Statistics, and a little housekeeping

During the week that this blog has been open to external viewing and postings, we have had 233 views.  The majority of these have been from the United States.  However the blog had 12 viewers from Canada and 8 from Italy(?).  Another interesting stat is shown below:

Pageviews by Browsers

Firefox 71 (34%) Chrome 57 (27%) Safari 40 (19%) Internet Explorer 38 (18%)

Pageviews by Operating Systems

Windows 166 (80%) Macintosh 40 (19%)

It would appear that the majority of PC's are running a flavor of Windows, but most folks are not using the Windows default browser, Internet Explorer.  I, of course, have to be different and have used my Mac for everything.

Greg

Libraries + Librarians x Build a Brand = Survive and Thrive

The title isn’t really a mathematical formula. Rather, it’s a directive to libraries and librarians = create a brand or build your brand, in order to not only survive, but thrive. How can we do this? Well, we don’t have the millions of dollars that top marketers do. So how can we create a brand, or top of mind awareness, taking a bit of jargon from the business world that has been thrown around by marketers. What is top of mind awareness? It means you have such a strong brand that your customers or patrons automatically think of you, first, whenever a product or service you provide is even mentioned in conversation let alone considered for purchase or use. When you think of information, do you think of Google before you think of the library? That’s top of mind awareness, and a strong brand image.

How does a person or a library build a brand or develop that kind of top of mind awareness? One way is to build social capital, connections within and between social networks. Social capital is developed through hundreds of little and big things done every day. It’s how humans connect with others, build trust and get involved. Do a Google search on “build your social capital” and you will find a list of 150 things a person can do to build social capital on a website called BetterTogether.org, an initiative through the Saguaro Seminar on Civic Engagement in America at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. We personally need to be seen as valuable by our patrons, stakeholders and employers. And our libraries also need to be seen as valuable “members” of the community. The tips work well for individuals and organizations building their social capital and it is very important for librarians to develop connections outside of the library community, as well.

Can we learn other lessons from mainstreet? American Libraries journal said libraries can utilize some of the riches-to-rags lessons learned from retail management to glean survival tips for libraries, as well. Authors Steven Smith and Carmelita Pickett suggest that libraries already have a strong brand, loyal customer base plus millions of items in inventory, talent and expertise and a strong bricks-and-mortar infrastructure. They suggest that instead of continuing to mirror our services electronically, we should be building our electronic library exclusively, instead of on top of our traditional library. That we need to concentrate on making the e-library services much, much more robust and think outside the box, rather than just duplicating services in an electronic format. In other words, we should lead with e-library development and innovation.

How else can libraries survive? A public library in Toledo, Ohio seems to be thriving. An article on the ToledoBlade.com touts the library’s 3 million visits last year, with 6.9 million items checked out or 16 for each county resident. How does a 173-year-old library remain a viable, valuable member of the community? Facing increased demand for services and a reduced budget? It’s what all libraries face, the reality of our economic situation and future. The library partners with 500 organizations that sponsor events, make in-kind donations, and collaborate so that high-quality programs can be offered to community residents at little or no cost. Making sure library patrons and taxpayers value the library and understand how library services are benefiting the community, while emphasizing the frugal methods being utilized, helped the libraries in the state of Ohio pass 95 percent of their library tax levies in May 2010. That’s top of mind awareness and social capital at work.

Bibliography

Scoles, C. (2010, July 10). Public Library is a Toledo Economic Engine, Op-Ed column in Toledo paper. ToledoBlade.com. Retrieved http://www.toledoblade.com/Op-Ed-Columns/2011/07/10/Public-library-is-a-Toledo-economic-engine.html

Smith, S., & Pickette, C. (2011) Avoiding the Path to Obsolescence. American Libraries Retrieved from http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/features/09052011/avoiding-path-obsolence

social capital. (n.d.). Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. Retrieved October 11, 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/social capital

An Electronic Future

Professor Janik posted a link to a podcast and accompanying article on the discussion board today.  For those that haven’t listened yet the address is: Future of Books and Libraries.  The author, Jason Perlow, posits the following question:

“So if Kindle readers become ridiculously cheap and every American, regardless of credit will be able to do business with Amazon, giving them instantaneous access to millions of books, what happens to the libraries? (Perlow, 2011)

There are several points that come immediately to mind.  First, Amazon, for its zillions of products, does not carry every book available.  Secondly, there is no assurance that the Kindle will become the undisputed king of e-readers (I have an iPad and use Apple’s bookstore).  It is his question “What will happen to the libraries”, with the implied “what will happen do the librarians” that is the central point.

Libraries are, and I’m preaching to the choir here, so much more than places to get books.  For many communities they are the home of art and history.  They offer guidance and resources that aren’t available anywhere else.  And yes, they offer books both in paper and electronic formats. The demise of the printed book doesn't mean the end of librarians, it just means our role and tools are changing.

Greg Hayes

References

Perlow, J. (2011, October 8). Digital underclass 2: The future of books and libraries. Retrieved October 11, 2011, from zdnet.com: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/perlow/digital-underclass-2-the-future-of-books-and-libraries-podcast/18912?tag=nl.e539

Adding Comments to the Blog site

Hello everyone - 

To post a comment on the blog site, navigate to the particular post you wish to comment on.  Below the post there is a bar that looks like this:

Posted by Faith at 6:53 PM 0 comments

Click on the "0 comments" text and a text editor will open.  You can write your comments and then post. Obviously after the first comment is posted, the text will change to "1 comment", etc.  However it will work the same.

Thanks,

Greg Hayes

Using the Internet to Stay Relevant and Decrease Costs

One way that the economic crisis is impacting the library and information profession is by making library professionals, the public and politicians question our relevance in an age where municipal and state budgets are shrinking. Most American homes have access to the internet which makes it easy to access information online. Traditional information sources such as encyclopedias, ready reference sources, newspapers, etc. can be accessed online and often for free. Additionally, the ascent of e-books and e-book readers has made a traditionally print based medium easy to access with the click of a mouse. As a result some have wondered if libraries are even necessary anymore. The Chicago based Fox News affiliate asked this question a year ago. In fact, the report begins “They eat up millions of your hard earned tax dollars. It's money that could be used to keep your child's school running. So with the internet and e-books, do we really need millions for libraries?” (emphasis added) (Davlantes, 2010). It may be easy for some to dismiss this as it comes from a news source that is often controversial. However, even some librarians have noted concern over whether or not libraries are still viewed as relevant in our current age: “The internet has fractured that consensus, leaving some to equate libraries with street lamp-lighters” (Hennen Jr., 2005).

With this concern, libraries are finding ways to rise to the challenge of an internet age and be resourceful to patrons. In fact, libraries are using the internet itself to connect to both old and new patrons. Library websites allow users to access library catalogs, e-books, electronic databases, journal articles and electronic reference sources such as online encyclopedias 24 hours a day. In addition, librarians can connect to patrons who need help by way of e-mail or instant messenger. Although people have access to search engines like Google and Yahoo, patrons often still the need the assistance of a librarian to help sort through abundance of information they give. Users also need a librarian’s help to find other resources such as those mentioned previously in this paragraph.

Thus, the internet is helping to keep our profession relevant and even cost effective in this time of economic crisis. The internet allows us to reach more users in more remote places while also providing traditional services virtually. Anyone who questions the need for libraries should consider the value we still provide to patrons. We have adapted and made our services more available and more convenient despite budget cuts. The economic crisis has made us more innovative and creative in reaching out to library users, even if they never step foot in a physical library.

Bibliography

Davlantes, A. (2010, 07 02). Are Libraries Necessary, or a Waste of Tax Money? Retrieved 10 08, 2011, from myFoxchicago.com: http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/special_report/library-taxes-closed-20100628

Hennen Jr., T. J. (2005). Is There a Library Consolidation in Your Future? American Libraries, Vol. 36, No. 9, 49-51.

Upsides to Librarianship

In my recent visit to the Toledo Public Library, I was given advice by not one, but two librarians, to “focus on the Information part of the program; all the jobs are turning to computers; public librarians are becoming obsolete and media specialist outlook isn’t pretty either.”

Taking an interest in the profession, I’ve become used to think kind of “advice” and other brash comments from peers when I tell them what I’m pursing: “you have to go to college for that? A masters?!” I felt especially defeated when doing a job search for librarians in my area, only to find out I’d have to move to bigger cities hours away from me.

The article “So You Want to be a Librarian?” offsets these widespread ideas. According to the article, “almost 60% of librarians are 45 years of age and older” while “only 7% of the ‘library work force’ is between the ages of 20 to 29.” Studies show that librarians tend to be older than workers in the rest of the economy. Thus, more retiring librarians and budget related layoffs should mean more job openings for future library professionals entering the field. To get ahead of your competition, experts in the library field suggest a library internship while in the MLIS program, as it will meet the “years of experience” requirement of most applications.

LibraryCareers.org is a great website to give hope to the outlook of librarianship as a career option, including job opportunities and salary librarians expect to make in the field.

Reference

McDermott, I. E. (2010). So You Want to Be a Librarian?. Searcher, 18(8), 7. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.

Siouxland Libraries and the economic crisis

It seems there is a bright spot for the Sioux Falls area, despite the economic crisis. Despite previous reports from the Argus Leader, the local Sioux Falls newspaper, the 2012 budget for Siouxland Libraries looks great:

http://www.argusleader.com/article/20110928/VOICES09/109280316/Letter-Money-Siouxland-Libraries

Sioux Falls is facing some major budget cuts around the board because of the economy. But the public library system is valued because of the positive effect it has. Especially when considering the economy. Siouxland Libraries' numbers continue to grow with harder times. Patrons need what libraries offer. Demands will continue to grow for free internet access, free entertainment, job skills seminars, etc. It is good to see that the Sioux Falls area recognizes this and continues to support it!