Comments for FutureLibrary http://libraryfuture.wordpress.com the seeds of change have been planted.... Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:35:14 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on And the Walls came Tumbling down by Rover http://libraryfuture.wordpress.com/2009/09/29/and-the-walls-came-tumbling-down/#comment-28 Rover Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:35:14 +0000 http://libraryfuture.wordpress.com/?p=265#comment-28 I love your ideas K3nd. It is indeed very pleasant when a friendly staff member approaches me in shops. And yes libraries are no different. So where do we begin? What qualities do we look for in a roving librarian? What skills and expertise do you need? I love your ideas K3nd. It is indeed very pleasant when a friendly staff member approaches me in shops. And yes libraries are no different. So where do we begin? What qualities do we look for in a roving librarian? What skills and expertise do you need?

]]> Comment on And the Walls came Tumbling down by Jane B http://libraryfuture.wordpress.com/2009/09/29/and-the-walls-came-tumbling-down/#comment-27 Jane B Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:19:08 +0000 http://libraryfuture.wordpress.com/?p=265#comment-27 How about volunteering to be a RA roving librarian. So far we have 1 person from the Resources team and are looking for more. How about volunteering to be a RA roving librarian. So far we have 1 person from the Resources team and are looking for more.

]]> Comment on Lights….camera….customers by Jane B http://libraryfuture.wordpress.com/2009/07/16/lights-cameras-customers/#comment-22 Jane B Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:56:15 +0000 http://libraryfuture.wordpress.com/?p=200#comment-22 Great ideas as usual from our Future Librarian. We have a small group plotting and planning to entertain our book clubs members with an evening party in October to celebrate Reading. They will enjoy meeting like minded people, partake of some light refreshments and bring their favourite book to talk about. if they want to. WIth around 40 people in our Book Clubs it should be a fun party and great entertainment for minimal impact on the budget and lots of goodwill in return and everyone knows that word of mouth is the best endorsement of customer service and it will keep them coming back for more. Great ideas as usual from our Future Librarian. We have a small group plotting and planning to entertain our book clubs members with an evening party in October to celebrate Reading. They will enjoy meeting like minded people, partake of some light refreshments and bring their favourite book to talk about. if they want to. WIth around 40 people in our Book Clubs it should be a fun party and great entertainment for minimal impact on the budget and lots of goodwill in return and everyone knows that word of mouth is the best endorsement of customer service and it will keep them coming back for more.

]]> Comment on If I ever hear another stamp again…. by Jane B http://libraryfuture.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/if-i-ever-hear-another-stamp-again/#comment-21 Jane B Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:56:07 +0000 http://libraryfuture.wordpress.com/?p=191#comment-21 Conversations at the desk: Middle aged lady: "Wow are you stamping the books? What a great idea! How fantastic that you still do that!" Mother with screaming children: "When are my books due back? " (after I had just finished stamping all 24 of them) Me: The due date is stamped in the books." Mother: "Oh so when are they due?" Phone renewal: "But the stamp in the book says the book is due back on the 17th" Me: "The computer says they are due back on 28th so they are not overdue" Phone renewal: "Are you sure? The stamp says 17th?" Sleezy man: "You stamp those books so well" Me: "Yes I majored in stamping at uni" Conversations at the desk:
Middle aged lady: “Wow are you stamping the books? What a great idea! How fantastic that you still do that!”

Mother with screaming children: “When are my books due back? ” (after I had just finished stamping all 24 of them) Me: The due date is stamped in the books.” Mother: “Oh so when are they due?”

Phone renewal: “But the stamp in the book says the book is due back on the 17th” Me: “The computer says they are due back on 28th so they are not overdue” Phone renewal: “Are you sure? The stamp says 17th?”

Sleezy man: “You stamp those books so well”
Me: “Yes I majored in stamping at uni”

]]> Comment on Where’s that darn assistant gone? by Anonymous http://libraryfuture.wordpress.com/2009/06/21/wheres-that-darn-assistant-gone/#comment-18 Anonymous Fri, 17 Jul 2009 06:21:31 +0000 http://libraryfuture.wordpress.com/?p=122#comment-18 Easy the difference between a Library Assistant and a Librarian is 2 full dump trolleys at the end of a shift.! :) Easy the difference between a Library Assistant and a Librarian is 2 full dump trolleys at the end of a shift.!
:)

]]> Comment on It’ll have to wait till I get off the desk by martin http://libraryfuture.wordpress.com/2009/07/04/itll-have-to-wait-till-i-get-off-the-desk/#comment-13 martin Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:43:14 +0000 http://libraryfuture.wordpress.com/?p=152#comment-13 I totally agree with you view that having having your systems/IT person doing the day to day library work on service desks makes absolutely no sense. I also agree that all library staff need to be at least comfortable using IT. Indeed, I've <a href="http://ramblibrarian.blogspot.com/2008/04/why-do-libraries-hire-librarians-to-do.html" rel="nofollow">written about this before</a>. I do think that there is a role in libraries for a dedicated person/team of IT professionals who do not do traditional library work. These are the developers and programmers who will take data from our library systems, mix it up with other data and put it into new places to create new services and opportunities for the users of our services. I totally agree with you view that having having your systems/IT person doing the day to day library work on service desks makes absolutely no sense. I also agree that all library staff need to be at least comfortable using IT. Indeed, I’ve written about this before.

I do think that there is a role in libraries for a dedicated person/team of IT professionals who do not do traditional library work. These are the developers and programmers who will take data from our library systems, mix it up with other data and put it into new places to create new services and opportunities for the users of our services.

]]> Comment on It’ll have to wait till I get off the desk by Jane B http://libraryfuture.wordpress.com/2009/07/04/itll-have-to-wait-till-i-get-off-the-desk/#comment-11 Jane B Mon, 06 Jul 2009 01:50:24 +0000 http://libraryfuture.wordpress.com/?p=152#comment-11 The big question for me is why, in the majority of libraries is the I.T Librarian male? Is this gender bias on the part of library managers that think only male librarians have an apptitude for computers? Surely it is all in the training not the gender. We should let go of our stereotypes and train staff regardless of gender. The big question for me is why, in the majority of libraries is the I.T Librarian male? Is this gender bias on the part of library managers that think only male librarians have an apptitude for computers? Surely it is all in the training not the gender. We should let go of our stereotypes and train staff regardless of gender.

]]> Comment on Tick a Box and See ya Later by martin http://libraryfuture.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/tick-a-box-and-see-ya-later/#comment-10 martin Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:01:04 +0000 http://libraryfuture.wordpress.com/?p=111#comment-10 I have considered videoing our library customers but was always concerned that they may be reluctant to participate on video. Then I heard about <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/camdenlib" rel="nofollow">Camden's Library Week videos</a>. The feedback from them is that most people were happy to participate and happy to have the videos uploaded to YouTube. I guess it's time to stop considering and start doing. I have considered videoing our library customers but was always concerned that they may be reluctant to participate on video. Then I heard about Camden’s Library Week videos. The feedback from them is that most people were happy to participate and happy to have the videos uploaded to YouTube. I guess it’s time to stop considering and start doing.

]]> Comment on Where’s that darn assistant gone? by Anonymous http://libraryfuture.wordpress.com/2009/06/21/wheres-that-darn-assistant-gone/#comment-8 Anonymous Mon, 22 Jun 2009 02:11:13 +0000 http://libraryfuture.wordpress.com/?p=122#comment-8 http://theragemanifesto.blogspot.com/ http://theragemanifesto.blogspot.com/

]]> Comment on Where’s that darn assistant gone? by Jane B http://libraryfuture.wordpress.com/2009/06/21/wheres-that-darn-assistant-gone/#comment-7 Jane B Mon, 22 Jun 2009 01:52:14 +0000 http://libraryfuture.wordpress.com/?p=122#comment-7 The idea in the first paragraph of this post reminds me of when I first started working in TAFE Library Services many many years ago (as a library assistant) and they asked at a staff development session what we thought the difference between a library assistant and a librarian was and I innocently (I was just new then) said that I thought the difference was that a trained monkey could do the work of a library assistant. Needless to say this didn't go down very well and guess what things are still the same today! The idea in the first paragraph of this post reminds me of when I first started working in TAFE Library Services many many years ago (as a library assistant) and they asked at a staff development session what we thought the difference between a library assistant and a librarian was and I innocently (I was just new then) said that I thought the difference was that a trained monkey could do the work of a library assistant. Needless to say this didn’t go down very well and guess what things are still the same today!

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