Laona's 768 Musings

This was posted on NPR’s blog: As a Matter of Fact.

Next week kicks off National Library Week, the week when librarians toot their own horn. Last year, the American Library Association paid homage to NLW by making hilarious videos demonstrating the type of questions librarians are apt to be asked on any given day. Hope you enjoy them and Happy National Library Week everybody!

And so LIS768 has come to an end.  One of my greatest surprises has been the reverse of the old adage; you can teach an old dog new tricks.  I have moved on from being an “inactive” to becoming a “joiner.” Proof:  I now have a Facebook page, a blog, and have been quoted on the WGN news that I was following a local story on Twitter.  Prior to January of 2009, who would have thought that I would ever learn to send a text message (of which I am now a pro)?  Things change, era’s end, and new epoch’s begin.

And so what have I learned on my summer vacation (oops, I mean during this spring semester)? Plenty.  To be 2.0, to encompass 2.0 today as a librarian, you must think outside of the box.  As a matter of fact you must pass the box over to your patrons. And also make sure that the box is transparent. Way back in the introduction of Library 2.0, Casey and Savastinuk define Library 2.0 as “less about what we can provide to our users and more about what we can allow our users to provide themselves.  Participatory service and change are the heart of Library 2.0 and technology is a tool that can help us get there” (p. xxii).

During Weekend One, my head spun with new concepts—the transparent library; the library as human; putting the library where the users are; user-centered change, and more. For the first time, I had discovered a library course where the patron/user was considered an active participant in the formation of a library’s mission. While none of my other courses thus far have embraced this “novel” idea, the Library 2.0 “customer-service” oriented behavior made perfect sense to me. Bit by bit, the practice as well as the theory of Library 2.0 began to emerge.    I have learned what it takes to evolve, to let go of control (a hard one for me), and to be visible.  I have learned to question signage, and not to presume what the patron wants or needs. I now understand the importance of gaming in the library, and the need for the library to be present on social networks. I have learned many ways to attract new patrons to the library—both inside and out.  The 2.0 library is more than just “books as brand.” The 2.0 library needs to be a physical and virtual third place (refer to my research paper).

Weekend Two:  One idea touched on during class became the launching pad for my research paper: the library has presence in the world—both physical and virtual. And so I set down the path to discover what that actually meant. The library becomes a third place by providing space for all groups of patrons (kids, young adults, telecommuters, seniors). I realized that libraries can create that third place by using flexibility (in furnishings and philosophies) and transparency in its actions (the library as open and honest).  Transparency also means listening to your public through “their” (actually “our”) outlets —blogs, Twitter, Facebook, etc. – to find out what others are saying (good or bad) about the library.

Weekend Three: Group projects and Gaming.  Theory and application—what an incredible experience to see the ideas we discussed in class played out in six group projects.  Following Twitter during the presentations was an experience in itself.  It was enlightening to read fellow classmates’ thoughts as the presentations were unfolding. Reading the Twitter remarks from my groups’ presentation was an excellent form of immediate feedback. It was exciting and rewarding to follow my classmates’ enthusiasm in 140 characters or less!  Gaming—I can now say that I have played Guitar Hero on the PS2.  I was encouraged enough by this experience to go home and join my five year-old on the GameCube that same night. Talk about a bonding experience!

Be a change agent.  Be the change you want to be. These words carry great responsibility.  It means doing more than peeking out from behind the reference desk.  It also means saying yes to new ideas instead of doing what has always been done. I am pleased to see that age isn’t the deciding factor for bringing in fresh new ideas.  Embracing Library 2.0 at any age will do! I plan to be one of those fresh graduates ready to lead.  Initially, I felt at a disadvantage as an older student; I no longer feel that way.  My great hope is that I can use age to my advantage while I gently “introduce” librarians of a previous generation to the user centered model! With a Library 2.0 spring in my step, I plan to expand my users’ experience while creating a culture of trust. 

And my goal as a future 2.0 librarian?  I think that Casey and Savastinuk have summed it up best:  “every librarian has the goal of offering the best possible service to library users.  Library 2.0 can help us achieve and maintain this goal in a rapidly changing environment.” (p.xxii)

Michael—thanks for an exhilarating ride into the world of Library 2.0. I have learned so much; far more than I could have imagined. This class has turned my educational experience here at Dominican in a whole new direction; a direction that I expect to continue for the rest of my program and beyond.

My paper discusses Sociologist Ray Oldenburg’s idea of a “third place.” It discusses the concept in terms of neighborhood establishments, such as Borders and Starbucks, and asserts the idea that the library is an opportune third place. By exploring the elements that construct a third place, my paper demonstrates how libraries can embrace this concept and become the third place for its patrons (and future patrons).

Borders and Starbucks are presented as prototypes of third places. Libraries can learn from each establishment’s “branding.” I argue that libraries have already built the foundation for establishing a third place and I explore the many roles the library holds in society.

The next topic tackled is incorporating Library 2.0 into the concept of third place.  Three important Library 2.0 steps toward reaching an optimal third place include evolving, letting go of control, and being visible. These three ideas are examined at greater length.

Different needs for different populations are discussed in terms of children, teens, telecommuters, and those who seek a quiet space.

Chris Anderson’s The Long Tail is examined for examples of niche services to library patrons in order to solidify individual third places.  The Transformation Lab is given as an example in providing niche services to create the ultimate third place.

The paper concludes with a list of nine ways that the library can turn the “library experience” into a third place.  It echoes the need for Library 2.0 technologies but reminds the reader that the physical library is necessary to produce/become a third place

Our group project (Brett, Tracie, Ellen, Jeff, and myself) was a positive experience in group collaboration. Five people who don’t live near each other, four with full-time jobs, all managed to communicate and work together through a variety of social software techniques.  When real time chat discussions weren’t possible, good old e-mail did a great job.  I had a technology issue with creating some of our slides, and Brett was able to talk me through it via e-mails while he was at work.  The nice thing about e-mail is that you don’t feel pressured to respond immediately (like you would in a chat session); I was able to explain my problem succinctly, and Brett could respond to my emails when he was able.  I don’t think that in the “real world” people respond to emails as fast as Brett did, but if they did our work environment would be a more efficient place!

Facebook turned out to be a real boon.  While looking at the Palatine Public Library Facebook page, I realized that Tracie was online.  I was able to conduct a quick conversation with her via the chat box and get an initial answer to my questions, scheduling time later to talk by phone.  In a situation where neither of us lived near each other and we both had varied work schedules, the chat box was a welcome surprise—I was able to pick Tracie’s mind and get some questions answered immediately.

The wiki and Google Docs slideshow software were also much easier ways to collaborate from afar.  There was a seamless fit that I felt with my 768 Taking the Library Out group that I haven’t felt in previous group projects —it was extremely helpful for all of us to have (simultaneous, if necessary) access to the same documents.  This way we could review each other’s work as it was updated; we could also use that knowledge to modify our individual segments to create a more cohesive project.  I loved that while Brett edited our slideshow, I could view the changes in real time. When Casey and Savastinuk talk about using a wiki to collaborate between employees that work on different shifts, I could see, first-hand, how easily this could be accomplished by using a wiki.  Not only did the wiki and Google Docs help us capture and organize our content (p. 86), they truly allowed for “community collaboration.”

In his book, The Long Tail, Chris Anderson discusses his theory that the way of the future is niches rather than hits. In his introduction, Anderson mentions the library as one of the few places of old that could provide niche products to its customers. He states “in the seventies and eighties…[a]bout the only place you could explore outside the mainstream were the library and comic book shop” (Anderson, 2008, p. 2).  I like the idea of the third place as providing niches for each part of the library’s population.  By providing these niche spaces, we will reach customers farther down the long tail, encouraging previously nonusers to experience and return to the library again for their needs.

Today’s public library is not alone in providing information outside of mainstream; there are numerous internet-based organizations that now compete in that venue/arena.  There are many ideas presented in Anderson’s book that would help the library to offer more niche products to complement a third place experience.  Using Netflix to rent movies for patrons that are not part of the current collection is one way.  Purchasing used books to fill inter-library loan requests is less expensive and can also expand the library’s collection (Casey & Savastinuk, 2007, p.17).  Having patrons write reviews of books, and placing the reviews on the library catalog or on the library website harnesses that “collective intelligence,” making it easier for patrons to discover new niches/books.  The library is no longer just a brick and mortar business; by utilizing technology now available via the web, and studying online businesses that are in the same “industry,” we can begin to provide those niche opportunities and reach those patrons further down the long tail.

Anderson also states in his book three main observations:  “the tail of available variety is far longer than we realize; it’s now within reach economically; [and] all those niches, when aggregated, can make up a significant market” (Anderson, 2008, p.10). When the library provides niche third places for its wide variety of patrons, it can add significantly to the population of users/patrons.

A large part of the long tail experience includes user-participated input. Just as Amazon has done, libraries can harness this idea by inviting patrons to pen their experiences on the library’s blog, add reviews and tag information on the library catalog, and participate in library/community meetings.  By bringing transparency to the library, patrons will learn more from staff, as well as other patrons, and utilize the new found information to increase the richness of their user experience.  This user experience is what helps cultivate the idea of the library as third place. 

REFERENCES

Anderson, C. (2008). The long tail. New York: Hyperion

Casey, M. and Savastinuk, L. (2007). Library 2.0: A guide to participatory library service. Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc.

The library is a safe haven; it welcomes all community members regardless of age, race, economic status, or any other discriminating factor. As Geoffrey Freeman states in the Council on Library and Information Resources Report, the academic library “is a place where people come together on levels and ways they might not in the residence hall, classroom, or off-campus location…the student becomes part of a larger community” (CLIR, 2005, p. 6). Likewise, public libraries provide “access to information, services, and a responsive, usually safe environment” (Lawson, 2004).

Public libraries already have the basic foundation for which to build a third place.  “Libraries have moved beyond the role of repositories of information to assume that of facilitators of a wide range of resources and programs” (Harris, C. 2007). To best serve its public, libraries need to provide the opportune third place for all patrons (and patrons to be).  A third place can’t be all things to all people. This is where the library has the upper hand.  It has the ability to create third places for different segments of the population, whether it is for teens, children, or adults simply looking for a quiet place to read. By examining successful third places, the library can begin to put the puzzle pieces together to provide the optimal third place.

Two excellent examples of third places today include Starbucks coffee shops and Borders Books.  Both of these businesses have successfully taken their brand (i.e. coffee and books) to a new level with the creation of atmosphere. Both Borders and Starbucks have created environments that say “stay” and “linger” through the provision of comfy chairs, food and drink, and free wifi. Borders has borrowed the idea of “library” by including information desks (ie. reference) and self-serve computers (akin to the card catalog of today) to make the experience easier for the customer and encourage him/her to stay. There is no reason that libraries need to think of bookstores as rivals, and by borrowing ideas such as “longer hours, comfortable reading areas and attractive displays” (Silverman, 2007) can help solidify the library “experience” as a third place.   According to John Stanley, libraries need to take a lesson from Starbucks by “adapt[ing] to the local community…get[ting] into the local community…go[ing] wireless…be in tune with their internal customers…and keep reinventing the library” (Stanley, 2005).

By utilizing these ideas, libraries can become more inviting to their patrons, and encourage repeat visits. The library experience must be pertinent to the everyday expectations of its patrons; it “is a trend libraries must follow, or our doors won’t be open” (Valdes, 2007). “A libraries’ bottom line…is encouraging more people to use the facility. A library…can never be overused” (Harris, C. 2007).  

REFERENCES

Council on Library and Information Resources. (2005, February).  Library as place: Rethinking roles, rethinking space. CLIR Publication No. 129 Retrieved February 28, 2009, from http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub129/freeman.html

Harris, C. (2007, December). Libraries with lattes: The new third place. APLIS, 20(4), 145-152. Retrieved February 6, 2009, from Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text database.

Lawson, K. (2004). Libraries in the USA as traditional and virtual “third places.” New Library World, 105(3/4), 125-130. Retrieved February 6, 2009, from ABI/INFORM Global database.

Silverman, F. (2007, November 11). Much loved, now much used. The New York Times. Retrieved February 26, 2009, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/11Rlibraries.html? 

Stanley, J. (2006, October). The third place: The role of the library in today’s society. One-Person Library, 23(6), 7-8.  Retrieved February 6, 2009, from Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text database.

Valdes, M. (2007, January 4). Quiet libraries morphing into busy community hubs. The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 26, 2009, from http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003508567_library04m.html

For this assignment, I chose to follow the Oak Park Public Library.  I used Twitter, Technorati, Facebook, and Flickr.

I found very little conversation about the Library on the four social networking sources that I tracked. Despite its paucity of use, I believe that the Oak Park Public Library has a great opportunity to extend its presence through the use of these web 2.0 tools.

Flickr produced a substantial collection of nearly 200 photos on the Oak Park Public Library photo stream. The first stream of photos for this year arrived on February 27, 2009. These were 15 photos taken during a story time presentation.  I went to the OPPL website to see if the photos had been linked to the site, and indeed they were displayed under the “events” tab as “Library photos on Flickr.”  I think it would be advantageous to also exhibit these photos on the Children’s Department web page.  By prominently displaying the photos on the “story times” page, the patrons most interested in viewing them would discover them at a logical destination. 

Looking at Facebook, I found four comments on the Oak Park Public Library wall and one photo added over a year ago.  I think that the Facebook page would be more effective if there were updates posted by the library staff at regular intervals to create a sense of currency. While I was at the OPPL website, I decided to take a look to see if there was any mention of the Library’s Facebook page.  There was no mention of Facebook, but there was a link to the MySpace page from the teen web page. Also on the teen page, there was a link to “photos of past events” with a hyper-link titled “more Library photos on Flickr.”

Armed with the information from the OPPL webpage, I waited for my RSS feeds to pour in. My initial Technorati RSS feed for “Oak Park Library” displayed three blog mentions (from independent sources over the past seven months) and twenty-plus videos. I have not received any updates since. The videos that were displayed were filmed at the library, mostly by non-staff videographers.  Four of the videos were produced by the Library.  These four videos covered story time in the Children’s Department.  It would be a great idea to link these four videos to the Children’s Department web page so that patrons would be aware of alternative ways of “attending” story times.

Over a several week period, there were four tweets discussing the OPPL.  These were from “outsiders;” the Library does not have a Twitter account.  One tweet was from the local news beat reporter, promoting a tour of the Library’s automated book sorting system.  Another was from the Oak Park Area Community Visitor’s Bureau touting an exhibit at the library.  I think it would be helpful for the Library to tweet events like this from their own Twitter account on the OPPL home page or in response to those who tweet about OPPL.  Just as fans can join the Facebook and MySpace pages to become informed, promoting a Twitter account for patrons to follow would be a great way to enlighten folks of current happenings. 

Using Twitter [to broadcast] can be an excellent opportunity to reach out to the adult patron population; it can keep patrons informed about current library events.  At the same time, using Twitter to listen to the community’s opinion of the library is equally valuable.

Using these web 2.0 technologies to increase visibility is an advantageous opportunity for the Library.  I think that using Twitter, Flickr, and the like brings the library to where the patrons (and potential patrons) are. The OPPL is off to a good start with its presence on Flickr, Facebook and MySpace. Posting frequent updates regarding teen and young adult events on both Facebook and MySpace can help increase its presence, and connect with those patrons, outside of the library.

 I found a great tweet about the Maze branch of the Oak Park Library: “‘Maze Branch’ of the Oak Park Public Library is way less exciting that it sounds like it should be. I WANT TO GET LOST IN A LIBRARY.”  This would be an excellent tweet to follow up on; an advertising angle for the branch could become “Get lost in our library.”  I think there is real potential to use these micro-conversations to get a feel for what patrons think about the Library, and use this knowledge to the Library’s advantage. Listening to these conversations can enhance both the users’ and the library’s experience by opening up channels of communication.

The archbishop of the Italian city of Modena wants young Catholics to give up text messaging, social networking websites and computer games for Lent.   Which social networking tool is too important for you to give up?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7923701.stm

Here are a few of the articles that I have reviewed for my paper on the library as third place:

Silverman, F. (2007, November 11). Much loved, now much used. The New York Times. Retrieved online February 26, 2009 from  http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/11Rlibraries.html? 

This article discusses two newly designed libraries, the Darien Public Library and the Cold Spring Harbor Library and Environmental Center, and their plans to rebuild, modernize and recast the buildings into a “third place.”  Several librarians are quoted, each talking about crucial changes made to “reflect the impact of technology and communities’ increased need for places to meet.” The new libraries echo these needs by reorganizing and rearranging the spaces to mimic bookstore and video-store style groupings, providing technology services such as wifi, and creating spaces tailored to the needs of various groups (ie. kids, teens, adults).

Valdes, M. (2007, January 4). Quiet libraries morphing into busy community hubs. The Seattle Times. Retrieved February 26, 2009 from http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003508567_library04m.html

This article discusses several Seattle libraries (public and academic) responding to the needs of their patrons.  The emphasis is on embracing change and “having a library that is relevant to the lives of the people it serves.”  Of utmost importance was encouraging patrons to stay—this was accomplished by allowing food and coffee, providing computers and wifi to take advantage of the latest technology, and following the Seattle campaign motto of “Libraries for All.”

Harris, C. (2007, December). Libraries with lattes: The new third place. APLIS, 20(4),145-152. Retrieved  February 6, 2009 from Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text database.

sThis Australian journal article discusses the fact that many public libraries are becoming more attuned to the need of communities for a “third place.” Harris discusses the libraries’ role in building social capital, the “third place” according to Ray Oldenburg, and the library’s role as third place.  Coffee plays a role in creating an inviting space, but it is by no means the only ingredient in producing and providing a thriving environment.

Stanley, J. (2006, October). The third place: The role of the library in today’s society. One-Person Library, pp. 7, 8.  Retrieved February 6, 2009 from Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text database.

In his guest column, Stanley discusses the responsibility of the library in today’s culture.  He uses Starbuck’s as an example to show how libraries can go beyond “books as brand” to the library as an “experience.” The point is also made that bookstores and coffee shops can be an ally rather than competition when creating the library experience. 

By jove, I think I got it. I think I’ve really got it!  Throughout these past couple of weekends, I have been in agreement that social networking technologies are the wave of the future (or actually, the wave of the present).  I just felt like I was “too old” to actively participate, instead preferring to be a lurker on Twitter while struggling to publicize my experiences on my blog.  Well, today was the day.  I joined Facebook after much trepidation.  It’s like the world went from black and white to Technicolor.  It was a big enough deal to announce on Twitter that I was joining Facebook—thank goodness for my supportive classmates who offered up their ‘friend’ship.  I hadn’t been done with the sign-up process for more than a couple of minutes when an old college friend of mine starting IMing me. Then, I caught up with a childhood friend who now lives across the country.  This was great; I often drag my feet about picking up the phone or even sending an e-mail, but these conversations felt like we were in the same room enjoying a reunion.  My fear of being ‘friend’-less has completely dissolved.  Facebook beats Club Penguin (www.clubpenguin.com) by a mile.  Now I just have to worry about keeping up with everyone. 

There has been discussion about whether social networking sites promote isolation due to each person sitting alone while participating.  I have to say that I am glad to report that my experience felt anything but isolating.  I felt a sigh of relief and excitement that this wasn’t the case for me. I was even motivated to post photos to my page. Navigating Facebook and meeting up with old friends felt a lot like going to my high school reunion with a lot less trauma.

This has definitely been an ‘aha’ moment for me. I can’t wait to sign back on. I need to IM my uncle, my best friend from kindergarten, and my 7^th grade locker partner. See you there J.