Joint presentation from Laura Woods (aka WoodsieGirl) and Ned Potter (aka thewikiman) about getting great library-related ideas beyond the echo-chamber of your typical readers. This is a condensed version of the presentation. Full version can be seen on Prezi: http://prezi.com/if9wccvvunup/escaping-the-echo-chamber/

1. Escaping the Echo Chamber
Laura Woods and Ned Potter
#echolib

2. What is the Echo Chamber?
…any situation in which information, ideas or beliefs
are amplified or reinforced by transmission inside an
"enclosed" space

3. How does it apply to libraries?
We exchange such great ideas about marketing
libraries, but often we only talk to each other.
We need to preach to the unconverted.
We need to reach those potential patrons and
supporters who are currently indifferent to
libraries.

4. Why does it
matter?Because funding for libraries is
being cut on both sides of the
Atlantic.
Because there are many more
channels for library scepticism
than there is for library
advocacy.

5. Because if people don’t know how we can
help them, they won’t come to use for help.
Yet if libraries were inventedtomorrow
PEOPLE WOULD FLOCK TO THEM

6. three examples of
FAILURE

7. Exhibit A: the Seth Godin
UBER ECHO DISASTER

8. The response is awesome – more than 50 library bloggers defend
the profession

9. They are eloquent, passionate, brilliantly argued
posts.

10. Exhibit B: the Newsnight
UBER EHCO DISASTER
April 2010: Libraries are the main
feature on Newsnight. Are they ‘an
ethos in search of a function?’ asks
the correspondent.
Oh dear.
Then they quote some figures….

11. It was actually 314 MILLION.

12. Twitter goes
MAD WITH FRUSTRATION
But nobody notices except other librarians.
There is no one on the Newsnight panel who can
correct the error, and although many librarians
write in afterwards, the original audience who
saw the misleading report will never know it was
statistically wrong
to the power of 1000.

13. Exhibit C: the
INFAMOUS KPMG REPORT
Libraries are back on
Newsnight again,
thanks to a KPMG
report.

14. Exhibit C: the
INFAMOUS KPMG REPORT
Libraries are back on
Newsnight again,
thanks to a KPMG
report.
It’s not referenced, as
Bethan Ruddock
pointed out on her
blog.

15. Exhibit C: the
INFAMOUS KPMG REPORT
Libraries are back on
Newsnight again,
thanks to a KPMG
report.
It’s not referenced, as
Bethan Ruddock
pointed out on her
blog.
In fact, it’s not true.

16. Exhibit C: the
INFAMOUS KPMG REPORT
Libraries are back on
Newsnight again,
thanks to a KPMG
report.
It’s not referenced, as
Bethan Ruddock
pointed out on her
blog.
In fact, it’s not true.
Guess what happenednext?

18. It all feels very familiar
People reach audiences of millions
with erroneous information about
libraries; our riposte reaches only
ourselves...

19. Now for some
good news...

20. Successful Escapes
Toby Greenwalt writes a response to Seth Godin that
isn’t on a library blog!

21. Phil Bradley goes on Radio 5 – twice! – to make the case for
information literacy
Successful Escapes

22. Lauren Smith launches local campaign to save Doncaster’s
libraries and gets coverage in the national media,
including the BBC
Successful Escapes

23. Ian Clark writes a
piece on libraries
for The Guardian’s
Comment is Free
Successful Escapes

24. Lauren Smith writes
a piece on libraries
for The Guardian’s
Comment is Free
Successful Escapes

25. Successful Escapes
Simon Barron writes
a piece on libraries
for The Guardian’s
Comment is Free

26. Pro Tip:
The Guardian loves libraries!

27. Our take-away tips...

28. Escaping the Echo Chamber
Only librarians read library journals! Write for
publications your users read
Don’t just advertise library services in the library!
Where will non-users see them?
Go to non-library conferences and events, and make
your presence known!
Speak your patrons’ language. Find out what they
value and use words that reflect this

29. Escaping the Echo Chamber
Avoid mixing our messages
Develop a team of rivals
Respond to attacks using the medium from whence
they came...

30. Escaping the Echo Chamber
Avoid mixing our messages
Develop a team of rivals
Respond to attacks using the medium from whence
they came...
Target our resources
more wisely:

31. Tap into the zeitgeist

32. And above all
We in the library profession need to
TAKE CONTROL OF THE NARRATIVE

33. Over to you…
If you have feedback, ideas, or strategies for
escaping the Echo Chamber, we’d love to hear
about them and add them to our
presentation.

34. Learn more or get in touch
Click to go to the following links:
woodsiegirl’s blog
thewikiman’s blog
@woodisegirl
@theREALwikiman
or see a more comprehensive version of this presentation
ON PREZI