Whats New &

Whats
Best @ Your Public
Library
@ your library
Ann K. Symons
Past President
American Library Association
Librarian, Moscow and St. Petersburg
The Anglo-American School
www.aas.ru
@ your library
Who am I?

60 years: an avid public library
user

36 years: a librarian

A library advocate, a wife, a
mother, a friend, a traveler, a
hunter -- of information
Best Practices
Programs, initiatives or
activities which are
considered leading edge, or
exceptional models for
others to follow
Best Practices
#1: "customized" service

#2: Reflecting Community

#3: Reaching Out to Teens
Free Internet Access*
Not Leading Edge
Free public Internet Access

99% of all public libraries in the United
States offer free internet access to users

In 2006 61% of public libraries will offer
wireless internet access, up from 36.7% in
2004

[Public Libraries & the Internet http://www.ii.fsu.edu/plinternet_findings.cfm]



#1-Customized Service
Best practice - #1 - "customized"
service

Meeting the needs of the patron in the
way that best suits each individual
patron by both promoting the library as
place and at the same time
dramatically increasing remote services
to patrons

Guidelines for Implementing and Maintaining Virtual Reference
Services
http://www.ala.org/ala/rusa/rusaprotools/referenceguide/virtrefguidelines.htm
Virtual Reference
Virtual reference is reference service initiated
electronically, often in real-time, where
patrons employ computers or other Internet
technology to communicate with reference
staff, without being physically present.
Communication channels used frequently in
virtual reference include chat,
videoconferencing, Voice over IP, co-browsing,
e-mail, and instant messaging.
Ask - You Own Way
Visual Clues
My Account
My Account allows you to manage your library card
online:
Change your PIN
Change your e-address.
Check the status of your holds
Pay Fines
Renew items
Save searches
Put books in your basket
Have books mailed to you if you qualify as
homebound
Digital Library Services
ListenIllinois provides patrons from participating
libraries with a large collection of digital
audiobooks available for checkout, all thanks to
your local library!!

Patron Initiated
Interlibrary Loan
MeLCat is here!

The Ann Arbor District Library is pleased to
announce the return of patron-initiated interlibrary
loan service through the Michigan eLibrary Catalog
(MeLCat), a statewide-shared catalog.You may
request interlibrary loans directly by going to
MeLCat. There is also a link to MeLCat from the
Request ILL page on our website
Library As Place
Seattle Public Library
Do It Online
Your library online
Anything you can do in the library, provide a
way to do it online, 24/7 --- e-books, e-audio,
online reference, online full-text magazines,
newspapers, digital collections, online
discussions, blogs, wikis, book reviews, online
programs and displays, community services
database, online tours, podcasting of
storytimes and other programs, etc.
Sharon Morris, Colorado State
Seattle Public Library


Big
Bold
Dynamic
#2 - Reflecting Community
Queens - A Leader in Diversity
Interpreters to help you use the library
Russian Home, Vietnamese Home, Spanish Home,
French Home, Chinese Home
Leaders Serving Diverse Populations
Queens Borough Public Library
www.queenslibrary.org
Toronto Public Library
www.tpl.toronto.on.ca
Seattle Public Library
www.spl.org

#3 -Teen Services
#3 - Services to Teens are hot, digital, inclusive
- in and out of the library

Library Web Pages with Information/Graphics
for Teens
Teen Advisory Boards
Monies for Collection Development
Newsletters
Homework Centers
Help with Childrens Programs

Teen Central
http://www.phoenixteencentral.org/
Encourage customer input
find new ways to allow users to comment on
books they've read - hi tech or low tech

Engage with your users in new ways
start a blog - see Santa Fe PL's blog
http://santafelibrary.blogspot.com/
Share pictures of your library's
experiences - put up pictures on Flickr;
Open an instant messaging account
and put the login name on your main library
page
Think Creatively
Banish No- Say Yes
Banish no from your vocabulary
Cast all rules/limitations in
positives
No cell phones
Enjoy texting your friends but
please mute your phone while
in the library
Innovate
The drive-up window!!!!
Celebrate
U.S. Public Libraries
Take a virtual visit to some of
Americas best public libraries:
1. Ohio
2. Utah
3. Oregon
4. Indiana
5. Washington

Hennen's American Public Library
Ratings
http://www.haplr-index.com/HAPLR100.htm
Technology Leaders
Ann Arbor District Library
www.aadl.org
King County Public Library
www.kcls.org
Seattle Public Library
www.spl.org
Orange County Library System
www.ocls.org


Must See Public Library Websites
Ann Arbor District Library
www.aadl.org
Seattle Public Library
www.spl.org
King County Public Library
www.kcls.org
St. Joseph County Public Library
http://sjcpl.lib.in.us
Denver Public Library
www.denver.lib.co.us/

Vision - Staying Ahead of the
technology curve
Librarians continuing as early adapters
of technology
Libraries staying relevant with new
technologies
Finding ways to stay relevant in the
community
Adequate funding
The Challenge
Ann Arbor District Library
http://www.aadl.org/
AADL Values
Ann Arbor District Library Values

Excellence in customer service
Providing, supporting, and advocating
access for all
Acting with initiative, creativity, and
flexibility
Working together, with enthusiasm and
optimism, to reach goals
Responsible stewardship of resources
AADL Vision
Vision Statement

The Ann Arbor District Library provides
collections, programs, and leadership
to promote the development of literate
and informed citizens through open
and equal access to cultural,
intellectual, recreational, and
information resources.
24/7
Services
Useful Websites
American Library Association,
its divisions and conferences

Urban Library Council

OCLC
www.webjunction.com

The Future of the Internet II
http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/
PIP_Future_of_Internet_2006.pdf
A global, low-cost network thrives
English displaces other languages
Autonomous technology is a problem
Transparency builds a better world, even at the
expense of privacy
Virtual reality is a drain for some
The internet opens worldwide access to success
Some Luddites/Refuseniks will commit terror acts

* Half of the survey respondents disagreed
with each statement
Pew Internet II Conclusions* - 2020
By 2020
The majority of respondents to Pews
Future of the Internet II survey say:

Building network capacity and
technological knowledge should be top
priority including passing along
technological knowledge to those not
currently online.
Change
With thanks to.
Sally G. Reed, Executive Director, Friends of Libraries USA [FOLUSA]

Patricia Smith, Executive Director, Texas Library Association

Nancy Bolt, Nancy Bolt & Associates, former Colorado State Librarian, consultant,
and Past-President, Public Library Association

Jan Sanders, Director, Pasadena Public Library, President-Elect, Public Library
Association

Deborah Jacobs, Director, Seattle Public Library

Karen Schneider, Director, Librarians Index to the Internet

Peggy Barber & Linda Wallace, Library Communication Strategies Inc.

Dr. Joseph Janes, Associate Professor, The Information School, University of
Washington