Twitter is such a short blip that at first I wondered how it could be useful to any library, much less mine. However, after looking at some and following GRPL (Grand Rapids Public Library--my daughter is currently in that community), I can see some very positive uses.

For example, a program date changes at the last minute--a twitter post could help get the word out. Or, if the library has a blog on their website, a twitter post could draw attention to any new blog postings. Or, a short tweet can be a reminder of an activity.

Or, this is the most fun--GRPL had this recent post: New blog post: Rats in the Dumpster http://www.grpl.org/blog/?p

Now of course, anyone with any sense of adventure and/or curiosity is going to look at this tweet and wonder about it. Is the library located in a rat infested area? Doesn't the dumpster get emptied frequently? Now, if either of those are the case, I probably wouldn't want to be a patron there, and if I worked there, I certainly wouldn't want to advertise the fact so that my patrons didn't want to come. So, those two possibilities couldn't be true.

So, of course, I want to learn more and I'll click on the link to their blog and get the full, true story, as well as a great photo. And I'll learn that this "incident" created some great PR even though that was not necessarily the intent.

So, can twitter help my library? Yes, but only if I use it often enough for people to be interested in what is there.

P.S. Did you check out the rat story?

OPAL and other stuff

I looked at several different archived OPAL selections and found them to be both interesting and frustrating. Each OPAL is different, not just because of content, but also because of the approach taken as well as the functionality of the technology employed. For example, the Author discussion with Debi Gliori held Nov 18, 2005, was audio only. Pictures of her work, etc. would have been very interesting but this was simply the author talking.

The Picturing America Program in Public Libraries, Nov 2008, was much more interesting because slides were included. However, the time delay between the audio and the picture was not good which made it difficult to follow at times. However, since we will have the Picturing America program at our library this summer, I found this OPAL helpful, giving me some ideas as to how I may incorporate it into our other programing.

OPAL is a format that I will try to use in the future--there is a lot of interesting stuff out there. I especially like the archival function since connecting with a specific time is not always practical, as I found with the InfoTrac Learning Lunches.

Just some comments on Skype and Online Chat. I am glad to understand how Skype works. I've heard of grandparents using Skype to stay in touch with grandchildren, especially when many miles apart. Although not necessary at this point in my life, it is worth considering in the future. Online chat makes sense to me only when phoning is not practical or a group discussion is needed. However, it is also hard to follow--did a college freshman parent thing awhile back and found it to be very confusing--too many threads of conversation. So ends Lesson 1.

Communications 2 Point O: Email/Reference

How did we survive before the days of email? I wonder how many other forms of technology will this question be asked of in the near future?

So, how do I use email? Of course, personal use with family members and friends. But at work? Well, other librarians, via direct and list servs; responses regarding on-line book and supply orders; sending news articles to the local newspaper; communicate with teachers about their class visits; some patron requests or info about previous face-to-face conversations; and solicitations from authors, jobbers, etc. So, yes, there is a lot to discard without opening, others to reply to and then delete, and more to file for later reference. All this takes time--I check it first thing and then frequently throughout the day The library uses email for genealogy requests and historical questions, ILL requests, and needed dialogue with the State Library staff. We do notify a few patrons regarding their item holds. Between staff? Occasional messages but intercom or face-to-face is generally more reliable. Has it improved productivity? Yes and no. Takes time, but saved messages can be helpful when a problem occurs with a book order, for example. Being able to track the history can be great. Web 2.0 communication tools for reference can be useful in the right context. At the college level, where the communication volume is high and students use texting and instant messaging a lot, these tools can be useful. In our small library, not so much. We do not have the personnel to be able to dedicate someone to constant online availability for the random contact. Email is great for delayed reference but phone is still the most helpful for immediate needs. I recognize that texting and IM may become more in demand in the future, but at this point? No.

Post Script

I guess I am not very good at reading. Having two different blogs on my dashboard is confusing. I originally posted this on the Lifetime Learners Blog unintentionally and then wondered why there was no new posting to What's Happening. I figured it out, copied and pasted here and deleted the original posting. In the process, I tried saving the post as a draft but then could not find the draft. Where does that go?