Library Facebook Fan Page – 10 Things to Include…08.26.09

Here is a list from the Social Networking Librarians from the post 10 Great Things to Include on Your Library’s Facebook Fan Page:

“…1. photos of your library.
2. a library video tour or other promotional videos.
3. a calendar of library events.
4. a rss feed of your library blog.
5. information about how to contact your library.
6. library hours
7. lib guides widget
8. a survey for your patrons to answer about your library.
9. information about new book arrivals
10. links to popular library databases…”

“How Social Networking Can Ruin Your Library’s Reputation”…08.18.09

Here is an interesting and valuable post from Social Networking in Libraries titled How Social Networking Can Ruin Your Library’s Reputation:

“…Here are some things that could happen and how to avoid them.

1. Trying to use too many social networking sites to promote your library. This can confuse your patrons and staff and be too time consuming. Pick one or two and focus on these.

2. Angering your patrons. If a patron becomes angry enough or annoyed enough they may use social networking to tell everyone about it and this can end up being a nightmare.

3. Not keeping track about what is being posted on your library social networking sites. This can cause content or comments to be posted that are spammy or that are not what you would like. If you are going to use social networking with your library then you need to keep track of what is being said and posted…”

San Jose Public Library Begins Text a Librarian Service…08.18.09

From the Librarian in Black today:

“Today our library, the San Jose Public Library, launched our new Text a Librarian service. As far as I can tell, we’re the first public library in California to offer text messaging services.

Here are the details:

The service is run through Mosio’s Text a Librarian.

Text your question to 66746 and start the message with AskSJ

The library responds to the user through the interface of our choice (web browser, email, IM, or text messaging) and the answer shows up to the customer as a text message

Customers are encouraged to add 66746 as a contact for easy future access

The library currently is answering questions from 1-6pm, Monday-Friday

The service is completely secure & private – customers are assigned random user IDs so the library staff don’t see phone numbers connected with questions

The service is mobile carrier certified, so we don’t need to worry about Verizon or AT&T blocking our number from sending messages to customers.

It’s staffed jointly with the San Jose State University Library librarians and a number of our public library staff at our main King Library and at our many branches…”

Libraries – Emerging Trends…08.17.09

From David Lee King:

Emerging Trends, 2.0 & Libraries

View more documents from David King.

Library Change Management…08.16.09

Here is a good audio and video presentation from Dave Lankes worth the time viewing titled Change Management for Connecticut Screencast which he did forf the CLA/CLC Connecticut Leadership Institute.

Library Goes Live With QR Codes…08.14.09

The Civil Librarian has posted about the Sacramento Public Library with their first application of QR Codes:

“Sacramento Public Library has ‘gone live’ with our first application of QR codes! This is a small one but I’m excited nonetheless because of the great potential that QR codes have in improving our services. On our library blog, Grand Central, we now have a QR code posted in the sidebar that, when scanned, will load the contact information for our SMS reference service directly into the user’s phone…”

TOMORROW – OPALescence: FREE Online Library Conference…08.12.09

OPALescence

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Noon Eastern Time, 11 a.m. Central, 10 Mountain, 9 Pacific, and 4 p.m. GMT:

Opening Keynote: The Future of User Experience in Libraries
Speaker: Nate Bolt
The User Experience (UX) primarily involves the experience of the library user, drawing from the successes and failures of human-to-technology interface design. Usability, aesthetics, community, collections and customer service are the key tenants of this user-centric service initiative. But you don’t have to have a huge staff or big tech budget. UX Expert, Nate Bolt shares ideas for free and easy Library UX improvements.
Location: Rialto

1 p.m. Eastern Time, noon Central, 11 a.m. Mountain, 10 Pacific, and 5 p.m. GMT:

Topic: Librarians in Virtual Environments: From Classrooms to Communities
Speaker: Alison Miller
Libraries and librarians have made great progress in engaging in virtual environments. We are often the first to try new things: technology, social media/networks, enhanced services, etc. Alison will share ideas and examples of successful engagement along with areas identified as needing improvement.
Location: Rialto

Unconference Session: Discuss the topics and trends you want!
Discussion Facilitator: Joshua Neff

Location: Strand

2 p.m. Eastern Time, 1 Central, noon Mountain, 11 a.m. Pacific and 6 p.m. GMT: One-Hour Break Time!

3 p.m. Eastern Time, 2 Central, 1 Mountain, noon Pacific, and 7 p.m. GMT:

Topic: Collaboration 2.0
Speaker: Robin Hastings
Join Robin in a discussion of the use of cloud computing tools (Google’s Apps, Blogs, Wikis & other social networking sites) as they are being used in libraries. Learn real-world uses of these tools and discover other ways that libraries could make use of free, easy-to-use cloud computing resources.
Location: Rialto

Unconference Session: Building a Learning Culture
Discussion Facilitators: Cindi Hickey, Brenda Hough, Stephanie Gerding, Betha Gutsche, Kim Priest
Location: Strand

4 p.m. Eastern Time, 3 Central, 2 Mountain, 1 Pacific, and 8 p.m. GMT:

Topic: Erin’s Hour of Awesomeness: Best Practices for Web 2.0 in Schools
Speaker: Erin Downey Howerton
Find out what Web 2.0 tools are being used by teachers around the world to pump up their lesson plans, and what learning institutions can do to help them succeed.
Location: Rialto

Unconference Session: Discuss the topics and trends you want!
Discussion Facilitator: Kaijsa Calkins
Location: Strand

Friday, August 14, 2009

Noon Eastern Time, 11 a.m. Central, 10 Mountain, 9 Pacific, and 4 p.m. GMT:

Topic: Listening to the Future of Reading: Readers’ Advisory and Audio Books
Speaker: Kaite Stover
Audiobooks have been steadily increasing in circulation for many libraries in the past five years. Patrons are beginning to demand certain titles in audio and library staff need to know how to suggest titles to avid listeners. Learn how to employ standard readers’ advisory training to promote titles to library patrons, including “how to listen to a book in fifteen minutes.”
Location: Rialto

Unconference Session: Discuss the topics and trends you want!
Discussion Facilitator: Joe Kraus
Location: Strand

1 p.m. Eastern Time, noon Central, 11 a.m. Mountain, 10 Pacific, and 5 p.m. GMT:

Topic: How American Libraries Are Using Web 2.0 Tools for Marketing
Speaker: Curtis Rogers
Location: Rialto

Unconference Session: Discuss the topics and trends you want!
Discussion Facilitator: Kendra Levine
Location: Strand

2 p.m. Eastern Time, 1 Central, noon Mountain, 11 a.m. Pacific, and 6 p.m. GMT: One-Hour Break Time!

3 p.m. Eastern Time, 2 Central, 1 Mountain, noon Pacific, and 7 p.m. GMT:

Topic: Beyond the Basics: Training for Technological Fluency
Speaker: Brenda Hough
Are you offering technology training for staff and patrons? Join this discussion to share ideas and interactive techniques to address varying skill levels, adapt to multiple learning styles, and deliver technology with greater impact. Provide opportunities for learners to develop skills that will help them adapt and succeed tomorrow as well as meet their needs today.
Location: Rialto

Unconference Session: Discuss the topics and trends you want!
Discussion Facilitator: Michelle Boule
Location: Strand

4 p.m. Eastern Time, 3 Central, 2 Mountain, 1 Pacific, and 8 p.m. GMT:

Closing Keynote: Networking Library Services: A Glimpse at the Future–Moving Library Management Services to Web-Scale
Speaker: Andrew Pace
In April, OCLC announced a strategy to create the first Web-scale, cooperative library management service, extending WorldCat Local to include delivery and circulation, print and electronic acquisitions, and license management. This highly scalable service will allow libraries to preserve the core functionality they require to manage their collections while also creating a platform on which they can better manage and evolve library workflows. Moreover, the service-oriented architecture will allow libraries to interoperate more easily with other local business process systems. Andrew Pace will give a summary of the effort, highlighting key milestones for the project and the opportunities for positive change in libraries.
Location: Rialto

“Odyssey”- FREE Interlibrary Loan Software…08.11.09

Thanks to Planet Cataloging for pointing out the FREE Odyssey ILL software from Atlas Systems, Inc.:

“The Odyssey software allows sites to send and receive electronic documents to other Odyssey sites, OCLC ILLiad sites, and other vendor’s software that supports the Odyssey protocol.

Odyssey was designed with low cost, ease of use, and network security in mind. The software is a client/server application which allows the processing application to be split off from the delivery service function. This controls cost by allowing sites to expand by just adding the processing functionality to additional machines. It helps with network security by allowing the delivery service function of the software to be run o..n a server/workstation that may or may not be located in the ILL office…”

Did I mention it was FREE?

Download your FREE copy of Odyssey!

Libraries and QR Codes…08.11.09

(QR Code for the Lone Wolf Librarian blog)

There hasn’t been much discussion of libraries and QR codes lately but today there is a good post from the Emily Brown, Outreach Librarian at Northeastern State University, Muskogee campus, on her blog brownez@thelibrary titled Tuesday Two.Oh! Tools for Advertising which is excerpted here:

“…We will actually be taking a look at two sites today, both of which are easy to use and easy to navigate. So, get out those cell phones and let’s start talking QR Codes…

I was introduced to this technology by an innovative librarian at the University of Central Oklahoma, Amanda Lemon. Amanda and Jason Cimock (also of UCO) presented at this years COIL workshop, unCOILed. They spoke about mobile phones in the classroom, and their presentation can be found here. Part of the presentation focused on todays tool, QR Codes. It’s a very interesting presentation, and if you have time, I suggest that you take a look.

On to the tools! The first tool we’ll be taking a look at is Mircosoft Tag Beta…

There are a lot of potential uses for this technology.

To be fair, there are a lot of code creations sites out there. Spend a little time on Google and you’ll find a site that fits your needs. With that in mind, let’s look at another code creation option. Q-Lytics…”

Of course, Europeans seem to be more committed to QR Codes as this video will attest:

Beyond Knowledge – A Discourse on Wisdom…08.05.09

The message of the cross of Jesus Christ is foolish to those who are headed for destruction but we who are being saved know it is the very power of God.

As the Scriptures say,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”

So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters?

God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.  Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe.  It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.

But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.  This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.

Updated List of Libraries on Twitter…08.04.09

Today there is an UPDATED list of libraries on Twitter from the Circulation blog from Lindy Brown.

FREE Webinar – “Introduction to Blogging for Nonprofits and Libraries”…07.30.09

Introduction to Blogging for Nonprofits and Libraries
Thursday, August 6, 11 a.m. Pacific time

Is your organization looking to expand your reach and communicate more directly with your supporters and community? Are you considering starting a blog to help you do this?

Join Becky Wiegand from TechSoup during this free webinar as she interviews Allyson Kapin, blogger for Care2′s nonprofit marketing blog Frogloop, and Jason Griffey, who literally wrote the book on blogging for libraries to discuss the ins and outs of starting a blog for your organization. From considerations like which tool to use, how much staff time to commit, whether volunteers and interns should help, best practices, and how to launch your blog into the blogosphere, we’ll discuss all the basics of how to get started.

Register today!

MyInfoQuest Presentation – “A Collaborative Project from a Librarian’s Perspective…07.30.09

Thanks to IamLibrarian for posting this presentation about MyInfoQuest by Alison Miller.  In a recent post, I highlighted the MyInfoQuest service.

The Handheld Librarian Presentation

View more presentations from Alison .

Why Patrons, Customers, Librarians, Etc. Go Online – Intent Index Results…07.29.09

Thanks to Stephen Abram of  Stephen’s Lighthouse for his post Why Do People Go Online for drawing attention to the Ruder Finn Intent Index research data and interactive visualization- click on image below.

7 Open Source Library Software to Consider…07.22.09

Here is an excerpt from a very useful post by Brett Bonfield on In the Library With a Lead Pipe titled W-E-B-S-I-T-E, Find Out What It Means To Me:

“It’s interesting how many people don’t really understand the concept of open source. People often describe freeware as open source, or they’ll describe free web-based applications as open source, or applications with APIs that allow for mashups. There are articles all the time, on some of the most popular websites, that recommend free software but don’t distinguish programs the authors gives away for free from software that is actually open source.

For a program to be open source, it has to meet two basic qualifications

1. The author has to provide full access to its source code
2. The software has to be accompanied by a license that protects the contributions and rights of the community…

In my opinion, there are seven open source software projects worth considering

• Blacklight (demo)
• Evergreen (demo)
• Kochief (demo)
• Koha (demo)
• Scriblio (demo)
• SOPAC (demo)
• VuFind (demo)

There’s some apples-and-oranges going on here, in that some of these packages are just components of a website and require other software in order to do everything a library website needs to do (such as inventory management). Other packages cover the entire process…”

My Info Quest Launches Text Reference Service Today…07.21.09

From the MyInfoQuest release information:

“…Starting today, patrons of approximately 50 libraries from all over the US will be able to text a question to (309) 222-7740 and a real, live librarian will respond within minutes. The service is free of charge, but standard text messaging rates do apply. Staffed by librarians from around the country, answers are sent to cell phones by librarians in 320 characters or less, or the equivalent of two 160-character text messages…

The hours of service will be Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-10 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m…”

OPALescence: A Free Online Library Conference for Everyone…07.21.09

Thursday and Friday, August 13 and 14, 2009 beginning both days at noon Eastern Time, 11:00 a.m. Central, 10:00 a.m. Mountain, 9:00 a.m. Pacific, and 4:00 p.m. GMT:

OPALescence: A Free Online Conference for EveryoneHas your travel budget dried up? Still want that conference experience of fresh ideas, lively conversations, and networking with colleagues? Participate in OPALescence, a free online conference for everyone. We’re planning a series of interesting and informative presentations and discussions spread over a two-day period.

Host: TAP Information Services

This is a free conference, but please Register:tinyURL.com/N4JMV7

OPALescence 2009 Schedule [See below]

[Please Note: More Speakers and Presentations Will be Added as We Move Closer to the Conference Dates. All presentations will be held in OPAL http://www.opal-online.org. Virtual Rooms will be assigned in August. Did you hear a great presentation this year or know of a terrific speaker? We'll invite them! Do you want to speak? Develop a panel? Share names and presentation topics you would like to see as part of OPALescence 2009.]

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Noon Eastern Time, 11 Central, 10 Mountain, and 9 Pacific:

Speaker: Nate Bolt

Topic: The Future of User Experience in Libraries

Location: TBD

1 p.m. Eastern Time, noon Central, 11 Mountain, and 10 Pacific:

Speaker: Alison Miller

Topic: Librarians in Virtual Environments: From Classrooms to Communities

Location: TBD

2 p.m. Eastern Time, 1 Central, noon Mountain, and 11 Pacific:

Speaker: Brenda Hough

Topic: Tech Training

Location: TBD

3 p.m. Eastern Time, 2 Central, 1 Mountain, and noon Pacific:

Speaker: TBD

Topic: TBD

Location: TBD

4 p.m. Eastern Time, 3 Central, 2 Mountain, and 1 Pacific:

Speaker: TBD

Topic: TBD

Location: TBD

Friday, August 14, 2009

Noon Eastern Time, 11 Central, 10 Mountain, and 9 Pacific:

Speaker: Kaite Stover

Topic: TBD

Location: TBD

1 p.m. Eastern Time, noon Central, 11 Mountain, and 10 Pacific:

Speaker: Curtis Rogers

Topic: How American libraries are using Web 2.0 tools for marketing

Location: TBD

2 p.m. Eastern Time, 1 Central, noon Mountain and 11 Pacific:

Speaker: Robin Hastings

Topic: Collaboration 2.0

Location: TBD

3 p.m. Eastern Time, 2 Central, 1 Mountain, and noon Pacific:

Speaker: TBD

Topic: TBD

Location: TBD

Library Marketing and Advocacy- “Promote the Nexus”…07.21.09

Thanks to OPL Plus (not just for OPLs Anymore) for the post “Promote the Nexus” post today which brings to the forefront the following marketing take-away from the recent ALA 2009 conference:

“Peter Persic, Public Relations and Marketing Director, Los Angeles (California) Public Library, presented this marketing/advocacy idea at the annual conference of the American Library Association.

Libraries are known for Information. This need is also filled by Google.
Libraries are known for Reading. This need is also filled by Barnes & Noble.
Libraries are known as Cultural Centers. This need is also filled by museums.
Libraries are know as Community Centers. This need is also filled by Starbucks.

However, the library ‘is uniquely positioned at the nexus of all four needs.’ So he encouraged listeners to ‘promote the nexus.’…”

JISC – 2009 “Libraries of the Future”…07.20.09

Here is an important video from JISC:

Library Collective Collection…07.17.09

The above is from OCLC’s Managing the Collective Collection By Jim Michalko and Constance Malpas which is worth a read.  The article is summarized by saying, “The next major stage in library collaboration will require a changed view of print collections, one that acknowledges the primacy of on-demand access in the online environment and the need to mobilize physical inventory more effectively across a much wider audience of users…In the long term, this may entail a large scale redistribution of library resources, with a small number of repositories serving as hubs in a distributed delivery network. As before, this next phase in the evolution of resource sharing will rely on a common framework of shared policies, operational procedures and infrastructure.”

Online Conference for ALL Librarians – OPALescence…07.15.09

OPAL (Online Programming for All Libraries)

OPALescence 2009

A Free Online Library Conference for Everyone

Thursday Aug. 13^th and Friday Aug. 14th

Registration is free, easy, and online: tinyurl.com/N4JMV7

Conference Wiki: http://opalescence.wetpaint.com/

Hosted by OPAL:  Online Programs for All   (http://www.opal-online.org)

(Psst:  Sponsorships are available for as little as $250)

Contact Tom Peters for more info:    tpeters@tapinformation.com or  816.616.6746

“Opalescence:  The state or quality of being luminous, iridescent, and lustrous … like an opal”

ALA 2009 Conference Opinion…07.14.09

An open letter to ALA about the 2009 annual conference from the Library WebHead:

“Dear ALA,

I know that you’re decent folks and have a great social conscience. That’s wonderful. But – unless it relates to things like library’s budgets being cut, better marketing & spokespeople to help libraries publicize their value so they DON’T get cut, pushing for less restrictive copyright legislation, getting database and other vendors to make their licensing more standardized and their systems less proprietary & expensive, opposing the censorship of books/information resources, (library-specific concerns… and there are plenty of them out there) – I don’t want to hear about it at your annual conference.

If members want to be involved in getting troops out of Afghanistan or Iraq or whatever, they can feel free to do so. There’s an array of organizations designed to deal with those issues (have you heard of Moveon.org?).

For as long as ALA distracts itself with geopolitical concerns that are not related specifically to the library profession, it’s taking its eye off the ball. Since there are still such huge concerns out there to contend with as the role of libraries in the future (and even whether or not there is one, let alone what it will look like), I think ALA can’t afford to spend its time on these matters.”

I tend to agree…also what’s up with Christy Hefner as the opening speaker? As ABC news’ John Stossel says, “Give me a break!!”

2009 ALA Conference Begins…07.09.09

ALA Annual Conference was reported today in the Chicago Tribune:

“Thousands of librarians are expected to gather in Chicago starting this week for the American Library Association’s annual conference. 

ALA officials say the conference comes at a time when library use nationwide has soared. But that jump in usage also comes as many public libraries face budget cuts. 

Data compiled by the association show 41 percent of U.S. states reported declining state funding for public libraries in the 2009 fiscal year.

Other issues to be discussed at the conference include technology, literacy and issues school libraries face.

The conference starts Thursday and ends next week.”

*********************************************************************

A great opportunity has arisen.

Perhaps there has never been so much positive publicity in America about libraries and librarians — ironically at a time when libraries and librarians face their biggest challenges from within and without the profession.

Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero – “seize the day and place no trust in tomorrow“! This cannot be just a cliché, an eloquent quote from a bygone era, or an intellectual assent.

Now is the time to exhort our professional colleagues to daily excellence, continual development, proactive planning, and unified advocacy.

Our success or failure will not be determined by new programs or plans, more, bigger or better conferences, education reform , fiscal bailouts or the latest technology.

Success is dependent upon inclusion, relationship and commitment.

10 Tips to Manage Your Social Media…07.08.09

Here is an excerpt from Part 1 of a helpful MakeUseOf.com‘s post 20 Tips to Manage Your Online Social Life — Part 1:

“…1. Visualize Your Social Map

Use pen and paper or mind mapping services like MindMeister to draw your social network or social map…

2. Define Your Target Audience

For each network where you share data, define your target audience…

3. Use a Password Manager

When we sign up with a lot of different web services, we are tempted to use the same password across several websites. The problem with using different passwords was remembering all of them…

4. Separate Private & Public Photo-Sharing

Use two or more photo-sharing sites for different types of photos…

5. Use One Social Bookmarking Site

Social bookmarking helps keep all your bookmarks together, easily search and tag them, and share them with your friends. Do not spread your bookmarks across different sites. Choose Digg, Delicious, Redditt, or any other service you fancy and stick to it…

6. Use a Gravatar

Use an avatar that looks good in both 64×64 and 128×128 sizes and save them for reference. Using a gravatar helps you get a consistent avatar across multiple sites…

7. Use Social Surfing

Do you browse a lot of websites, open separate tabs to social sites, and copy-paste to share interesting stuff with your friends? Or keep several tabs open to check updates in Twitter,Facebook, and Friendfeed? If you’re using IE or Firefox, get the Yoono plugin to make life easier. Yoono also supports popular IM networks. Or if you’re a power social user, try using the Flock browser…

8. Integrate IM, Email, and Social Networking

If you use a browser that doesn’t yet support plugins or are a heavy user of IM, check out the latest version of Digsby or Trillian…

9. Use a Consistent Username

For people to easily recognize you, use a common username across all sites…

10. Track Your Comments

Ever leave a comment on some blog or site and never visit it again? You may be disgruntling those who respond to your comment with a question. Get control of your comments across blogs, sites, and social networks, with comment tracking systems like BackType…”

“Knowledge Should be Given Away to the World as a Public Good”…07.08.09

The following video discussion of Google’s book scan project on LISNews and notes that ”…James J. Duderstadt [President Emeritus, University of Michigan]…argues that academics are starting to realize that knowledge ‘should be given away to the world as a public good’…”

ALA membership down? Can it be just the economy?…07.08.09

Why can’t non-members attend the ALA 2009 Virtual Conference FREE?

(Maybe the ALA leadership, “movers and shakers”, etc. haven’t read or agree with “The Radical Price” reality of “Free” as Chris Anderson’s new book explains).

Why is ALA still so exclusive in the age of “FREE”?

Mmmmmmmmmmm…

Tradition? Nepotism? Hubris? Ignorance?

“…Those not attending Conference in-person can register for the Virtual Conference online through the ALA Web site. The cost is $215 for ALA members, $210 for division members, $120 for student members, $145 for retired members, $298 for non-members and $215 for institutional members.

Libraries or schools can also receive the following special group rates: $300 for one to three employees; $500 for four to nine employees; and $1000 for 10-plus employees.“

I wonder how much extra it would actually cost ALA to provide it FREE?

Surely, not much.

Librarians and Libraries Must “Strike While the Iron’s Hot”…07.07.09

First Lone Wolf Rant:

Are we up to the task at this pivotal time?

A great opportunity has arisen of which we have all seen. Perhaps there has never been so much positive publicity in America about libraries and librarians — ironically at a time when libraries and librarians face their biggest challenges from within and without the profession.

Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero – “seize the day and place no trust in tomorrow“! This cannot be just a cliché, an eloquent quote from a bygone era, or an intellectual assent.

Now is the time to exhort our professional colleagues to daily excellence, continual development, proactive planning, and unified advocacy. Our success or failure will not be determined by new programs, plans, conferences, education or technology.

Success is dependent upon inclusion, relationship and commitment.

Jounalist Seeks Librarian Input – “Should a Library Be a Place?”…07.02.09

Tim Steury from Washington State Magazine has started writing an article “about the changing role of the library…Without even interviewing a librarian yet” and seeks input.

This is a great opportunity for professionals to help him answer his question “Should a Library Be a Place?” Tim admits, “…these days, about the only reason I go to the actual library, which is a three-minute walk up the hill from my office, is to check out books…”

Send comments to Tim’s blog

MyInfoQuest – Collaborative Text Reference Service…07.02.09

Welcome to My Info Quest!

Here IamLibrarian blogs about the new “Infoquest collaborative text messaging project which will kickoff on July 20, 2009“:

“The time is approaching…MyInfoquest will launch on July 20th.  We currently have 36 libraries participating in this collaborative text reference service.  The advisory committee and subcommittees have been meeting regularly and working hard.

This project is a pilot project slated to run through December, 2009.  We are working on securing funding to continue the service.  One of the ways that we are doing this is through an upcoming conference “The Handheld Librarian.”  This is a one-day, virtual conference offering presentations on a wide variety of topics…”

This is from MyInfoquest page:

On the go and need an answer? Text your question to an InfoQuest librarian and have the answer delivered to your phone in any zone with My InfoQuest: txt 4 answers!

• Call 309-222-7740 and enter your library’s code – after July 20, 2009
• Txt your question
• A librarian will text an expert answer within 10 minutes during the hours of service
• It’s easy and accurate!

InfoQuest is brought to you by your library!

Visit here for a list of participating libraries.

New LexisNexis Report on U.S. Government Library Best Practices…07.01.09

Library Boy reports today:

“LexisNexis has published a report on Best Practices for Government Libraries – 2009.

It gathers together contributions from dozens of librarians in U.S. government agencies, courts, and the military, as well as from professional library association leaders…”