Thousand Oaks Librarian

ALA Annual 2007 - Friday

Well, I made it all the way across the country to D.C. for the ALA Annual Conference and started my first morning off with a nice case of food poisoning! This morning I woke up with a nasty stomachache, but I got ready and headed over to the Emerging Leaders gathering anyway, hoping the stomachache was just a temporary thing. I knew things were a bit more serious when I started feeling as though I wouldn’t make it to the convention center, only a few blocks away from my hotel, without fainting and hitting the pavement. I eventually made it to the convention room, but I soon realized that the smart thing to do would be to go back to my hotel room and try to get better, which I did.

I’ll spare you the rest of the details, but long story short, I ended up feeling better later in the afternoon and making it to the second half of the EL program, including the poster session. The poster session went well and it was fun to go around and see what others worked since Midwinter. There were some really nice displays and I could tell that some people accomplished a lot for their project. Our project L had a nice poster and presented our findings well I thought.

In the evening, I went to see the world premiere of the documentary film, “Hollywood Librarian.” I had heard about the film several years ago and was excited to finally see it. There was a red carpet and over 5,000 librarians attended. The film looked and sounded great, and it was entertaining and moving as well. It combined interviews with librarians from today with footage of Hollywood’s portrayal of librarians in films of the past and present. I thought it did a very good job of highlighting some of the stereotypes of librarians as well as honoring the work that we librarians do. Much of the emphasis was on books and the importance of reading, which obviously are central to most libraries’ missions, but I would’ve liked to have seen some other components of what libraries do, such as introduce people to technology, offer computer and internet access, and serve as a gathering place. But still, that’s a very minor complaint for an otherwise excellent film. I don’t think the distribution is worked out quite yet, but if it’s ever available to you in some way, I recommend watching it. It made me feel proud to be a librarian. Check out the trailer below:

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Almost everyone I meet is surprised when I tell them that I’m a public librarian. I think part of it is that librarianship isn’t exactly a popular or common career for people my age and from my background. Another thing I’ve noticed is that almost everyone I know who is my age does not use their public library very often, if at all. I find myself wondering why this is? Why don’t more people my age take advantage of their local public library? Sure, parents and children use their libraries, and so do older adults, but why not your average 25-35 year old? I think it’s fair to say that, for whatever reason, libraries become irrelevant to many people once they leave behind high school and college.

Emily over at Library Revolution talks about this in a recent blog. She explains how many people view the library as a community asset for others (the poor, children, and older adults), but not necessarily for them. She explains:

…It’s the gut impression that many people get when libraries are mentioned… the impression some folks get when they are not thinking real hard about it. It’s an asset to the community as a whole, but not for me. They don’t envision themselves as library users, so they never get so far as to walk in the door and see what the place is really all about.

She also asks for responses about what libraries are going to do about it? I think that one of the things libraries can do is get creative and passionate about offering interesting, fun, and engaging adult programs. People who come to the library for an interesting documentary film screening, technology class, or gaming night for adults will start to think of the library as a place that can offer them something valuable. They’ll start to see the library as relevant and want to know what else the library offers. They might get interested in our dvds, books, magazines, and other collections. They might look at our website and figure out that you can do a lot of cool things on many library websites these days…things that will save time and money. They might discover that they don’t actually have to buy Consumer Reports or pay for that online newspaper article if they take advantage of the numerous electronic resources the library offers. They might discover that their library offers free wifi access, unlike their local coffee shop that charges a monthly fee to stay connected. They might discover, or remember, that they actually like books and reading….I could go on and on.

Basically, I think most people are interested in finding a place where they can feel a part of a larger community. I think most people appreciate good services, especially free ones. What do you think?

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A few days ago a colleague and I spent an hour explaining wikis to our reference staff and a few people from other departments. We briefly explained web 2.0, wikis, and even gave a demonstration of a start-up wiki that we created for our library staff. There were good questions and discussion about how wikis could be implemented into our library and people were genuinely excited about the possibilities.

Yesterday, I came across this! Commoncraft, the people who brought us RSS in Plain English, have done it again! They created the ultimate, simple guide to wikis and they managed to do it with some scraps of paper, a few markers, and…well, that’s about it! Brilliant!

Take a look for yourself:

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I’m currently taking a four-week online workshop called “Library Technology 101″ and it’s been great so far. There are five broad categories covered: network infrastructure, library management systems, public access computer management systems, materials handling, and the library website (and web-based services). For me, it’s an attempt to better understand the technology issues faced by most libraries. I’m far from being a full-on tech geek, but that can’t stop me from trying to become one

One of the statements made in our week 1 reading was of particular interest to me. My instructor writes:

Libraries are still providing many of the same services they’ve been providing for the last 100 years. Libraries provide reference service and research assistance, help people find good books to read, teach people to read, and generally improve people’s ability to participate in the world around them. Libraries encourage children to love books and storytelling long before they can read their first word. Libraries also provide a repository for valuable information about local history and serve as community gathering places.

The functional description of libraries hasn’t changed dramatically since 1871, when Boston Library began. However, in many ways the demands on libraries have increased. Libraries still teach people to read, but they also address other literacies, including information literacy, computer literacy, and Internet literacy. Being able to read was a critical skill for citizens striving to be part of our democracy. Now being able to read, use a computer, evaluate a diverse collection of information resources, and effectively navigate the Internet are all skills today’s citizens require.

From my experience helping people at the information desk, I’ve definitely seen how a lack of basic computer skills can make life difficult for someone. One example of this is when people come into the library because they need to complete an online job application. There are a lot of people out there who don’t have the basic technology competencies to fill out a basic application for employment at a place like Whole Foods.

This is why one of the things I’ve most enjoyed about my work this year has been the opportunities I’ve had to teach computer/Internet classes. It’s very satisfying to see someone become more competent with things like using email, finding and searching useful websites, and generally becoming more comfortable with technology. Each time I teach one of these classes I’m reminded of how difficult it must be for a novice to learn even seemingly simple things like using a mouse or navigating through a typical website. And the best part of the classes is interacting with the students. On the whole, the students I’ve had have been incredibly grateful to have these classes offered to them (for free!) and you can just see from the looks on their faces that they are so eager to learn something new.

But I think it’s also important not to limit technology classes to the beginner level. With our new blogging class and Flickr class, we’ve been trying to offer classes that would appeal to the intermediate level of technology users. On Saturday morning I’ll be teaching my second “Fun with Flickr” class at the library. The class is set up to introduce people to the world of storing, sorting, and sharing digital photos online. The first class was held two weeks ago and I think it was a success. The people who attended really seemed interested in learning how to share their photos with their family and friends. There were all sorts of questions, many dealing with privacy concerns, and the hands-on portion of the class was lots of fun since I asked people to bring their own photos to upload. There is a waiting list to get into Saturday’s class so it seems like a topic that people are interested in learning more about. I think there are a lot of people out there who have digital cameras (either purchased by them or given to them as gifts) but don’t know how to share photos online. In my eyes, this is just another part of teaching a new kind of literacy.

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This online “Internet Typology Test” has been making the rounds lately and it’s kind of fun. You answer a few questions and see what kind of technology and communication user you are. The accompanying report from Pew Internet & American Life Project is here if you want to read it. According to the report, 8% of Americans are deep users of the participatory Web and mobile applications. I’m happy to report that I’m in that 8%…I’m an omnivore.  And to think, back in the dark ages when I was a college student, I was just learning how to use Pine and Netscape Navigator! My 3-year old already knows how to put a CD into a computer, turn on the music using iTunes, navigate around websites and online games using a mouse, take photos using a cell phone and digital camera, use an iPod, and type her name on Microsoft Word! Actually, now that I think about it, I think she’s already in that 8%!

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