alarm, and asked if some kids could come in to get warm. Karen said sure, and then 600 children poured into the library. We started putting classes in the meeting room, still not realizing how many were coming, and when that was full, they moved into most of the nooks and crannies of the building. The kids were grateful, the teachers were grateful, the principal was grateful.....we were entertained! Anything's more fun than writing an annual report! About 3:30, the buses came to pick up the kids and took them back to school. I guess it was a computer smoking in the administrative offices that set everything off. We were so happy that we could help out. Talk about being an "active center of neighborhood....engagement!"

Mary Margaret (via Karen H.)


Way to Stay Committed to Great Customer Service When Your Library Is in Chaos!

Serving the 21st Century Patron 2010 Online Conference, Part One: Staying Committed to Great Customer Service When Your Library is in Chaos

Pat Wagner has been helping libraries in crisis since 1975, so she knows whereof she speaks. These days, there are more and more staff and patrons in emotional crisis than ever. While we cannot hope for chaos to just miraculously stop, we can use certain project management tricks to help.

Things to remember:

1. Somebody has to be the adult.
2. People get stressed out in a time of change because they lose mastery & status--they have to learn new things--maybe what you were best at isn't as important anymore or has been superseded by technology.
3. When things are crazy, don't forget it's all about the customer.
4. Have compassion for other people.

Things to avoid:

1. Getting addicted to drama--why be obsessed by someone something you don't like?
2. Sarcasm-it’s a barrier to self-knowledge.
3. Venting doesn't work--Our bodies get addicted to the "flight or fight chemicals" that venting releases. Also, venting is too public--it creates an audience for people's mistakes--they can't back off their behavior.

What can help:

1. People should get the same service no matter what time they come in--remember, patrons are used to businesses with 24 hour service by phone and online.
2. Play fair-- no exceptions for people you like.
3. Rules should be written--new staff shouldn't have to guess.
4. If someone has a really long hard question, ask them to write down the steps needed. It will help them understand how tough it is. Maybe a one-on-one librarian session?
5. Use good humor and cartoons for signs--don't point fingers at people.
6. A workplace coach.

Wagner’s thought can be summarized as: “Don’t be a jerk.” A jerk is a person who is indifferent or unaware of their behavior.

Recommended books:

What You Can Change and What You Can't--Martin Seligman

The New Peoplemaking ---Virginia Satir

An archived version of the webinar, links, and slides are available here.

There was also a lively discussion on chat about the similarities and differences between Wagner’s philosophy and FISH! Both are customer-oriented, but the play aspect of the latter could lead to sarcasm and hurtful humor if taken too far.

--Andrea @Central

Help with Microsoft Office 2010

As you may have heard, we’re getting Office 2010 on our public computers soon, and eventually on our staff machines.

With Office 2007 Microsoft made some big changes on the interface which have continued with 2010, and they look a lot different than Office 2003 and have a lot of added functionality.

Microsoft heads into cloud with Office 2010: Rich Jaroslovsky
Business Week
June 9, 2010

Luckily, we have some help with all of this change to one of our basic software tools.

Through MELSA’s subscription to WebJunction Minnesota , we have free access to the following classes on the various components of Office 2010:

Office 2010 New Interface - Word & Excel

Office 2010: New Core Features

Office 2010: New Features for PowerPoint, Publisher, and Access

Office 2010: Web Apps and New features for Publisher and Mobile

To take a course sign up for a free account and click on the Courses button near the top of the page. These courses are under Microsoft Office (general).

Also, as part of Microsoft’s venture into the cloud, they’re offering access to free online versions of Word, Excel, and Powerpoint. These apps are stripped-down versions of the for-pays, but should give you an opportunity to practice some skills you learn in the classes, and help you find where some of the basic functions are in the 2010 interface. You do need a WindowsLiveID or Hotmail email address, but those are easy to sign up for if you don’t already have one.

I will be posting this information on the Information Services Council’s intranet page as well.

Enjoy!

Melissa @ Central.

Inventing the Future by Tinkering with the Past: Roles for Reference Librarians

From the Reference Renaissance Conference.

Presenter: Amy VanScoy, Doctoral Student, School of Information & Library Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

“This paper reviews conceptual papers and research studies on these traditional and emerging roles. Using examples from practice, it also explores how these roles manifest themselves in traditional and emerging forms of reference. The goal of the paper is to articulate the diversity of possible roles, to explore how they might interconnect and to examine how librarians can use them to shape their work.” (Description in the conference program.)

Slideshow:
http://www.bcr.org/referencerenaissance/2010/documents/VanScoyRefRen10v2004.ppt#256,1,Slide 1
(Includes quotes from the literature that illustrate the ideas of the roles.)

Handout:
http://www.bcr.org/referencerenaissance/2010/documents/VanScoyRefRen10Handout.pdf
(Includes a bibliography of her sources for this presentation.)

This was an interesting session on the roles a librarian plays as she interacts with patrons, as reflected in the literature. She did a literature review, and then narrowed down her roles as they gelled in her reading.

Two big roles the literature discusses are:

1. Information Provider

2. Teacher - instruction

They are often talked about as if these were the only things librarians do and are often set in opposition - expert v. teacher. Often in essays, but not in research. Much of the research says these roles are both important and need to be played in tandem.

Other roles she found:

Communicator – There’s some talk of putting information provider and communication in opposition.

Relationship development

Counselor - Not discussed a lot, but in a couple of papers. Mediation was used in one of the papers.

Partner (with the patron)

How do these roles work together? Hierarchically? How much does environment affect these roles. How are they balanced? How much is personal style?

Inventing by tinkering:

Examining past roles
Reflective practice
Sharing with colleagues

She used the word “tinkering” because it implies a work that’s never done, as well as working with different elements and reflection, and mixing and matching and introducing new elements.

Melissa @ Central.

Survive & Thrive! Customer-focused Reference “Soft” Skills

From the Reference Renaissance Conference.

Presenters: Keith Unrath, Tamara Grybko and John Vittal of the
Albuquerque / Bernalillo County Library

“Knowledge of resources and search strategies is undoubtedly important to providing reference desk service. It is outstanding people skills that builds customer trust and confidence and takes reference service from adequate to excellent. The Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library developed a training to explore a variety of customer service scenarios: lonely customers, sensitive questions and customers who were unsure where to begin their inquiries. This workshop presents the approach and structure of our training so participants may offer it in their own libraries. A mini-version of the training will be conducted in breakout groups and then all participants will reconvene to share their impressions.” (Description in the conference program.)

Overview: http://www.bcr.org/referencerenaissance/2010/presentations/SurviveandThriveOverview.doc

Training Plan:
http://www.bcr.org/referencerenaissance/2010/presentations/SoftSkillsTrainingPlan.doc

Training Handout:
http://www.bcr.org/referencerenaissance/2010/presentations/SoftSkillsTrainingHandout.doc

This session was very valuable. They ran a mini-training for us, choosing participants out of the audience, so we really got to see the benefits of this approach to learning/refreshing customer service skills.

The discussion leaders would assemble a group (between 8 and 15 people – any bigger and people start fading into the woodwork, any smaller and there’s not enough fresh discussion). They’d send emails out to the group asking them to come up with scenarios along certain lines. The leaders would also have scenarios just in case, but they rarely had to use any of theirs. Then the group would brainstorm about the various scenarios and how best to approach them. Much of the content was generated by the group. It felt much more like a discussion than a training, and staff learned from each other as well as from the discussion leaders. The leaders said they always came away from a session with something new they could apply to their own reference practice.

The leaders did come up with concepts they wanted to be sure were introduced each session, such as the idea the great customer service could be learned; it’s not inherent. They also wanted to make sure to outline the basic behavior standards of the organization. And emphasize respect, responsibility, and relationships: the 3 Rs that are the basis for good customer service.

They recommend mixing veterans and rookies so you get new ideas as well as institutional traditions in your answers. They deliberately have across-branch trainings which keeps the sessions on task – about customer service skills and not branch issues. They so far have only run the trainings for reference staff, but it would be equally applicable to clerical and other front-line staff.

Praise liberally. Let participants know they’re doing it right.

For wrap-up & closing thank participants. Mention that there are always new ideas and Encourage folks to continue the discussion.

One of the points of the trainings is to help staff make situation-based decisions in a rules-based organization. Also to try to encourage people to see in shades of gray instead of black & white. Want staff to work to find solutions rather than purely enforcing rules.

Another point/benefit is to create a space for to interact on a more personal level. People make friends and become better colleagues. It builds a sense of team.

A basic assumption of the training is that staff work in libraries because they like people and want to take care of them. Not because they want to follow the rules. Knowing that the library system wants to have this discussion is as important as having the discussion. It sets priorities for the system.

You can use these trainings to monitor the state of reference in your system. Are you keeping up with all the RUSA standards? You can also use them to emphasize important trends you want to enforce with staff – ADA, the etiquette of working with the hearing-impaired, etc.

Measuring outcomes is a little difficult; it’s hard to measure outcomes in attitude-based training. They used feedback surveys. You could also use competencies to help measure outcome.

Melissa @ Central

Education, Wildlife and Cell Phones, Oh My! New State Government Reports for November 2010

Hello!

Here are some recently published state government reports that might be of interest.

Education Statistics Summary 2009-10

K-12 Education Finance Overview 2010-11

Summaries of Wildlife Research Findings 2009

Driver Hand-Held Cellular Phone Use in Minnesota, June and August 2010

Minnesota Safety Belt Use and Motorcycle Helmet Use: August, 2010

Nighttime Safety Belt Use in Minnesota: September, 2010

Adult Inmate Profile and Juvenile Inmate Profile

House Research Department publications on Elections

The entire list is here.

Enjoy!
Melissa @ Central
Government Documents Coordinator

NetLibrary Downloadable Audiobooks Training Notes

Hello!

Much about our NetLibrary downloadable audiobooks has stayed the same, but there have been changes. These notes are a mix of reminders of things you might have forgotten and new information. If something's not talked about, it should work the same as it ever has.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about these notes or the training.

Melissa @ Central
651-266-7000 x5

Types of books:

Multi-access - Always available. No holds necessary. Unlimited use. Multiple patrons can use it at the same time.

Single-access - One patron per book at a time. Works the same way as a physical product. Patrons are put on hold and will be emailed when book is available.

WMA - Windows media audio - no iPods. Has Digital Rights Management (DRM). Refers to access control used by publishers which limits usage of digital media or devices. Publisher insists on the license that corrupts in 3 weeks. It enforces limitations on the usage.

MP3 - compatible with everything including iPods. No DRM. The limitations here are a function of the way the system works, instead of being imposed from the outside, as with DRM. There is no license.

Titles are segmented (tracks) by the hour.

We have the Adult Core Collection (purchased by MELSA).

2340+ titles to start (includes Modern Scholar, Coach in the Box, The Bible, and other specialty imprint titles).

Of those, 1180+ are MP3.

Every month 30 titles added at no additional cost. At least 20 of those are MP3s.

All titles in or added to this collection are Multi-Access.

Some of the WMAs will be retrospectively converted to iPod.

SPPL occasionally purchases additional titles. Those are single-access.


Whether a title is WMA or MP3 depends on what the author and publisher want. It’s a security and access issue. With DRM you have more security from pirating and misuse. With MP3 you have more access.




Downloading & Syncing:
To sync – to load onto your portable device.

Click on Download Options banner and it will analyze your machine and tell you which download method to use. There are 4 possible methods.

1. Media Center

This will be the recommended option most of the time. Still does not work with Macs.

Media Center doesn’t take too long to download - 3 minutes? But it does need to run Microsoft updates for the Windows Media Player (WMP), if the patron does not update regularly. This can take a little bit of time.

Automatically connects with the NetLibrary database. This program won’t work if you’re offline. Your books are stored on your hard drive, and it’s integrated with WMP, which is why WMP has to be properly updated.

It still works pretty much the same way. You can use it as a stand-alone utility that will allow you to search for books and download them with one click (after you attach your device to the computer). You don’t need to go to the NetLibrary website. However, you can still start your session and do your searching on the website, if you prefer, and then NetLibrary will launch Media Center when it’s time for you to do the One-Click downloading. (It’s One-Click because it downloads the book and the license, and syncs to your portable device in one step.)

Media Center can recommence interrupted downloads. Patron can choose to interrupt a download if they don’t have enough time, or just want the first 2 tracks, etc.

If there’s a problem with Media Center – patron gets lost or confused, etc. hit the Home button and it’ll reset.

Note: Some people have trouble with Media Center if they’re running a 64 bit computer and don’t have the latest Windows 7 update. They should try running Windows Update, and see if that helps.

2. Download manager

This is a simplified version of Media Center. It allows you to manage your collection from your desktop.

You can download a book to your portable device, play it on your computer, and delete the file, all while being offline. Recommended for those with no or very slow internet connections, for instance if you have a laptop with WiFi but no home internet connection, or dial-up. You can take your laptop to someplace with WiFi and check out and download the book and then listen to it or sync it offline at home. This takes the place of putting your books on a flash and taking them home and using them there. With this process the license downloads automatically.

First go to the NetLibrary website and find and check out the book. Then go to Download Manager to complete the download.

Once it’s been checked out and downloaded - you don’t need an internet connection to use the manager. The files are stored on your hard drive.

Download Manager is also good for those who are new to computers or who are having issues with Media Center.


3. Manual Download

This is the basic download method using the NetLibrary website. It involves downloading the book and the license, and then using WMP or iTunes to sync the book to your portable device. Tip: Drag file from desktop or file into the WMP sync list instead of from within WMP.

This is the method that works with Macs.

For the iPad and iPhone 4 you should download and sync with iTunes.

Sometimes the license does not download correctly. First try playing the book on your computer and see if that gets the license to download. If that doesn’t work, then renew the book and that should trigger a license download. (For WMAs renewal means downloading a new license.)


Media Center and Download Manager don’t play well together – Media Center takes over. Can’t have both downloaded on one computer.

4. Smart Phones.

These devices mostly use MP3s, but not exclusively.

Media Center and Download Manager don’t automatically download to the device.

You can do a manual download and sync.

The process automatically creates a folder in Documents called NetLibrary.

OR:

You can change setting for connection to computer from “charge only” to “disk drive.“ Generally defaults to charge only. You can then literally drag and drop the files into the smart phone, just like you would onto a flash drive.

The mobile app’s coming. Right now the app stores are holding it for approval.