Croydon Libraries on the Web by Heather Kirby Croydon Libraries

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Croydon Libraries on the Web by Heather
KirbyCroydon Libraries
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What how why?

• A taster of
• Croydons experience

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Croydon Online

• What is Croydon Online?
• The vision
• Services resources
• How are we doing it?
• Necessities
• Approaches
• Why do it why in libraries?

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What is Croydon Online?

• Web Site is the hub of the Community Network
• Providing
• Information and Email
• Building
• New resources and new services
• Encouraging
• Ownership and participation

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Vision

• Croydon Online will become the first service
  which everyone living, working, studying in, or
  visiting Croydon, will use to
• find information
• Make contacts
• Do business
• Engage in learning or
• Develop hobbies.

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Vision (cont.)

• Croydon Online will be
• Updated daily
• Interactive
• Easy to use
• Community-wide
• Collaborative

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Content Services

• INCH
• Job Mart
• Skillsboost Online
• HUG
• Community Information
• Feedback
• Consultations/surveys
• Policy documents

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Content Services (cont.)

• Library news
• Book reviews
• Archives Servicedatabase
• Museum Heritage - collections, exhibitions,
  educationdatabase
• Email lists and contacts
• Promotion

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INCHInformation Network for Croydon Health

• Directory and contact information on Croydon
  Online
• Unified, current, authoritative
• Managed by a cross-sectoral group

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Job Mart

• A one stop shop on Croydon Online for employment
  opportunities in the local area
• Highly Interactive, flexible and
• income generating

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Housebound User Group

• 14 members, aged 45 to 89
• Dial-up connection equipment
• Training and support
• Email List diary sheets, visits

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HUG outcomes

• New, enthusiastic users of IT
• exchanging URLs
• contacting politicians
• looking up the OPAC
• sending enquiries and requests by email

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A HUG quote

• You will never know how grateful I am for this
  opportunity to learn with patient teachers.One
  of my friends, a very clever lady, is still
  making a dogs dinner of her emails, so I am
  optimistic.

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Skillsboost Online

• Croydons first distance learning package
• Online assessment guidance
• Basic Skills Agency

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How are we doing it?

• Consulting, talking, extending contacts.
• Demonstrating the product
• Promoting the vision
• Contacting again

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Necessities

• Vision for Croydon Online Croydon Libraries and
  for Croydon
• Commitment from staff
• Budget - something to start up
• Knowledge and skills - not new for old but new
  and old

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Approaches

• Integration, e.g. with C.I. Database
• Carers Contact Line
• Age Concern directory
• Simultaneous publication, e.g. consultation
  documents
• Fill templates, e.g. voluntary organisations
• Code from electronic copy
• Type and code from hardcopy

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Approaches (cont.)

• Web-edit training for staff
• Ftp login and shared building and updating of the
  resource
• Extend this practice to contacts in other
  organisations, with caution
• Continuously invite feedback on all aspects of
  the site

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Why are we doing this?

• Modernise information services
• Respond efficiently to information
  communication needs
• Improve our efforts towards social inclusion
• Extend provision of lifelong learning
  opportunities

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Why (cont.)

• Enable the sharing of information skills across
  sectors
• Spread good practice
• Build partnerships

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Conclusion

• The technology offers the opportunity to build a
  network for all interests needs in the
  community
• The public library, as a trusted, neutral
  organisation in the community, is best placed to
  do it.