Forgot to mention my favorite things I learned about (I think that was part of the assignment...)
Anyway, I really liked discovering Goodreads. That thing is awesome. The only bad thing is I'm trying to remember all these books I've read, and so far I've only got about 300 rated. I started keeping track of what I check out from the library sometime last year, and my list is up to 2000. So I definitely need to work on that.
Also, covering some of the research databases was super helpful, as well. I didn't know I could look up things like how many coffee shops are in certain zip codes. I very seldom get reference questions like that, but it's good to know that that resource is available to our patrons. I've been using some of the other databases (like the encyclopedias, journal articles, etc.) for years. I'm glad I have a better knowledge of these services that the library offers.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Last Thing
I've really enjoyed 23 Things. I had a basic knowledge about almost everything we covered (and I had a lot of knowledge about a few things) but it was nice to get a little bit more experience with some of these sites and programs.
I have heard some stodgy people grumble a bit about having to learn about these things, yet they aren't allowed to use some of them while they are working (like facebook.) Well, get over it. You need to know new things to be an effective librarian (or clerk, or whatever.) We probably wouldn't have hired you if you hated books and never read, but that doesn't mean you get to veg out at the desk with your favorite novel, either. Some people just like to complain, I guess. I can tell you that 23 Things will help all of us provide better service to our patrons in the future. Also, I have an online friend who lives in Pennsylvania and works for a library system up there. I have been telling him a bit about 23 Things and he thinks his library system could really benefit from it, as well. I will be sending along the link I found on the 23 Things homepage that details the original project.
In many cases, I do feel that 23 Things was time well spent. I like hands on, self-guided learning better than going to a training session to learn this stuff. I think that the program could have been adjusted a bit for some of our employees, though. As a clerk, I should have basic knowledge of most everything covered in 23 Things- there isn't always a reference person at the desk and I should be able to handle stuff on my own, in some cases. However, our pages have had to participate in every week's "thing" and this poses a few problems. First, finding "back time" is hard for anyone at our branch. It's especially difficult on the pages. Clerks and LAs can do a bit of this stuff up at the desk (the blogging part or perhaps browsing the research databases) but the pages don't have that privilege. Second, if a page was to attempt answering a reference question- particularly the kind encountered when we covered the library's research databases- he or she would get into trouble. I know this both from secondhand and personal experience. So maybe there should be a different set of "things" for the pages to know about. Or maybe they shouldn't count toward a branch's completion goal. I don't know. It just seemed a little unfair for them. That isn't to say that they didn't enjoy and appreciate the experience, though.
I definitely think our patrons would benefit from a similar program. I know that at our branch the number and types of computer classes we offer is a bit limited because of staffing and space. It would be great to see mini-classes offered to patrons on the subjects we covered in 23 Things. Right now we basically just do internet basics, computer basics, and Microsoft Word. Maybe we could have a traveling band of 23 Things teachers come to the branches and offer classes on subjects like social networking, research databases, and reader's advisory tools.
I have heard some stodgy people grumble a bit about having to learn about these things, yet they aren't allowed to use some of them while they are working (like facebook.) Well, get over it. You need to know new things to be an effective librarian (or clerk, or whatever.) We probably wouldn't have hired you if you hated books and never read, but that doesn't mean you get to veg out at the desk with your favorite novel, either. Some people just like to complain, I guess. I can tell you that 23 Things will help all of us provide better service to our patrons in the future. Also, I have an online friend who lives in Pennsylvania and works for a library system up there. I have been telling him a bit about 23 Things and he thinks his library system could really benefit from it, as well. I will be sending along the link I found on the 23 Things homepage that details the original project.
In many cases, I do feel that 23 Things was time well spent. I like hands on, self-guided learning better than going to a training session to learn this stuff. I think that the program could have been adjusted a bit for some of our employees, though. As a clerk, I should have basic knowledge of most everything covered in 23 Things- there isn't always a reference person at the desk and I should be able to handle stuff on my own, in some cases. However, our pages have had to participate in every week's "thing" and this poses a few problems. First, finding "back time" is hard for anyone at our branch. It's especially difficult on the pages. Clerks and LAs can do a bit of this stuff up at the desk (the blogging part or perhaps browsing the research databases) but the pages don't have that privilege. Second, if a page was to attempt answering a reference question- particularly the kind encountered when we covered the library's research databases- he or she would get into trouble. I know this both from secondhand and personal experience. So maybe there should be a different set of "things" for the pages to know about. Or maybe they shouldn't count toward a branch's completion goal. I don't know. It just seemed a little unfair for them. That isn't to say that they didn't enjoy and appreciate the experience, though.
I definitely think our patrons would benefit from a similar program. I know that at our branch the number and types of computer classes we offer is a bit limited because of staffing and space. It would be great to see mini-classes offered to patrons on the subjects we covered in 23 Things. Right now we basically just do internet basics, computer basics, and Microsoft Word. Maybe we could have a traveling band of 23 Things teachers come to the branches and offer classes on subjects like social networking, research databases, and reader's advisory tools.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Novelist Thing
I have used Novelist before and usually find it pretty useful. There have been very few circumstances where I haven't found what I was looking for using that tool.
I searched for teen historical fiction set in the 20th century. I need to print some of this stuff to update our teen reader's advisory binder I created two or three years ago. It would be so much more helpful than just googling stuff and stealing (or borrowing!) from other libraries' websites.
I have recommended Novelist to patrons in the past, but I think I'm going to use it more now. I honestly don't read much fiction (I check a lot of it out, but lose interest or get disappointed and never finish the book) and one question I get asked a lot is "do you have any books that are like [insert author here]?" Since I don't read any of that stuff, I usually say "no" and send them to one of our clerks or LAs who do read fiction.
Another tool I like to use for book recommendations is Amazon (or other booksellers' websites). I can type in a title or subject term and see similar titles, plus the titles that customers purchase along with those books. For example, recently I read Lisa Gardner's Live to Tell, which is about some crimes that take place involving a children's psychiatric ward. I finished the book because I had never read about children with severe mental health issues (usually the kid has cancer or some other physical ailment) and it was very interesting. I wanted to learn more. I searched several terms in the library catalog, and came up with nothing interesting. I tried Novelist, with the same results (I just kept getting books written in Lisa Gardner's style). I finally tried Amazon and found one or two that turned out to be ok. I guess the main problem in this scenario was that there are very few books written about this subject, fiction or non-fiction. Nevertheless, Amazon can sometimes be helpful in these situations.
I searched for teen historical fiction set in the 20th century. I need to print some of this stuff to update our teen reader's advisory binder I created two or three years ago. It would be so much more helpful than just googling stuff and stealing (or borrowing!) from other libraries' websites.
I have recommended Novelist to patrons in the past, but I think I'm going to use it more now. I honestly don't read much fiction (I check a lot of it out, but lose interest or get disappointed and never finish the book) and one question I get asked a lot is "do you have any books that are like [insert author here]?" Since I don't read any of that stuff, I usually say "no" and send them to one of our clerks or LAs who do read fiction.
Another tool I like to use for book recommendations is Amazon (or other booksellers' websites). I can type in a title or subject term and see similar titles, plus the titles that customers purchase along with those books. For example, recently I read Lisa Gardner's Live to Tell, which is about some crimes that take place involving a children's psychiatric ward. I finished the book because I had never read about children with severe mental health issues (usually the kid has cancer or some other physical ailment) and it was very interesting. I wanted to learn more. I searched several terms in the library catalog, and came up with nothing interesting. I tried Novelist, with the same results (I just kept getting books written in Lisa Gardner's style). I finally tried Amazon and found one or two that turned out to be ok. I guess the main problem in this scenario was that there are very few books written about this subject, fiction or non-fiction. Nevertheless, Amazon can sometimes be helpful in these situations.
Bookletters Thing
I subscribed to "Past and Present" and the Teen bookletter thing.
This would be a good tool for our internet-savvy patrons who want to know about new books. A long time ago, when our branch was a little slower and we had some free time, one of our clerks used to type up lists of new and upcoming books that would be on our Bestseller's shelf. We have patrons who still expect us to do that kind of thing. Those who are not afraid of email could sign up for these bookletters and maybe not be so grumpy with us for not writing up the list for them. ^_^
Bookletters is also the place to go for patrons who want to sign up for the Library newsletter.
This would be a good tool for our internet-savvy patrons who want to know about new books. A long time ago, when our branch was a little slower and we had some free time, one of our clerks used to type up lists of new and upcoming books that would be on our Bestseller's shelf. We have patrons who still expect us to do that kind of thing. Those who are not afraid of email could sign up for these bookletters and maybe not be so grumpy with us for not writing up the list for them. ^_^
Bookletters is also the place to go for patrons who want to sign up for the Library newsletter.
Recommendation Thing
Maybe it's just me, but it took a little bit for me to find the place to recommend the book on GoodReads. I found the profile, and wandered around a bit. I ended up clicking "more" and finding it there.
I recommended Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, because it's awesome. Duh.
I recommended Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, because it's awesome. Duh.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Wiki Thing, again
I went to a small high school whose biggest weakness was preparing students for college-level paper writing. I frequently used Wikipedia for information, and then didn't cite it so the teacher couldn't give me a heads up that Wikipedia was totally unreliable. When I started college in 2006, I used Wikipedia for my first essay in a political science course. I'd talked to my professor about my lack of preparation for these types of things so he let me rewrite the paper after gently telling me that Wikipedia was basically full of crap.
That being said, I don't see how I could ever recommend Wikis as a source of academic information. However, if a patron was looking for a bit of trivia, these types of sites would be good for reference. I was watching a rerun of The Cosby Show a few weeks ago where Cliff has a dream involving Muppets. I'm a big fan of Jim Henson and was familiar with all the characters except one- an insanely creepy scientist-guy that really weirded me out. I needed to know his name and why on earth he had been created. I turned to Muppet Wiki for the answer. He was a character on a short lived Henson show that apparently wasn't very good, was on when I was an infant, and never made it to video or DVD. Hopefully I will never run into him again.
Because there are so many possibilities for the spread of misinformation, I don't think that wikis would be very valuable to "advancing the library's mission." Feel free to correct me on this, though.
That being said, I don't see how I could ever recommend Wikis as a source of academic information. However, if a patron was looking for a bit of trivia, these types of sites would be good for reference. I was watching a rerun of The Cosby Show a few weeks ago where Cliff has a dream involving Muppets. I'm a big fan of Jim Henson and was familiar with all the characters except one- an insanely creepy scientist-guy that really weirded me out. I needed to know his name and why on earth he had been created. I turned to Muppet Wiki for the answer. He was a character on a short lived Henson show that apparently wasn't very good, was on when I was an infant, and never made it to video or DVD. Hopefully I will never run into him again.
Because there are so many possibilities for the spread of misinformation, I don't think that wikis would be very valuable to "advancing the library's mission." Feel free to correct me on this, though.
This guy will destroy your soul.
Wiki thing
For this exercise I updated the Favorite Movies page and the Favorite restaurants page. I found this exercise to be super easy. Of course, I had the instructions right there, I didn't need to cite my work, etc. I think that editing on a big site like Wikipedia might be a little more complicated, but hopefully not any more difficult.
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