Blog June Post 11 - Mud Poo and Cows

Today's mantra: Live the life you have imagined.

Thanks to @geocachinglibn for writing a responding blog post to my post concerning libraries and communities.

He writes: There are certainly a range of different communities on a university campus, such as the research community, teaching and learning community, and the internationalisation community, and the library is usually represented in them all.

This got me thinking - do public libraries have a research community, teaching and learning community and internationalisation community?  I think they do, and I think they have more - the reading for relaxation community, the education community, the hobby community, the book club community, the student requiring a space community - and I use the word community instead of individual as there are many and often the come together in the library or network through the library.  But I suppose we could just call them the public library community!

I will be interested to read/learn more about how @geocachinglibn feels the health library he is now working in builds community.  But there are other's that follow my blog that already work in health libraries and they may be able to discuss this as well.  The floor is open to you.....

Today was a good day in the library.  I had a query for an item that turned out to be not what it was first thought to be.  I love it when I have to do a bit of sleuthing to work out just what the customer is wanting - especially when only provided with a snippet of information.  I miss using these skills as the role I am currently in calls for more people massaging (management) then the fun "using library skills" stuff!

This morning was also fun.  I ran 21km with my running friends.  We left at around 5am in the dark and went out along one of the road that passes a few dairy farms.  Unfortunately, for us we had some rain last night which caused parts of the road to be slippery with mud and cow poo.  It was a case of yelling out "puddle" "pot hole" "mud" "cow" - yes cow!!  A cow was outside the paddock and due to the lack of light it was a bit of a shock to look up from concentrating on the ground so as not to fall over and see a huge beast in front of you.  I think the cow was more scared of us - as you would be with numerous bobbing head lamps coming towards you looking somewhat like UFO's - and ran off to find the gap in the fence and return to the safety of the paddock.

Blog June Post 9 - Libraries Community Builders

This morning I shared this article on my other jobs FB page.  My other job is marking library student assessments for TAFE.  So I shared the article with students.

Along with the article, I asked the students this: Discussion about public libraries often leads to phrases like community hub etc. Do you think the same applies in academic, special, and school libraries?

The students must be busy people because as yet there have been no replies.  However, I am open for those reading my blog to discuss and perhaps share a comment on FB, twitter or here on the blog comments.

When I used to work in academic libraries, pre-child, the campus was my community.  My coworkers were my community.  Those that used the library were my community.  I put this down to the campus being the main place I was spending my time.

Yes I would do my shopping etc outside of the campus, back in the suburb I lived in.  But I never felt the suburb was my community until I had my daughter, went on maternity leave and started spending more time in my suburb.  I stared interacting with more than the check out person at the grocery store.  I attended the community nurse sessions, baby rhyme time, mother's group and the list goes on.  Suddenly, I was interacting, meeting and becoming friends with people who lived in my own suburb!!  In my community!!

This brings me back to the original question - do academic, special and school libraries build communities?  Or have their own communities?

They all provide spaces for people to gather.  They provide different programs for people to attend as groups or individuals.  But do they build communities and if so what sort of communities?

I will leave this open for some discussion (I hope)!

Today's mantra: Your body deserves the best

In my case lately, my body has been having the best chocolate!! 8-)

Blog June Post 2 - Be the Bomb!!

Ok today's mantra is Be the Bomb!!

Now if my hip flexor was feeling great I would be feeling the bomb because I would have participated in the 3 x 1km efforts this morning with my running friends.  Instead I toddled off on my own to do 8km.  I did get to see a gorgeous pre sun rise at the headland but I love the feeling of pushing myself through efforts - not while I'm doing them - just at the end so I feel I missed out a bit.

Anyway, back to Be the Bomb!!  I have been doing some recruitment for some casual positions recently and for me the big thing that resonated is that for a small town we have a lot of library qualified and experienced people out there.  The other thing is that most people don't know what we do as library staff.

So since I don't want to go into too much detail about applications received and quality of applications - because that is not something to share in the public sphere - I will just say that perhaps as a profession we don't do a very good job at letting people know or illustrating just what we do in our jobs in libraries - or perhaps we do such a good job, we make it look easy!!

Predominately, in our library it is all about customer service - knowing your customers, knowing your community, knowing what they want and knowing about the books they like to read and how to find the information they want - or even going as far to pre-empt their information needs so you have the access to the information they want.  So lots of professions have customer service as their main skill set (if that's what you can call it, but you get what I mean).  So lots of people have experience in customer service and this can be transferred to a library service.

Lots of people know how to know their customers and their community because we are not the only industry that does this.

But what about books and information.  What industry combines all of this and knows what information their community needs and when they need it??

Back to the part about people not knowing what we do.  Do they need to know what we do?  Or do they only need to get the end product - really how many of us care how that packet of chips got on the shelf and into the trolley - we just want to eat the chips??

Should we be like the farmers and start educating people about the process of getting the information to them?  What does it involve?  How do we go about it?  What skills are needed?  What hurdles do we jump to get the information?  Or do they really need/want to know?

So perhaps it is about being the bomb - get the right information to the right person at the right time - but let's not get hung up on whether the person cares about how you got the information.

What do you think?

Epiphany - Blog 12 Days of Christmas

So this is the post where I am supposed to look back over the past 12 days and discuss what I may have learned or: a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.

I can't say I have found the meaning of life, or had any insight into reality.  I can say that I have once again enjoyed sitting down at the end of the day and reflecting on what was and then trying to put it into something remotely interesting to others.

What I can say is that in the space of 12 days I have regained my running mojo and even pushed out a 16.5km run today without feeling like it was a chore.  It was hard but it was enjoyable.  On the home stretch I even enjoyed the bush on either side of the road for the birds that were singing, the lagoon that I ran past, and the view from the top of the hill overlooking the beach.  I made peace with being in the right place - this beautiful place I live and love.

I felt that again after a splash in the surf with my family as I was sitting in the hot midday sun looking out over the ocean watching two dolphins swim past and a sailing boat in the distance.  And up front, an 8 year old girl and her dad sharing so many laughs and moments in the surf - their bond warms my heart!!

In the afternoon, walking along the river, out on the boardwalk - secretly trying not to be too annoyed by the tourists - but instead lap up seeing my locals and saying hello.  Having a short conversation with my daughters friends mother.  Over hearing some visitors from Sydney saying how it was nice that everyone here says "hello" unlike in Sydney.  My home, my community, my friends, my people!

There will always be hard times, tough times - but happiness can't be all the time as then we wouldn't appreciate it as much!

Being awesome is something to strive for in all aspects of your life and something I will be striving for in 2015.

Expecting miracles, celebrating achievements, being creative, enjoying moments of laziness, being alert and waking up, being healthy and celebrating being here and now, and making the most of open doors - this is what 2015 will be for me!!

Until #blogjune......

Day 12 - Blog 12 Days of Christmas

We are nearing the end of blog 12 days of Christmas and as usual it has been a good thing for me to sit and reflect at the end of the day.

I usually say that I will continue to do this more regularly throughout the year but then only blog during #blogJune.  So unless there are more blogging challenges out there, you probably won't hear from me (except for my final post tomorrow) until June!

I couldn't really find an appropriate mantra for today so there isn't one.

I'm still on holiday and for me, it really doesn't feel like the new year has started until I return to work - which will be next week.

This week I will be working on putting myself in a positive mind frame for my return to work.  I will be drumming up some enthusiasm and excitement for my return.  Thinking about possible projects or how I will work towards finishing the projects I know I have to complete.  I will be thinking about what things I can do with my staff to keep their enthusiasm for the job up and/or what new things can be learnt/taught.  Most of all I will be thinking about my community - I miss them when I'm on holidays and they are what really makes the job for me.  So I will be thinking about them and what they might like to see happening in the library.

I already have one exciting thing booked for this month - one of my favourite authors will be doing a book launch in our library!!  I'm so excited as I've been waiting 12 months for this book to come out and I really do like this author.

Our library is also hosting a workshop for the annual Camp Creative next week.  I hope to stick my head in on this workshop and see if I can pick up a few pointers.

See I'm already generating some enthusiasm for my return!!

PS Bootcamp resumed today so I didn't have to come up with my own.  It was one of our biggest classes with 33 ladies (I think).  It was so good to be back in the company of such a large and supportive group of females!!  And, of course, to be put through the paces by our bootcamp leader, Shelley!

On the twelfth day of Christmas...

I pondered how weird looking the word "twelfth" is - perhaps even more so because I had issues trying to spell it!

I know I promised two posts today but I'm thinking I might just throw my epiphany post in here for good measure and I'm running out of steam.

I will have you know that I had heaps of blog posts written in my head during my afternoon walks for the last 12 days but by the time I got home and did everything I had to before I could find the time to sit down and write them - they were gone!  I will never be a good writer!

Today I started the day with my own solo boot camp - and this was after an afternoon of bubbles the day before.  I decided that I had to watch the final of the Brisbane International Tennis and in order to enjoy it more, I would have a few glasses of bubbly.  So I was very impressed that I managed to run around the sports fields this morning, inflicting all sorts of punishment on my body without any feeling of being hung over.  I think being fit means your blood flows quicker and therefore the alcohol exits your body quicker - well that's my theory!!  Another reason to keep exercising and staying fit.

From there I had to take Miss A to swimming lessons and then she had a friend over.  I then took the girls down to the lagoon/river for a swim.  Once Miss A's friend had left, I ventured out for my afternoon walk a little later than normal and proceeded to run into friends and talk for 20 minutes and only walk 1.8km.  Not much to put toward my Run Down Under journey but still some form of exercise so it all helps!

Just before I was going to write this post, I stumbled on a twitter response concerning a few of my twitter friends and I commenting on our reluctance to go back to work.  A twitter friend responded by saying it sounded like we didn't like our jobs.  I have to say at the moment for me work is a love/hate relationship.  I love interacting with the community and providing such a great service, but I hate what is happening behind the scenes in a wider organisation sense and the stress that goes with the behind the scenes.

As I mentioned previously, I am in a rut and I'm not sure how I'm going to regain my motivation to get out of it.  I am happy (not sure if that is the right word for it) to sit tight for the time being, and also work on the things that are making me unhappy (again not really the right word for it - perhaps challenges are a better way of looking at it - or even better possible opportunities).

I just wish the motivation I am feeling for running and the feeling of accomplishment I get from it could be transferred to my work life.  I am hoping the confidence and achievement I am gaining from running will provide me with the confidence skills I need to achieve the things I want to achieve in my work life. 

That's not really an epiphany but it will do for now.

I look forward to sharing more thoughts, achievements and general reflections with you all throughout 2014 and will be looking for any blog challenges coming up to participate in.  Thank you for your readership and your comments!

#blogjune Post 20 - Embedded Librarianship in Public Libraries

This morning I read this post - Embedded Librarianship - Not as Painful as it Sounds by @GeocachingLibn.

While the post refers more to Embedded Librarianship in academic libraries - which seems to be discussed a lot - what about Embedded Librarianship in public libraries.

The Embedded Librarian recently posted about Embedded Librarianship across all sectors, including public libraries - The Embedded Model, the Future of Librarianship and What to Do at Work Tomorrow!

In their post, they explained how they see Embedded Librarianship as being part of a team with an Embedded Librarian being one whom:

• develops strong working relationships with members of a team or community;
• achieves mutual understanding with the team, which means that the librarian understands the team's goals and operations, and the team understands the librarian's role and value;
• shares responsibility for achieving the team's goals;
• and makes customised, highly-valued contributions to the team;

And, in short is a member of the team like any other, just with a unique set of skills - the information and knowledge expert on the team.

I believe a librarian working in a public library can be an Embedded Librarian.

Think for a minute about the Council you work for.  How can you become an Embedded Librarian within that Council?  What can you offer the Council team(s)?  How can you project your unique set of skills to the Council team(s)?

I think if more public librarians did this for their Council's then our profession would receive greater recognition rather than being the service to the community that has no economic value.  Just note that I know there is research that shows our economic value but not all Council staff/community members believe that, especially when that economic value isn't visable in the Council budget.

However, the Embedded Librarian also notes that there are differences between Embedded Librarianship and Traditional Librarianship:

1. Embedded Librarianship focuses on relationships not transactions;
2. The embedded model requires the librarian to specialise, not try to be all things to all people;
3. The Embedded Librarian is out of the library and fully engaged with other employees and groups of the enterprise;
4. Embedded Librarians aren't just service providers;
5. Traditional Librarianship has become a commodity.  Embedded Librarianship finds new value in new roles.

So based on this brief overview, can Embedded Librarianship work in public libraries?

I think it can to a certain extent, depending on the size of the library and number of resources available.  I think public librarians have to focus on what they can offer to their Council team(s), but also focus on what they can offer to other community organisations and move out from the library.  I think this is more than outreach services.

What do you think?  I'm certainly going to ponder this a bit more and may even post about it again, once I gather more thoughts together.  But I'd love to hear other's thoughts on this topic.

#blogjune Post 19 - Looking for Inspiration - Some thoughts on Weeding

Ok I'm really late with this post (although not too late as it is still the 19th day of June).

I had a rushed morning with a freezing start of boot camp at 6am - but a beautiful sunrise over North Beach/Kalang/Bellinger Rivers (where the rivers meet the sea), then a rush to be ready to get a lift to work at 8am.  You see my car is currently not road worthy until I can get it back to the mechanics next week to get the bushes replaced - we will not think about the damage to the hip pocket or the limited funds I will have for my trip to Ipswich during the school holidays (yes I'm going home for a week) - the mechanic promises that I "won't know myself" when I get the car fixed!!

Tomorrow morning will be another rush as I get an earlier lift to work - thank goodness no boot camp so I will most likely rush out another blog post tomorrow morning.

I now only have 10 minutes until Adam Hills Tonight starts so will pick up the pace.

I'm looking for inspiration for a post and thought I'd discuss (briefly) a post I read this morning on Tame the Web.

A library in the USA has weeded all the non-fiction books in their collection published pre-2003 to make way for new material and in preparation for the implementation of RFID.

Now so far this year I have weeded two of my three branch libraries with the assistance of staff from HQ.  We use the standard (I think) anything over 10 years old that hasn't been loaned in 2 years.  However, I do use some discretion by looking at the condition of the item and if it still will have some in-house use.  But sometimes I do get ruthless and if it has only gone out once in the last 2 years or has been consistently borrowed by the one person and is looking pretty grotty - then it may end up on the book sale table.

But what a radical (possibly stupid depending on how you look at it) move to weed items without checking usage.

Then that makes me think about another article I read recently discussing whether weeding certain items from a library's collection is actually resulting in the dumbing down of library collections - But what if I can't find it on the Internet?

In particular, this bit of the article I found interesting: On a recent catalogue search, I discovered that all the books on a particular key subject had disappeared, apparently weeded out according to publication date or number of borrowing transactions. When I reported this, I was told I was free to recommend any titles I thought appropriate. However, an effective selection (and deselection) policy should ensure that key subject areas remain represented.

Merely relying on the public to fill gaps simply leads to collections biased towards the needs of a few activist clients. As many academics have said over recent years, it is also foolish to deselect based on the number of times an item has been lent out, because many books are consulted on the premises, without being borrowed. Other works may be used very rarely, but nevertheless be crucial sources for research. A consequence of this ''deselection by unpopularity'' is the dumbing down of library collections, making them less relevant to serious researchers.

I think when it comes to weeding a collection - you have to know your community and what they read.  But then what about new people to your community - how do you know what they will like?

You also have to know what gets used in-house or where the gaps may be.

Weeding is a careful task requiring community and subject/genre/readers advisory knowledge and should not be taken lightly - although there is some quiet satisfaction in cleaning out collections and one can get carried away!

Blog December Post 28/Blog12daysxmas Post 4 - Core Services?

Excuse my mistake yesterday with the number of Blog December post - it should've been 27 not 28 as 28 is today.

Today's Destiny Card is Care.

On the 4th day of Christmas.... I had an interesting twitter debate concerning core/traditional library services.  This meant that I started thinking about work, duh!

This then lead me to read the latest and final edition of APLIS.  Yes APLIS is no longer being published - which is a bit sad really as it always had some great articles focusing on Australian and New Zealand public libraries.

Anyway, back to the twitter debate.  One article out of APLIS caught my eye (well actually two articles but this was the first one): OUR LEARNING LANDSCAPE: OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES AND
POSSIBILITIES Sue Roberts Chief Executive Officer and State Librarian, State Library of Victoria, Aplis 25(4) December 2012.

The article starts by saying: Libraries are operating in a rapidly changing information, pedagogic and technological environment. In this context, libraries have been redefined as facilitators of access to a world of information far beyond physical collections, providing access to global information through online resources and systems; many have also positioned themselves as facilitators of learning, with the emphasis on informal and lifelong learning, and as physical and virtual spaces for community engagement and connection.

I've sort of blogged about this before and fear I may be sounding like a bit of a broken record but what of the one person library or the libraries that require refurbishing or rebuilding but don't have the funds to do so - will they be left behind?  Will their communities be left without a library or a building full of books that is not being used?  What of our traditional/core services and what are they?

After a bit of searching via Google, I couldn't really find a list anywhere of core library services - I was looking for public libraries.  What are your thoughts on core library services?

Wood County District Public Library lists its core services as:

• Quality customer service
• Providing materials and resources that meet the needs and wishes of our diverse and growing community
• Babies & Preschoolers’ “Door to Learning”
• Sharing materials within the “Serving Every Ohioan” Library Consortium
• Bowling Green and Wood County history and genealogy information
• Connecting the collections to our communities through programming, literacy, bookmobile and outreach services
• Community gathering place

Do you agree with this list or does the list have to come from the community the library serves?  Does the community determine core services?

There is another interesting article in this edition of APLIS: DEVELOPING PARTNERSHIPS TO DELIVER LEARNING PROGRAMS: THE MOONEE VALLEY EXPERIENCE Troy Watson Manager Library and Learning, Moonee Valley City Council Victoria, Aplis 25(4) December 2012.

It discusses how through collaboration and partnerships, Avondale Heights Library and Learning Centre provides informal and formal training programs.

It seems to be a bit of a theme for libraries in Victoria to be developing learning and/or lifelong learning frameworks - I wonder how long before other states follow?

In my libraries, I know there is a need for basic computer training for the community.  How do I know this, because when I first started working here four years ago, the first thing I did was run computer training sessions.  Each session was fully booked - it wasn't that hard as I only had 7 computers to work with in one branch, five in another and four in another.  So it didn't allow for big numbers of attendees.  We also don't have laptops available for use.

I ran the lessons on my Monday - which is technically supposed to be a day for me to catch up on my managerial/running three branch libraries tasks and also attend team leader meetings/book selection at HQ.

In the end I burnt out.  The classes were not sustainable as I was the only one doing them and I had to play catch up with my other tasks.

Since then our library service has subscribed to an online computer tutorial program which is where we direct our library members when asked about computer lessons.  One of our local neighbourhood centres also runs one-on-one lessons at a cost.

I have thought about partnering with a training provider but as we are not set up with a computer training room or laptops - it won't really work well.  Also, I don't believe that those that need computer training the most are in the position to pay for the lessons - so who pays the training provider to run the lessons.

In one of my branches I don't even have the funding to run story time sessions - which I really do consider a core library service.  We had a volunteer doing it for a while but then they asked for employment or payment.  Again not sustainable.

I have a list of possible programs a mile long which I would love to roll out, but can't - not because the need isnt' there but because the resources aren't there nor is the funding.  And don't you worry I keep my eye out for grants all the time - but most ask for some in kind or dollar for dollar funding commitment which won't/can't happen and then if you do get the funds how do you make the program sustainable?

I'm sure I'm not the only one with these challenges and I'm sure that someone out there has a creative mind that may be able to suggest things to overcome these challenges - I'm open to suggestions.

The other thing that I always think about when it comes to library programs in my community is often when we do surveys the community will always say we are doing a great job and they are happy with the services already offered.  My question is - how do they know what they are missing out on if they have never had it on offer before?

Sorry for the long post and ramble and a bit of whinging - which really didn't have much to do with the destiny card of Care - but I care for my communities (as mentioned previously the three libraries I manage all have very different communities) and I care for my library service - which is probably why I get so torn up when discussing programs and resources and funding.

Blog December Day 4 - It's the end of the (library) world as we know it - and I feel fine!

This morning I was going through my RSS feeds and came across a post from the What's Next: Top Trends blog which showed an extinction timeline.

According to this timeline by 2019 libraries will be extinct.

Of course, this is not the first time we as library professionals have heard/read/talked about the demise of libraries, but honestly, I'm a bit over it all.

If I had a dollar for everytime I've been introduced to someone as a librarian and they have said to me - well with eBooks libraries aren't going to be around anymore.  Prior to that it was - well with Google libraries aren't going to be around anymore.  The same can be said with any major technological change that impacts on what libraries do and how we do it.

Well sorry everyone but libraries are bloody good at taking advantage of these changes and running with them.

However, I must stop and make comment based on my own library community.  While some libraries have found that their members are ready to jump on the eBook wagon and embrace eReaders, tablets and iPads - I find that my own library community are still embracing the print book and traditional library services.

You may say, but Sharon, they may be ready but may not be coming into the library.  All those with eReaders and tablets may be buying online and satisfying their information needs in a different manner than walking into the physical library.  That may well be but in the four years I've been working in my library community, I have not noticed people not coming into the library - in fact I would say more are coming into the library. 

I have had a handful of people ask about eBooks because they have purchased a Kindle - and guess what??  While they purchase eBooks via Amazon, they also continue to borrow print books!!

So while we may often get caught up in the doom and gloom of possible extinction - I think there is still something to say with the traditional services we provide - they are still relevant.  And I actually think that in the future there will be a move away from technology and people will be wanting to get back to basics.  Or we may even be forced to turn away from technology due to economic or environmental reasons.

I know this might be a little bit left of centre but one of the more successful shops in our little town of Bellingen is the Bellingen Sweet Shop.  And guess what?  It is set up in the old fashioned traditional way the sweet shops used to be and you can also purchase the sweets you used to buy as a child those many years ago.

So my bet is that in 2019, there will still be libraries and there will still be print books and traditional library services!!

Blog June Post 29 - Community Information

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and thank goodness because I'm running out of ideas to blog about!

Today my focus is on community information.  Recently our library service surveyed our users and non users.  A telephone survey method was used and while we realise this is not the best method, we had to use this method to provide a proper comparison with our last user and non user survey which was performed in the same way.

It was interesting to note that both users and non users said they would use the library more if the library provided access to community information.  Of course, the survey did not allow those survey to ellaborate on what community information they wanted, so we may have to do a little more digging.  But I'd be interested to hear what community information other libraries offer/collect for their users?

Our council did have an up-to-date community directory but I believe due to the time consuming nature of keeping up to date this has fallen by the wayside.  And due to our limited staff resources, I wouldn't be putting our hand up to take on this role.  But perhaps that's what the community thinks we should be doing.

Our libraries do have small notice boards to put up community events but I find that our communities are often doing so much that the notice board gets over crowded and people don't often read everything that is on it - information overload.

So how do we determine what community information our users/potential users need when our library service spans across many different communities?

I did a quick search on Google to find different ways Councils/Libraries have been collecting and making accessible community information, here are a few examples:

• Parramatta City Council - Community Information Index
• State Library of Western Australia - Government and Community Information
• Wollongong City Libraries - Community Information
• Alexdrina Council - Connecting Up
• Ku-ring-gai Library - Community Information Database

And here is what our library service currently has - Local Community Information

How do you look for community information?

I've moved to a few different places in my lifetime and direction to where I could community information would've been helpful.  Probably more important now I have a family but in the past I would look to see if the town had a gym, pool, parks, community groups, etc.

I had this idea that we should team up with the local real estate agents and put together a library/town information pack that can be distributed to new tenants and home buyers in the area.  I'm still working on what to put in the pack and where to get all the "community information" from.  Do any other libraries already do this?  What do you include?

Anyway, a few things to think about and work on.

Blog June Post 13 - Outreach with One Hand

Outreach has been a thing on my mind since I started working here in 2008.  Due to our limited staffing it is something that is not done to it's full extent.  When I think of outreach I think of school visits, home library service, giving talks to local community services/groups, having a stall at the monthly markets, getting the library to places that have access issues.  I'm sure there is more to outreach than just these things I have listed, but this is what comes to my mind when I think about.

Home library service (HLS) is something that has now been raised at an executive level - i.e. it got a mention in the organisational restructure report.  Volunteers was mentioned as a solution to delivering this service.  I do believe that perhaps people lack an understanding of what is involved in HLS and yes volunteers can be used but can't be used alone.

In our branches we already do some HLS.  We provide resources to two nursing homes and a ward of the local hospital (long stay ward).  We also provide resources to Neighbour Aid who then deliver - actually they are really good because the reserve their own resources so we compile them and have them ready for pick up.

I recently put it out there to the HLS list - since we now have been provided with statewide marketing resources, should I just put it out there as a service we now offer with no idea of how many people will take us up on the offer and no idea how we will manage staff resources to do it.  Or do I estimate how many people may take up the offer and estimate how much staff time it will take and then recruit some volunteers.  Of course, I have to get some systems, processes and procedures in place first.

Our Northern branches (of our regional library service) have been lucky enough to secure a HLS assistant position.  I do plan on working with this person to look at how it works in the Northern branches, and of course, borrow as many processes, forms, procedures etc as possible to implement in our service.  But my biggest issue is with the limited staffing I have now - how can I make this work?

I am even having problems finding the time to sit down and have some thought into how this will work and at least get some processes/procedures/timeframes etc in place to get us started.

So that is HLS - as for the other ideas of outreach that I listed in the beginning - well I do some of these in a adhoc way.  In the beginning, school visits was very much a head banging wall experience.  I have now managed to visit or have the school visit us with 6 out of 11 schools.  It has often been the good intention of the school librarian to organise these visits but then to have teachers or other reasons result in them not going ahead.  For school visits I try to remain as flexible as possible - you did catch on that I said "I."  Because "I" am the only one who plans, organises and then executes these visits.  So I allow the school to let me know a date/time etc that suits and I organise my workload/roster around this.

Talks to local community groups have also been adhoc.  So far I have spoken with the Urunga Probus club and the Bellingen Rotary Club.  I would love to do this more with other groups but it is knowing what groups are out there and how you get on their radar.

The stall at the market idea is one I've had for ever.  I'm still nutting out what it is I want to achieve out of it - obviously more membership would be good.  How I would set up access to the library's website from the stall - because you want to show people what we offer.  And what brochures etc would I have available.  Plus the weather here is very unpredictable - ok well it usually is more rain then sun at the moment - so how would I organise cover etc.  So I'm still in brainstorming mode about that.  Then it would also be "me" being at the stall from 8am (or earlier) to 2pm.  A long stint for anyone.  Limited funding would mean it would be a volunteer time thing rather than a paid stint.  Which I don't mind.

Getting the library to places where people don't have access - well there is one small town in our LGA that has set up an informal library which I heard about through the grapevine.  They donate their own stock and open at particular times of the week and people can take what they want.  I am thinking this town needs some sort of bulk loan or deposit box or maybe a library staff member to come out once a month with a car full of stock and be available at certain times for people to come in and borrow library stock.  Of course, I will have to consult with the community first to see if this is what they want.  And I would be very interested to hear about other libraries that already offer something like this and how they do it.

So there are my outreach ideas.  And while I'd love to be doing it with both hands - at the moment I'm doing it with one.

Better Late than Never

So here I am for my attempt at #blog12daysxmas I was asked by one of my twitter followers if I was going to attempt this - at first I thought "no I can't do this - what will I blog about and I am going away next week and will have limited internet access." But in the end, I couldn't sleep because some ideas started forming in my head and even though I am tired and it is late - here I am doing my first blog post - which as supposed to be on Christmas - I think - but it isn't.

Better late than never!

I thought the theme of my blog posts for the #blog12daysxmas could be what I struggle with most as a manager of three small branch libraries. Better late than never is pretty much a good way at summing up how I sometimes feel my POW runs. We pretty much play the constant catch up game. We are a library service with not a lot of money. We are located in regional parts of NSW and are made up of small LGA's.

We don't have access to the fastest internet speeds and we have been neglected in the past. So we are playing the catch up game. Lots of things we have implemented over the last 2-3 years are things that most libraries have been providing for years. It was a shock to my system to come into a library that did not have a DVD collection or a decent webpage with access to an online catalogue. We have that now and we also have a facebook page, online computer tutoring, downloadable audio books, and free wifi access in all of our libraries. A lot to be proud of.

But I can't help but think that libraries are still playing the catch up game. We are still being fairly reactive than proactive and I'm not sure how we can turn the tables.

For example, when I play around with web 2.0 tools, I'll often think, how can we apply this in the library?? Then I think of my community and think that perhaps they are not even at that point yet - there are still plenty of people out there that don't know how to use a computer - so do we need to offer these tools/utilise these tools??!!

I am constantly asked if we offer ebooks. Well only about 5 people have come into my branch and told me they have a ereader device and do we have ebooks - does this mean we should be offering downloadable ebooks to those 5 people? Or do we spend those funds on providing more print material for the majority of our users? Or are we going to be too late to jump on the band wagon if we don't offer downloadable ebooks now??

I think the point here is that we have to be looking at our community and what they are doing and what they are using or what they will be using (however one finds that out). And we must be satisifying those needs - not 5 years down the track but now. Better late than never is not really good customer service.