Library Fundraising on Steroids Saturday 10:30-12 Debi Clark, Robert Karatsu, Michelle Perera
My first program of the day and by far the best! This was a nuts and bolts program about how to create, plan, and run a telethon and house raffle. I had NO IDEA what it takes.
I think the program was delivered in an entertaining and realistic manner. None of this easy, but it is doable. It takes intelligence, planning, bravery, and a team (which sounds like everyone on the face of the earth: the council, foundation, board, schools, volunteers ...).
I now feel excitement rather than nervousness as the telethon approaches having a better idea of what exactly goes on.
The two things I learned .... 1) IT is going to take a lot of time and hard work, but will be awesome! And the entire face of the earth will be behind us and they have a lot of experience doing this. 2) I am really lucky to work for an organization and with a group of experiences, talented, intelligent, brave, and possibly crazy people that take on things like this. I don't suppose you all sky dive or base jump in your spare time if you have any?
It felt really good to sit in a room full of people listening to all of the great things that our library, community, and organization ... and I am a part of it!
Karye and I attended a session of the Auditorium Speaker Series on Sat, June 28 at 1:30 pm. We saw Greg Mortenson,author of the New York Times bestseller, Three Cups of Tea. He spoke about why he established the nonprofit Central Asia Institute and why he wrote his book. I learned: 1) his book is about his efforts to promote literacy in remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan 2)there is a saying in Pakistan that "if you educate a boy, you educate an individual; if you educate a girl, you educate a entire community." I am so glad that Karye suggested we attend this program, as it was very powerful. Casey
My first program today was "Dewey or Don't We". Maricopa County's Library that uses a bookstore arrangement with BISAC headings (popular subjects) rather than Dewey. Besides the lack of Dewey, they also outsource everything at their library: cataloging & processing (nothing new here, we do this with Brodart), but they also outsource materials selection and library management, they are run by LSSI. Only one service desk, reference staff are "roving." I was wondering just what the professional staff did in their library, if they even had a place. They spent a lot of time showing how effective the lack of Dewey was, and how satisfied their "customers" are. One of the most interesting things happened during the Q & A session, a woman in a pink shirt stood up about three times and objected to the use of the word "customer" rather than "patron" it became kind of humorous to the audience, as it was a really heated, lengthy response over the choice of one word. I do like their service model, they are "customer centered". Defined as: 1) asking the customer what they want 2) listening to the customer and 3) acting on what is learned.
The last program of the day I attended was by chance, I ended up on the 3rd floor at "Science Fiction & Fantasy: Looking at Information Technology and the Information Rights of the Individual". Presented by four science fiction/fantasy authors: Cory Doctorow, Brandon Sanderson, Vernor Vinge, and Eric Flint. Don, I didn't see you there, but I think I attended your program :-) Each author spoke for about 15-20 minutes and put their own spin on the topic, going in different directions. The most intriguing, accessible speaker was Brandon Sanderson, so much so, he nearly convinced me to read more "fantasy." I am not a scifi reader, an occasional fantasy read is okay. He started by talking about how he was a science major, but found out that chemistry was all math, it was not about experiments and blowing things up. His lack of math ability led to a change of major to "English". My kind of guy. His talk was on the concept of "uchronia" in fantasy literature, aka an idealized time period smilar to utopia. That through Tolkien and Harry Potter we have wizards who become heroes, they master the magic (technology & science). He implied that the popularity of fantasy genre trends reflect our society. He talked about being a reluctant reader until he was given a fantasy novel in the 8th grade, which taught him a love of reading. A powerful message on giving children and teens books they enjoy. I received a bag of *4* free books, by each author. I see more book donations. Although I was inspired, so I may read one or two of these.
This was a program on libraries that have recently been remodeled. It featured the library at the University of Massacusettes (the tallest academic library in the world, 22 stories high! The director said there were many good reasons why no one has ever broken this record...), the Camas Public Library in Washington state (Camas is across the river from Portland, OR), and the University of Rochester (NY) Library.
I found the program to be interesting, particularly the general format because they first had a librarian speak about their building program, and what they wanted to make happen, and then the architect spoke about the technical nuts and bolts to make it all happen. There were plenty of "before and after" photos, and explanations of why things were done the way they were. I also learned the difference between what an "information commons" (a room full of computers) and a "learning commons" (computers but also a space that encourages social networking because there is food and drink (a BIG deal to students in academic libraries), study rooms (with white boards, another big deal to students), comfy furniture, and support staff. (Students do not differentiate between libraries, computer support, and the people who change toner in photocopiers).
All of the remodels shown were not massive in scope. And from what I could tell, this program was done by the libraries just to show off what they did (and none of what they did was particularly groundbreaking; the changes we are going to make at Archibald would stand up to anything they did).
And for some reason, this program had all kinds of technical difficulties! It started late because the microphones weren't working, and during the first presentation, the computer died! (Once they got another laptop, the version of PPT wasn't compatible so it took at least another 15 minutes to find a laptop that had Office 2007 on it). And then this new laptop died! (The pwer supply at the lectern was apparently bad. So while people on the podium are trying to get things fixed, nothing was going on. Not good when the room was full! Considering this was the same room that our fundraising program was in, it was a good thing I didn't plug our laptop into the podium!)
I did enjoy this program and there were a couple of interesting ideas that came out of it:
- Put a "phone booth" in the library. No phone, but a place for someone with a cell phone can talk and not disturb anyone.
- After the remodel at one of the academic libraries, they put out white boards around the remodelled areas and solicited feedback. I mean it's not like you can change the color if people don't like it, but I liked this idea.
On Sunday afternoon, a bunch of us went to "It's Great to Be in the Library...Wherever that is?"
The reason I know I went was because Joe Janes was the featured speaker. (Joe Janes is a professor in the UW library school and is just a very entertaining speaker). His talk centered around how the library today has morphed beyond just a room full of books, and that you can "be" in "the library" not only in the actual building but also when in a branch, or in a bookmobile or online in a virtual library. Nothing revolutionary here, but he still was very good.
One thing he said was that one thing we are not good at was as the virtual institution. And I would agree here. But at the same time, he said that the virtual environment was our challenge to go where the user is. And again I agree. But I would also say that one thing we can say in Rancho is that with VG, we have *physically* gone where the user is. And this concept is really different. Particularly this summer with the closure of Archibald, it shows how much the people in Rancho value (and use) their physical, "traditional" libraries. So we are definitely doing something right.
After Joe Janes spoke, there was some reactor panel that didn't make much sense.
I would be curious to hear what others have to say about Joe Janes...
Between workshops on Sunday, I stopped by the wellness fair where I picked up a "nap wheel," which apparently helps you determine just how long of a nap you need to boost your creativity, refine your motor skills, or improve your memory. Unfortunately, I can't seem to make any sense of this thing, probably because I’m in such dire need of a nap. I also spoke with a librarian from the National Library of Medicine who attempted to convince me that I should run a marathon (I was still thinking about napping, so this didn’t strike me as the greatest idea). I was expecting a little more from the wellness fair, to be honest. Seated hula dancing and chair yoga demonstrations are well and good, but I thought it would have more to do with green buildings and sustainability.
Right next to the wellness fair was the PR Swap and Shop, where I grabbed a bag and loaded it up with samples of mailings, calendars, advertisements, newsletters, annual reports, and other cool PR stuff. There was a good amount of Big Read materials that other libraries have done. I love the idea of making eye-catching, professional-quality postcards advertising Big Read events and sending them out all over the community, both in the mail and in person. I also thought it might be nice to print our name and logo, plus maybe a little “green libraries” symbol, on a bunch of reusable tote-style bags and give them out to patrons when they check out materials. People could take their books back and forth to the library in them, and also use them as reusable grocery bags.
Later in the day, I hopped on and off several of the bookmobiles (I missed the parade, but they were parked in the parking lot afterwards). Of course, ours is the coolest one, hands-down. Anaheim has two very nice bookmobiles, and the Fullerton one was impressive too. Most were from the southern CA area, but one made the trip all the way down from Alameda County (this must have cost a fortune in gas!) I was surprised by the amount of adult materials on many of the bookmobiles. It seems that bookmobiles aren’t just for kids.
On Sunday, a few of us went to check out some bookmobiles (including our own) that were on display.
Some were OK but ours was the best. It was just packed full of interesting books that kids want to read (as opposed to trying to create some kind of well-rounded collection for many different age groups). And even though it was one of the older vehicles there, I think our graphics are still the best and eye-catching.
Thanks to Jason for taking the bookmo out and showing it off.
I love the swap and shop. It's a great way to get some good PR ideas. This is a just a clearinghouse of libraries' promotional materials from the past year. There are hundreds just sitting on the table for you to take home with you. It's quite a frenzy though - lots of vultures swooping in to grab what they can! (Cara and Jenn were vulturing with me...)
At 8:00am on Mon, I attended an OCLC presentation about the segmentation of library supporters and voter scenarios. Basically, they did a study to see who is in favor of giving the library finanical support and whether these people will really follow through when it comes time to vote. What I learned: 1) a person's perception of the librarian plays an important role in their feelings about the library. 2) the people who use the library the most are the least likely to vote yes for financial support for it. Their actual report comes out in a couple of weeks, and I'm sure it will be a topic of discussion in many libraries around the country.t
Dewey or Don’t We. Jeremy Reeder, Branch Operations Coordinator,, Cindy Kolaczyniski, Deputy Director, Harry Courtright, Director and County Librarian - all from Maricopa County Library District.
I was very interested in attending this program since it focused on the controversial use of a non Dewey decimal classification system for a public library. The Perry Branch Library is a popular materials library, which is a 28,000 square foot joint use facility on a high school campus. It has about 40,000 items which are arranged using the bookstore model - merchandising is key!
The key step in creating the Perry Branch Library was to act on what they learned from what the customer wanted. They have little written policies. They trust their employees to solve customer problems. Harry Courtright stressed listening to what your community wanted and acting upon those needs. The abilitity to change and be flexible to customer’s needs is vital. The phrase “always done that way” was obsolete.
Harry Courtright riled up a few people in the audience. He is a proponent of outsourcing cataloging and collection development - “80% of the collection every public library carries, right?” He made a few people in the packed audiences uncomfortable by declaring that no public library needs a cataloger.
During the question and answer period, one woman wouldn’t sit down because she objected to his use of the word “customer” and quite a few of audience members were shouting “sit down!” (Karye might have heard me.) The woman next to me laughed and said she’d never been to a workshop like this.
ALA EMpowerment: Man Overboard! Sunday 8-10 Gail Johnson & Pam Parr
Jennifer, Heather, Lorena, and I all attended this one together. As Jennifer said, these women were full of energy, which really made the program dynamic and entertaining. There were a couple of questionable moments with singing, but it was all in good fun and made for a relaxed learning environment and helped us all to wake up.
The presenters related thinking on your feet, often the bad or conflict situations we deal with, to surfing. Some of the sample situations where one needs to think on their feet as discussed by the group: public intoxication, inappropriate teenagers, inappropriate computer viewing, vomiting children.
The relation between surfing and library work paralleled on several levels. Surfing is fun, challenging, and can be difficult if you don't know what you are doing jsut like library work. You also need the right tools to do both.
Gail & Pam reccomended going in to these difficult situations with self confidence, positive self talk, and an awareness of what you can and can't do. It sounds easy and their reccomendations applied to everyday life as well as work.
Utilize the great instructors around you and watch how they handle situations - create a "what if" catalog in your mind of possible scenarios and reactions. Most importantly, know when to get out of a situation and how.
One of my favorite things was when they were talking about being positive and using positive self talk. They said reaplace all of your shoulds/musts/have-tos with could, otherwise "you'll end up leading a shouldy life." That is funny and true! My dad used to say to me "honey, you are only the one living in the land of should."
Another great tip was that "laughter is the shortest point between two people." I think we laugh a lot here and that helps us all get along and, I learned in another class, will help you learn.
I would reccomend seeing a class from them and attend another from them!
I attended "Library Fundraising on Steroids" on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. as well. I haven't participated in the Telethon yet so I was very interested to find out more about it. I thought Debi, Robert and Michelle did a great job of giving the details of how this fundraiser works for us and can be adapted to other libraries.
I attended "Science Fiction and Fantasy: Looking at Information Technology and the Information Rights of the Individual" on Saturday at 4 p.m., though I didn't see Karye because it was a large room and full - it was a popular program with few empty seats. I was looking forward to this program because fantasy and SF have long been my favorite genres (and ones that I help with now in collection development).
Four authors spoke. Vernor Vinge is a well regarded author but unfortunately not a compelling speaker. Brandon Sanderson, the fantasy author that Karye described, was my favorite speaker as well. I liked his suggestion to teach people to love books first by encouraging them to read what they're interested in (which can result in a lifelong love of reading), rather than forcing them to read what we believe is "good for them".
Eric Flynn had some interesting points about problems with copyright law. I was not aware that some authors were making the full text of their books available online (Free Library at www.baen.com). The last speaker, Cory Doctorow, spoke on similar themes and his book "Little Brother" is available free online as well.
I also attended "Isn't It Great to Be in the Library (Wherever That Is)" on Sunday at 4 p.m., with Joe Janes and a panel of bloggers. I was a bit disappointed with this program, as I felt that Janes was speaking in general terms and sometimes stating the obvious, but maybe that's because I've been attending so many tech programs that focus in detail on the library's virtual presence. I did like Janes' analogy of a librarian being like a priest, being "on duty" everywhere he or she goes.
One of the programs I crashed for a short time was "Global Trends Affecting Libraries". When I walked in the presenter (Miriam Pollack from Pollak & Associates) was talking about the trend of the Pet Economy. Basically, she thinks the fact that people are spending increasing amounts on their pets for things like pet-icures, pet plastic surgery, gourmet pet foods, etc., is a huge library trend to watch. I have to admit I was a bit like "is she for real."
She did finally start talking some sense and give some ways people can track trends:
-Know why you are tracking trends -Be open to new ideas -Look cross industry -Try stuff out -Distrust straight lines
As Stacey Aldrich told us back in December, there are lots people out there watching trends and monitoring their thinking can help. Here are few this presenter mentioned:
MIT Technology Review Steven Abrams blog - http://stephenslighthouse.sirsidynix.com/
One idea she had that I’d like to try in the future is to form a trend group that picks areas to discuss and study, and finds ways to apply ideas regarding the trends. The group could be library people or a mix of outside-the-library people.
17 comments:
Library Fundraising on Steroids
Saturday 10:30-12
Debi Clark, Robert Karatsu, Michelle Perera
My first program of the day and by far the best! This was a nuts and bolts program about how to create, plan, and run a telethon and house raffle. I had NO IDEA what it takes.
I think the program was delivered in an entertaining and realistic manner. None of this easy, but it is doable. It takes intelligence, planning, bravery, and a team (which sounds like everyone on the face of the earth: the council, foundation, board, schools, volunteers ...).
I now feel excitement rather than nervousness as the telethon approaches having a better idea of what exactly goes on.
The two things I learned ....
1) IT is going to take a lot of time and hard work, but will be awesome! And the entire face of the earth will be behind us and they have a lot of experience doing this.
2) I am really lucky to work for an organization and with a group of experiences, talented, intelligent, brave, and possibly crazy people that take on things like this. I don't suppose you all sky dive or base jump in your spare time if you have any?
It felt really good to sit in a room full of people listening to all of the great things that our library, community, and organization ... and I am a part of it!
Karye and I attended a session of the Auditorium Speaker Series on Sat, June 28 at 1:30 pm. We saw Greg Mortenson,author of the New York Times bestseller, Three Cups of Tea. He spoke about why he established the nonprofit Central Asia Institute and why he wrote his book. I learned:
1) his book is about his efforts to promote literacy in remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan
2)there is a saying in Pakistan that "if you educate a boy, you educate an individual; if you educate a girl, you educate a entire community."
I am so glad that Karye suggested we attend this program, as it was very powerful.
Casey
My first program today was "Dewey or Don't We". Maricopa County's Library that uses a bookstore arrangement with BISAC headings (popular subjects) rather than Dewey. Besides the lack of Dewey, they also outsource everything at their library: cataloging & processing (nothing new here, we do this with Brodart), but they also outsource materials selection and library management, they are run by LSSI. Only one service desk, reference staff are "roving." I was wondering just what the professional staff did in their library, if they even had a place. They spent a lot of time showing how effective the lack of Dewey was, and how satisfied their "customers" are. One of the most interesting things happened during the Q & A session, a woman in a pink shirt stood up about three times and objected to the use of the word "customer" rather than "patron" it became kind of humorous to the audience, as it was a really heated, lengthy response over the choice of one word. I do like their service model, they are "customer centered". Defined as: 1) asking the customer what they want 2) listening to the customer and 3) acting on what is learned.
The last program of the day I attended was by chance, I ended up on the 3rd floor at "Science Fiction & Fantasy: Looking at Information Technology and the Information Rights of the Individual". Presented by four science fiction/fantasy authors: Cory Doctorow, Brandon Sanderson, Vernor Vinge, and Eric Flint.
Don, I didn't see you there, but I think I attended your program :-) Each author spoke for about 15-20 minutes and put their own spin on the topic, going in different directions. The most intriguing, accessible speaker was Brandon Sanderson, so much so, he nearly convinced me to read more "fantasy." I am not a scifi reader, an occasional fantasy read is okay. He started by talking about how he was a science major, but found out that chemistry was all math, it was not about experiments and blowing things up. His lack of math ability led to a change of major to "English". My kind of guy. His talk was on the concept of "uchronia" in fantasy literature, aka an idealized time period smilar to utopia. That through Tolkien and Harry Potter we have wizards who become heroes, they master the magic (technology & science). He implied that the popularity of fantasy genre trends reflect our society. He talked about being a reluctant reader until he was given a fantasy novel in the 8th grade, which taught him a love of reading. A powerful message on giving children and teens books they enjoy.
I received a bag of *4* free books, by each author. I see more book donations. Although I was inspired, so I may read one or two of these.
Tomorrow's Libraries in Today's Spaces...
This was a program on libraries that have recently been remodeled. It featured the library at the University of Massacusettes (the tallest academic library in the world, 22 stories high! The director said there were many good reasons why no one has ever broken this record...), the Camas Public Library in Washington state (Camas is across the river from Portland, OR), and the University of Rochester (NY) Library.
I found the program to be interesting, particularly the general format because they first had a librarian speak about their building program, and what they wanted to make happen, and then the architect spoke about the technical nuts and bolts to make it all happen. There were plenty of "before and after" photos, and explanations of why things were done the way they were. I also learned the difference between what an "information commons" (a room full of computers) and a "learning commons" (computers but also a space that encourages social networking because there is food and drink (a BIG deal to students in academic libraries), study rooms (with white boards, another big deal to students), comfy furniture, and support staff. (Students do not differentiate between libraries, computer support, and the people who change toner in photocopiers).
All of the remodels shown were not massive in scope. And from what I could tell, this program was done by the libraries just to show off what they did (and none of what they did was particularly groundbreaking; the changes we are going to make at Archibald would stand up to anything they did).
And for some reason, this program had all kinds of technical difficulties! It started late because the microphones weren't working, and during the first presentation, the computer died! (Once they got another laptop, the version of PPT wasn't compatible so it took at least another 15 minutes to find a laptop that had Office 2007 on it). And then this new laptop died! (The pwer supply at the lectern was apparently bad. So while people on the podium are trying to get things fixed, nothing was going on. Not good when the room was full! Considering this was the same room that our fundraising program was in, it was a good thing I didn't plug our laptop into the podium!)
I did enjoy this program and there were a couple of interesting ideas that came out of it:
- Put a "phone booth" in the library. No phone, but a place for someone with a cell phone can talk and not disturb anyone.
- After the remodel at one of the academic libraries, they put out white boards around the remodelled areas and solicited feedback. I mean it's not like you can change the color if people don't like it, but I liked this idea.
RK
On Sunday afternoon, a bunch of us went to "It's Great to Be in the Library...Wherever that is?"
The reason I know I went was because Joe Janes was the featured speaker. (Joe Janes is a professor in the UW library school and is just a very entertaining speaker). His talk centered around how the library today has morphed beyond just a room full of books, and that you can "be" in "the library" not only in the actual building but also when in a branch, or in a bookmobile or online in a virtual library. Nothing revolutionary here, but he still was very good.
One thing he said was that one thing we are not good at was as the virtual institution. And I would agree here. But at the same time, he said that the virtual environment was our challenge to go where the user is. And again I agree. But I would also say that one thing we can say in Rancho is that with VG, we have *physically* gone where the user is. And this concept is really different. Particularly this summer with the closure of Archibald, it shows how much the people in Rancho value (and use) their physical, "traditional" libraries. So we are definitely doing something right.
After Joe Janes spoke, there was some reactor panel that didn't make much sense.
I would be curious to hear what others have to say about Joe Janes...
RK
Between workshops on Sunday, I stopped by the wellness fair where I picked up a "nap wheel," which apparently helps you determine just how long of a nap you need to boost your creativity, refine your motor skills, or improve your memory. Unfortunately, I can't seem to make any sense of this thing, probably because I’m in such dire need of a nap. I also spoke with a librarian from the National Library of Medicine who attempted to convince me that I should run a marathon (I was still thinking about napping, so this didn’t strike me as the greatest idea). I was expecting a little more from the wellness fair, to be honest. Seated hula dancing and chair yoga demonstrations are well and good, but I thought it would have more to do with green buildings and sustainability.
Right next to the wellness fair was the PR Swap and Shop, where I grabbed a bag and loaded it up with samples of mailings, calendars, advertisements, newsletters, annual reports, and other cool PR stuff. There was a good amount of Big Read materials that other libraries have done. I love the idea of making eye-catching, professional-quality postcards advertising Big Read events and sending them out all over the community, both in the mail and in person. I also thought it might be nice to print our name and logo, plus maybe a little “green libraries” symbol, on a bunch of reusable tote-style bags and give them out to patrons when they check out materials. People could take their books back and forth to the library in them, and also use them as reusable grocery bags.
Later in the day, I hopped on and off several of the bookmobiles (I missed the parade, but they were parked in the parking lot afterwards). Of course, ours is the coolest one, hands-down. Anaheim has two very nice bookmobiles, and the Fullerton one was impressive too. Most were from the southern CA area, but one made the trip all the way down from Alameda County (this must have cost a fortune in gas!) I was surprised by the amount of adult materials on many of the bookmobiles. It seems that bookmobiles aren’t just for kids.
On Sunday, a few of us went to check out some bookmobiles (including our own) that were on display.
Some were OK but ours was the best. It was just packed full of interesting books that kids want to read (as opposed to trying to create some kind of well-rounded collection for many different age groups). And even though it was one of the older vehicles there, I think our graphics are still the best and eye-catching.
Thanks to Jason for taking the bookmo out and showing it off.
RK
Swap and Shop!
I love the swap and shop. It's a great way to get some good PR ideas. This is a just a clearinghouse of libraries' promotional materials from the past year. There are hundreds just sitting on the table for you to take home with you. It's quite a frenzy though - lots of vultures swooping in to grab what they can! (Cara and Jenn were vulturing with me...)
Michelle
At 8:00am on Mon, I attended an OCLC presentation about the segmentation of library supporters and voter scenarios. Basically, they did a study to see who is in favor of giving the library finanical support and whether these people will really follow through when it comes time to vote. What I learned:
1) a person's perception of the librarian plays an important role in their feelings about the library.
2) the people who use the library the most are the least likely to vote yes for financial support for it.
Their actual report comes out in a couple of weeks, and I'm sure it will be a topic of discussion in many libraries around the country.t
Dewey or Don’t We. Jeremy Reeder, Branch Operations Coordinator,, Cindy Kolaczyniski, Deputy Director, Harry Courtright, Director and County Librarian - all from Maricopa County Library District.
I was very interested in attending this program since it focused on the controversial use of a non Dewey decimal classification system for a public library. The Perry Branch Library is a popular materials library, which is a 28,000 square foot joint use facility on a high school campus. It has about 40,000 items which are arranged using the bookstore model - merchandising is key!
The key step in creating the Perry Branch Library was to act on what they learned from what the customer wanted. They have little written policies. They trust their employees to solve customer problems. Harry Courtright stressed listening to what your community wanted and acting upon those needs. The abilitity to change and be flexible to customer’s needs is vital. The phrase “always done that way” was obsolete.
Harry Courtright riled up a few people in the audience. He is a proponent of outsourcing cataloging and collection development - “80% of the collection every public library carries, right?” He made a few people in the packed audiences uncomfortable by declaring that no public library needs a cataloger.
During the question and answer period, one woman wouldn’t sit down because she objected to his use of the word “customer” and quite a few of audience members were shouting “sit down!” (Karye might have heard me.) The woman next to me laughed and said she’d never been to a workshop like this.
ALA EMpowerment: Man Overboard!
Sunday 8-10
Gail Johnson & Pam Parr
Jennifer, Heather, Lorena, and I all attended this one together. As Jennifer said, these women were full of energy, which really made the program dynamic and entertaining. There were a couple of questionable moments with singing, but it was all in good fun and made for a relaxed learning environment and helped us all to wake up.
The presenters related thinking on your feet, often the bad or conflict situations we deal with, to surfing. Some of the sample situations where one needs to think on their feet as discussed by the group: public intoxication, inappropriate teenagers, inappropriate computer viewing, vomiting children.
The relation between surfing and library work paralleled on several levels. Surfing is fun, challenging, and can be difficult if you don't know what you are doing jsut like library work. You also need the right tools to do both.
Gail & Pam reccomended going in to these difficult situations with self confidence, positive self talk, and an awareness of what you can and can't do. It sounds easy and their reccomendations applied to everyday life as well as work.
Utilize the great instructors around you and watch how they handle situations - create a "what if" catalog in your mind of possible scenarios and reactions. Most importantly, know when to get out of a situation and how.
One of my favorite things was when they were talking about being positive and using positive self talk. They said reaplace all of your shoulds/musts/have-tos with could, otherwise "you'll end up leading a shouldy life." That is funny and true! My dad used to say to me "honey, you are only the one living in the land of should."
Another great tip was that "laughter is the shortest point between two people." I think we laugh a lot here and that helps us all get along and, I learned in another class, will help you learn.
I would reccomend seeing a class from them and attend another from them!
I attended "Library Fundraising on Steroids" on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. as well. I haven't participated in the Telethon yet so I was very interested to find out more about it. I thought Debi, Robert and Michelle did a great job of giving the details of how this fundraiser works for us and can be adapted to other libraries.
I attended "Science Fiction and Fantasy: Looking at Information Technology and the Information Rights of the Individual" on Saturday at 4 p.m., though I didn't see Karye because it was a large room and full - it was a popular program with few empty seats. I was looking forward to this program because fantasy and SF have long been my favorite genres (and ones that I help with now in collection development).
Four authors spoke. Vernor Vinge is a well regarded author but unfortunately not a compelling speaker. Brandon Sanderson, the fantasy author that Karye described, was my favorite speaker as well. I liked his suggestion to teach people to love books first by encouraging them to read what they're interested in (which can result in a lifelong love of reading), rather than forcing them to read what we believe is "good for them".
Eric Flynn had some interesting points about problems with copyright law. I was not aware that some authors were making the full text of their books available online (Free Library at www.baen.com). The last speaker, Cory Doctorow, spoke on similar themes and his book "Little Brother" is available free online as well.
I also attended "Isn't It Great to Be in the Library (Wherever That Is)" on Sunday at 4 p.m., with Joe Janes and a panel of bloggers. I was a bit disappointed with this program, as I felt that Janes was speaking in general terms and sometimes stating the obvious, but maybe that's because I've been attending so many tech programs that focus in detail on the library's virtual presence. I did like Janes' analogy of a librarian being like a priest, being "on duty" everywhere he or she goes.
One of the programs I crashed for a short time was "Global Trends Affecting Libraries". When I walked in the presenter (Miriam Pollack from Pollak & Associates) was talking about the trend of the Pet Economy. Basically, she thinks the fact that people are spending increasing amounts on their pets for things like pet-icures, pet plastic surgery, gourmet pet foods, etc., is a huge library trend to watch. I have to admit I was a bit like "is she for real."
She did finally start talking some sense and give some ways people can track trends:
-Know why you are tracking trends
-Be open to new ideas
-Look cross industry
-Try stuff out
-Distrust straight lines
As Stacey Aldrich told us back in December, there are lots people out there watching trends and monitoring their thinking can help. Here are few this presenter mentioned:
MIT Technology Review
Steven Abrams blog - http://stephenslighthouse.sirsidynix.com/
One idea she had that I’d like to try in the future is to form a trend group that picks areas to discuss and study, and finds ways to apply ideas regarding the trends. The group could be library people or a mix of outside-the-library people.
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