I started off the semester labeling myself as technologically "brave", although I was open to the possibility that I may want to tuck my tail and cower away before the semester was over.
At this point, my only “fear” of technology is the “waste of time” factor. When I think about libraries developing podcasts, blogs, wikis, YouTube videos, Facebook accounts, etc, etc, I can’t help but wonder if it's worth the time and effort.
I guess my biggest concern has been that many of these technologies are not the informative, research-rich tools we are used to developing in libraries. They seem to focus more on the flashy, socially-oriented side of things.
What’s the purpose of all this glitz and glam? Is it really vital to the mission of the Library?
That’s the keyword… mission… What are we all about? And what does the technology that we are using have to do with it?
I was leaning more towards the “waste of time” attitude until I thought about one of my biggest struggles at my library. I lead a team of undergraduate students who just so happen to be working at the circulation desk. That’s seriously how they view it. I desperately want them to understand the purpose and mission of the library and to be excited about it, but I have found this SO hard to do. When I get questions from my students like… You have to go to school to be a librarian?... I am confounded that these bright (really, they are) young adults WORK HERE and we haven’t been able to communicate what we do. How on earth will the patrons understand and appreciate what the library can do for them?
This is where those glitzy little technologies are working their way into my heart. Although Facebook accounts and YouTube videos may not be the best format for disseminating scholarly research, they are flashy… flashy things are interesting and attract attention… and therefore can be used to communicate ideas that may be hard to communicate otherwise… see where I’m going with this?
I think one of the greatest strengths of integrating some of these technologies into the library is their ability to give a personality to the library. This personality enables us to communicate what is important to us and what we have to offer. Even just the fact that we are using popular technologies communicates that we are cutting edge and want to be accessible to the users.
Part of my plan for next year with my student workers is to better educate them about the mission of the library by having them help create some of these technologies to incorporate into the library website. The bigger part they play in the library, the more they will be in touch with what we are all about. And if they can help us bring that mission to light for the rest of the student body… that sounds just about wonderful! (Surprisingly, in a survey I took this week, almost 50% of my student employees said that they would ENJOY working on extra project instead of just “sitting at the desk”…) Thus begins my summer of figuring out how on earth to coordinate something like this. Success or failure, the experience will only increase their understanding of the library’s mission… and that could only be a good thing.
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I think that is an excellent idea, getting the student workers more involved in the mission of the library. We have student workers too and most of them have worked in a library for most of their working life in some form or another. The difference between those students and me, is that staying employed at the library is not their goal. They are learning to be something else but I think the same level of inspiration and excitement they feel towards their own careers could be achieved at their current work place as well.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your mission!!
Very cool! You could do a "Jackson Library twitter feed" or a circ worker vlog. With a smaller campus like IWU, your students probably know enough other students to get these ads realling taking off! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you shared this idea. When I think in terms of keeping student assistants busy, I generally come up with projects like putting the reserve books in order or ... I'm not sure what.
ReplyDeleteGetting the students involved in marketing is a genius idea, because they know exactly who they're marketing to. And making it viral with web 2.0 technology is even better.
Once you've done it, you need to write it up or present it somehow so those of us who are less creative can benefit.
Like you, for a long time I leaned toward the "waste of time" side of the line. Recently I've come to realize though, that like the Next Gen Catalogs, the Facebook, for us to be on Twitter, YouTube videos, etc., are what undergraduate students are going to expect from the library.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I am constantly amazed at how many students make it through their college years without ever once having to step foot in the library. These technologies have the potential to help us draw those unwilling students in to the building, to see what we offer in terms of scholarly resources and how we can help better their education.
I second the comments above in wishing you luck, it sounds like an awesome project!
I had this same issue in my department. Some of my co workers were not really wanting to learn any new technology because they didn't understand how it could benefit the library. I think I finally sparked their curiousity because they asked me to start a Twitter account for the Children's Department where we post about upcoming events. I thought this was a great step forward and I am considering starting a blog. I have approached management with the idea but I don't know how well it will go over in the end. I just think with bogs we could really describe a lot of our programming and make more inviting to patrons.
ReplyDeleteAll of these new things allow us to reach out to the community and get people in the library who otherwise probably would not come. Also, with Blogger and Twitter it's free to set up an account so who can say no to that? Good Luck with your project!
This is a great goal, Alison! Like you probably already know and how others have mentioned, the problem with student workers is right there in their title - they are students and it's work. A lot of them just needed a job and it might have been a toss-up between a Cafeteria worker and the library, whoever called first. Plus, turnover is high, there's always other things to do, and the work that is given to them is usually the dullest work in the library. Nonetheless, I'm really not surprised that so many of them would enjoy some more challenging work. So, I think you are 100% on track with this project!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea.
ReplyDeleteAlso, most of the students I worked with through my IMCPL years were also just marking time by working in the library.
Another thing; it could be that these students have never really thought of how much the library has meant to them. Many times I would ask the students if they remembered how long the library had been a part of their lives. Something like your program would help cure the attitude of "taking the library for granted, "and actually instill some excitement about the institution as a whole.
You bring back memories of my life as a student worker in my undergraduate and graduate libraries, checking books out, reshelving, etc. Did I mention that I vacuumed books in the basement of U of Chicago's Harper Library?! Marketing the library sounds like a much better way to spend time.
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