April 24th, 2008 Brian Herzog
Now that April 15th has passed, I’ve started taking down my library’s tax forms display, and all the signs in the library pointing to it.
I found the sign pictured here taped to the library’s front door, which got me thinking about good and bad library signs. This is definitely a bad sign - questionable colors, second sign taped over top, and remnants of tape from when it was hung last year. I hadn’t noticed this one before, which is what I get for using the staff entrance (we should all use the patron entrance more often to see what the public sees). I’m all for recycling, but we can definitely do better.
When it comes to signs, I think the fewer the better. Over the last two years, I have secretly been taking down signs in my library - no one has seemed to notice, and the library looks a lot cleaner.
I’m always interested in signs and marketing, so here are other examples of good and bad library signs - check out the Library Signage flickr group for more:
Good
Bad
- Don’t Touch Sign - not only overly-negative, but counter-productive
- No Cutting or Gluing - I guess the sign just supports a policy, so it’s actually the policy I don’t understand
- Don’t Move Tables - I don’t like how totally inflexible this one is; librarians don’t always think of everything
- Turn Off Cell Phone! - way too negative! And emphatic!
- Cell Phones are Silent - I like the funny graphic, and that the words don’t outlaw cell phones entirely, but I’m not a fan of the big red circle-slash, and in this case it sends a mixed message
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January 31st, 2008 Brian Herzog
A friend of mine forwarded me this - someone posted to a message board asking if anyone knew of a book rental service.
Read the original post, and then read the comments left by others. Rather humorous.
The idea of someone not knowing what a library does echoes a recent discussion on MELIBS-L - one Maine librarian shared this story:
I just had a nanny who has recently started bringing a little boy to story time come into the children’s library and see me sitting at the children’s reference desk. She said, “Oh, you work here, too?” I looked at her, puzzled, and she said, “You don’t just come in for the children’s programs?” I explained to her that I am the children’s librarian and that I work full-time. She said, “Oh, what a cute little job!”
This led to a discussion about how the public sees libraries, and how we need to do a good (better?) job of marketing ourselves.
But as Jessamyn points out, if we don’t ourselves understand what we do and what libraries are for, then why should we expect the public to know this - or support their local library?
libraries, library, public, what are you for
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January 17th, 2008 Brian Herzog
The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners has just launched mass.gov/libraries, to go along with a new public awareness campaign for Massachusetts libraries.
Sometimes “top-down” efforts like this end up being a waste of time and resources, but I actually do think I will use this new website. For one thing, it is simple and clean, which makes it easy to see what information is available. I like that.
Also, it is very limited in scope: it is information about the public libraries in Massachusetts and the services those libraries offer. So even though their slogan is “There’s something for everyone,” they don’t try to be “everything to everyone” - no subject listings, no web search boxes, etc.
The target of this website is Massachusetts residents, and the focus is to connect those people with their local library - or better yet, its online resources - and to maybe answer a few library questions along the way.
Here’s what this site offers:
They even included an article about why using library resources is better than Google for homework and student research.
I can see a lot of librarians using this, simply to find the contact information of other libraries, but I also like the single login box for database searching.
I also think patrons could easily use this website, too, but the key there is in the patrons finding it. This is the first year of a three-year marketing campaign, but aside from emails sent directly to librarians, I haven’t seen anything.
awareness, campaign, libraries, library, ma, marketing, mass, massachusetts, mblc, public
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September 27th, 2007 Brian Herzog
I was asked by a company called Chili Fresh to take a look at a new tool they’re creating. It is designed to allow book reviews written by patrons to display right in the catalog (similar to reviews on Amazon.com showing up right on the item details page).
I agreed, and have spent some time on this, because I really like the concept - integrating useful data right into the library catalog. One of the biggest problems with library resources is that they’re too complicated to use. The databases we subscribe to are great, but if using them requires patrons to jump through hoops, then the patrons are not going to use them.
As an example: NoveList is one of the best databases libraries can offer. Its readers advisory information is unmatched. But, because it’s a stand-alone tool (the proverbial “information silo”), it’s just that much more difficult for patrons to use.
Counter to this is LibraryThing for Libraries, which provides readers advisory information right in the catalog - you know, where our patrons already are. I don’t think the suggestions provided by LTfL are as good as NoveList (yet), but its ease of utility makes it a far more practical tool.
And this is what caught my eye with Chili Fresh. Patrons-created book information, right along side the library’s book information. That’s great. Just like comments on a weblog, getting patrons involved and interacting with the library is going to enrich both the tool and the experience.
I’ve spent a few hours this week playing with the Chili Fresh tool (my test page), and sending emails back and forth to the developers. They readily admit this tool is still in beta, and has a ways to go, but they are open to comments and have already incorporated a few of my suggestions. I encourage anyone interested to set up an account and play too, and let them know what you think. The more input provided by libraries, the more this will be shaped into a useful tool.
It seems a bit clunky right now, because the examples are all outside of a library catalog. But they’re definitely on the right track, and the idea is worth some attention. You can sign up on their website for a test account, or contact them Scott Johnson (jscott [at] chilifresh.com) for more information.
A note about their website: you’ll notice that many of the pages are blank. I asked about this and was told that, since the product is still in beta and is changing, they are limiting the amount of information available.
book review, book reviews, chili fresh, chilifresh, libraries, library, patron, public libraries, public library, readers advisory
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September 25th, 2007 Brian Herzog
Wow - a reader of Cleveland Scene sent in a letter about the Director of the Lakewood (OH) Library, and it is worth reading.
I know of time management software for public computers that have, as a secondary feature, the ability for staff to see what is on any particular computer’s screen. This feature is certainly not the main focus of the software, and I never even thought of it as “spy” software before.
It certainly could be used that way, though; just like every car can be used to kill people. So what produces guilt: ability, intent or deed?
I would take this person’s letter a lot more seriously if he didn’t characterize the police presence in the library as “a Lakewood police officer, carrying a gun, stationed in both libraries, to shoot people. Why else do they carry guns?”
I seriously doubt that a police officer would be allowed to preform his/her duty without the standard-issue sidearm. It’s not like the library has a choice in whether or not they carry guns.
Anyway, this was just a humorous article. I can’t tell if it is sincere or a parody, but it shows how the simplest things can be twisted into something sinister with very little effort. “Knowledge Illuminates Opportunity” indeed.
Via LibraryStuff
lakewood, lakewood library, lakewood oh, lakewood ohio, lakewood public library, libraries, library, misconception, public libraries, public library, spying
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