Action Research Proposal

Generational Marketing: Exploring the use of web 2.0 tools in marketing to patrons at the Ladera Ranch Library

Research Proposal

Abstract

Web 2.0 technologies such as social networking sites, blogs, RSS feeds, and the like have revolutionized how the public communicates with other people, businesses, and even their government. As a result, it is proposed that they have also changed how patrons interact with or would like to interact with their libraries. It is also proposed that patrons desire more online services from their libraries that also utilize novel Internet technologies. This paper examines the community and environment of the Ladera Ranch Public Library, which is one of affluent young families. Given the specific community conditions at the Ladera Ranch Public Library, it is theorized that our patrons are among those who desire more online services and would be reached through an online marketing campaign. It is proposed that an action research project consisting of surveys, focus groups, and questionnaires be implemented in order to discover exactly what our community wants and how they would like to communicate with their public library.

Introduction

Background

The Ladera Ranch Library is a public library and is part of the Orange County Public Library system. OCPL consists of 33 branches throughout the county of Orange, each with their own collections, services, programs, and specialties. Currently, OCPL has primarily undertaken a system-wide marketing plan; that is to say, current marketing strategies publicize the OCPL system and system-wide initiatives, with little mention of specific programs at specific branches. Since the county is so large and the library system so spread out, it is apparent that each library should undertake marketing strategies that are specific to their own branch and pertain to their own particular services and community.

The Ladera Ranch community consists of approximately 22,000 people, which is mostly made up of young families. The community is close-knit and upper-middle class. Our patrons at the Ladera Ranch Public Library also mostly consist of young families and a few elderly patrons. However, many members of the community do not see the library as an institution that serves their needs or has anything to offer them. Also, many members of the community are unaware of the services offered by the library or even where the library is located in this small community.

The Ladera Ranch Library shares the building it is located in with the offices of the schools it is surrounded by. The public library is located on the same property as the local elementary school, middle school, and school offices. Additionally, it shares indoor library space and part of its collection with the schools as well. Our downstairs library functions as the school library during school hours, then it is opened to the public after school is out for the day. While it is confusing and inconvenient for our patrons who are not students at the schools, this also means that our library has a large collection of books for elementary and middle school-age patrons.

We also have many programs geared towards children of younger ages as well. During the school year, we offer infant and toddler storytimes on a weekly basis. These programs are very popular; however, because of our limited space during school hours, we must impose strict limits on the number of participants. There is a standing wait list for those unable to secure a spot in these programs.

Additionally, we have programs scheduled throughout the year for school-age children, such as contests and puppet storytimes. These are among the services least used by the community, including resources available for adults such as databases, ebooks, and account management services available online. Many patrons are not aware of the online services we provide, or do not know how to use these services. A more effective and targeted marketing program would indeed help to spread the word about these services. Specifically, a web-based marketing plan would be effective since it is web-based services we are marketing, and also since our patrons are of the primary demographic that uses the internet to search, to conduct day-to-day business, and to socialize with peers.

Literature Review

While the usage of online tools to market libraries is relatively new and has only been studied for approximately ten years, there is still quality data and research available on the subject of marketing library services to a population that is largely active online. Roy tells us, “public library marketing [...] involves planning, measurement and evaluation, budgeting, and fundraising/development” (2002, p. 216). These steps ensure that the library’s marketing plan will have maximum success that can be quantified and shared with key stakeholders. We see this illustrated in the Gail Borden Public Library’s summer reading program: “Be a hero- Read” (Brautigan 2011). Their usage of Roy’s steps and also an integration of web 2.0 tools such as YouTube and blog marketing lead to an extremely prosperous summer reading program that successfully employed web 2.0 technologies to market to young children and their families. This program also used partnerships in the community to organizations such as the Boys and Girls club to reach out to community members who had not previously used the public library (p. 50).

Since this proposal’s focus is young families, it is important to consider the impact of web 2.0 tools on parents in addition to children. Mi & Nesta investigate the impacts of the Internet on library usage in the “Net Generation,” which they define to include people born as early as the late 1970’s (2006, p. 45). However, they also advise, “that some of the characteristics of this generation may go beyond the generational gap and apply to their parents as well” (p. 45). In 2011, both demographics are possible parents in the community of Ladera Ranch, especially when you take into consideration that those impacted by or participating in the activities of web 2.0 include people who use Facebook, turn to Google instead of the their library, and read their daily news online instead of in print format. Especially telling is the statistic that the largest demographic of users of social networking sites are those ages 35-44, who make up 25% of all users (Pingdom, 2010).

Thus, we should focus on what specific tools would be useful in library marketing. Cole, Graves, and Cipkowski advise, “Twitter allows the library to get involved in the [...] community, and provides another way of communicating with library users” (2010, p. 184). They continue to discuss the success of other online initiatives, including e-newsletters, RSS feeds, and a Facebook page. Xia discusses the successes and failures of various library initiatives on Facebook, and concludes that Facebook group pages are successful if it remains active, moderated by an involved and interested librarian, and constantly updates its followers as to the status of the library (2009, p. 47). While others, such as Secker (2008), contend that Facebook groups are not effective and do not encourage users to return to the site after initial contact, Xia responds that an active moderator who posts regularly about things important to their users would encourage more participation among Facebook users (p. 471).

Purpose and Rationale of the Study

It is the author’s hypothesis that better marketing efforts are needed to make the community more aware of the library, its location, and its services; additionally, it is hypothesized that because the community is young, upper-class, and tech-savy, using web 2.0 tools would be a successful and frugal method of marketing. The objective of this investigation is to make the community more aware of the services and programs available through their local public library. Additionally, using these tools would help us to better serve our community and discover what it is they want from their library. The question this research endeavor will investigate is: What kind of marketing would be most effective in this community? Would using web 2.0 tools be an effective marketing strategy? What can web 2.0 tools help us to discover about our community, and how can we use those tools to fulfill their needs?

Method

Participants

Participants of this study will be those who hold a substantial interest or stake in the outcome of the research. McNiff and Whitehead advise that researchers treat participants as “co-researchers, not subjects” that are being studied (2010, p. 77). This will lead to a greater flow of information between all groups, which will lead to better data and a more accurate research project. McNiff and Whitehead further advise that a small group of people should be selected as research participants as opposed to larger groups in order to keep the main focus of the research on the researcher since, “the focus of your work is you” (p. 101). For this reason, there are only three groups of participants for this study: researchers, library staff, and library patrons.

Researchers. The researchers will be the author and especially interested co-workers, especially those who are primarily responsible for the services the library provides to the community and the promotion of those services. This will include the Ladera Ranch library branch manager, the Ladera Ranch library adult services librarian, and the Ladera Ranch library children’s services librarian. The branch manager is intimately invested in the services and marketing strategies used by the library and is among those who seek to improve the library’s service through self-study. Both the adult and children’s librarians will participate as researchers since it is both adult and children services and marketing we are exploring. Additionally, since it is their departments that will be studied, they are equally interested parties that will be involved in self-study, which is the central purpose of action research (McNiff and Whitehead, 2010).

Library Staff. Other library staff will additionally be involved in this study because of their integral association with the organization that is undergoing the study. They will be assisting with the data collection for this research; specifically, they will help in promoting research initiatives such as surveys and questionnaires to the patrons in the library via word of mouth. In addition, they will be asked their opinion of the research, the effects on the services, and the changes they suggest should be instituted as a result of the findings. As McNiff and Whitehead advise, it is important to invite the feedback of research participants (2010, p. 61).

Library Patrons. This will be the biggest group of participants. The library will work with patrons of all ages and explore the ways they use the library and the ways they hope to use the library. Ideally, they would consist of people from all demographics the library serves, such as parents, children, single adults, and the elderly. Working with a diverse group and eliciting their opinions through focus groups, surveys, and questionnaires, these participants will give us the most valuable feedback on the effectiveness of our efforts.

Data Collection

The researchers will employ at least three methods of data collection in order to achieve “triangulation,” as is recommended by Ferrance (2000, p. 11). The previously mentioned methods of surveys, focus groups, and questionnaires will achieve a triangulated pool of data regarding patron perceptions and thoughts on the library and its services. These surveys and questionnaires will additionally be available online. This will serve two purposes: online availability will allow patrons to complete the surveys and questionnaires at their leisure in their own home at whatever time is convenient to them. This will give us the opportunity to gather more data than with paper materials alone. We will additionally be able to compare usage statistics of paper materials versus online materials. From this data, we will be able to extrapolate if in-library resources are more or less convenient to our patrons than online resources. Additionally, we may be able to reach a larger group of people through the use of online data collection, which may lead us to discover groups of people the library could serve more, such as the disabled or homebound.

In addition to these quantitative data collection methods, we will also use qualitative data to supplement these findings. Circulation and door counts are objective measures that can be used in conjunction with website page views to explore the differences and similarities in how the library’s physical and virtual services are used by our patrons.

Data Analysis

Analysis of the data collected will be performed simultaneously; that is to say, the quantitative data will be analyzed in conjunction with the qualitative data so that the findings from one set may the used to inform the findings from another set. Statistics alone cannot fully inform and investigation of this caliber, especially since it cannot properly represent the thoughts and opinions of our patrons. Conversely, direct patron communication through questionnaires, surveys, and focus groups are not appropriately interpreted without the hard facts of qualitative data showing actual patron activity. It is only when we analyze data together that we get a full, accurate picture of our patrons, their activity, and their opinions on library services. In order to understand how to properly serve our community and whether or not virtual services are important to them, we must first discover “who [our] audience is and what they want,” as Draper and Turnage recommend to those looking into web 2.0 services at their library (2008, p. 18).

New location!

Hello all my blog followers (who are mostly my classmates from LIBR246!)

I've decided to continue my blog covering different topics in libraries and my library studies at wordpress. Please come on over and check it out! The new address is www.toverduin.wordpress.com
Leave a comment, let me know what you think!
Thanks!

Group Project- Screencast and Videoblogging proposal for Wilton Public and Gregg Free Library

Presentation completed by Elizabeth Stucki, Siobhan Devore, Jennifer Wood, and Terezita Overduin

Proposal

In this age of technology, libraries are constantly struggling to remain viable to their users. In an effort to meet this challenge, more and more libraries have begun using videos and screencasting as a way of providing support to their patrons. Screencasts are a video screen capture that can be used as a tutorial for performing online tasks. Through videos, libraries embrace the digital age by creating their own videos and sharing them through websites that broadcast them to people all over the world. The Wilton Public and Gregg Free Library (http://wiltonlibrarynh.org/) is a library that could benefit from such a service. A video tour of the facility would help make potential new users feel welcome. It would also introduce them to the services available at this particular library. The library could also benefit from adding two screencasts to their website via YouTube. The first screencast would be an introduction to the library website and the second screencast would be a tutorial on how to use the online database Ebsco. Through videoblogging, Wilton Public and Gregg Free Library would be able to provide a unique service that will encourage patrons to rely on the library for their information needs.

Technology

In order to make this service a reality, the library will rely on free online tools to create and broadcast their video and screencasts. Screencasts are recordings of computer screens that can be used to instruct patrons on how different computer and web services work. There are many free tools that can record high quality screencasts, but the one used for this service will be Screenr (www.screenr.com). Screenr is a free web-based screen recorder that does not require an installation or download of the product. Once the screencasts and video tour are made, the library will need a tool that will broadcast them on the internet. For this part of the service the library will use YouTube (www.youtube.com). YouTube will make the videos available to visitors of the library website as well as people browsing the YouTube site. YouTube is the preferred tool for this service because it is the world’s largest video-sharing community and through it users can upload, view, rate and comment on videos for free.

Service

The goal of this service is to introduce users to the library facility, website and one of its online databases. It will consist of two screencasts and a video tour of the library. All of these videos will be readily accessible through the library website.
The first feature of the service will be a video tour of the library. The tour will show the collection, various parts of the library, such as the computer stations and the quiet study area, as well as the array of services available to patrons (i.e. self-checkout, access to the reference desk, copiers and printers, etc.).

The next part of the service involves the two screencasts. The first screencast will instruct users on how to navigate their way through the library website. Some of the tasks performed on the tutorial will include logging into a patron account, searching the OPAC and requesting materials.

The second screencast will teach the user how to search the online database Ebsco. This can be used as an aid while the patron is using Ebsco in the library, or it can offer visual step-by-step instruction for users at home. The tutorial will include how to log in from outside the library and how to obtain optimal results by using certain search features.

Benefits of Service

Users of the library will experience many advantages as a result of adding this service to the library website. First, for new library uses, it acts as an introduction and acquaints them with the physical and virtual aspects of the library. Also, some patrons may not be experienced users of the internet, which can deter them from visiting the library website. Or, they may not understand the purpose of the library having its own website. As a result, they will miss out on important updates and the opportunity to search the collection and databases from anywhere outside of the library. The screencasts are ways for these users to sit back and learn how the library website can help them. They can pause and repeat sections whenever needed and they can revisit the tutorials as often as they like. For some users, asking the library staff for help with the same task over and over again may be embarrassing. With screencast tutorials, this is not an issue.
Secondly, a patron may be interested in checking out the branch before their visit. In this case, the video tour can give them a clear picture of the size of the library. It can also show them the amenities and condition of the facility. Furthermore, by experiencing a video tour, the user may feel more comfortable coming to that library because they know what to expect.
A third benefit of this service is that it can encourage more patrons to use the website. For example, a patron might have visited the website just to check the library’s hours. Then, they stumble across the screencast tour of the website and learn that it has a lot of other helpful features they can use.
The Ebsco screencast will benefit patrons that are not familiar with using online databases. It will provide them with basic online search skills that will enable them to use other online databases as well. This screencast could also encourage users that may not have otherwise thought to use Ebsco for their research. After viewing the screencast they might realize it would help them find the right information.
These screencasts are helpful to both the patrons and library staff because they give patrons tools that they can access independently of the library. If they are having trouble searching Ebsco or do not know how to login to a patron account, they can depend on the screencasts for guidance instead of inquiring for help at the front desk. This gives staff additional time to focus on other tasks. It also helps staff because they are now equipped with tools that they can refer patrons to when they have questions or concerns. Brochures with links to the website’s screencasts and video could be available at the circulation desk. If a user is apprehensive about using the library website or Ebsco, the staff could recommend the brochure to the patron.

Evidence of Success

Online instruction of how to search a database can be quite difficult. Without the ability to look over a user’s shoulder and guide them in the right direction, it can be a challenge to teach the correct way to perform a search. Reading step-by-step instructions can become confusing when the search requires navigating through multiple pages within the database. Library users depend on their librarians for assistance and using screencasts can offer a solution to this dilemma. The Wilton Public and Gregg Free Library’s use of the screencast on Ebsco allows librarians to instruct users in a way that demonstrates each step visually and auditorily, rather than relying on written words only. The article, “More Than Words: screencasting as a reference tool”, by Carr & Ly (2009) explores how libraries can support students by using images and videos of search strategies. Based on chat transcripts and anecdotal evidence in their study, Carr & Ly (2009) determined that students found libraries’ use of screencasting helpful in illustrating complex search strategies.
Another piece of evidence that supports the use of screencasts by libraries is the collection of tutorials offered by the Orange County Library System of Orlando, Florida (http://www.ocls.info/programs/computerclasses/tutorials.asp). Some examples of tasks covered in the tutorials in their collection are finding music within a specific genre, creating a preferred search, subscribing to an RSS feed, reserving a meeting room in the library and connecting to the library’s wireless network. By viewing the videos created by the Orange County Library System, one can witness the creative ways a library can use videos and screencasts to assist their patrons.
A third example of evidence supporting this service can be found in the blogpost, “More Things a Library Can Do with Blogposts” by David Lee King (http://www.davidleeking.com/2006/07/19/more-things-libraries-can-do-with-videoblogs/). King (2009) takes a list of videoblog genres from Wikipedia and adds creative ways they can be applied to libraries. For example, the genre of Personal videoblogs can be a book talk by a local author. Or the News genre could involve interviewing local patrons on their opinions about recent news events. Also, a library could make a videoblog from the Third Party Collections genre by having book trailers on new books in their collection. These are just a few examples of how libraries can implement videoblogs into their services.
Lastly, Harper Collins Library demonstrates how a video tour of their facility can be informative and fun to watch (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHljR4LymOA). This video uses humor and the personalities of the library staff to show viewers what their library has to offer. The video describes such services as reserving group study rooms, checking out books and receiving help with research from the reference desk.

Roadblocks and How to Overcome Them

There are some obstacles that could prevent the successful implementation of these screencasts in the library. The first concern is lack of employee training on the new software. If employees are not familiar or comfortable with the software used to create the screencasts, new or updated screencasts will not be made and thus, the proposed introduction of this software will soon be forgotten. In order for screencasts to become a regular part of our service to patrons, it is imperative that staff members are properly trained and become comfortable with the software used. In order to overcome this roadblock, we must assure that employees are properly trained by providing tutorials and reinforcing learning at staff meetings. Especially helpful would be screencasts about screencasts, which employees can watch over and over at their own pace of learning. Lastly, a great way to make this training stick is to have staff members make screencasts on their own after watching tutorials and present them at staff meetings. These practice screencasts would be on whatever the staff member feels most comfortable with, such as how to check your email or make a Word document.

A second concern is lack of patron use of the screencasts after they are created and posted to the library’s website. It is obvious that the program would also be rendered useless if the people the screencasts are made for don’t use them. However, simply promoting the screencasts by the library’s usual means of communication would solve this. This would mean promoting the screencasts by distributing brochures with appropriate links, announcing the screencasts on other library social media like Facebook and Twitter, and telling patrons in person at the reference desk. This would work especially well since patrons who need help with using the library usually ask the reference librarians. Another useful strategy is to place the brochures near the library’s computers so that the patrons may view the screencasts before they forget about them.

Lastly, it is important that there be a clear division of responsibility for this program. If the staff are not aware of who is responsible for creating the screencasts, who is responsible for uploading them, or who is responsible for making general decisions about what screencasts to create, then nothing will be done at all. It should be the responsibility of the technical librarian to oversee the creation, uploading, and general maintenance of the website and the screencasts. However, the involvement of other staff members is important in creating a responsive and engaged work environment that is receptive to these types of social media initiatives. It is also important that the librarians who promote and explain these screencasts are involved in their creation so that they are better able to help patrons understand them. Therefore, it should be the technical librarian that decides if a screencast should be made, a librarian who creates the screencast, and the technical librarian who uploads the video. Of course, librarians can suggest screencasts be made if there are changes or if the screencasts become outdated.

Software Suggestions

The software we suggest to implement this program is Screenr and YouTube. The Screenr software can be found at http://www.screenr.com/ and is usable on any computer platform. Also, because this tool does not require any downloading of software, it can be used at any computer at any time. While this software only allows five minutes of recording at a time, longer screencasts can be posted in two parts. Additionally, this tool allows for direct, one-click loading onto YouTube immediately after the recording of the screencast.

We recommend YouTube to host the screencasts since it is a widely used video site that is already familiar to our patrons. YouTube also facilitates easy sharing of your videos by providing embed links and easy sharing to sites like Facebook.

Maintenance

The screencasts should always be kept up-to-date and accessible on the library’s website. Screencasts should be updated as changes occur to Ebsco or to the library’s layout. For example, when changes to Ebsco’s interface or user commands take place, it should be reflected in the library’s screencasts. Also, as the library adds other databases to their collection, screencasts for their use should be created. Renovations or additions to the physical library should additionally be showed on the library’s screencasts. Since the entire staff are participants in the screencasting program, any staff member can suggest changes to the screencasts, and these changes will be made after the technical librarian approves it.

Assessment

YouTube’s format includes comment and rating features, which are very useful in assessing how useful patrons think the videos are. Page views are also counted on the site, which allows staff to instantly see how many times the video has been viewed. The ability to rate the screencast, comment on the screencast, and ascertain how many people have viewed the screencast will give staff a very good idea of how much the patrons are using the screencasts and if they find them useful. Also, in order to encourage more feedback, the screencasts themselves can ask the viewer to comment on the YouTube page at the end of the screencast. This feedback can then be used to make positive changes in the service.


Full Videos of the Prototypes

Video Tour of the Building

Screencast on how to login to your account

Screencast on how to use EBSCO

Exercise 6

Online Communities: websites with users

This week's section on online communities put the spotlight on what seemed to be websites run by communities instead of one webmaster. Websites are published by a person or corporation and are viewed by its users. Blogs are written by one or many and commented on by one or many. Social network pages are created entirely by the community with little dependence on a central moderator (in most instances). Online communities seems to be a hybrid between these options, with a webmaster who is more of a community leader than dictator; he moderates and suggests rather than deciding and publishing. However, online communities also seem to be scattered along the spectrum instead of generally collected in the middle between the extremes. In fact, some online communities look a lot more like standard websites than thriving communities. Others look almost meaningless to outsiders who are not members of the community and don't know what's going on. Web Junction, for example, looks very much like a neat, professional site that offers many resources for the common visitor and clearly shows what the site is about and who it is for. However, it is apparent that there is a vibrant community under the polished exterior; there are login opportunities on almost every page, and many resources such as discussion boards and groups within the site that are only accessible by members. SkokieNet, on the other hand, is not very self-explanatory and a little disorienting to outsiders just discovering this site. Perhaps it's just that it is not immediately apparent that this is a city community site, or what the role of the links and the public library in this site is.
All in all, though, online communities seem to be a good way to run a site centered around a community that is anxious to get involved and contribute to the communal knowledge and resources.

Del.icio.us- Exercise 5

Social bookmarking seems like it should be a great way to browse the web. The web is exactly that- an untamed and confusing mass of tangled information that is all but impossible to navigate. Collaborative bookmarking allows for users- people just like me- to add helpful descriptors to websites and allows those sites that are most tagged with a certain word to rise to the top and become findable. This tool is useful for everyday users or institutions or libraries (as we have seen).
However, the reality is that searching the web using del.icio.us is not better than searching on engines like Google. The lack of helpful or reliable descriptions makes searching on del.icio.us reliant only on page titles and tags. Additionally, searching for multi-word ideas yields almost no relevant results. For example, searching "weddings" in either Google or del.icio.us will bring up some good sites for those wanting information on weddings. However, searching "cheap weddings" on del.icio.us yields some results about weddings and some results that are cheap, such as cheap airfare. A search on del.icio.us often brings up results without the search words as tags or in the web page title. This seems to be a problem more with the search interface or algorithm, but the results are the same. Del.icio.us is not a place to search the web. For users who are just browsing, it may be useful, but not much more useful than old-fashioned web surfing.

Cultivating creativity and collaboration

Organizational culture is one of the most important factors in employee productivity, creativity, and happiness. Dan Pink makes a great argument for this in his book Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. Pink says that employee motivation and creativity is spurred by the amount of freedom workers are awarded. If employees feel as if they can work on their own schedules in their own spaces on their own projects, then they are more motivated to get projects done with greater efficiency and efficacy. In this kind of environment, where employees feel that they can work when they want and where they want, social media technology facilitating internal collaboration will be widely used since it coincides with the culture of freedom to work whenever, wherever.
This is seen in the similarity of points made in Pink's book and in Kelly's post saying that proper management attitudes, freedom to come and go from the office, and freedom to work nontraditional hours facilitate employee collaboration, both online and offline. Mackie's support of telecommuting also supports Pink's ideas that employee freedoms and willingness to collaborate are connected. Clearly, organizational culture dictates whether collaboration will help or hinder an employee's success in the company. The implementation of social media/collaboration tools will only be successful if the culture supports it.

Wiki software in libraries

Wikis are a tricky subject for me. Libraries are striving to keep up their reputation as places of authoritative information, and I don't think that adding a service the likes of Wikipedia would do anything to improve that reputation. We need to make sure that all the information associated with or coming from the library is accurate and verified. A reputation for reliable information is one of the only things the library has over all the other information providers today. While we have seen some good examples of very successful wikis, I believe that the library needs to have control over what information it recommends to its trusting patrons. Thus, I don't think that an informational wiki sponsored by the library and edited by the public has a place in libraries.

However, wikis are a great tool when the editing is limited to a specific group of people. It allows anyone to edit the web pages without any coding knowledge. This capability is especially useful if the wiki is used to create the library's website; librarians no longer need to wait for a technician to update the site because they can do it themselves. Wikis seem to be successfully used for subject guides, personal projects, and employee intranets. Of especial use is the discussion feature of wikis, which allow patrons to suggest additions to the page that librarians can then evaluate and add if appropriate. This is an ideal way to incorporate the interactive and collaborative information aspects of a wiki while allowing librarians to vet the information before recommending it.

As for Wikipedia and the library's place in this environment, I think that the University of Washington Libraries Digital Initiative has found the best way to integrate library services in community information. I found their project to insert links to valuable library sources in pertinent Wikipedia articles a wonderful and innovative way to bring library services to the public without purporting the information on the article as accurate or library-supported.

Marketing Critique: Yorba Linda Public Library

Yorba Linda Public Library is a city library in Southern California serving a population of approximately 71,000 city residents. This city has a very high median household income, which implies an Internet-savvy population with frequent access to new technologies. Thus, YLPL is in a great place to implement and explore the opportunities made available by social media.

Yorba Linda’s social media presence is a bit mild, but appropriate to its audience and community. Yorba Linda is only a city library with no additional branches, so I believe that its social media endeavors, while smaller and less flashy than other library system’s, is very specific to its audience and is able to speak to patrons that exist not only online, but also in the physical space of the library. For example, YLPL has a YouTube account that is infrequently updated and has only 17 subscribers and 2 friends. However, the library’s teen advisory board, a group of real teenagers who are active at the library, created all the video uploads. While this page is not a wildly popular Internet sensation, it is entirely owned by the teen patrons who subscribe to it. The most recent video is titled “Mock Battle of the Books” and is described as “a practice session for Yorba Linda Public Library’s 2011 Battle of the Books.” This video, created by teens for teens, not only increases participation among those who are in the video, but also gets teens who are not in the video excited about the upcoming program. This is what all of the library’s marketing endeavors are designed to do.

Yorba Linda Public Library also has a Facebook “local business” page where they post messages about upcoming events, announcements, and book recommendations. The posts are frequent, relevant, and written in an appropriate tone. Messages invite patrons to events, make reader’s advisory suggestions, and notify the public to library closures. YLPL’s usage of Facebook applications and abilities is also quite commendable. While some features are semi-neglected, it is encouraging to see that the library is willing to try many applications and run with those that work. For example, there is a “discussions” feature on the Facebook page where the library began a “discussion” inviting Facebook users to suggest improvements to the teen programs. While this makes it obvious that the Facebook initiative is primarily targeted towards teens, it also makes it obvious that the library wants to make its Facebook page just as interactive and teen-owned as its YouTube page is. Even though YLPL will have to eventually adjust their target audience as they recognize that more users are older than teens, this application demonstrates their online flexibility. Their Facebook page additionally uses the photo and calendar application, keeping it updated and reflective of what’s happening in the library. All information on the page supports the library’s events and keeps the public well informed about all activities at the library. Perhaps indicative that the library is aware of having a wider audience than the teen population, adult events are also marketed on their Facebook page.

Yet, I would say that YLPL’s twitter feed is the social media tool most used to target the adult population. YLPL’s tweets often cover adult events in addition to teen and children events. Additionally, tweets are often links to pertinent news stories about the library or subjects the library is discussing, such as news about casting for the new Hunger Games movie. Books such as The Help are promoted, and new additions are shared. While I assumed that a twitter feed could substitute for the status updates on Facebook, YLPL is using both for different purposes and capitalizing on the pros and cons of each tool. The statuses on Facebook have a different tone and are able to add more content and personality to posts. This is effective when marketing to teens, their primary demographic on Facebook. The twitter posts are shorter, more informative, and more to the point, which busy adults will appreciate. The only downfall I see with YLPL’s use of Twitter is the frequency and repetition of posts; events are promoted repeatedly and several posts are made in a day. However, not being a seasoned Twitter user myself, I am unsure of what the social norms are for this tool, and if users are used to multiple tweets from the library in a day.

Adding to its social media repertoire, YLPL also has a Flickr account with photos of the library’s events, library cards, and “field trips” where they post photos of other local libraries. This helps to create interest in libraries all over the region, which is a great cooperative promotion for YLPL to take on. While there is not much activity on the Flickr stream, the photos are interesting and act as good promotions of events. However, I do believe that this tool can be marketed to a much greater effect. While the “info” part of their Facebook profile mentions their Flickr account, there are no other mentions of it on their website or Twitter account. Their website at the very least should be a place where patrons can learn about all of the library’s online activity and have the opportunity to participate in what could be a more thriving virtual environment.

Lastly, there is one thing that I find incredibly strange after researching Yorba Linda Public Library’s online endeavors. In looking over YLPL’s YouTube page, I noticed a spam comment and wished to notify them about this comment and that it should be removed. Fearing that a simple comment of my own would go unnoticed, I searched for alternate methods of notifying the library. Searching the website for contact information, I could only find the library’s phone number and address; as far as I can tell, they do not have an email address! How strange that a library would incorporate such new social media tools into their services and lack such an essential means of online communication! If I had to pick one thing that Yorba Linda Public Library could improve about their services, it would be to add a means of direct online communication such as email. Even an IM or chat service would suffice if an YLPL librarian were on the other end.

In conclusion, Yorba Linda Public Library is a great example of how a small city library can use social media tools to great effect. All patrons can benefit from their online services, which present a strong and consistent branding of the library. While the library can vastly improve their services with the addition of email contact information or updating and promoting their Flickr and YouTube accounts more effectively, this library has begun its social media endeavors appropriately and with great value.

And the most effective facebook page is......

After reviewing the Facebook pages in this week's lesson, I believe the most effective page is that of Hennepin County Library. While the pages of Wellesley College Library and UNC Davis Library were both extremely valuable and shared good information, it seems that a public library strives to serve a much wider demographic and is more susceptible to the pitfalls of Facebook, such as negative commenters or spammers. Wellesley College's page is well-maintained and utilizes many of Facebook's features, such as photos, notes, and an additional page linking to their "AskUs!" service. However, there are not many comments on their wall, and their level of interaction is not as high as in other pages.
UNC Davis Library, on the other hand, does have many people commenting on their wall, and they are very proactive in responding to those comments. In addition to announcements about library events or promotions, there are also notifications about specific things happening in the library, such as warnings about leaving personal information in the library or patrons asking for snack machines. While I think that this aspect of their page gives an interesting look at the details of the library and its patron dynamics, it also makes their page a little more cluttered than that of Wellesley College. Also, UNC does not utilize as many features as Wellesly College.
We were also directed to look at Harvard Law School Library and Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County; however, their links did not work properly, and I was left to search for them, returning the ubiquitously useless community pages that Micheal Fienen tells us about.
Hennepin County Library does a great job with its Facebook page, and is my personal favorite because I work in a public library and know the unique challenges that come with dealing with the public. In fact, the comments on their page seem strangely positive... hmmm...
In any case, there are IM services, catalog searching services, and twitter account links all incorporated into this page, which makes it a sort of one-stop-shop for the library, which is what their Facebook page should ideally be.

Before I go, I'd like to include a brief comment/question to see what my fellow classmates think: Why is MySpace so awful?? Their pages are cluttered, clunky, spamy, and just plain filled with junk. Why bury pieces of valuable information on such a horrible interface when something like Facebook exists?

Twitter- maybe not yet...

Twitter seems like a really cool tool that is useful for many things. Obviously, libraries can make short announcements about what's happening in the library and what sorts of new material are available. Twitter can also help libraries create an online community as kelly dallen and "Twittering Libraries" points out. However, I think that this community only goes so far before it gets a little too invasive for today's users. Twitter's usefullness peaks at announcements and tweeting reference questions and their answers. Stepping beyond this involves following others' personal tweets and responding to them, as is recommended by Kelly Dallen. While, yes, it would get libraries and patrons actively involved with each other and allow the library to fulfill information needs in an entirely new and convenient way, it seems more than a little "big-brother-ish" to me. I know that if I personally tweeted about being at my local library or even asking a question about the library, and then have my tweet answered by the library, I would be slightly put-off, and perhaps change my plans about going there. Often, people who go to the library a lot are not seeking much social interaction, and this kind of interaction by the library with personal tweets may put off others as well. In addition, while twitter is very popular, it is not widely used enough to merit massive library incorporation. However, having a web presence is of paramount importance, and the internet is used by just about everyone; thus, a web site would fulfill the need to announce library events without having to establish a twitter account.

Sorry, twitter! Maybe personal information will be ubiquitous enough in the next generation to dispel any creepy feelings from having your library reply to your tweets.

Popularity of LibGuides

LibGuides seem to be pretty much whatever a library wants it to be; and because of this, it has become extremely popular. Traditionally, it seems as if LibGuides are guides for patrons to a library's resources for researchers. Besides Depauw University Libraries and Cornell LibGuides, San Jose State's own King Library LibGuides are a good example of the "traditional" guide to helpful databases and search interfaces. However, there are also many examples of LibGuides as the actual website of your library, such as Scotsdale CC Libraries. Karolinska Institutet's LibGuide is another interesting example of a kind of hybrid guide. Their guide, while providing resources of a research nature, also provides basic library information such as library news and contact information. LibGuides seem to also be able to act as a library portal of sorts; a patron can customize the webpage to display only the information they want it to, like on the PennPortal.
In short, LibGuides seem to be an easy way to disseminate information in multiple formats, giving perhaps more freedom and choice than a traditional website.
On a side note, I think that last week's link is even more pertinent this week; while LibGuides by SpringShare is fun and "easy", it also costs more money that it seems it should, especially if someone can create the same thing using free software (Wordpress).

Exercise 2: Blog examination

Review of popular library blogs:
In the Library with a Lead Pipe incorporates an intriguing blog personality, multiple bloggers, and well-researched posts. While the posts are on topics that are interesting and pertinent, the can be very lengthy. However, the twice-monthly frequency may justify the post length. The Distant Librarian includes some book reviews along with good technological posts. The posts are short, and it is nice to have the perspective of a Canadian librarian. Librarian by Day points readers to pertinent news stories and online tools to help libraries step into the new technological age. David Lee King's blog seems more focused on technology as it applies to all businesses, only focusing on libraries at times. However, the posts are short, informative, and always applicable to libraries even if not mentioned explicitly. The Librarian's Commute is my personal favorite of these five blogs; it's small and feels homey. The blog gives insight into (what feels like) life as a librarian in a small library, and I enjoy the feeling of being in the blogger's shoes.

The types of blog posts I find most interesting are those that provide links to other things related to the topic and are not too long. I've found that a lot of posts on In the Library with a Lead Pipe, while interesting and well-written, are just too long to hold my attention for too long. Being new to the life of an avid blog reader, I still don't want to spend too much of my life staring at a screen and not contributing anything to my life or my community. In terms of overall blog characteristics, I prefer blogs that have a sleek, uncluttered look while still providing me with useful "about" and other permanent links. A blog with a theme can be fun, too, like the Librarian in Black.

I chose Tame the Web, librarian.net, and the Librarian in Black as my three extra blogs. I have a great interest in library blogs with a technological bend and those that spark my curiosity:
-Tame the Web posts about "libraries, technology, and people." Micheal Stephens blogs about different technologies and their application to libraries and news pertaining to that subject. The posts are short, and many are posts of videos or re-posts of articles or news. However, I do think that the blog suffers a bit from a lack of personality or the essential "storytelling" aspect of blogging. Also, the look of the blog can be a little cluttered.
-librarian.net posts helpful and interesting links for librarians. While there is no specific focus (other than libraries), the posts are short, informative, and do not require the level of attention and knowledge that Tame the Web does. The interface is simple and easily navigated.
-The Librarian in Black has an interesting theme and a personality that distinguishes it from other blogs. There is good information about the effects of technology on libraries without assuming a high level of technological knowledge from the reader. While the posts are infrequent, they are short, informative, and creative.

I believe that a successful library blog incorporates both personality and valuable information and links. There should be a good balance between long and short posts, technological and fun posts, and professional and personal posts. Successful blogs make the reader feel informed and personally involved in the librarian community without being overwhelmed by too many posts or too long posts.

Starting a library blog

I have big ideas for my library- and it all starts with a blog.

Blogs are easy to use, easy to create, and (conceivably) easy to maintain. It seems like the perfect starter media for a small library looking to get into the web 2.0 movement. My library is in a small, close-knit community and located in the top floor of the administration building for the community's elementary and middle school. Talk about an opportunity to becoming integral to the community! Presently, my library's main web site is the system-wide website where patrons can manage their account, etc. But there is very little information about my library specifically. The friends of the library have a site, but the information focuses on their organization, not the library. I believe a blog is a great way to get my library on board and take advantage of the opportunities afforded us. However, we must first:

-Understand the time commitment involved and the high amount of posting we must do in order to maintain public interest in the blog (Sarah Glass Meyer)
-Create a goal and intended audience for the blog
-Discuss posting schedules and division of labor; Who will be responsible for the blog? Who will make the decisions about the blog? Who is the main "blogger"?
-Keep the faith; we may not have any readers for a while, but we must continue to blog!
-Interact with our commenters and always respond to our patrons
-Incorporate aspects of storytelling to make the blog more readable

However, one thing I am unsure of is whether we should spend time thinking and planning our blog or just dive in. Problogger's tips seem a little wishy-washy on this.

I am very eager to begin this social media experiment in my library... now all I have to do is convince the manager!

Exercise 1: Tom's of Maine and their use of social media

Tom's of Maine is a company that makes "natural" toothpaste, deodorant, mouthwash, and soap with no artificial colors, flavors, or fragrances; and no animal ingredients or animal testing. They have a "goodness philosophy" that entails policies that give back to communities and promote more natural living, such as:
-sharing all ingredients and their sources
-maximizing recyclable and recycled content of their products
-striving for sustainability
-devoting 5% of employee time to volunteering and 10% of company profits to "human and environmental goodness"

I became interested in Tom's of Maine due to a now infamous commercial that they aired during the Summer last year. The long form of the commercial included a line spoken by the narrator that claimed the company "may not always have made the best decisions," but was still good nonetheless. Such a claim provoked numerous online queries asking "What exactly did Tom's of Maine do?" Essentially, the answer was, "They did nothing." There was no wrongdoing or social injustice- only a lack of total transparency and an overly earnest push to make the consumer believe that they are very, very good. As we learned last week, companies today cannot be semi-transparent; it's either all or nothing.

What's also a little disconcerting is the lack of response from the company. Even though they have a fairly strong internet presence (twitter, facebook, youTube, flickr, and a strong website with a blog), I was unable to find any comment from Tom's of Maine regarding this blunder. This indicates to me that Tom's needs to either commit to its social media presence with total transparency and a higher level of engagement or get out of the game all together. Many of our readings last week warned of past business blunders where a company participated in social media branding enough to have an online presence, but not enough to be in control of that presence.

However, control may not be an issue with Tom's of Maine. Tom's website almost explicitly states that they have total control over all posts on their facebook, twitter, and youTube pages in addition to their website. On their social media policy page, they seem to emphasize honesty and transparency while also stating that product reviews that do not comply with FTC requirements or reflect "typical consumer experience" will be deleted. It is extremely difficult to find even semi-negative comments on their pages, but not too hard when searching other sites using tools such as social mention, Google blog search, and tweetscan. Using these tools, it seems as if Tom's of Maine is careful to remove overly negative feedback, not respond to feedback that is vaguely negative, and respond only to overtly positive feedback. It is also common to find user blogs featuring very positive reviews of Tom's products that repeat the same phrase: "This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Toms of Maine. All opinions are 100% mine."

However, Tom's of Maine does do a good job of eliciting participation with their users through the use of various promotions and contests. There are many tweets in response to such calls; one example of this is users nominating non-profit organizations to Tom's of Maine for their consideration in where to direct their philanthropic endeavors.

Overall, Tom's of Maine social media practices are somewhat lacking. While it is encouraging to see frequent responses and conversations on their facebook and twitter pages, it is very apparent that they only respond to positive feedback and ignore any negative posts, frequently deleting them entirely. There is no response to concerns, only promotion of the company's good intentions and "good products".

White House Social Media

The Obama administration has revolutionized the way the government governs by incorporating various social media tools to gather more input from the governed.
Tongue Twister!
In all seriousness, the White House is one organization that I find inspirational in their use of social media. Obama's administration began their Internet outreach around May of 2009, incorporating tools like twitter, facebook, and youTube to inform and be informed by American citizens. Time Magazine reported on the White House's use of these tools and noted the first federal tweet, which was one that gave some helpful links on how to get more information on the Swine Flu from the CDC.
The President's recent State of the Union address especially impressed me with their use of Web 2.0 tools. Not only is there the State of the Union Website, but there are links to receive updates via email, twitter, facebook, and an iPhone app. Additionally, after the speech, youTube created a site that gathered questions from the public which the president answered on a video which, of course, was posted to youTube.
Judging from the Thompson post on Wired, this could be the beginning of not just a more accessible and responsive government, but a more transparent and responsible government. Social media representation and growing online presence has made private companies more accountable to the public and could well do the same for the Obama administration, and hopefully the entire United States Government.

Library 2.0- What it means, Why it matters, and Why it'll change libraries forever

I have always been interested in how technology and the Internet have changed the information landscape and society in general. People's information seeking behavior has changed in this "post-Google" era and we, the traditional information-providers, must change with our users.
My first semester in the SJSU SLIS program was Fall 2009. I took the foundational "Information and Society" class and found that the profession wasn't what I thought it was. Libraries, evidently, were in a sort of quiet panic about the decreased amounts of patrons, funding, and staffing as a result of a few things. The economy, of course, caused institutions to cut funding to many services, libraries not withstanding. And Google allowed people to find quick answers to simple questions that they might traditionally have asked a reference librarian. Feeling as if I just joined a profession floundering in the ocean and doomed to sink, I did my first graduate research paper on this thing called "Library 2.0." I read Chad & Miller's "Do Libraries Matter?" and wrote:

It seems at times as if libraries may either be holdovers of a bygone era or simply buildings where the poor can go to access the internet. The dominance of the internet over the library is shown as the article tells us that “the staggering success of sites such as Amazon and Google has shown that, to meet the expectations of the modern world, libraries do have to change quite dramatically” (2005, p. 5). The internet is giving users the ability to access any information at any time in any place in the world. It is also making users expect that ability in all their services. Not only do users expect to be able to access information anywhere, but Chad and Miller make the point that they also expect to be able to “use, modify, and pass on content with which they come into contact” (2005, p. 5). This is what we call Web 2.0- an internet that allows everyone to participate at whatever level they want. Thus, the collision of Web 2.0 capabilities and the library is what is now called Library 2.0

Library 2.0 is a way for libraries to focus on their patrons and serve their needs in a more interactive way. Patrons have more ways to voice their opinions and express their support for or complaints against library services. We can ask our users directly what they want. Additionally, web 2.0 technologies gives libraries more ways to satisfy user requests in a more efficient way.
I think that Blyberg sums up nicely what Library 2.0 is and why it is important- that it means a re-definition of the library's role, services, attitude, priorities, and internal organization.

Hello to my classmates in LIBR246!

Hello from sunny Southern California! I am hoping to one day become an academic librarian, but I am very interested in the ways technology has changed all information professions. Consequently, I have taken a mixture of academic-library classes and emerging-technologies classes. I loved 240 and I hope to continue to use my new coding skills in my future career. For now, I live in Southern California with my husband and our cat, and I work as a page at my local public library. I love to crochet in my spare time.

This semester I am also taking 244 and I look forward to being able to use search engines at an awe-inspiring level :) I plan to take 256 and another course (undecided!) over the summer, and after completing an internship and the portfolio in the fall, I hope to complete my degree by the end of the year! In this course, I hope to learn more about how libraries can change to adapt to this new web 2.0 world and how to apply those tools effectively in my library.