Category Archives: Continuous Learning

As I flew into Seattle today I had a conversation with the gentleman seated next to me. He is a native of Seattle, business owner, and proud reader, but not library user.
He expressed a concern about the Seattle Public Libraries main building not being functional. He stated that there wasn’t enough room to sit and comfortably read, and the lighting wasn’t conductive to reading either.

This has me thinking about all of the different needs of the libraries different patrons. As stated in the OCLC report about the bash between boomers and gamers, libraries have a demand by two highly diverse groups of patrons.

In 2007, I encourage you to focus on how to provide a balance between the need of both. How can you use technology to enhance your current services? How can you help the older generation access technology, and not be intimidated by it?
Consider how you can divide space to provide both reading quiet areas, and group spaces. Lastly consider how you can use the services you currently do to enhance technology?

Often I wonder why it’s so hard for adults to talk to teens. Is it that adults are afraid of teens? Is it that adults don’t know what to say to teens? Is it that adults just don’t like teens? Or, is it that adults don’t want to be reminded of their own adolescence so they stay away from teens in order not to remember how hard the teen years were for them?

Different adults would probably answer yes to each of those questions. Some adults probably have completely different reasons for not wanting to (or liking to) talk to teens. But, in a library in which teens are at least a portion of the customer base, then there’s no getting away from it. Adults have to talk to the teens and not only talk to them but listen to what they have to say.

I’m writing about this because I’m always amazed at how often I talk to librarians and they tell me that the program they just had or the service they just implemented didn’t work. I ask them if they talked to the teens about the plan and they usually say something like, “Yes, I told them we were going to do such and such.” Or, “Yes, I asked them if they thought it was a good idea and they said yes.” In most of these cases teens aren’t involved in the actual planning and implementing of the program or service. The idea might come from the teens, the teens might like the idea, but they have not role other than one-time yes-sayer.

The true path to success in teen library services is to talk and listen to the teens before, during, and after planning. We can’t assume that we know what teens want because we see them doing certain things in the library, on TV, or on the street. Teens that are involved in all aspects (and I mean all) of program and service development will have ownership over what goes on in the library and will work hard to make sure library programs are a success.

It’s time to get over fears. It’s time to get over history. It’s time to talk to teens.

Welcome to winter, when it is normally cold outside, people spend more time with families, and businesses make most of their yearly profits. No matter what faith you are, this is the time of year when many people celebrate various holidays.
Libraries are institutions for information. The resources belong to the community and reflect their interests as much as their needs. So how does an informational institution celebrate the holidays? Do you put up a display of all of the various religions balanced to equally represent all faiths, do you decorate with commercial symbols, or do you in fear of offending someone simply ignore the time of year.

This is an issue faced by every library, school, and government organization. Teens are also caught in the midst of this, not allowed to openly celebrate Christmas in many schools but rather it is called Holiday or winter celebrations. Teens are also the ones who will be working in the retail shops as well as possibly requesting all of the latest high tech gadgets as gifts from family and friends.
So what programs do we offer teens at this time of year? What books do we display for them to read? Moreover, how do we develop relationships with our teens?
I encourage you to focus on kindness. This time of year traditionally is about thinking about others. Stores and other commercial organizations made it more over the years, but giving without receiving(little things like time, candy, or trust), thanking and complementing for what they have done, and even smiling are all things you can do outside of a religions faith to celebrate the holidays.
I guarantee you will offend people during the holidays by something you did or didn’t do, and that is the hardest part of this time of year many times. Like with everything else you do in your job your strength will always be the support of your director and board, the reasons behind your policies, and your goodwill towards your community.

I was surfing the web today and I came across a new search engine, or at least I think it’s a search engine.

Meet Ms. Dewey, the impatient, ego-centric animation that makes user interface seem so one dimensional. The site uses Flash to combine a search for information on the web with a personality.

It may not be that stunning but there is an interface from most Sci Fi television shows, reminding me mostly of Blue from Mutant X. The next set would be to store basic animations and be able to recall the indexed animations with sound, so she could talk.

I do find it interesting that the person who serves as the actress is very ethnicity neutral. She does speak in English, but that is in a sound file that could be re-recorded for any language.