Online Academic Library Services For Online Users

Online Library Services for Online Users Sarah Houghton-Jan Digital Futures Manager, San Jose Public Library Author of LibrarianInBlack.net

Ahh, the good old days

Your Library probably used to have money for:

- going to conferences

- databases & eBooks

- extra staff

- software and hardware

- web technologies

You probably also used to have time for:

- work off of the service desks

- going to conferences

- writing articles and presentations

- your own projects

- engaging in academic discussions

Those days are gone. Sorry. Now you know how public libraries have felt for the last century.

brick and mortar library users digital library users POWER USERS Library Users Today

brick and mortar library users digital library users POWER USERS Library Users Tomorrow Angry Robot courtesy of www.bohdate.com/angryrobot

Digital Library Activity (annual per capita stats)‏ Library 1 (150,000)‏ Library 2 (350,000)‏ Website visits 5.6 6.3 Database usage 0.7 0.4 eBooks usage 0.2 0.3 Virtual Reference usage 0.01 0.01

Necessary Library Services (& how we do this online)‏

1) Book & Media Collections

2) Periodicals

3) Reference and Research Help

4) Information Literacy

5) Special Events

6) Marketing all of the above

1) Book & Media Collections

eBooks

eMusic, eMovies, eGaming

digital special collections

Concerns: DRM, formats, platforms, devices, ADA compliance

Book & Media Collections

eBooks – free eBook sites

eMusic, eMovies, eGaming – free music & video sites

digital special collections – scanner + WordPress = special collection

Free eBooks

Project Gutenberg

AudioBooksForFree

Escholarship

Google Books

ManyBooks

Memoware

Online Books Page

Oxford Text Archive

& many more!

2) Periodicals

databases

eJournals

Concerns: DRM, formats, open access, costs, sustainability of the subscription model

Periodicals

databases – free article sites & other resources

eJournals – open access (!)‏

Free Databases

ArticlesBase.com

FindArticles.com

+ free language learning sites

+ free practice test sites

+ free sites in all disciplines

Why not add this stuff to your website, or even your catalog?

3) Reference & Research Help

IM

web-chat & widgets

VOIP & video

Twitter

text messaging

Concerns: staffing models, co-ops

Reference & Research Help

IM – AIM, Yahoo, MSN, GoogleTalk

web-chat & widgets – Meebo, Plugoo

VOIP & video – Skype, AOL & other video chats

Twitter – FREE

text messaging – hacks (be careful)‏

4) Information Literacy

screencasts

podcasts

video class recordings

class websites

live office hours

Concerns: use, learning models

Information Literacy

screencasts – Wink, CamStudio

podcasts – Audacity, OurMedia

video class recordings – Avidemux, YouTube or Blip.tv

class websites – WordPress, Blogger

live office hours – FreeConferenceCall

free & low-cost hardware on Free After Rebate

5) Special Events

podcasts

vidcasts

live webcasts

event websites for comments & questions before & after

Concerns: use, access

Special Events

podcasts – Audacity, OurMedia

vidcasts – Avidemux, YouTube or Blip.tv

live webcasts – UStream.tv

event websites for comments & questions before & after – Wordpress, Blogger, Google Sites

Audio/Video Tips

Everyzing ($)

Audio & Video to Text

TextAloud ($)

Text to Audio

6) Marketing Services

Social networks

Microblogs

Events sites

Concerns: going where your users go, where to distribute staff time

Marketing Services

Social networks – Facebook (+ page apps, search apps, & ads), Ning, etc.

Microblogs – Twitter

Events sites – Eventful, Upcoming.org, Craigslist, Going.com

Be Social

Be present where your users are

Be real

Be reliable and continuously new

$10 = 5000 Facebook Flyers to targeted audiences Facebook Flyer image by Steve Lawson: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tuttlibrary/1546577200 CHEAP ADVERTISING!!!

8 More Tips!

1) Interacting

Welcome comments on everything

Respond quickly

Respond like a human being

Tools: Google Groups, Google Wave, WordPress, PB Works

2) Use Cheap Services

3) Use Free Services

Free web hosting, statistics, and web gadgets‏

4) Use LibraryThing

5) Project Planning

6) Getting Staff Buy-In Let staff know about the project early. Ask staff for their input and use it. Keep everyone informed at all stages. Managers must consistently support the new project or service.

7) Project Evaluation Survey users & staff 6 months after launch - Would you recommend this service to a friend? Why or why not? Evaluate statistics - How much staff time is being used? - How much is the service being accessed? Evaluate the library's follow-through - Has adequate marketing & training been done?

Evaluation Results Continue service Discontinue service Extend pilot Change aspects of the service Do more promotion or training Discontinuing a service is not failing. Persisting in a failed effort is failing.

8) Push for Change