LIBR 246 Week 13

• If a library were only able to offer one mobile based service, what do you think it should be and why?

I think the most important mobile based service to provide is the basic library website.  Without the basic hours and location it may prove less inviting for patrons. The website should have simple and easily accessible links to the hours of operation, locations, services (like speakers, story times, etc.), and links to other mobile based social networks like Facebook and Pinterest pages. Also, any mobile reference services already offered by the library should be included with this webpage through easy links.  If a student is accessing a mobile website we can be fairly confident that would be one of the preferred ways to communicate with librarians and other information sites.  

The article by Houghton also recommended providing a link to allow for feedback on how the site is functioning. This feedback would be vital in assessing the strength of the mobile website, correcting any faults, and potentially expanding mobile services.  I also think, with any mobile service, it is key to provide a link to the main site, so people are not forced to use the mobile site if is not providing them with exactly what they want or are used to.  This is a pet peeve of mine, sometimes I don’t want the mobile website and can not find a link back to the main sit...very frustrating! 

In a perfect world, every library would offer their catalog online for users to browse, search, reserve, and even review.  However, a basic website must be available in a mobile format first for basic functionality, and later perhaps a catalog link can be added.

Houghton, S. (2012). Mobile services for broke libraries: 10 steps to mobile success. Reference Librarian, 53(3), 313-321.

LIBR 246 Week 12

• What types of services could libraries offer with user-generated content? The advantages and disadvantages?

From the readings I love the idea of using users to correct catalog errors.  I would also encourage user-generated content reliability ratings of sources found in the library.  I also love the idea of a historical event being given a true personal touch with user-generated artifacts and memories.  This would really only work with a huge user population, and even then only a few library patrons will participate and only some of them will be truly consistent and helpful.  I think the hardest part of implementing crowdsourcing is the time and long term commitment required.  
Information is no longer one way, it is interactive.  When I tell people I am a librarian, they ask me if libraries will be around much longer, or if librarians are needed anymore (yes...these people are very rude).  Libraries have served as a community hub and center for information like no other public forum has for years.  It is user-generated content that will continue the community piece of libraries everywhere in this digital age, and add a whole new successful dynamic to all that libraries offer.  Allowing users to contribute to a library goals frees up staff for other items on an agenda, or allows a goal to be accomplished that would otherwise never get done.  Users add an extra expertise, knowledge, and value to any project.  They also add the personal touches like tags, comments, and ratings.  By encouraging patrons to participate with their library this can encourage loyalty, trust, and a public ownership in the information and goals of the library.  In this day and age libraries need community support and can use all the help they can get accomplishing goals that will benefit the community.

LIBR 246 - Week 11

For your blog posting, find a youtube video.  Was the video well done? What could be done to make it better?

First of all...I LOVE this video and the associated channel.  There is a whole series of these one minute videos, which I find to be a very clever premise.  When encouraged to watch a tutorial there is one thing I always do first...look at how long it will take for me to get throught it...and can I fast forward if needed.  These videos eliminate that annoyance that freqently comes with tutorials.  Short and to the point!  While this may not provide the details on exactly how to use Academic Search  Premier, it does enough to encourage further exploration and makes the process seem less intimidating for a new user.  It uses common words in addition to those found more specifically in ASP, like full text and peer reviewed.  It is fast, but not so fast I can't understand it, plus more information is found in the video information box.  I also love the humor piece added in.  This makes the video accessible and fun, while still maintaining its integrity as an informative video from the ASU library.

To make the video better I would provide links to more detailed tutorials or step by step handouts and definitions.  Or even links to other one minute videos that fill in gaps.  For example, perhaps a student has not heard of peer-reviewed journals or wants to know more about finding articles without full text.  These could all be more one minute videos, but must all be linked and tagged together for easy access. Other than this, I wouldn't change a thing, and am inspired to use some elements of this video into my own, like length, personality, and most of all purpose.  This video serves a specific purpose, to alert patrons about a research tool, it is not just a video because libraries are supposed to have videos.

LIBR 246 Exercise 5 - Screencast on Pinterest

LIBR 246 Week 10

Identify a library using Flickr or Pinterest.  Provide a link and an overview on how they are using this software.  How could it be improved? What other things should they consider? Should they be a model for other libraries?  What are the top considerations libraries should have before using Pinterest or Flickr?

First of all, let me direct your attention to this, http://pinterest.com/awfullibbooks/.  This is a hilarious and clever idea for a Pinterest page for your library.  I know we have all been weeding and come across the most rediculous title.  Totally outdated books on etiquette, making friends, a how-to guide on living in your van!  While these are hilarious and likely to garner interest of a wide variety of people, it also lets library users know that their library is up to date and properly maintaining the integrity of the collection.  Food for thought!  That said, anytime a library starts social software page, they should keep in mind the message they want to convey to their followers.  All posts should be done with the library brand in mind, building a good reputation, and appropriate for the audience you have in mind.  For example, should I be posting pictures of a friends of the library gala to a Flickr account set up for teens...nope.  Should I pin info on Rowling’s new book on a tween page, definitely not.  Audience and purpose must be established with either of these social media sites.

The Denver Public Library is extremely skilled with their Flickr account.  I mentioned it before in my marketing critique...but I’m sure no one read the post with a fine tooth comb given its length!  So I’ll say it here, the Flickr account is used to create poetry out of book titles.  Books are stacked so that their spines face out and a poem of sorts is created!  So clever, easy for all to participate, encourages use of the library to find great titles for your poem, and may even a encourage a teen or two to pick up a book with an intriguing title!  I don’t love how Flickr is organized, personally, so I think it is up to the user to use excellent labeling to help with navigation of the site, DPL does a great job of this.  Each label draws me further into their Flickr account.  Denver could improve on their number of posts.  When a social media page is created, it must be committed to, and when posts are infrequent it looks like an afterthought.  I absolutely would model my Flickr page after that by DPL. I hope they add a Pinterest page as well because it would not consist only of the boring book recommendations, but include contests, videos, book related recipes, pictures, and more.   Flickr and Pinteres

LIBR 246 Week 9

• What are some of the challenges in starting an online community?

There are many challenges when starting an online community, so there must be an exceptional plan and management in place before beginning.  Each of the articles in class mentions purpose as being key to any online community.  Uniqueness, motivation, fun, experience, safety, openness, and passion are all important to beginning an online community...but without a true purpose and goal, an online community is sure to fizzle out and fail.  Finding a purpose that will hold a community’s attention, encourage participation, and maintain appropriate activity can be a challenge.

Another difficulty in a community that I had not thought of until reading the article How Two Experts Build Strong Web Communities is the ownership some community members may feel after much passion and participation.  Moderators of a community must be careful in how they handle this kind of passion and still maintain control over how the community interacts and the comments that are allowed.  It is a fine line and feelings must be spared.  Ultimately it comes down to the moderator defining their role and making their presence known to all... especially those that may want to overstep their bounds in the community.

Finally, I think the most challenging aspect of beginning an online community is finding an excellent, dedicated, and balanced moderator.  Too strict means a community looses fun and personality...too lose and chaos, respect, and appropriateness can lose out.  As the article Online Comments Need Moderation, Not “Real Names” states, “If you opened a public cafe or a bar in the downtown of a city, failed to staff it, and left it untended for months on end, would you be surprised if it ended up as a rat-infested hellhole?”  I couldn’t put it any better myself.  A skilled and well-practiced moderator is vital when beginning an online community, and could mean it’s doom if the moderator fails.

Hogan, R. (2010). "How two Experts Build Strong Web Communities." Associations Now.
Rosenberg, S. (2010). "Online Comments Need Moderation, Not "Real Names." Salon.com.

LIBR 246 Marketing Critique

Denver Public Library and Social Media

            The Denver Public Library has a large network of libraries which all find a home together with online social networking.  Each facet of the main library (teen, Friends Foundation, Fresh City Life, etc.) has social networking pages like Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Flickr, and more.  The website and social networking sites also connect all library branches to one central feed making closures, events, and more easy for patrons to follow and enjoy.  When marketing with through Web 2.0 tools, libraries must embrace the technology and invest much time to keep the tool current and useful.  Yet how does a patron know this tool exists?  Denver Public Library, DPL, has a social media link at the bottom of every page on their readily accessed webpage.  Their online marketing takes many forms and succeeds in marketing events, services, and more to target audiences in the community.

            There are several Facebook pages related to the Denver Public Library that allows for all interested patrons to stay connected and involved.  The Facebook pages include one on the library itself, Fresh City Life (library programs that are meant to connect and involve the local community), Western History and Genealogy, Denver Public Library Friends Foundation, and a teen page.  Each page connects to the others, creating a network of library users and feeding off each other’s webpage for ease of use and community.  The teen page, as an example, uses Facebook as a marketing tool for teen targeted programs at the library, library closure updates, contact information, library catalog link, free giveaways, new book releases, reading lists, recommendations by all DPL teen staff, links to online author chats and contests unrelated to the library but interesting to teen readers, and so much more.  The site contains posts anywhere from once a day every day, to 4 or 5 posts every other day.  No matter the number of posts, which shows an adequate upkeep of the site, each post is well directed toward the teen reader audience.  Overall, the Facebook page does an excellent job of keeping the consumer informed and engaged.  Being a part of Facebook may no longer mean the library is on the cutting edge of Web 2.0 tools, but it is still a vital feature of any marketing strategy and this library uses it to its advantage.  Thanks to the site the library appears involved, up to date, encouraging, and well organized. 

            Another Web 2.0 tool DPL employs to market themselves as involved in the community and engage patrons is Flickr.  Again, there are separate pages for specific facets of library; I will focus on the teen page.  DPL reaches out to their teen market using Flickr as a medium for contests, picture updates on past activities, and advertising for future activities, which fosters participation and ultimately promotes healthy activity and reading at a vulnerable teen age.  Flickr allows for a visual representation of all the library is offering their youth patrons and puts their best foot forward online.  All photos demonstrate communities coming together, literacy related fun, concerts, and contests, all of which represents the library as a positive aspect of the Denver community and encourages other young teens to participate.  For example, the ongoing contest now is Book Spine Poetry in which contestants place books on top of one another so that all titles on the spines read like a poem.  One example is, “Breaking Through the City of Ember, Secret Lives of Princesses Return to Gone-Away.”  As a library professional that works with teens, I love this idea and can see how this would intrigue teens and encourage participation, as do all the other sticker contests, art shows, concerts, and more.  I am impressed with the creativity of the staff and their dedication to their teen patrons in addiction to their prowess with their Web 2.0 tools.

            Further marketing exists with Denver Public Library’s use of Twitter.  Like other Web 2.0 tools, twitter feeds are broken down to smaller facets of the library.  For the purpose of this evaluation I will evaluate the teen twitter account.  Many of the posts are book recommendations, in addition to event reminders, workshop reminders, links to author and book information, and any other opportunity that arises for DPL teen staff to communicate with their patrons.  The account allows for others to respond and comment as well as responses to others tweets regarding the library and community events.  The twitter feed achieves its purpose to communicate in a fast, succinct fashion with teens in the Denver community in a noninvasive way in which teens can relate to and appreciate.

            Another effective marketing means is through the Denver Public Library blog.  While the library has a blog attached to each one of its social networking tools and the website, the teen blog has special marketing prowess.  In a world where blogs are commonplace and practically required for every library, this teen themed blog is effective, well maintained, concise, motivating, and informative.  While they may not offer anything in the way of creativity in their use, they are well groomed and demonstrate the staff’s commitment to communication with their patrons.

            The Denver Public Library brand is consistent and well groomed.  It is apparent in each online presence that the employees of this large conglomeration of libraries care about their library, their community, and each individual patron. Interacting with teen readers is clearly a specialty of DPL thus they are able to encourage loyalty and commitment as these teens grow and become contributing adults to the community.  With fond memories and appreciation for all that the library offered, patron loyalty could mean funding on bond issues, Friend Foundation membership, and more. 

            Other ways in which the Denver public Library is successfully fluffing their brand and reputation is be embracing a blend of online and face-to-face community interaction.  Nearly every tweet, blog post, Facebook wall post, or Flickr photo sharing corresponds to a physical event, activity, recommendation, and more that can be found at the local branch library.  For patrons comfortable with online communities and those that are just learning, this allows all to participate with their library and all it has to offer.  The library is not relegated to being simply an online presence, but also fosters activity and participation, which can be vital for teens especially.

            Unfortunately, while Denver does excellent work with many Web 2.0 tools, there is one area in which they are lacking.  They miss a target audience in presenting multicultural events, literacy workshops, book recommendations, and more via social networking tools.  Denver Public Library requires their children librarians to be proficient in Spanish, yet the online presence for this demographic is nonexistent.  I think the library would be wise to include some social networking pieces with these patrons in mind. 

             All in all, I am impressed with the well-established Denver Public Library brand and positive community reputation.  This is demonstrated with Web 2.0 social networking tools and the motivating, exciting posts that encourage library event participation and loyalty.  My only suggestions as a marketing consultant would be to add a Facebook page or twitter feed with a multicultural edge.  Also, there is so much offered on the website that is not mentioned among the social networks.  I think it would be wise to encourage use of this website in each post and photo, it would be a shame for patrons to miss this well designed useful website.  I look forward to keeping up with the Denver Public Library and piggybacking off their well-loved Web 2.0 use and teen participation ideas.

Denver Public Library Links

Blog: http://teens.denverlibrary.org/blog

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/teens.dpl

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dplteens/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/denver_evolver

Denver Public Library Teen Website: http://teens.denverlibrary.org