Idaho Commission for Libraries

To more easily maintain and update the e-Branch help site, we are combining it in with the redesigned Idaho Commission for Libraries' site.  All the same information will be available to you, just in a new home. 

New Addresses:

• e-Branch Help Site: http://icfl.idaho.gov/landing/e-branch-a-box
• e-Branch Blog Feed: http://icfl.idaho.gov/blog/section/315/rss

Normal
0


false
false
false







MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}

If any of you attended the Splat PNLA conference presentation and are
interested in the Learning 2.0 staff training project put together by Ada
Community & Boise Public Libraries, here is the link
http://itsgoodforyou.pbwiki.com.

Stay tuned for an Idaho state-wide program coming your way soon.

During the PNLA preconference on digital natives we watched the video clip of teens and twenties making suggestions. One of their ideas was to deliver books through the mail like NetFlix does for movies. I saw several eye-rolls and heard a few "yeah right" comments. Most of the folks at our table did not consider it a viable option, but with today's gas prices I'd be happy to pay $2 for the library to mail me my book if it costs about that to drive to the library. Who wouldn't?

We did have someone stop at the SPLAT couch to ask how Boise Public runs their books by mail program. Ada Community has a new locked drop box and pick up locker system that I've used and love since I can ride my bike there. Are there other Idaho libraries using NetFlix models to mail books? Are you charging extra for this service? I know about a library system in Washington that uses books by mail almost exclusively with no problems. I'd like to hear more about how libraries are making these services available. I think it would be great if more options were available so that Idahoans didn't have to always drive to the library to pick up books and materials.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Feel free to add your own tags/notes to my photostream. Memo

 

 

Web 2.0 for Special Libraries

View SlideShare presentation (tags: pnla08 web2.0)

A Nevada librarian sent out a solicitation for ideas for shoestring budget programs to share at the Nevada Library Conference. No one has posted any ideas on the Library Garden blog yet.

I guess one must define what a program is before one can assign a budget. Even then, I couldn’t think of anything innovative or unique. Nearly everything we do at our small library would qualify because of an already limited budget - aka making do.

Anyone have ideas?

Did you know that you can use Wikipedia to direct web traffic to you? Long over are the days of information hoarding, and putting information on Wikipedia about your local and unique collections is one more way to disseminate!!

 This is especially helpful for your locally oriented special collection, or books that you have about your local hsitory... and not just for scholarly or academic libraries with a lot of unique resources. Let's say you have a book that is about the history of a neighborhood in your city. You can go to Wikipedia, create an account, add content, put in a link to your library, and viola! 

There are pitfalls however, such as being labeled as a spammer. You can't really go into Wikipedia and just add links, that makes you a spammer.  

 The idea was written about by Ann Lally and Carolyn Dunford: 

The Idea
http://www.dlib.org/dlib/may07/lally/05lally.html

They suggested that we put links to our NWDA finding aids online: 

NWDA
http://nwda.wsulibs.wsu.edu/

More than 50% of all Google searches lead to Wikipedia: 

Wikipedia Users
http://pewresearch.org/pubs/460/wikipedia

So we tried, and because we only put up links, and not content, we were spammers according to Wikipedia standards. If you add content - try creating a page about your library, your town, something important to your community, or something you get asked about a lot, and then add links! It works!! Read Lally and Dunford's article!

 Here is the wikipedia article for the Idaho State Historical Society: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idaho_State_Historical_Society

 

 

SPLAT rushed in to PNLA (in beautiful Post Falls, ID) this morning to do a presentation on "Creative Outreach".  6 of us - Amy, Anna, Memo, Ruth, Stephanie, and Tammy - talked about methods of creative outreach and different things we're doing in our libraries along that vein. Later today I'll post the links to what we each pointed to in our presentations - so keep an eye out if you're interested.

 If you're here at PNLA make sure you come by and see us at our comfy SPLAT couch conveniently located at the end of vendor row by the water, stairs, and doors to the beautiful outdoors.

SPLAT rushed in to PNLA (in beautiful Post Falls, ID) this morning to do a presentation on "Creative Outreach".  6 of us - Amy, Anna, Memo, Ruth, Stephanie, and Tammy - talked about methods of creative outreach and different things we're doing in our libraries along that vein. Later today I'll post the links to what we each pointed to in our presentations - so keep an eye out if you're interested.

 If you're here at PNLA make sure you come by and see us at our comfy SPLAT couch conveniently located at the end of vendor row by the water, stairs, and doors to the beautiful outdoors.

As someone directionally challenged, this evening I was very excited to discover that Google Maps now has walking directions (BETA). For me, this means that the next time someone walks up to the information desk and asks how to get to a particular place downtown on foot, I don’t have to squirm!  Here is the link:   http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl   Click, “Get Directions” link.  Type in Boise Public Library (or library of choice) for point A, then any place to which a customer might request directions for point B.  Change the drop-down menu from “By Car” to “Walking”.  No worries about describing which roads are one way!