SouthWest Ohio and Neighboring Libraries

Topics

• When to refer to professional researcher, list of professionals, when charge a fee?
• Scanners and email: what do you use to get information to patrons who live away from your library?
• What do you do with out-of-state users who don’t pay local taxes? Internet issues related to distance users, including chat?
• College level work at public libraries
  • Librarian meets with college distance education students
  • Use the chat service
  • Users are intimidated
• Tiered reference services—NKU
  • Professionals on call
  • Chat becomes the priority
• Public library on the desk all day
  • All staff on desk
  • No filtering of professional vs. staff
  • Phone room to answer basic questions and desks to do specific services>
  • Physical space issues
• Technology questions vs. reference questions
• Professional development—internal
  • Review databases and generate questions
  • Pathfinders for users
  • Print resources
  • Training
  • Technical training to fill gaps
  • Classes for training
• How far do we go to help people with getting information, especially personal information? For example, welfare forms, resumes, PowerPoints, etc.
  • Info literacy skills
  • Send to community college classes
  • Chat services
  • Use volunteers
  • Set up appointments—call and reminder users
    • Staffing issues
  • Create forms/pathfinders for general information
  • Union issues
• E-government and public libraries
  • No increase in funding from federal government
  • Try to get support from federal government
  • Federal government should provide training
• Reference manuals
  • Clear guidelines when helping people
  • Need to enforce policies/procedures
• Inconsistencies in staff expectations
  • Some staff help more than others with personal information
• Managing time and duties
• Printing/technology issues
  • Move IT help desk into the library
• What is the role of librarians in the 21st century?
• Collaboration
  • Information literacy with NKU and high schools
  • Public libraries and high schools
• Behavior issues and kids
  • MySpace
• Computer access on different computers
  • Opac, internet, etc.
  • Time outs
• Technology issues
  • Burning CDs vs. flash drives
  • Headphones
    • Some libraries sell them, some bring own, some check them out
• Wifi and 24/7
  • Changing Wifi ports so signal doesn’t go beyond about 10 feet from library
  • Filtering can be run through Wifi
• Blog that talks about patrons
  • Happyville library
• Role of library in the 21st century
  • DVDs
    • Locks
    • Security systems
    • Feel like Blockbuster
    • Selling DVDs
• Circulation
  • Popular fiction
  • Growing communities
• Gaming in library
  • Played so much that they crashed computers
  • In teen area
  • After hours parties
  • Gaming clubs
    • Check out materials
  • Gaming information literacy
  • Librarian – Linda Behen at St. Ursala High School
    • Wrote book on gaming and info literacy
• FAQs on local facts on the Website
  • Clermont County referral line
  • Fugitive facts database
• Identify databases on Website
  • Names of databases
  • Marketing
• Communication
  • Blogs
  • Wikis
  • Email
• Metasearch
  • Narrowing down
  • Too many hits
• Website usability surveys
  • Helps improve usability of Web site
• Ideas for next meeting:
  • Show and tell with new resources
  • Non-traditional users and distance users
  • Educating users vs. doing it for them
  • Defining librarian in 21st century
    • Library 2.0
    • Look for articles
    • Professional development
  • OLC reference conference
• Next meeting: Compare reference manual
  • Bring reference manuals to share
  • Discussion
  • Lunchtime (12-3pm) in February