Connecting Librarian

After a delicious lunch out chatting with Darien‘s team of librarian bloggers, I sat down with Barbara, Janet, Caitlin and Kim to talk about their podcasting efforts. They use an already bought Edirol MP3 Recorder (from Roland). They record, then do minimal processing of the file before uploading it to their website.

When recording a speaker, they put the recorder on a front row seat, next to someone monitoring it. For a concert, they place it next to a speaker and for an interview, on the table between the questioner and guest.

They use Wavepad (ironically its Australian) software, to compress the wmv file to MP3, Caitlin says it is much better than Audacity and its still free. They keep file sizes down to under 25 meg to keep it easier for up and downloading. If the session is longer than 20 minutes, they split it into separate files to keep it under the limit. Caitlin also uploads their podcasts to iTunes as well as having them available through their events blog. They have done podcasts on how to podcast, responses to the question of who will die in Harry Potter, teen book reviews, concert, speakers and more.

Caitlin also does audio reviews of audio books for Audiofile magazine, which helps her stay current on podcasting techniques and equipment. Darien also has a MySpace page and although they haven’t done much with it, they have over 100 friends – mostly publishers and librarians however.

I finished the day with Alan Kirk Gray – an amazing and delightful gentleman. We talked about the new Darien Library and all the changes that will come with the new building. Some of these changes include roving reference, RFID with no set circulation desk, a learning commons in the basement, teen center next to the computer, SOHO – small office, home office space, virtual reference office and much more. Its all very exciting and a lot of risk taking, so it will be amazing and exciting to watch how it all develops. They are aiming to be collaborative, with patron to staff and patron to patron.

Darien is very customer focused – what I experienced as a visitor is also the type of experience that every user enjoys. Alan and the entire Darien staff were a pleasure to deal with and I felt like a treasured guest as that was how I was treated. I can’t thank Louise, Alan and the Darien staff enough for sharing their experiences and the journeys involved with me.

After a beautiful lunch of soup and salad, it was back to talking with Janie Hermann, one of the Library Garden bloggers, who is also presenting at CIL 2007. Princeton Library runs a Databytes program, where twice a month, a librarian gives a session on a technology topic. That day, Romina – who coordinated my program, did a comparison between Wikipedia and Britannica, with about a dozen people in attendance. The Databytes program came out of their staff training program. Each librarian had to become expert in one of their database and then train staff in it. After a few months, it was rotated around. The training was done in their Technology Center and they used to get the public wandering in, so they ended up making it available to all. They get about half staff and half public, with the benefit of having staff expertise in the room to help the public when needed.

Princeton is using Flickr for library photos but is careful with what they upload as they don’t have permissions from the public. This is an area which Janie says has generated much discussion in library circles, but no resolution at this stage. Their website design was outsourced and is also hosted externally, although they are hoping to bring it back in house with only the design being outsourced in future.

Their Booklovers Wwiki, using pbwiki will not be repeated, as they will be using features from their Innovative ILS. They used pbwiki as they did not have not the time or the money to use Media Wiki on their own server, which was their preferred option. They experienced some difficulties with pbwiki at the time, as it needed basic coding, not having the WYSIWIG interface that it has now. As a lead up, they did Databytes sessions on wikis and the Book Lovers Wiki. Even with this, most participants in the program emailed their reviews in to the library, where teen volunteers coded and uploaded them. It also lacked relational linking, so they could only post under either author, title, category etc. However, Janie said it was a great experiment which helped develop staff awareness and skills and that will look at using wikis for their staff handbook and reference procedures using their own server and Media Wiki. They are also considering doing a public technology help wiki.

I then spoke with Evan Kimple about their podcasting. They are using a laptop, a standard USB mike and free online service Audacity to create the podcasts and then are using archive.org to host them online. Evan showed me what was involved and it is very straightforward. They are doing podcasts of poets reading their original works and of authors reading selections from their works. They have the blog for these on a hosted Word Press blog, which is where the MP3s are placed and can be subscribed to. They are also podcasting special events, like their upcoming Teen Book Bash. Eventually they would love to podcast their guest speakers, but at the moment, they are time poor and there is also the issue of permissions.

Bob Keith, who is just about to graduate as a MLS, took me through some more techie stuff, in particular how he set up the Library’s OPAC computers so that they can only access the catalogue and related content, not the internet in general. He is using Firefox’s Kiosk mode with a few other enhancements to get the PCs just the way he wants them. As we are having a similar issue now with our new ILS in place at MPOW, it is a solution that I think we can use and he was kind enough to give me all the documentation and files to do so.

To finish, I had the honour of meeting with Library Director and ALA President Leslie Burger, who was generous in allowing me to take up both her valuable time and that of her staff. To Leslie and the staff at Princeton Library, many thanks for sharing your time, your expertise and your insights, they have all been very much appreciated.

Evan

This is my first study tour blog post and in the interests of readability, I will break down the entries so that they don’t end up being too long. This is only a representation of what I discover, to blog it all would be more like a book than a blog post!

My first stop on my whirlwind study tour! I came down to Princeton from New York by train last night, so that I was fresh and ready for my visit today (as fresh as time lag would let me be anyway). The Princeton Library is a beautiful newish 3 storey building in Princeton township, not far from Princeton University. The three levels are themed – the first floor is a browsing collection, with media, express fiction and new books organised in a bookstore type layout. The second floor is the adult collections and the main computer area (they have over 100 public PCs) and the third floor is the children’s and teen areas. The first floor has a large seminar room, a Friends run library store and an outsourced cafeteria. The other two floors also have several meeting/seminar rooms of various sizes. There is also some beautiful public art interspersed throughout the building. You can check out the photos I took on Flickr.

I first met with Janice Painter from Access Services (equivalent to our Tech services) and talked about Innovative’s Millenium ILS. They send courtesy notices by email, 2 days before items are due as a reminder. 90% of users get these. Overdue notices are also sent by email. The only paper used is for overdue notices for non-email contactable users and for bills which are sent out on paper only. Since this was introduced, fines revenue has dropped dramatically. What a great PR move! In 2007 they will be introducing federated search and mashups through new Millenium upgrades. They have a staff blog for news and views and are looking at using a staff wiki for tips and tricks. The Book Club wiki from last Summer’s reading program will be run through new features available in their ILS this year, making the most of the new features of reviews and comments. Although a n intensive process, they will be entering old reviews into the catalogue to start the process. They use RFID and Libramation’s self check and have tapped into Innovative’s API to make it work with their ILS.

Tim Quinn – Public Information – gave me the grand tour of the library, both the public areas and behind the scenes. They have several video screens throughout the library, which displays their events calendar, which is extensive. Their beautiful art wall will have a PC nearby which will allow visitors to access information about each individual tile that comprises the work. They use a bookstore philosophy on their first floor, with their express collection – latest releases with 1 week loan and increased overdue charges, new release DVD rentals ($1 overnight) and their large media collection. The 2nd floor is reference and the adult collections, with the teens and children on the 3rd. They have free wireless in the library and into the plaza next door, which is available 24/7. Their Technology Centre is open to the public for set hours when not being used for classes, with each PC having the full Adobe Suite so people can work on projects or try software out. It also includes scanning and an AV media centre.

Barbara Silberstein, their Media Librarian took me through their downloadable media. Unfortunately, due to digital rights management, it is only available to MP3 players with Windows DRM, so doesn’t include iPods. They offer Overdrive through the Listen NJ consortia and Netlibrary downloadable audio books and streaming music from Alexander Street Press. The Listen NJ option offers several 1000 titles, but with only 1 simultaneous users, but it does have a holds facility. Audio books must be downloaded to computer first, using specific software, after which they can be transferred to an MP3 player. The consortia set a loan period of 10 days, due to long holds lists. These titles are not listed in the catalogue and account for about 100 loans a month. Netlibrary adds 30 titles a month and at present they have about 1500 available. They are accessible through the catalogue, their website or directly from Netlibrary, but the user requires a user account which is set up through the library. Loans are for 3 weeks for up to 7 titles and they have unlimited simultaneous users. Loans are mid 100s per month. Barbara said that loans have remained flat, most likely due to the DRM issues. Hopefully with the recent announcement by EMI that they will be making DRM free music available, this issue will be resolved for libraries soon. They also have streaming African American, Classical and Global Sound music, for free. Must be played live on computer and can only be saved with credit card details. Users can create playlists and search for particular music in a wide variety of ways. It includes childrens, spoken, old jazz, older stage and screen music and much more. They have a licence for 5 simulataneous users, but the most they have ever had is 3. It is relatively inexpensive and generally well used.

That concluded the morning. More later.

I haven’t blogged lately due to the preparations for my study tour, which I begin on Monday. Its going to be a full on trip away, but I leave behind my husband and two young children so there’s been a lot to organise here too.

I have wondered quite a bit about how I can separate myself from them for this length of time. Although I will be in regular contact with them through email, IM and mainly Skype (with a web cam of course), it is still not the same as being here. Its a great opportunity, I know, but there has to be something more there to make me choose this separation.

And there is. I am passionate about my work. I am passionate about my library’s website and making virtual services available to our patrons. I have been passionate about virtual services since I created our first library website in 1996 (which won an award from our State Library in that same year!). My passion has not changed, just been put on the back burner whilst I started my family and put my career on hold. Now that my children are a bit older and need me less demandingly, my passion is back with a passion!

I have always been passionate about being a librarian, but never put it into perspective much until I read a recent post on Creating Passionate Users, one of my new favourite non-library blogs. In “Don’t ask employees to be passionate about the company“, Kathy Siera points out that it is not the workplace that you should be passionate about, but the work.

And that’s what it is for me. Not that my library is a bad place to work – its not. They have given me the opportunity to do the sort of work I love doing, with the flexibility of part-time hours and being close to home. I’m a good, reliable employee, giving them dedication, good work and more – its a good business arrangement. And as Kathy points out and as my library is doing, its about tapping into that passion and supporting staff in it. The resulting outcomes will be great, for the individual, for the work and for the company/organisation.

I’m going on Monday, passionate about what I am going to do but also leaving behind another thing that I am passionate about – my family. Their support has been amazing though and so I am going. Expect to see a lot more posts over the next 4 weeks, as I blog about all the things I learn during the study tour and attendance at Computers in Libraries 2007. I’m sure it will be more than just about virtual services.

I’m so excited! I have just been presented with the Margery C. Ramsay award, by the Library Board of Victoria.

Stepping back a moment, a bit of background. The Library Board of Victoria, through the State Library of Victoria, offers 2 scholarships each year, in honour of Margery C. Ramsay and Barrett Reid, “two eminent librarians who contributed to public libraries in Victoria.”

The Ramsay Reid Scholarships for public librarians in Victoria, aim to support individual professional development, benefit the recipients home library service and then other libraries within the state of Victoria. They are applied for individually through an comprehensive application form, accompanied by suitable references and support from the applicants library service. These applications are assessed by a committee and the 2 awards are then made around this time of year.

The scholarship can be used for a range of activities, including further education, study tours, conference and forum attendance, interships or secondments and relevant private research projects. Most scholarship winners have undertaken study tours.

Last Wednesday night, I was awarded the Margery C. Ramsay scholarship at a presentation at the State Library of Victoria, hosted by State Librarian Anne-Marie Schwirtlich, with the award presented by the President of the Library Board of Victoria (and former Premier) the Honourable John Cain. Congratulations to Ann Boland from Hume Global Learning Village who received the Barrett Reid scholarship on the same night!

I applied to do a study of selected public libraries in the US, who are providing “cutting edge service to their virtual users.” As regular blog readers will know, this is an incredibly fast growing area and although Australian libraries are doing some great things, we aren’t as cutting edge as some in the US.

So where and when. Part of my application included attending the Computers in Libraries conference in Arlington, Virginia in April 2007, where I hope to make a brief presentation on some of the cutting edge things that are happening here in Australia. (for my Aussie readers, please let me know of any projects here that fill that description!). Therefore, the tour will revolve around those set dates.

My itinerary is far from finalised, but I have been so very well supported, with fantastic responses from the following libraries, who I will be visiting around that time. Many thanks to Darien Library (CT), Princeton Public Library (NJ), Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg Library (NC), Ann Arbor District Library (MI), Hennepin County Library (MN), St Joseph County Public Library (IN), Thomas Ford Memorial Library (IN) and Web Junction (in Ohio). Thank you to all the fantastic staff at these services, who have been so supportive and encouraging of my plans. I am also looking at squeezing in a few more visits, so I will keep my readers posted on plans as they develop. And of course I’ll be blogging the trip the whole time I am away, so look for increased postings in April 2007.

What do I hope to get from this trip? A focus for my passion for serving our current users and getting new, virtual users.

I am excited, bubbling over, a little apprehensive and I will miss my husband and my children terribly. (got to love Skype!) Still, I can’t wait. For my US readers, I hope I get the chance to meet you when I’m there, either at CIL or at one of the library services I visit. Let me know if its possible, as I would be honoured to meet you in person.

Roll on 2007!