HBO has been a long-standing sponsor of NYPL’s Summer Reading Program and since we’re in the off-season for television, it’s the perfect time for viewers to reacquaint themselves with books.

From the press release at the link below:

“Being storytellers, everything we do at HBO begins with the written word,” said Richard Pepler, Chairman & CEO, HBO. We have brought to life many phenomenal books over the years on the network, including current projects Fahrenheit 451, Big Little Lies, Sharp Objects and our biggest series ever Game of Thrones.”

Special book displays at NYPL’s 88 branches feature titles that have been adapted into HBO movies and shows. Librarians have put together read-alike lists for several HBO shows as well. The campaign has even gone nationwide. HBO donated a “bookshelf” of featured titles to 25 select libraries around the country. Other libraries can join in by creating their own displays promoting books that have been adapted to the screen. NYPL is helping drive traffic by encouraging online visitors to “find a library near you.”

Resources

NYPL Press Release

NYPL Blog Post

The post New York Public Library’s #ReadingIsLit Campaign first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

After typing the book title into the main Google search box, the Knowledge Panel displays results for buying the book with local library e-holdings below that. When the user clicks on their local library, they are taken to the Overdrive results page where they can either place the book on hold or check it out. If the book is not available as an e-book at any local libraries, the message “no results found near you. Please try another location” appears.

Google has not disclosed how it’s pulling the Overdrive information, but a recent Library Journal article said, “It appears that OverDrive has enabled Google’s web crawlers to access basic metadata regarding the content that the company has licensed to its customers, and Google is using geolocation information from IP addresses and mobile devices to refine individual user results, similar to the way Google would refine searches for restaurants or events.”

Overdrive began partnering with libraries in 2003 and now has 36,000 partners around the world. My library (Indianapolis Public Library) is one of the many libraries with the Overdrive platform and we’ve been offering e-books for many years. However, I still surprise patrons every day with the news that they can read e-books for free from the library! If we’re still working on publicizing our e-books to patrons who walk into the library, reaching those who don’t physically use the library is an even greater challenge. This new partnership with Google may just meet those reluctant library users right where they’re at.

Although some testers have argued that the search isn’t perfect (sometimes Google incorrectly shows an e-book isn’t available at the library and, of course, Google doesn’t display holdings from other e-book platforms), I would argue that the small imperfections aren’t much of a detriment to the overall goal of promoting library collections. Power library e-book users will already know to go directly to their library catalogs, and those unaware of the library’s e-book holdings will still see that their local library does indeed have e-books and will hopefully investigate further.

References

http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2017/10/technology/ebooks/google-directs-users-library-ebooks-overdrive/

http://blogs.overdrive.com/front-page-library-news/2017/10/26/google-overdrive-connecting-readers-e-books-local-library/

https://company.overdrive.com/company/who-we-are/history/

The post Google Now Directs Users to Library Ebooks first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The editors at The New York Times Book Review, a weekly paper magazine, created a wonderful guide for parents looking for that answer, “How to Raise a Reader.” Editor Pamela Paul, and Children’s Book Editor Maria Russo offer easy-to-follow steps for parents and caregivers as well numerous book recommendations for ages birth-teen. The guide also features fun illustrations by Dan Yaccarino to bring it to life (much like illustrations in children’s books). Russo said the spirit of the guide is “encourage your children to read all kinds of books, in all kinds of places, and to talk about them and share their enthusiasm.”[1]

The guide starts from the beginning: “Baby Books are a Necessity.” It touches on all the important stages: keeping them interested as toddlers and pre-schoolers; working with reluctant readers (and not worrying so much about exactly when a child learns to read); and making sure children see their parents reading regularly. It hits hard on the importance of libraries in the process. The guide suggests “regular trips to the library (even better as a family) to keep a constant stream of new and intriguing books around your house.” It further describes libraries as indispensable resources as they offer storytelling hours, author visits, community events for the whole family, and free computer access with kid-friendly games.

We hit hard on Every Child Ready to Read 2.0 in our library, and this guide gives more ideas for school-age reading to add to your librarian arsenal. What other guides/advice do you use with patrons looking to raise readers?

1. The New York Times, Times Insider, “Want to Raise Your Child to Love Reading? Read These Secrets” by Maria Russo, June 29, 2017.

The post How To Raise a Reader first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Library officials created an innovative approach for storing material below the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street with an emphasis on maintaining the greatest possible space. Dewey order was scrapped in favor of storing books by size, a system that will increase the repository’s capacity by 40 percent.

Books are organized into nine size categories, and staff members use book-sizing templates to determine where they will reside. To ensure the books can be located, a barcode on each item includes both basic bibliographic information (title, author, topic, summary, call numbers), as well as location information (room, aisle, shelf, tray) accessible only to library staff members.

A repository of this magnitude requires a high-tech, efficient retrieval system. Pick lists are sent every five minutes to an office in the Milstein Stacks. Staff members pull and place the requested material in one of the electric railroad’s twenty-four red cars that then make the five-minute trip to the circulation desks on the first and third floors of the main building. This new $2.6 million train system is nearly twice as fast as the previous chain-and-belt series of conveyors and is less prone to breaking down, and the cars can each carry up to thirty pounds.

The two subterranean floors that run westward below Bryant Park were originally excavated in the 1980s, but only the upper level opened in 1991. The lower level remained unfinished until this new renovation. The stacks are climate-controlled and are kept at 65 degrees with 40 percent humidity.

In the midst of major renovations to the flagship branch of New York Public Library, the roughly 2.5 million research materials were originally sent to the library’s storage facility in New Jersey. After critics lamented the lag time in receiving materials from miles away, it was decided to renovate the space with an $8 million donation from longtime library benefactors Abby and Howard Milstein so that the bulk of the research material would remain easily accessible.

Although roughly one million books remain in the New Jersey storage facility, librarians carefully selected which books to bring back (with an emphasis on those published in the last 100 years) and estimate the 1.5 million on-site materials will fulfill 90 percent of research requests. With capacity for more than four million items, underground space is also being kept free for the addition of the hundred thousand volumes acquired by New York Public Library each year.

References

Annie Quito, “The New York Public Library has adopted a very unusual sorting system,” Quartz, October 13, 2016.

“New York Public Library Installs New State-Of-The-Art Conveyor to Deliver Collection Items Throughout The Iconic 42nd Street Library,” press release by New York Public Library, September 21, 2016.

Corey Kilgannon, “Below Bryant Park, a Bunker and a Train Line, Just for Books,” New York Times, November 21, 2016.

Tom Mashberg, “Beneath New York Public Library, Shelving Its Past for High-Tech Research Stacks,” New York Times, November 15, 2016.

The post New York Public Library Opens Milstein Research Stacks first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Subway Reads was created to promote Wi-Fi service now available in 175 underground stations. The first six subway stations were wired in 2011 and all 278 underground stations are expected to be wired by the end of the year. In return, the promotion may prove an effective way to reach the younger, tech-savvy readers that publishers worry about losing to the myriad of other media available. If a reader gets sucked into ten minutes of a book and wants more, they can easily purchase the entire e-book.

Don’t live in New York, but have a commute elsewhere? You can still pull up the selection of novellas, ebook excerpts, and short stories on your favorite mobile reading device (as long as you can connect wirelessly). There’s a vast selection including current bestsellers The Girl on the Train (Paula Hawkins) and Underground Railroad (Colson Whitehead) ; classics Beloved (Toni Morrison) and Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Truman Capote); and children’s and YA favorites such as Wonder (R.J. Palacio) and Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret (Judy Blume).

Got 10 minutes? Find something to read now.

The post Subway Reads Offers Selections Based on Reading Times first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

While US library closures are not as staggering as Britain’s, we’re still losing them. The American Library Association’s State of America’s Libraries Report 2015 found “the number of states reporting library branch closures [was] only five this year. As in previous years, the number of closures in each state was between one and five libraries.”[3]

For many students, the public library is the only place they can go to access homework and research resources. The most recent Census numbers found that only 74.4 percent of US households have Internet access.[4] I spend much of my reference desk time from 3 p.m. on helping elementary students pull up homework assignments and search electronic encyclopedias and databases for their school work while their parents sit and look for jobs or access emails. It’s not just that librarians stand at the ready to help patrons access information, it’s that we have the tools and equipment needed to access much of that information, and not every household does.

My library branch is within walking distance to an elementary school, middle school, and a high school, and many of the older kids come straight to the library from school. Most of these kids come for a dedicated place to study—whether alone or with their classmates for group projects.

Bellamacina echoes a sentiment undoubtedly held by millions of library supporters across the United States: “It seems impossible to imagine education without libraries,” she wrote. “The library is not an idea, it is not an archetype, it is not endowment. Libraries are rooms. Rooms of hope, rooms of concentration, rooms of dream and study. They remain the last public spaces reserved for free and equal learning.”[5]

References:

[1] David Stone, “library funding cut by £50m,” press release by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy [website], December 9, 2015.

[2] Greta Bellamacina, “We can’t lose public libraries – they’re as crucial for students as ever,” Washington Post, February 5, 2016.

[3] American Library Association, Ed. Kathy S. Rosa, “The State of America’s Libraries 2015: A Report from the American Library Association,” American Libraries Magazine, April 2015, accessed March 24, 2016.

[4] Thom File and Camille Ryan, “Computer and Internet Use in the United States: 2013,” American Community Survey Reports, ACS-28 (U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC, 2014), 2.

[5] American Library Association, Ed. Kathy S. Rosa, “The State of America’s Libraries 2015: A Report from the American Library Association,” American Libraries Magazine, April 2015, accessed March 24, 2016.

The post We Can’t Lose Our Public Libraries—in Britain or America first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The State Park Centennial Annual Pass Library Check-out Program is a partnership between Indiana State Parks and the Indiana State Library  to encourage people to visit libraries and parks. The Indiana State Library helped pay for the program and distributed one state park pass to each of the 240 public library systems in the state.

The parks passes, which provide access to Indiana’s thirty-two state parks and also to Indiana’s state forest recreation areas are only available for checkout from January 1-December 31, 2016. The Indiana Public Library listserv has been alive with discussion about how each library is handling circulation policies for this unique program.

Some libraries have chosen to purchase additional park passes to meet patron demand. The Indianapolis Public Library is purchasing additional state park passes and the passes check out for one week at a time. The passes are sure to be in constant circulation. As of January 19, there were 173 requests for the passes at Indianapolis Public Library. It’s a win-win for the library: patrons are happy with the new perk, and it’s bringing in new patrons interested in the state parks who, in turn, can learn more about the library.

“I’m just amazed at the popularity of this initiative,” said Mike Williams, Area Resource Manager at the Indianapolis Public Library. “My family has always enjoyed using our Indiana State Park Pass, but I never thought about circulating one to Library patrons. Clearly there’s a huge demand for this type of service. I’m glad the State Parks are celebrating with all of the public libraries in Indiana.”

Resources:

Indiana State Library Partners with Indiana State Parks to Offer Pass “Check-Out” Program at All Public Libraries, InfoDocket.

Library program lets you “check-out” state parks, Indiana Department of Natural Resources

The post Check Out a State Parks Pass at Indiana Libraries first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Working with government policymakers: Stiftung Lesen’s Lesestart, a program in Germany, supports libraries in educating parents about the importance of reading aloud to their children. A mix of non-profit and government partners provide book packs to families with young children, including pediatricians, libraries, and schools. In receiving the book packs from diverse groups, Lesestart teaches parents that reading affects many facets of their children’s life and development.

Creating a community of literacy: The Family Reading Partnership, located in Ithaca, NY, targets parents and children at different stages of development to support early literacy in children ages 0-5. Expectant mothers receive a children’s picture book as well as an adult book on the importance of literacy at prenatal visits, and children receive a higher level book when they register for kindergarten, marking the next stage of education.

Selecting appropriate language of instruction: Worldreader, located in Barcelona, Spain, serves fifty countries in Africa and Asia in providing access to over 27,000 e-books in forty-three languages. Books are distributed through e-readers and mobile phones in low- and middle-income countries served where phones are often more common than bathrooms or running water. Large international publishers donate licenses and small local publishers give large discounts to some of their best works.

Literacy in service of social goals: Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop serves youth who have been charged as adults in Washington, DC jails and federal prisons. The three-stage program motivates inmates to read with both reading and writing projects.

Providing access to readers with disabilities: Men with a Message Braille Program relies on eleven residents of the James T. Vaughn Correctional Facility in Delaware who create materials for visually-impaired residents of Delaware, and the American Printing House allows much of their work to reach the entire nation. Visually-impaired readers request translation of materials that range from worksheets and textbooks from K-12 classrooms, poetry and plays, and religious texts used for worship.

Click here to read more about these and other extraordinary literacy programs. See if any of the innovative techniques spark ideas you can use in your own organization.

Sources

http://www.read.gov/documents/BestPractices2015.pdf

http://www.read.gov/literacyawards/index.html

The post Library of Congress Literacy Awards 2015: Best Practices first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

When looking at demographic groups (age, sex, race/ethnicity, household income, educational attainment, and community type), more than half of all people in each group owns a smartphone. The only two groups with lower smartphone ownership numbers are those ages sixty-five and older (30% own smartphones) and those who do not have a high school diploma (41% own smartphones).

Of the seven types of devices the Pew Research Center studies (cell phones, desktop/laptop computers, tablet computers, MP3 players, game consoles, e-book readers, and portable gaming devices), the only other device whose ownership is rising is tablet computers. In fact, the share of Americans who own a tablet computer has risen ten times since 2010, up to 45% from 4%. Perhaps as a direct result of sharp increases in smartphone and tablet computer ownership, e-readers have dramatically decreased in popularity. Only 19% of U.S. adults own e-readers, but 32% reported owning one in early 2014.

After cell phones, computers are the second most popular devices with some 73% of U.S. adults owning one. Interestingly, that number has dropped from 80% in 2012, likely due to the increase in smartphone and tablet computer ownership. Also on the decline, 40% of Americans own an MP3 player, down from the high point of 47% in 2010. Ownership numbers for both game consoles and portable gaming devices have remained the same in the past five years. 40% of Americans own a game console, while 14% own a portable gaming device.

The analysis in this new report is based primarily on telephone interviews conducted March 17-April 12, 2015 among a national sample of 1,907 adults ages eighteen and older living in all fifty states and the District of Columbia. For the full report, visit http://www.pewinternet.org/files/2015/10/PI_2015-10-29_device-ownership_FINAL.pdf.

Sources:

http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/10/29/technology-device-ownership-2015/

The post Technology Device Ownership: 2015 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

In a landmark legal case involving handguns in public libraries, Capital Area District Library (CADL) v. Michigan Open Carry (2012), the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that state law preempted the library’s weapons policy prohibiting firearms in the library. The case stemmed from an incident at the CADL downtown branch in Lansing, Mich., in which a man carried “what appeared to be a rifle or shotgun over his shoulder” and was thus required to leave the library. The library policy at that time stated that “all weapons are banned from Library premises to the fullest extent permitted by law.” Members of Michigan Open Carry appealed after a trial court upheld CADL’s weapons policy.

The Michigan Court of Appeals concluded that the library’s weapons policy was contrary to the restrictions set forth in the preemption statute found in Michigan Compiled Laws. That particular statute states that “a local unit of government” cannot have an ordinance or regulation of “pistols or other firearms.”

Michigan is far from the only state whose state law forbids public libraries from enforcing their own weapons policies. Gleason’s survey results found that gun laws in the fifty states range from strict gun control to limited gun control (and everything in between). The states in which state law precludes library policy on handguns and thus patrons may be able to carry their weapon in the building are as follows: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.

Take a look at Gleason’s full report to find out where your state stands with firearms restrictions. Is your library enforcing a weapons policy?

Source:

Gleason, Diana, 2015 Update: Can I Bring My Gun? A Fifty State Survey of Firearm Laws Impacting Policies Prohibiting Handguns in Public Libraries (May 13, 2015). Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2605937 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2605937

Correction:

The last paragraph was changed (third line). Originally stated can carry their weapons; now states may be able to carry. Also, Maryland was removed from the list in the same paragraph. 8/3/15.

The post Can I Bring My Gun to the Library? first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Of biggest interest to the coalition and libraries’ interest, the new “bright line” rules protect against internet service providers (ISPs) blocking, throttling, or prioritizing internet traffic. The FCC also increased transparency requirements so that ISPs must disclose prices and fees, as well as network practices and performance.

The Order also commands that ISPs cannot “unreasonably interfere with or unreasonably disadvantage” the ability of consumers to select the online content and services they want and the ability of content providers to reach those consumers.  The FCC cites library and public education comments proposing an “internet reasonable” standard that would protect the unique and open character of the Internet.

Of great importance to the coalition was ensuring libraries and educational institutions are explicitly included in network neutrality protections and to differentiate between public broadband internet access and private networks. The FCC specifically affirmed both points.

Finally, the FCC also created a standard for future conduct to address concerns that may arise with new technologies. According to the written order in the Federal Register, the Order leaves “in place a framework that will support regulatory action while simultaneously encouraging broadband investment, innovation, and deployment.”

Although the net neutrality battle may not be over, the FCC is prepared to roll with the unending technological changes and the ALA is set to continue voicing why it believes net neutrality is so vital for libraries and all their users.

Sources

https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/04/13/2015-07841/protecting-and-promoting-the-open-internet

http://www.districtdispatch.org/2015/03/net-neutrality-battle-continues-in-new-venues/

http://www.districtdispatch.org/2015/02/ala-applauds-fcc-vote-to-protect-open-internet/

http://www.educause.edu/blogs/jcummings/higher-edlibrary-views-impact-final-net-neutrality-order

The post Open Internet Order Now Effective first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

BPL turned to Tableau, a software company that offers a family of interactive data visualization products focused on business intelligence.  According to Manager of Strategic Initiatives Diana Plunkett, the hardest part of getting started was finding where the data would come from.  “We started with our simplest metrics, the ones that were easiest for us to capture. Our data around circulation is pretty clearly defined and pretty clearly understood, so that’s where we started,” said Plunkett.

Although much of the data BPL tracks is common (door count, program attendance, circulation, etc.), the data visualization reports help staff members make sense of the data. I took a look at some of the sample charts that BPL created through Tableau and am impressed with the results.  It’s one thing to look at door count numbers by hour, but to see those numbers in an attractive graph makes a much bigger impact:  http://public.tableausoftware.com/profile/bpl.it#!/vizhome/ShopperTrakv4/DoorCountbyHour

Not only does the visualization make the data more accessible, BPL makes the data available to everyone who works at the library.  I believe this is the single greatest benefit of Tableau’s capabilities and the way BPL is using it.  Giving all staff access to the data creates transparency across the organization since everyone can see the factors that are part of making decisions, and all staff members feel like they can lend a hand in making those decisions.  When data lives only within the IT Department and the Executive Committee, libraries miss out on the input of those on the front lines.

“A lot of the data we are displaying in these visualizations is data that was captured before, but there wasn’t an easy mechanism for everyone in the organization to see the result of that captured data all in one place,” Plunkett said.  “We find that people are more effective in their reporting because they can see the results. It’s not just being reported and it goes into a black hole somewhere. The visualizations make it so that people who aren’t used to diving in and mucking with the data can easily take a look at what’s going on, and understand what actions they can take as a result of it.”

Now that BPL has curated a set of data in Tableau and staff members are on board with the resource, the organization is looking to pull from local data sources as well as its own data warehouse for more ad-hoc analysis.  Plunkett believes the ad-hoc aspect will encourage more staff members to share their own ideas for data analysis and create more collective brain power.  BPL also plans to share some of the data with patrons as a way to increase awareness of the library’s services.  The appealing visual narratives might also be useful in proving the library’s importance to politicians and other stakeholders.

Sources:

http://diginomica.com/2015/02/18/how-the-brooklyn-public-library-data-visualization-a-better-library-with-tableau/

http://www.tableau.com/learn/stories/brooklyn-public-library-saves-time-money-and-headcount-tableau

http://www.ala.org/acrl/publications/keeping_up_with/big_data

The post Data Visualization for Public Libraries first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The primary goal of Health Happens in Libraries is to increase the capacity of library staff  to respond to patron requests for information regarding the Affordable Care Act. Libraries are uniquely situated to help patrons sift through the information and point them in the direction of qualified, professional help. Librarians can take part in regular free webinars and other training opportunities through the program. Additionally, they may subscribe to news updates to keep abreast of trends and hot topics.

Health Happens in Libraries also provides librarians a chance to share their success stories so we can all generate new ideas for health programming. Check out out the Library Stories section – you’ll find tons of great ideas: http://www.webjunction.org/explore-topics/ehealth/library-stories.html.

References
[1]http://webjunction.org/explore-topics/ehealth.html

Further Reading
http://www.imls.gov/assets/1/AssetManager/OppForAll2.pdf

The post Health Happens in Libraries first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The survey shows fairly large discrepancies between the major job functions and titles.  Among all full-time public librarians surveyed, the median 2013 income was $47,446, with salaries of library directors ranging between $20,000-$310,000.  Library Journal noted that compensation generally increases with the size of the library system, as does the number of staff with an MLIS degree.  Here’s a breakdown of the major public library job categories and their median income:

• Assistant Library Director–$65,825
• Library Director—$59,392 (lower because Assistant Library Director is generally only at larger library systems)
• Library/Branch Manager–$55,383
• Electronic Resources/Digital Content Management–$52,000
• Technical Services/Systems–$52,000
• Collection Development/Acquisitions–$51,334
• Adult/Public Services–$47,000
• Children’s Services–$47,000
• Reference/Information Services–$43,000
• Youth Services–$40,947
• Teen/YA Services–$40,000
• Circulation/Access Services–$33,000

Although there has been much discussion on the value of the MLIS degree, the survey concluded that those holding the degree made nearly 50% more than those working in academic or public libraries without the degree.   Also worth noting, although public libraries perennially deal with budget challenges, the average pay increase in 2013 was 2.9%.  Those who find that statistic shocking are likely amongst the 27% of library staff who reported no pay raise at all.

Perhaps the best news is how satisfied public librarians are with their jobs.  Seventy percent of public library workers are either “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with their jobs, with only 2% saying they’re “not at all satisfied” and 6% claiming to be “not too satisfied.”  Of those who aren’t satisfied, the top causes are lack of advancement opportunities, low salary, and lack of recognition.

Library systems who simply cannot afford staff pay raises should note that Library Journal stressed that raises aren’t what librarians want most.  Other things the study revealed would go a long way to increasing job satisfaction are as follows:  full-time jobs with benefits (many respondents cited their frustration with only finding part-time work); security in their positions and the chance to grow within the organization; non-monetary recognition for good work; stronger relationships with management; and an end to increased workloads.

So, that’s a summary of what 3,210 librarians and paralibrarians reported for their 2013 compensation.  How does your salary align with the averages?  Are any of the findings particularly surprising?

Source:

http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2014/07/careers/payday-lj-salary-survey-2014/

The post Library Journal Salary Survey 2014 first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The partnership was born from a conversation between IndyPL CEO, Jackie Nytes, and VP of Marketing for the Pacers, Rob Laycock, during a basketball game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Pacers introduced Google Glass as a new element of the live spectator experience during the March 26th home game against the Miami Heat. The second NBA team to use Google Glass, the Pacers outfitted the team’s announcer, Pacemates (dancers), and other court-side staff so that fans could get a court-side view on the Jumbotron. While the players haven’t used the technology during the games, they have experimented at practice. Fans have been able to see the hoop through the eyes of a 7’2” Center completing a slam dunk by way of video on the Jumbotron and Pacers website.

We were fortunate that the Pacers’ staff recognized our partnership as a unique opportunity for community outreach as we have the space and the built-in audience. Not only were we able to benefit from the name recognition and buzz that came from promotion including the “Pacers” at a library program, Laycock presented a well-received overview of both the capabilities of Google Glass and the exciting ways the Pacers have used the technology. This gave us an expert educator who could really bring life to the content by talking about what he has already done with the device. After a 30 minute interactive presentation, library staff pulled out 11 devices and allowed patrons to try Google Glass themselves.

We held the event in our Atrium, which is the hub of the library, so we had several patrons stop to watch for a short time or to try on the device before continuing to the business that had brought them to the library. We aggressively promoted the event on Facebook and Twitter and personally invited local tech groups, but the event was only announced 48 hours in advance, so it was an interesting exercise in last-minute organizing and promotion!

While we hope to do more programming with Google Glass, we are also eager to use this programming model in the future: informal drop-in events that include both an educational component with trusted experts as well as time for hands-on exploration. The hard part will be keeping up with each Next Big Thing in technology, and finding the right partners that can financially and knowledgeably share that with us and our patrons when we can’t do it alone.

The post Google Glass/[The Next Big Thing] at Indianapolis Public Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The speakers provided an overview of what two libraries were able to accomplish in health literacy in their community, as well as advice for how to set up similar programs in your own library. National Institutes of Health offers “Partners in Research” grants. Ann Arbor District Library and the University of Michigan Taubman Health Sciences Library, along with the Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research, partnered to “address the need for community engagement in clinical research by incorporating community expertise and knowledge in several innovative strategies designed to raise the level of literacy, awareness, and participation in clinical research.”

The partners planned Health Research Forums on 11 topics that were conducted over an 18 month period at the Ann Arbor District Library:

• Genetic Risks and Cancer
• Medical Innovations
• Overcoming Obesity
• Understanding Alzheimers
• Hungry Planet, Hungry Schools
• Women’s Heart & Health
• OCD Across the Lifespan
• Low Vision & Glaucoma
• The Other Women’s Cancers
• Prevention & Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes
• From Illness to Activist: Kris Carr Author of ‘Crazy Sexy Cancer Tips’

Their biggest turn-out was for “Overcoming Obesity” because they got “The Biggest Loser” star Pete Thomas to come as their lay expert. Surprisingly, patrons asked more questions of the researchers! Both libraries set up tables in the foyer to promote their health resources and the event was promoted on both Facebook and Twitter (with Kate live-tweeting each event).

Even without a grant, libraries can find partners who will work with them for free! Any organization funded by NIH has to go out in the community as part of their grant obligations, so look for those medical centers. Researchers always need people in clinical trials and they don’t want to be paid to come out and recruit. Other non-profit health organizations may also be willing to partner to provide free health literacy events.

Choate and Saylor recommended libraries look for their state’s outreach libraries and see if they can do trainings for patrons and/or staff. It could also be helpful to check with the State or County Health Department to see what health issues are the biggest concerns in your community. Many organizations are out there that are enthusiastic about spreading health literacy. Most are willing to partner with the public library for FREE since we often have the community space needed for such events as well as the consumers they need to reach.

The post Dispatches from PLA 2014: Creating a Health Literate City first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Indiana State Museum and IMAX Theatre
This museum offers a hands-on, three-story overview of Indiana’s history–from its prehistory to its 1816 statehood to the present day.If you’re looking for an escape, you can surround yourself with larger-than-life experiences in the six-story IMAX Theater that offers both 2D and 3D IMAX films.

Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art
One of only two museums east of the Mississippi to focus on both Native American and Western Art collections, the building houses pieces from T.C. Cannon; N.C. Wyeth; Andy Warhol; Georgia O’Keeffe; Allan Houser; Frederic Remington; Charles Russell and Kay WalkingStick.

NCAA Hall of Champions
A must-see for college sports fans, the museum includes trivia on 23 sports, video games that allow visitors to throw real balls at moving targets, a downhill skiing stimulator, and a theater video that explains what it’s like to be a student-athlete.

Indianapolis Zoo and White River Gardens
One of the nation’s Top 10 Zoos (according to TripAdvisor), the Indianapolis Zoo houses over 350 animal species on nearly 70 acres.A real treat is the world’s first submerged dolphin viewing experience.

Indiana Historical Society
Of special interest in this impressive building is “The Indiana Experience,” which uses new technology to immerse guests in stories of Indiana’s past. You’ll find yourself surrounded by actors and historic photographs that truly make you feel as though you’ve stepped back in time.Music lovers will enjoy the Cole Porter Room.

Mass Ave (Massachusetts Avenue)
This five-block area is a hotspot with theaters, restaurants, art galleries and a number of eclectic boutiques.

Libraries:

Central Library, Indianapolis Public Library
Put this at the top of your “to see” list! The Central Library is an impressive melding of old and new. The original 1917 Cret Building (designed by Paul Cret in the Greek Doric style) seamlessly connects to the glass six story addition with a soaring atrium serving as the hub. Grab a cup of coffee in the atrium café and make sure to take in the unobstructed skyline view from the 6th Floor.

Indiana State Library
Founded in 1825, the library has extensive research collections in genealogy and Indiana history. Visitors will be impressed with the walnut walls and bookcases, ornate ceilings and murals, and the stained glass windows.

Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library
The library includes a museum, art gallery and reading room that celebrates the literary and cultural contributions of Indianapolis native Kurt Vonnegut. Vonnegut fans will enjoy artifacts from the writer’s life (such as his typewriter from the 1970s, his Purple Heart, and an unopened, WWII-era letter from his father).

Attractions worth the trip out of downtown:

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
The largest (and, according to a recent survey done by USA Today, the best) children’s museum in the world, the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is a huge, five-level playground celebrating science, history, art, and culture.The current special exhibit is Animal Secrets!

Indianapolis Museum of Art
Located on 152 acres of splendid gardens and grounds, the museum’s permanent collection of more than 50,000 works spans a vast range of cultures and eras. Elsewhere on the grounds, visitors may tour the historic Oldfields estate and stroll through gardens designed in the 1920s by the famous Olmstead Brothers landscape design firm. Also of note is 100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art; Nature Park which showcases contemporary sculpture.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Arguably what Indy is best known for and an institution since 1909, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is not just a May destination.The Hall of Fame Museum houses one of the world’s largest collection of race cars, as well as the famous Borg-Warner Trophy.

Butler University
I’m a Butler graduate. However, this small liberal arts university is worth a trip if only for a stroll through the gorgeous 295 acre campus with perfectly manicured gardens and fountains and a tour of historic Hinkle Fieldhouse.

For more information:

http://www.placonference.org/

http://visitindy.com/

http://indydt.com/

http://www.imcpl.org/resources/guides/indiana/indy/

The post Get Ready for Indy! first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Billboards sell everything from soda to lawyers to hotels so why not sell libraries that way?  The Wilmington Memorial Library in Massachusetts gave it a try by renting a billboard for the month of November[2]. I’ve never seen a billboard advertising a library, but I see billboards advertising other nonprofits pretty regularly around Indianapolis.  The most recent campaign that caught my eye is a local hospital promoting free information about the Affordable Care Act.  How many people driving on that same interstate noticed that sign and thought, “Wow, I never thought to call the hospital for help signing up for insurance?”  If my personal reaction to billboard advertising is any indication, I’d guess that this type of promotion could be very effective in reaching huge numbers of people.

Given the high visibility of billboards, I imagine public libraries don’t use them for advertising because the funding simply isn’t there.  I couldn’t find anything in the library literature about marketing campaigns with billboards and the Wilmington Memorial Library doesn’t know of any other libraries in Massachusetts trying it.  Most libraries are lucky to even have a marketing or PR department. 

Even if our Friends of the Library were paying for the advertising, there is always a danger that a group of patrons could become angered and start a campaign blasting the library for using tax payer funding for expensive advertising.  Others will of course simply state that there are better uses of that money ($2,000/month for Wilmington).  But then again, advertising could be the best use of library funds.  We spend thousands upon thousands of dollars on collections, but complain that our circulation is low and program attendance is small.

As Wilmington Marketing Librarian Joanna Breen said, “It’s really easy to advertise to the people who are already coming in.”  We need to reach the population who doesn’t know how great the library is—and that population isn’t watching our Facebook pages or websites for news and events.  We need those people to come in and use our collection and attend our programs.

Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project [2] found that 91 percent of respondents said libraries are important to their communities, but 31 percent said they knew not much or nothing at all about what the libraries had to offer.  This is a huge problem that libraries need to address.  Our messages, for the most part, fall on the same ears that are in the 69% who already know what the library is doing.

Clearly we need to reach that 31 percent in untraditional ways, even if it’s costly.  Why not start with billboards?

1.  http://www.lowellsun.com/todaysheadlines/ci_24449188/wilmington-memorial-librarys-new-marketing-tool-billboard#ixzz2kvLzbU7R

2. http://libraries.pewinternet.org/2013/01/22/Library-services/

The post Reaching Your Target Market with Billboards first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

The news that tech start-up Oyster is launching a “Netflix for Books” caused some lively debate among the eBook Team at the Indianapolis Public Library.  There are of course those who believe this could be the next big thing, but I still say “Netflix for Books” already exists—in the public library.

Some had their doubts when Netflix launched in 1997.  It did, in fact, take several years before it really caught fire.  Although you didn’t need to visit the local video store to pick up a movie, you did have to wait until that movie was mailed to you.  The instant gratification that our technological society is now so accustomed to was still out of reach.  When the (instantly gratifying) streaming service dropped to $7.99 per month, more people were paying attention.

The closest thing to Netflix right now is cable television, which can easily cost $100 per month, if not much more.  Some could argue that libraries offer everything Netflix does right now, but that’s not true.  Libraries are not currently able to offer streaming service to a collection of media as large as that of Netflix.  We may have a similar catalog of items, but that requires actually visiting the library to pick them up.

Ebooks are a different story.  Libraries are able to offer patrons thousands of eBooks and audiobooks, accessible from anywhere a wireless connection can be found.  I can sit on my couch and open a library book from my Overdrive app (for free!), but I can’t open a movie from the library on my phone.  Free movies from the library still require a library visit.  Therefore, I use the library for my eBooks and Netflix for my movies.

There are, of course, limits to the digital material libraries are able to offer.  Various publishers and authors don’t allow us to circulate their eBooks.  Many new titles require a waiting period before we can purchase them for circulation.  Those who enjoy instant gratification may use Amazon or Barnes & Noble to purchase these.  Ebooks are often sold for as little as .99, though, while Oyster is starting their pricing at $9.95/month.  Most disappointing for book fans who hate the wait for new releases, Oyster won’t offer the instant gratification of Amazon.  In fact, in their FAQs, they say “We generally secure rights to distribute a title a few months after its initial release.”

In essence, eBook users will have three choices when they sit down to download a book.  1.)  Check it out of the library.  2.)  Buy it.  3.) Use Oyster.  Those who are frugal will likely check the book out of the library, while those who don’t worry about money and simply want convenience, may buy the books they’d like to read.  I don’t really see an in-between crowd using Oyster.

When you look at the average consumer, their book budgets are not as large as their television and movie budget.  Most people simply don’t read as much as they watch their media.  The same person who pays $7.99 for Netflix will likely not pay the same (or more) for books.

It’s impossible to know what the future holds, especially when it comes to media and how the public accesses it.  For now, I maintain that the library was the first “Netflix for Books” and is still the best option for easily accessible, low-cost (free) eBooks.  We’ll have to keep an eye on Oyster, though, to see if they offer a more appealing platform or extras that the library isn’t currently providing. 

The post The Library is the Original “Netflix for Books” first appeared on Public Libraries Online.