Musings from the field: Library Technicians reflect on their work and the future

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Musings from the field Library Technicians
reflect on theirwork and the future

• OALT/ABO Conference
• May 11, 2007
• James Wagner

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A Typical Day at the Library

• Read email
• Setting up authentication for databases
• new book info from my assistant
• Convert new book page to PDF, transfer it to
  web pages, make appropriate links, upload files
  to website, check to make sure it worked
• Reference question manual for old camera
• Checked manufacturers website no manual listed
• Found phone number of manufacturer called got
  information
• Informed patron of proper phone number and what
  to ask for
• Helped patron print an e-mail message
• Phoned CEO to get permission to setup a Library
  display at my wifes school for a special
  literacy night
• Circ desk check in and out items for patrons
• Answer phone find video on shelf and put on
  hold
• Update Blog about database passwords
• Check Blog for items from others in the library
• Help patron find books on diabetese
• Look up DVD title for patron
• Update website with info from CEO
• Create new items for RSS feed

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Typical Day (Part 2)

• Type up 2 more spine labels
• Page is full, so print page
• Set books and labels aside for someone else to
  process
• Helped patron scan pages of a book and attach the
  images to emails to send to a friend in the
  Caribbean
• Talk to CEO about computer policy for patron
  requesting a specific computer when others are
  empty person on the computer had been using it
  for several hours
• Sorted catalogues from our supplier and directed
  them to the appropriate staff
• Gently forced patron to log off computer
• Used Administrative privileges to set up a file
  downloading software for patron
• Helped man open his email to get birthday
  greetings
• Kept eye on young people on computers to keep the
  noise down
• Catalogue items for Local History collection
• Help student find weather maps in newspaper for
  last week
• Fill out ILLO forms for patron
• Looked on internet for reviews of free anti-virus
  software for 2 Win98 computers
• Change backup tapes in servers
• Close down library

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Circ Desk

• Currently,
• There is a barcode on each patron card and each
  library item
• Library staff checks books in and out
• Patron self-checkout using current technology is
  available
• RFID tags
• Currently hold item near receiver
• Future as patron walks out the door the
  computer will read the RFID code on their patron
  card and on the items and check out the books
  automatically
• US government is currently working on this
  technology for passports
• Would this work in a small library? Our patrons
  like to talk to us.
• Library ELF email reminders of when books are
  due or request are waiting could this be built
  into our own software?

5
Cataloguing

• Used to do a lot of original cataloguing
• Then copy-cataloguing started
• Use z39.50 to download most of our original
  cataloguing needs directly into our database
  saves hours of work each week
• Only do a few original cataloguing jobs each
  month mainly government publications and some
  old movies
• How will social tagging affect how we catalogue
  or if we catalogue?

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Inter-library Loan Requests

• we fill out a paper form look up author , ISBN
  number, publication date, patrons phone number,
  library number
• Kingston Frontenac Public Library developed
  mashup (integrated system)
• Patron asks for an item
• Staff imports item info directly from Amazon
• Staff imports patron info directly from their
  library database
• All info is integrated into an on-line form which
  is sent to the Acquisitions dept.
• In future this info could be integrated into
  vendor forms
• Very little information is written or typed,
  therefore, fewer chances of mistakes
• No paper
• Increased speed
• Have seen library catalogue (Koha) where patrons
  create their own ILLO form on-line and submit it
  directly to Acquisitions
• Could we integrate our catalogues with
  Amazon/Chapters so patrons could make requests
  directly from Amazon/Chapters website?
• WorldCat already allows a library to integrate
  their database so that when a person looks up a
  title the program indicates the nearest library
  that has that item
• print on demand team with a publisher to
  print (electronic?) books as patrons want them

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Readers Advisory

• Current
• Novelist (electronic database)
• Vancouver Public Library - Sequels
• Internally produced Bookmarks
• Future
• Personalized recommendations (Amazon)
• Customer reviews of books
• Customer ratings of books
• Customers who took out this item also took out
• Tag clouds what are the most popular searched
  items in the collection
• Personalized RSS feeds for items new to the
  library
• Authors, genres, plots, formats
• Currently available in the Polaris Library System
• Help others find this item Make a Search
  Suggestions, manage your Search Suggestions
  (currently on Amazon)
• Tag this item patrons tag (add a subject
  heading) to items to help others find them
• will social tagging change the way we do
  Readers Advisory?
• Patron discussion boards (Amazon)
• Look for similar items by category (Amazon)

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Readers AdvisoryAmazon
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Patron Training

• Currently
• show patrons how to download their email
  attachments, order airplane tickets, write a
  resume
• Future
• podcasts
• WebCasts
• interactive workshops for the public in internet
  searching or database use
• We should always make an effort to become very
  well-versed in new technology as it relates to
  our field and feel confident to pass this
  knowledge on to others. (ALong Tail of
  Library Transformation, Tamara Monster,
  Newsletter Ontario Association of Library
  Technicians, Vol. 30, 1, January 2007 )

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Reference

• will YahooAnswer, where people put questions up
  and wait for others to answer them, affect how we
  answer reference questions whatever happened to
  authoritative answers? Does societys general
  disrespect for people in authority affect from
  whom they will accept answers?
• Instant messaging good? Bad? Here?
• Some libraries offer e-mail reference
• Some libraries are getting into instant messaging
  Our small library cant afford to have someone
  always watching the computer
• virtual reference
• reference interview skills will remain necessary
• young generation used to Instant Messaging,
  collaborating, contributing to the web (pictures,
  blogs, videos etc.), these are our patrons
• we need to adapt our library procedures/tools to
  meet them where they are
• YouTube is our collection as accessible?
• We need to be familiar with some of these
  programs so our Generation Next patrons can
  find and communicate with us

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Reference

• As people become overwhelmed with the
  availability of information, realize that public
  search engines can rank results based on who paid
  the most, that Social Software provides group
  ideas (not necessarily the best or 'right') we
  may become more important to patrons as a people
  who can help them find real answers to their
  questions
• Second Life - library branch - log into computer,
  activate your avitar in your library's online
  branch, answer questions from other avitars - go
  to work in your pajamas? (Alliance Library
  System/Public Library of Charlotte Mecklenburg
  County partnership project on Second Life and
  Teen Second Life, Stephens Lighthouse, January
  23, 2007). One of the central tenants of
  Library 2.0 is "go to where the users are." The
  online, 3D virtual world, Second Life, has more
  than 1.5 million residents, all potentially
  needing the services that a library can provide.
  (Stephens Lighthouse, March 19, 2007)
• It is feasible to examine how library staff can
  market their skills in saving time searching for
  information on the internet.

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Reference (Cont.)

• Techs job to help navigate through the muck of
  useless pages and dodgy sources, and get to the
  really good stuff (Adriana Sgro, The future of
  Libraries, Newsletter Ontario Association of
  Library Technicians, Vol. 30, 1, January 2007 )
• Information is everywhere library must provide
  a good user experience (added value)
• reference interview skills will remain necessary
• currently trying to convince teachers that online
  databases of magazine and journal artilces are
  not "the internet"
• continuing to educate people on the existence and
  uses of online databases - this is information
  that is not available on 'the web"
• Ohio University Libraries Video IM instant
  messaging from stations in the library with a
  camera to link directly to a reference librarian.
  use Skype phone account

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Web Site

• My CEO considers our website as our third
  branch how and what kind of services will we
  offer our virtual patrons?
• What kind of knowledge do library technicians
  need to work in this type of environment?
• library marketing
• e-commerce - fee-for-service using online
  payment?
• competing with Google and other online services
  for a 'share of the market'
• must promote our service - highlight
  'value-added' benefits of using the library.
• local history database
• working with OurOntario.ca
• digitizing pictures and text
• fund-raising
• organizing volunteers?
• providing value-added information for our website
  
• reason for researchers to visit our site

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Website (cont.)

• For children, the opportunity to access virtual
  storytime that the library offers in real time
  would be added value and a promotion of current
  services.
• web cameras? live broadcasts?
• TumbleBooks stories read to children
  (Hamilton Public Library)
• I need to find a web software product that will
  change on its own or be prepared to hire an
  outside programmer to make changes to our website
  that will keep it current
• I need to look at other innovative websites
  (including Amazon) to find ideas for keeping our
  website relevant and useful
• I need to involve staff and management in looking
  for ideas that would improve our online service

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Website (cont.)

• Hennepin County Library's Book Space
• Patrons
• create their own account for Book Space
• sign up for e-mail alerts on new books
• get daily book excerpts via e-mail
• listen to audio eBooks
• create book lists
• browse subjects and genres to find good books
• get e-mail and RSS feed updates on new books
• post comments about what they're reading
• find book events and book clubs
• sign up for Book Space eNews

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Website (cont.)
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Computers

• On-line office programs patrons can do
  reports, spreadsheets, email, accounting,
  presentations, databases and more all without any
  software on our computers
• Gaming in the library 95 of teenage boys play
  computer games
• 7 out of 10 employees are over 50 - none are
  under 30 - I need to work hard to keep up with
  what young patrons are doing - need to talk to
  younger patrons, watch what they are doing on
  computers, keep modifying computers to provide
  what they want ( use administrative mode to
  update Live Messenger, MySpace etc. to latest
  versions)
• Gaming library hosting computer gaming
  sessions/events

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Staff Communication

• Collaborating on ideas using tools like wiki
• Set up a wiki to update and maintain our library
  procedures manual
• Set up a wiki to record staff suggestions for
  what to have in a new library building
• Staff blog
• Record information in a format new employees can
  read
• Everyone can comment on postings and read
  everyone elses comments
• sharing our information/service successes with
  our colleagues - blogging? - create a wiki
  showing how we solved particular information
  problems.
• Instant Messaging between employees?
• Library pictures on Flickr?

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Other

• Archival activities will continue still
  requires a personal touch
• Programming for children, visit schools, create
  displays, booklists will continue (Julie Almond
  Raso Newsletter Ontario Association of
  Library Technicians, Vol. 30, 1, January 2007
  My Experiences as a Library Tech)
• Mission to meet the needs of the user will not
  change (ALong Tail of Library Transformation,
  Tamara Monster Newsletter Ontario Association
  of Library Technicians, Vol. 30, 1, January
  2007) (but their needs may change)
• How we keep up with trends
• In past, subscribed to magazines, now I use blogs
  written by other librarians
• Use to use Books in Print, now I use
  Amazon/Chapters

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Other (cont.)

• Net Generation
• have grown up with instant messaging, chat
  groups, playlists, peer-to-peer file sharing,
  online multiplayer video games
• New generation of library techs will be used to
  sharing, collaborating, using online technologies
  
• New generation of library techs looking for work
  that involves creativity, social connectivity,
  fun, freedom, speed, diversity
• On-line courses
• staff online learning opportunities continue to
  increase
• I do many webinars per year on a variety of
  technology related topics.
• Wikis - track library assignments
• collaborative authoring of subject guides
• Collaboratively assemble reading lists
• assessment