Special Libraries and
2.0:
Making It Work
Madeline Kriescher
Acting Circuit Librarian
U.S. Courts Library, 10th Circuit, Denver
CoASL Spring Workshop
3 April 2009

The Place

Traditional v. Virtual Service
• Is the reference desk obsolete? NO!
• E-mail is “old school” but it’s the preferred
method of virtual reference service for the court.
• Slowly introducing other forms of virtual
reference service.
– Text a librarian
– Teaching opportunities
– Chat

Options
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Ning
• Email
• Electronic newsletters
• Flickr
• Interactive research guides
• Screencasts
• Blogs

Creating Tutorials in Flickr
• Convert PowerPoint slides to .jpg files
• Upload slides individually in reverse order
into Flickr
• Enter metadata for each slide, or batch
edit if possible
• Save slides as labeled sets
• Create a collection to house the sets

Viewing & Using Tutorials
My personal Flickr page:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pandora12/
 Tutorials are viewable as individual slides in my
photostream
 Tutorials are kept as labeled sets within a larger
collection called “Legal Research Tutorials”
 See the tutorial as a slideshow by clicking the
icon

Library Facebook Page
• Events
• Pictures
• Tutorials
• Pathfinders
• Class information
• Continuing Legal Education
• Court-related news and information

Because…
• Clerks already use it
• Aiming at a different audience
• Convenient for updating
• Welcome to the 21st Century
• One-stop shopping
• Coordinates with our intranet page
• It’s fun! It’s hip! It’s now!

Benefits
• Reach a wider audience, internally
• Meet expectations of varied service
• Change attitudes toward technology
• Change attitudes towards librarians

Drawbacks
• Reach a wider audience, externally
• Real and perceived security risks
• The time thing – not enough of it, EVER!
• Buy-in will be an uphill battle

Hurdles
• The IT Department
• The Judges
• The fear-mongers
• Other librarians who are set in their
ways
• Time management

Contact Me…Let’s Chat!
Madeline Kriescher
Phone: 303-335-2624
Email: madeline_kriescher@ca10.uscourts.gov
Twitter: Pandora12
Friend me on Facebook!
“Professional Benefits of Online Social Networking,” in
Colorado Lawyer (February 2009):
http://aallnet.org/chapter/coall/lrc/lrc0209.pdf