Imaginary Dream Library- A Strategic Plan

After reading a rather disappointing “Strategic Plan” for a library I will not mention here, I decided to create my own “Strategic Plan” for an Imaginary Dream library. So here goes:

 Mission

The library’s staff will provide patrons the resources they need to transform their lives for the better.

Vision

The library’s staff will be recognized as a benefit to the community.

Goals

1. Cultivate Community Connections

Go out into your community, don’t wait for them to come to you! Connect with local organizations, non-profits, businesses, schools, etc.

2. Engage new patrons and strengthen relationships with current patrons

Engage new patrons with dynamic programming and by being the ultimate resource center for them. Strengthen relationships with current patrons by asking them what they want to see in programming, services and what they want to create at the library, what tools do they need to do this?

3. Improve our visibility in the community

Promote librarians ability to aid patrons and organizations. Use any medium possible.

4. Create an inspiring work environment for staff

Don’t forget about your staff! If your staff is happy, your patrons will be happy with the interactions they have in or out of the library.

Please tell me what your goals would be for your Dream Library!

Read this book! “Bite-Sized Marketing: realistic solutions for the overworked librarian”

If you’ve ever had to promote anything, you know how hard it can be to get people’s attention and get them to take action. This book shows you how to successfully engage your patrons, the press, and corporate sponsors. The book starts out by talking about WOMM or Word of Mouth Marketing, the idea that the best kind of marketing is spread person to person and that 10% of the population in your community influences the other 90%. People identify with an organization if they can connect to their personal values. That’s where Storytelling comes in. Don’t promote your library with facts and statistics alone, use authentic stories about how a patron’s life was positively impacted by the library. Create and maintain a Story Bank.

The book encourages engagement with your community. Start with a small group, a whiteboard, and some markers. The next challenge: tackling the press. The authors lay out exactly how to build a relationship with the press, how to write and send a press release, and create PSAs for local radio stations. The authors suggest that “any news that includes accomplishments of individual staff members should be sent to their hometown newspapers as well as their college alumni newsletters.”

The book also details how to maintain an online presence especially in the social media sphere. Libraries are now utilizing not only websites and blogs but Flickr, Youtube, Twitter and Podcasts. The book also includes sections on how to work with a designer and how to create a cohesive brand for your library. This is a must read for any library enthusiast. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

One of the authors, Nancy Dowd, is also the author of two blogs: The M Word and The Best of Library Videos.

Kansas Library Association Conference 2012

Glasses. Check. Cardigan. Check. Name tag. Check. I was ready for the Kansas Library Association (KLA) Conference. The Conference took place at the Hyatt Hotel in Wichita, Kansas from Wednesday, April 11th to Friday, April 13th. The Conference takes place annually and is a nexus of knowledge sharing, and idea brainstorming.

Thursday

My first day of the Conference, I was able to view Emporia State University library students projects. I also attended my first session titled “Bartending at the Circ Desk”. The session was lead by Lee Dobratz, director of the Council Grove Library and former Bartender. What I learned: Greet your patrons within 30 seconds of their arrival (obviously more applicable to smaller libraries). Talk up your specials- i.e. your displays, new books, new services. Offer to give new patrons a tour of your “menu”-i.e. your stacks and services. Show off what you know, suggest books, promote book clubs and give “insider” information such as new books in. Check back with patrons. Read people, look for eye contact, if they don’t meet your eyes maybe you’re not giving off an air of approach-ability. When dealing with angry patrons revert to your policies, rules, and supervisors. Say “I’m sorry, let’s investigate.” Drop your voice and use your “Mom” voice to sooth them. The biggest thing I took away from the session was “Never say No”. If you can’t help a patron, refer them to somebody who can or say “no” in a different way like “I’m sorry I’m not able to help you today.”  Also, personal relationships are big. Introduce your customers to your colleagues. She ended the session by reminding us all “Where would we be without our patrons?”

FridayFriday the session I attended was “DIY PR: Ten Easy ways to Promote and Market Your Library” lead by Susan Brown, Marketing Director at Lawrence Public Library. The knowledge I gained from this session was INVALUABLE. So, I’ll just jump straight into the 10 tips she gave.#10 Write a Good Press Release

One Page. 3 Paragraphs. Include your logo. Write it as a story printable as is. Include a quote. Send it in the email and attached to the email as a Word and PDF file.#9 Make Friends with the MediaSusan started her job as marketing director by offering to buy coffee for all the media people she would need to intereact with, she could then glean from them how they like to receive their information. She learned from them also, to only send that well-written press release to the one person who wants it, not to the entire newsroom. She gave them all her cell phone number too.#8 Leverage Free Resources

Use online community calendars, put your art events in the Art Center calender, put your buisness/job related events in the Chamber of Commerce Calender.

USE YOUR EMAIL SIG FILE. This idea was totally new to me (I don’t even have a signature on my emails). She recommended putting upcoming events at the library in your sig file or what your currently reading.Update patrons through a e-newletter and send personal emails to art center staff say for an art event.#7 Tell a Great StoryDon’t get hooked on your stats. Talk about your people.

#6 Collect Great Stories

Collect patron stories anyway you can and use Snapshot Day to it’s full potential. Snapshot Day is an annual event where librarians collect stats and photos and stories from their patrons.
#5 Repurpose Content

Use those collected photos and stories over and over again in different ways when promoting your library.

#4 Be Social (with Social Media)

Don’t just blast event updates, engage people in conversations. Read the book “Trust Agents”, the author says to promote someone else on social media 10 times for every time you promote yourself.

#3 Get out of the Library

Get a table at festivals, host programs outside the library. Create a Pop-Up Library at community events.

#2 Promote within First

Tell your staff, trustees or foundation members what’s going on at the library.

#1 Build Relationships

Susan Brown’s blog is http://658point8.com/ and her twitter is 658point8

Final Takeaways

The Conference really reaffirmed to me that I want to be a librarian. I love working at the circulation desk and would love to do marketing for a library in the future. The sessions I attended will help me be better at my job and perhaps reach new goals. I also met two great people, Lee Dobratz and Susan Brown, who may provide *crosses fingers* interviews for this blog. I would love to go visit their libraries an shadow them for a day, too.

Blogiversary!

This blog is now one month old! Thank you for reading and subscribing. Here is a peek at what’s to come; a new logo for the blog coming at the end of the April, more interviews, notes from the Kansas Library Association Conference and more. What would YOU like to see in future posts?

From Jessica Diamond's Flickr under Creative Commons

A Note about Tech Programming

Many Public Libraries already offer excellent technology-related programming. I wonder though, in a world with unlimited resources for public libraries, could they offer even more tech programming that is tailored to fit the needs of each and every age group? Could they offer programming that would engage kids, teens, 25-45 year olds, Baby Boomers and seniors?

Kids- These classes could be even more beneficial if a parent, grandparent, or guardian were able to come. Classes could include “Components of a Computer”, “What is the Internet?” and “Educational Online Tools for Kids”.

Teens/Young Adults- Classes like “Starting a Blog” and Workshops on “New Games and Gaming Devices”. Hosting LAN Parties, which some public libraries already do.

25-45 year olds- Engage this generation with classes like “Creating your own Website” and “Building an App”. Don’t forget many of these 25-45 year olds will be parents and they could participate in children’s tech programming with their kids or learn a new skill while their kids are learning new skills in a another room of the library.

Baby Boomers- Classes that teach Social Media skills

Seniors- Basic Computer Skills, such as working with email, Microsoft Office Programs, and also Social Media Basics.

A final note about Computer Security- I think there should be classes or workshops for every age group on how to be safe and protect your privacy on the Internet.

DVD Review

This review is of a PBS Special called “The Story of Number One” with Terry Jones. Again, it was something I had laying around the house and I decided to re-watch it with the hopes it might help with the math portion of the GRE.

The DVD was entertaining. The reenactments of various periods of history were just as well done as the cartoon visuals. The DVD spanned the ages, from cave men counting scratches on bone to the development of binary and it’s use in the digital world. Terry jones was an excellent choice for host and provided much needed humor in a DVD about math!

Thing 6

Thing Six focuses on online networks.

“Why network online?

1. Becoming better known, and more visible in your fields of interest and expertise, by joining in with conversations and sharing information.
2. Becoming better connected, with people whom you might otherwise never actually get to meet.
3. Becoming better equipped, gaining knowledge and information from others, and staying up to date with the trends and ideas in your profession.”

1. LinkedIn

I am on the fence about getting a LinkedIn account, it seems like a network for grown ups, with real jobs. I might consider joining before I apply for grad school just to have one and to join the LinkedIn library-related groups, we’ll see.

2. Facebook

“Pages (all of which can be viewed, with or without Facebook membership) that you might be interested in are:

• ALA
• CILIP
• Voices for the Library
• Orkney Library & Archives
• The British Library”

With Facebook, I’ve “been there done that” but I will check out the recommended pages.

3. LISNPN

I think I’ll wait a bit to join this network, I definitely think it will be useful for getting answers to LIS questions.

4. Librarians as Teachers network

This network is not really useful to me as I don’t plan on being a teaching librarian at a school. However, you never know, and it’s good to be aware of all the networks that are out there.

5. CILIP communities

This is a UK based library association so not really applicable to me, though I’m sure there is useful advice available for non-members.

Quoted passages are from the CPD23 course information. Please go check out these communities! There may be a network not useful to me that is very useful to you. Thanks for reading!

Thing 5 (Part 2) Mindfulness

TEDxBlue talk on rewiring the brain for “oneness” and the effects of reflective practice.

There is a method of Reflective Practice mentioned in the CPD23 course called DO. REVIEW. PLAN. So, I’ll get right to it.

DO: I have been working as a Student Assistant at an Academic Library since this summer, I just started working in Circulation in January.

REVIEW: I think I’ve found my fit with working in Circulation, I like the interaction with patrons and co-workers. The drawback is I can’t do very much as a Student Assistant, I can’t even process fines!

PLAN: I would love to continue to work at the library until I graduate. I would love to learn all there is to know about working in an academic library, and if that means switching to a new department (I’ve already worked in Stacks and Processing) I’m up for it. I’d like to learn more about inter-library loan (ILL) but I enjoy working at circulation, so if I stay where I’m at I’m happy with that too.

Also, a tool that has been helping me stay mindful lately, OmmWriter. It’s a great tool for creating a calm environment to write in. Really, go check it out!

Thing 5 (Part 1) Monkey Mind

Thing 5 is supposed to be about Reflective Practice.  I’ll get to doing more of that in Part 2. For now, I would like to take some time to talk about the benefits of meditation. The above YouTube video explains some of these benefits. I, myself, am a beginner to meditation. I attended my first meditation class last Sunday. I have meditated on my own, but never in a group. It was a great experience just to relax my mind with others. A foundation of meditative practice is focusing our “monkey minds”, our restless, racing thoughts.  So for the time being, I’ll keep meditating in attempt to keep my focus  on whatever I’m doing in the moment. A skill useful, I would think, to a librarian who often has to do several things at once.

Interview with Lesley Looper

What made you decide to take the plunge and apply for library school?

I’d been talking about library school for a long time, over a decade. Why now? Several realizations and some great encouragement fell into place at the same time!

1) I’m in my late 40s, not getting any younger, but I still have quite a few working years (maybe 20!) left, so I decided that I’d still get plenty of value from the degree. I decided this was a great dream to start working on before my 50th birthday.

2) I feel like I’m as high as I can go in the academic library field (a unit supervisor) without an MLS.

3) I really started noticing that some colleagues were getting committee appointments, projects, and assignments that really interested me. Happy for them, and professionally curious, I started asking questions about how things were going with those special projects/assignments, and realized they did have the additional knowledge and work experience that having the MLS provided the foundation for.

4) One of my co-workers in another department started applying to library school a few months before me, and I really enjoyed hearing about her progress! She’s about my age, and also busy with family and things outside of work (like me), so she inspired and encouraged me so that we could do it together! Also, I found out that my freshman year roommate from undergrad is going to library school part-time too! We thought it would be fun to be back in school together again.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of being a part-time student?

I enjoy being able to go part-time since I work full-time. The evening and Saturday class schedule works out well. And because I work in a library already, I’ve been able to learn additional skills on-the-job. I’ve been a little bolder about asking for cross-training since I started library school, and now people know I’m really interested, so it’s working out well. The biggest drawback is that it’ll take me longer to finish my coursework.

What’s your biggest study tip or tool?

Number 1 is to get into a study group, even for one test or class. It’s been a great way to study and get to know a few of my classmates better!

A close second would be to sign up for at least one cloud-based storage system. I love Dropbox for storing papers, syllabi and other class materials, as well as other files like study guides I create for exams. Dropbox has also been great for sharing folders of documents with work colleagues and classmates alike. (Google Docs is also a really nice tool, but mine was getting out of control, with personal, school, AND work docs.) I’ve also become a big fan of Evernote for note-taking. I usually take class notes on Evernote, and it’s been very handy!

I’ve downloaded Dropbox and Evernote (both free for basic storage) on my home/school laptop, my work computer, AND my iPad, and it’s a great way to have access to and be able to sync important files for school (plus work and personal documents too), wherever I am. You can also sign into your Dropbox and Evernote accounts online and have full access to your documents, so if your computer crashes, you can always log on via another computer and retrieve documents.

There are many other online backup systems, so find one that works for you!

Who is your mentor or librarian hero?

I have two right now, and a third on the way! My current mentor is my department head, Ros. She has a great management style, and has a solid handle on the “big picture.” Another mentor is the supervising librarian of my first FT library job as a paraprofessional. I enjoyed working for and with her, partly because of her sense of humor! She was a great example of a great sense of humor in the workplace. She’s retired now, but we keep in touch, and I’m glad for that.

I recently signed up for the Cataloging Mentoring Program with the Cataloging and Metadata Management Section of the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services, a division of ALA. This is a program available for library students with an interest in cataloging. Since I’m already a copy cataloger (with lots to learn!) and a member of ALCTS and ALA, in addition to being a library student, I’m excited about being a mentee! I learned the name of my mentor just a couple of days ago, but since I haven’t heard from her yet, I’ll save that for a future blog post.

What is one of your aspirations to be reached after library school? To train for another marathon.

Many thanks to Lesley for answering my questions so comprehensively, there’s a bunch of good ideas I’m going to steal from her! You can follow Lesley on Twitter   @lllooper. Her website is lesleylooper.com, and her library blog is Lesley’s Journey through Grad School.