Thingamabobs and Doodads: Tech Support is Reference
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Presentation for Plainview-Old Bethpage Public Library
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Thingamabobs and Doodads: Tech Support is Reference
- 1. Thingamabobs and Doodads: Why Tech Support IS Reference Mary Kelly & Holly Hibner www.awfullibrarybooks.info www.slideshare.net/marykelly48 www.slideshare.net/hhibner
- 40. Mary Kelly [email_address] http://practicallibrarian.blogspot.com www.slideshare.net/marykelly48 Holly Hibner [email_address] http://hhibner.blogspot.com www.slideshare.net/hhibner http://awfullibrarybooks.info
Editor's Notes
- Background about why we care about this topic. -We are not tech people, but we want to be approachable. -We didn’t HAVE tech people always available. No matter what kind of library you work for, large or small, you don’t necessarily have experts available at any given time. -This applies to all libraries of all budgets, sizes, employees
- Includes children and teens.
- Include examples of youth/teen tech support
- Where is the line? IS there a line? SHOULD a line be drawn? Sometimes what looks on the surface like a tech support question is really a reference question. (Rick Steves MP3 audio tour example) -Youth: “I want to print a coloring page”: Do they need it for school? Does it need to be a picture of a specific thing? Do they want some books on drawing to go with it?
- You just told us… about the line between what is reference and what is tech support. Libraries that have tech support departments defer to them. THOSE are the computer troubleshooters…not the librarians.
- Retail example. When we visit a store, we don’t know how it is set up or what staff is trained to do what job. Home Depot – part for plumbing vs. part for electrical. Sporting Goods vs. Housewares Youth: want to talk about anything. Not necessarily ask a reference question about it, but they just want to talk about something. Teen: iPod playlist moving from broken iPod to new iPod. New iPod held less music, so he had to choose what to get rid of. Didn’t have a computer, so needed me to make the transfer. I talked about music with the teen. How would Mary have dealt with that? How would others do with that.
- Counseling, bartending Leads to approachability with a serious question later. Referral is an answer
- Lighthearted discussion: What are your favorite kinds of questions to answer? What are some of the hardest or weirdest questions you’ve had to answer? (Tech support or otherwise) Tell us about some of your weirdest patrons. Youth services tie-in: answering homework questions vs. counseling them through a problem. Red-headed kid.
- Define “triage” T4 program: computer volunteers to help tech guy. Credit for school. (Brooklyn?) Prioritize training in off-desk time: when you get a lot of time, when you get no off-desk time. Time management has to include tech training. Track questions to make a case: Build a case, re-deploy staff. Administrators need to understand the scope of the problem. Life Hacker Discussion: Other ideas? Do you currently use any of these techniques? Youth services takes more time. Pace is slower, getting to the question takes longer, requires more follow-through. Youth librarians covering ref desk, Reference librarians covering youth desk.
- -Communicate with Tech Support/Boss: Frank didn’t know public was asking to create PDF’s. When we complained that it was a problem, Frank said he didn’t even know that was something the public was asking about. Of COURSE he can put PDF creating software on the public machines. -Ask them to shadow you: Kristine on ref desk became more aware of what the public asks of librarians. -Create a troubleshooting blog: webmail for college students in the summer, Hotmail turn off filter.
- Informing people vs. making decisions for them.
- Linux Coffee Pot LAN party started because tech guy heard that kids were interested. They learn each department’s function: When a staff person asks for tech support, they need to be clear. Nancy/Frank label printer. Materials backed up. Managers: Tech people need to be “at the table.”
- Public computer setup: differences between adult, teen, and youth.
- Gaming: Youth vs. Adult vs. teen
- Subs: “shelving cart” status Other status: “newly acquired”, “on order”, “in cataloging”
- Discussion: “How do I hire a tech person when I am not a techie?”